Ever since meeting Marianne, Shirou knew that he and his allies had to act immediately and swiftly. The enemy masters were all different, with some being more reasonable than others, but so far, all of them shared a common trait. They would never allow the Grail to be destroyed, which put them in opposition to the Dismantling Coalition. Shirou sent Hassan to scour Fuyuki and locate any masters and servants that would show themselves. While Assassin was not the strongest when it came to physical combat, when it came to scouting, he was practically undetectable. When the sun rose again, Shirou's servant returned with news. His master, Rin, and Waver were all there to meet him.
"Report, Assassin, we are ready," Shirou said.
"There weren't any major battles across the city, but I managed to discover two masters and their servants." Assassin began, immediately garnering his audience's interest. "The first was scouring the city, a young man from one of the northern countries, short brown hair and appropriate mage clothing. Nothing of note."
"And his servant?"
"A powerful man in golden armor, red hair, and a chariot that he rode across the skies." He announced, finally revealing another of their opponents.
"This must be Rider," Rin concluded.
"A man…In a chariot?" Waver spoke in a surprisingly quiet and faint tone, this was the first time Shirou heard the Lord speak so meekly. He noticed Waver's frozen, weak eyes as if some realization or shock pierced his soul like a sharp spear.
"Yes, an unmatched warrior."
"The one you describe is…" Waver clenched his fist. "Forgive me, I need some time to myself." He said after recomposing himself, although even this facade was hanging by a thread. "You can tell me about the other master later, continue without me for now."
"Well, that was sudden." Rin raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" But she didn't receive an answer as Waver quickly retreated to his room. Shirou could see strong unease in the Lord's eyes, but it was clear that prodding him now would do no good.
"Continue, Assassin. What of the other master?"
"She was also young, a woman…She hid in a flat and did not leave it during the night, but I spotted her through the window. Her servant was a mage with golden hair and crimson eyes, an imposing, even unforgettable look." This reminded Shirou of someone he met ten years ago, a rogue servant who nearly killed him and Saber, but this could have been a coincidence; it was too early to judge.
"And what of the master? Anything notable about her appearance?"
"It was hard to see the details from outside, but she had long violet hair. A unique color which I have never seen on human hair before."
There could be no mistake. There was only one woman in Fuyuki that Shirou met whose hair matched this vibrant, unique description. The one he parted ways a long time ago, and even though he carried the warm memories of days spent with her in his heart, he never dared to return. A life too busy, filled with heroic deeds and accomplishments, as well as discovery…Of course, he eventually learned about the meaning of the name 'Matou.' Perhaps that's why he was fearful of returning to her; the thought that Sakura had some ulterior motive back during those days was unbearable. Shirou did not want to ruin this beautiful dream.
"Are we thinking the same thing?" Rin asked.
"I should have visited her earlier…Didn't even say hello."
"We're of one mind, then," Rin spoke in a quieter tone. "I…Haven't talked to her, either." Rin said in a somber, somewhat regretful tone, even though Shirou wouldn't expect her to seek to put Sakura after the Holy Grail War.
"Then it is time for us to find her."
…
It took time for Sakura to finally brace herself and leave her house. She wanted to avoid encountering masters for as long as possible, maybe have them fight and weaken each other, but she still needed to buy food. She rarely went anywhere other than local shops around her house, and most of the personnel knew her well. There were a few people outside; some of them spoke with worry and fear in their voices, mentioning a powerful hurricane of unseen proportions spotted outside of Fuyuki; this must have been why most stayed at their homes. Sakura wondered if it had anything to do with the Grail War.
"Willing to leave your house, are you?" Gilgamesh's playful voice echoed in her head.
"No point hiding when even the house isn't safe," Sakura said in a somber voice. "Not after he saw us."
"I have to give it to the Assassin, he is a master at hiding his own presence. Still, there is no need to worry about him; he is the weakest when it comes to direct combat. I will annihilate him the moment he comes close."
"And if he turns out to be quicker?"
"Quicker than the King of Heroes? Nonsense! If anything, I should demand your apology for putting so little faith in me, but you are fortunate I am in a good mood."
"Ugh…" Sakura let out an annoying sigh. "I really shouldn't expect some people to change, guess that makes you…"
"Quiet!"
"Hey, I'm not even rude."
"Someone's here, someone familiar," Gilgamesh said in a far sterner voice. "There, to our right…It seems he came back for more!"
Sakura turned to the right and noticed a secluded alleyway, large enough not to feel constrained but still away from prying eyes. She saw a familiar face standing right before her as if expecting the young woman to pass at this exact moment.
"Hector…" Sakura said with emerging worry in her voice, their last meeting did not end well.
"Come closer." He said calmly. "There aren't that many people there, but better to be safe than sorry."
"Alright…But not too close." Sakura took a few steps forward. She noticed that Hector avoided eye contact, occasionally staring at the ground.
"Hello again, Sakura Matou."
"Don't call me that, my name is Sakura Kuzuki."
"As you wish...
"Did you try to hunt me down on purpose?"
"I did." He said with certainty yet a lack of enthusiasm.
"But I didn't try to fight back, I escaped…Didn't you say that you'd let me go?" She said confidently, making Hector pause.
"I…We did, but our plans changed. You are too dangerous to be left alive with a servant like this. We can't allow any uncertainty, I hope you understand."
"Maybe I was wrong, but you didn't seem like someone who would kill someone unprovoked…I thought you had more honor than that."
"It's none of your business, and I won't explain it."
"Did your mentor order you to do it?" Sakura asked, making Hector's handshake. It was an uneasy topic for him; she could see that, and Sakura felt guilty for provoking him. "I'm sorry, I mean no offense, I just…Can't we talk this out? Why do we have to fight again until one of us is dead? I don't want to battle…"
"And neither do I!" Hector snapped and clenched his fist. "I didn't want to kill you, it's true, but I'm not the one calling the shots…Angela is right, this was isn't for the faint-hearted, and we…"
"So she did order you to do it?" Sakura said with compassion and emerging warmth in her voice. It became clear as day.
"Yes…Because she knows what is right. She will win this war, and I promised to help her do it without letting my weakness get in the way."
"You are not weak," Sakura said quietly, seeing Hector's eyes rise up towards her. "Kindness isn't a weakness."
"It is in this case."
"I know some masters made peace with each other and even became friends during the last war…If Angela really thinks it's a weakness, then she is wrong."
"You…You don't know her. You don't have nearly enough experience to challenge her or pretend that you know better, you do not! If it wasn't for Angela's guidance, I would never…It doesn't matter, we're just wasting time. Let's end this! I challenge you! Rider, attack!"
A tall and powerful figure of Iskandar emerged right in front of Hector.
"Finally, a rematch I've been waiting for!" His voice brimmed with excitement.
"Gilgamesh, now!"
"Thought you'd never ask."
The golden age emerged to face off against the King of Conquerors.
"Great Iskandar, still as confident and full of himself…Makes the job easier for me."
"This time, I won't hold back! Not against the most powerful of all."
Iskandar rode forth as he let out a proud battle cry, but Gilgamesh was ready. He created a magical aura that slowed Rider's advance and then immediately began to unleash one magical blade after another. Iskandar raised his own sword and parried most of the strikes, absorbing their energy into his own essence.
"Not bad, but you will never come any closer."
Gilgamesh unleashed a powerful shockwave that caused Iskandar to fall back for a moment. Sakura looked away to avoid hurting her eyes. The glow left by Gilgamesh's attacks was too much to handle.
"Finally, the true extent of your power!" Iskandar smiled. "It's only fair that I grant you a taste of mine."
Two magical currents emerged around Iskandar, those quickly materialized into two strong men clad in ancient heavy armor. Sakura learned that Alexander could use his soldiers, mostly as a part of his noble phantasm in an army, but he could summon a few individual ones to his side without the reality marble.
"Toy soldiers? Is that really your best?" Gilgamesh smirked.
He ignored the soldiers outright, instead summoning a golden chain at his side. Gilgamesh launched it and wrapped it around Iskandar in a matter of seconds, swiftly immobilizing his opponent. Rider clenched his teeth, even though he could not ignore the pain inflicted on him.
"Now, let me outline it for you." Gilgamesh continued. One of the soldiers attempted to attack, but a swift spell from Gilgamesh obliterated him immediately. "I could crush you this very instant without even breaking a sweat. But I would rather first teach you a lesson in humility. You challenged the King of Heroes and dared to assume that you could be my equal, a foolish supposition. It would only be right to…"
Just before Gilgamesh could finish, a powerful whirlwind annihilated the alleyway wall, unleashing a rain of stones upon the servants and their masters.
