"Well, I suppose that'll do for now."

Upon hearing those much-awaited words, Illyasviel von Einzbern let her body collapse to the ground in a most unladylike fashion. She did not bother rescinding her Lancer Install, nor did she care if the ground was dirty from all the dust and dirt she and her Spartan (he was actually Irish, but at that moment it did not matter very much) instructor had kicked up in their 'training'.

At least, that was what Lancer and Saber referred to their 'beat-the-tar-out-of-magical-girls' sessions as.

"You ain't half bad, brat," Lancer said, looking as though he had just come back from a short walk outside. It made Illya wonder if he was cheating by sapping her mana in order to do battle with her (which was hellish enough as-is). "Normal magi can't hope to fight at your level. You should be glad."

"Is that so…" Illya muttered into the ground. "Then why is it that I don't feel all that glad right now…?"

"I completely agree!" Ruby, having transformed back into her Magical Wand of Love and Justice Form, added indignantly. "Such violent battles are not what magical girls are about! They're more about flying around giving off sparkles, bubbles, hope – as well as displaying indecent exposure – all while obliterating the enemy in a barrage of white-hot energy!"

"Somehow I recall all our battles with the Class Cards being violent one way or another, though," Illya mumbled. Then, with energy even she did not know she had left, she lifted her head in one swift motion. "Wait! What was that about indecent exposure?!"

"Ara, did I not mention it before?" Ruby chuckled. "A magical girl's greatest strength is her cuteness, so it's only natural we try to show as much of said cuteness as possible~"

"That's not being cute!" Illya retorted. "That's just being a pervert!"

"My, my, Illya-san," Ruby sighed. "You won't ever be a proper Magical Girl if you worry about tiny details like that…"

"I do worry! And it's not a tiny detail!"

"Look, brat," Lancer said, raising his voice to make sure they could hear him over their bickering. "This is gonna be our last training session before we raid that temple. This is as much as I can teach you, and while it's more than enough to defeat a couple of magi, you're still gonna have problems facing proper Servants. That's why, I want you to leave the enemy Servants to me and Saber wherever possible. You understand?"

"… Yes," Illya replied. As much as she hated to admit it, she was more likely to be a burden than anything else if she was to fight alongside Lancer as she was right now. If that was the case, the best support she could offer was to not get in his way. "I understand…"

"C'mon, don't give me that face," Lancer sighed. "You're still a better fighter than most of the Masters in this War, I can guarantee you that much."

Illya nodded unenthusiastically. She vaguely wondered what he meant by 'most', but dismissed it as a comment referring to this world's Shirou. Seeing that his encouragement had no effect, Lancer considered his options.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said. He did not like bringing it up, but this was a time-tested way to distract his tiny Master from just about anything. "This is something for you to keep in mind while in battle. It's important, especially for a girl like you."

Seeing that he had her attention, he cleared his throat and added in a serious tone:

"Absolutely no 'Beast Mode', okay?"

"I told you to forget about that!"

"Illya-san! Incoming!"

Barely hearing the words over the tumultuous roar of multiple explosions, Illya hastily dove for cover. Had she been in her Lancer Install form, she could have evaded the enemy's magical beams without trouble, but she was not. Instead, she and Miyu had opted for their default Magical Girl forms in an attempt to maintain the element of surprise (as well as to preserve their prana), which was now proving to be a hindrance.

"Class Card, Lancer-" she began, only to be interrupted by a stray beam of magic. "R-Ruby! We're in trouble! Isn't there a way we can Install the cards without having to shout the command?!"

"Eh~?" Ruby whined, seemingly oblivious to the constant bombardment headed their way. "But it's more Magical Girl-like that way!"

"Your 'Magical Girl-likeness' is going to get us killed!" Illya screamed as a beam of light narrowly missed her head. "Seriously! We're going to die here!"

"Nee-san, I believe it's time you stopped fooling around," Sapphire said calmly as she surrounded Miyu with a powerful barrier that lasted about two seconds. "The situation is most dire."

"Tch," Ruby folded her wings across her ring. "Fine, fine. Just do it randomly, Illya-san. As long as you will it to in your head, the Install should work alright. It's so boring, though…"

"Tell me things like that earlier next time!" Illya yelled, diving behind a reinforced shield created by Miyu. "Did you hear that, Miyu? We can perform the Install!"

"…No, it's no good," Miyu replied, hopping into the air as the spot they were at moments before was blown apart. "The Saber Install isn't good with range. If I unleash its only ranged attack here-!"

A beam of light collided into her at that moment, cutting off the rest of her sentence and sending Miyu crashing into a wall.

"Miyu!" Illya yelled, but was forced to continue her evasion as countless more beams rained down on her. "Why...? Why're you doing this, Caster?!"

Unfazed by the little girl's question, their supposed ally Caster smiled.

Naturally, she was happy. Everything had gone so smoothly – almost too smoothly, in fact – that she was feeling nothing but joy at the moment. It had all been so simple, but it had been so effective at the same time.

Just like she had told them to, Saber was left at the Temple gates and Lancer ended up battling Rider. That left the main group – composed of three girls and a mediocre magus – vulnerable, and the best part of it all was that they were here.

They had run right into the room she prepared for this battle, effectively giving her an easy victory. They were putting themselves at her mercy without her having to do a thing. What more could she ask for?

"Ugh!"

Tumbling across the crater-filled floor, Emiya Shirou almost dropped the weapons in his hands. Granted, they were nothing more than broken copies of Archer's blades, but it was the best form of offense he could muster at the moment. Right next to him was a slightly less beat-up Kuro, who was panting as though she had just run several marathons.

"This isn't good," she muttered. She had expected the battle to be swift, considering her opponent was a human instead of Caster, so being defeated this one-sidedly was not part of the plan. To make matters worse, she was losing despite having Shirou on her side. Despite the odds heavily in their favor, they were being overwhelmed so badly it was difficult to believe their opponent was human. "This guy is... bad news…"

Not pausing to mock her nor to let them catch their breath, the robot-like man that was Kuzuki Souichirou approached the pair, intent on continuing to crush the life out of them. The self-proclaimed Master of Caster had not spoken a single word since the start of their battle, nor had he displayed a modicum of emotion. There was nothing about this opponent she could read, and there was no opening she could take advantage of. How was she supposed to fight against someone like that?

"Kuzuki… sensei…" Shirou groaned, steadily getting to his feet. It was difficult to tell just how badly he was hurt, but Kuro knew that he was nearing his limit. "Why are you… Is Caster… controlling you…?"

"… I see," Kuzuki said, opening his mouth for the first time. "You believe I'm being manipulated by Caster, so you hold back in the hopes of freeing me."

Kuro tightened the grip on her swords. She had not expected Kuzuki to start talking all of a sudden, but it was an opportunity she was not going to let slip. She could not get a clear view of Illya and Miyu's battle against Caster from where she was (not that Kuzuki gave her room to even breathe anyway), but the pain-sharing spell between her and Illya told her enough. They were fighting a losing battle, and unless they could take out Kuzuki there was no hope of victory.

Well, there's no guarantee he's actually her Master, after all the lies she's already fed us, she thought. But you guys sure aren't giving us a choice, huh?

"But you are misinformed," Kuzuki went on. "I am acting of my own volition. I chose to take part in this Holy Grail War as Caster's Master, and I chose to oppose you. There is no need for you to hold back, Emiya. Come at me with the intent to kill."

"N-no way," Shirou stammered. "Then you're fine with all this?! She's going to kill them! Are you alright with her doing something like that?!"

"I'm not responsible for their lives," Kuzuki replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "They chose to get involved with this conflict, and as such it is their responsibility-"

Kuro missed the rest of his words, having teleported behind him while he was in the middle of his speech. Even with the incredible strength and speed he had displayed, there was no way for him to avoid a sudden attack to his blind spot.

I have to kill him.

The all-too-familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, bringing with it a jolt of pain that dulled her movements for a split second. Under normal circumstances, Kuro would still have been able to land her attack, but her current opponent was different.

Displaying speed rivaling that of a Servant's, Kuzuki ducked, avoided her blades, spun on the spot and slammed the back of a fist into Kuro's side all in one swift motion.

Pain exploded across the side of her waist, and hardly a moment later Kuro crashed into a nearby pillar, almost breaking the structure in the process.

"Damn it…" she muttered, trying and failing to get to her feet. "I thought I told you to stop getting in my way…"

"Kuro! Are you alright?!" Shirou yelled. His voice sounded extremely distant, but whether it was due to her fading consciousness or his own lack of strength was unclear.

Kuro opened her mouth – presumably to say something sarcastic – only to shut it immediately as a fresh wave of pain assaulted her frame. Whatever that Kuzuki person was doing, it let him hit harder than even Bazett.

"Run…" she mumbled. Between her own pain and the pain transmitted to her from Illya, Kuro could no longer summon any strength to fight. "Run, Shirou…"

The world around her faded out of focus. The pain grew hazier and hazier, as though it too, was fading into the comfortable darkness that encroached her being.

"Run…"

Before that one word could escape her lips, the world had already gone dark.

"Miyu!" Illya cried, attempting to protecting both of them with Ruby's magical barrier. "Miyu! Are you okay?!"

"Illya-san, this is bad," Ruby pointed out, her voice now laced with a hint of worry. "We can't hold back her attacks like this!"

"But what can we do?!" Illya yelled, watching helplessly as Caster's unrelenting bombardment started putting cracks in her barrier. "If I Install a Class Card, then Miyu will get hit!"

"I'm… okay," Miyu managed feebly, trying and barely managing to push herself up. "D-do it, Illya… We have no hopes of winning otherwise…"

"Miyu-sama, you can't!" Sapphire warned. "The damage is much worse than you think! Even my regenerating abilities will take some time to heal you!"

"We need more firepower," Miyu muttered, her expression showing just how much pain she was in just then. "But… I can't move…"

"Isn't there another way?!" Illya asked. "The barrier won't last much longer!"

"… There is," Ruby muttered, sounding dead serious for what might be the first time. "But…"

"Nee-san, that's-" Sapphire began.

"We don't have a choice, Sapphire-chan!" Ruby replied. "If it's just for a minute or so, then it should be okay!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you have something then hurry!" Illya exclaimed, her legs buckling under the strain of holding Caster at bay. "Ruby!"

"… Understood," Ruby replied.

An eruption of light swallowed Illya, just as Caster's Rain of Light pierced her feeble barrier. The giant pillar of raw energy deflected the Servant's blasts, before blasting a hole through the ceiling and into the night sky.

"Illya!" Shirou yelled, forgetting about his opponent in the heat of the moment.

Almost as though it had heard him, the pillar of light rescinded, revealing an unhurt Illya wearing what appeared to be a newer version of her standard Magical Girl outfit. For a few seconds, everything was still, and even Caster stopped her attack to observe the situation at hand.

"What is this…?"Illya wondered aloud. "Ruby, this is…"

"Yes, Illya-san," Ruby replied. "We don't have time for an explanation, so please make this quick."

"… Okay," Illya replied, tightening her grip on the new wand in her hand. Ruby and Sapphire had disappeared in that pillar of light, replaced with a wand that had a sphere at its end. For reasons she could not wrap her head around just then, the sphere had two floating stars in it, and from said stars she could hear Ruby and Sapphire's voices. "I don't quite get what's going on, but this means I can fight Caster now, right?"

"Illya…" Miyu gasped. "T-that's…"

"You're right, Miyu," Illya replied, nodding wisely. "… I have absolutely no idea how this happened, either."

"Don't sweat the small details, Illya-san!" Ruby reprimanded. "You're a Magical Girl! Just chalk it up to miracles, love power, random magic or love power!"

"Was there a need to say 'love power' twice…?" Illya asked. "Ugh!"

"Illya-sama, the prana consumption in this form is far greater than the Include or the Install," Sapphire said. "If we don't end this battle quickly, your body might not be able to handle the strain."

"I-I got it," Illya replied.

"Illya-" Miyu began, only to catch herself before saying anything. Without Sapphire by her side, there wasn't anything she could say to say to Illya just then. She was in no position to offer concern, so instead she said only one thing: "Be careful."

"Don't worry, Miyu," Illya assured her, a newfound confidence in her eyes. "I'll be right back."

Bright, vermillion sparks burst into being before her eyes, followed swiftly by the sharp screech of clashing metal.

As though alive, Assassin's sword sliced through the air, each and every slash a graceful step in the samurai's refined dance. He had not a single wasted moment; every step, every swing, was made with utmost precision – precision that could only have come from years upon years of devotion to the way of the sword. Such exquisite swordsmanship surely belonged to a noble warrior, a true swordsman worthy of countless praises and undoubtedly with a mountain of accomplishments to his name.

And yet, the man's sword was empty.

No matter how many times her sword met his, she could not figure it out. Regardless of how their weapons clashed, there was nothing to be felt from his blade. Even with such impeccable skills, nothing of the wielder flowed into his weapon. She simply could not read his movements, his thoughts. Or perhaps she was reading him, but there was simply nothing to be read.

Within him, there was surely no pride to be found. There were no emotions, no desire, no aspirations – there was nothing in his sword that a swordsman of his caliber should have. His movements, though impressive, lost all meaning when all he wielded was an empty blade. His swordplay, rather than being techniques practiced by a warrior who sought victory, was reduced to nothing more than moves born of endless repetition. This man was hollow, and as such so was his sword.

Yet, inexplicably, he was smiling.

"What makes you smile, Assassin?" she asked as she put some distance between them. "Do you think of this battle as nothing more than a farce?"

"Of course not," Assassin replied. "I'm merely enjoying the moment, Saber. My face simply betrayed my feelings, that's all. Or perhaps you mean to tell me… taking joy in crossing blows with others is a foreign concept to western swordsmen?"

"Such a sentiment could only exist in honorable knights," Saber fired back. "However, I sense no pride in your sword, Assassin. You mean to tell me that you truly understand what it means to swing a blade?"

"You misunderstand, Saber," Assassin replied loftily. "I simply think the swordplay of accomplished swordsmen are a spectacle to behold, that's all. It's only to be expected that my blade lacks pride… I have no pride as a swordsman myself, after all."

"… What did you say?" Saber asked, her expression a mixture of confusion and anger. "Are you not a Heroic Spirit, Assassin?"

"As expected, you're too brilliant an opponent for me," Assassin said. Whether he was speaking more to Saber or to himself was a mystery. "You proper Servants are something else, Saber. You swing your sword with a responsibility I can never have, and you take pride in the identity you carved onto the pages of history."

She was a glorious figure extolled by many, but he was a mere shadow who could not exist without someone to cast said shadow in the first place. He had no identity to call his own, so naturally he could not be granted the same title of 'Heroic Spirit'.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Saber," he said, a hint of what appeared to be sadness in his voice. "But while I'm a Servant, I'm not a Heroic Spirit. I'm just a puppet summoned to do that vixen's bidding, nothing more."

"… What do you mean?" Saber asked, her concentration slipping ever so slightly in that moment. It did not escape Assassin's notice, but he let it slide regardless.

"I'm-" Assassin began, only to be interrupted by a distant eruption of light from inside the Temple. "… What's this? You have some rather interesting followers, it seems."

"That's…" Saber's gaze sharpened at those words, causing a torrent of prana and wind to roar around her like a hurricane. "Move aside, Assassin. I cannot allow myself to be delayed any longer!"

"And I believe I made myself very clear as well," Assassin replied, seemingly unaffected by Saber's fighting spirit. "My sole purpose is to stop you. If you want to get to them, you'll have to do so after slaying me, Saber.

"However, it wouldn't do if your swordplay got clumsy due to impatience," he added, descending the steps – giving up his advantage of higher ground in the process – and standing on the same level ground as Saber. "So let's end this, Saber. In the next exchange of blows, I'll have your head."

"… So you're saying you still have something up your sleeve, Assassin?" Saber asked.

"You can say that for the both of us, can you not?" Assassin replied with a smirk. "But, whether or not you can force me to use my secret technique remains to be seen."

"… Very well," Saber said, once more steadying her stance. "Then I shall make you move."

"That's the spirit," Assassin smiled. "A woman is truly beautiful when she has nothing to hide. Now, show me everything you've got, Saber."

Wind roared. Swords screeched. And into the still air of night, a spray of bright crimson bloomed.

"You seem rather preoccupied."

The lightless room echoed the priest's words, leaving behind a faint, barely audible sound. The space, bereft of heat, seemed to freeze his words the moment they left his lips, before the crushing silence swallowed them without mercy.

But even the shadows, born from the darkest corners of this desolate church, shrank away from the one he spoke to.

"Is there something that requires your attention?" Kirei asked, abstaining from using words that might be interpreted as an insult. He was all too familiar with the King of Heroes' temper, and he was not looking forward to being impaled by countless Noble Phantasms just then.

"Of course not," the King replied. "As if the mindless frolicking of mongrels could deserve my attention."

Kirei did not reply. He knew better than to reply when Gilgamesh was clearly in a bad mood. Instead, he held his tongue, waiting for the King to continue.

"It's not the mongrels that interest me," Gilgamesh went on. "It is whatever's being drawn to the gathering of mongrels that intrigues me."

Seemingly satisfied with enlightening Kirei on the thoughts of a King, the King of Babylonia turned and headed for the church's entrance. He did nothing more than walk casually, and yet even the shadows of night scurried away from him.

"Where are you headed?" Kirei asked.

"There's something I wish to see," the King replied. "If it truly is what it appears to be, then this Holy Grail War will be much more entertaining than expected."

Without elaborating further, the King of Heroes departed for Ryuudou Temple, where he knew – and since he knew, it was a law – that the shadows beneath Mount Enzo was drawn to. He did not know what it was, and he did not know how it even came into existence, but there was one thing he was certain of.

If that shadow sought his Holy Grail, then it would be annihilated without mercy.

Yeah, this chapter was really late. Sorry about that…

There were lots of things I wanted to include in this chapter, but a lot of it got cut out because I didn't want it to get too bloated. Hope it worked out, and yes, THAT battle is coming up soon. Real soon.

See you next chapter!