I do not own Fate/Stay Night nor any other Servants depicted here.

Training

Our King is the god of battle! He always may be found leading the charge! He has never tasted defeat!

There is no one who can stand in King Arthur's way!

His dauntless visage has remained unchanged since he drew forth the sword of selection!

The King does not age!

Truly, he is the embodiment of the dragon!

Shirou's eyes sprang open. His body felt stiff and lethargic. He moved his limbs, finding that he had fallen asleep in a sitting position. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room. His eyes wandered and eventually settled on his sleeping Servant.

"That dream... I've never seen that side of her before," he wondered as he covered his eyes, protecting them from the glare, "Can you really see stuff like that in a dream?" Trying to recall what he dreamed, his thoughts settled on a sword.

"Weird... that sword..."

"Shirou..."

"Saber?" he exclaimed as he stumbled forward, going near her futon, "Saber, are you alright? Last night..."

"Do not worry. I may still feel weak due to the previous night's battle, but I will recover in time," she assured him softly as she looked at him. Turning her gaze to the ceiling, she continued, "Although, my weakness seems to have disrupted my plans."

"Eh? Plans?" he repeated in confusion.

"Yes. Your form was rough, but with proper training, you should be able to handle a sword well enough for your own protection," she explained, "I wanted to train you myself, but I must recover first."

"Oh... yeah, that would be a problem," he admitted, but in better spirits knowing that he wouldn't have to feel all that useless anytime there was trouble. He truly wanted to help, and with this training, he definitely could.

"Indeed. Which is why I have a request," she stated as she turned back to him, "Please ask Sakura to send Assassin to me." Noting his puzzled expression, she explained, "I can recognize a noteworthy swordsman from the way he fights. While I know not why he was given the Assassin class, he still has enough skill for me to acknowledge him. Thus, I would have him take over your training until I am well enough to do it personally."

"...Alright. I'll ask Sakura the earliest I can," Shirou agreed as he nodded. Then, he excused himself and left the room, leaving Saber to rest.

Sakura closed her eyes and hummed a little as she prepared brushed her hair. She did not remember what happened to her after she fell asleep last night. All she felt was a sensation of falling and then her vision went blank. She wondered who brought her back to her room.

"I wonder if it was Senpai..." she mused with a blush.

"Good morning..." groaned out Rin as she stepped into the bathroom and sluggishly reached for the sink.

"Ah, good morning, Rin," she greeted, not at all surprised by her former sister's messy look. She got no reply, maybe the sleepy girl's mind still processing her presence. Swiftly, she left the bathroom and went to the kitchen, wondering if Shirou was already in the kitchen.

"Ah, Sakura?"

Her heart skipped a beat, the sound of her Senpai's voice interrupting her thoughts. "Senpai?" she asked with a smile. He was already busy cooking in the kitchen, the lovely smells of cooking food wafting through the air.

"Um, I need your help with something," he said as he took a glance at her.

"Anything!" she instantly said, which immediately caused her to blush and hurriedly amended with, "I mean... what's wrong, Senpai?"

"Uhm, Saber needs to talk to Assassin about something," he explained, apparently not hearing her minor outburst from before, "So, can you ask him to see her?"

"Let me ask him," she informed him before using her link, "Assassin, Saber wants to have a word with you. Is that alright?"

"I do not mind. I shall see what she wants."

"He doesn't mind, Senpai," she informed him.

"Ah, thanks, Sakura," he replied, now free to focus his attention on the food preparation. Pausing to go to the fridge, she heard him mutter, "We're running low again... I need to stop by the store this evening."

"Senpai... let me accompany you," she suddenly spoke up. Shirou looked up in surprise. She then looked down at the counter, averting her eyes in embarrassment for being so forward.

"...I suppose... we still have three other Servants to worry about," he mused as he closed the fridge door, "Mmm, I'll let you know when we leave then."

"Eh?" she sounded in surprise, her eyes widening slightly, "I mean... yes, Senpai."

Quickly excusing herself, she quickly left the room and walked down the hall. Pausing to lean against the wall on her back, she let out a breath she didn't think she held in. Her eyes were closed, her head down and she could hear the blood beating through her ears.

"I can't believe I actually asked him that," she thought as she opened her eyes and looked up. Her face immediately became as red as Rin's blouse when she saw her former sister standing there with a smirk on her face.

"Ne, Sakura, did you say what I think you said?" the twin tailed magus asked, her smirk becoming a grin, "Did you just ask him out?"

"I- wha- that..." the Matou stuttered out as she tried to muster a reply, but Rin grabbed hold of her shoulders.

"You don't have to say another word," the former stated, her grin becoming toned down to a normal smile, "It must have been hard for you, but you did it. You were finally able to ask him out. Congratulations. At least now you are ahead of that Edelfelt."

"Ah... thanks?" the latter murmured with a slight uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I know you can do it," Rin assured her, "Do your best."

Very slowly, a smile was shaped on her face. She nodded, her heart filled with determination.

"Ah, good morning, Edelfelt," the two of them heard Shirou.

"Oh, good morning, Shirou," the blonde greeted with a happy tone.

"Would you like to join us? Breakfast is almost done."

"Breakfast? Hmm, I was going to ask Rider to go to my home... of course, Shirou, I would like to join you for breakfast. Where shall I sit?"

"What?" Sakura yelped, as she quickly moved past Rin, "You are not sitting next to Senpai."

Saber."

She roused slowly but sat up sluggishly without a word. The blanket drooped, revealing her white blouse that was quite creased due to sleeping in it. She took a few deep breaths before speaking in a more regal tone.

"Assassin."

He looked at her, the room only illuminated by the door panels that were lit up due to the sunlight filling the other room. She looked disheveled, presumably put to bed in the same state she was the previous night. "You wished to speak with me," he stated, wondering the reason. Despite being allies, they haven't spoken a word to each other since the day after the first battle with Berserker.

"I require your assistance," she said as she glanced up at him.

He nodded as a sign for her to continue.

"I was going to train Shirou in the way of the sword," she began her explanation, "However, my current state prevents me from doing so. Weakened as I am, I am in no way capable of beginning his education. What I wish to ask of you... is for you to lay the groundwork for his training."

"I see," Assassin muttered, "Then again, I doubt I am best suited for..."

"If anything, help to raise his battle awareness. His reactions. Dodging blows," she added further, "Things that will matter more at his level of skill."

"Ah, this would be a way for him to increase his chances of survival," he mused, finally understanding, "I can definitely help with that."

"Indeed," she accepted as she began to lie down again, "We do not have time for gradual learning."

"I shall take my leave then," he said as he slowly shifted back to his spirit form.

"Thank you. I am at ease then," he heard her say before leaving the room.

The atmosphere at the dining table was a mixed one. Luvia was rather vocal about her enjoyment of the food, and in turn she received annoyed glares from Rin. Sakura tried to remain indifferent to the Edelfelt... tried to, as the sounds of enjoyment was getting on her nerves a little. Shirou was surprisingly ignorant about this, as there were other things on his mind. One being a certain Tiger.

"Sakura, did something happen to Fuji-nee?" he asked.

"You won't have to worry about her today, Shirou," spoke up Luvia with a smirk as she gestured to herself, "She will be feeling quite under the weather right now."

"... I dread to ask what you did to her," he deadpanned after staring at her with some thought.

"I mentioned that our teacher was staying over until school reopens," explained Rin as she placed her eating utensils on the table, "We still need to keep our situation secret after all. I just asked Edelfelt to give her a Gandr shot, mild enough to be non-threatening but powerful enough to debilitate her."

Sakura sighed after watching his horrified expression wane. "Then, we need to add 'Herbal Soup' to the list, Senpai," she mentioned to him, "She would expect that, at least."

"Ah, yes. She would," he agreed.

"Hmm? List? What list?" asked the blonde in surprise.

"A shopping list. I'll be shopping for ingredients with Sakura later in the evening," he replied as he continued with his food.

She then glared at the Matou, who replied with an angelic smile. Rin stifled a bit laughter, prompting the blonde to glare at her too. Breakfast continued without any more disruption. After it was over, however...

"Shirou, meet me in the training room," spoke Assassin's voice after Sakura and Shirou were done washing the dishes, "We shall begin when you arrive."

"Erm, Assassin is going to train me to fight with a sword," he explained

"...I guess we need to postpone that to after lunch," muttered Rin.

"That? What do you mean?" asked the red head.

"Your magus education," explained Luvia, "You stepfather, as fearsome as he was, never did instill the basics in you. It falls to us to correct that. There is a lot for you to catch up with."

"...I guess that would be fine," he agreed.

"Alright, go on to your training," Rin said as she made a shooing motion, "Edelfelt and I have our own thing to do."

"Ah, ok. I'll go and see Assassin then," sounded Shirou as he left the room after drying his hands.

"What are you and... Edelfelt-senpai going to do?" asked Sakura inquisitively.

"We are going to see Caster."

The doorbell echoed through the hallway. A while later, the door opened to reveal a gentle face and violet hair. "Good morning, Noel," she greeted with a bit of surprise, "Sorry for asking, but what are you doing here?"

"Good morning, Matou," replied the former Servant, now back in normal clothes, "I just came to check on everyone. I mean, it was quite a difficult night yesterday..."

"Hmm... oh, I'm sorry. Please come inside," she apologized as she let the blonde officer in, "Would you like to have a drink?"

"Oh, it's alright. There's no need for that," refused Noel with a wave. Taking a less jovial tone as the door shut, " So... how are they?"

"Well, Rin and Edelfelt are fine. They are paying Caster a visit, right now," started Sakura as both of them walked slowly to the living room.

"...I guess sitting still doesn't really sit well with them," the former mused after a pause.

"Saber is still resting in her room...I'm guessing the weak link between her and Senpai is affecting her more than she lets on," the latter continued, "With Senpai... right now, he's being taught by Assassin to fight with a sword."

"Eh? Really?" the former Servant replied with a surprised look, "Huh... I never expected that." Pausing to glance down the hall, she then asked, "So... any idea how to help Saber? If she isn't getting enough energy, she might... fade..."

Sakura then stared at the floor. "I... I don't know... I was hoping Rin might be able to think of something," she confessed worriedly. She then quickened her pace to the kitchen, where she turned off the stove.

"What are you cooking?" asked the curious blonde.

"Oh, it's just some chicken soup for sensei," she replied, followed by a frown, "Edelfelt made Fujimura-sensei feel sick... well, just the feeling of being sick, and now sensei is confined to her bed."

Noel blinked in surprise. "Care to explain?" she asked.

Caster sipped on her green tea, slowly taking in the taste and heat. Setting down the cup, she turned to Souichirou and said calmly, "Well, what do you think we should do about the mediator?"

"It may be best to attempt to remove him first," he mused, "However, it may be difficult in itself. That man is the local priest and quite known within certain circles of the community. It may be hard to determine if he is ever alone. Another difficulty is his powers. He is quite formidable at night and we may draw too much attention if we attack during the daytime. If there was a way to restrict his powers, things will be easier."

She sighed, silently agreeing with him. "I suppose..."

"Excuse me, Kuzuki-sensei."

The two of them turned to the door, catching sight of a bespectacled teen in monk training robes.

"Miss Caster has... two visitors," he stated, appearing quite reluctant to mention them.

"Very well. Please escort them here, Ryouudou," the teacher told him.

The boy bowed and went to fetch them. While they waited, Caster continued sipping on her tea. Soon enough, her visitors arrived.

"Kuzuki-sensei?" muttered the girl in red in surprise. The girl in blue said nothing but seemed to share her friend's surprise.

"Good morning, ladies," greeted the Servant of Sorcery rather cordially, "Please, take a seat." Turning to the boy named Ryouudou, she said, "You can go now. Thank you for showing them here."

"You are welcome. Please enjoy your stay," the boy muttered, shooting a glare of suspicion at the dark haired girl before leaving.

Now that everyone was seated, she began with, "Well, so the boy told you? What do you want?"

"Umm, does..." the red one muttered as she motioned to Souichirou.

"Of course. I elected him to be my tether here," she replied as she took another sip. Both girls went wide eyed. "You still haven't told me why you are here," she pressed.

"I am Luviagelita Edelfelt and this is Rin Tohsaka," started the blonde with confidence, "We come to inform you that the Grail is cursed and that the fighting should cease until something is done about it."

"The Grail? You mean the magical device this so-called War is about?" questioned Caster. Getting nods from both girls, she stared at them, trying to make up her mind about this. But after thinking back to what that shadowy Mediator said, she refused with a firm, "No."

"Wait, before..."

"Stop," she sounded as she shushed Rin, "I do not know who you are to ask me to stop fighting, but I have enough of this. I was attacked last night, and as a result, Avenger died. Then, that thrice damned Mediator from the Nine Hells told me to expedite this War or die trying. I utterly despise that man now, but if I am to get my wish, your Servants have to die whether you like it or not."

"Wait. Mediator? You mean the Fake Priest came here last night?" asked the girl in red with a shocked expression, "For him to act this way..."

"I don't care if he is fake or not," the former declared, "After putting that stupid priest on a pyre, your Servants will be the next to burn. And you will not be able to stop me. I will win, one way or the other."

"Please, surely..." the one in blue attempted to reason.

"Oh, I'm sorry? Was I not clear enough?" she asked them in a threatening tone, "I didn't realize you haven't cleaned your ears this morning."

"Now look..."

"Our apologies, Caster," interrupted the one in red, "We shall respect your decision and will not bother you any further." She got up from her seat and motioned her ally to do the same. The Servant looked on smugly as the other eventually got up, her reluctance very clear. Very calmly, they muttered their thanks and calmly left.

"Are you sure of this, Caster?" asked Souichirou after the footsteps of the two girls faded out.

"I am. I agree with your earlier assessment. The priest is certainly too dangerous to be left alone," the Servant stated as she took another sip, "I think all we need to do is hit him hard and fast..."

Assassin looked at his downed opponent... or should he say, temporary student. The boy was breathing quite heavily while on his back, the bamboo sword lying uselessly by his side. He was a little impressed with the boy's tenacity; they took turns attacking and defending. The boy's offense was quite sloppy and at times hesitant to attack. Perhaps he was still quite the imposing figure even without his mask. The boy's defense was a little better, but it was more of a desperate attempt to keep up with the jabs and the strikes that so cleanly danced around the boy's guard. In his opinion, Saber has an uphill task ahead of her. For now... probably best to help him last longer on defense, just as she asked of him.

"I suppose we can rest for now," he told the redhead, "Take a breather. We can resume at a later time after you get back your strength."

"Are you alright, Senpai?"

Turning to the doorway, he caught sight of his Master as well as Noel. Sakura was carrying a cloth bundle of sorts while the other carried a tray that had cups and a clear jug of water.

"...yeah, I am... Sakura..." the temporary apprentice replied between deep breaths as he hobbled over to them, "Even tired... I need to..."

"Really, Emiya," Noel began to chide him as she set down the tray, "Even if you want to get stronger, you still need to eat. It's already past noon."

The boy poured himself a cup and quickly gulped one down. He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, what's that, Sakura?" the red head asked, his curiosity drawn to the bundle.

"Ah, this is your lunch," his Master replied with a smile as she placed it on the floor and started to undo the cloth bindings, "I hope you like it."

"I don't think anyone will talk badly about your cooking, Sakura," the boy simply replied, not noticing the light blush on the girl's cheeks. Turning to Noel, he asked, "Have you eaten yet, er, Mackenzie?"

"Noel is fine," the former Servant replied as she looked to Assassin's direction, "And I sampled some of Matou's cooking earlier. You're right when you say nobody will talk badly about her cooking."

Then, the Servant noticed two others coming up behind the group. "Master, your allies have returned," he informed the violet haired girl as Rin and Luvia stopped at the doorway.

"We need to borrow Emiya after he finishes his lunch," announced the twin tailed magus as the boy gave thanks and started eating, "It won't take too long."

"Quite. He is due for a crash course in being a magus," continued the blonde.

The church was quiet. To the untrained eye, almost serene. To those who can sense better, it was unnaturally silent. The priest was kneeling in front of the altar, head bowed and lips silently mumbling, giving the impression of prayer. Then, he stopped and slowly got to his feet. Calmly, he turned around and walked towards the pews. Taking a seat behind the front most pew, he looked on ahead. However, he was not focused on the altar.

"What brings you here, Matou Shinji?" he asked, as he closed his eyes.

The grinning boy leaned forward, resting his arms and chin on the backrest. "Good day, priest. I will be needing your assistance this evening."

He breathed out and asked, "What is it you want my help with?"

"Oh... nothing much," the boy replied nonchalantly, "I was going to stop by the castle the book told me about. I could really use your help."

"The castle... you mean the Einzbern castle," he guessed as he mused over the boy's request. Slowly, a smile graced his face as he began to piece together what he might be able to do there, "I see. It seems that my plans for the evening will have to be amended. Yes, I will give you my help."

"Ah, I had a feeling you were going to say that," the boy declared gleefully, "I can guarantee that it will be a very interesting time for us. Guaranteed!"

Commentary:-

Hello from the other side,

I'm sorry, I apologize

With no news of story,

I've left you alone,

So long...

So, rejoice, dear readers. There is a new chapter. Once more in the aftermath of the previous night. But first, I apologize again for taking so long to put this down. Once again, I became preoccupied with a game... and this time, a game from my younger years. Anyone heard of "X-Com: Terror from the Deep" ? Even after the past few months, I'm still at it. Why? The first month, I messed up the tech/alien research. So, no new subs, no new armor, and cannot complete the game at all. It took me too long to figure out what I did wrong. But now, I'm back on track and very close to the alien home base now.

But, enough about aliens and what not. We are here to look over the new chapter. Well, sort of short too. But after all that excitement the past night, we need some R and R. And so, what do you think? Saber making plans to have Shirou better protect himself. Sakura taking a chance to get ahead of Luvia, with said person finally getting a chance to sample Shirou's cooking. Later on, Noel visits the Emiya house while Rin and Luvia pay a visit to Caster, with the latter not ending too well. And then, we round up to another meeting between Shinji and Kirei... or shall we call him Eddie now? Or maybe we should take Doc Holiday's method and call him Eddiemine. Whichever way you choose, both of them will be paying Illyasviel a visit. Will they be prepared for Berserker? I suppose we will have to find out later.

And now, I will see you all, next time. Hope you enjoy this chapter, dear readers, and do read and review. Thank you.

Illya laughed, her chilling smile coming back to her face. And she said, "No, Onii-chan, I expect you to die."

Ignoring Shirou's shocked face, she ended the discussion with, "Berserker. Kill them."

The Servant slowly stepped forward into the moonlight, revealing his green battered armor. Raising his right hand, a huge gun materialized as he continued to walk. It looked extremely heavy, but Berserker was able to hold it with one hand. He reached out and removed the linked six barrels with his free hand. It disappeared and was replaced with a nine barreled attachment. After modifying his gun, he stopped walking and lifted it up. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, the barrels of the gun split apart to three, with three barrels per group.

"Shirou, stay back," requested Saber as she stepped in front of the group. Rider too, felt concern, as he came out of spirit from as precaution.

"What kind of Berserker is this? I never heard of a Berserker who uses guns," Rin muttered in disbelief.

"Hah! She must have summoned a weak Berserker!" declared Luvia with a smirk.

The gun began to whir and the barrels spun. Saber immediately reacted first, running to the side and trying to flank him. He shifted the gun around, doing his best to keep her in his sights as the weapon started spewing out hot death in a thunderous roar. The bullets didn't even clip her feet and he quickly dismissed the massive gun as she closed in on him. Before he could bring forth another weapon, Saber had already swung. He caught the blade with his armored hand, much to her surprise. Batting it aside, he let loose a hard left hook which was somehow able to send her flying. It did faze her a little, but she quickly brushed it off and landed on her feet

Pushing herself forward, she swung a wide slash which was also blocked... with a chainsaw... which he held two-handed. He pushed her off and took a swing at her. She jumped back and landed in front of her shocked group. Berserker slowly reached for the starter rope and pulled hard, the saw sputtering and roaring to life. He then tilted his head from side to side, as if to loosen his neck, and stepped towards them.

Did you honestly think I'd forget this? Here it is, folks! Omake Berserker! Rip and Tear, readers! Rip! And! Tear!