"Assassin was one of Caster's greatest weapons; she did not hesitate to use him during the war. She attempted to defy the rules and summon another servant without a proper master, the one who would only serve her and, by extension, me. She succeeded, though not without drawbacks. She attempted to someone a man that belonged to the Saber class, yet for some reason, the grail only acknowledged him as an Assassin. Without a master, he was bound to the Ryuudou temple and could not leave the area. Caster made him an eternal guardian of that place, always holding his vigil. I assumed he faded away along with her, but if what you say is true, then he simply chose to hide."

This was the fascinating tale that Souichirou told Illya on their way to the Temple, and it made perfect sense. Neither Illya nor anyone else was able to deduce who the master of Assassin was during the war, but judging from their previous encounter, Illya knew that it was a woman and that Sasaki himself wasn't fond of her. Caster, who restricted him to a single spot after a tarnished summoning, certainly fit those descriptors. That would make Souichirou Assassin's true master, though she was not sure if Sasaki would be inclined to listen to him. Still, it was worth a try.

Eventually, Illya and Souichirou came to the exact spot she was walking around with Sakura. It was a serene place by the lake with the Temple in sight, though for Illya it served to bring back painful memories. It was Sasaki who sowed seeds of discord between two girls which eventually led to such a painful separation.

"Right here, you say?" Kuzuki wondered.

"Yep, that's where he 'ambushed' Sakura and me…I guess this was just our luck; he was curious to know more about us. If none of the monks saw him, that means he has no problem hiding whenever he wants." The girl looked to the wilderness and took a deep breath. "I know you're there, Samurai, and I know you can hear me! The last time we met, you just had to be an asshole and cause me some serious trouble…But I don't have it in me to be angry. I come here to make a proposition. And I brought your former master…Who has some words to say, as well." Illya looked at Kuzuki.

"I no longer seek to restrain you, proud warrior. Illya told me about you, and I acknowledge that you have a right to be angry at Caster and me. This summoning prevented you from partaking in the war properly and limited your role to a chained observer. I am willing to right this wrong if you hear us out."

Those words were enough to break the silence coming from the woods. A playful chuckle echoed in Illya's head, and a silhouette of a proud warrior emerged from the shadows. Illya took a step back and remained on her guard. It was possible Sasaki would want to take revenge against his former master, and if that was the case, he could easily kill both humans in front of him.

"So, you finally sought me out." The Samurai smiled as he stepped into the sunlight. "I expected you to come with your friend, Illyasviel, not with Caster's puppeteer."

"My friend isn't with us…But I came here because of her!" Illya declared.

"Why have you never sought me out?" Souichirou asked. "I entertained the possibility of you still persisting after the war, but I didn't find a single trace."

"Was I obliged to? You admitted yourself, thanks to you and Caster I was never able to realize my full potential in this war. Forced into another class and bound by this Temple…You should be grateful I decided not to end your life."

"I'm not one for empty words," Souichirou said calmly.

"Really, now? Perhaps some action will convince you, then?" Sasaki clung to his sword, but Illya was quick to interject.

"Stop it, that's not why we're here!" She said in a surprisingly commanding and dedicated tone.

"Then why are you here?" Sasaki said arrogantly.

"To give you a chance to do something you said you wanted from the war." Illya declared proudly. "A battle that is worth your time and effort." She noticed Sasaki's hesitation and an emerging curiosity in his eyes.

"Now, now…" The Samurai took a deep breath and put his katana away. "You should have said as much straight away. Was it Kuzuki that got you into another one of his schemes?"

"No." Souichirou denied. "It is Illyasviel's initiative, I only agreed to aid her."

"Impressive for someone so young." Sasaki turned to the girl. "Go on, tell me of the battle you have in mind."

"My friend is imprisoned and tortured by a monster…By an enemy that I really, really want to end." Illya said with emerging fury in her voice. "But I can't do it alone because he is too powerful for me to defeat. That's why I came to Souichirou, and that's why I came to you."

"Who is this enemy?"

"Zouken Matou, the head of the Matou household and the Sakura's 'guardian' legally, though he's anything but. He's a vile, disgusting creature that artificially extended his own life for centuries now…His entire body consists of worms and insects that are at his command at any time, they are the vessels that channel his magic. The same ones he uses to torture Sakura and turn into his new vessel." Illya explained. "Killing him would be a very difficult task. The only possible ways I could think of are to destroy all of those pests or find some kind of magical core that they protect."

"You say…" Sasaki could not hide his curiosity. "That he persisted for centuries?"

"Exactly, and he never stopped his vile scheming throughout! But I believe we have a chance to end him if we work together…Isn't that the battle you wanted all this time? You will be the one and only heroic spirit to bring down Zouken Matou, one of the most powerful mages of the modern era! You wouldn't pass on an opportunity like this, would you?"

Sasaki looked down, pondering for a moment, but eventually yet another sly smile emerged on his face as the Samurai stared right into Illya's eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it." The Samurai said with pride.

"Yay, that's exactly what I hoped for!"

"Welcome into the fold," Souichirou said.

"I am not doing it for you, Kuzuki, only for the glory. If what the girl says is true, then Zouken is a powerful opponent worthy of my skills…He will know the sting of my blade."

"I don't care what your reasons are as long as we are all on the same page," Kuzuki said.

"Of course, you have no reason to care…In fact, why would you even agree to help her with this? I wouldn't think you were the type to enjoy a good battle."

"That is none of your business." The man replied sternly before looking at Illya. "We cannot bring him to Taiga's home, she will have too many questions for you to explain away."

"You're right, but that's not the only place we can stay for now," Illya responded. "Shirou isn't exactly home; Sakura and Taiga have no reason to come there, either, so…"

"I see Emiya's residence, then. A good choice."

"You are getting ahead of yourselves," Sasaki interjected. "First, you need a way to separate me from this place so I would be able to travel freely."

"That's easy!" Illya smiled. "All you need is another mana anchor to latch onto. I will become one for you."

"It would have to be extremely strong."

"I used to be the grail's vessel, remember? I have more than enough." Illya extended her hand. "Just have a feel of it." The Samurai stepped closer and grabbed Illya's hand, immediately opening his eyes wide at the feeling of magic that overwhelmed him.

"You contain incredible power…But it's also on the brink. As if it is locked in a cage with a very rusty lock and would break free any moment, annihilating everything around it."

"You're saying it like I don't know. It's good enough for a pact, right?"

"It is."

"Then it's time for you to rejoice, Sasaki Kojirou," Illya said in a congratulatory voice. "You are finally free."

…

Where was she?

Everything since Zouken forced Sakura into the pit last time felt like a blur; nothing was at all certain, and Sakura was utterly lost. She was everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time, buried amidst the darkness of her own house, yet bound by no limits. A dozen contradictory feelings swallowed her, leaving Sakura in a maze of her own emotions and despair. Usually, she endured and tried her best to find a way out of this maze, to reclaim her freedom and hope. Now, she was too tired to even try.

Sakura wanted to act on her desires, but she did not know what those desires were. She felt something…Something unclear and fleeting. Everything was so disturbed and tarnished that the fragments of the dream around her shattered like glass, turning reality into a series of chaotic dreams. She still has not left the pit; Sakura knew that much. She remained a slave to her monstrous grandfather, perhaps forever. Likely forever…

Forever.

This was how it was for eleven years, right? Obeying Zouken's commands, doing everything he said only to get a few fleeting moments of relief and joy, moments of hope…They were all just a part of his plan. He wanted her to maintain hope so that when the time came, he could break it entirely. She was nothing but Zouken's slave, and it was time for Sakura to make peace with it. She did not have a right to hopes and dreams, not even a conscience. Zouken would indulge only in occasional whims and desires. And she had a desire now, finally becoming clear after Sakura remembered who she thought about. A white-haired girl she considered a close friend. The one who was still lurking out there, yearning to have some fun…Sakura knew that feeling, and now it prevailed over any others.

She wanted to go play with Illya.