And I'm back. Welcome to another action-packed chapter. Happy fathers day to some of you.

Disclaimer: First chapter

Night 4 part 4

I am the bone of my sword

In his left hand, Archer projected Kyukiseki in its bow form. The black ball of Chakra undulated in reaction to Archer's words. Slow like a calm wave, its form shifted within Archer's right palm. He grasped an invisible shaft, and soon the wavelike, quaking form narrowed and elongated itself like an arrow. Akin to a black spear, the arrow pulsed as the energy attempted to escape its form. He nocked it like one, and continued his aria.

Steel is my body, and fire is my blood

Archer's arrow solidified; however, it was merely in texture. It was still unstable, yet capable of being fired. Archer coated the arrow with a shell of Prana to maintain its shape.

I am tempered steel forged in fire, and blessed by water

Unknown to the chaos of battle, nor known to the placidity of peace,

I stand as the unprovoked Vanguard to protect,

To safeguard those precious to me

I am the weapon left standing here…

As the origin of my Infinite Spiral Battlefield!

Archer's Reality Marble manifested within his mind instantly. The image of a battlefield littered with weapons from all types closely resembled Unlimited Blade Works in that regard. Archer's Infinite Spiral Battlefield held more than just swords; it held every weapon he'd seen, blades, guns, spears, hammers, axes, maces, bows and quivers of arrows, and much more were littered just as the title stated: in a spiral. An eternal sunset shone over the landscape. Skyscraper-tall steel bars chained together by golden chains set up the boundaries of the place as if an arena. This Marble could have been used to fight Rider in now that Archer thought about it.

However…

"Install!" Archer shouted.

He had other things in mind. Particularly, this arrow wasn't meant for Rider at all. Sure he wanted to stop Pegasus, but that's what the other Noble Phantasms were there for. The arrow was meant for the bastard behind her. The Marble he manifested in his head was projected into the arrow. Countless weapons smelted to fuel the devastation that is Bijudama would increase the damage output a hundred fold. He flooded the arrow with even more Prana.

"FIRE!" Archer roared. He released the string, which fired the arrow at Gilgamesh with mach speeds. His surrounding armada of guns, cannons, and ships fired upon Rider.

The black spear, with contrails of both Prana and Chakra emitted from the cracks in its form, scarred the air with scorching, and tempestuous fury. The air surrounding the projectile spun like a vortex on fire. Red lightning flashed within the flames, and heated the air as well. Red funnel of flame streaked past cold, blue comet, and headed straight for the King of Heroes.

Rider herself wondered what went coming along her side. The projectiles that battered against Pegasus were nothing but inconveniences that did nothing to stop her mount. She rather focused on the blazing heat of the attack could be felt even under the nigh-indestructible protection of Pegasus and Bridle combined. Such heat almost formed blisters on Rider's smooth, perfect skin; her hair almost singed from the heat as well, and her Pegasus visibly winced in pain when the projectile simply went past the two.

Gilgamesh violently steered his floating vehicle off to one direction. Choosing a Phantasm to counter the attack would be a waste of his time. Bringing out the mirror that could reflect all magical attacks would be useless as well. That attack could rival the Prototype Excalibur, a Phantasm so powerful, it had constraints to even use its full potential. If he used the mirror, then the whole city would be vaporized. He rather not have both the Lesser and Greater Grail end up as collateral by blocking this one attack.

The arrow shot past his original position, and broke through the sky of Archer's own Bounded Field. A giant web-like crack, similar to gunshot impacts on glass, grew seconds after the attack pierced through the heavens.

Its sheer speed brought the projectile up to the upper atmosphere and beyond that many astronomic institutions noticed this phenomena, and wondered what it is. They calculated the speed, which was a whopping Mach 80, a feat unheard of in any modern rockets. The very fact it broke through the atmosphere with that speed without any deviation from its course baffled scientists. In outer space, it only got faster and faster. They projected a course of the arrow's straightforward path to the asteroid belt. Yet oddly enough, it tore through the belt no problem. It's speed quickly rose into the hundreds, and by the time it pierced the asteroid belt, it became incalculable. It passed the gaseous giants without any problem, and headed for the next possible target, Pluto. They feared the worst. If the unknown tore through the asteroid belt, then what would happen to Pluto?

From their screen, Pluto was there at one point. When the unknown made contact, Pluto was no more. Or at least that's what it initially seemed to be. The original mass of the planet significantly dwindled with the lack of matter on it. If they had a video feed of what happened, they would have seen a crater that pretty much made the planet into a planet-sized bowl.

The Bounded Field mended quickly as if nothing happened. Gilgamesh scowled. He felt it; the attack far surpassed its own level from before. This was beyond even what the prototype of the Sword of Promised Victory could do. This was an Anti-Heavenly Body attack, and a lot of levels shy of what Ea could do at quarter of the power. Just how much Prana did that Servant use to fuel the attack? It alone could rival most Noble Phantasms on its own, and Gilgamesh knew that that wasn't Archer's own Noble Phantasm. It may be in conjunction with one of the forms the Phantasm takes, but it isn't the Phantasm itself.

'So you bear a hatred for me on the same level as I do for you, eh Naruto? Only you would be daring enough to end the fight before it starts. That pesky Faker got into your head pretty well if he's made you this pragmatic.'

'Tch…I missed. Damn that contraption. All of that was for nothing.' Archer felt bitter about that. He fully expected the King of Heroes to block it with at least one, if not all of Gilgamesh's defensive Noble Phantasms. Archer's heart gained a pang of guilt for abusing his skills and letting his anger take over. The Servant of the Bow knew his Master would be at Death's door right after he launched the attack. 'I'm sorry.' Archer told himself. 'For all my power, I'm useless…even now. Please survive this one last attack. Please!' He begged his Master to stay alive.

The attack was a failure. Success or fail, he had another thing to worry about: Rider. Rider still descended like a meteor. None of Archer's artillery hampered Rider's rapid advance to his position. He can't exactly avoid it because the Field would be a crater, where everyone, except Gilgamesh, would be nonexistent.

Archer landed on the skyscraper he and Rider fought on. He dispersed his projected Phantasm, and reformed his motorcycle into his gauntlets. Red in color, and devilish in appearance, its neon blue lines on the back of the hand, palm and fingers did little to change overall opinion. The Rerebrace wrapped around Archer's arms, and the lines of blue light followed the direction like veins. His pauldrons were replaced with crown-shaped ones with a circular extrusion on each one. Both bore a line art of a fox, but it was made of curves that never touched.

The eighth form of Kyukiseki, Astral Armageddon, lit up as if Hell was in Archer's hands. He can't exactly use that same attack now. Shirou would die from a reattempt. The sword would be a bit too weak to stop this. The lance would be impractical for these speeds. The motorcycle? Don't even go there. The mirror sword? What would copies be able to do that ten times worth the payload had done? His knives would be useless against the endurance rank of Pegasus, which rivaled a dragon's own. His broadsword form would be inaccurate, and do slightly better compared to the regular sword; it would be equivalent to a battering ram trying to stop a train whereas a bat attempting to stop a plane. This one…just might be able to overpower those defenses. The name isn't just for show. This form at full power was meant to destroy continents like they were sandbags for training. 'This should stop Rider's attack. And using full power should be more than the right level; it's the right amount of Mana expenditure needed to stop her within the bounds of Shirou's wellbeing.'

"Limiters one through nine release. Begin Mana intake and set the rate to max. Rectify all Mana leaks instantly. Store all present and residual Mana to right arm in rapid gradations of seconds." Archer poised himself in a boxer's stance; his whole body turned sideways to face the attack. His left arm set in front of him like a shield for his chest and sides while his other arm cocked right by his right cheek. He then reared himself back by dragging his right foot back, and subsequently lowering himself and his right arm into punching position. His right arm glowed with the raw Mana that entered it. To be condensed in one spot…never a good thing as demonstrated by that arrow that nearly destroyed Pluto. "Let the earth shake, the water tremble, and the air jerk. Ruin…Armageddon."

In front of him, Rider pierced the clouds in a bright flash. Archer let the Mana flow into the gauntlet. An imaginary counter of one, two, all the way to nine, popped up. The Mana that flowed reached the counter of one, then two, then three, and kept on going. The gaps between numbers became shorter with each number passed. Reaching maximum power needed a finely-tuned timing to be used. With the speed Rider was at, Archer's positioning was perfect. Rider was a mile away, but he needed to strike now. He pushed off his right foot with all of his strength. His right arm pushed forward like a gun. His torso moved in the flow of the punch; no energy would be wasted in this one attack. "Level nine! Galaxian Impact!" He roared. The punch met the steed's head in a violent clash.

A magic circle the size of a regular park appeared. Runes, Kanji, and other characters derived from other languages etched on the circumference. Magic circuits flowed inwards to the fist. The writing filled the gap in between. The Mana in the air was sucked into this circle like a vacuum. Two opposing forces visually distorted the surroundings. Whatever windows remained broke, cement cracked beyond repair, and a vacuum emerged as a result of the forceful attacks. The ground he stood on caved in. He had a clone reinforced this building, but it doesn't look to be enough for this one.

Fist versed steed. Fist won.

Steed flew to the side, and crashed on hard ground. It was only at that instant that there was ever a struggle. The need for full power resulted in the destruction of Pegasus's defense and a defeat for Pegasus. The impact took out the defensive capability of the mount. In essence, Archer own attack nullified Rider's own in such a way that when he punched, it ended looking like Archer just punched a horse full force instead of a struggle as expected.

Pegasus's rider, dismounted at the sign of defeat. She landed a few steps away from her friend. She tended to Pegasus's head, then turned to face the man who stopped her attack. "I never would have thought a punch would stop Pegasus."

"Neither did I, but let me get back to you on that conversation." Archer told Rider quickly. "I have a guest that needs to be tended to. You can come down now, King of Heroes." He hollered at the airborne rogue Servant. "Time we meet face-to-face without that horrible amnesia in the way." The King of Uruk complied to Archer's request. He jumped down from his vehicle, and landed softly on the rooftop both Archer and Rider occupied.

Gilgamesh stood proudly as his ruby red eyes scan over both enemy Servants. "It's been a long time coming isn't it, Shadow of Heroes? Quite rude of you to shoot at a spectator, but in the right." Rider stared in silent shock that Archer knew of the King of Heroes and vice-versa. She felt the palpable tension in the air. Laced in killing intent in amounts never before felt by the woman, the air suffocated Rider and Pegasus in a paralyzing trance.

"Approximately eighty or so years after you died." Archer answered. "And more or less time added waiting to get summoned. I've had a reserved spot for you under the category of people I hate. As such…what man or wouldn't want to try and harm the person they legitimately hate? I know for a fact you are livid in me entering this time. My reason for shooting at you is pretty simple hatred for you." Archer's own fury-lidded, slitted, red eyes glared at the blond man before him. Gilgamesh was unfazed by the glare; however, he did bore the same amount of hatred for the faker.

"You know…it still baffles me that if you change your hair slightly, remove the facial features, and replace your attire with my own armor, you would almost look like me. Though you could never be me, it's a nice thought for a faker like you to think about."

Archer scoffed. His arms crossed. "Only a narcissistic bastard like you would think that way. Do you get off looking at yourself in your golden mirror, King?"

"Mind your tongue, or I'll slice it, Faker." Gilgamesh warned.

"Oh I dare you to use your lacking sword skills to try and cut it, Goldie." Archer egged on the King of Uruk. His arms motioned Gilgamesh to come to him, to get closer and fight. "Let's see you use Durandal against one of my own. Let's see you even attempt to take me on in a duel of swords." Gilgamesh's composure teetered on the edge of fury. "Even with all of your arrogance, you know what would happen, Treasurer." Archer lowered his arms, and reverted his Phantasm's form to the sword for emphasis. "You may be War in terms of your arsenal, but I am War in both arsenal and available skill sets. You are a collector. I am a warrior who's mastered weapons of all shapes and sizes; that's where I have you beaten at your own game! Or have you forgotten that I can raise an army just to wield all of them at once?"

No, no…Gilgamesh hadn't forgotten that. How could he forget the mobs of Archers run at him like Iskandar did? Compared to the latter, the former was much faster. A master of weapons versed a collector of weapons…a bad matchup in all possible ways. But despite that, the King always had one thing Archer could not have.

Ea.

His mind wandered to that day. The second time he'd been defeated by the hands of a faker.

"Damn you! A mongrel like you dares to spout nonsense like that?!" Gilgamesh roared as his Gate fired insurmountable numbers of Noble Phantasms from the lowest to the highest classes. Naruto merely dodged them, and occasionally deflected some that came close to hitting him. A red shroud followed behind, so Gilgamesh had a separate set of portals aimed at that one.

'These fakers…These fakers!' More gates sprouted forth to spill out the infinite trove of weapons stashed in the King's collection. "Drown in my treasures, you damnable FAKERS!" Giant blades emerged from some gates, but both Archer and Naruto brought out their copies to neutralize the threat. The eternal sunset behind them was blocked by the titanic forms of the weapons, which gave ample shade to the fighters below. Orange and red raced to their enemy's position with their most favored blades drawn. Faces full of heated passion and anger faced Gilgamesh's furious own.

"Like Hell we will!" Naruto roared. The weapons all around him flew up from the ground. They gained orange contrails of Prana as Naruto ordered them to aim themselves at the King. Archer supplied his own weapons to the upcoming salvo. The numbers were mystifying; it outnumbered Gilgamesh's gates! "Fire!" Weapons of all types, of all sizes, shot themselves at the King of Heroes. The targeted man willed as many gates to open to counter this wave of weapons.

"Fools, the lot of you!" Gilgamesh shouted in retaliation. "Never dare to refuse the King!"

Naruto stomped hard, and leaped towards Gilgamesh. Kyukiseki over his shoulder, he poured Prana into its shape. "Like I give a damn about your stupid status, you golden piece of shit!" Danger filled Gilgamesh's head, which made the man look up into the covered sky. The man's eyes widened.

"What?!"

On the surfaces of the blades were an army of the orange-clad warrior wielding different weapons. They jumped off and aimed to stab the man at this height like a rain of weapons. As they descended, the clones shouted, "Here we come! Do you have enough weapons in your collection, King of Heroes?!"

But what a disaster that almost was. He couldn't draw out Ea at all. He was forced to fight properly. All those clones pushed back Gilgamesh far too much than he'd let on. Add in the other flying weapons that hurled themselves at the King, Gilgamesh stood little chance once Archer got the ball rolling. "I haven't forgotten at all, Archer." Gilgamesh answered. "That aspect is the only thing I believe you beat me at. And I also believe you are the only exception to the Jack-of-all-trades."

"Indeed. Rather than that lame category, I'm my own newest one: Master-of-all-trades!"

The man relaxed. Archer's words culled the arrogant man somewhat. Logic beat against arrogance. A smart choice considering that with his speed, Archer could gut Gilgamesh down. "I shall let your slight pass by me just this once. Archer has bonded with you quite deeply if you can produce words like those from your mouth. Besides that to even live near a century…you are an elusive hero. Not many, if at all live to reach that age. Tell me, how did you die?"

"Just like you." Archer answered. "Though I died in far more reasonable circumstances. I died much older compared to you, who died just after your prime. Despite being old, I was still leagues above the others. My immune system deteriorated from its near perfect performance throughout my life. It's almost laughable. I died from a fever. Most likely, it was induced by some poison of some sort. It must have been some faction that wanted the old status quo back. Never really thought about it since I was dying. Lancer did kill the conspirators while I was alive. Apparently the assailant didn't have a cure at all. Nasty brew it must have been if my lifetime's greatest medic could not find a remedy to save me."

"Oh? You mean the pink harlot?" Archer raised his sword. "My, my…all defensive now? Only mongrels care for mongrels. You are by far the worst one out of them; a faker who faked his life from childhood to adolescence. You never found your place in the world for the first fifth of your life."

"This has nothing to do with my life." Archer explained. "I said I would protect my precious people, Gilgamesh. That means I'm also stopping anyone from badmouthing them."

The Gate of Babylon opened behind Gilgamesh. A terrifying count of twenty portals appeared. In those twenty portals, A-ranked Phantasms emerged. Swords, spears, polearms, and other weapons of the like aimed themselves threateningly at Archer. "Then let's see you enter proper range for that duel of swords you speak of, shall we?" Rider, already paralyzed by this unusual sight, stiffened even more if that's possible. Archer, from what she experienced, was a Servant of exceptional skill beyond a Saber should be capable of in terms of close combat, speed just under par of Lancer, ingenuity of Caster, and a sly man like an Assassin. If Archer fought Gilgamesh now…this Bounded Field wouldn't last the first minute.

"There you go again retreating behind your golden portals of death." Archer snapped at the golden-haired, red-eyed Servant. "Bloody your hands for goodness sake. Some hero you are."

"Didn't you just say I would lose in a sword fight?"

"Yeah? But where's the fun in an easy battle? When's the last time you truly went all out? Haven't you missed the feeling of showing your power fully to insignificant insects as a display of power?" Archer questioned. The question piqued The King of Heroes' interest. It got the man to ponder the situation. He hardly became serious in a fight anymore. Archer continued, his ams wide open as he backed away. He spun around almost whimsically. "Better yet, when's the last time you took more than six footsteps during a fight? I mean hasn't your blood boiled for a fight of the ages? Or has your arrogance gone too far, and such, you deem yourself the strongest?"

"You've gained Lancer's lust for battle."

"So it seems." Archer admitted. "I personally think it's just me wanting a fight without any punches pulled. Or at least a level where we are serious without destroying the earth."

"Age has made you more tolerable and truthful, Faker." Gilgamesh remarked. He dismissed his Gate. "You were a privy one when I first met you. Though understandable since your assassin background influenced that hostile nature." Archer faced the King, and crossed his arms. His scowl visibly seen. Prana laced with murderous intent hammered the surrounding area. Archer's hair became spikier. Flames sparked at Archer's feet and hands; rage seeped into his eyes.

"You were blasting towns that saw you a threat!" Archer snarled. "It's a natural reaction to be hostile! Did you expect bouquets of flowers and a parade in your honor?!" Rider watched and listened; she could not believe there was another emotion besides joyful mischief. To see even a hint of fury on Archer's face genuinely surprised Rider.

"Mongrels…" Gilgamesh sighed. The man shrugged his shoulders. "None of you ever understand the plight of a King's constant need of proper, royal image."

"Oh I know." Archer told the man. "I became the leader of my village. I needed to be paragon to my people. I couldn't exactly be a fool like I was." Archer's rage quelled slightly. His tone returned to a conversational one. "The responsibility of a leader is quite taxing."

"It's good you've seen and rectified your flaws, Archer." Gilgamesh remarked.

"How so?" Archer raised an eyebrow.

The rogue Servant turned his back on Archer. "You've become your own person. You still have pieces of you that are fake, but it's tolerable. With you like this, I won't be as irritated when we fight." He chuckled. His head looked skywards. "I'm already looking forward to it."

"You're going?" Archer questioned without giving the effort to stop Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh kept walking. "This heat is bad for my skin. My clothes are getting drenched in sweat. This is all your fault; the fallout of your arrow has left this place like a desert. Not that I mind, but Fuyuki city is at a pleasurable temperature at the moment." He stopped mid-step. "Besides, I thought you want a fight at your best? Knowing you, you're still ready to fight. But your Master…that's is another thing." Vimana, Gilgamesh's flying throne, flew by, and swept Gilgamesh from his position. From way above, Gilgamesh hollered, "I will decide when our duel shall take place! Ready your blades, Archer!" The man disappeared into the night sky, the normal sky because Archer dissolved the Bounded Field. And just as the Field diminished, the oppressive atmosphere dispersed. Rider felt she could breathe normally.

"Tch…" Archer's eyes returned to their blue hue. "Snobby bastard…" He placed his hands on his sides. Like a signal, the action brought forth a visual surprise for Rider. Thousands of weapons, all hidden by air, littered the sky. The glints of silver shone from the horizon and right above, where the moon should have been. That's when she realized that Archer created a dome of weapons during the conversation between him and Gilgamesh. He stomped his foot out of frustration. "It was so easy to impale you right where you stood." He clawed his hair, brushed back, which resulted in the removal of his hood. Spiky, unnaturally kempt hair sprung to life now that their prison doors have been opened. "But I want a fight to the fullest." He whined to himself. With a groan, he dispersed the weapons, which left the material world in orange wisps. "Next time…"

"Just what are you?" Rider asked.

"Hmm?" Archer perked at Rider's question. "Oh you're still here? My bad…" He scratched his neck. "I got too heated up in that conversation huh?" He smiled the event off as if it was an insignificant one.

"Answer my question!" Rider demanded. "What hero are you? You transcended classes without any problem, throw Noble Phantasms at almost peak quality like The King of Heroes's own, and now…you're showing me you have the ability to go on even longer?! What kind of monster are you?!"

Archer lost his smile. The refreshing atmosphere caused by his simple, innocent act left in order to replace it with a bleak one. His eyes dulled in color like a cloudy day; Archer lost the vibrance in them. "Your point?" He asked blankly. "Do you want to finish our fight? Because I'll be happy to oblige." Much like Gilgamesh's modus operandi, Archer summoned weapons to battle. They floated around him, and trained themselves on Rider, who still cradled Pegasus's head.

Rider didn't say a thing. She had suspicions, and all because Archer's behavior flipped instantly. While she was in danger, it didn't mean Archer would pull the trigger, would he? It was extremely out of character for him to just snap at a moment's notice like that. This had to be a bluff, right? He couldn't have snapped so easily with her words. Did this change of emotion stem from her calling him a monster? If so, then he's such a hypocrite!

"Well? Do you still want to fight?" Archer questioned. Rider could hear the stress inputted into the word 'fight'. She could See Archer's hands were twitching in mild anticipation. "I'm all for it. I still have more Prana to use for another fight." Archer's eye transitioned to its red coloration. Rider could feel fury oozing into the atmosphere.

"You're bluffing." She stated with a little, yet somewhat convincing performance.

"Hm…? You really think so?" Archer wondered monotonously. His raised, right arm twitched. "Are you willing to bet your life on that guess?" Chains popped from his back, stabbed the ground, and emerged from underneath Rider. They wrapped around her body tightly like a Constrictor, never allowing any slight form of escape within the binds. The wrap was solid and a standard coil around Rider's body; by no means did Archer play with the bind by making it kinky.

Rider noticed this, and knew something was off. Archer would be much more playful than this. While he took her seriously during their fight, never once did he act practical or methodical. "Why would you try to romance me, if the end result is this?" Rider asked the man.

Archer narrowed his eyes. "Sure, I may have romanced you, but since my efforts had yet to bore any fruit, you are still an enemy. And as an enemy, I have all the reason to kill you and rid myself of one opponent from this War." Archer shot a war hammer to Rider's left, only marginally missing the majestic steed's front legs. A mace caved the rooftop at its point of impact, just behind Rider.

"Why the sudden change of demeanor, Archer?"

"…"

"You hardly took anything seriously before? Why change now? Is it because I called you a monster?" Archer didn't flinch like Rider had hoped.

"Oh that is childish, Rider."

"And why's that?"

"Because I have a reason I'm not like this all the time." The man replied. "Do you wish to see? Do you desire to sate your curiosity, to witness the insanity, the destruction cause by my own hands while being serious?" She didn't answer, merely she let Archer do whatever he wanted to show. Archer waved a hand, and easily formed another Bounded Field to replace the original one.

The scenery changed to a stupidly large crater littered with weapons that scarred the ground from random directions. The place was also blotched with patches and violent, irrational trails of blood. All were embedded into the ground deeply and arranged without any organization in mind. In the middle of it all, a monster, colored like blood slammed a bloodied man's head into the ground. Four grand fox tails swished wildly while the thing growled menacingly at the pinned man. It let out a bloodcurdling roar to the sky, and summoned more weapons to rain down on it's position.

Rider corrected herself… On Archer's position.

The Field dissipated, and the two plus a Pegasus returned to Fuyuki. "Did that show what I needed to show? Now for your question, I believe I told you that already. Yes, I do recall telling you that I'm from the future. My title should say more about who I am, but that's your own research time to waste. Even you should understand while I'm willing to give away secrets, that there are deeper ones that I won't disclose."

Rider nodded in understanding; however, she was still miffed that she was caught in a bluff so obvious. "You win this round." She admitted.

"What? Not going to take me down right now?" He questioned. He stepped backwards, then spun on that foot. "I mean I am limited in my actions at the moment because of my Master. I can't exactly throw out new Phantasms for you to fight against."

"No. You've beaten me for the moment." Rider answered bitterly. She pointed to Pegasus. "My partner is out of commission because of your punch. Aside from his charge, there's little I can do to harm a dragon. I hardly have a plan against your main Phantasm." Archer noticed Rider's clenched fists, tight and almost white from the lack of blood flow. "I don't even want to know what's in your armory. And aside from that, you are already skilled enough in armed combat to never need to use other Phantasms."

"So…you're going to give up? Just like that?" Archer asked, slightly disappointed.

"I think the word is 'tactical retreat'." Rider supplied. "Even in this state, you'd beat me if you get serious enough."

"Smart choice, lass." Interrupted a voice. "Though you'd need some devoted research time to uncover all this guy's abilities. Heck solving a Rubik's cube would be far easier than solving this walking box of secrets." Archer didn't need to turn around to know whose voice that was.

"Lancer? What are you doing here?"

"Would you believe me if I say that I hitched a ride with Gilgamesh, and he gave me a choice which side I'd go to?" Lancer replied straightforwardly.

Shirou heard the chorus of metal that grated against metal once more. His Archer fought against Servant Archer again. Was there more to this scene than what was originally shown to him? What could possibly be shown by this one event?

"Do you have what it takes to kill for a cause, for justice just like justice-incarnate, Saber?" Shirou heard that Servant yell to Archer.

His Servant flinched at the roar of the red Archer's words. Shirou could see Archer had second thoughts as if he lacked that resolve? Shirou could see his Servant had an unbreakable will, but that was only proven in a fight. Shirou needed to see how Archer fared in a battle of the mind; a battle of ideologies and false hopes.

Wait…how did he know about that second part? His mind ached.

Your ideals will bring you a death full of regrets.

Pain shot at the frontal lobe of Shirou's brain. That damned voice of that red Archer! His ideals weren't misplaced dammit!

Your justice is a cruel one.

'No!' Shirou's mind rebelled. He shook his head out of the mental battle between the apparition of the man he refused to be. It worked at the moment, so he focused on the scene.

"What's more…Your ideal right now, the ideal of cruel justice, is only a mechanism that you implanted in yourself to make killing easier! It's much more easier to think that the blood in your hands is because you did it for justice, isn't it?" Servant Archer's question pierced the young Archer-to-be's weakening drive to fight.

"W-What?" Archer stammered. "I don't think like that!" White-haired Archer thought otherwise. The Servant bashed Kanshou and Bakuya on Archer's sword. Forceful blows staggered Shirou's Servant each time he blocked. And each time, he stepped back little by little. Archer's Servant did well in capitalizing the young Archer's mental weakness.

"'They were evil, they needed to be put down.' 'Scum like them don't have a place in this world.' Admirable words, yes, but they are only excuses!" Servant Archer claimed with a roar. Weathered weapons battered against the golden, glowing sword. "Your justice is a blanket to hide the truth you refuse to admit! You killed those people for justice, sure; however, that is hardly the case when you killed them when there was another way!"

"What? Like talking it out?!" Archer shouted back as he parried a blow. "You know how that went last time."

"Then you haven't tried enough!" Servant Archer said to the young man. "If you've lowered yourself into this belief that justice is the way you should live your life, then you may as well not be my Master!" He kicked the boy's stomach, and pushed him quite a ways. "My Master boasted that he stuck to his words, to his beliefs! You adopting the will, the ideal, the thought process of a Knight shows that you've failed to follow your words!" Archer became paralyzed by his Servant's analysis. The red Archer chucked the married swords together at the young man.

All the while, Shirou stared at a stunned boy, whose inner thought reached his head. Shirou had enough of telepathic voices roaming in his mind; however it did give him insight to Archer's mental state clearly.

You've failed!

No…

You've failed!

No!

FAILURE!

"NO!" Kyukiseki glowed gold, and destroyed the projections that came it's way. "I haven't failed yet! Not yet!" Red Archer stopped his onslaught to stare at the new development his Master undertook. It seemed the signal word to make his Master panic was the word 'fail' or words resembling it. Archer's Servant took this opportunity to stab the boy's left shoulder with Bakuya. The Yang blade dug through muscle, tissue, and bone as it poke through Archer's shoulder blade. Pain spread like lightning. Nerves went in overdrive as synapses hurriedly sent message after message of dreadful pain that came from the left shoulder. The boy's eyes grew wide; blood spurted slightly like a fountain. His blood coated Servant Archer's sword. "Grk!" He grunted in hopes of holding in all the pain. Servant Archer twisted his sword around the wound. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The red man sent his other sword down on Archer's right thigh. "AAAAAAARRRR-GUUuuutcH!" Not done with the torture, the Servant impaled Archer's right shoulder, left thigh, abdomen, back, and heart with more swords. Two swords from the back pierced the lungs; moreover two struck the spine, where one pierced through the sternum, the other tore the stomach. Archer's armor, crafted by one of the best around, was paper against Servant Archer's reinforcement, and with it, blood spurted all over, which in turn stained the orange clothing with giant blotches of red on both cloth and armor.

"Feel the pain of your hypocrisy!" Servant Archer commanded, unfazed by what he'd done. Archer spat blood. The taste of iron in his mouth left a bad aftertaste, but he couldn't focus on that. Archer's Servant was dead set on killing the Master! But when Archer tried to move, his vision altered.

Shirou himself could see the vision his Archer saw… It was a graveyard.

Static noises rang in Shirou's ears. His eyes twitched and dilated; the muscles in his body spasmed slightly. Pain shot at his right arm first. Something felt like clawing out of his body. Something sharp. But he ignored the pain. He forced his vision to get clearer to see that graveyard again.

Blades…

The gravestones.

Bodies…

Piled over others like mountains.

Blades.

Neverending.

Bodies.

Reached the horizon.

Blades!

This is…your ideal's

Bodies!

Endgame.

Red Archer's words cut Shirou's ability to focus. The mere sight of a possible reality

A blade tip emerged from Shirou's shoulder in the real world. His left arm immediately clutched it, but realized he made a wrong decision because another sword pierced through the palm of his left hand. More and more erupted like scales going down his arm. Guttural screams echoed outwards into the night sky of the real Fuyuki city. The pain was too much for him. Saber, Lily, and Rin could see that easily. What could they do? Saber had no idea on what was happening; Lily never saw this kind of backlash when Merlin was exhausted of Prana; and Rin had no way of determining the problem because it was too strange to even start understanding what in the world was happening to Shirou.

Yet the dream continued on…

Servant Archer stood on a hill of swords and fallen bodies. The Servant himself was a human porcupine of swords that embedded deep into his skin. The visions of this Servant…killing, killing, killing, and killing even more… A never-ending cycle of killing… Was this that man's life?! From armed bandits, armies, child soldiers, that man killed them all without a shred of care at all! And for each body that fell, a sword was stabbed into the makeshift hill as a marker for one of the many deaths he committed. Just what kind of life did that man live?!

"Do you see it?! Do you see what borrowed ideals will bring?!" Servant Archer demanded to know. The Servant willed the swords to go deeper. Archer gasped loudly because he lost the voice to scream from the pain. "Do you see the man who faithfully followed his borrowed ideals to the point he became a machine?!" The swords twisted into the wounds, which effectively cut the muscle tissues. "That was a man who killed and killed and killed without an idea of who he would save, what he would save, and did it all for the sake of becoming a Hero of Justice!"

'Even to A-Archer?!' Shirou asked himself. 'Does he have vendettas against just ideals?'

"W-What?!" Archer strained his throat to ask. He could feel blood flooding his lungs by the second.

"That man lost his own humanity as he strove to become a Hero; sold his own body and soul to the proverbial devil to achieve that ideal." Servant Archer roared. "He was a machine who killed those who would ruin the status quo of the world! Every time, he was summoned from past, present, and future in hopes of preventing total human extinction. He was so lost in the goal he desired that he forgot that that ideal was flawed. He forgot that it was impossible to save everyone. So for every millions of lives he saved…from the background, he killed countless thousands that only stacked up with each summoning. Do you have that resolve, -? Do you have what it takes to blindly follow that ideal to your grave? That man did, and broke. What about you?! You can't have two beliefs, two ideals, one of justice, the other of peace! Justice is order! And order sometimes needs the heavy hand of punishment and violence. Don't you realize that contradicts your desire for a world void of conflict?!"

"…"

"There is no good or evil in this world; not black or white. It's morally gray. There is no true justice for all have their own brand of justice. Heroic, just, sensible, or even a cruel one are valid forms of justice in one's own eyes." Servant Archer explained. "As you are now…you embody the worst kind, the cruel, indiscriminate kind. It's fine to follow ideals, even borrow them, but it's when you don't realize the possible consequences that your future may face!"

If following that dream is all you have…

Then drown in them and die.

The dream ends, but the pain has only begun to pick up pace. Avalon healed the wounds quickly by forcefully cutting off the blades. Yet each time, the swords would return with great fervor. A giant spike protruded from Shirou's right chest. His screams lost volume; his mind lost the ability to work at that moment. But his hands never let go of that sword that pierced through.

"Shirou!"

Lancer stood properly as Archer stabbed the man with a strange, curved, purple blade. The Servant of the Lance winced at the action, but nothing more. After explaining what Gilgamesh did, Archer never even bothered to think of the reason why the King did that. If the arrogant man were to give someone mercy, it's best not to question his actions; not that Archer cared a smidgen.

From his dwelling place, Kotomine Kirei winced slightly as Lancer's last Command Spell was torn from him. Nerves screamed as the unnatural bond of the Master and Servant turned void, and the mark erased away from his body. Too stunned to say a thing, Kotomine merely stood still. What could have broke the contract so easily? No Geas could destroy a Master/Servant pact!

"You know…it's so convenient that you got a look at Caster's Phantasm from that blacksmith of a Servant." Lancer told to the orange knight. "But…ah. Why don't you have my Seals?"

Archer walked up to him, and placed a hand on the spearman's shoulder. "Find your own Master this time around. You've been with me for a lifetime, have some freedom, Pervy-Dog." He smirked widely at the annoyed Lancer. The blue man placed his skull against Archer's, and pushed against it as if he wanted a fight.

"How many times do you have to call me that?" Lancer growled.

"As many times as I need if you keep perving on women." Archer replied while he too pushed his skull against his former Servant. Neither backed down from the challenge. The two, supposed enemies, were bickering like immature siblings.

"Okay then, Dickless." Lancer said easily. Archer stumbled at the name. He thought he'd never hear that one again after being dead for so long. Lancer smirked at the reaction. "I'll do just that." He ended the standoff, and inspected his own body. He didn't feel the weightlessness of being erased from existence. Lancer perked when he knew what Archer did. "How much did you give me?" He asked.

"Three days worth. Find yourself a Master, preferably a Magus, or at least someone who knows about Magecraft and this ritual before that limit." He swiped his hand as if presenting the city to Lancer. "Go. And don't screw around by wasting that time fishing!" Lancer nodded, and left without words. They were already brothers in all but blood; both knew the words that needn't be told.

"You two must have quite the history." Rider commented offhandedly. Archer rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Archer easily admitted to that, but did not say what exactly their relationship was. Rider let Pegasus disappear into thin air. She was ready to leave. "But that's not my concern. Next time, Archer. I've a wimpy Master to find." Then she too leapt away to leave Archer all in his lonesome.

"That went better than expected." Archer mumbled to himself. "Now to get to Saber-nee and Shirou." He teleported from his position to his companions side. All flinched with Saber being the least surprised. Lily reacted like a proactive warrior, sword drawn at a moment's notice. In stumbled backward from the sudden intrusion.

"Archer!" All the girls exclaimed.

Archer gave a mock salute. "Thanks for remembering my name."

"Archer! Now's not the time for jokes!" Rin shouted. She pointed to Shirou's sword-littered body. "Your Master is in danger!" Archer didn't show a shred of emotion. He watched at Shirou writhed in pain as the boy's body reacted without the conscious effort. The swords grew in size by the second.

'Some mental backlash from denying the existence of his heroic being?' Archer guessed. He knew Shirou would be stubborn to the core. It wouldn't be a surprise if the dream sequences Shirou got also came with the voice of Shirou's heroic version. 'If so…how will I get those swords out? From what I see, they are coming right from the bone. Ironic, but as it stands…this will be difficult.' He thought his options. Surgically remove them as Avalon healed mortal wounds, or overload the reinforcement to make the swords explode right at the bones. 'Risky and messy, but it'll have to do.' Archer walked up to Shirou's right arm, and touched one of the blades. He let his Prana flow into the blades, and cut off any flow actually going farther than his right side. That stray blade at the ribs would be broken just as Shirou's right arm would be blasted to shards. 'Reinforce the blade all the way to breaking point!' In an instant the blades and blood exploded from Shirou's body. The boy screamed all of the air in his lungs as his right arm and a part of his ribs shattered to dust. Skin, muscle, and tissue were vaporized by the amount of Mana that flowed in. A clone popped up in time to magnetize the shrapnel, and keep it only above Shirou, but never hitting anyone else.

Rin looked terrified. She just saw her former sister's crush just lose a limb and part of his chest in a flash! The red lightning that coated the hands of a copy of Archer kept shrapnel from hitting anyone in the vicinity. However it didn't stop the blood from exploding outwards. Archer, who took most of the blast, had his front covered in life fluid. She, along with Saber and Lily, were behind the Servant as he did his procedure, so they only received minor blood splatters.

"Sorry, Master. This is the fastest way I can do this." Shirou fainted from the pain. A twitch rattled his body every now and then. Archer looked at Saber. "Take him home, let Avalon do the rest. Make sure you aren't followed." Rin and Lily were stunned to see a professional Archer. They were astounded at the discovery of something more than just a flirtatious Servant with game-breaking abilities. It's as if this person wasn't Archer at all. The Servant of the Bow saw the dazed look in the Master/Servant pair, yet never said anything meant as a joke. He spoke with some charisma laced in his voice. "If you wish, you can stay the night in his home. Saber-nee will keep a close eye on him, but you are free to check up on him as well."

"W-What? I-I -"

"Tohsaka, you're not fooling anyone." Archer interrupted. His words annoyed Rin. "Now go. My display of power again would rouse activity from the other Servants. I'll go on a scouting mission. I don't want any of you in the crossfire if I get caught." No farewells were given as Archer leaped off at the direction of a familiar spike of Chakra.

Lightning flashed in a forest. Archer raised his speed, and discarded his armor. The orange knight blurred from sight with each leap from rooftop to rooftop. Precise jumps allowed for maximum distance his Shinobi training would allow. With Shirou's dangerous status, he couldn't risk sapping the last of his Master's strength for speed. This must be serious if Assassin used Chidori in a fight. Archer decided to look into it more as he closed in. A foreign feeling occupied Assassin's position as well.

A new signature, faint, but new. Archer scowled. Mana. Assassin was fighting someone who could fight a Servant, and was forcing Assassin to take it seriously. It could only be one thing. A Master can't beat a Servant. There's only one exception, and the boy's not ready to attempt that at all. No…this was the most obvious answer.

Another Servant had been summoned.

And I lied. At least you know a crucial part to the change in Naruto's personality. That and you get a glimpse of Naruto and Archer vs Gilgamesh to boot. This chapter's flashback city! You get to see more of Naruto's serious persona, but that's it for now.

So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.

This is Azure, signing off.