"Okay. What is it?"

"Give up your ideals. I thought maybe Avenger could convince you that you can't save everyone, but clearly that's not happening. Give it up or I'll kill you."

"No."

That was when a blade erupted from Archer's chest, then withdrew itself. Archer turned to see Avenger behind him.

"I can't let you do that, Archer," she said.

"Why, because your handler told you to protect him?"

"No, because this is what I want. The world needs more people like Shirou."

"But if he goes down this path he'll only be filled with regret."

"Maybe, but you're just killing him for your own selfish reasons, Emiya"

"And you're not selfish? You're only doing this because he's helping you regain your humanity."

"Then let our blades decide who is just."

Avenger launched a vertical strike, followed by a horizontal strike. Archer skillfully dodged them, but was hit by the third, diagonal strike. He jumped back and summoned his bow.

"I am the bone of my sword," he said, a sword appeared and transformed into an arrow.

He fired the arrow-sword.

Avenger brandished her mirror like a shield.

"Yata no Kagami."

A duplicate arrow sword appeared, mirroring the path of the original. The two collided in a fantastic explosion.

"Yasakani no Magatama."

Avenger's flaming aura once again appeared, catching her flesh and clothes ablaze.

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi"

Archer was thrown against a wall by the wind and lit on fire. He picked himself up. With incredible speed Avenger was right in front of him; she kicked him in the stomach, then nearly beheaded him.

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood," Archer said.

Avenger kicked him in the head, sending him flying across the room. She stabbed Archer in the stomach. She jumped and came down hard with a vertical strike. Archer traced Kanshou and Bakuya and used both swords to block. Avenger pushed and the swords broke. Archer jumped back, getting a long, shallow cut along his torso. A sword appeared inches from Avenger's eye. She jumped back, right into a wall of swords Archer had created behind her. She peeled herself off the swords and prepared to fight again.

Shirou watched the fight. He thought over Archer's words as he did so.

Avenger and Archer fought for seven minutes. Avenger was nearing her time limit. If she didn't deactivate the magatama soon, its great power would destroy her.

"Stop," she commanded.

"I have created over a thousand blades."

"Fine, I'll end this right now."

Avenger threw her mirror like a frisbee, in such a way that it curved behind Archer. As she did so she invoked the mirror's name.

"Yata no Kagami."

Then she adopted Assassin's signature stance.

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi."

"Unknown to death, nor known to life."

"Tsubame-"

"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."

"Gaeshi."

Archer was cut to ribbons by six simultaneous strikes and crushed between six blasts of flaming wind.

"Heh, I got cocky. Thought I could beat a fake Servant no problem. Looks like you win this round, Avenger," he said.

"Even if what you say is true," said Shirou, "I'm still going to do my best, and I won't regret a thing. Thanks for standing up for me, Avenger."

"No problem," said Avenger, "and… call me Junko."

Junko, Shirou, Rin, Illya, and Saber returned to the Emiya estate together.