"So, Ichigo, what's our next move?" Orihime asked. While Ichigo looked on at his frend Sado being held by Inoe's Sōten Kisshun.

For the man's huge bleeding body had six deep slashed wounds that circled around his body and two larger ones on his chest. As if he were slashed apart by several different attackers at once and if not for Sado's already strong body and spritual power he would would of been dead by the time he and the rest of his friends found him.

Taking a deep breath and his mind already strategizing. Ichigo apoke out his response.

"Let's head back to base, regroup, and wait for Chad to fully heal. Once he's ready, we can develop a new strategy for dealing with these Servants and Masters." Kurosaki's suggestion was met with silent agreement from his friends. The Substitute Shinigami gazed at the boundary field. "I just hope the other captains are faring better than us"

Meanwhile, the battle between Berserker and the 11th Division Captain raged on. While Illyasviel watched with growing frustration and fear.

Kenpachi, the monstrous captain, had already killed Berserker four times by simply swinging his sword with greater force after each killing blow. Even more troubling was that her Servant, who once evenly matched against the captain, was now being steadily overwhelmed. Despite Berserker landing numerous blows that would normally hinder or incapacitate any other opponent, the Shinigami brushed them off as if they were nothing more then mosquito bites.

Illyasviel realized that if this continued, the captain might become so powerful that even Berserker couldn't defeat him.

"That's enough, Berserker!" she shouted. "It's time to retreat."

Kenpachi smirked. "So you're just going to run? Fine, suit yourselves." The captain turned his back on them. "But next time we clash, don't expect me to go easy on you!"

Illyasviel shuddered at his words as Berserker spirited her away. 'That was him... going easy on us!?' In that moment, she knew that if she hoped to stand a chance against the Shinigami, she would need to try a different strategy.

The next day at the hideout, Sado rested in his room, still recovering. While Ichigo watched the morning sunset while Rukia spoke with Hitsugaya over the phone.

"Yes, Captain Hitsugaya, and from last we checked, Kenpachi managed to drive one of the Servants away while two others and their Masters escaped," Rukia explained. "...yes, I see... Well, be careful, sir, for even the Masters can be dangerous in this war." She hung up and addressed the group. "According to Hitsugaya, none of the captains have encountered a Servant or Master aside from Kenpachi, so they're likely lying low."

Ichigo let out an annoyed sigh. "And there likely to use those bounded fields to hide themselves. He theb turned to Urahara. "Have you found a way to track those Servants and Masters?"

Kisuke smiled, tapping at his laptop. "As a matter of fact, I have." He pulled out a small fly from his pocket, earning confused looks from Ichigo and the others. Uryu focused on the insect.

"Your plan for finding the Masters and Servants... is using a common house fly?" he asked skeptically.

"Not quite," Urahara said, turning his laptop to face the group. To their surprise, it displayed live camera footage from the fly's perspective. "As you can see, this house fly, and many others I've created, are actually disguised drones used by the Research and Development Institute for surveillance," Urahara explained. The group looked intrigued, though Uryu remained unconvinced.

"And this will somehow lead us to the Masters and Servants?" The Quincy asked.

Urahara nodded. "Most Magi who practice magecraft often view technology as inferior, and that bias is reflected in their spells – like boundary fields c, which are designed to deceive the five senses but not what's captured on camera"

"Really?" Uryu said, bemused. "I knew from my grandfather that Masters were traditionalists, like the Quincy... but I didn't thought they'd shun modern technology to that extent."

Renji stood up. "If these fly drones can locate a Master's hideout, we should alert the captains immediately so they don't needlessly expose themselves."

Urahara nodded. "I was already planning to do that"

Rukia hummed thoughtfully. "In the meantime, we should also investigate the identities of the other Servants. That might give us clues on how to defeat them." She looked at Kurosaki. "Ichigo, did you notice anything distinctive about the woman you fought?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nothing that stands out. She was a blonde noblewoman from England, wielding an invisible sword shrouded in air that could fire beams of light from its tip."

"Beams of light, huh?" Urahara commented. "Well, that narrows it down somewhat as it could be a holy sworld..."

Ichigo sighed. "Well, hopefully these drones can help us uncover her identity."

Meanwhile, as Ichigo and his comrades discussed their plans...

"Rangiku, that's enough shopping already!" Hitsugaya shouted, clad in his gigai form, which consisted a black shirt, and jeans. His vice-captain Rangiku, wearing a white shirt, light brown jacket, and right black pants with gray slippers, carried an enormous load of shopping bags.

"Oh, come on, Captain," Rangiku whined. "It has been ages since we've shopped in the world of the living, and I want to try out some new outfits"

Toshiro's expression turned pained. "Rangiku, this is unacceptable. We can't afford to squander our budget on frivolities, especially during a war."

Rangiku chuckled. "I'm just going to get a few more things, captain, so relax," she argued, but Toshiro grumbled in annoyance.

However as they walked down the street, he sensed a disturbance coming from a nearby school.

meanwhile after class, Shirou and Rin Tosaka discussed their plans for the war privately, with Archer in his spirit form and Saber standing guard outside the school.

"So..." Rin began. "That captain-class Shinigami is capable of fighting Saber evenly, and his allies are near the level of a Servant, with their unique abilities and Now that they're onto us, ambushing them will be practically impossible." Her brow furrowed, a hint of competitiveness sparking in her eyes. "But we can't just sit back and wait for them to come to us. We need to find a way to gain the upper hand"

Shirou looked up at Tosaka. "But Rin, Archer took down those two allies by himself. If we can split them up, I'm sure we have a decent chance of defeating them"

Archer frowned at Emiya. "Don't be so naive, kid... I took out those humans because I fought them one at a time and caught them off guard with my signature techniques... and that's not getting into the issue of the Shinigami's potential for a second release, which would make their Zanpakuto even more powerful"

Rin gasped. "A second release? You mean these Shinigami can become even more powerful than they are now?" Her mind raced, already strategizing ways to counter this potential threat.

Archer nodded. "I don't know the exact details of this second release, but it involves their Zanpakuto... and the power it grants is immense, capable of exceeding even the noble phantasm of a servant."

Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious!? That means the captain-level Shinigami who fought Saber to a standstill can increase their power even further than that!?"

Shirou grimaced at Rin's words. "I know it's hard to believe, Rin, but what Archer said is the truth. I realized it when I fought that red-headed Shinigami and analyzed his Zanpakuto"

Rin's jaw clenched, her competitive streak flaring. "Well, we can't let that happen. We need to find a way to prevent their second release, or learn how to counter it effectively"

Archer huffed. "So we either need to find another way to isolate and take them down one at a time... or we increase our odds of victory by allying with another Servant and Master."

Shirou and Rin exchanged nervous glances.

"What do you think, Rin?" Shirou asked, and Rin grumbled.

"In any other circumstances, I would go with the former, given the untrustworthiness of Masters in the Holy Grail War... but considering the Shinigami's power... we might not have a choice." Her voice held a note of reluctance, but also a fierce determination to do whatever it took to win.

"Well if coruse you don't havr a choice" a sly voice interjected, and Shirou and Rin turned to see Shinji Matou, one of Shirou's close friends, smiling at them.

Rin then sneered at Shinji. 'What do you want?' she spat in a cold and blunt tone.

"Why, Tosaka, I'm hurt," he said in a mocking tone. "I overheard that you needed help taking down these Shinigami, and I'm willing to lend my assistance. After all..." he showed a book I'm a fellow Master."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "So you're a participant in the war too?" Shinji smirked, displaying his book of False Attendant. "Of course, because if anyone deserves the Grail's power, it's definitely not those wretched Shinigami, right? With my superior Servant and yours backing us up, we can win this Holy Grail War in a pinch."

Archer looked at Tosaka, who rubbed her temples in frustration. "Can you at least give us a moment to consider this?" she asked, but before they could respond, Saber appeared before them.

"Shirou, Rin!" she said urgently. "Two Shinigami have arrived at the school and are looking for us." Tosaka and Shirou exchanged a glance while Shinji grinned smugly.

"Well, look who's run out of options?"