A/N: (November 24th)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Or for people who don't celebrate it, happy holidays!

Things are starting to heat up, huh? I'm excited to show you all what I have in store.

But first, some responses to the reviews, and some changes I'm making to the story.

Starting off, while this is a full Type-Moon and Index crossover, involving elements outside of the Fate franchise, it's also still (mostly) loyal to the timelines of said stories, e.g. Fate/stay night (what this story is based on) takes place in 2004, Kara no Kyoukai takes place in the 1990s, and Tsukihime takes place in 2014.

I am following Tsukihime Remake canon: meaning that Kohaku, Hisui, Akiha, and yes— even Tohno Shiki would be young at this point in the story, about 6-7 years old.

I chose this, simply because Tsuki Remake is both the story I prefer between it and the original, and because it gives certain characters some extra abilities that I intend to use. I didn't really want to say that it's Tsukihime Remake's characters, but taking place during original Tsukihime (iirc either 1999 or 2003 I don't quite remember), because it messes with canon timelines a little too much.

So in this story in particular, Tohno Shiki's involvement will be…pretty hard, if not impossible, to say the least. That isn't to say I might not have plans for him in the future, or there can be weird Throne of Heroes shenanigans, or what have you— but as it stands, it's the decision I made for now.

I know, slightly disappointing; I kind of wanted that, too.

However, Ciel can be here, because she's (kind of spoilers?) old enough to be in this story as a teenager. And her involvement with the Church makes her a perfect mix into Index's usage of the Magic Side.

But, omake still exists. Maybe it isn't canon to my story, but if I ever find it in me to write some omake, it can be fun to have the Tsukihime cast interact with this little crossover world I made.

Secondly: Sakura's delinquent comment about Shirou. It isn't a big deal, and a valid critique, so I think I'll just explain it as Sakura thinking Shirou's a delinquent, rather than something that's actually true. Plus Sakura can get, uh…jealous.

Very jealous. lol.

Next!

I have decided to include cross-pairings. Woohoo!

This is a decision I came to after realizing that some pairings can work to improve my story. I don't really have to change much, either; since I only pre-planned general plot beats, and not characterization. Therefore, the door is now open for To Aru and Type-Moon characters to…intermingle. Yeah.

However, the pairings may not be what you expect, so keep a lookout as I write them!

Alright, this is all I have to cover here. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Warning: Some pretty heavy stuff here.

Chapter 6: A Certain Unforgivable Sin

P.O.V.: A Certain Esper-Magus Hybrid

Five years ago, a particular restaurant opened in the heart of the Underground Mall in District 7. Infamous- or famous, depending on who one asked- for its incredibly spicy and hot foods, it became a staple of the students who wanted to test the limits of their tolerance. The students also became acquainted with the owner of the restaurant, who liked to watch customers squirm and cry as they succumbed to the spice.

Ranging from spicy ramen, curry, to even Mapo tofu, it had a rather intense twist on every kind of eastern comfort meal.

The bell to the front of house rings as the door swings open, and in through comes a blonde teenager with sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. While normally quite laid-back, or even jovial at times, he knew that this wasn't exactly the time to be celebrating anything.

He takes one last look at the back of his hand- the red spells that he knew he had on him before he went to sleep were long gone.

A girl in a tidy maid outfit bows, and directs him to the bar right next to the kitchen. He had remembered that his stepsister Maika applied to work here- but apparently, the demand to work here was so high that even a skilled maid like her didn't make the cut.

He walks past the tables, most of which were vacant due to most schools being in-session. Taking a seat at the front bar, he taps his finger quietly on the table as the cook notices, and walks up to him, politely telling the maid that he'd take the order personally. After leaving him a complimentary glass of water, the maid bows and leaves.

A man in his middle age, with mullet-style hair and a rather built appearance. Despite being hidden under dark clothes and an apron, Tsuchimikado Motoharu could tell there was strength underneath those long-sleeves. With a smile that he couldn't exactly read if it was good or bad, the cook asks, "And what may I get for you, Shounen?"

Motoharu looks at the menu already placed at the bar. He had been here only once before, and decided on trying something different from the ramen he had tried last night. "Mapo Tofu, please. And add extra ghost pepper."

The chef smiles, and writes down his order on a notepad. "Ah, my personal favorite. You'll enjoy it, I assure you."

"Hm." Tsuchimikado clicks his tongue as he quietly lifts his arm, letting the man see the back of his hand. The chef nods in quiet understanding, and walks back to prepare his food.

A ringing vibrates in the teen's pocket, forcing him to check his phone. 'A text from…oh, it's Musujime.'

The text is pretty short and to the point, like her reports to him usually were. While GROUP didn't exactly have a leader, the members did tend to see Tsuchimikado as the field leader in practice.

"Done with my business outside. Should be back in the city by tonight."

Tsuchimikado nodded to himself. With Musujime Awaki back in town, it meant he could finally talk to that man in the Windowless Building, who he knew for a fact had something to do with the Holy Grail War.

After all, a man who supposedly leads a City representing Science wouldn't allow a Magic War to happen within Academy City's borders…without a good reason, of course.

'And there's also the fact that the last one took place only ten years ago…' Motoharu thought to himself, '…Dammit. What the hell are you hiding, Aleister?'

He realizes he still has yet to reply to Musujime, and gives a quick "Good work." in response.

Tsuchimikado was appointed as a Master by GROUP's liaison, since as the Holy Grail War was underneath the public knowledge of Academy City, it fell under the Dark Side's supervision. As a unit designed to keep the balance in the Dark Side of Academy City, GROUP had to make sure no one finds out about it throughout the War, and that no one was breaking any rules.

'Multiple Assassins…' Motoharu sighs, 'This is already going a little off the rails.'

"Rejoice, young one. Your meal has come."

Just then, a steaming hot plate of red hot tofu is set in front of him, with the chef giving him an unreadable smile. "Go on."

'Right, he likes to watch.' Without complaining, Tsuchimikado picks up his spoon and takes a generous bite, making sure to gather in a good chunk of tofu.

Fresh off of the wok, the heat instantly got to him, to the point where he had to unbutton the top part of his shirt to keep himself from overheating. "Damn…this place really ain't lyin' when it says it has the spiciest food in Academy City…"

"Indeed." The chef nods, his smile somewhat wider than before.

'Yeah, that's not creepy at all.' Motoharu thinks as he takes a rather large gulp of his water. "…This isn't why I'm here, though…Priest."

The chef nods, his smile fading as he looks around to make sure no students are nearby, and proceeds to speak in a low voice. "…So Caster is defeated?"

"Yeah." Motoharu nods, "I'm here to report that, since you're the Overseer and everything."

"I see." The Priest, known as Kotomine Kirei, silently continues his cooking as he talks. Every movement he made was slow- but entirely deliberate and methodical. "…I do find it rather strange, however. The Heroic Spirit you seemed to have summoned was a powerful one. I certainly did not foresee him falling within the first few days of the Grail War."

"That's the second reason why I'm here," The sunglasses-wearing student responds, "Caster shouldn't have fallen that easily. That's why I'm suspicious…"

He looks up to the television, which was airing the news report of the explosion down in District 22. "…He also disappeared the same night that that happened. I have a feeling they're related."

Kirei shrugs. "Could very well be the case. It is not my job to find out, however."

"I feel like it is, since you're the Overseer."

"You're misunderstanding," Kotomine looks up at him, his face eerily neutral in all aspects, "The job of the Overseer is to ensure the events of the War go by smoothly. I cannot simply take a side just because one Master's Servant has died."

Tsuchimikado sighs, "Well, what if I come up with solid evidence of someone's tampering or cheating? Like, for example, if someone has summoned multiple Assassin Servants?"

"…Then the Church will look into it, and if said evidence turns out to be true, then we will indeed take action to preserve the War's integrity."

Kirei turns away from Tsuchimikado, just as the bell at the front door rings to signify a new customer. "That is all."

Motoharu looks down at his plate of Mapo Tofu. He'd only taken one bite, but after the rather tense conversation with Kotomine, his appetite was waning a bit.

'Still, may as well get my money's worth.'

He picks up his spoon to continue eating, just as the seat next to him is pulled open. "Yes, and what would you like to drink?" A maid behind him asks.

"Oh, um…just a water, please."

A girl sits next to him. In his periphery, he can see cobalt-colored hair and a female uniform oddly familiar to the ones at his own high school. In fact-

"Tsuchimikado-kun, good afternoon. Playing hooky as well, I see?"

He turns his head- to see the new transfer student from this morning. "Ah, Ciel-chan-!"

"I'd prefer it if you used -san, personally-"

"What are you doing here?" Motoharu quickly switches his voice from his serious business-y one, to his more light-hearted and jovial high school tone. "Couldn't get enough of me after we met this morning?"

Ciel sighs, fixing her glasses as she sits properly on the seat next to him, keeping her body language reserved. "No, that is not why I'm here."

Motoharu scoffs, "Oh really? Then what's the reason for cutting class on your first day of school, to the restaurant I decided on going to, I wonder?"

The blue haired girl rolls her eyes, "Tsuchimikado-kun…you're a part of Necessarius, are you not?"

Motoharu's expression pauses in place…and slowly fades into a frown as Ciel produces a silver cross from underneath her school uniform. "…How did you-?"

"I'm acquaintances with some friends of yours…do Stiyl Magnus and Kaori Kanzaki ring any bells? It's a pleasure meeting you- properly, this time." She extends her arm in greeting.

Tsuchimikado returns the favor. "…So you're from the Church. Which sect?"

"…The Roman Catholic Church." She says. Motoharu raises a brow, but Ciel waves off his concern. "I know, technically we're supposed to be enemies, but I'm on your side. You see, a certain deputy minister sent me here to discuss something with the Churches in this corner of the world. If you'll hear me out, then it'll work out for all of us."

Tsuchimikado nods, still apprehensive, but Ciel's straightforward and calm attitude made him feel at least somewhat willing to listen. 'Plus, if she knows Stiyl and Kanzaki, then…'

"Alright, I'll bite. What's going on?"

P.O.V.: A Certain Unlucky Level 0

Touma Kamijou clicks open the door to his apartment, exhausted after a day of remedial lessons. It's late into the afternoon, and while he'd want to take a nap, not only does he have a Grail War to fight at night, but he also has to cook his two roommates dinner.

'Such misfortune.' He sighs inwardly as he takes off his shoes at the front entrance. "I'm home, everyone."

"Welcome back!" Two voices exclaim simultaneously, from the same area in his apartment. Kamijou raises a brow as his nose catches the whiff of something…miraculous.

'Is that…!?'

He briskly walks over to his kitchen and peers around the corner. His expression lightens up in a heartbeat. "Tohsaka-san…"

"Yo." The Magus greets him with a subtle wave as she focuses on stirring the contents of whatever she was cooking in the pot. Instead of her typical twintails, her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she donned a black apron over her clothes. Over her shoulder is the normally boisterously loud Index, who instead of yelling at Touma for being late again, is watching Tohsaka studiously cook the food. "Figured you'd be late, so I decided to make dinner for ya."

"Tohsaka…"

"Yeah?" She pauses for a moment and looks at him.

"I thank you very much!" The boy immediately prostrates himself before the goddess in front of him. "Thank you very much for this meal! I'm forever in your debt!"

"Hey, uh-!" He looks up to see Rin's slightly flustered face; apparently she didn't know how to handle the sudden praise, "I-It's no big deal, really! I know this recipe inside and out. Index also helped me prepare the ingredients."

The white-clothed nun raises her hand excitedly, "Yep yep! I chopped up all of the carrots and onions and stuff!"

'So you're telling me…Tohsaka trained Index on how to use a knife…and it didn't go badly?'

In his mind, a halo began to form around the teenage girl's head. 'She really is a goddess.'

He decides to go sit by the kotatsu and wait for them to finish. He thought about going to help them, but decided on letting the goddess- er, Tohsaka handle everything.

"Woaahhhh, you flipped it!" He hears Index exclaim as he pulls out his remedial homework from his bag. He can't help but feel a smile growing on his face— not just because Index isn't biting him, but because she actually seems to be genuinely enjoying Tohsaka's company.

"Yep! Wanna see me do it again? One, two…!"

The sizzling of frying rice made Kamijou's stomach grumble a bit. Tohsaka was apparently making Gomoku Fried Rice, a Chinese-variant of the classic dish.

Just as he finished the first problem of his homework…which to be honest, took a little longer to complete than he wanted to admit, he heard two pairs of footsteps confidently walk over to the living room. "Thank you for waiting!"

Index places a cloth and plates on the table, while Tohsaka sets down the good-sized wok in the middle. Touma puts his homework away for now as he gawks at the meal she just made. "Well?" Rin says as she undoes her apron, "Go on and eat!"

Touma smiles, nodding graciously again as he picks up the plate and serving spoon. "Don't mind if I do…"

XXXXX

The Level 0 finds himself laying on the floor, his stomach full and warm from the fried rice Tohsaka had made. 'Damn, that was delicious.'

He was pretty broke in general, so when going to the store to buy ingredients to cook, he could only produce basic flavors in his dishes. Tohsaka, on the other hand, had so many flavors and spices in there, that it nearly overwhelmed his ordinary palette. "Thank you…again…for the meal…" he says tiredly.

"No problem," Tohsaka replies, then yells out: "Hey Archer, wanna try some? I know you're around here somewhere!"

As if on cue, a blue glitter materializes into existence by the balcony door, and a white-haired, tan Servant appears. Despite usually having a serious face, Archer's expression was a shade brighter than normal. "Sure, why not."

He sits down traditionally by the wok, and takes a quiet bite. After chewing and pondering the flavors with his eyes closed for a moment, he opens an eye and nods slightly. "…Not bad, Master."

'Not bad?' Touma thinks, 'That was the best meal I've had in years…'

"Th-thanks, Archer." Rin crosses her arms. "See? Magi can cook, too."

Archer shrugs. "Never said they couldn't. Heck, I could probably make something decent if I had the chance."

The Archer's words seem to rile up the young magus. "Oh really?" Rin stands up and puts her hands on her hips, "Tomorrow, make a meal for us then. Let's see if you do better than me."

"Is that a challenge, Rin?" Archer smirks.

"Indeed it is."

"Hmph. Fine, I'll indulge you." He turns around quietly and starts to vanish again. "Tomorrow we'll see who the best cook is. I'll be on the rooftop if you need me."

Archer disappears, and the faintest silhouette of him jumps up from the balcony and out of sight.

"Y'know," Index starts, "I can't really read that guy."

Rin sighs, "Me neither sometimes, and I'm his Master for chrissake." She sits back down and continues to eat her food. "Can't read him a lot of the time, actually."

A ringing of the doorbell catches their attention. Index is the first to stand up, to Kamijou's delight; he was falling into a food coma and afraid that he wouldn't be able to climb out for a while.

The young nun runs up to the entrance and opens the door. "Oh hey, it's Hawaiian Shirt."

"Yo," Touma hears Tsuchimikado's voice approach from the front door, "Sorry I'm a bit late, got hole'd up with some other things."

"That's fine," Rin says, "Want some fried rice, Tsuchimikado-kun?"

The teen blinks underneath his sunglasses. "Huh, you're the second person to use that honorific for me today. Anyway, as much as I want to, since it smells good, I'm gonna have to pass. Kinda full. And my tongue is still numb…"

Tohsaka shrugs, and Motoharu sits across from her, his face shifting to business-mode. Kamijou sighs, 'I guess break time is over.'

He looks up at the clock; it's nearing 6 P.M., and the sun is low in the sky.

Despite everything being typical and normal during the day for Academy City, the night is where everything changes. 'The Holy Grail War…'

A conflict that only happens at night time, at least from what Tohsaka had told him. Since evening is quickly passing, it's only a matter of time before the unspoken truce of the day ends.

"Alright," Tsuchimikado leans forward on the table, "I got good news and bad news. Which do you wanna hear first?"

"Bad, I guess." Touma wills himself out of his sleepy state and pulls himself upright. The blonde magus responds by lifting the back of his hand with a grave look on his face.

Index gasps, "Your Command Seals! They're gone!"

Rin's eyebrows furrow. "But…how? Caster was a pretty strong Servant, from what I could gather…"

Tsuchimikado sighs, "Yeah, I dunno either. I had the freaking Child of Light, known for being basically Irish Hercules, and he somehow kicked the bucket last night to some low-level Assassins."

It was puzzling to Touma, too. He didn't truly know how powerful Servants are supposed to be, but he had an idea of the Assassins specifically.

When he first met Rin, the Assassin that was attacking her died to a single punch of his Right Hand and a shot of Magecraft from Tohsaka. She had later explained to him that it was called Gandr- a type of spell that inflicts the victim with health-draining energy. Apparently, it usually isn't enough to majorly wound a Servant, but it plus Touma resulted in the Assassin's death.

Archer also mentioned that an Assassin he fought was not much trouble for him.

'…Yeah, it doesn't make sense, then.' Kamijou concludes. Even if there were multiple Assassins, Caster shouldn't have fallen to them.

"Here's the good news, though." Tsuchimikado continues, and turns on the TV. "Er…"

Index gulps as the television turns on to reveal a cartoon with girls in short skirts and wielding magical wands. "I can explain."

Tsuchimikado fixes his sunglasses, "Nah, it's fine. If we weren't in this mess, I'd probably watch with you. Anyway…" he changes the channel to the News station, where the same story is getting repeated probably every hour or so since last night.

The breaking story of a fire and explosion in District 22's Underground, that destroyed much of the artificial woods in the heart of the district. "…that's probably our lead."

Tohsaka nods, "Makes sense. Only a Servant or powerful Mage could cause something that destructive."

'Or a Level 5.' Touma remembers back to the Daihasei Festival, when Misaka had become…that.

To this day, he still doesn't know for sure what happened to cause her to transform like that.

"We'll be heading down to the Underground District tonight," Tsuchimikado declares, "Even if the Assassins or their Master aren't there, we can probably find some clues to figure out what happened to Caster."

They all nod in agreement. "Index," Touma turns to his ashen-haired roommate, "Ya sure you wanna come with? Could be dangerous."

The young nun puffs her cheeks in protest, "Hey, I can help too! I know how a Holy Grail War works!"

Kamijou looks to Tohsaka and Tsuchimikado for help, but they both shrug. The decision is up to him, apparently.

"…Fine, but stick behind me." Touma resolves.

"Then it's settled." Rin stands up, "Archer, you got all that?"

Touma doesn't hear a response, but Tohsaka nods her head in satisfaction. "Okay, Archer's on board. Let's go and do this."

P.O.V.: A Certain Hero of Justice

One Year Ago.

It is an ordinary day, like any other. A redheaded boy clicks open the door to his apartment, letting a certain lilac-haired girl enter before him.

"What do you want to eat, Sakura?" Emiya, a first-year in high school, asks his kouhai kindly, "I could make something easy, like hamburg steak."

Sakura nods quietly, "Sure, Senpai. I'll…I'll help out, too."

The two of them set to work on their after-school meal, setting up the kitchen and warming up the pans. As Shirou searches through the fridge for the ground beef he had left last night, he hears a grating shatter of breaking china. "Sakura-!"

He shuts the fridge to see his Kouhai bent over, staring silently at the broken plate pieces on the floor. "Are you alright…?"

"…!"

He rushes up and takes a look at the back of the girl's hand. Somehow, from their walk back to school, he hadn't noticed the purple, swollen bruise. "…Who did this to you?" He asked, in a low voice.

"Um…" Sakura moves her arm away from him, "I just…fell is all, Senpai. It's okay."

Shirou didn't buy it. Sakura's voice is one of deception. 'Someone did this to her.'

A particular person came to mind.

XXXXX

The morning after, Shirou Emiya stomps up the stairs of his high school, his brows furrowed to daggers. He needs answers- and he knew the exact person who was going to give it to him.

Just as he makes it to the second floor, where his homeroom is, he spots a blue-haired teenager, with his arms wrapped around two girls' shoulders as they all laugh heartily.

He didn't care.

"Shinji!"

His loud voice carries over the whole hallway, catching many students' attention, albeit unintentionally. Shinji pauses, his expression tightening into a frown as he stares down his classmate. "What do you want, Emiya? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Shirou takes a step forward. "What. Happened. To Sakura?" He spoke crystalline clear, and icy cold. "I was with her yesterday and found a bruise on her. What happened?"

Shinji blinks, almost as if in confusion, then scoffs and laughs it off. "Emiya, are you accusing me of hitting my sister? As if I'd go so low. In fact," the Matou boy scowls, "I'd consider it a low blow for you to accuse me of such a thing, Emiya."

The redhead marches forward and assertively grabs Shinji by the collar, the two girls next to them gasping as they're ripped from the blue-haired boy's grasp. Emiya pins Shinji against a locker, his expression growing ever more vicious. "I just asked what happened to her. You're the one who thought I was accusing you of hitting Sakura, but now I'm interested. You must have seen her last night when I dropped her off. What the hell happened?"

Shinji grimaces, and shoves him backwards forcefully. Emiya grunts as he's pushed back a step or two. "How…dare you! Who are you to treat me like some sort of monster, huh?!"

"I see the way you act, Shinji." Shirou says, "You've changed the past few years. Do I have to mention your violent tendencies, like when you punched Aogami-san in the face for no reason-?"

"Shut up!" Shinji shouts. He steps forward to return Emiya's favor and grab him by the collar, but a body suddenly places itself between the two of them and pushes them apart.

"That's enough, both of you!" A long-haired female student glares between the two of them.

Shirou's hardened expression wavers a degree, "Fukiyose-san, I-"

"Hold it, let me speak first." Fukiyose sighs, staring at both of them. "Class is starting soon. I'm going to tell Ms. Komoe to separate both of you. Don't make me take further action than that, okay?"

Shirou and Shinji both look at each other, their faces clearly signifying they want to tear each other apart. But with the Acting Class President standing between them, their hands were tied.

They stop their conflict— for now.

XXXXX

"See you tomorrow, Senpai." Sakura turns to the older student with the usual, routine wave, and Emiya smiles as he returns the favor. He watches Sakura enter the door and close it gingerly, then hides behind the front gate of the house.

His smile fades quickly. 'I have to find out, somehow.'

He waits several minutes, just to make sure anyone who was watching the outside lost interest, then carefully steps from behind the wall and passes the gate.

Shirou tiptoes up to the front door, and grabs the door handle. 'Trace, on.'

His magical energy flows from his hand and into the door lock. Intentionally, he overflows the lock with mana, causing it to bust open and break.

A small pop signifies he shattered the lock, and the door gently creaks open. 'This is breaking and entering, but…

…I can't let Sakura be here if my hunch is correct.'

Shinji Matou was a good friend of his in the past: happy, intelligent and joyful. He and Shinji went to the same elementary and middle school in Academy City— their low levels forcing them to go to that certain high school together as well.

But when they transitioned to high school, something suddenly changed about the Matou boy. He became distant and aggressive, to Emiya and other male classmates, while somehow winning over a girl or two to add to his harem.

Shirou found it rather unpleasant. His first fight with Aogami-san caused Shinji to be suspended from school for a whole month.

And now…

'If he harmed Sakura…'

He looks around the bottom floor of the three-story house, and hears and sees no one. Taking a breath, he makes it to the staircase and stairs up its dark, wooden, western-style design. 'They're up there, then.'

Emiya takes a careful step, the wood barely creaking underneath his feet. Comfortable that he wouldn't make much noise, he takes a second, then a third step.

"Onii-san, stop it…!"

"Quiet, Sakura! I need to lay off some goddamn steam…! Hold…STILL!"

Shirou's eyes widen in terror from the voices upstairs.

Quiet compunction goes out the window, and he rushes up the steps as fast as he can. Now on the second floor, he spots one closed door and marches up to it with rage boiling over his body.

He hears Shinji's voice on the other side. "What the fuck is that noise-?"

Emiya slams his body against the door, breaking the lock and bursting it open.

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he shoots his head up to see what was happening in the bedroo-

"Sen…pai…!"

Two bodies, on top of each other on the pure white bed.

One with their pants around their ankles, looking at Shirou in surprise that was quickly shifting into anger.

The other…

He didn't need to think about it. He already knew what was going on. "SHINJI!"

He sprints up to the half-naked blue-haired boy. With all of the force he could muster, he slams his body into Shinji, careening him off of Sakura and sending both young men to the floor.

Emiya finds himself straddling Shinji and he uses his knees to keep the boy's arms from moving as he pulls his fist back and aims it square between his eyes.

"Emiya, wait-!"

…The Matou boy's eyes had widened from anger, into fear.

Shirou didn't give a shit.

Without hesitation, he plunges his fist down.

XXXXX

Anti-Skill was called, and the two Matou and Emiya were interrogated about what happened. Shirou's aggressive accusations against Shinji, and vice versa, forced them to ask Sakura about what truly happened.

Sakura reluctantly agreed to testing, and after a medical examination that tried to be as least-intrusive as possible, it was confirmed that she had been assaulted and abused.

Eventually, students from their high school were even asked about Matou and Emiya's character. After most pointed out Shinji's mental instability and his history of fighting with other students, the general consensus forced Anti-Skill to take Emiya's side.

Even though Shinji was still a minor, he was charged with sexual assault, permanently banned from his own household, and sent to a correctional facility. When he was to be released, he's to re-enter Academy City, since he was still a member of the Power-Curriculum Program, in a school across the city from his sister and Emiya. A restraining order and tracking bracelet was to be placed on his ankle as well.

Despite breaking and entering, as well as a potential charge of battery on Shirou's behalf, all charges were dropped under some Good Samaritan clauses.

Shinji's grandfather, while out of the house in his second home in Fuyuki City, was informed of the incident as well.

XXXXX

That was more than a year ago, and Shirou Emiya thought that that was the end of having to see Shinji Matou ever again…

…But here he is, staring at him in the face with the same hostile, malicious grin.

A demon of his past was back to haunt him.

"You…you nearly fucked up my whole life, Emiya. But now, I've been given a second chance. And with that second chance…"

The book in his hand glows, and a violet electricity sparks around his Lancer Servant. She winces a little, but Shirou could feel the heat and power growing inside of her as she prepares to attack.

"…I'm going to return what you did to me tenfold, EMIYA!"

On command, Lancer charges. Saber rushes forth as well, slashing her sword down with enough force to split a bus in two.

Her invisible sword slams into the curved crescent of Lancer's weapon, the two quickly reaching a stand-still as their blades clash.

"Got you." The Lancer's light, almost child-like voice says. A glitter of gold wraps around Saber's hand, catching her off guard as the chain attached to the back of Lancer's scythe had somehow coiled around her gauntlet. Lancer jerks her weapon, causing the chain to tighten and pull, forcefully dragging Saber up into the air.

"Yes, that's good, Lancer!" Shinji exclaims in twisted joyful glee, his book glowing ever brighter. "Go on! Finish her off!"

The purple-haired petite Servant obliges, hefting her scythe and rushing up into the air. Saber grimaces, using her free hand to defend against Lancer's strike.

A loud clash of metal-on-metal resounds outwards, causing Shirou and Saten to plug their ears in mild pain.

Saber grunts as she looks to her left- to find the curved scythe just a finger length away from cutting into her throat. "You're…a lot stronger…than you look, Lancer…!" She uses all of her strength to defend against the blade; but with one arm chained, she was at a disadvantage. Slowly, the tip of the scythe approaches her neck.

"Haha!" The blue-haired boy shouts out as if he had already won, "That's the power of Monstrous Strength! My Servant may be small, but her strength is unrivaled!"

Lancer's eyes narrow. "Yeah, give away my skills, why don't you…!" Her grip tightens, pushing further toward Saber's neck. The tip ever-so-slightly touches her neck, and a tiny trickle of blood falls down the knight's skin.

"Saber!" Emiya cries out, reaching out with his hand. 'No, wait before I can help her…!'

He turns around to Saten, who was still, at this point, just a bystander. "Saten-san!" He turns to her, "get the hell out of here, it's not safe!"

"I…" Saten shakes her head once more, "No, I'm not going to run. In fact—!"

She looks up and nods to something up in the air. Shirou looks with her; and apparently, so did Shinji.

"Oi!" Shinji angrily yells, "This is unfair, dammit!"

A pair of azure irises fall into the battlefield, past the maze of interlocked chains that line across the alleyway, which was keeping Saber pinned. Assassin slashes downward with her knife, forcing Lancer to break away from Saber.

Assassin slashes at the chain, her knife carving it cleanly in two like butter.

"Thank you, Assassin." Saber says as she lands back on the ground, mostly uninjured aside from a tiny pinprick on her neck.

"Don't thank me," Assassin mutters, pointing her knife at the enemy Master and Servant. "It isn't over."

"Assassin!" Saten exclaims, "Just in time!"

"Hmph," Assassin eyes her Master over her shoulder, giving her a tiny grin, "I used to hunt ghosts back in my day." She flourishes the knife between her fingers, the blade spinning like a baton before being pointed right between Lancer's eyes again. "This isn't any different."

Lancer's breathing exasperates; apparently trying to forcefully overpower Saber was harder than she had actually let on. The Matou boy scowls, gesturing at his Servant with the book of his. "Oi, Lancer! We're outnumbered; use your Noble Phantasm!"

Electric violet sparks burn around the petite Servant, causing her to cry out in what seems like pain. Her teeth clenched, Lancer responds, "With all due respect…Master…I don't know…if I can—!"

Shinji growls through his teeth, then yells at the top of his lungs.

"I said: Lancer, use your FUCKING Noble Phantasm, NOW!"

The violet light burns brightly, and Lancer's small arms slowly struggle to reach her face. Saber and Assassin brace as ancient runes appear in front of Lancer's eyes, and she slowly slides her fingers across her vision.

Shirou has the passing thought of commanding Saber to slash Lancer down before she does whatever she's about to do— but the pure malicious energy going out of control around Lancer made him hesitate.

'And I can't…!' He looks down to the still-unconscious body of Fukiyose just a few meters behind Lancer. '…I can't risk hurting Fukiyose more…'

"Shirou, Saten, get behind us!" Saber shouts, getting his mind back on track. "Assassin, I have a bad feeling about this, maybe we should—!"

Assassin raises her arm, as if telling everyone behind her not to worry. Lancer grunts and cries out against her will; it was as if she didn't even want to release her Noble Phantasm.

That morning, Saber had told Shirou about the concept of Noble Phantasms: they were a Heroic Spirits' most valued treasure, and used as trump cards in fights. However, due to Noble Phantasms having a close connection to the Servant, revealing a Noble Phantasm's identity would simultaneously reveal the Servants' True Name.

It was this reason why Saber hasn't disclosed her actual name to Shirou yet; doing so could put Shirou at risk, since he is prone to getting his mind read.

Lancer's Noble Phantasm, however, lit up the dark alleyway as her eyes illuminated like two miniature suns. "Noble Phantasm…!"

The small Servant had forced her head upwards as if to resist it as best she can, but the book Shinji was carrying overrode her efforts.

A force pushes her to face forward, and a giant wave of lilac light pummels toward the pair of Masters and Servants.

"…Caress of the Medusa!"

Saber's eyes widen, and she immediately turns to grab the two Masters. "Both of you, look away!"

Saten does as she's told, but Shirou continues to look on as the wave of light quickly approaches their location. It would be on them in less than a second.

"Noble Phantasm: Vijñapti-mātratā."

But it never reaches their bodies.

Shirou watches on as the beam of light is split directly in two by the edge of a short steel blade. The two streams break apart at a forty-five degree angle and collide with the walls, transforming the metal pipes and the concrete into a brittle, sickly grey material.

Then, the knife-wielder slashes downward. For a flash, a mere fraction of a second, the white light inverts into darkness, as if its color had been negated. The beam hisses as its power reverses, and recoils back toward Lancer's face.

A pained cry echoes through the hallway that suddenly turns dark. Lancer's Noble Phantasm was utterly defeated.

Shirou peers up at Shinji, and sees his smiling face shift less from one of confident victory, and more of sudden disbelief. "Ah…Lancer…how did…?"

He turns, and sees Lancer's body crumpled and crippled against a wall. Her scythe uselessly lay on the ground next to her as one of her unnaturally-bent arms twitches helplessly.

"Lancer…no, nonono…Lancer…get up…"

No response. The Servant coughs a sputter of blood, before flaking away into ashen darkness. "No…dammit no, come back!"

Nothing remains.

Shinji jumps off the stairway, landing squarely in the alley as he walks over to where Lancer's body used to be.

Emiya walks past Saber and Assassin. "…Thanks, you two."

The two Servants nod, and let Shirou walk a step closer to the former Master. 'It's over, after all.' Shirou thought. 'No need to be scared of him, anymore.'

"Shinji." He calls out to his once-called friend, his voice showing little empathy. "I can't say you didn't deserve it. I'm only going to tell you this once: leave."

Even if Shinji had family connections to lessen his punishment, it didn't change the fact Shirou never wanted to see him near Sakura again.

If it meant having to push him away every time Shinji got close, then so be it. "That's the last time I'm asking nicely."

The Matou boy's back is turned, his head slouched over.

"Heh…"

Shirou takes a step back. "Shinji-?"

"Heh…Haha…Hahaha, HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shinji, what the hell are you-?"

The blue-haired former Master suddenly spins around with an inhuman, almost insane look on his face.

"Shirou, back up!" A cold metallic feeling grips the back of his collar and pulls him backwards, forcing his head to look up.

His heart sinks.

Along the rooftops making up the buildings of the alleyways, stood dozens of dark, cloaked, shadowed figures, with white skull masks on their faces, watching like vultures.

A spark of metal clashing causes Shirou to look down, and he sees his Servant collide with one of the same shadows. 'Those are…the Fake Assassins…?!'

His body hits the cold alley ground, right nearby the kimono-wearing, actual Assassin. "Damn, right in a trap…?" The Servants' eyes glow once again as she puts herself between the cloaked Shadows above and the two Masters. "You two might wanna run. This could get ugly."

"Saten, did you call Mikoto and-?!"

"I already called them, like, a while ago!" Saten shouts back, "They should be here by now!"

Shinji's deranged laughter cackles throughout the alleyway. "You're all finished! Emiya, now it'll be your goddamn turn to feel fear for once in your life!"

Matou lowers his hand, like a commander ordering his brigade to fire. "Assassins, kill them all!"

The shadows all jump from the rooftop, their knives drawn. Saber and Assassin grimace as the horde of Assassins converge onto them. Even with their superior stats and abilities, the sheer number is simply overwhelming.

Panic begins to set in on Emiya. All the while, Shinji laughs as they make eye contact. "There it is! There's the fear, that I've been waiting to see these long goddamn months—!"

Two twin blazers and plaid skirts appear between them, cutting off their sight of each other. Shirou catches the sight of auburn pigtails and short brown hair, before—!

The sound of a hundred lightning strikes blaze across Academy City, all concentrated on the falling Assassins above them. The sound of burning flesh and cloth rings in Shirou's eardrums just as much as the almost blinding light sears his retinas.

A strike of cataclysmic proportions. An attack so great, that only a few of the 2.3 million people in Academy City could recreate such a powerful feat.

It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was more than enough. Before Shirou's vision returns, he hears the dropping of limp, sizzling bodies like flies.

"Sorry we're late. We were tracking down a few Assassins we spotted- turns out, this is exactly where they were heading to."

Shirou's sight stabilizes, and his face finally softens as his vision focuses on those signature light onyx eyes. "It's…it's fine." He mutters, his back still a bit sore from being thrown. Mikoto Misaka extends her arm, and helps him to his feet.

Around them were steaming, reddish-black bodies of multiple fake Assassins, their bodies twitching and starting to flake.

With just one fell strike, the Level 5 had neutralized more than a dozen Servants.

"Easy there…" Mikoto holds him steady as he wobbles a little. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Shirou sighs. "I'm just glad it's over…for good, hopefully."

"Well, almost." Mikoto points over to Shinji, and Shirou watches as the other Tokiwadai student puts a green Judgment band on her wrist as she marches over to the somehow still-conscious Matou.

Kuroko Shirai places her hand on her hip as she observes the blue-haired boy scramble backwards. The lightning blast had dropped him on his ass, and caused many of his hairs to stand on end. Really, he looked completely pathetic. "I recognize you. You're Shinji Matou, aren't you? Registered sex offender…what are you doing here in the City this early? I thought you couldn't come back until you were in your twenties, or something."

The pigtailed girl sighs, and steps forward, producing a pair of handcuffs. "Luckily, I can take you right back in. In the name of Judgment, you're under arrest."

"No…"

The Matou's bangs shade his face from view. As Shirai walks up to him, one of his hands slowly inches toward his jacket pocket.

The Judgment officer notices immediately. "Hold it, don't you move a musc-"

A desperate cry of rage and anger causes the young officer to step back in surprise. In Shinji's hand is a short blade, no longer than a finger; but pointed right at Kuroko as he stumbles and rushes forward, pushing off the ground with his knees.

He thrusts his arm forward right to her midsection.

But of course, he doesn't hit his mark. He was never going to be able to.

Behind his head, a pair of curled up legs prepare to spring forward and crash into the back of his torso. "You're too slow."

As she extends her legs, Shirou notices something show itself right behind the pigtailed girl.

A thin, almost sickly-looking long arm. He opens his mouth to shout, but the girl next to him is faster to notice and respond.

"KUROKO!"

"Wha—?!"

The Judgment Officer was too slow to get Misaka's warning. A blade comes down onto her bare leg. She cries out in unmitigated pain as a splash of red liquid spurts out of the stab wound.

Kuroko falls to the ground, wincing and moaning in pain as she grabs onto the stab wound to keep it closed.

Shirou's instincts kick into overdrive, and his legs move before he can even think. As he takes the first step, a gust of wind shoots by the right side of his vision, nearly blowing him over from the pure speed.

Saten's Assassin moves faster than he did, and slashes her own knife at the fake Assassin's neck. It jerks its head back, barely able to dodge as it hops between the walls up to the rooftops.

"You little bitch-!"

Shirou quickly stops paying attention to Assassin's battle as he notices Shinji re-grab his knife, and crawl over to the still-downed Kuroko. The bleeding on her leg was profuse- the Assassin might have slashed an artery.

'Dammit-!' Shirou sprints forward and slams his knee into the Matou boy's cheek, sending him rolling across the alleyway.

It wasn't enough to knock him out, however.

"Assassins…" Shinji mutters, spitting out a tooth and pulling out that strange glowing book once more. "…Fucking…kill them…ALL!"

The felled Assassins all around them groan as violet lightning overwhelms their bodies. Several start to move their limbs and crawl back to their feet, while others cannot withstand the pain and begin to flake even faster, turning into ash and dust.

Shirou turns his head, and sees Mikoto was already by Kuroko's side, tending to her leg. He watches as the Esper shoots small electric shocks into the wound to sear it closed. Shirai yelps in abject pain as the shocks shoot through her body and literally burn her skin. 'It's better than bleeding out, I suppose…!'

He turns back to Shinji, but his heart immediately sinks as two once-fallen Assassins, their bodies nearly half-collapsed and slowly regenerating, put themselves between him and Shinji.

What's worse, he can hear the shouts of his own Servant as they try to guard the second Master.

"Saber…there's a lot of them, what do we do…?!"

Thoughts race through Emiya's mind.

'Mikoto's distracted with Shirai…Saten's Assassin is fighting…Saber's protecting Saten…!'

The numbers game was overwhelming once more. And without Mikoto's firepower, especially since Shirou and Saten were now in striking range, the Railgun couldn't do the same surprise strike she did before.

'…What do we…?'

He felt something click.

The two words his Servant had said when she was first summoned.

"Saber, Strike Air!"

His Servant looks at him with bewilderment. "Shirou, that will-!"

It would blow everyone away, including him. But at this point, they were out of options; and it was the only way to gain distance between the Assassins that outnumbered them three-to-one.

Shirou looks back at Saber. She reads his expression, and nods in understanding.

The two Assassins before Shirou had nearly fully recovered, and were moving to eliminate him.

Before they could get that chance, the Saber Servant lifts up her invisible blade. "O Wind…"

A powerful breeze picks up in the alleyway. All of the Assassins turn their masked heads at Saber as the concealment around her weapon transforms into opaque wisps of energy.

And just underneath- the faint shadow of a pristine silver blade could be seen.

Without any hesitation, the Knight plunges her sword forward!

"Whirl Away!"

A hurricane blast shoots through the region, causing anything not tied to the ground to be immediately sent flying. Shirou's vision disorients as he feels his body leave the ground and be left to the elements.

'Maybe this was a bad idea—!'

Just as he expects his body to violently crash against the wall, he feels a warm hand grab the back of his collar and jerk up and out of the way of the wind. "I gotcha!"

His body falls onto cold concrete, and his eyes view the light-polluted night sky. Just in his periphery is Assassin, who nods at him in satisfaction before kneeling down to tend to someone.

Shirou turns his head, and spots a sweaty, fast-breathing Kuroko, her eyes shut closed as blood continues to stream down her thigh and onto the floor. Judging from the view of the city, as well as the short walls and the open air, Shirou assumed that Assassin had grabbed them in mid-air and carried them to a rooftop.

Misaka is bent over Shirai's body, her face full of a hundred emotions. "I…I tried to sear the wound closed, but…"

Assassin shakes her head. "The knife cut her femoral artery…and pretty seriously." Mikoto's eyes widen with guilt as Assassin rips off a part of her kimono and uses it as a tourniquet to restrict the blood flow to her leg. "You did your best to slow the bleeding, but unless we get her to a hospital within an hour, the bleeding isn't going to stop on its own."

Just then, a wooosh of a blonde and two black-haired bodies fly up and land on the roof a few meters from them. Saten had gone for a ride on Saber's back, and thanked the Servant as she got off her shoulders. Gently, Saber set down Fukiyose on the floor next to Shirai; thankfully, the former hadn't suffered any injuries aside from the bite on her neck and a few scratches.

Immediately, Saten notices Kuroko and runs over to see what was happening. "Holy crap, Shirai…!"

Assassin stops her from getting too close, "She'll be okay…from what I've heard, this city has good healthcare. We just need to take her to a place to heal."

Shirou fights off the general pain all throughout his body from being blasted through the air and hobbles to his feet, limping as he makes his way over to Shirai and Fukiyose. Saber quickly grabs him, and wraps his arm around her neck. "Master…that command was reckless. Too reckless."

Helooks down, guilt coming across his face. That attack might have saved them in the short-term, but it also might have caused more unnecessary harm to Kuroko. "…Regardless, it was the only way. So I don't blame you for making your decision, Shirou."

Emiya nods, feeling a little extra relieved as he watches Assassin pick Shirai up bridal-style. "Mikoto, I-"

"It's fine." She gets to her feet, and nods to him in reassurance. "…You saved us, after all. Let's just get Kuroko to a hospital…and hopefully, out of the War."

"I don't know if that's possible, young Mikoto." Saber shakes her head, "If you're aware of the War, then you're a target. Her only place of refuge, where Servants can't infiltrate, is likely the Underground Church."

A shiver goes up Shirou's spine as he imagines an unconscious Kuroko being with that Priest.

"Can he heal her?" Mikoto asks.

"…Indeed, Kotomine Kirei has healing abilities." The Saber responds as she lifts up Fukiyose's body again, "Let's take her there. Come on, we don't have a lot of time—"

"You…pieces…of…shit…"

A raspy, angry voice mutters loudly. Shirou spots a blue-haired teen almost like a dead man walking; swaying eerily back and forth on the rooftop across from them. His clothes are torn and his body is bleeding in multiple places.

Around him appear several shadowy entities; again, all with that same black mask.

'What…'

Emiya's hands grip into fists. '…What the actual hell?

How many Assassins does this bastard have?!'

"Shirou…why is he so…so obsessed with you?!" Mikoto asks, her voice starting to crescendo in pure disbelief and anger.

"…It's a long story. And it's his fault, not mine." Shirou gets to his feet, trying to keep his mind focused as he counts the Assassins. 'Eight of them…that's still a lot.'

They had cut down their numbers with those consecutive elemental attacks, but it still wasn't enough to completely wipe all of them.

"We need to run." Assassin says. "We're in no condition to both fight and keep you all alive."

"Agreed," Saber grabs Saten's hand and coaxes her onto her back again. "There's an alternate path to the Underground Church…it's a detour, but it'll shake them off from how confusing the terrain is. Follow me."

Shirou almost wanted to ask why Saber knew more about Academy City than he did, but doesn't protest as he watches Assassin and Saber leap up into the air, carrying Shirai and Saten, respectively.

He gives one last look to Shinji, who seems to have shaken himself out of his stupor.

"Get them…Assassins, GET THEM RIGHT NOW!"

Mikoto tosses Shirou a thin metal rod; The same ones that Kuroko uses to apprehend criminals. "Don't let go of that. It'll keep you connected to me."

Shirou nods, and watches as the Level 5's electrical energy bursts forth, and reaches out to a nearby streetlight. In a flash, he's pulled hard into the air as Mikoto drags him through Academy City's streets electromagnetically.

Behind him, through the chaos of him spinning through the air, he spots the Assassins hop off the rooftops and begin to tail them.

'I hope Saber's plan works…!'

P.O.V.: A Certain Callous Coward

As he watches Emiya run away, Shinji Matou starts to see sparks and stars in his vision as a sharp pain fires throughout his nerves.

"God…dammit…!" He hunches over, clutching his stomach as the few Assassins around him look at him with slight concern.

"Are you well…Master?" A more coherent Assassin asks. For some reason he still didn't quite understand, some Assassins had more of a personality and higher stats than the others. His grandfather had explained to him that it's because of his unstable Magic Circuits; unable to evenly distribute energy amongst all of the individual Servants.

Regardless, the young male Matou slams his fist on the ground in frustration, the knuckles bleeding as the pain from the punch somewhat negates the sharp shocks sparking all throughout his body. "I'm…fucking fine…goddammit…!"

He looks at the bangs in front of his eyes, and realizes that the illusion spell he had used to hide his body's actual appearance was fading. Instead of his signature blue locks, he saw a mix of cerulean and ashen, sickly white.

He could feel something crawling through his nerves. Multiple things.

'…This will be worth it…everything will be worth it…'

He lurches forward and grabs the railing to balance himself. "Once I see…Emiya's face full of goddamn terror…and get Sakura back…heheh…it'll all be worth it…"

"Shinji."

His eyes widen as he hears that raspy old voice in his mind. '…Grandfather…I did it…I'm taking them…to it…have I…

…Have I done a good job?'

"That remains to be seen. But perhaps you were less worthless than I gave you credit for, Shinji. It may have not been a waste of resources to throw you into the Pit like I did Sakura."

Shinji's face contorts into a smile. "Yes…thank you…grandfather…"

He falls to his knees.

"Take me back…Assassins…"

One of them picks up his body, and rushes through the City rooftops in the opposite direction of where that bastard Emiya and those Tokiwadai bitches went.

His lips curl. 'I'll see your face again.

Emiya.'

Oh Shinji, how I hate you.

Act II's first couple chapters are underway! I finished Chapter 1 of Act II, then realized that that I could have added more, so I am lol. So both Chapter 1 and 2 of Act II are about halfway-ish done, each.

Oh by the way: Act II begins in the New Year (of our timeline, not the story timeline lol), so it gives you a rough idea of how much is left for Act I.

In any case, I don't have much to say here, other than Shinji is a dick. Although we all know that, lol. A resilient dick, but still a dick.

Oh btw: I had to shift canon a little bit for Shinji. The reason why Zouken didn't use the worms on him in canon is because he didn't have any potential mana circuits. It needed something akin to a reactor core to wake up his circuits, like what Gil did to him with Illya's heart in the UBW route.

Here, he still has a little potential already, so Zouken uses the worms on him. Not too much of a change, but still a change.

Alright, that's it for this chapter. See you all next time.

Next Chapter Release: "A Certain Hello" (December 1st)