AN: Alright, welcome back to Man of Steel. When we last left off, Mind of Steel happened, Kirei was a douche, Rin did her duty, and Shirou became a cold-hearted jerk. Basically, Mind of Steel happened. Oh, and Shirou got some command seals back. Could those be important at all in this story? Absolutely not. There will be absolutely no use for those command seals whatsoever.

Anyways, this next chapter is bigger, and was quite a bit of fun to write at times, though getting into the heads of some characters is harder for me than others. You can guess which characters are a pain for me, and which characters I'm utterly thrilled to write when you see my work.

Oh, and if you guys want more updates, but smaller, I release each "subchapter" - meaning each individual perspective before the breaks - in smaller packages on Beast's Lair, under the fanfic section. Worth checking out, that forum is lulzy at times, and really is one of the better Type-Moon English fan communities there is.

Tohsaka Rin ran, ignoring the water that splashed up against her and Archer's concerned gaze as she fled the church. To his credit, Archer had so far refrained from speaking, either out of respect for the gravity of the current situation, or because he did not want to aggravate her further right now.

Was she fleeing? No, that was not right. She was not fleeing. There was nothing to hide from. She had been presented with a simple choice –

No. Enough foolishness. Her duty as a magus had not ended, so she had no time to indulge in the emotions of a schoolgirl. She tried to suppress her emotions, as she had in the church, but…she couldn't.

Why?

Because her sister had been awake. That simple fact had overruled all the logic in the world that she had come up with. What was worse, her sister had simply given her a small, sad smile, as if to accept her own end. Had she heard them talking? Had Sakura heard the man she loved offer to take the role of her executioner?

She had expected the boy to argue with her, to deny the logic that supported her decision. She wanted to shout the logic of this decision in his face, but he had denied her that, instead coming to the same bitter conclusion in his own mind. She felt cheated, as if he had wronged her. Wasn't he the one who always argued to save everyone? Wasn't he the naïve boy who had foolishly entered this war to…

Oh. He had entered the war to protect others. He had said so himself, though she had dismissed it as pure naiveté. It seems he understood the precise cost of such a promise, so…why hadn't she understood the cost of her own duties? She could not argue against the decision both she and the boy had come to accept, so why were there tears flowing down her cheeks?

And so she ran, fleeing from the questions burning within her own mind.

Shirou was walking. There was little reason to hurry. Zouken had been dealt a serious blow, and would likely need some time to adjust to the loss of Sakura in his plans. Illyasviel had left the park just before him, and she had not been with Berserker at the time. And Rin...he had no idea, but he doubted his ally would be a problem just now.

So he could simply afford to walk casually across the bridge before him with his mind on other things.

No, what he needed to do was think, to strategize as he should have done from the very beginning of this war if he was serious about saving lives. And the outlook for him was very very poor. No matter what Kirei said about having the correct mindset, it was too little too late. His father had years of preparation and far superior skills as a magus. Worse, he no longer had a servant. He was totally reliant on Rin and Archer at this point in time. A master who he could no longer afford to blindly think of as an ally.

He did not trust that priest. He wouldn't put it past Kirei to try to manipulate him against Rin, for whatever sick reasons that man had. But still, something about the priests words rang true. At the very least, it hurt nobody to be cautious and to investigate Rin. If she was indeed an acceptable master for the grail, then no harm was done by making sure. If not...better that she be prevented from obtaining it.

Still, in his current state, all the investigation in the world would be meaningless if he had no way to act. In a match against Rin, much less Berserker or Zouken, he might as well begin by slitting his own throat. It would save him a great deal of pain and trouble. No, if he were to act, he needed trump cards against each of his foes, and to find out more about them.

And most of all, he needed information on the Grail War itself. No matter how much he doubted that priest, his words certainly merited investigation. The true identity of the Holy Grail...that implied the grail was not what the master's had been promised. And as much as it pained him to admit it, the supervisor of the Grail War was quite well positioned to be aware of any anomalies in the grail.

In the end, it all came down to the same thing. There were too many questions, nobody he could trust, and he was totally outclassed when it came to power, tactics, strategies, and pretty much every measurable standard it came down to in this war. Even *presuming* Rin was trustworthy, he had absolutely no idea how they were going to defeat Berserker, unless...

Oh. How foolish of him. Strange that he had forgotten that the master was the weakest part of a servants link to the world. Did he still not want to hurt Illya? He had made his choice when he had sacrificed the person he loved most for others. He no longer had the right to make any other choice than that. If he wanted to save lives, he had to be ruthless. This was no time to be playing with vague desires and affections. He needed to be merciless, to crush his foes using any means necessary, manipulating their desires, dreams, hopes, even friends and family.

The answer came to him. There *was* someone who could answer most of his current problems, with suitable persuasion. Someone who was involved in this war who he could most certainly outfight in his current state, who just might be vulnerable for a short window of time given current events.

He broke into a run. It was not yet time to return home. He would need to make his first real assault as a master today.

It was time to attack the Matou residence.

Kirei was thrilled with the day's results. Rin had finally let her mental defences down, and he had watched her rush out of the church with tears streaming down her eyes. Truly, this was a day he would remember with fondness.

Still, if her suffering was akin to a fine wine, he shouldn't rush to drink it. A fine wine needed to be savored, and it was for that reason that he didn't bother to speak with her. True, it would have been immensely satisfying, but he doubted there was much he could say that would break her further, and moreover, letting her sit and stew was equally entertaining.

It was compounded even more by the boy's behavior. Whereas the boy might once have comforted her, or tried to help her, Emiya Shirou was no longer capable of such thoughts. He had cast them aside in favor of doing what was necessary, like his father. The thought of this was wonderful to him, but for a reason more than his simple love of suffering.

He had hated the moment Emiya Kiritsugu had flatly ignored him that fateful night in the fire.

Emiya Kiritsugu had stared past him, as if to dismiss his archrival as utterly unimportant and worthless. It had been the only thing to mar his wondrous revelation regarding his true purpose, and it had deflated all the feeling of victory from him.

To see the boy that Kiritsugu had sought so dearly that night follow the same destructive path as his father was the most perfect vengeance he could possibly wish for. To watch him throw away his already empty soul and closest friends in order to protect humanity was beautiful to witness, a spectacle nearly as entertaining as his stubborn apprentice.

Truly, this was a wonderful day.

He walked to the room where these wonders had occurred, his steps echoing wonderfully within the empty church. A shame that he had nobody to share these joys with. Even Gilgamesh, as entertaining a companion as he was, did not understand the true joys involved in the suffering of these hapless victims.

Of course, there was still the matter of the dead victim lying in the room he was in. Such a foolish girl. She lay as if sleeping, her eyes closed, and the stain in the bed still growing redder and redder. It seemed Rin had been unable to look into her eyes while killing her, and had instead opted for stabbing her in the back.

What exquisite irony.

Still, there was...

"Matou Zouken. What a wretched old fool."

He spat the derisive words to the room at large. Really, this was too funny. To think that the old magus had entrusted the girl with this much of his plans. He truly must not have seen the darkness in her heart, thinking her pure.

No matter. The stage was set differently than the old magus had clearly expected. It would be unbecoming of him as a priest if he did not grant the dead their holy rites.

Shirou ran, running over the plan in his own head again. His goal was to minimize unnecessary combat, reduce the risk, get what he wanted, and get the hell out of there. Of course, this all would be problematic if Zouken was still there, but he was willing to guess that Zouken would be busy today after Sakura's death.

Hopefully.

It was worth the risk anyway - the chance that Zouken was there and in a position to defend the residence from his attack wasn't as bad as running around in this war blind.

Sort of like how he'd been doing before.

Sort of like he was doing now.

It was a bad plan, yes, but it was probably the best plan he was going to get in awhile, given the circumstances. He needed information regarding the war, and the best place to get it was one of the three families who created this war. He wasn't sure he trusted any answer Rin would give him, attacking Berserker right now was akin to suicide, and Zouken had recently been dealt a heavy blow. Besides, Zouken needed to adapt to what was probably a pretty serious blow to his plans, and he doubted that such adaptations would be done by sitting around.

The first step was to approach the house. To do so from the south put him a bit closer to Illya's territory than he would honestly have liked, but the forest at least gave him some cover. This way, he could observe without being observed, and make a cursory attempt to understand the situation once he triggered the boundary field.

And if necessary, back out. He wasn't in the mood to fight Assassin.

He flooded the branch with od, filling the imperfections with magic and strengthening the branch to the strength of metal. It had a good point where it was snapped, and would make a good stabbing weapon.

It really was a beautiful night. The rain was strangely beautiful, making a wonderful noise. The only thing marring this night was the cold. It would have been nice to share this moment with her.

The person he cared for most.

He pushed aside his bitterness. If he survived, he would at least allow Sakura the vengeance of destroying Zouken and his servant. He could grant her this much. He grabbed a branch from the tree above his head and broke it. The noise was loud and ringing, and for a second he wondered if the noise would attract attention.

And just at that moment, his entire plan was ruined.

"-Hahahahahahaaa!"

Matou Shinji had left the protective boundaries of his house, and apparently was thrilled with something. His eyes narrowed. If Shinji was thrilled about what he thought he was...

Strike.

"So the old man cast me out as a failure. Fine, so she ended up dead too."

This was too perfect an opportunity to miss. No matter if his previous plan was worthless now. Zouken was clearly out if Shinji was talking about him like this, and his target had apparently decided to expose himself horribly.

Strike now.

He put everything into this moment. If he did this right, there would be no battle whatsoever. That was the important part. He shot out of the forest like a bullet.

"-Huh?"

Shinji didn't see it coming at all. Depressing. Perhaps if he had been stronger before, all of this might have been avoided. But none of that mattered now. Right now he needed to break Shinji, to not only crush him, but to break any possible will to fight.

He struck Shinji across the stomach, doubling the fool over. He struck again, aiming for the head. He took out the target's ability to move with a strike to the knees. He kept striking. Really, this was pathetic. The fool was making no credible move to defend himself. How could someone this pathetic have been a Master? How could he have believed for an instant that Shinji could have ever been Rider's Master? How had he ignored Sakura's pain?

He barely noticed Shinji writhing on the ground.

"-Emiya"

The mound of flesh croaked out his name, clearly in pain. He had lost control. That was a bad sign. He needed to get back on track.

"Hah. So you found out about her death too, eh, Emiya?"

He lifted Shinji up. He needed to get inside the residence, and find the way to the Matou study. That was where everything he needed would be.

"Don't kid yourself. You wouldn't kill me."

Quiet.

This was true. He needs Shinji alive right now. But right now the Matou heir was annoying him to no end.

"Just be silent. We're going inside."

His voice is cold, a voice that does not allow argument. He doesn't want to hear anything from Shinji. He hadn't counted on Shinji of all people throwing a wrench into his plans.

"Ah, so this is about her, isn't it? Even when she's dead, everyone's always obsessed with Sakura. Sakura, Sakura, Sakura."

Shut up shut up shut up

With his natural idiocy, Shinji totally ignores the danger. He doesn't want to hear this...this..monster talk about Sakura. He didn't want to think about what he did to her.

"But Emiya, don't blame me for what happened to her. The old man had already ruined her body. It was better for her this way."

Don't listen to it!

He didn't save her from her family. No. That wasn't true. He hadn't failed to save her. He had killed her. He might as well have done it with his own two hands. He had offered to do it with his own two hands. He had done it before these bastards had forced her to destroy others.

And this sister-rapist was rubbing it in his face.

"Hah, what did you think would happen? That you could really save someone so pathetic?"

Emiya Shirou snaps. The last thread holding him together snaps, and a floodgate of emotions is released in a single instant.

Zouken was tired, even if he had just fed.

As soon as he worked out Sakura's condition, he had rather foolishly pushed his body too far. This body was not suitable for much other than dark places - and attempting to go out in this wretched rain had been too much for it.

But still, there was a problem that required his effort. That defective priest had Sakura's body.

His soul worm needed retrieval and reimplantation into a new host. He didn't want to think about the possibilities if Kirei had found it, but since it had been awhile since Sakura had died, he was somewhat optimistic that the priest had not found it. He should be able to return home and spend awhile recovering in order to attempt a proper recovery of his soul.

Except there was a problem.

The heir of Emiya was at his home, standing over the brutally beaten body of his heir.

Really, that boy was such a disappointment if even the failure of a magus that Kiritsugu had adopted was capable of utterly overwhelming him.

It seemed the boy had been destroyed by the news of his lovers death, and in his fury rushed to his home to strike. This was utterly foolish, but such were the failings of youth. Had he once felt those stirrings? Hm...he really was old if he didn't even remember.

Surprisingly, the boy noticed him, and without delay grabbed his heir's beaten body, and held the crude weapon to his heir's throat. Perhaps there was a touch of the old Emiya in that boy.

"Zouken. I need information."

The boy suddenly looked as cold as the night itself. Well, this was a sudden display of competence. Still, the boy was in an incredibly bad position if he had come to negotiate, and looked every bit as if he knew it. Well, he might as well indulge the boy. He could easily end the boy anytime he wanted, and it was a slight possibility that he could find a way to use the boy to his advantage.

"Hm...is that what you want? But what do you have that I want, heir to Emiya?"

The boy lifts his heir higher for emphasis.

"Oh, is that all? And in such poor condition too. That failure is no longer worth protecting. The Matou bloodline ends with him."

The pathetic failure looks shocked, as if astonished at this. The boy, however, seems to have accepted that this battle is about to occur. If what occurred here could be called a battle, that is.

"Hm...I see. So you chose to follow the will of Emiya, but you lacked the skill necessary."

A pity. Emiya was always an interesting one. It seems this boy was about to establish the proper mindset.

"You were close, child. It is unfortunate for you that I am in a hurry."

He raised his voice. It was time to ask Assassin to rematerialize and destroy this boy. There was business to get back to, after all.

"Assa-"

And a horrible pain wracked his body, forcing all the breath from his throat, and destroying his order before it left him.

I will kill.

Oh no. No no no no no nonononono.

I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.

The Emiya takes advantage of his weakness with astonishing speed, using his heir as a shield, and shooting forward with the cold precision of a machine.

Be crushed. I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost.

That priest had found his soul.

Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.

He was going to die. The successor of Emiya had lost his weapon to his already weak body, but had managed to impart significant damage to it with his strike. His body could not take another hit like that in its current state

I don't want to die!

Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me.

"Hah...so you will kill me."

Were his words directed to the boy or the priest? No, of course they were to the priest. The boy was merely damaging his body. But the priest couldn't hear him.

He didn't care. He didn't want to die, and that priest was going to take his life.

I am light, and relieve you of all your burdens.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

"Do you think your wish will come true? Do you still seek mundane happiness?"

The boy had somehow gotten another weapon and continued to strike at his body. Assassin wasn't helping. Of course he wasn't.

After all, all Assassin wanted was the Grail. There was nobody to help him.

Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death to the living.

I DON"T WANT TO DIE!

"Such a thing does not exist for you."

But he was to be denied even the simple vengeance of tormenting Kirei for the abomination he was. He was merely shouting the words to the empty air, his curses never finding their intended target.

Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark. Eternal life is given through death.

i don't want to die i don't want to die i don't want to die

"You will never find it."

The boy stopped, staring at him accusingly. He didn't know or care why. He didn't want to die.

-Ask for forgiveness here. I the incarnation, will swear.

i don't want to die...

-Kyrie eleison.

The will of the five hundred year old magus is sublimated by the key of providence with great mercy.

Assassin wasn't quite sure what had happened. True, his master had been frail and more than somewhat crazy, but he was powerful, and well prepared for most circumstances. To watch his master fall to the boy was more than a little ridiculous to watch.

He could probably have defended his master a bit better, but by the time he had been able to line up a decent shot for his daggers, his master was already taking hits. At that point he was forced to question whether he really should interfere.

It was not like Assassin was a class suitable for protection. Zouken should've gotten himself a Saber if that's what he wanted. No, his talents were with assassination, not protection - and that's what Zouken had wanted, as he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

At least that's what he had thought.

The boy was still staring at his old master's corpse, ignoring the other Matou boy on the ground behind him. There was hatred there, that was obvious - though his former master's words seemed to have affected the boy.

"Will you avenge your master now, Assassin?"

The boy never looks up from Zouken's slowly disintegrating corpse.

"I am not so foolish as that. The old magus is dead, and I still seek the grail."

If Sakura was alive, he would simply reunite with his master there, but he had suspected that something was very wrong along those directions. First of all, she was dead. Secondly, the boy should not have been capable of defeating his master. Somehow he didn't think his Master had survived this time.

He still had problems though. He no longer had a Master, and he did not possess any ranks in Independent Action.

Almost as if in response to his thoughts, the boy raises his arm, revealing...

"Command Seals. So you are still a Master, boy?"

Well, this could be useful. Both the Tohsaka girl and the Einzberg homunculus already had far more powerful servants, and would probably kill him on sight. A Servantless Master who had proved himself to be marginally competent was a blessing, no matter how poor quality the magus himself might be.

Still though, from past experience with the boy, he hadn't figured him for the practical type. He had been expecting more rage, considering that he was responsible for the death of the swordswoman who once served that child.

"Hm...so you shall forego the vengeance of your Saber?"

He thought he caught something in the boy's expression for a second, but the response was smooth and natural.

"If you can forego the vengeance of your Master, I can forego mine."

There was a pause. Both of them needed each other if they wanted the grail.

"I am no great magus, Assassin. I shall need assistance in re-establishing the contract."

Well, he already knew that, but it was at least good to know the boy harbored no delusions regarding his skill. It would have been difficult if the magus was prideful.

"It is of no concern. The old magus helped to create this ritual. Anything we cannot work out we can find in his study."

It wasn't like any protective magic Zouken had would be of any further concern to them.

"But what of you, boy? There is nothing that can help us with the fact that you can provide me with little prana at best."

The boy nods, accepting the statement and pausing for a few seconds before answering.

"It is my...understanding that a magus can supplement from other sources what he cannot provide himself."

The boy jerks his head back towards the third person on the residence, a bitter and vengeful expression touching his face that doesn't quite reach a smile.

Master and servant both look at the last Matou, as a mutual understanding comes to them.

Assassin laughs, a humorless laugh that contains only satisfaction. There is no reason to worry. His new master will be perfectly suitable.

BAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! PUNCH SHINJI! PUNCH SHINJI!

Sorry. Couldn't help myself there. I really hope a Shinji fan reads this, somewhere, someplace. It will make my day. At any rate, let me know what you think of this stuff so far, I appreciate any and all comments and feedback.

But yeah, Shirou is rapidly approaching the Moral Event Horizon and starting to show some willingness to be a douchebag. Really, if that was anyone other than Zouken and Shinji that'd have been the act which lost him all sympathy from everyone, and even so he's pushing it. We'll see how far this guy goes.

Anyways, once again, a special thanks to Komrade Kwestions and HopelessRomanticist for all their help in betaing. Oh, and as a side note, congratulations to HopelessRomanticist on getting a rec on tvtropes for his fic, Fate ReNight. The softy really deserves it, and I recommend checking out that fic if you haven't already - its a fun one.