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

Heavy Day

The two combatants stood there, keeping a careful eye on one another.

"Blizzara," said Rider as he threw a punch forward, an icy floe surging to where the shadow was.

The dark priest leaped over it, growing wings out of his back and dived forward. Rider crossed his arms in front, a flare of light appearing to block a taloned foot that pushed him back. As he landed, the Servant threw out a punch. The priest leaned back and a jagged tendril whipped out of the ground in response. A second punch destroyed it and two more were blocked by a wall of shadow. Another tendril lashed out, this time with a club like head. Rider quickly stepped out of reach and rushed in with another punch. The shadow man deflected the blow and elbowed him in the chest, following up with a punch of his own to the solar plexus. Rider stumbled back as he leaned forward, clutching his stomach in pain. He felt his head being grabbed and his whole body being thrown.

His body crashed into one of the nearby walls, a web of cracks surrounding the point of impact. As he fell forward, he was struck in the chest by a fish-like shadow, sending his body arching behind. The next attack was aimed at his back; a shadow shark striking him like a missile. As he flew upwards, the fish transformed into the winged form of the shadow priest, said wings flapping forward to slam into the Servant, sending him crashing to the ground. Just as he landed, the former Assassin sank into the ground and repeated the cycle. The second time he was slammed to the ground, Kirei sent out four shadow snakes, each one snapping at his arms. This was just a distraction; a shadow drill burst out of the ground and ground into his back for a few seconds before dissipating. He struggled to get to his feet as the shadow man slowly glided over.

"Urgh, don't count me out just yet," the Servant of the Mount gritted out as he got back to his fighting stance.

Kirei said nothing but sent out a spray of solid shadow that fanned out like a splatter of water. Once more, a flare of white light blocked it while Rider was still pushed back.

"Ruin," he announced as a sphere of glowing energy sped through the air and struck his opponent's chest. He tried rushing forward again but had to stop and block a swipe from a shadow creature that came up to Kirei's defense. Meanwhile, the priest had recovered and summoned another drill. The Servant roared in pain and fell forward into a saw blade that the creature turned into. He was flung back into the wall and slid down, his immaculate shirt and suit torn to pieces.

"What is this, Rider?" the priest asked as if to sneer at him, "What happened to me 'going down', hmm?"

As the hellish fire died out, Saber shot out from the licking tongues still on the asphalt road straight at Caster. Very calmly, Souichirou stepped in between them. As the Servant came nearer, she swung her invisible sword. Much to her shock, the teacher was able to catch the blade between his left thigh and elbow.

"How did he..." muttered Luvia in shock as the black wall was taken away by Sakura.

"You underestimate me, Saber," declared the former killer before kicking the sword aside.

He ran past the Servant, much to her surprise, and slammed a hammer fist on the back of her neck before retreating a few steps. She staggered back herself before getting into a defensive stance, but all the while gasping in pain. Blood began seeping onto her collar. The teacher took a few steps forward but had to leap back as two arrows became embedded into the ground just in front of him. He turned towards the abandoned station; Archer was busy notching another arrow to his black bow. However, the Servant of the Bow had to fade out and escape as a flaming projectile slammed onto the roof and blowing it up, showering the place with debris and embers. Sakura had to throw up another wall to protect the others.

Souichirou nodded his thanks to Caster and then approached Saber step by step as he threw his punches at her. She was able to dodge most of them but a few still struck her guard.

"His fists are being strengthened by magic?" Shirou sounded in sudden realization. The girls said nothing but continued to watch.

"You evade well," the teacher told the Servant gasping before him, "...Ah, it's not that your eyes are keen, but your intuition." He then landed another hammer fist on her shoulder. She staggered back, breathing becoming heavier, her left arm hanging uselessly by her side. He intended to continue his assault but he was forced to step back again to avoid a slash. Assassin stood defensively in front of Saber.

"Assassin... I can still... fight..." the knight huffed out in between breaths.

"Not like this. Save your strength for Caster. I shall handle him," the Servant of Murder told her before turning his full attention to Souichirou. "Your fighting style is odd. Who are you?" he asked as Saber stepped back warily to the side of the road.

"A former killer," were the only words that the teacher said before unleashing another flurry of blows. Assassin was able to keep out of range, forcing the former to trail after him.

"A former killer?" repeated Luvia as she narrowed her eyes, "It seems we were wrong about him, after all."

"Not to mention Archer was right in assuming that Caster knew some protective spells," added Rin with a frown.

"A little bit more, Assassin," Sakura muttered as she knelt down to touch the ground, eyeing the fight closely. Closer and closer they came, her Servant luring the teacher to them.

Suddenly, multiple tendrils of inky blackness shot out and wrapped around the former killer's legs and arms. Struggle as he may, Souichirou could not release himself. Up ahead, everyone could hear Caster chanting and saw her moving arms forming another ball of fire. Just as she released it, Saber dashed in to block it and the flames splashed harmlessly over her.

"Out of the way," Archer suddenly announced behind the Masters as he notched a glowing red arrow to his bow. Walking past them, he drew the bowstring taut. "Move, Saber," he shouted.

Before she could comply, a cacophony of shrieks and roars came from the forest without any warning.

"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"

Rider slowly picked himself up. Gritting his teeth, he powered against the pain and got into his stance.

"Admittedly, you are resilient," said Kirei with indifference, his arms crossed in front, "However, you will not succeed."

"I could say... the same to you," the Servant retorted raggedly as a crystal secretly formed in the palm of his hand.

"Enough. Time to finish this," the priest said as he swiftly glided over and grabbed Rider by the throat, "Die." The shadows rose up and wrapped the Servant, forming a large ball. Kirei plunged in his other hand to finish him off. However, the priest found himself unable to move his arms. And then, the ball exploded and released white mist, throwing him off.

As his back was slammed to the ground by gravity, the mist dispersed and revealed Rider. He had his eidolons out and Stiria was busy healing him up. "Thanks for the help, ladies," the Servant said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Your help will not save you here," droned out the priest, on his feet once more.

A shadow creature emerged out of the asphalt as he dashed forward. He shot out razor sharp tendrils aimed at the Servant's chest. Nix immediately intercepted with her wheel, smashing the tendrils away. Rider slammed his fists together and went on the offensive. The shadow priest blocked the first two punches but was struck in the side by Nix's wheel. Taking advantage of this, the Servant punched the priest's face and then his gut. As Kirei doubled over, an uppercut slammed into his jaw, lifting him up and enabling Rider to kick him up into the air.

"Let's show him what we can do," the Cocoon hero called out as he leaped after him. As if on cue, Nix sent out a floe of ice under them, a large ice crystal blooming out of the ground. Just then, Rider slammed a double axe handle onto Kirei, the body shooting down and crashing into the crystal. It shattered to pieces.

"Sovereign..."

Rider hovered in the air, his fist reared back. A shining white glow surrounded it.

"...Fist!"

In an instant, he fell, punching the dark priest right in the center. A shockwave erupted out, blowing away the ice and mist. The body lay there... unmoving, without a twitch in his finger. His black coating blown off by Rider's best attack. The eidolons flew up to him, floating by his sides. Rider stared at what seemed to be a dead body for a moment before turning towards the road leading up to the temple.

"We better get back to them, ladies," he stated as he walked away from the point of impact.

The priest twitched.

Eight bloodletters charged out of the forest. Archer immediately changed targets and sent his arrow into a daemon's throat. Saber mirrored their charge and clashed blades with the first one she met. Assassin Blink-ed forward, drawing his folding sword as well.

Caster was quite surprised. She thought she would be losing but it seemed that fortune had smiled on her again. Or so she thought as she ducked out of the way from small balls of pink fire. She glared in the direction of the cackles of laughter coming from two grossly misshapen things. Amidst their laughter, they conjured more balls of flame and threw it at her. She got out of the way again, yelling, "You dare challenge me, cretins!" She chanted and motioned with her hands, forming a crackling ball of electricity in front of her. She side-stepped another volley of flames before unleashing her spell on them, the sphere arcing through the air and practically electrocuting the offending horrors to death.

"Rin-senpai, we should set sensei free," said Sakura, concerned with the way things are going. Shirou said nothing, busy covering her protectively.

"Yes. Let him go," Rin replied, still staring at the fight. Meanwhile, Luvia was sending looks back to the road while gripping the electronic device tightly, presumably watching out for Rider.

The shadows retracted themselves. Souichirou nodded to them and made his way back. By that time, the other Servants had already dispatched the bloodletters. Then, Sakura gasped, "Nii-san?"

Shinji was floating just above the treetops, wearing a pale-colored robe held together with a darker colored sash. He looked over the shocked, younger Masters with a nonchalant gaze.

"Shinji! Why are you doing this!?" yelled out Shirou as he gripped his makeshift weapon tightly.

However, the boy ignored them and focused on Caster instead. "So... you're the one that tried to kill me that night," he stated, much to the surprise of the group of four.

"I wanted the priest, actually," the Servant admitted with a shrug, "The fact that you got caught in it is of no consequence."

"Is that so?" the Matou said with a manic grin forming on his face, "Then you would appreciate my time buying. The others can handle the horned ones." At that, multiple red glows flashed from the forest and moments later, another eight bloodletters rushed out from the trees.

Meanwhile, Caster noticed the bodies of the things she killed began to tremble and quiver. Suddenly, they bolted upright and split down the center, changing from pink to blue. Cries of anguish were blurted out of the shaping mouths of the four horrors. They wobbled shakily as they charged straight at her while throwing hastily made azure flames.

"Allow me, Caster," the teacher said as he stepped in to protect her. His attacks were made with surgical precision, aimed for the more vulnerable points of the misshapen things while dodging their wildly flailing arms that attempted to grab him. One by one, they fell screaming and gurgling in pain.

"Good riddance," a pleased Caster stated. Turning back to Shinji, "Boy, it seems you like to play with fire. Let's see how you like being burned again."

Rider broke into a run. "Ladies, let's get go-" he started but froze as a huge shadow thing rose up and bit the car, snapping it in half and somehow eating most of it in the process. As it sank back into the ground, he muttered, "What in..."

A cracking sound came from his left as the priest suddenly appeared in front of them and grabbed his throat. At the same time, he sent a clubbed tendril into Stiria's head, slamming her into a nearby wall. Nix dove forward with her wheel but a shadow creature rose up and grabbed her throat. It immediately sank into the ground, crashing her head to the floor.

"As I have said before, you will not succeed," Kirei repeated his earlier words. He formed shadow claws on his free hand and raked them over Rider's throat as he dropped him. The Servant was kicked over to the same wall that Stiria slammed into.

As Rider got up shakily, the shadow priest sent a spinning roundhouse kick to his chest, the priest's foot becoming a large hammer. He then sent a large shadow spike into the Servant's leg, and then four large snake's heads sprung out and bit down into the limbs. As the snakes disappeared, Kirei summoned a creature that turned into a large buzzsaw that cut into Rider's chest as he fell forward. At the same time, the shadows enveloped the former and he sent another spike into the latter's other leg. A large tendril snaked over him and formed a large dragon's head that clamped down on a shoulder while he summoned another buzzsaw.

"Time for you to see why... Resistance is Futile," he stated, stepping back as Rider slid down the wall, bloodied and out of breath. The priest's shadow began twisting and morphing into a large dragon's head which darted forward and consumed Rider's shadow whole.

"Damn it... looks like I can't get it back from you, Luvia," Rider sighed in resignation as his body began breaking down into snow white motes of light, "At least I did my best... no regrets."

Kirei continued staring until the Servant fully faded out. He then sunk into a puddle of his own shadow and disappeared.

Seconds later, Lancer and Bazett stepped into view. "Do you see now? The mediator is taking matters into his own hands," said the Servant as she surveyed the destruction caused during the fight.

"To think he is this formidable," the enforcer muttered as she did the same, "And I trusted him too. Early on, he could have killed me and taken you, Lancer. Is this part of his plot as well?"

"I do not presume to know what you Mon-keigh think," the Eldar stated as she turned to walk up the road, "Come. If you wish to keep your allies alive, you would take heed of my words."

He started as a chuckle, but slowly devolved into full-blown laughter. This pretty much irked Caster greatly.

"Now I'm starting to wonder if you've gone mad," she sneered as she began casting another spell. Suddenly, a horrendously acrid smell invaded her nose accompanied by the smell of burning flesh. It came from her tether.

"Kuzuki!" she yelled in shock as she watched the teacher get roasted alive by cackling, yellow shapes of what looked to by living flames. The four blue attackers were nowhere to be seen. She stood there frozen as the eight gleeful abominations of magic danced around the burning corpse.

"Sensei!" shouted Shirou and Sakura in horror.

Rin stood there, also frozen in shock. Luvia wasn't paying attention to the scene, preoccupied with staring down the road they came from in surprise and dread. The Servants, having dispatched the bloodletters, watched on helplessly. They could only grip their weapons tightly, preparing to attack Shinji, who was slowly floating down to the ground. His cloak somehow gained a strange symbol on the back and front, an eight-pointed star.

"I feel... invigorated!" he exclaimed in his gloating, "This is what it means to profit from sacrifice!? Then, I should not let it stop!"

Caster began muttering and motioned her hands in front of her, her right hand gaining an electrical crackle to it. With a yell, she unleashed it at the oblivious flames that were still dancing around the burning body of the teacher. This prompted the three other Servants charged at the Matou boy. A streak of light ran past the group of Masters, heading straight for him as well. In response, yellow glowing chains broke out of the ground and ensnared every Master and Servant present.

"Foul spawn of Chaos," cursed Lancer as the light under her feet died down.

"You seem to have this in hand," said a shadowy being that rose out of the ground.

Sakura's breath hitched. "...Master?" she whispered rather softly.

"You... you mad priest!" shouted Luvia very angrily, "Why are you interfering with the War!?"

"You ditz, that is... not..." started Rin, but her voice died away in shock as the shadow fell away to reveal Kirei.

"You... the priest... what happened... who..." muttered Saber, reeling from the revelation.

"Rejoice. Your villain has been revealed," said the priest with a smirk, focusing straight at the boy, who gritted his teeth and gripped his weapon tightly. He turned to the boy and said, "How is the heart?"

"Invigorating!" was the reply, "Now, we simply need the others."

"A matter that is easy to rectify," the shadowy priest stated as he walked over to the struggling Caster, who noticed his approach.

"Damn you to the Nine Hells! When I get out of my binds, I will-"

His hand clamped on her throat as the shadows rose up to wrap her up in a ball. He thrust his other hand into the sphere and pulled. Hard. Drawing blood. Sakura closed her eyes with a grimace. Shirou yelled in protest. Luvia and Rin stood stock still. Seconds later the sphere broke apart, releasing a smattering of embers that slowly disappeared. Then, Shinji suddenly doubled over clutching his chest, cackling with glee as he did so. The robes slowly became stained blue and an eight-pointed star appeared on his forehead.

"Yes... yes... YES! I FEEL IT!" he shrieked with ecstasy, "UNLIMITED POWER!"

He fell to his knees and slammed both palms on the road. A glowing circle etched itself on the cold ground, glowing a red bronze color. He began muttering something unintelligible. The circle crackled with energy, its mirror began to appear overhead, the electricity surging between them.

"No! He must not continue!" shouted Lancer as she increased her struggling. This prompted the other Servants to do so as well.

Within the circle's mirror, a portal swirled into existence. Something fell through. A daemon. It looked similar to the bloodletters they had fought before. There were differences, though. It partially armored. It wore a cloak and it brought out a sense of great terror to everyone who saw it; adorned on it were a multitude of skulls... skulls that were sewn into the very fabric itself. Whether they were from all its victims or that there were more where that came from, it did not matter.

"Oh, great Champion of the Blood God, your enemies stand before you," declared Shinji as the Chains of Torment suddenly faded out of reality, releasing the Servants and their Masters. Turning to Kirei, he said, "We are done here. Let us go."

The priest sank into his shadow and disappeared while the Matou boy faded out of existence. The daemon roared out a challenge and moved to engage the nearest opponent.

It had skulls to take.

Commentary:-

A chapter worthy of Chaos. Plenty of daemons to go around. This chapter, we follow two threads. One, we have Rider against Eddiemine. Two, we have what started as Caster versus Saber, Archer and Assassin... but it devolved into everyone versus Shinji instead. A Chaos-addled Shinji, mind you. We also had a few hidden visitors that inserted themselves into the fray. With Chaos around, of course Lancer would like to interrupt whatever is happening. And so... get a few deaths. Rider. Never will he be able to rock out to the music. Caster. Never will she able to return to Neverwinter. Kuzuki-sensei. Never will he be able to see the light of day... as always. Nothing new there. What's new is that he died to warp fire and brimstone. And then... then... we have a returning guest. We originally had him during the Fourth Grail War. Will he kill anyone this time? All shall be revealed in the next chapter.

And... before I go...

A cry of victory was let loose and all the images faded out, leaving a single Servant left on the other side of the courtyard. Caster had a satisfied smirk on her face as a glowing magic circle seemed to write itself out on the ground.

"Well, it seems you didn't make it, Saber," she gloated proudly as the Servant of the Sword tensed up, ready to charge down on her, "I wonder which elder elemental I pulled out, hmm?"

As smoke started coalescing and swirling inside, Saber yelled and charged. The smoke began to lose its shape when the Servant struck it and much to her surprise, her invisible sword was fended off, metal clashing with metal. Within the clearing circle was not an elemental, elder or otherwise, but a human.

"Why are you attacking me, young adventurer?" he asked loudly as he fended off her blow with his two-handed sword. He was armored from the neck down, leaving his bald head bare. A purple tattoo adorned the right side of his head and a worn cloak covered his shoulders.

Everyone was still, the air silent, the presence of the newest addition to the War being processed. "What? Who are you?" asked Saber, the first to speak up.

"Ah! So that's why you tried to hit me," he exclaimed aloud, hefting his sword on his shoulder, "Well, let me tell you! I am Minsc, Hero of Rasheman! I have been to the hells and to the throne of gods... so you can say Minsc has seen a thing or two!"

Then loud chittering and squealing sounded out. A hamster scurried onto his free shoulder.

"Oh? Ah, yes! Of course, Boo!" the man seemingly replied. Then, he announced, "I have been summoned to this War as Avenger. Which of you is my Master?" Then, he asked the hamster, "But Boo, I don't know any spell that can summon people. How did this happen?"

Caster, who was pretty much in shock at his appearance, quickly said, "I summoned you, Hero. Please help me! These two are intruding in my home."

"What? Why..."

"Ah ha! Young adventurers, what do you have to say for yourself?" his voice boomed as he turned a stern eye to them, interrupting Shirou.

"I am Saber. Caster has been killing people-"

"Ruffians and bullies!" interjected the Servant of Sorcery.

"-and she has to be stopped," declared Saber while pointing at said Servant.

"While her actions may be too much, Caster's heart is in the right place!" stated Avenger, much to the duo's shock, "You should bring words to her instead of swords! Swords are for kicking the butts of evil, not misguided innocents!"

"I will not stand for this. She will answer for her crimes," Saber retorted as she readied her invisible sword.

"Ah, you are brave, Saber! But, I cannot let my summoner die today!" replied Avenger as he prepared his sword too, his hamster hiding inside his armor, "Very well! It falls to me to knock the sense of goodness into you."

He let loose a loud warcry as he charged at her, sword swinging.

"Saber, meet my sword! Sword, MEET SABER!"

I loved writing this omake. Omake Avenger is a classic! Now! Everyone must read and Review! Later, we join Omake Avenger with more butt-kicking for justice!