Hey, I'm finally back with a new chapter!

God its been a busy month. A full time job is not the easiest, I literally come home burnt out every day. Not including the backlog of games and Gunpla I have...

And farming gacha games...

Anyway... I'm honestly really happy when I saw everyone's reviews regarding my now not-so-frequent updating schedule. You're all the best! :)

fujin of shadows, yep, I realized that, and it's a pity. Unlimited Lost Works is broken, but I guess it's too far off from Shirou's personality and style to use.

Luckenhaft, we'll see how it goes. I do plan on doing a few filler chapters after the Zouken part. So look forward to it.

Ushiwagames, I am honestly contemplating if I should open that can of worms. It'll be fun to do, but I still need to consider where I'm headed with the story.

keybladelight, we will see Mordred calling Shirou 'mother', eventually. I believe it was sort of explained why Artoria didn't give Mordred the throne, but it was that one sentence when Artoria pierced Mordred's guts with Rhongomyniad, and I can't remember if it was in Stay Night or Apocrypha.

Ryu wolf, thanks man. As for giving Arthur (Proto) to Rin, well I don't want to break the story balance. If I do, it'll be some other way.

Nameless, I won't abandon the story, at least until I finish the main plot I have in mind. Sorry I didn't respond to your review, I did read it, but it must have slipped my mind before I uploaded the chapter.

DragonB0b, I guess it wouldn't be too far fetched to say the Fujimura group knows a bit about the Moonlit world, especially with their dealings with Kiritsugu before. But yes, if Taiga knew Shirou was going to kill Zouken, that's what I'd see her doing too.

AccelBreaker, yes hahaha. Mordred won't ever try to get Shirou to cook for her only again.

God of crossovers, yep, he has Unlimited Lost Works now. It's actually interesting to see it not being something that's given to Shirou often in the vast number of fanfics in the site.

Not to be rude, but most versions of Shirou I see are the same. They're mostly based on the UBW version mixed with EMIYA. I'm probably not doing a good job myself, but the Shirou I envision is a mix of the versions from Heaven's Feel, Oath under Snow and Kiritsugu.

Guest, hahaha you ain't seen nothing yet.

Exodus12345, Zouken will be gone soon and like I said, we'll get some fillers in between to counteract the seriousness we've had in the past few chapters.

Kanon, Rin and Sakura's relationship is something I want to address too. But that'll come later. As for the bullet, yep, that's actually what I was going for. As for Archer, I guess it really depends on the interpretation.

In Stay Night, Archer is an asshole, someone who is hell bent on killing his past self.

In FGO, Archer is actually kind and considerate. Archer from the EXTRA series is fundamentally different, but that's because he's not EMIYA. Sort of...

So yeah, the Archer here is different.

RFA 529, glad you loved the differences between each copy of Artoria. I mainly referred to the voicelines from FGO to determine how I'd write them.

codywhite162, glad you liked the chapter. I do agree, that fossil needs to die hahaha.

Illya Emiya, hmm, Shirou summoning a bunch of Mordreds, and other knights.. That is interesting. I may do it as an omake. And congrats on getting XX. She's pretty good as a Foreigner for a 4 star, not to mention, Artoria.

TheEmeraldMage, we will deal with the worm situation. And don't worry about the fast reviews, I too can't get the chapters out as fast as I want to.

Toa Solaric, Zouken will be gone soon, so look forward to it.

Phantom117a, glad you like it. Saber Artoria has a basic general view of the Grail War, the same cannot be said for the other versions.

So yeah, without further ado, here's the newest chapter!

XXX

That evening, Shirou stood on top of a roof, staring at the far Southern end of Miyama Town where the Matou residence was located.

The redhead spoke up, "Assassin."

Heroine X appeared beside him, "Yes?"

Shirou fell silent for a minute, having half a mind to project an RPG, or even the nameless bow he'd obtained from Archer, and lay waste to the mansion.

The young man let out a breath, "Scout out the Matou residence, I want to know every entrance and exit you can find."

The blonde Assassin nodded, "Got it."

Shirou nodded, "But don't go in, we don't know what Zouken will have waiting for you. Just visual scouting is enough."

Heroine X snorted, "I can handle it."

The redhead turned to her and shook his head, "X, I don't doubt your ability. But Matou Zouken has been around for decades, and if Kiritsugu is right, perhaps even centuries. Better safe than sorry."

The Assassin met his gaze, and the moment she did, she relented, "Fine. Only for you."

Shirou smiled, "Thank you."

Heroine X scoffed, "I'll be off then."

With that said, she vanished in a swirl of blue particles.

"So we're really doing this?"

Shirou turned to see Rin, Archer materialising behind her, and he greeted them, "Tohsaka."

He glanced at his older self, "... Archer."

The Counter Guardian gave his younger self a short nod, and Rin asked, "You have a plan?"

Shirou turned back to look at the Matou residence, "Not much of a plan, but yes."

The twin tailed girl raised an eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

The redhead kept his gaze on the mansion, "I have seven Servants, you have one, and I'd rather we have Sakura keep her Servants near her."

Archer hummed, "So the eight of us against Zouken?"

Shirou nodded, "Depending on how many entrances and exits Assassin can find, I plan to have Saber, Lancer, Berserker, Assassin and Rider box him in. My Archer and Caster will provide support from the sides, and we will kill him."

Rin nodded, "Do you have a way to kill him?"

The redhead knew what she meant.

Matou Zouken had been living for many years, conventional methods probably wouldn't work. But then again, Shirou had non-conventional methods.

The redhead nodded, "I have an idea. His existence can be said to be a form magecraft, so it might be simpler than we thought."

Rin blinked, "Wait, what?"

Archer, however, caught on, "I see, Kiritsugu's bullets."

The younger man nodded, "But then we have another issue."

The Counter Guardian nodded, "How to find his main body."

Rin blinked, before she stood between her Servant and the redhead, "Wait hold up! What the hell are you two talking about?!"

Archer chuckled, "Guess my Master is a bit slower than the third rate here."

Shirou failed to hold back his chuckle, which only served to irritate the girl more.

Rin fumed, "If you're both so smart, how about you do everything yourself!"

Archer smirked in amusement, "Of course, Master."

The twin tailed girl's face grew red, and Shirou decides to not further irritate the girl, "Matou Zouken specialises in Crest Worms, and I believe he'll live as long as he has any worms left alive."

Rin's face fell, "What?"

Archer nodded, "So if we fail to destroy every worm in existence, he will live."

The twin tailed girl scratched her head, "What?!... Then how are we supposed to save Sakura?"

A frustrated expression plastered itself on her face, and Shirou patted her on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I said I had an idea, didn't I?"

Rin furrowed her brows, "How?"

The redhead shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

He glanced at Archer, and they shared a nod.

"Oh, pray tell, what is this plan?"

A raspy voice reached their ears, and they snapped to a side to see Matou Zouken himself standing before them, a creepy smile plastered on his face.

Rin scowled, "Matou Zouken!"

The patriarch of the Matou family laughed, "How long has it been, young one?"

The twin tailed girl growled, "Not long enough."

Zouken smirked, "Heh, a sharp tongue, not bad."

He turned look at Shirou, "Emiya, son of the Magus Killer, or shall I call you the second coming of the Magus Killer."

Shirou whipped out a gun at the older man, "What are you doing here?"

Zouken chuckled, "At ease, I'm not here to start a fight. In fact, I'm not even here."

Archer narrowed his eyes, "Is that so?"

The ancient magus laughed, "Of course, you lot wish to take Sakura from me, do you not? I am not arrogant enough to show myself before the likes of you, you who pushed back the King of Heroes."

His eyes landed on Shirou, "A Reality Marble, condensed into a single bullet, you have outdone yourself, and dare I say, your own father."

Shirou kept his finger on the trigger, "What do you want?"

Zouken chuckled, "Patience, you seek to kill me, do you not? I am simply here for pleasantries, before we both try to kill each other. You've taken care of my dear Sakura, and you've also been a good friend to my... other grandchild. Believe it or not, you are a close friend to our family, Emiya Shirou."

The two teens didn't rise up to those words, and the patriarch of the Matou family chuckled again, "Tough crowd?"

He shook his head, "Let us move on, shall we? You have successfully cut off most of my connection to the worms in Sakura's body, and I applaud you for that. But I can still feel that connection."

Zouken smiled darkly, "I suppose you won't have reservations coming for me, yes?"

Rin scowled, "You bet we won't!"

The Matou patriarch chuckled, "I look forward to seeing what you can bring to the table, Servants aside."

With that said, Zouken vanished into a swarm of bugs that quickly dispersed away as if they hadn't been there in the first place.

Rin furrowed her brows, "That old son of a bitch..."

Archer chuckled, "Let us regroup, Zouken has made it clear he is aware that we are coming for him."

Shirou nodded, "We will need to be as prepared as we can."

The twin tailed girl scoffed, "That goes without saying."

A worried expression appeared on her face, "So... How- I mean when are we going to take him out?"

The redhead considered the thought, before he looked at them, "Tomorrow night. Once I have finished all my preparations, we'll finalize our plan and raid the Matou residence."

With that said, Shirou headed for the stairs. Rin sighed, before she too headed back for her home, Archer vanishing into a trail of blue particles as they all left.

(Linebreak)

Later that night, in the Einzbern castle, Illya furrowed her brows as a small whitish blue bird landed on her palm, dissolving into strands of hair as the familiar relayed the information it had gathered.

Sella walked into her room, "Any progress?"

The girl frowned, "Shirou and his Servants are planning to raid the Matou residence... apparently."

The maid nodded, "What do you plan to do?"

Illya scoffed as she turned to her own Servant, "Nothing, not now. Berserker will regain all of his lives soon. Once he has, we will go find them."

She glanced at her maid, "Ask Leysritt to keep an eye on them."

The maid nodded, "As you wish."

Sella turned and left the room, leaving Illya with her Servant.

Heracles patted the petite girl on the head, earning a small smile from Illya as she realized he was trying to comfort her, "Thank you, Berserker."

The ancient hero grunted, which came out more like a growl, but his Master easily discerned his intentions.

Illya nodded, "I will find out the truth. If Kiritsugu and Shirou were lied to..."

She trailed off, not wanting to voice out her suspicions. For despite being in Japan, Illya was sure her grandfather had ways of watching her from Germany.

Berserker was strong, but he was still a familiar in the form of a Servant and Heroic Spirit.

Jubstacheit von Einzbern was nothing if not a capable magus. And if Illya were to make an enemy out of him, it would take a lot of effort to come out the victor.

Illya shook her head, pushing that line of thought aside. She was being too hopeful and hasty.

Berserker grunted again, turning the girl's attention to him, and Illya smiled when she saw the disapproving glint in his sane eye.

Heracles shook his head, before pointing at her bed, earning a small giggle from the girl.

Illya smiled, "Okay okay, I'll go to bed."

The ancient Greek hero grunted, a ghost of a smile on his face as his Master headed to change.

Heracles glanced out of the window, and he let out a stream of steam from his nose as he gazed out at the forest through the window.

(Linebreak)

The next morning, Shirou stood in his shed, looking over the stash of weapons he had prepared.

Tracing his weapons was good and all, but they all required Prana, which while plenty, wasn't an inexhaustible resource.

Plus, Matou Zouken was a crafty magus, and he wouldn't be surprised if the old creep had a way to seal his spells.

So as a precaution, Shirou had taken out a Calico M950, an M4 Carbine and a Milkor Multiple Grenade Launcher, in addition to three of Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets and the Thompson Contender.

Carrying that many firearms probably wasn't the best, but he wasn't against a conventional opponent anyway.

"Are those for tonight?"

Shirou turned to see Saber Artoria standing at the door, and Shirou nodded, "Saber... Yeah, that's right."

The king stared at his posture and the weapons laid on the table, "... You really take after your father."

She glanced at the guns, "I will not pretend to understand modern firearms, but considering your own form of magecraft, is that not excessive?"

Shirou followed her gaze, and he nodded, "Normally, yeah. But we're up against Matou Zouken, I want to be prepared."

His gaze steeled, "We will definitely be taking him down today."

Saber didn't react visibly to those words, until Shirou turned to her, the cold glint gone in an instant, "So, Saber, what do you need? I'm pretty sure I've prepared breakfast already."

The blonde blinked, before she shook her head with a smile, "No, I've already eaten, breakfast was wonderful as usual."

The redhead chuckled, "Glad to hear that."

Saber let out a breath, "I have been thinking, my counterparts hold you in high regard, to the point that my Lancer self has told Mordred to treat you as one would Gui- as someone close to the royal family."

Shirou blinked, catching that slip up, but didn't exactly want to pry, "I... see."

The blonde king stared at him, "You are different from your father, you do not possess that same indifference. No, you direct to your enemies when appropriate, yet you still fight using his ways sometimes."

The redhead nodded, "Yeah, that was how I was taught, after all, and I understand it doesn't sit well with you."

Saber Artoria shook her head, "No, it's not that it doesn't sit well with me. Or rather, in a way it does."

She looked down at her palms, before she summoned Excalibur in her hands, "My Master, Emiya Shirou."

Her demeanour changed, her words holding a certain weight behind them, and Shirou easily noticed that change.

The King of Knights stared at her Master in the eye, "After dealing with Matou Zouken, I wish to cross blades with you on the battlefield."

Shirou blinked, "I'm sorry, come again?"

Saber Artoria's face didn't change, maintaining a serious expression, "I wish to have a duel with you, Master. You have shown to conduct yourself in a manner similar to Kiritsugu, yet not. I wish to ascertain and confirm that for myself."

The redhead blinked, "I.. I see..."

The King of Knights nodded, "I understand it is an immensely selfish request, for a Servant should only obey their Master, and I won't be offended if you refuse-"

Shirou cut her off, "Sure, if you'll have me as a worthy opponent."

Saber Artoria blinked, "Are you sure?"

The redhead smiled dryly, "Aren't you the one who asked me?"

The blonde king's lips thinned, "Yes, that is true."

Shirou nodded, "Then it's settled, after we deal with Zouken, we'll have a duel."

A smile appeared on Saber Artoria's face, "Thank you, Master. I'll leave you to it then."

With that said, the blonde king turned and headed back into the main building, leaving Shirou alone in the shack.

The redhead turned back to his stash of weapons, and he let out a breath as he decided to focus on preparing to raid the Matou residence.

As Saber Artoria entered the living room of the Emiya Residence, she spotted Lancer Artoria and Caster Artoria sitting at the table, while both of her counterparts from the Servant Universe were on the floor lazing around.

As for her Rider and Archer counterparts, they were seated on a pair of taller stools at the counter.

The oldest version of the King glanced at her younger self, "So you challenged Shirou to a duel."

Saber Artoria nodded, "Yes, I did."

Rider Artoria hummed, "Now this will be interesting."

Caster Artoria nodded, "Indeed."

Archer Artoria looked at her Saber counterpart, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Saber Artoria nodded, "Unlike all of you, I have the least connection and attachment to our Master. My relationship with him is much different than all of you."

She looked at her Lancer counterpart, "You told Mordred to treat him as she should treat Guinevere, you understand the implications of that statement."

The older version of the King nodded, "Of course."

Saber Artoria nodded, "Then all the more reason for me to confirm that for myself."

Archer Artoria nodded, "But after dealing with the task at hand."

The 'original' version of the King of Knights nodded, "Of course, we have agreed to a duel after dealing with Sakura's grandfather."

Caster Artoria hummed, "I see, would you be willing to tell us why?"

Saber Artoria nodded, "Of course, but I suppose you all should know."

X Alter hummed on the floor, "...You feel confused about our Master... A duel is the easiest way to figure that out. "

Saber Artoria nodded, "Yes."

She glanced around at her alternate selves, "I hope none of you object to this."

Rider Artoria raised an eyebrow, "Why would we?"

Saber Artoria blinked, before she furrowed her brows, finding the words to explain her question, "Considering your... I suppose affection, would be the word, towards our Master, I would expect everyone here to be more... protective."

Lancer Artoria chuckled, "Don't worry, Saber. Shirou is strong, he can handle a duel with you."

Everyone else nodded, and Saber Artoria simply hummed and nodded, "I see, if all you acknowledge his strength, then I shall not hold back."

Outside the door of the living room, Sakura furrowed her brows as she overheard everything, and she quickly headed for the shed.

As expected, the girl found Shirou stuffing his weapons into a bag, "Senpai."

Shirou blinked, "Yes Sakura?"

The purple haired girl furrowed her brows, "Your Saber challenged you to a duel?"

The redhead nodded, "Yeah, why?"

Sakura frowned, "Isn't that dangerous? Especially when we're about to fight my grandfather."

Shirou finished putting his firearms into his bag, and he glanced back at his friend, "It's what Saber wants, and I respect her wishes."

He smiled, "Well, don't worry too much, it's not like we're fighting to death."

"You're an idiot if you believe that will happen."

The two teens blinked when they saw Mordred materialize beside them, a scowl on her face.

Sakura blinked, "Saber?"

Mordred ignored her Master and stared at Shirou, "My father challenged you to a duel, he went out of his way to challenge you himself."

The Knight of Treachery narrowed her eyes, "He must respect you a great deal, or at least acknowledge you to do that. If you even have a single line of thought that it'll be easy, then you're just spitting on that show of respect."

Her tone was dangerous, as if daring Shirou to say otherwise, but the redhead simply nodded, "I know, and that's why I'm still going to give it my all. But after dealing with Matou Zouken."

Mordred held her gaze, but the dangerous glint in them vanished when she saw Shirou's eyes, "Fair enough."

She smirked, "Even I couldn't defeat my father, I look forward to seeing how you get trashed."

Sakura frowned, "Saber!"

Mordred raised an eyebrow, "What? You don't really think he can beat my father in a duel, do you?"

The purple haired girl opened her mouth to respond, only to close them, and the knight's smirk simply widen at that.

Shirou chuckled, "Don't worry too much about it, Sakura. I know what I'm getting into... I think."

Sakura sighed, "If you say so."

Mordred smirked, "Oh sure he does."

The redhead snorted, "Yeah yeah, whatever. I guess I'm making one less serving of lunch before I head for school then."

The knight faltered, "W-what?"

Sakura and Shirou's knowing smiles didn't help pacify Mordred's growing panic, and her pride didn't allow her plead for mercy either.

The knight of treachery ended up not getting lunch at all after that, but that was beside the point.

(Linebreak)

Later that day, after school, Shirou and Rin had both decided to go home to gather their equipment before meeting up at the Emiya residence.

From there on, they'd raid the Matou residence.

As Shirou walked along the streets, he spotted a woman dressed in thick maid uniform.

The woman stared at him with a blank look, and the redhead felt uncomfortable, "S-sorry, can I help you?"

The maid didn't so much blinked, "No, I am simply tasked by my lady to watch you and your allies."

Shirou blinked, "Your lady?"

"Shirou, that woman is a homunculus, and looking at her appearance, I can say she's from the Einzberns."

Caster Artoria's voice sounded in his ears, and Shirou's eyes widened, "A homunculus?!"

The woman nodded, "Yes, Lady Illya has tasked me to watch you and your allies."

The redhead blinked, "Huh? What for?"

The maid didn't respond and simply continued to stare at the young man.

Shirou furrowed his brows, "Well, as long as you don't try anything..."

He continued to walk towards his home, only for the maid to follow him.

A while later, Shirou reached a crossroads near a playground, and he made an uncomfortable expression, "Guys, she's still following me, right?"

Heroine X answered, "Yes, shall I cut her down?"

The redhead sighed, "Please don't, at least until I figure out what exactly has been going on with... well, Illyasviel."

Shirou still wasn't happy with the girl using his sister's name, but he also wanted to confirm if the girl that called herself Illyasviel really was his sister.

Killing her maid when said maid hadn't done anything other than following him would only make things worse.

The redhead turned to look at the woman, "How long are you going to follow me?"

The maid simply responded, "It is none of your business, but if you must know, it will continue until I am told otherwise."

Shirou scratched his cheek, "Is that so...?"

The redhead sighed, "Do whatever you want I guess."

Shirou turned, but the moment he did, he felt a weird pulse of prana, and evidently from her expression, so did the maid.

The redhead furrowed his brows, "What just happened?"

"Someone just unleashed a huge amount of magical energy, and judging from where it came from, I'd say its Matou Zouken."

Caster Artoria answered him, and Shirou frowned, "So he's saying he's ready for us."

"Not quite."

The buzzing sound and squeaks reached their ears, and Shirou snapped his head to a side just in time to see a swarm of Crest Worms merging into the form of Matou Zouken.

Shirou scowled, "Matou Zouken."

The old magus chuckled, "That flare of prana was simply me releasing a few of my... shall we say prized familiars."

The redhead's eyes widened, "Familiars...?!"

Zouken's chuckle turned into full blown laughter, "I'll be waiting for you at my mansion, young man."

With that said, the old man vanished into hundreds of Crest Worms that dispersed into nothingness.

Shirou's jaw tightened, and Caster Artoria's voice reached him, "Shirou, I can feel hundreds, if not thousand of magical signatures flooding the city, and they are gradually surrounding us."

The blonde magus king asked, "What do we do?"

The redhead's features steeled, something Leysritt noticed, "Change of plans, Caster. First we head back, we need a new plan. X, I want you to contact Tohsaka too."

Heroine X nodded, "Okay, got it."

With that said, the Assassin left the area, leaving the redhead to contemplate their current situation.

They'd been had, Shirou had assumed Zouken would hole up in his house with all of the worms inside the residence.

He had failed to consider the possibility of Matou Zouken going on the offensive first.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, and he glanced at the maid, "Are you going to report to Illyasviel?"

Leysritt regarded him for a moment, before she nodded, "Yes, but not now. I am still to observe you."

The redhead let out a breath, "Is that so? Matou Zouken just released hundreds, if not thousands of his Crest Worms into the city."

The maid hummed, "I see."

Shirou furrowed his brows at her dismissive response, and he shook his head, "Whatever, do what you want. As long as you don't get in our way that is."

The redhead then quickly headed back for his home, wasting not a moment to slam the door shut as soon as he was inside.

Sakura evidently heard the slamming of the door, and she walked out of the living room, "Senpai?"

She blinked when she saw Leysritt behind him, "Umm, who is that?"

Shirou responded instantly, "Ignore her, we have a problem."

The purple haired girl blinked, "A problem?"

The redhead nodded, "Matou Zouken just released his Crest Worms into the city."

Sakura's eyes widened, but before she could speak up, the door slammed open.

"MATOU ZOUKEN DID WHAT?!"

The pair, or rather, the trio turned to see Rin, Heroine X and Archer at the door.

Shirou nodded, "Yeah, he's released his Crest Worms into the city."

Rin pursed her lips, "Now? It's not even sundown yet..."

Archer smiled dryly, "I doubt he cares, Rin."

The twin tailed girl furrowed her brows, "I'll call Kirei. Can I borrow your phone, Emiya-kun?"

Shirou nodded and took out his mobile phone, handing it to the girl.

Rin accepted it, "Thanks, I'll be back in a minute."

With that said, she walked into the living room.

Archer looked at Shirou, "So, what do you plan to do?"

The redhead looked at his older alternate self, and he opened his mouth to answer, only to be cut off as Rin poked her head out from the living room.

"Umm, how do I use this?"

Everyone blinked, even Leysritt, "Eh?"

Rin blinked, "Eh?"

Sakura blinked, "Tohsaka-senpai, have you not used a mobile before?"

The twin tailed girl blinked, "Mobile? Is that what its called?"

Archer palmed his face, chuckling to himself.

Rin glared at her Servant, a small blush forming on her face, "Well sorry for only knowing how to use a landline asshole."

Sakura could only blink at hearing her sister admit that fact, "Oh."

Shirou sighed and grabbed the phone off the girl's hand, "Give me the priest's number."

Rin blinked, "Uhh, sure?"

In a minute, Shirou dialed the number Rin had given him, before handing it back to the girl.

The twin tailed girl blinked as she saw the ringing screen, "Thank you..."

A few minutes later, Rin handed Shirou his phone with a blank face, "Here."

The redhead nodded, "So, what did he say?"

The twin tailed girl's face morphed into one of pure anger, "That son of a bitch! He literally just told me to deal with it because I'm the Second Owner!"

Archer snorted, "And you expected any more from him?"

Rin's face grew red from frustration, "Fuck him!"

Shirou sighed, "I guess we'll just have to deal with it ourselves."

Sakura looked at him, "Do you have a plan, Senpai?"

The redhead sat down at the tatami table, "Not exactly, but I don't know if Matou Zouken will spare the innocents around the city."

Caster Artoria materialized beside him, "He should. To my understanding, if he doesn't, the Clock Tower will notice and send someone here."

Rin nodded, "True, rather, I wouldn't be surprised if they sent someone over just from what Zouken already did."

Archer scoffed, "But we can't exactly rely on the Clock Tower here, can we?"

Shirou nodded, "No, that's why I'm thinking of having Archer, Rider, X and Ecchan spread out to take care of the Crest Worms around the city."

Saber Artoria and Lancer Artoria spoke up, "What about us?"

The redhead looked at them, "The three of us, and Caster will go take down Matou Zouken ourselves."

Rin looked at him in surprise, "Do you really think you can take him down?"

Shirou nodded, "Yeah, I did say I have a plan to take him down, didn't I?"

The twin tailed girl saw his expression, and she nodded, "Okay, I'll leave him to you then. Archer and I will help protect the people in the city."

Archer nodded, "And in case Goldie or Medea decides to show up for entertainment."

Sakura spoke up, "I can also send Saber and Rider-"

"No/Definitely not."

Both Shirou and Rin cut her off, and Sakura almost flinched from how firm both of them cut her off.

Shirou looked at her, "Sakura, all of this is to make sure Zouken doesn't get to you. Keep you Saber and Rider here with you."

Mordred materialized beside her, "I agree with them, Master. My fathers and their Master are more than enough to destroy that slimy bastard."

Medusa too formed beside her, "Sakura, your safety is our priority."

The purple haired girl looked at everyone, before she sighed, "Fine..."

Shirou nodded, "Alright, we don't have much time left."

He glanced at Leysritt, "What are you going to do?"

The maid hummed, "I'll stay at a safe distance and watch you, as I am ordered to do."

She added, "Don't worry, I shall not interfere or pull you down."

The redhead nodded, "Suit yourself."

Shirou quickly went to grab his bag of weapons from the shack, before heading for the door, "Alright, X, Ecchan, Rider and Archer, I'll be counting on all of you to take down the Crest Worms."

The four Servants nodded, and Rider Artoria looked up at the now clouded evening sky, the Bounded Field keeping the Crest Worms out of the Emiya Residence, "Seems like the worms are here."

Heroine X drew both of her swords, "We'll clear a way for you, Shirou."

Lancer Artoria nodded as she summoned her Dun Stallion, "Shirou, get on."

The redhead nodded as he mounted the horse behind Lancer Artoria, "Get ready, the worms will try to swarm us the moment we leave."

The Seven Servants nodded, and Shirou glanced back at Rin and Sakura along with their Servants, "I'll see yall later."

The two girls nodded, before Shirou and his Servants vanished from the compound.

Rin smirked, "Alright, Archer, let's get to work."

The Counter Guardian snorted, "Sure sure."

With that said, Archer grabbed his Master and vanished from the compound, leaving Sakura with her two Servants.

(Linebreak)

With Shirou and his Servants, the moment they left the house, they were immediately surrounded by Crest Worms.

Aside from Lancer Artoria and Caster Artoria, all of the others unleashed their own versions of Mana Burst, blasting away the Crest Worms that tried to get close.

Soon, the eight of them pushed through the swarm of Crest Worms, thinning them out as they got further and further away from the Emiya household.

Shirou glanced back as Lancer Artoria willed Dun Stallion to leap into the air, catching a glimpse of Archer with Rin in his arms.

The redhead quickly took the chance to look around Fuyuki City, the air filled to the brim with Crest Worms.

Shirou glanced at his Servants, "Alright, X, Ecchan, take the east and west side of the city. Archer and Rider, I want you two to take care of the north and center areas of the city."

The four Servants nodded and vanished for their assigned areas, and Caster asked, "That leaves us with the south."

Shirou nodded, "We'll head straight for the Matou residence."

Lancer Artoria nodded as she blasted a swarm of Crest Worms with her spear, "Then let us hurry."

Saber Artoria used Invisible Air to push herself forward, before swinging the Excalibur in a wide arc, destroying more Crest Worms, "Understood."

Soon, the four neared the hill, where the Matou Residence stood, and surprisingly, it wasn't as heavily surrounded by Crest Worms as Shirou expected.

The four stopped in front of the entrance, and Shirou got off the horse, earning a look of confusion from Lancer Artoria, "Shirou?"

The redhead drew his carbine, hanging the grenade launcher behind his back while holstering the Calico and Thompson Contender at his waist.

His magical circuits flared as Shirou reinforced his body, and he gestured at the gates that were unlocked, "He's inviting us in."

The three Servants noticed the gates, and they understood. Caster Artoria summoned Carnwennan around her, "Shall we go in?"

The redhead nodded and the four of them entered the gates.

They quickly reached the living room, a seemingly normal house, or at least, as normal as one would be if the house was fully empty of people.

Shirou glanced around, "Caster, do you feel him?"

Caster Artoria nodded, "Yes, he's beneath us."

She frowned, "...And somehow, all around us."

Shirou narrowed his eyes, "I see."

A round of laughter reached his ears, as Matou Zouken's voice sounded across the house, "Confused? This house is not as simple as it looks, young man."

The redhead narrowed his eyes, "Saber, Lancer, search the house. Find him."

Zouken's voice reached his ears again, "No need for that, I am in the basement, Emiya Shirou."

Shirou looked around, "The basement...?"

Zouken chuckled, "On your left."

The four looked to their left, and sure enough, they spotted a door with stairs leading downwards.

Lancer Artoria glanced at her Master, "Shirou?"

The redhead took a breath, "Let's go in."

He stepped through the door, something mirrored by his Servants, and they descended down the stairs.

Soon, the four saw the giant chamber that was the basement of the Matou household, and standing in the center of the chamber was the very person they'd come for.

Matou Zouken himself.

The patriarch of the Matou family smiled creepily, "Welcome, Emiya-"

He was cut off by a loud bang, as the redhead fired his carbine at the old man, the rain of bullets piercing through Zouken's body, much to his Servants surprise.

Yet, Matou Zouken simply stood there as if nothing happened, and he smiled, "Impatient, are we?"

Shirou snorted as he lowered his gun, "Not as much as you are, and you know as much as I do that bullets won't do much to you."

The old man laughed, "Very true, I suppose."

Zouken smirked darkly, "I was hoping to have a bit of a conversation before we started to kill each other, like all traditional magi love to do."

He shifted his footing, "But I suppose there is no need for that anymore, is there?"

A squeaky noise filled the chamber, as Crest Worms crawled out from Zouken's feet.

But that wasn't the end of it, as more smaller and larger Crest Worms came out of the cells on the walls around them.

Zouken chuckled, "A fun fact, Emiya Shirou, this chamber is the very chamber my worms violated your precious Sakura for the past 10 years she's been living here."

He smirked, "Would you like to try it for yourself?"

Shirou's features steeled, and he raised his gun again, "Saber, Lancer."

The two knights nodded, and they leaped down towards the chamber where Matou Zouken stood.

XXX

Omake- What if another Saber was summoned?

Charlemagne

Rin stood in her room as the magic circle glowed, and she jumped with joy, "YES!"

The circle glowed brighter, until the light blinded her, forcing Rin to look away.

"Servant Saber, I have come forward according to your summons..."

The Servant trailed off, before grumbling, "No, that doesn't sound as cool as I thought it'd be..."

Rin blinked when she saw the Servant she just summoned, a young black haired man with white patches, wearing a medieval outfit that was mainly black and white.

The girl asked, "So, what's your true name?"

The Servant grinned, "My True Name? Don't be shocked, okay?"

He cleared his throat, before drawing his sword to strike a pose, "My True Name is Charlemagne! of the Saber class! I do have another name I go by, but that's neither here no there."

Charlemagne smirked, "Now, Master, are you ready to go on an adventure?"

"So, this is your new Master, Rin?"

The two turned to see Archer at the door, and the Counter Guardian smirked, "Quite the Servant you summoned this time."

The king of the Franks smiled when he saw the Counter Guardian, "Oh, Nameless (Mumei)! You're here too?"

Archer blinked, "Nameless?"

Charlemagne blinked, "Wait, this is a normal Holy Grail War, right?"

He looked at Archer, "That means you must be the enemy!"

Charlemagne brandished his sword, "Sorry about this, Nameless, but for my Master, I'll have to strike you down!"

Before he could continue, Rin got between them, "Alright stop!"

The king blinked in confusion, "Master?"

The girl grumbled, "Archer's my Servant too!"

After a short and quick explanation, Charlemagne nodded in understanding, "I see, so this... Emiya Shirou summoned seven Servants, and now one extra Servant is allowed to be summoned, that ending up to be me."

Rin nodded, "Yep."

The king of the Franks smirked, "Well no matter, we can still win this, as a cool hero myself, we will definitely trash the competition!"

The girl blinked, "A cool... hero?"

Charlemagne nodded, "Yep, well, Nameless here is a very cool hero himself, so I can't see the two of us losing at all."

Archer furrowed his brows, "You say as if you know me, but I'm sure I've never met you, Charles the Great."

The Saber blinked, "Oh, so you're not summoned from the Moon Cell, I guess?"

The two blinked, "Moon Cell?"

XXX

DONE, so that's the chapter. I'll try to get the next one out soon.

Until next time.