Oh! It's kind of back. Sorry for being inactive for so long. I can't promise that I'll start updating with any sort of regularity again, but i can promise that this fic isn't abandoned.

7th Day – part 2 – All-out War

He had spent most of his life afraid of his grandfather. That was the nice way of putting it, the better way of putting it was that whenever Matou Zouken asked Matou Shinji to jump, his default answer would be "How high?". That was, until very recently, so despite his newfound resistance to his grandfather's power, Shinji still respected it. So what the hell was he doing, going after the man who so easily brushed all of that aside? And to ask a favor of all things.

"Well, I guess that is one more reason to be going after him, if there is going to be anyone able to reverse what he has done, it is going to be Caster." He hoped saying that out loud would help him convince himself better as he approached the city's electrical sub-station.

Nearby, the spirit-form Servant decided to give his opinion. "That's what makes you you, Shinji." He seemed to be trying to reassure his Master. "The way that Archer and that woman showed us is not enough, it makes sense to go after other possibilities."

Shinji answered with a bitter smile. "Of course, I could get rid of that stupid old man by doing what they told me to do. However, I can't really say that I am better than Emiya if I have to sacrifice someone along the way, right?" He felt that the Servant agreed. "So I just have to go with a lesser sin that he would never commit: Allying with someone of questionable morals." That would be Caster.

The last time they approached the building, Shinji used Assassin to make Caster back-off, he really hoped that he had already gotten over that. "Show yourself Assassin, we have to grab his attention somehow." Shinji gritted his teeth as pain shot through his body as the artificial Circuits were activated to keep Assassin materialized.

This time the Servant was wearing garish Arabian clothes, just like in his fight with Saber. As he spoke loudly, his voice seemed more commanding that usual. "Servant Caster, show yourself, we have business with you, but do not wish to fight." Would that be enough?

Apparently, it was. "So you have business with me, do you? Since you say that you do not wish to fight, perhaps it's not about your pillaged home, mayhap that was a lie to draw me out? Speak your business?" To their surprise, Caster was standing behind them, almost as if he had teleported there, his well-trimmed mustache above a grin.

Shinji tried to calm down his heartbeats, but that was hard. Somehow, just by looking he knew that Caster was not someone to be trifled with. At least he didn't seem to remember that incident. "I did not lie. While you did defile my family's home, I have no pride in it or the knowledge it has accumulated, you may do with it as you like, I have no use for it." He delivered the words with poise.

This raised Caster's eyebrows slightly. "You sure? From what I've already read, no matter how dirty it is, your family has some pretty good knowledge of magic. But enough of that, what is your business with me?"

Shinji took a deep breath, he had mentally rehearsed this many times now, he couldn't fail. "I have a problem, to which I have found a partial solution which is just not good enough. Therefore I was wondering if you would like to ally with me to help me with it." He was sure of the coming answer.

"Hoh, this looks interesting, but what do I have to gain from it?" There was only one right answer to that question.

"All knowledge derived from the process, and you will probably have access to the last link of knowledge needed to comprehend the essence of Matou magic. Perhaps you will learn even more than that. How about it? Doesn't sound too bad I think." He held out his hand.

Caster immediately grasped it. "Definitely doesn't. Consider us partners." Shinji felt a chill but went through with the handshake. Now he just needed to go get two specific people.

Rin was trying to battle a bad feeling. Was this truly the way that the Holy Grail War was supposed to go? There was something sinister about it, despite hearing about how impressive Servants, and in special the Saber Servant, were supposed to be, she couldn't help but imagine some sort of dignified battle.

However that didn't seem to be the case. It didn't even feel as if every Master and Servant were maneuvering into advantageous positions. Everything was chaotic and unpredictable to the point of madness, every participant had his or her own agenda that seemed to override even the Grail, which supposedly was able to grant any wish. Rin let out a huge sigh.

"What am I talking about, I'm not that different from the others, look where I find myself again." Despite her last exchange with Shirou, here she was again, in front of his house, but he seemed to be out. Saber wasn't saying anything, but Rin knew that she was bothered by the whole situation, she probably liked things to be clear: Would they be allies or enemies to Shirou?

Yet, that was the least of her worries. There was something about Caster, something deeply unsettling, which she could not point her finger at, but which disturbed her. Was it his clear superiority to every Magi she had ever met? No, that would be a given for Caster, there has to be something else…

"Rin! There's someone here!" Saber's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Was it perhaps Shirou?

Unfortunately, it was perhaps the second to last person she least wanted to see: Matou Shinji. "Oh, that's interesting, I thought you broke up with Emiya. Why are you here in front of his home, Tohsaka? Perhaps mounting an ambush?" She felt like punching that insufferable grin.

She stepped slightly back from Saber, but not too far, there was no way for her to know where Assassin was. "None of your business, but I don't suppose you just happened to wander near Emiya-kun's house. What are you here for?" Her last phrase sounded almost like a growl, she was doing her best, but was failing miserably to hide her crescent irritation with Shinji's mere presence.

Her irritation seemed only to amuse Shinji, as his grin seemed to close in on all-out laughter. "Am I that much of an eye-sore?" Suddenly, his expression changed and everything about him seemed serious. "I am not here to torment anyone. Step aside Tohsaka, my sister has a problem, to which Emiya cannot find an answer, but I can." He was staring at her in all seriousness.

So that's what it was. He was here for Sakura, what else? "And why should I trust your words? How do I know you don't just intend to put her through more hell just to torment Emiya-kun?" Ah, I'm such an idiot, why am I phrasing this as if I'm doing this for Emiya-kun?

"Well, first of all, I don't remember having lied to you and Emiya-kun even once yet. But I guess one doesn't just get over enmity that easily, huh. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time to convince you, Assassin!" Two shots were heard. One was blocked by Saber's sword, the other broke the gate's lock. "Keep them busy." As quickly as he could, Shinji opened it and entered the Emiya household.

Rin tried to go after him, but was stopped by another bullet that Saber had to block. "I'm sorry, but I have no intention of fighting fairly, after all i have to keep the both of you at bay." This time, wearing the dark clothes of a clergyman, suitable for the night, there stood Assassin, pistol in one hand and a saber in another. "Please, just stay put for a while." He was between them and the gate.

Saber's response was swift. "I refuse!" and steeped toward him.

Shirou was getting more and more frustrated, it didn't seem like they would find that woman. Rider didn't seem to demonstrate any emotion either way and calmly led their horse at little more than walking pace.

He was almost giving up and calling them to return home when a scowl appeared in Rider's face. "Master, there's a Servant." For a moment, Shirou was elated and hoped it was Archer.

His expectations were dashed. "How mysterious, I didn't think I'd meet you here again." The voice didn't belong to Archer, but to Lancer.

Rider nodded her head in a greeting. "Indeed, King of Warriors, that is the bridge were you stopped mine and Saber's pursuit of Archer, a fine place for a bout." The bridge, how many duels between Servants were fought on or near it? Shirou wondered that for a moment as he dismounted the horse.

Rider and Lancer stared at each other in silence for a moment, as if measuring something. "You sure you want to face my lance while on a horse? I'll give you time to prepare as best as you can, after all this is to prove my unquestionable superiority, wouldn't want any excuses to pop up later." He spoke that last part in a teasing tone.

Rider ignored the provocation. "To be honest, I there's something bugging me."

"Oh? Ask away, girl."

She cringed at the last part but otherwise continued calmly. "Where is your Master? It seems hardly fair that I have mine all exposed like this while you hide yours." She talked nonchalantly, insinuating that what Lancer was doing was cowardly.

That seemed to discomfort Lancer. "Well, there's… a certain situation. But worry not, that will change nothing in our bout." He raised his shield as if ready to start.

The answer did not satisfy Rider, but it was enough for her to put the matter aside for the moment. She readied her bow. "Fine, I will ask you about that again after I've defeated you, how about that."

Lancer let out a chuckle. "That's ok by me, but since I know that I'm going to be the winner, it would be unfair to ask anything from you. Here I come!" His shout seemed to signal the start of the fight.

Ilyasviel was pouting as she walked alongside Berserker. Once more she remembered that annoying Tohsaka Rin. "How could she say that after seeing Berserker's power? Nobody can…" She was cut short as she felt something abruptly pulling her. It was as if she was flying through the air, what a strange sensation that was. It her a while to register that Berserker had grabbed her and jumped through the air, and there was only one reason why he would do something like that.

The place where she was standing before, at the edge of the park had become a crater, probably as the result of an attack from the Servant standing in the middle of the park. Next to him was a woman, most likely the Master.

Ilyasviel let out a vicious smile. "How foolish of you, who do you think you are attacking?" Berserker put her gently on the park's edge. She would be courteous enough to let them at least say something before telling berserker to rip them to shreds.

The woman erupted in laughter. And she kept laughing, so much that Ilyasviel considered ordering berserker to shut her up. But right as she opened her mouth the laughter stopped. "Do I know who I am attacking? Of course I do, daughter of Einzbern. The Grail's Vessel, I wonder what would happen if I irretrievably break it right now." After having said that, the woman charged at Ilyasviel.

Ilyasviel was quick. "Berserker!" She shouted the Servant's name and immediately heard the familiar roar. She was safe, she thought. Berserker always proved why he was the strongest after roaring, be it against the beasts of the forest or another Servant. He always won, he would always win. Imagine her surprise as she felt a powerful punch connect to her stomach. "Uh?" More than the pain, she was surprised. Why didn't Berserker save her?

Oh, I think I heard something alongside Berserker's roar. It was the engine of a war tank, which had rammed the Servant as he tried to protect his Master. "Take that!" The enemy Servant shouted joyously. However, it would be wrong of him to think of that as a long-term victory, as moments later, "Jesus fucking Christ!" he was being flung, alongside the tank by something that now resembled closely a dragon.

Ilyasviel did not have time to revel in that as she was thrown by her attacker. Despite falling in grass, having already lost her breath from the first punch, she felt for a few excruciating moments as if she was going to suffocate and die. As her desperate gasps became air entering her lungs, Ilyasviel felt a weight on her. It was that woman.

"Now, now, could you please tell your Servant to calm down?" Her voice had more than a slight tinge of cruelty in it.

Ilyasviel's answer was as straight as her eyes staring at her attacker. "No." She knew that her attacker would soon lose her head.

With almost superhuman speed, the woman rolled on the ground, putting Ilyasviel on top. Berserker turned his attack in a seemingly impossible way to not harm his Master, but the loss of balance was enough for him to be knocked off his feet by the attack of two bazookas. "Woo! Where are you looking, you freaking monster? That's two to one right now." The Servant was doing his best to taunt Berserker.

"See, right now you can't…" The rest of the woman's speech was drowned by a roar that seemed to make the earth's own core tremble. Ilyasviel smiled. The woman went pale, as anyone should when hearing a sound like that.

The enemy Servant smiled nervously. "Whoa, things are getting a bit too exciting, Carmen." The man saying that was standing on a tank (Another, as the first one was destroyed) and next to it there were two artilleries.

The expression the woman's face seemed like that of a maniac. "No, that is how things should be: Face to face with death." She stood while holding Ilyasviel in a lock.

Despite her less than flattering situation, Ilyasviel couldn't help but be smug. "You don't think you're going to live through the night after that, do you?" She said it almost as if she was scolding a little kid for doing something wrong.

Despite being obviously terrified and sweating profusely, the woman managed a coherent reply. "Oh, yes I do, just you see it." Ilyasviel's expression was like that of someone who just heard a lunatic saying he can get to the moon on a bike.

Rider was growing ever more concerned by the second. Nothing seemed to be working. She tried putting more power into her arrows, she tried innumerous feints to create openings, yet she was unable to inflict a single wound on Lancer. Her horse, on the other hand had suffered multiple attacks and was on the verge of death.

"What is this? Can these feeble attacks truly be your best?" Lancer repeatedly beat on his shield with his lance, taunting her. "Give me something more, little girl, or are you afraid?" Rider tried to maintain her calm, if she attacked recklessly she would certainly lose. Also, she couldn't do much more without using much more energy, of which she had not much left, moreover it would reveal her identity.

"Damn, what do I do?" She muttered under her breath. As she glanced behind, she felt irritation at her Master's worried face. She knew she shouldn't, but the thought flashed through her mind. What are you looking worried for, you bastard? Whose fault do you think this is? He did get seriously hurt protecting her, but so what? If only he could share energy with her…

Her thought was interrupted by another lunge from Lancer. "Come on, come on! If you don't do anything I'm going to overpower you. Or could it be…" Lancer suddenly stopped in his tracks and chuckled. "You're worried about your identity? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, Princess of the Steppes, why don't you just call your father's subordinates and let the real warriors do the fighting?" The condescension cut deep.

In a moment she realized: He had seen them, he already knew who she was, he knew that she was nothing but a vessel for borrowed power, her father's, Genghis Khan's power. "You Bastard!" She shrieked.

He knew. She knew. She had no right to complain about her Master, it was his inadequacy, after all, that gave her this chance. The chance to change everything. She wished to fight alongside her father and brothers, but she couldn't. Yet, she could change that now. An error in the summoning and she was called instead of her father to fight in the Holy Grail War, so she had a shot at one wish. I wish I was born a boy. Just so she could fight, she fought for the right to fight for her people. And despite that she was being mocked?

"I will crush you!" With that shout, she put much of her remaining energy into summoning her elite guard. She did not have enough for her trump card, which was actually fortunate, as if she had barely enough, she would probably do it, even if it meant she would vanish right after.

Saber was irritated, she felt like this was the most cowardly fight she had ever had. "Assassin, would you stop aiming for my Master? That's just so shameful of you!" But of course he wouldn't listen.

"I'm sorry Saber, but I'm not here to be sporting, perhaps one day we will have a proper fight, but it won't be tonight." Saber advanced, but Assassin just retreated about the same distance. For the third time, Rin tried running from behind Saber, but she had to obstruct her Master to protect her from the shots. Quickly, right after that she kicked off the ground to close the gap extremely quickly, but Assassin deftly deflected her swings and created as much distance as he could. "Oh my."

Both he and Saber realized the same thing. He had finally been forced inside the house's garden. He was not immovable. "We can do this, Saber!" Rin shouted triumphantly.

Despite that, Assassin smiled. "Too bad, there was a time limit. It's your loss." He broke into a run. It took Saber a moment to realize what was happening.

"I'm going after him!" She started running and knew her Master was doing the same.

"Here, Assassin!" To the side of the house was Matou Shinji, holding his sister. In a blur of movement, it was Assassin holding the both of them and jumping onto the property's walls.

"Rin, give me your hand." In moments, she was pursuing Assassin while holding Rin. She would not just let him run away.

It looked like a scene right out of a movie, no, Archer decided as he put more thought into it, not even a movie would have such an absurd scene in it. Of course, that little girl could be something like the kidnapped princess, but the thing that was pursuing the villains, he and his Master, looked like it would probably rather eat the princess and not save her. Archer knew better though.

It was the second time he was running away like this, but somehow he felt like this time he had no option to just switch to a jet. He was sure that even if he summoned it, as it was taking off it wouldn't have enough maneuverability to juke a leap from that monster of a Servant that was Fucking Running as Fast a Fucking Jeep, it was terrifying.

"It doesn't seem like you're going to run away from Berserker. Why don't you just give up, stop the car, and accept that he is going to rip both of your heads off?" The little girl's constant comments didn't really help, it also really ruined the whole kidnapped princess image.

His Master countered with a degree of calm. "Don't say such grim things, daughter of Einzbern. You're not cute at all." Archer wondered how long she would be calm for if he told her that they were pretty much out of options.

No, don't be like this! Think of something. It would be just ridiculous if they truly ended up being eliminated like this. He just had to think of something. Oh. The bridge, he wondered if something would happen if he headed there. Last time he hit the jackpot. Who knows, he might end up making the right decision twice.

It tortured Shirou. Was he really powerless to help Rider in any way? It seemed that way, as even after summoning her elite warriors, she was unable to penetrate Lancer's defense.

She mounted distractions, ordered them to circle around him, combined attacks, despite all of that, all injuries were mounting up on her side, every attack reflected by a shield or lance.

"Weak, weak! Don't you proud warriors have anything better to show me?" After many round of taunts such as this one, it seemed to Shirou that Rider and her warriors were more tired than anything. It was as if there was an insurmountable wall, as if there was an immense weight that they just could not lift. It was then that it dawned on Shirou.

Could it be… My fault? From the start he knew there was something wrong with him as Master. There was something wrong with his connection with Rider, but to think that it would be such a problem. I have to do something. But, what? He thought and thought about it, but couldn't arrive at an answer.

Call us. A strange voice, no it was a feeling; it shot up from inside him. The images of swords, which alongside the fire so constantly haunted his dreams, popped up in his head. But how? He now knew what to do, but how would he do it?

As he looked back at Rider he discovered that his time was running short. The warriors surrounding Rider vanished, probably after having spent the last of their energy. Right after, with a smash of his shield, Lancer knocked Rider off her horse and stood next to her. "Is that all you can offer me, Rider?" This time, his voice held no contempt, no malice, no provocation; all that it conveyed was deep disappointment.

Immediately, Rider burst into tears, all of the humiliation she must have been feeling almost tangible in her voice. "Yes! That's all, I have nothing left! I couldn't even use all of my power. I guess that's what I deserve, for struggling against fate. Fine, kill me, King of Warriors. It's your right."

Lancer nodded solemnly, "Farewell, Princess of the Steppes, you had even worse luck than I did with Masters." and readied his lance for a fatal blow.

No, this can't be. Shirou ran at the two Servants. But what could he really do? Instinctively he knew. Projection. It was such an stupid idea that it might work. He remembered his father telling him that it was much worse than strengthening, but so what? Somehow, he knew he could make them, the swords. Still, then what? Even with weapons he knew he would be inferior to Lancer. He'd probably just die needlessly. Even then, he felt that he could not just abandon Rider.