(AN) I am happy to see that the fight in the previous chapter was well received. It took a while to get this chapter out, but here it is. A 10k chapter for the late update.

This chapter was beta'ed by lioncousin and he did a great job once again. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

(((Finding oneself)))

"I cannot approve of this!" Sella stared disapprovingly at her master. "You could have defeated both of them after Lancer withdrew, and yet you allowed them to escape."

The short girl simply turned her head away, annoyed a bit and was not in the mood for a lecture.

"It wouldn't have been fun to kill them right away. Rabbits should be driven into a corner and killed at the height of their terror."

"But, you had to reveal Berserker's Noble Phantasm." The taller of the two said, holding onto a soft white towel. "You should have just withdrawn the moment it became a disadvantage with three Servants banding together. Now, almost three enemies know about Berserker's abilities."

"And, leave proving that Lancer's words were indeed true!" Illya uttered angrily, curling her fists. "There's no way I am allowing Lancer, or his Master to get away after this!"

"Illya-sama…" The other stoic maid muttered.

She winced a bit, when her pale skin came in contact with hot boiling water, but didn't stop as she went further into the steaming pool. She stopped after the water reached up to her waist as she turned around, somewhat relaxed by the hot sensation against her cool skin.

"I'll admit I miscalculated Lancer's skills. He seems to have some sort of a skill that hides his true stats." She said, letting her long white hair spread in the water. "But, I won't make the same mistake next time. There's no way to counter Berserker's Noble Phantasm."

Berserker's Noble Phantasm, God Hand: Twelve Labors, was a continuously active-type Noble Phantasm that granted him a body that knows no death. Only attacks higher than B-rank, whether it is a normal attack, or another Noble Phantasm can harm him, and he gains resistance to it immediately as soon as he is resurrected. Furthermore, he can recover at least two lives lost once every three days due to Illya's immense magical energy. He was the strongest in the entire world, and nothing would shake Illya of her belief in him.

"What about that boy, Shirou? Surely you did not leave him out of mercy, right?"

Illya closed her eyes, sinking further into the steaming water.

"Of course I did. I know what's in store for him. He doesn't know it yet, but I am going to make him suffer in Kiritsugu's place."

(((Finding oneself)))

It was a barren land, a hard rocky area covering the entire landscape as far as the eye could see. Grey clouds covered the bluish skies giving it a much darker color suited to represent how the land itself seemed, or rather the representation of the wielder's psyche.

Countless weapons protruded from the begrimed gravel, dirt flew into the wind.

Nothing could be seen… nothing except a lone warrior crouched in a far off position. As the vision moved forward, seeming like it was heading straight for the resting man, Emiya Shirou woke up from his dream, panting, sweat stuck to his chest and forehead as he unconsciously ran his hand over the bandages around his chest like he was searching for something.

It hurts! He winced, looking down at where his fingertips were tracing across. Dream, huh?

It took him a while to calm down and realize what went down, before remembering everything about the previous night.

That was right! There was a golden Lancer and a huge monster fighting each other. Then, there was an explosion. Saber was also present there, but if he got injured then... Saber could also have been-

"So, you are finally awake."

His eyes slowly looked to the side of futon, before he jumped out of his bed like a stray cat would when given a bath in cold water.

"Tohsaka!?"

Right there, a few feet from his futon was none other than his school's idol, Tohsaka Rin. She sat in an elegant manner befitting her reputation, dressed up and ready in her school uniform. Or, was it the same clothes she wore yesterday?

"You are lively early in the morning. Seems like all your wounds have healed, Emiya-kun." She gave one of her sagacious smiles.

"I see… So, you were the one that carried me here after I fell unconscious." Shirou said, looking down at the girl gratefully. "Thank you, Tohsaka."

"At least you are not as dumb as you look," Tohsaka said, pushing herself of the tatami mat. "You know how to give proper gratitude where it's due. But," She sighed, a frown appearing on her face. "I thought I already told you this before. You need not thank an enemy."

Shirou looked confused, "Huh? But, you saved me, didn't you?"

"Emiya-kun!" Rin started exasperatedly. "This Holy Grail war is a fight to the death. Just because you refuse to acknowledge them as your enemy doesn't mean they are going to do the same. Mages can be ruthless when they want to be."

"Then why didn't you kill me?" Shirou asked ardently.

"I-I just didn't feel like it!" Rin said, crossing her arms in embarrassment, knowing that she was contradicting herself. "Attacking someone while they are asleep isn't fair. Think of it only as I am lowering my guard around you but only because I know very well that I am stronger than you."

"So, you are meaning to say you won't kill me because there are other stronger enemies out there?"

"Wow, you grasp things pretty fast Emiya-kun," Rin expressed sarcastically, but Shirou took no offense to it. She stepped out of the door, trying to remember something important she wanted to tell when Emiya woke up, but was forgetting it for some reason. She shrugged, "Well, the next time we meet will probably be as enemies. So be prepared."

She almost closed the door behind her before she remembered, "Oh, right! I almost forgot. I am sure that you don't know about this, but you should probably stay away from your friend, Uchiha-kun as well."

"Huh, Sasuke?" Shirou tilted his head with a quizzical expression. "Why? Did he do something to you, Tohsaka? I know Shinji tried pulling some crazy stuff, but I don't see him doing that as well. To begin with I don't think he even knows someone like you existed in our school, but maybe he-"

"That's not the point I was trying to make!" Rin flailed her arms in anger. Shirou, who almost went on about her, paused at her flustered outburst. Calming herself almost immediately, she cleared her throat. "Listen carefully, Emiya-kun. I have come across your friend, Sasuke, almost two days back, and he too had command seals on his right wrist just like you and me, but with a different pattern."

His eyes widened slowly in realization, "Wait…! You don't mean-"

"That's right, Emiya-kun." Her eyes narrowed with a serious expression. "I have called Kirei to ask if anyone had come to withdraw from the war, but it seems like none had come. That means that your friend is probably fighting and trying to win this war too."

"But, what could he be trying to gain from this war?" Shirou sat down completely lost, looking into the palms of his hand in disbelief. The quiet boy from his classroom, the one that really didn't show much interest or enthusiasm in anything. There was even that famous incident with their PE teacher.

It couldn't be fame or money the Uchiha could be trying to wish for. Nor, was he from any mage family to be taking part just for glory. Then, he was probably dragged in… His circumstance almost sounds similar to his own. But, that also meant that his friend was gifted someone too, just like he was given Saber to fight alongside him in this war.

"I honestly don't know." Rin shook her head, crossing her arms as she answered after a moment giving Shirou some space to think. "But, just like everyone else, even he must have something he desires. Nevertheless that makes two enemies from the same school. You would do well to remember that I am not going to show any mercy to either you, or him."

With her parting words, the door was shut firmly behind her back as Shirou was left to his own thoughts.

(((Finding oneself)))

"…Hate me, little brother."

Uchiha Sasuke awoke gasping for air, startled as he sat upright with the sweat almost pouring down his black brow. He blinked, running the back of his pale hand to wipe of the perspiration, before shielding his eyes with it as he squinted against the bright rays.

Birds chirping filled his ears, as he heard distinct chattering of kids shouting and playing in the background. Shaking his head once more, he took deep breaths to calm his breathing down.

'These nightmares are becoming more intense. And, more vivid since the moment I achieved these eyes,' The raven haired teen thought in mild irritation, gritting his teeth as he clenched his hands against his black pant. 'With the way this is going, I won't be surprised if these nightmares were somehow connected to my past. Stupid dreams!'

"I see that you have awoken, Master." He heard Lancer's calm voice through the telepathic link between them. "My apologies. Because of my impudence you had to rest in a public park for the whole night."

It seemed like Lancer was still feeling a bit guilty for his room's condition. "I already told you that the state of my room wasn't your fault," Sasuke said, leaning his arms against his knees as he bent down to gather himself. If anyone was to blame, it was actually himself. He was so not looking forward to the day his landlady finds about his room's condition.

He rubbed his cheeks with his palms in an attempt to rid himself of the drowsiness, "Anyway, I feel a bit refreshed. Yesterday's fatigue must have really got to me."

Sasuke said, getting up and stretching his arms, ignoring how few parents in the distance asked their children to avert their eyes from him. Well, he could not blame them as he probably looked like a homeless man right now, which he was ironically considering his whole room practically burnt down.

"…"

Sasuke felt some mild uneasiness from his servant who was currently in spirit form. He could sense Lancer was hesitant about something. He was probably upset at having been called off early before the fight could have been completed, because it really looked like Lancer was enjoying himself, though he could only guess about that since Lancer had the same blank expression even as he fought.

"What is it, Lancer? Do not hesitate to speak."

Lancer stayed quiet for a few seconds as Sasuke waited, before shrugging after a second. He exited the park and started strolling down in some random street. After contemplating for a bit, Karna decided to speak up. He spoke in a low tone as to not startle the one who summoned him.

"Master, this is regarding the background of your family. Are you sure that your ancestors hadn't practiced the sacred art called magecraft?"

"No, I don't think so," Sasuke stated, as he took a turn in the corner to walk down the road which was the usual route that students took to get to his school. Of course, he wasn't going to attend today as well. "Though I could have been. I am not sure. I had an accident a year ago and as a result I lost most of my memories."

Karna merely glanced at his master in spirit form. He knew his master was being honest, as he possessed the skill: Discernment of the Poor, one that allowed him to tell if a person was lying, as well as grasping the true nature of the person. Thus, with this skill, he could never be deceived by lies and deception.

It pleased him to know that his master was in fact being truthful to him, but it also seemed like the teen was hiding something. Not that it would have made any difference. He was still going to obey whatever his master would command of him.

"What brought this on suddenly anyway?" Sasuke questioned, hiding the curiosity in his voice as he placed his hands into his pockets. Sasuke could only guess that he must have done something to make the silent Lancer to actually take time to ask about his family's background. Perhaps the stoic Servant suddenly decided to do some bonding with him. If that was the case, then he wasn't interested.

"No, I apologize. It's nothing of much importance."

"Humor me." Sasuke still wanted to hear it even if it were something trivial. Lancer may be his Servant in this war, but that doesn't change the fact that the Lancer had been a great Heroic Spirit in his lifetime. It had to be something of importance if Lancer's asking about it.

"Master, I have noticed that your body for some reason isn't utilizing the mana from your magic circuits to accelerate your healing. And, seeing as I had received sufficient amounts of prana yesterday during the fight, I cannot help but be worried about the condition of your body." The golden spearman said, not fumbling, nor fidgeting with his words at all.

"Magic circuits…? What are they?"

Karna should have known that was the case by now. It wasn't exactly rare for people from non-mage families to be born with magic circuits, though it was an extremely rare occurrence. Nevertheless, he decided to share the knowledge that had been asked of him without any fuss, in detail.

"Magic Circuits are a pseudo-nervous system that spreads itself through the human body. Their normal functions are to act as paths that convert mana; that is energy in the nature to prana, something that mages use for high level magecraft, or for other purposes like supplying servants with it." Karna said, pausing slightly to allow his master to process the information.

Luckily, his master seemed like an intellect one as he signaled him to continue almost immediately.

"Od is something that is the life-force within one's body. Everybody contains this energy, but it differs from person to person. Magic circuits may also convert this Od into prana for magecraft."

"I didn't know that magecraft was so complex. You seem to have a lot of knowledge regarding this," Sasuke admitted, genuinely surprised after hearing all this.

He maybe an ordinary high school student, but Sasuke had seen his fair share of strange and cruel things since he woke up in this world. But, it seems like there are still a lot of things that he did not know about. Maybe, that was what happened back then... He couldn't believe how he had missed such obvious things, when they were hiding in plain sight.

His school had freaking three mages for god's sake.

"It's true that I have met quite a few capable mages in my lifetime, but most of the knowledge regarding the Thaumaturgy of the current generation has been provided to me by the grail," Karna continued before reaching to the point he wanted to make. "Now, the reason I asked this was because even though I don't sense your body using the mana around you, strangely enough I am still being provided with sufficient amounts of prana."

Lancer did not mean to slight his Master. But, he was always the blunt one, not the sort to distort the truth, nor the facts. It could have been due to how he had led his childhood, but at least his master did not seem to be offended. In fact, he could see some kind of interest being shown on his master's face, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"Doesn't that mean that I have high amounts of this Od energy that you are talking about?"

"That's one way to look at it."

"Hm. According to what you just explained, I should be able to perform magecraft that Rin and the Einzbern girl performed; but unlike them, I can use my own energy to execute them."

Lancer reluctantly agreed, since he was a warrior and wasn't too familiar with magecraft. "In theory, I would say yes. But, it is far more complex as one usually is in possession of a magic crest to help execute their family's thaumatagrauphy. But, then again there have been cases where magecraft has been used by individuals who don't have any crest on them."

Sasuke smirked, feeling more confident with this newfound information but alas his joy was only short lived as he finally took note of his surroundings, or where he was walking. His joy deflated a second later as his eyes snapped in horror for not realizing the impending doom until it was too close for comfort.

"How could I be so careless?" Sasuke muttered. He wasn't generally careless when it came down regarding to this and he even often took extra measures just to be safe, but he could only curse his luck this time for not paying attention.

"Is it an enemy Servant?" Lancer asked, getting ready to materialize to fend off whatever danger it was that made his master gain a horrified expression.

"No. No, even worse."

Sasuke stated, as he turned on his heel and dashed backwards at a speed that would have made many renown Heroic Spirits weep in jealousy. Lancer, who was confused at first stayed there for quite some time before he finally got what his Master meant, as he saw smoke and dust heave of the road and pass through where his master was standing previously.

'So, this is Master's weakness,' The son of Surya thought in mild amusement.

A horde of girls were currently in pursuit after his Master, who probably thought Sasuke was some kind of famous model pulling a publicity stunt. Karna could only watch the speed and stealth that his Master displayed at the moment with pure admiration and wonder, seeing as Sasuke had completely vanished and was nowhere to be seen.

"With that skill and stealth of his, I think he can even qualify as an Assassin class Servant with enough training." The usually stoic spear man nodded to himself, muttering words full of pride, all the while standing on a telephone pole in spirit form, observing from some distance how his Master was escaping from the talons of the harpies who sought after him.

(((Finding oneself)))

Rin's nose scrunched up as she stared at the scene in front of her with disgust and repugnance. Fortunately for her, no one was present in the abandoned alleyway at the current moment.

She carefully bent under the 'Keep Away' banner and went inside to get a closer look at the scene where the most recent crime had taken place. She had already taken precautions in setting up the bounded field, since it would be troublesome if any of her schoolmates saw her in a place like this.

The cement ground was stained with dried up blood, air still stagnant smelling of iron. Covering her nose with the sleeve of her right arm, she moved right into the center of the crime scene looking for any clues that the police might have left behind.

But, all that was left were the white outlines providing the outlines of the decimated victims.

"Well?" She questioned, as a moment later particles around her vibrated signifying that Archer took form in the material world.

"Around three people were killed here a few days ago," Archer reported, looking down at the same outline mark that Rin was staring hard at. "The weapons used were not guns, but some kind of a weapon used to slice up your opponents. The blood splatters wouldn't look like this otherwise, I am guessing that it was mostly done by someone at least skilled with a blade. The evidence was burnt later by whoever did this."

It wasn't really hard for Archer to know who had caused this. His initial guess when he had examined the dead bodies was that it was most likely Assassin's crafty work seeing as he had already engaged him in battle, but he did not really see any benefit the tattooed servant could gain by killing random people; unless he wanted to consume their souls.

And, besides Assassin wasn't the sort to use weapons. He was the guy who solely relied on his martial arts, as the guy had boasted in their battle much to Archer's distaste. So, that wasn't a possibility either.

So, it was likely done by the human organization that has been all over the news these past few years, the group that has self-proclaimed themselves as the protectors of the innocent, the Robin Hood wannabes. It wasn't hard to guess that the group had likely sent an assassin of their own to take care of the lackeys of the Yakuza gang that had recently set its foot into this town.

That didn't really concern him either, but since his Master had asked him to look into this matter, he would duly respond as he can to the best of his abilities. Like, for example taking care of the trash. Okay, he wasn't exactly proud of it either but still it was his duty according to his master.

"I wasn't asking about who died and how they died." Rin turned to look at Archer with a serious expression, derailing his thoughts. "I wanted to know if a magus was responsible this."

There was a technique that a magus participating in the Holy Grail war would sometimes employ. By having their Servant devour the souls of humans they could replenish their magical energy without taxing the Master.

Admittedly it's not the best technique out there and was a deplorable act in general so it was not even worth considering in Rin's books, but it was still a valid method that Masters may choose to use.

"Doesn't seem so." Archer bent down, and wiped some of the dirt with his finger. He, then rubbed it in between his two fingers, and took a sniff before getting up. "I think it's just a normal murder. Plus, the people that were killed were probably nothing more than grunts that did the groundwork for the gang in this region. People like them have rivals. Anyone of them could have done this."

"I see." Rin gazed at the scene for a while longer, before she decided that maybe Archer was indeed right. Plus, it was still the start of the Holy Grail war, but, as many accidents involved with magecraft were occurring lately, she did not see any reason not to investigate this one as well.

Just as she was about to leave the area, she noticed a small torn cloth near a telephone pole. It was in perfect blend with the background that it was very easy to miss. And, with many incidents happening lately, it was possible that the police might have missed it. She went and picked it up.

It was burnt all around at the edges, but she was still able to recognize it after focusing some of her energy into her eyes.

"No way!" There was some disbelief in her voice.

"What's wrong, Rin?" Archer stood beside her and took a look at the cloth. "Wait, doesn't that cloth belong to..."

"Yes. It is a part of our school's uniform, or rather part of the boy's school uniform," Rin looked at Archer sternly. "That means that someone from my school may have been involved in this mess."

(((Finding oneself)))

The Uchiha were likely a group of Assassins, according to the doc. Yet, there were no records of such a group in the record books. But, Sasuke supposed it was because of that very feat, his family could be considered as a clan of Assassins.

So, as a teen that was supposed to belong to an assassin family, it was perfectly acceptable to show your enemies your back, because assassins were the ones who were very good at judging a situation. They never go for a frontal attack, unless they were absolutely sure in their skills to confront the enemy. Retreating was a major part of the tactics employed by such groups, and despite priding themselves in stealth, it would be foolish to go against forces you know you can't stand a chance of defeating.

Whoever begged to differ, or criticize him for being a coward for retreating could go and shove their opinions up their ass.

He was currently crouched behind the raspberry bushes in an abandoned park, holding his breath as he listened to his heartbeat beating wildly against his chest. Yet, he dared not make a noise, for he was paranoid that even the slightest sound would give away his position to the hybrid beasts known as 'fangirls.' Where was Shinji when he actually needed him?

He regretted not taking Rin's advice the first time she commented on his choice of clothing. As a result, he was now being pursued by college girls who thought he was one of those famous idols that were hot sensations these days on the internet. Curse those stupid models and curse their fangirls!

Taking Lancer's help was out of the question, due to the unspoken rule of keeping magecraft a secret. Despite how much the Uchiha hated fangirls he wasn't going to needlessly endanger them.

"Senpai?"

He froze for a moment before he slowly got up from the bush in silent resignation. He turned around slowly to find the sweet face of Matou Sakura much to his relief, curiously looking at him, all the while standing gracefully with her hands positioned to her front.

"It's you, huh?"

He breathed out in relaxation after finding that there was no else around her. As he ran his hands through his messy hair, he eyed her school uniform and the bag she held tightly in her hands. Her being present here meant that the school was finished for the day. Damn, he had wasted a lot of time.

"Um, is everything alright?"

He met her unsure expression and nervous smile as he lifted his eyes. He then realized that he had been caught staring at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"Uh, no it's fine," She shook her head quickly with a nervous expression. Watching the older male in front apologize to her felt like a miracle. No, she was sure anyone in her position would feel the same. Because, from what she heard from her classmates, Uchiha Sasuke was the epitome of cool and coldness, one that did not give a damn regarding others.

She felt that wasn't the case though.

"Did you need me for something, Sakura?"

She was snapped out of her daze as the older raven in front of her eyed her curiously. "W-Well, you weren't at school today, so Nii-san asked me to go to your place. But, then I saw you here…" She spoke hesitantly, feeling a bit intimidated as Sasuke stood with a unreadable expression.

"He said that you were supposed to deliver some package that belonged to grandfather."

'She must be asking about the package that got burned up. Looks like the Matous called the postal office.'

Sasuke thought for a moment, looking at the girl thinking about the consequences he would face when they learn that the package was now burnt well beyond recovery.

"There was some unexpected delay. I'll have it sent to Shinji tomorrow. You can tell him that."

"Okay, senpai," She said, offering him a polite bow before she turned to leave.

Sasuke also turned his head the opposite way, deciding to head home to do something about that package, but-

"Damn it! He vanished again!"

"Where did he go?"

"We had finally found him! We can't let this opportunity go waste! You girls go there and we will search here."

..

Sakura was now a few meters away from the park and was on her way to Emiya's compound, seeing as Shirou hadn't attended the school today as well. She heard few quick footsteps behind her as she looked to her side to see her brother's classmate catch up to walk alongside her, as if he had forgotten something.

"…"

It seemed like she was really in a dream. First, the one that revered highly by her classmates apologized to her, and now he was walking beside her as if they were... She knew many of her school girls would give anything to be in her position. If any of his aggressive fans were see to them walking together right now, she was sure she would not reach home unscathed. She suspected that even her self proclaimed guardian could do anything about them.

Or, maybe he would flock all the girls towards him. It was hard to say what her guardian would do if that were to pass.

"S-Senpai? Is something wrong?"

Sasuke turned his head around, as if it was a normal thing for him to be walking with her. "Oh, don't mind me."

She didn't know how to respond back for a while as her mind went blank. But, after the moment of astonishment had faded, she turned again.

"Is senpai's home also in the direction of Shirou senpai's house by any chance?" She politely asked again, not thinking too much on why senpai decided to walk her.

"It's not." He spared a glance behind him, before quickly looking to his front with a slightly mortified expression. "But… I mean, I figured that I could at least provide you with some company until you reach wherever you are going, since you had to look for me and trouble yourself on my behalf."

Sasuke knew that was as a half-assed answer, but Shinji's sister wasn't like her annoying brother to outright disagree to such a request, nor was she meddlesome enough like Rin to be asking pointless questions.

"Deception is generally not good as it tampers with the relationships one builds with others. But, perhaps it is considered acceptable in this particular case, seeing as Master has to escape from his arch nemesis."

He didn't know if Lancer was being sarcastic right now, or was actually being honest with what he was saying.

The streets had become a silent place in the presence of the red rays of the sun. Both Sasuke and Sakura were quiet throughout for the most part of the journey, with Sasuke sneaking glances occasionally at his surroundings to make sure no one was following or chasing after him. But, after some time it had started to become weird.

He may be getting paranoid, but since he began walking alongside the shy sister of Shinji, he hadn't noticed a single person in the area. It was like some sort of repellent was applied to the area.

After everything that has happened so far, it would be foolish to ignore the possibility he was walking into a trap, since he still didn't know the identity of three of the other masters. If he really was, that also meant dragging the girl beside him into his mess. If it was her brother present right now, he wouldn't have cared nearly as much, but that wasn't quite the situation.

He wasn't heartless enough to drag an innocent girl into his battles.

"Sakura, I am sorry to trouble you. But, could you go on your own now? I am sure Shirou's house is close by." It wasn't hard to guess where she was going to, as Shinji often spat about it to him whenever he got the chance. Of course, Sasuke never really asked for it, but Shinji wouldn't budge without getting that matter of his chest each time he learnt that Sakura visited Emiya.

The purple color haired girl blinked, turning to look at the frown that the tall person held beside her had. Something must be wrong seeing as her senpai scowled more than he usually did, but decided to just do as he said anyway.

"Sure, senpai. Thank you for walking me."

He watched silently as the young girl walked and disappeared away from his sight. Then, he let out a deep sigh, and picked up a sturdy metal rod that was lying on the side. With some sort of a weapon in his hand, he started to sprint in the alley opposite to the one Sakura took.

The one he took was abandoned as well just like he had guessed. So, it was a trap after all.

"Lancer! Watch after the girl. And, return immediately once she had reached safely."

"Understood." He heard Lancer's reply through the telepathic link. "But, to be safe, I advise not to do anything reckless until I arrive. Somebody has set up a bounded field in this area to drive away the people. I suspect it's the enemy's work, but I can't sense any enemy servant in this region."

Sasuke nodded, as the air behind him blew, particles shifting as Lancer leaped behind to follow after the girl.

The last Uchiha sprinted across the deserted streets. He stopped himself after running quite some distance, taking support from the lamp pole beside him. He panted, catching his breath before he noticed strange patterns carved into the ground few meters ahead of him.

"…!"

The whole area seemed to dim, as the atmosphere around him felt like it dropped a few degrees. Before he could react in any way, the area beneath his feet began to glow in a peculiar red aura. Strange grey creatures, seemed to be modeled after skeletons rose from the glowing road, slowly rising from all directions and all facing towards their target of elimination. Him.

He had already guessed something like this would occur. Anyone who witnessed Lancer's strength in yesterday's fight would have naturally gone after him; the weak and inexperienced Master. But, just because he did not possess any knowledge regarding magecraft meant that he was weak. He was quite proficient in martial arts.

"Well, it could get a lot weirder."

Sasuke had a flat look, before he swiftly leaped to his front to dodge a blow from one the creatures that had spawned close to him. He then flicked the rod in his hand to block a blow from another skeleton in front of him, he let his eyes scan the surrounding area that was now completely deserted with only him and a small horde of these mindless creatures.

The situation was starting to look bleak. His only saving grace was that the impact of the skeleton's blow wasn't as heavy as he had thought it would be. If he played his cards right he should be able to hold out until his Servant's return.

He slightly crouched down, the rod he had in his hand found itself in a reverse grip that felt oddly natural to the Uchiha. The next moment he lunged forth, dealing a swift blow to the creatures head. He wasn't able to push any offensive as he was forced to dodge a horizontal slash from a skeleton behind him by bending low, the whistle of their crude weapon sang overhead. With a quick roll forward to avoid any potential follow up, the raven-haired teen was able to get back on his feet and ready himself once more.

The skeleton that he had previously knocked down, slowly got up again which he took note out of the corner of his vision.

'It wasn't enough, huh?'

Despite being surrounded by close to a dozen skeleton creatures that generally shouldn't be walking around, he still had a smirk on his face.

'What's a better time than now to try this.'

He closed his eyes, standing still for a moment despite the impending danger around him. The creatures around began to advance towards him in their slow, relentless steps. One of the creatures that had reached him, raised its arm to end the teen.

But, the blow never connected. The arm that tried was now dislocated from the offender's body, as a set of red eyes were now boring into the dragon tooth warriors surrounding the raven-haired teen.

Two creatures attacked him simultaneously this time, only to be easily dealt with by the Uchiha who targeted their legs perturbing their movement. He realized his speed had dramatically increased, and he was able to see each and every movement of the enemies in front of him clearly. You could say he was now able to predict the movements of the dragon tooth warriors, a form of clairvoyance almost.

'So, this is what these eyes can do.' He easily evaded another straightforward attack by leaning back, before dealing a blow with his rod by attacking at the weakest position he scanned with his eyes. It took him surprisingly no time at all to get used to the new perception of his surroundings that his eyes gave him.

'Now that I think about it, their attacks, while accurate are not refined. They are pretty straight-forward. If only I had my blade instead of this rusty rod, I would have finished them off by now.'

Sasuke had a look of displeasure, as he dealt a heavy blow on the head to the creature in front of him. Another tooth warrior behind him swung its blade at Sasuke, who tried to block it with the rod he held in his hand but failed.

After taking impact of so many strikes, the steel rod finally gave into the pressure and broke. With a click of his tongue, Sasuke managed to kick the skeleton away from him. However, that was too close. If he had been any slower, that could have gravely injured him.

As he stood with the broken iron rod in his hand, with the peach painted wall to his back, dragon tooth warriors after his life surrounding him in all directions, he vaguely recalled Lancer's words.

"Use the mana in my body to give form to the image in my mind, to release my magecraft into the world…"

He mumbled to himself in a low tone. He closed his eyes in concentration despite the impending danger surrounding him, feeling up the abundant energy that had been flowing up in his body the moment his eyes had activated. He tried to picture the particles in his body vibrating very quickly around their place, almost as if he was trying to stir them up to high speeds to produce rapidly oscillating waves. He couldn't say why he decided on this course of action. Just that he knew it felt natural. Sasuke began to hear what could almost be described as birds chirping. The sound itself was familiar and pleasant.

He opened his eyes in surprise to find the rod in his hand to be covered in blue crackles of lightning, electrocuted completely along its length along with his right wrist. Yet, strangely he wasn't feeling the pain which should have followed an intense electric current pulsing through his arm. If anything his fingertips tingled. It was as if his body was already accustomed to this feeling and a peculiar sense of deja vu assaulted him. Even the emotionless creatures that slowly edged their way towards him paused reflexively at the sight of the blue tendrils of electricity that crackled all around him.

He looked at the weapon again triumphantly, before giving it a smooth twirl.

"Hn, now this is more suitable to be a weapon. Come!"

Sasuke brought the newly electrified rod to bear without a moment's pause. More of those creatures appeared, all around him; even on the walls, a few crawling their way down the telephone pole. With the ground underneath him slightly cracking due to the high voltage which emitted from his form. He charged at the creatures in front of him like a speeding bullet.

The dragon tooth creatures' structure were shattered as though they were paper and wood. Another creature attempted to crush the raven-haired youth with its immensely large body, but Sasuke simply changed the grip of the broken rod and launched his sunken body upwards, blowing the mundane creature away with just the electric currents circulating around him.

His movements contained experience he shouldn't have had; nothing short of a seasoned pro. He shouldn't have had these kinds of reflexes, not this familiarity with combat, but it was there and now wasn't the time to question it. The previously broken dull rod he held was now something that it could have never achieved on its own. Now it transformed into a ruthless killing machine, cutting down enemies with finesse and no mercy.

His eyes picked up movement above him, and in one fluid motion he flung his weapon into the skeleton, pieces of its body flew as it shattered on impact. He, then instantly again imagined the flowing energy in him, and pictured it flowing from his body into his surroundings. The surrounding air had briefly heated to high temperatures, the blue tendrils of electricity traveled across the road at lighting speed and electrocuted all the creatures near him before rendering them useless.

One final smug expression settled on Sasuke's face, before he was brought to his knees. The adrenaline and satisfaction of combat had left his body and now he was feeling the effects of his trial. His body felt hot, uncomfortably so, and cold sweat settled on his forehead. The mystic eyes faded away a second later, and he involuntarily brought his hands over his left eye, resisting the urge to gasp due to the pain that assaulted his entire body.

'This pain...'

It seems that whatever he used just now was imperfect. Like he had just forced it out. That wasn't how he observed Rin and that white haired girl cast their attacks, nor did they experience any sort of backlash. Maybe, it was because... Seems like it was finally time to recover the scrolls that he had given away.

The scrolls among other items that they found with him when he was brought to the hospital. He had given it away to the doc for safe keeping since he didn't understand anything about it. He thought his past self was a cultist maniac to be carrying so many weapons and scrolls with dangerous rituals inscribed in them. A language he didn't quite understand, something that had to do with few hand signs drawn in it.

But, now he was convinced that maybe the hand signs had something to do with the prana, or whatever that Lancer said he had in his body. Maybe, he could finally discover the secrets, or rather rediscover the techniques of the scrolls. That would hugely boost his chances in the coming battles.

In the meantime, one of the creatures that had survived the onslaught, jumped from the top of the telephone pole beside its target—who was completely immersed in his thoughts, and was about to bring down the sword in its hand to end the life of its target, who was now also well past his limit.

But, before its attack could reach its target, it was obliterated in mid-air by a golden lance. The white haired servant arrived just in the nick of time and settled himself onto the top of the very same pole that the last remaining skeleton was just on.

'Seems like I was too late. But…' The golden Lancer contemplated. The whole area was filled with disintegrating dragon tooth warriors—which he recognized immediately. His eyes landed onto the back of his Master who was now on all fours.

'But, it seems like Master was somehow able to take care of them.'

The creatures that were littered all around the place were nothing but familiars used by what was most likely a Caster class Servant. To Karna's knowledge, only a select few in history could actually summon these creatures to fight for them. They were of no match in general to a Heroic Spirit, even in larger numbers.

But, for an ordinary person, even one could be quite overwhelming. To think that his master was able to take care of not one but around two dozen of them was indeed a feat. It seems like he had underestimated his Master, but that only raised more questions.

It was generally impossible for a normal human to destroy skeleton creatures in numbers as this. In fact, combating even one would prove difficult due to the fact they were naturally more sturdy than the normal individual. Even some magi could get overwhelmed if they weren't careful. So, did that mean his Master was actually part of a lineage that had lost itself in the abyss of time?

But that still leaves the question as to how he was able to accomplish the task itself. To the Servant of the Lance's knowledge, his Master had no crest. So, his knowledge of whatever spells he used didn't come from that, so from where did it emerge from?

Nevertheless, it put his heart to ease, knowing that his Master was indeed capable of defending himself until he could arrive to protect him.

"But, I would still wish if you were to refrain from taking such reckless actions in the future."

Lancer remarked, landing in an elegant posture beside the raven-haired youth. Although his tone had no emotion in it, Sasuke could tell his Servant was only reprimanding him for his own sake.

"It depends. Besides, I think whoever was responsible for this was just testing me," Sasuke answered. He pushed himself of the ground, fighting against the pain which still assaulted his body. "…what about the girl?"

"She had safely reached the destination she intended to go to. I also sensed an enemy Servant's presence in the compound. It seemed like it belonged to the Saber that I fought with yesterday. It won't take long for the King of Knights to figure out my position. I would suggest retreating, seeing as you already spent yourself quite a bit." Lancer answered, looking around, before settling his gaze somewhere in the distance to his north, in the direction of the Ryuudou temple.

He continued, "Also, I get the feeling that we are being watched. It would be better to get away from here as soon as possible."

"Hn."

Sasuke grunted silently in agreement. Lancer's stoic personality although different was close enough to his own that he was getting the feeling that he was talking to himself at times. That meant arguing was impossible. Talk about Karma.

(((Finding oneself)))

It took her a day to reach the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, including transfer and waiting times. It was past seven—thick, black-gray clouds filled the sullen sky, as though it were on the verge of tears.

Although she had been granted knowledge of this airport, built with the newest construction techniques, it still came across as novel to her.

Her legs felt heavy, probably because she had been sitting the whole time. During the long air journey, she spent half her time thinking about the reasons she was summoned for this Grail War, and used the other half praying for a safe journey. Thanks to her knowledge as a Servant, she fully understood what kind of transport a plane was. But that was different from actually going inside one. The fact was, she did not want to understand why that mass of metal could fly through the air... In truth, she was simply glad that they did not fall out of the sky.

The sight of such a defenseless-looking girl tottering about with a bag in her hands must seem like the easiest mark in the world to the low-lives that hung around the airport... but it never even occurred to them to lay a hand on her. They were not so unruly as to drag mud into a pure pond.

Fuyuki City laid to the south-west. She will have to use some form of transportation to get there, either taking a bus or boarding another one of those giant metal objects which rode on tracks this time at high speeds...

"Hmph."

The instant she stepped out of the airport, Ruler felt a couple of gazes on her.

However, she couldn't detect any Servants within the limits of the detection boundary centered on her—a radius of ten kilometers.

Ruler can nullify even the Presence Concealment skill of Assassins. If she cannot sense any powerful detection abilities despite feeling others' gaze...

"Then it must be remote viewing, or familiars."

Generally, there were two methods where thaumaturgy can allow one to see far-off things. The first was remote viewing—using a crystal ball, a mirror or such to observe a distant location. As long as there was some form of medium, magi could observe any place they wanted from the safety of their workshop. Most magi have mastery of this type of thaumaturgy.

The other was by using a familiar—creating a pseudo-living being by modifying a small animal or organism. By joining the causal lines between master and familiar, one can share its five senses. This is also considered a basic type of thaumaturgy for most magi.

Scanning the grey skies, Ruler noticed innumerable doves looking at her direction. It would seem that they are familiars—but, try as she might, she could not see the light of intelligence in their eyes. Normally, by being granted the hair or blood of a magus, the creature that becomes a familiar gains a degree of intelligence. While it cannot quite speak, its intellect should be quite detectable.

Yet they look for all the world like simple doves, though it was unmistakable that they are observing her. Were they being controlled by hypnotic suggestions? That would be quite a roundabout method.

Ruler glared, first at the direction from which she was being observed from, then at the doves. Her gaze did not contain any sort of prana or power, but it helped clear her thoughts.

The sensation of being observed disappeared, and the doves all flew off at once. Ruler sighed when she confirmed this.

In essence, a Ruler does not take part in the Holy Grail War... however, as the position demands that it brings judgment upon Servants and Masters that violate rules, a fitting amount of combat strength was required.

Not many have experienced the Holy Grail War twice or thrice and even amongst those, it was doubtful that any has ever taken part in one where a Ruler manifested. Perhaps, they wanted to measure the power of such a Servant.

"More and more, it seems this war will require some difficult judgment on my part..." She sighed deeply. "Whatever the case, I must first head to Fuyuki City..."

Murmuring to herself, Ruler started looking for a bus, only to find that none were currently available. After inquiring around, it turned out that there would not be a bus to Fuyuki City until tomorrow. Left with no choice, Ruler asked around to see if there was anyone heading to Fuyuki.

She was pleased when a lean old man with gray hair, wearing round glasses that loosely hung over his nose and sporting a gray beard said that he would take her along.

"Yes, I'm heading to Fuyuki myself."

"Is it really okay...?" She asked with an unsure expression, looking at the fancy black limousine in front of her.

"No problem. But, Fuyuki isn't really a tourist spot, you know. Not since the incident that happened ten years ago. Sure, they've really pulled themselves back up, but that incident remained as a scar forever in Japan's history."

"I am a transfer student that's supposed to study in one of the school's there. Could you please help?"

"Well, all right, if that's the case. Hope right in!" The door to the expensive car opened, the old man moving to his side. "It's not every day you get to give a ride to such a beautiful young lady."

"Thank you for your kind words and generosity, sir." Ruler bowed her head in earnest, before getting into the car.

"Haha, such a kind girl. If only that brat of mine could learn a thing or two from you."

The old man laughed as her luggage was being placed in the back by the driver. Ruler only offered a polite smile in return, not asking who he was referring to.

"So, which school are you attending?" The old man asked, making small talk. "As far as I know there is only one school in the area. I think its name was Homura High School or something."

"It's the same one. However, I won't be in that school for long." Ruler offered a smile. "It is supposed to a one-month trip at the most."

"I see. Well, one of the kids I know studies in the same school. If you meet him, could you say hi for me?"

"Uh, sure." She said, hesitantly. She was just joining the school for formality. She wasn't planning on attending. Though she wanted to, her position as Ruler made it difficult. But, in case she did attend this school. "What is his name?"

"Sasuke. He is actually pretty easy to spot. You'll find him brooding in some corner of the classroom." The old man laughed again, as Ruler could only offer an awkward smile at his joke. After the door of the driver seat was firmly shut, the car shook a little as the engine was started and began to move. As the car smoothly rumbled on, Ruler watched many tall buildings pass by.

The speed at which the vehicle sped, the comfort the seats held and the lighting inside the car caused Ruler to stare at the vehicle in awe.

"Yes... quite different from a horse carriage."

And, with having been told that it would take at least two to three hours to reach their destination, Ruler decided to spend her time wisely. She took out a textbook from her bag since she probably wouldn't get the chance to attend the school. But, she was quite delighted that a country girl like her had a chance to study, albeit even if it was slim.

However, while the Holy Grail had bestowed upon her the knowledge she needed to survive in the modern world, it did not go so far as to teach her the contents of this book. In other words, Ruler only knew as much as the girl she was possessed.

Ruler began with the math textbook, as a sense of foreboding for the tribulations to come filled her.

(((Finding oneself)))

"Hmph, it seems someone else appears to have taken an interest in the young man."

Assassin stifled his laughter from where he stood, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall just beside the huge doors of the church.

"If you've got something you want to say, then you may say it out loud, Assassin."

Assassin merely chuckled again, "It's rare to see you lose your cool, priest." He shook his head, as if correcting himself, "Hmm, that's not quite right.. You never really showed much emotion to begin with since I've been summoned. Or, maybe you've always been like that."

"I see that you are still quite cheerful despite what happened to your master. Or, perhaps you feel angry, and are slowly plotting your revenge all the while acting like you are obeying me."

Kirei mused a little when anger flashed for a split-second in Assassin's eyes, before he closed his eyes shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, it was really her fault, and I am not exactly one to preach about good and uphold whatever bullshit they like to spout, nor am I one of those avenger types. I am just a lone man who uses his fists." He peeked an eye open to look at the stoic priest. "So, despite how I act, you can trust me not to betray you… as long as you provide me with food, sake and ladies of course~."

Kirei ignored the goofy smile of the Tattooed servant, as he turned towards the door to greet the new arrival. But, before he could, the other man beat him to it.

"Ah, King of Heroes. I trust you had a good journey. So, now where is this wine that you were supposed to bring with you?"

"Ignore him," Kirei said, his tone carrying a hint of exasperation before focusing on the blonde in the biker jacket. He looked a bit surprised when he noticed that the oldest hero wasn't offended, but was actually looking pleased. "You look a bit excited, Gilgamesh. Did you find something that caught your attention?"

"Kirei… it seems the one that we should be most cautious of has arrived in Japan," the blonde replied, taking a seat in one of the chairs as Kirei stood beside him. "And, just in time like you had predicted."

Hearing the oldest king's words, Kirei's face tightened, his eyes carrying a bit of animosity. After all, Ruler was the one that they needed to watch the most if the manifestation of Angra Mainyu was to be a success. And, because she had been summoned so far off and with no master of her own, it was difficult to eliminate her immediately.

He did not hate her. She was simply the one existence in the entire world that could avert the manifestation of the grail. Though, there was also the fact that he had yet to find out the reason for her summoning. The grail shouldn't have been able to call forth a Ruler due to Angra Mainyu's corruption.

Nevertheless, a small smile crept up his face which wasn't missed by the King of Heroes.

"You look happy, Kirei." the blonde said, raising an eyebrow before a knowing look made it to his face. "Hn, it looks like you already prepared something entertaining without telling me."

Yes, he had indeed prepared something. Though, he wasn't sure if it would work, given the unpredictability of the young man. But, his Servant mostly seemed capable of taking out the Ruler from what he heard from Assassin.

"Yes, I do. But, you'll have to wait to see for it yourself, Gilgamesh." The priest merely chuckled, as the blonde stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. It looked like the King of Heroes had no choice but to wait and see what Kirei had planned. The priest better not fail at his job of being a playwright.

Kirei walked few steps away, and folded his hands behind him. He looked into the far distance out of the window, "Now then, I wonder how the second clash between Servants is going to take place."

(((Finding oneself)))

At the same time Lancer and his Master were moving to find a place to recuperate and plan their next course of action, Rin and Archer were making their way back to the Tohsaka Manor.

"So, in the end Caster escaped from us even after all the effort we put in to chase her." The Servant clad in red commented.

Rin only shook her head, tired after all the work they strained themselves with today. "Who would have thought Caster was the one behind the coma incidents. I thought it was just some mage doing all this, but it also makes sense. A normal magus couldn't really pull all this of on his or her own, not without any help."

"So, the flow is towards the Ryuudou temple?"

"Yes," Rin said, pushing past the gates of her mansion. "The stolen life force is all flowing towards the mountains. I suspect that is the center of the Caster's territory."

Servants receive certain skills when they are assigned a class in the present world. These skills are abilities such as Assassin's Presence Concealment, Archer's unique skill of Independent Action, Saber's and Rider's Riding. Likewise, a Servant of the Caster class possessed the ability of Territory Creation. A skill that allowed them to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus, such as for the purpose of collecting mana.

"Then, what is our course of action? Do we go for a frontal attack, or would you like us to gather information first?" Archer asked, knowing full well that his Master wholeheartedly condemned Caster's actions. His Master was, to put in simple words, a kind hearted soul who could not bear the thought of innocents being dragged into her mess not if she could help it.

Rin walked carefully under the dim light of the moon, the short bushes in her garden surrounding her line of sight. She reached her front door and fished out the keys. "Well, for now I would say it would be best to observe their actions. Like you said, they know few of our abilities whereas -"

...!

Archer immediately materialized with the two blades in his hands, taking a step in front of Rin in a defensive position. Rin had a troubled expression, cursing herself for her lack of self awareness as Archer carefully opened the doorknob.

How did she not notice before that someone had disabled the defenses around her house?!

That too, it had to be an expert if she did not notice any change until it was too late.

"I sense a servant."

Archer's cold voice interrupted her line of thought. The worried look on her usually calm Servant's face said that this isn't anyone like they have encountered till now.

"Is it caster?"

"No. This is entirely someone else." Archer said, taking few steady steps into the hall of Tohsaka Mansion. "Where is-"

"Yo! You two had me waiting."

Rin nearly jumped, bumping into Archer at the sudden voice. She bent to the side and looked from around Archer to see a figure that was casually sitting on her couch, legs kept on the tea table in front. The man had on simple ornate armor with black clothing underneath. He casually threw the magazine he was reading onto the table, and stood picking up the spear that was leaning against the couch.

The spear he held was greatly different from Lancer's weapon. Lancer's massive length of divine steel utilized its sharp tip and immense weight to bring about destruction. However, the spear in front was one of simple, sturdy workmanship, well designed for close combat. From the way he held it lightly in one hand, it could be thrown as well.

Mana was basically oozing out of him. And, the way he held himself was nothing like that of a mage. No, the confidence and arrogance that the person in front was displaying, the way he puffed his chest out proudly in spite of seeing Archer confirmed only one thing. The person in front of them was a Servant, and a powerful one at that.

After grasping the history of the intruder's weapon, Archer knew that at this moment he had no chance of victory.

"Stay behind me, Rin."

"Oh, so the pretty lady's name is Rin, huh?" The green haired man had a teasing smirk, as Archer gained a dark scowl in response. "So, Oujo-sama. You are the current Tohsaka's head and this is your servant, right?"

The whole room grew thick and cold, with blood lust in an instant as the man stared at Archer and then at the blades in his hands with an offended look.

"I have already witnessed your fight yesterday, Archer. So, a mere bowman thinks he can take me on in close combat... damn, I am being held in such low regard."

The man sneered in a playful tone, overflowing with confidence. Despite not using his primary weapon, he surged with an enormous, electric will to fight. He closed his eyes as he gave a smooth twirl of the lance in his hands.

"My class is Rider, but don't worry. I am not going to bring out my chariot, nor am I going to kill you guys right now. After all, what fun would it be if you guys perished so early in the war."

Rider said in a mischievous tone. In other words...

Rin, who was frozen in her place until now snapped in anger, "So, you mean to say that we are not worth taking seriously. Is that right, Rider?!"

"Woah, no need to get so prissy, Oujo-sama. It does not suit your pretty face." The man said, now pointing his sharp gaze at Archer with a mock grin. "Think of it as a test to see if you guys will be worth my time in the future. You see although I have no quarrel with my Master, there's some circumstances surrounding them that have really pissed me off. Unfortunately for you, my friend in red I need to let loose some steam." He said, this time to Archer specifically.

"I'll beat the meaning of a real hero, a true warrior into you."

And, for the second time in three days, the Tohsaka Mansion found itself in a huge mess again, perhaps this time it was going to be destroyed well beyond salvation.

(AN) Well, it was a pretty lengthy chapter(at least by my standards). I can't promise the lengths of the future chapters, but they'll usually be around 4-6k words in length. Anyway, now that Apocrypha's over, I guess the next one to look forward is Extra Last Encore.