At the Emyia residence, Shirou, Archer, Berserker, and Illvasyal finally got back and told Rin what happened she was less than pleased.

"So..." Rin rubbed her temples in agitation. "You decided to have a heart to hear with the enemy...and ended up becoming friends with him!?"

Shirou then looked away nervously. "I know it sounds weird but...He didn't seem that bad of a guy and..." Shirou began to struggle to say. "I don't think he or any of the other shinigami want to do anything with the grail aside from seaming it away.

Saber then sighed in exasperation. "Shirou while this enemy may state that. There is nothing to indicate that they are not lying or trying to manipulate you" she then tensed her arms. "After all as I have mentioned beforehand the Shinigami are not to be trusted"

Shirou then furrowed his brow. "Maybe in your time, but things have likely changed since then right?"

Archer then looked over to Shirou. "Perhaps...but that that isn't a guarantee especially since Shnigmai can live far longer than most humans due to being living spirits and thus are far more likely set in their ways"

"Exactly" Saber agreed. "And even if this Ichigo was the expectation...that doesn't mean the other Shinigami in his group are the same" she added bitterly. While Shirou looked at her in concern.

"Saber..." Shirou spoke out. "Is there a personal reason why you dislike the Shinigami so much?"

Saber then closed her eyes for a moment and let out a deep breath and then stared back at Shirou. "There is...and it happened shortly after I became king of Britain"

Shirou then gave a look of concern. "And what happened?"

Saber then turn her head away from Shirou, stood silent for a few more seconds then looked back towards her master. "Tell me Shirou...what do you know about Hollows?"

The Young Magus winded his eyes at that word, while Archer gazed at Saber seriously and Rin shifted herself uneasily.

"Not much only that my father told me they are a type of wrath-like spirit that sucks up souls and magical energy?"

Saber paused for an instant before answering. "They start as wraths...but over time they eventually lose their hearts, gain a physical body that consists a hole in place of that heart, a white bone mask that hides their humanity…and driven by an unquenching hunger to devour the souls of both the living and the dead"

Shirou's eyes then winden in dread. "Devouring the souls of the living and dead?" He repeated. "And you had to fight against those types of sports?"

Saber then let out a deep breath. "Usually the church or the local Shinigami deal with them...but it is another thing entirely when the Menos are involved"

Rin then gasped on hearing that word. "Menos...I heard about those types of Hollows" she muttered in concern. "Going by recorded accounts they are a higher breed of Hollow that are formed by the merging of hundreds of hollows devouring each other right?"

Saber nodded. "Yes, even back then, when Mystery was much less depleted. Most Knights and Magi would struggle greatly against even the lowest class of Menos like the Gillain...Though for the most part, such encounters are rare in the world of the living"

Archer then narrowed his eyes. "And I can guess this was one of those rare encounters?"

Saber stood silent for a bit and then slowly shook her head before answering. "Even among them this was exceptional...for it wasn't a Gillain or Adjuchas I faced" Her eyes then darkened. "But a Vasto Lorde..."

Archer and Rin's eyes widened, with the latter gasping in shock and dread hearing that name while Shirou looked on confused at their expression.

"What is...a Vasto Lorde?" He asked nervously.

"A Vasto Lord..." Archer repeated lowly and sternly in his tone. "Are the highest level of Menos" he explained as he furrowed his brow and folded his arms. "They are practically humanoid in appearance...but their power is far beyond that of most Heroic Spirits or even captain-level shinigami" Shirou's eyes then widened in apprehension while Archer glanced back at Saber. "For you to face off against something like that early in your career...and live. It would be nothing short of a miracle"

Saber hummed. "Indeed…" she agreed grimily. "That Vasto Lord led an entire army of Menos that threatened an entire town. While I and my fellow knights rose up to the call to face them" She let out another breath as memories of that battle continued to flash through her mind. "My knights and I were victorious over the Menos army but when the Vasto Lorde entered the battlefield...my entire squadron were massacred within moments..."

The Shirou's expression turned one of sorrow as Saber continued her tale.

"However... despite my losses, I continued to face off against the Vasto Lorde with everything I had with Cailburn at my side and after fighting for what seemed like entirety I plagued my Sword into the foul spirit's chest and vanquished him before collapsing on the field" She then frowns bitterly as another flashback came into her mind. "But when the Shinigami came to perform Konsō on those that have been slayed by the Hollows. One of them their leader remarked he was glad that I could defeat the Vasto Lorde and their armies for them...before departing"

Shirou gasped in dismay, Rin closed her eyes and looked away in sorrow while Archer frown in disgust.

"The Shinigami... left you and your men to defeat this Hollow on your own?" Shirou stuttered and Saber let out a deep inward breath.

"Yes... and it soured my opinion on them since" She explained and then looked towards Shirou "Which is why I don't trust them with the grail Shirou... even if they have changed"

Shirou then thought back to Ichigo and noticed that he was about to say something about the Grail, but then immediately changed his expression as if he was hiding something.

Now realizing Saber's stance a bit more he nodded. "I understand Saber...I will make sure that once this whole war is over that no one especially the shinigami will ever get their hands on the grail"

Saber then glazed over to Shirou and her face relaxed. "Thank you, Shirou"

Rin let out of a breath. "Well now that we are clear on our stance with the Shinigami..." she pulls out a set of blueprints. "I think I might have a way to secure our victory over them"

Shirou, Archer, and Saber looked over the blueprints with interest, and Saber could barely comprehend them herself, but for Shirou and Archer, it resembled the instructions of a weapon.

Or more specifically a dagger...

Meanwhile, within the Matou residence, Shinji stood still shaking in bed while seething in rage and fury.

"Damn it, Damn it, DAMN IT!" He cursed repeatedly almost none stop. "Why did this have to happen to me!" he pouted almost hysterically. "Wasn't I chosen to be the master of Rider because my worthless Sister Sakura couldn't do it herself!?' Shinji screams out. "I could have Rider easily take down Rin, Emyia their servants, and those Shinigami if I wasn't so..so" He then flashed back to when he first felt the power of the captain's bankai and how the sheer pressure of it crushed his entire being to point that he couldn't even stand up or even breath...and had his Servant not saved him..."

Shinji then cried while burying himself in his pillow. "Why...Why can't I just prove myself worthy why do I always have to be so..."

He then looked at the healed stump of his right arm, remembering the Hollow who cut it off and when he walked towards him, Shinji thought thought that monster was going to finish him off.

Yet instead...it chooses to merge its flesh with his arm. Making the bleeding and the pain stop...before disappearing from his sight.

"Did that thing save me because it felt pity or something for me?" Shinji then mumbled to himself. "Am I really that…pathetic?" he said to himself miserably.

Then heard someone opened his door.

"Shinji?" Sakura called up to him and the teen immediately rubbed the tears away from his eyes.

"What do you want!?" he spat harshly before grinning sarcastically at her. "Are you here to mock me for my failure as a master and embarrassment!?

Sakura then smiled calmly at Shinji. "Not at all if anything...I am here to help you"

Shinji then winded his eyes in shock at the statement...and then let out a laugh. "Help...from you?' he then immediately got up into Sakura's face slammed his hand on the wall beside her head and snarled at her with piercing diluted eyes filled with rage and sadistic glee. Yet Sakura remains unfazed. "If wanted help from you...you would be the last person I ask even that!" he snapped at her viciously.

However, Sakura closed her eyes let out a short breath, and then stared back at Shinji. "You are free to deny it if you wish..." She then turned to leave while Shinji looked at her in confusion. "However...unless you want the power you seek..." she said with a hint of slyness. "I suggest you accept it"

Shinji then eyed Sakura suspiciously, but upon seeing his stump of an arm and realizing his powerlessness, he reluctantly decided to follow Sakura if only to humor her...and himself.