Well, this took slightly longer then I hoped but I guess I can blame that on myself. No, really work and general life stuff I have long learned to deal with, outside of stuff like sudden family matter, so really my own fault here. Anyway, this story finally broke 500 favorites. To be honest I am kind of amazed I got that far. I thank everyone who decided to do so and give this story a read. You're the best.

Disclaimer: Nope still don't own the franchise. All I make is fanfic.


"So, you would be able to know the indentity of each Servant summoned in the war?" Kirei's question on events was rewarded with a nod from his new Servant. While he wasn't the one providing for her in any complicity and their pact was rather shallow, Command Seals technically didn't outright control her, she had explained what she was able to do herself. Mostly, her ability for combat was practically nonexistent though her other abilities made up for that.

Knowing who each Servant was as they accompanied their master to register their entrance into the war would give him valuable information that he could leverage. Assuming he ever needed to in case of the Grail War goes in a way that was undesirable. "Yes, though that isn't the only thing I can hope to do," Sitting on the table was a basic looking red chalice, Ruler's incomplete Lesser Grail. "Tell me, do you know how the ritual picks a Servant's class?"

Under his training with Tokiomi Kirei hadn't learned anything about it beyond what is typically known. The Tohsaka's didn't fully have an understanding of the full mechanics of the ritual as the maintenance of the system had fallen on the weight of the Einzberns with the Matous, or rather the late Zouken Matou, being the only ones with some understanding of the whole thing. What the Tohsaka's had was old notes with limited understanding brought on by basic observations from the effect the Fuyuki Grail had on the leylines. "I assume that it picks the ideal class and if not the next best."

"You are right in some regards, some Heroic Spirits do possess an ideal class but that is not the only thing," The technical stuff between the Greater Grail and the Throne of Heroes didn't really need to be said or expanded on. Especially that there were other classes like Alter Ego that existed in the records of the Throne of Heroes. "In truth the desired class of the summoner is taken into consideration and barring an outside intervention will almost be guaranteed to have it if the slot is open."

Admittedly, there was probably also a failure of the ritual being performed correctly. However, the Greater Grail was rather generous on that front so a failure should be nigh-impossible. Which meant that only outside intervention was to worry about. "Same rules do apply if one attempts a compatibility summon though there is one exception if one desires an Assassin," In such an invent the desire will work as a Catalyst in of itself as would the word itself. "However, I have removed the restrictions on class being summoned more than once in the war and are looking to see if I can lift the Servant limit."

Lifting the class limit was rather easy for her all things considered. It wasn't a hard limit of one Servant for each class. Such a thing was easier given the bypass that existed because of the Einzberns actions in the Third Holy Grail War. However, lifting the limit of only Seven Servants was far more difficult for her to do. The hard limit was there in order to prevent the depletion of the leylines which could have disastrous consequences for the Fuyuki Grail long term future. Most notably it could shift how the local leylines flow. She had a theory on a bypass for this problem. Only way to enact it required her to have an understanding of the local leylines. That was for later as her Lesser Grail still needed more work on it and that could be a fair later event down the road.

As for Kirei this had given him a lot to think about. For one it was now possible for say several Sabers to be summoned into the next war. A surprise but perhaps one that wouldn't matter given that most of the masters would be under the assumption that any class taken would mean another was available. Although adding in the fact that the limit in Servants summoned would be lifted made Kirei slowly realize what this would entitle. "Does this mean that hypocritically I could summon a Servant if I should wish?"

"Both you and the Incarnated Gilgamesh though he doesn't wish to partake," Telling the neutral observer that he should be able to take part in the ritual was something that the Church and the Association would probably draw issue with. However, as Ruler was summoned the job of mediator was her own and she could do it by herself anyway. Her pact with Kirei was more her acknowledging the role that both organizations had given him. "However, I do not think more than three extras should be summoned as I do not want to trigger the possibility of a Great Grail War."


Once again Sakura opened up the, well she didn't really have a name for it, into the Void Space that her powers could seemingly access. Her first gime here was accidentally, while her secnd and third had been brief affairs. This time she was enterinh and was going to stay in for a time. Walking th hrough her body was made weightless as gravity ceased all around her. Yet, despite being unable to feel anything, and arguably unable to see really anything noticable, Sakura could still feel the world around her. This passive feeling of the area around her didn't seem go have any explanation at first. After the third trip in the started go understand it more. It had to use Imaginary Numbers as a means to passively feel things around her.

In this space such an ability quickly gave her an idea of where she was, where everything was around her, and as such this gave her a compass within a space that seemingly had nothing to help wi th h navigation. Floating within this void Sakura started to float forward. This too was something her last trip had showed her that she could control were she was going. Seemingly worthless as this place seemed endless and without real form. 'I wonder if I could be considered flying or not?'

As she thought to herself within the endless void her passive area of awareness sense picked up not just the Matou residence or the block but seemingly to her some of the further parts of the city. Each one passing by her and yet there didn't seem to be a reason for each one at first. The Tohsaka residence, the new Edelfelts estate seemed to blow past her along with things like the technically much further away Buddhist Temple. Focusing on this gave her the answer for while places that were further away appeared as close as those closer could be further then they really are. Faint winds, or whatever one could really call them moved all around her.

Curiosity got her as she focused on them and attempted to open up another rift. Floating through it Sakura came out of a small opening landing on the ground just off to the ways of the Ryuudou temple grounds. Behind her the rift closed as she looked around. Her trip had been relatively short. In fact, she had only floated about half of a house and yet here she was having closed a distance that would take some time on foot to make. 'I wonder how far I can go?'

Sakura decided to try again and opened up another rift into Void Space. Entering again she focused on the flow of the Void Space again and could feel places passing her by. The Emiya residence, the Fuyuki Church, and a castle within the forest. That got her attention as Sakura wondered what a castle was doing within the forest. Reaching out, Sakura formed another rift and appeared in the forest just outside of where the castle should be. Immediately her new passive scaning sense picked up that something was behind her. Turning around she was greeted with seemingly nothing and no one.

Seemingly as it took a moment to realize that what had been picked up was a bounded field. One that was supposed to keep people out. Sakura had passed through it, no she had completely side stepped it. The Void Space she had traveled was not of this world, places were felt by her of the world but those were likely shadows of themselves. Echoes of something moving across nothing. To most such barriers would have to either be worked around, broken through, or brought down. Yet, for her, she could move right passed it. A wall was pointless if someone could literally walked out and back into the world to bypass it.

Sakura started to think about just what this could be used for. The knowledge that there was probably little to stop her from going wherever she wanted seemed nice to know. As did the fact she didn't really need to really move much to get anywhere she wanted. The idea seemed rather lazy for her and yet Sakura could seem the appeal. Walking down the natural path with her sense to guide her she came across the castle in the forest. A European Castle to be exact which seemed to look well kept as if someone lived there.


Alchemy was the Einzberns specialty when it came to magecraft. Their Homunculi were the pinnacle of such endeavors. Throughout history many Homunculi arguably couldn't even come close to the ones that they made. All of this was what mage families knew about them but the truth was something less grandiose. Illya after getting her technical grandmother's memories fully knew the actual Einzbern family were long dead. What existed was basically a factory of self replicating Homunculi. Inheritors of their dead creators abilities but beyond that nothing more could be said about them being human.

Still, the Homunculi that had taken the family over did possess all the knowledge of their former creators. Mostly being pre-programmed into them. Though what they could do was something that few mage families cared to speculate as most didn't really have any contact with them outside of the necessary trade. So, seeing a bag of gems being produced that Illya had made caught both Rin and Luvia almost off guard. "Wait, you can made gemstones?"

"Well, yeah the Einzberns had long known how to make jewelry through alchemy, I was hoping to tell you both about it seeing how your magecraft is expensive to practice."

Jewel magecraft was not something that the average mage family could outright do. The Edelfelt family had a fortune built up from mercenary work, and a few other things, in order to practice it. While the Tohsaka family had to rely on patients and mundane investments in order to do so themselves. Of course, it really shouldn't be a surprise that someone from a family that mastered physical alchemy would be able to create gemstones. "Would these work?"

Had Jubstacheit been here to hear this he would have probably insulted Rin for even asking such a question. While it was true that fake gemstones couldn't be used in Jewel magecraft the alchemy produced gems were anything but fake. "Oh, they can, their identical to gemstones in every way though I made them of a lesser quality so the spells wouldn't be all that strong."

It was perfect though for Rin to practice her magecraft and to see about learning how to use her Ideal Blood. On the off chance she tapped into it while training with Shirou to access it the resulting spell wouldn't possibly be life threatening. More so for Rin's sake than Shirou's. There was no telling what would happen so best be on the safe side. Speaking of Shirou, he had been rather adamant that if they were going to do this they should practice within the nearby forest.

The reason being that if Rin first succeeds in awakening her Ideal Blood she might not be fully able to put a lid on the thing. Having faced Erikson he knew that might end up destroying the dojo's floor, or worse, and it was better they have it happen in the forest. At least then it would be easier to cover that up. Another reason was that they could eventually work their way to going further once Rin did get some control over her Ideal Blood.

"Illya, if I might ask how exactly do you know how to even do this?" Sure, the Einzberns are a family that could be said to be literally made for it. Luvia figured that Illya had a natural talent if that was the case, in fact academically she did exceed in such things which could be related to physical alchemy. However, it didn't seem like she had much in the way of formal training in the Einzbern specialty.

Rin had never actually bothered to question it but that was because Illya hadn't seemed to show much beyond just basic alchemy here and there. At most Illya should have had a limited training from her family from it while her father wouldn't likely to teach her much given the very apparent difference between them both when it came to magecraft. Illya shrugged her shoulders at this question. "My mother was a Justeaze model and well I did inherit the memories of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern despite not being made with them."

From tapping into those memories without knowing how Illya was able to subconsciously make things from the ingredients providef at first. Now, after having awakened and seen her ancestors' memories Illya had been effectively given near full access to most of what she knew when it came to physical alchemy. Though it wasn't that she had full conscious control over the information. Ehen she needed something she had it given to her from them. Theoretically, Illya was certain that if she had the means too she could create Einzbern Homunculi. After all, Justeaze as head of the Einzberns would have that information in her memories and Illya was certain she did indeed know how. "I have been trying to experiment here and there with what I know so I don't just rely on things she could do."

"That's basically cheating," Being effectively given the means to use your magecraft and having an expert or mastery of it because you had the memories of someone else was unfair if you asked Rin. Being handed literally a whole lifetime worth of knowledge because it was programmed into you.


No one was living here which Sakura found weird. The castle was open yet no one had shown up as she wandered within. At first she had wondered if this was the home of a reclusive Magus or maybe a Dead Apostle. Yet, not once did she pick up any sign of anyone living here in years. In the back of her mind she thought she had once overheard something about a place in the woods used by some family of mages that was aligned to the Tohsaka and Matous at one point. Being in here had slowly brought that memory up. Either way Sakura didn't really care about whatever history the three families had. Even if she was technically the Matou family head.

"So, if this is the third family's then why isn't anyone guarding it?" Sakura's question was likely answered with the Bounded Field that existed outside. Her understanding of what they could do was basic but they could do a lot. Perhaps, that was the only protection that was needed.

Each room didn't have any signs of anyone living in the castle. The amount of dust was inconstant as Sakura came to find out. Likely a result of magecraft or perhaps a reaction of having so little in the way of people living here. As she wandered around the various halls and rooms she took notice of how all of them seemed mostly the same. That was until she had come up to a room that was actually locked. Not just normally locked but seemingly locked with magecraft. 'It has a bounded field around it.'

While the whole Castle served as a workshop and a base for the Einzbern master it did have a more traditional workshop within the castle itself. A stockpile of means to help give the master an edge in the conflicts that was sealed during times when the Holy Grail War was not happening. The bounded field around it was several layered and trapped, made to ensure no one could get in and any attempt to breach it would take months at the very least. Any attempt made to force their way through via conventional or magecraft means would just end in several nasty surprises being unleashed by the field. No, the option was best to take their time and breach the field. Time they wouldn't have before an Homunculus kill team went to end the trespasser's life. By all rights this was an amazing defensive set up. One worthy of a great mage family even though the workshop was basically just something of an unimportant warehouse.

Sakura didn't know about any of this nor did she care. A rift opened up in front her and she walked through it and out the other end within the room itself. All the defenses the Einzberns had in place meant little to something that could bypass it all. "This must be their workshop."

All around were books, ingredients, vials, and Mystic Codes. Many on selves, on racks, and in various boxes. Small chests littered the room around each one likely filled with more of the same. At the center of the room was a magic circle that glowed silently with energy. While a strange candle-like things seemed to glow illuminating the room in a low light. Sakura's gaze turned to the walls as she saw small runic symbols that were the source of the bounded field from outside. If she had more understanding of bounded fields she could have collapsed the whole thing from here. Not just the bounded field that existed around this room but even the field around the castle. However, her eyes moved onto the many books and Mystic Codes that littered the room.

Sakura picked up the crystal ball that had been laid on one of the tables and looked into it. From within the orb she could see the arra outside the castle grounds. Focusing on it she turned the ball around a few times to see if it could do anything else. As a girl who had only a very limited knowledge of magecraft for most of her life, or rather the life she once head, Sakura had always wandered what was possible with magecraft. Well, before the torture disguised as training had destroyed that. "This only views the area around the castle and nothing else?"

Disappointment was evident on her face as she put the remote viewing Mystic Code down. Why was something like this locked away within a vault-like workshop if it was something she suspected her now deceased adopted grandfather could whip up if he was bored? On that thought she paused and looked around the room. A new thought creeped into her head. Perhaps, she had given the late Zouken Matou too much credit due to her lack of understanding. Only now was she actually learning magecraft and all of it on her own with some input from his own libraries.

Libraries that she knew wouldn't benefit her as much given she was straight up incompatible with most of the Matou magecraft. At least not anything she could use without retooling it for herself. Without a teacher that would take months or even years of practice. However, now before her was another workshop that seemed filled with books and Mystic Codes that seemed to be abandoned. If not then this couldn't be all that important even if the workshop had a field around it.

After all, who leaves a European castle in the middle of a Japanese forest with no one to watch over it? Sakura at least knew that mage families would never allow such a thing with their primary workshops so her being here and helping herself was probably more of a mild annoyance if anything. With that all in mind she picked one of the books from the selves and started reading for a few seconds before she realized that the language within them was German. While the Tohsaka family did know and speak it, mostly for their magecraft, Sakura's understanding of German was nonexistent. Still, as she looked at the words they slowly started to make sense to her.

It wasn't that she could now speak or even write in German. Almost like just looking at it gave her an understanding of what should be written on there but beyond that nothing else. She did wonder to herself how this was possible. Either a side effect of whatever she had become or a lingering after effect of whatever Zouken Matou had tried to use her for. Whatever it was the girl had no idea how to prove or disprove without looking deeper into her grandfather's notes but that wasn't for right now. 'Maybe I should look into it on a later date.'


"Wait, a lot of the old magecraft families in Japan are mixed-blood with youkai?" Luvia was at a loss for words at hearing this. True there had been families in the Msges Association which did have non-human ancestors, either recorded or by rumor, but hearing that most of the families in Japan were basically this was a total surprise.

Shirou, however, had confirmation about it as his mother who had lived when many such unions had borne fruit with the beginnings of the many mix-blood clans. Many of which she didn't have the best relationship with. "Yeah, and they're not the only issue to go about, have you ever heard of the Demon Hunters Association?"

Rin gave a nod as she could tell what Shirou was going with. Much like how some of the old mixed-blood families in Japan likely didn't like Yuuka it stood to reason the Demon Hunters Association had wanted to kill her. Especially, given that news about what a Dead Apostle was didn't quite fully reach the islands of Japan until about six hundred years ago. "Yes, my great-grandfather was supposedly from one of the branch families," While the issue of them could possibly be a thing Rin didn't believe it was enough of a worry. "But, aren't they no longer a real organization?"

"Yes but I don't want to risk them catching on to me either," From what little he can recall most had given up trying to fight his mother when it was clear just what she was. Though just because it was made clear to them that they might have no real ability to kill her at the time, especially after she claimed the rank of Dead Apostle Ancestor, that didn't mean they were not a threat. Assuming of course if any of their various branch families or associates still continued to hunt the supernatural.

Really, both the various Mixed-blood families, and the now defunct Demon Hunters Association was kind of the primary reason why Shirou was hesitant to leave and go out in trying to find his mother. Add to the fact that he was in the public records now thanks to Kiritsugu's adoption of him. That complicated matters a lot more than he had liked. There was also the very real possibility that his own mother was searching for him and maybe something like half a planet away right now. Either that or dealing with something for Altrouge Brunestud and the conflict between the two main Dead Apostle factions. "Do you at least know where her castle is?"

Shirou shook his head. Other than the obvious that it was somewhere in Japan he had no real idea. He never paid any attention and it being behind a few century Bounded Field meant that it was debatable if the environment around the castle was natural in the area or not. Illya had talked about how the Einzbern castle in Germany had snow all year round because of the bounded fields surrounding the place. From what he recalled there never was an uncomfortable summer or a cold winter so it seemed like Weather Regulation had been built into the Bounded Fields.

"So, when you do find your mother, what exactly are you going to do afterwards?"

There was a lot of time for Shirou to catch back up with his mother but beyond that it was typical for even Dead Apostle Successors to largely do their own thing. For Shirou he would likely have something he wanted to do afterwards. Instead of Shirou being the one to answer the question Illya decided to chime in. "Shirou plans to travel the world and fulfill our father's dream of being a Hero of Justice."

"A Hero of Justice?" The idea of a Dead Apostle being on the side of humanity wasn't unbelievable. Zelretch was the most well known amongst the Dead Apostle Ancestors though the current Eighteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor. However, there was a difference between being pro-human and being a hero.

"Yeah," With his full memories of his mother Kiritsugu's wish to be a Hero of Justice fit well with his own mother's mindset of healing those she came across. Though Yuuka own words about the difference between healing and harming someone, a lesson she told him a few times as he grew up has influenced how he thinks about it. Made more evident with the imprint of how she felt about certain actions within his subconscious. "After we find her we both kind of are planning to go out and save people."

Illya didn't really have much in the way of an idea of what to do and to be honest other than keeping Shirou in line, something that seemed less necessary now, there wasn't anything else for her to do. Honoring her father was something that seemed to just be something that made the most sense without that. Besides, she would get to be with Shirou. "So, yeah after we find his mother the both of us are going to head out and help people in need like how papa had tried to do."

Had Rin not known the both of them for years she probably would find this all a bit crazy. However, she did know them both, well mostly known them. Though the idea of a member of the Altrouge faction of Dead Apostles going off to be a hero seemed almost impossible to picture. While she was trying to wrap how that could possibly be Luvia had a different thought tossing around her head.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you both really only brother and sister?" Luvia had a bit of a suspicion about their relationship after the realization of who and what Shirou actually was. Hearing their plan to go find Shirou's mother and then live a life of helping people together had finally solidified it to her. Their relationship had to be something more than siblings. "I mean if you're both in a relationship like that you don't really have to hide it around us you know."

Illya's face was made a deep red. The way everything sounded it really did give the implication of them being that now that she thought about it. The thought about it was something that she honestly did want. Shirou, however, gave Luvia a look of shock as just like Illya he had realized the implication. "Wh-WHAT?!"

Rin looked between the both of them and her own feelings were a bit muddy on everything. Regardless, one thing was a bit clear, she didn't like the implication that Luvia had given. As for why she was certain herself but she settled on the implication of what it would mean given that was something that more proper mage families might consider. Kiritsugu Emiya had been the antithesis to what one would consider a proper mage, and there was no way either Shirou or Illya had the same mindset. 'Besides there is no way Shirou is interested in her like that!'


After some thinking about it over the last few hours Shinji went with just destroying the Crest Worms that were still inside him. As much as it would be an ego boost to straight up show his now dead grandfather that he was wrong, Shinji just didn't think it was worth it anymore. Killing them had been rather simple once he understood how the spell to create them worked and with some alterations he modified it in order to have them transmute themselves while inside of him. Causing them to die out while within his body and repair whatever damage they had done. Such a process was rather painful but after everything he had been through he had a surprisingly high tolerance for the pain.

His whole body was numb from the event though if he looked at himself in the mirror he knew he would look like shit. Honestly, he felt like shit given his whole body had just experienced the death and maybe repurposing of those things. Still, he had succeeded in casting an actual spell so he was admittedly proud of himself. "Where is she?"

There was not a sign of Sakura being in her room as the door had remained open and empty. Shinji had checked the rest of the house and found not a single clue at all. It had been you she had suddenly been teleported out of the Matou residence. Such a thing sounded outlandish but he had no real ability to dismiss that as a possibility. Whatever Sakura had become was still unknown. Nevermind, what she could do. 'I guess if she's somewhere its probably…'

His thoughts didn't go much of anywhere as the sound of the doorbell ringing caught his attention. It was getting late so who in their right mind would be at their door at this hour? Shinji let out a sigh as he made his way to the door as another sound of rining came over just as he was about to open the door. "I'm coming!"

He opened the door and was greeted by a priest. It took him a moment to realize that the man in front of him wasn't the usual man of the scripture. No, this had to be the Holy Church's appointed Overseer. Kirei looked at the young man in front of him, taking note that he seemed like he had been through a lot in the last few days. "You're Shinji Matou correct?"

"Y-yes," All the numbness he had been feeling was suddenly gone in an instant. The Church Overseer was supposed to be a Church Executor, someone who specialized in hunting rogue mages and nonhumans. Was he hear about Sakura or did he hear about what Zouken Matou had been?

"My name is Kirei Kotomine the Church representative of Fuyuki, as well the current acting Second Owner for as guardian of Rin Tohsaka," He noticed a flitch and a panicked expression had formed on the the Matous face as soon as he revealed he was Rin's guardian. Kirei could tell that there was something that he was afraid of and as much as he enjoyed the site of it Kirei had a job to do. "I wish to discuss a few things with the current head of the Matou family about something before I send off my report to the Mages Association and the Holy Church about what had happened earlier this week."

Shinji's panicked mind quickly tried to race on what had happened. Did Rin talk about him helping Erikson? His mind finally realized the phrasing of what the priest had said. The current head of the Matou family. Which had to mean he knew Zouken was dead and Sakura was as his "heir" the current head of the family. "She's not here right now…"

"Oh, Sakura Matou isn't here?" There was something going on here and he had wanted to get to the bottom of it. If the former Tohsaka girl wasn't here then perhaps he would have to make due with the boy in front of him. "Still, you won't mind if I come in and ask you some questions?"


Time was something that Sakura hadn't been paying attention to as she put down the next book and "read" the contents within it. So, far she had managed to get an understanding of what was basic Mystic Code creation from the book as the pages were nearly all written down with instructions of how to make Mystic Codes for things they need on short notice. Unfortunately some parts of the book had been showing signs of its age. As such most of it was just useless in showing her how to make most of them listed in. As she closed the book and went to get another one she stopped as she looked at the other two that she had stacked and began to wonder to herself something.

"How long have I been in here?" There was no way for her to measure the time of day. No clock could be seen within this room. Out the corner of her eyes she spied a rather unconventional means to guess the time. The crystal ball that showed the area around the castle lay where she had left it. The thing could give her an idea of what time of day it was if she looked into it. 'I couldn't have been gone that long…'

Once she looked into it she was greeted by the darkness of the nearby forest at night. When she had gotten here it was some time in the early afternoon. How long she had been in here was unknown but it had to be hours at the very least. Without a clock she didn't know the exact time but that didn't matter at all. Putting the crystal ball down Sakura formed another rift and walked into it. Void Space greeted her again as she focused looking to feel the flow around herself. 'Strange it looks like everything isn't the same as it was hours ago.'

Whatever gave the flow within Void Space seemed to have also meant that it could change where they flowed over, or was it nearby given that in this place such things made little sense. Floating forwards she felt each as they flowed over her. First, was the Fuyuki Church with two one individual and another who felt off to Sakura. Like whomever they are, their presence was dulled so to speak. Next, was what she was certain was the docks where some people were offloading something on a boat.

Likely that was the local Yakuza moving stuff around. Keeping more illegal activities to the dark was something that seemed reasonable. It was when mages typically went about their own thing as well. Stopping for a moment Sakura took a time to notice all around her everything twas seemingly being moved away, that the flowing currents around her were changing and shifting. For a brief moment she felt something brush up from what she perceived as being below her.

Trees, mountains, creatures that she had no idea what they were. It was brief but for a moment she felt them. Staying as she was Sakura seemed to turn downwards, if such a concept like that could be said to exist, as the feeling faded into her mind. However, her curiosity was peaked as something about what she had felt was off. As she pushed forward she started to feel more than just Fuyuki passing over her. She felt the scope of the world seem to expand before her. Ships out at sea, towns far in land, and more.

As she did though something else started to catch her attention. Fuyuki, which Sakura could still generally feel in the back of her mind, felt like it was being overlaid with something else. The thing that she had felt from before. For a second both overlapped with each other in a confusing mess. Everything felt distorted and generally one or the other didn't seem to exist separately. Sakura closed her eyes as she tried to focus on the mess, trying to break the image of both of them existing together.

'Why am I doing this?' Sakura stopped as the question echoed in her mind. It was getting late and yet instead of trying to find a way home she was instead here, someplace deep within Void Space and chasing after a feeling she felt. Stopping to think this through she realized that she really didn't have any real choice now. Everything around her was chaotic as the nearly ever changing "flow" of places passed over her. Only the overlapped mess seemed to remain the same at the edge of her mind.

A long shot but perhaps if she could focus on it she could open a rift and drop herself back into Fuyuki. Closing her eyes again the overlapping image was produced in her mind as Sakuracasted a simple spell she had learned to help with mental focus on a task. Over and over she tried to find some way to feel a separation between them. 'There has to be something,' Her hand was raised as she tried to open a rift only for it to seemingly fail on her. 'I can't open something at two places at once.'

If she couldn't find a way to separate the two overlapping images in her mind then Sakura was forced to try to take a long way home. There had to be some way to separate the two of them. A crack, or a line that sets the two apart, some kind of boundary. After what felt like minutes of trying, Sakura realized that there was no boundary between them. It was like she was viewing, if one could call how her senses worked, they are both on top of the other. 'That has to be it.'

Somehow she must be feeling the image from some place likely over the area. How that made any sense at all was probably solely because of where she was. Perhaps, from her perspective relative to the earth there was two things, two layers that occupied the same space because they did occupy the same space. Like layers of an onion if that was the case then maybe the answer wasn't to open a rift up normally but to push through the layers until they separate. 'Here goes nothing.'

Time didn't seem to have much meaning but after what could have been a good minute of visualization and probing a rift finally opened up in front of her. Sakura's eyes opened as she passed through.


Shinji Matou had been rather easy to get information out of. Apparently, he didn't know anything about what his grandfather was. Though as he spoke it was possible that was a reason his late uncle had left him and his father once cried about his own mother. Watching a horrified expression on someone's face at the revelation of the truth of a long dead mother he had never met was certainly something to take in. Especially, when someone new and fresh faced learned the full extent of what Dead Apostles could do.

Kirei had known the depths Dead Apostles could sink into. Those in the Church over time are slowly made aware as to the depravity of some within Mages Association if they aren't all already aware. The Association had always been rather loose with what was allowed but Dead Apostles tended to move beyond that. Hearing a Dead Apostle had more then likely eaten his own daughter in law was not surprising to say the least nor the things he had inflicted on his bloodline.

While he didn't show it Kirei did wonder for a brief moment about how the late Tokiomi Tohsaka would react to the knowledge of just what he put his youngest daughter through. Had Zouken Matou not been an atypical Dead Apostle it was very likely Sakura would have been altered into becoming one by having the Crest Worms nest in her body. "All of this is rather danming to any Mage family within the Association you know."

"I know," Shinji was not blind to what this would have meant for the Matous in terms of whatever standing they had in the Mages Association. Even with Zouken Matou dead the fact his bloodline will be looked at with suspicion for years or decades was just the beginning. "I don't think Sakura fully knows herself."

Silently he also knew that her existence as a nonhuman would immediately warrant an Enforcer to be sent to assess if she was a Dead Apostle. Best case scenario she gets ignored once its learned she isn't. Worse case they decide to capture her for research given she might be unique. "Really, I was told that she didn't want anything to do with the Matous being a mage family."

Confusion was evident on Shinji's face as he didn't remember Sakura bringing that up. Now, it wasn't like the family had much in the way of a future in magecraft or the Mages Association but why did he think that was what Sakura wanted? Honestly, he was certain she was apathetic to such a thing either way given how she had been lately. "Who told you that?"

"I had a conversation with Rin and miss Luviagelita about what had happened earlier today and before they departed they told me the Matou heir had desired that," There was a possibility that the boy didn't know about Sakura's choice, after all he wasn't the Matou heir. Confirmation was needed for either one way or the other. "Did Sakura tell you otherwise?"

Given how little he had talked to her in the week Shinji didn't really know. That said he did doubt she cared about it. For no reason other than a lack of possible attachment. "To be honest I think it doesn't really matter given the circumstances of how the Association will see us."

Sure, the Matous could be an independent family. Such a thing was not uncommon to see as a family could leave and rejoin practically at will so long as they didn't do anything too extreme. Zouken Matou pretty much had crossed the line. As for the response the Mages Association will have Kirei was certain that they might attempt to cease whatever research they could from the Matous. Either forcefully or as a bribe to look the other way. "If I may, there is something else that could be done."

Ruler's voice spoke within Kirei's mind. The Servant meant to oversee the Heavens Feel ritual had been partly keeping track of what was being said and had come to a similar conclusion. Zouken Matou had the most understanding of the Fuyuki Grail ritual outside of her and the Einzberns. There was the possibility that looking into it they might find a way to either recreate or tap into the Fuyuki Grail to force the creations of others. Ruler naturally did not want that to happen. Plus, there was a way to ensure the Matou spot was not filled with someone else.

Shinji looked as Kirei seemed to be complicating something. After a few moments of mental back and forth with Ruler a decision was finally reached. "As you know the Mages Association will likely come, demanding the research of your family, and as a member of the Holy Church I feel obliged to destroy it," Turning into a Dead Apostle of some kind warranted its destruction after all. "However, there are times when the Church does look the other way if only because of a possibility that it could aid us."

"What are you saying exactly?" Sure, Shinji knew the typical bit about the Holy Church are fanatics but fanaticism did not mean that pragmatism wasn't allowed. It made sense for the more seasoned or higher ups in the Church to have a sort of use what you got mentality.

Unknown to him it was this mentally that made him consider Ruler's proposal. This would ensure that the Matou spot in the Grail War would remain filled and even controlled by him. Stacking the deck in one's favor was always responsible in terms of war in the end. "I wish to offer you an invitation to join the Holy Church under my apprenticeship."


Once she had passed through Sakura had almost collapsed as the air around her felt heavy. Not in any literal sense of the word, and not even heavy in terms of figurative. Whatever she was she was at least certain it was no longer human. Otherwise she was certain she probably would have died once she crossed over into this place. As she was now a Phantasmal of some kind it merely took her time to slowly acclimate herself to this environment she had found herself in.

That didn't mean it was a smooth transition. Sakura had wanted to throw up. She had fallen to her hands and knees as sweat dripped down her head. Deep gulps of air forced themselves into her lungs as they seemed to burn. Her ears ringed, her nose felt aflamed, and her eyes blurred. For a moment her circuits flared up as the vast amounts of prana in the air was washed through them. This did hurt a bit but it served more to help in her body's acclimation to the environment. Slowly, the pain lessened, her breathing returned to normal, and her senses followed suit.

Taking a second to rest after her ordeal Sakura looked around. There was no cityscape, no buildings greeted her, nor did the site of Fuyuki bridge and river. What she saw before her was a wilderness, natural Japanese wilderness. A wilderness with plants that she had never seen and small animals that had something off about them moving around. Crows who stared at her with extra eyes, rabbits with exotic fur, and bugs that flew around with this strange almost mythical light glowing about them.

The air was thick with prana. Instinctively she knew this was the case without even having to think much about it. So much so that she just knew had she been human this would have hurt her greatly, maybe even outright kill her, to just be here. Only one thought remained as she looked on. "What is this place?"


So, yeah I figured using the Demon Hunters Association in the explanation for why Shirou hasn't searched/will search for his motheris a bit much but again I prefer writing in a way that not everyone knows the full extent or understanding of everything which should be a given. Only have the general understanding or enough on certain topics to be close enough. Shirou knows of the Demon Hunters Association and Mixed-bloods and some poor history his mother has with them but do they care enough to stop him is a different story.

As for Shinji, yeah this was what I had come into thinking as to what I would usehim for. Going the just killing him route was a bit bkring and plus I didn't have him do all that much. Breaking his arrogance with a healthy dose of reality and tossing him off to the Church was what I figured was best use for him with what little he could do on his own.

Finally, Sakura's abilities and the ideas of what they could do has been shown. I always considered what Dark Sakura could do as just the tip of the iceberg because of her limited ability to use magecraft or even understand the limits of what she could do. This chapter has me first test out what she can do for others to see, a glimpse of what might have been you know.

Anyway, I will cya all next time.