Fate Cinema Order

by D.N.Works

After getting tired with RWBY Cinema Action, an entity ditches them for a quick break for a fresh cast of characters (victims). The Fujimaru Twins, Mash, Da Vinci, Mordred, Billy, Illya, and so on are now confined in the same theater. Forced to watch the other realms of their heroics , bravery, or plain embarrassments. Maybe even see realms beyond them. Hope they enjoy the view.

8. Fate Genesis: Leave That Sword for Now

Chapter 7: Fate Genesis: Leave That Sword for Now

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By the cool author Cybertoy00. The updates are slow, but each chapter is so worth it.

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The multiverse.

It was a theory that showed that there was more than one world, one universe, one dimension. It told those who knew it that beyond our universe, lies another. One that could be similar to our own, or completely different. While many scientists discredited this theory, it's still a fact that television, comics, mangas, and media use this theory for entertainment.

In Chaldea, while the multiverse theory has been proven true, it's really just been confined to worlds like their own, parallel ones. However, at the moment everybody who wasn't a scientist and didn't know about it had their eyes widened.

"The multiverse!" Guadako smiled with starry eyes. "Y-you mean, there really are other dimensions?"

"Wit, there are other worlds?" Billy the Kid scratched his head.

"Oh yeah." Chloe smiled with Illya and Miyu doing the same. "I mean, us three here do come from another world by technicality. So it's real all right."

"You mean like the Singularities?" Robin Hood asked.

"Not even." Da Vinci corrected the chivalrous thief. "Singularities are abnormalities in time, not another world. We're only going back in time, not going into another dimension. And while Chaldea has proven there are numerous timelines alongside parallel worlds," Da Vinci narrowed her eyes. "It sounds like to me this one is talking about completely separate worlds here."

"That's because I am." The voice had a smug tone in his voice. "If I'm being honest, your universe is pretty cool. Heck, in terms of potential and power levels, your guy's set of the multiverse is top grade." Potential? Power levels? Once more the voice said things that made no sense as per usual.

"However," The voice continued on. "There are indeed other worlds with their own grand potential. And while some of these worlds don't have as awesome fighters or the raw power as Servants do, they certainly have their own charm." Like Gravity Falls. Steven Universe. The Marvel Universe. My Hero Academia. Sonic the Hedgehog. Pokemon. So on and so forth. "Heck, in some areas they outdo you."

"I hope you can back that talk." Blackbeard's eyes gleamed. "Because otherwise, I'll be very disappointed."

"Oh yeah. Now I'm interested." Hans smiled.

"So wait," Ritsuka began realizing the implication of what the voice said. "Are you saying that there are some worlds where some people are...stronger, than Servants?"

"Hell yeah." The voice laughed.

"B-but-but, that should be impossible." Mash replied in a stutter. "Servants are close to a true miracle, and no ordinary human can stop them."

"Yeah, normal people." The voice chuckled. "Now I won't deny your world has beings that are so strong, that you guys can be seen as freakin OP or a hax." The voice admits to them. "However, remember, ultimately none of you are truly invincible. Heck, it's been stated before that regular people can beat you if the circumstances are right. Overall, you're just near impossible to beat."

That wasn't a lie. Servants were indeed powerful, with statements being that Servants could be seen as the strongest force in existence. And yet even with that nigh invincibility, there was still that small chance of them losing to ordinary people or magus. A very very small chance, but a chance nonetheless.

"So you're gonna show us a world where there's people that can beat a Servant." Achilles asked excitedly. Wondering just what it was that could challenge a Servant aside from their usual enemies. The only beings that could crush Servants were Beasts, certain monsters, and Gods. But the way the voice made it sound, they would be seeing ordinary people of the like.

"I wouldn't call them people," The voice explains, making a few raise their brows. "But they can certainly challenge you guys and give a good fight. Not to mention these dudes, despite not having the power of a Servant, has faced God-Like beings that would crush you."

Now everybody was even more interested.

"Then hurry up and show us." Beowulf grinned. "I need to see if these beings are worthy of challenging a Servant."

"Oh yeah!" Mordred smiled, thinking of just who these guys are. "Show us who we got!"

"This I have to see." Atalanta mused with a little grin. The more battle-thirsty Servants also wanted to view what it was they would see. Just what beings that could supposedly challenge them and even defeat God-like beings.

"Sure." The voice agreed as the screen turned on. "Now, these beings you'll see will be entering your world in a type of 'crossover' so to say. In fact, you'll recognize a bunch of individuals you'll see."

EMIYA Archer got a chill. That can't be good. It was then the screen began showing what it was they were about to see.

It was not the temple Caster built.

When Rin and Archer left the (desert? Special Zone? Reality Marble?) area the Dark Warriors were protecting, they found themselves in some sort of maze made from a malleable substance. It reacted to being touched, and when Archer tried to mark a path, the scratch he made with his sword would undo itself, like a wound being healed instantly.

It's like we're in the bowels of some monster, Archer thought, and realized that could very well be accurate. "Rin, this isn't working. I think we're just going in circles."

"Woah." Ritsuka was now interested with others also realizing who these were. "Are we back into seeing that Monty Python world?"

"Please be no, please be no." Alteria prayed. The other knights were agreeing with her. It was too embarrassing to see their other versions like that.

"I don't think we have to worry about that, which is a shame." Circe giggled. "I mean, this world doesn't seem like the last one."

"True." Cu agreed as he noticed that the mood and location was different. "But sucks that we won't see that Archer Bastard die a lot." He got a glare for that.

Rin stopped, and he followed suit. She rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

"Those guards in the desert let us pass, even though Tails and Berserker couldn't break through," She determined, "Why?"

"Maybe they wanted to get in," Archer said sarcastically, but then considered it seriously. "This is a trap. Whatever's controlling this…whatever we're in could be trying to wear us down, so they can finish us off once we're weak enough."

"But why us?" Rin asked again, "Why not do that to the rest of them? What about us is so important to the mastermind that they would go to this effort?"

The answer came to Archer in an instant. "Who do you think is being hidden here?"

Rin gasped as she realized it too. "Sakura…!"

"You are correct." A voice whispered, "But also, incorrect."

Archer and Rin whirled about. Standing behind them was a tall, imposing, and downright bizarre man. He was draped in robes of a color similar to the dark warriors, and his eyes were so wide and open that they looked like they should have belonged to a fish. In his hands, tight and muscular, was a book with a cover that was…trembling.

Rin hissed in recognition. "You…!"

EMIYA Archer narrowed his eyes, along with many other Servants such as Arturia, Pseudo Servant Waver, and Lancelot of Saber.

Atalanta herself also growled loudly with Ishtar narrowing her eyes dangerously. Jeanne herself also sighed as she saw many Servants glaring at Gilles, her former friend before he went insane. Even worse, she knew he deserved all the hate aimed at him.

Nobody who witnessed his atrocities would forget what he did in the fourth Grail War and the first Singularity.

The man continued to speak. "The Holy Maiden has need to see you. Her guardian spirit has been guiding your journey through this place. But she is not trying to stymie you. No, she only wishes to meet with you alone. Your Servant cannot follow."

"Not going to happen," Archer said, stepping in front of Rin. "Only a fool would walk through the enemy's home unaided."

The fish-eyed man did not respond. Instead, from behind him, four tentacles sprang out and launched themselves at Archer. Archer, having already Projected his swords, was quick to slice them into ribbons, and then threw Kansho at the fish-eyes. Before the sword could connect, some sort of creature leapt out from behind Fish-eyes and blocked the attack. Out from the walls came more such creatures, abominations like the ones that had been stalking the streets at night.

Great… Archer thought bitterly, Projecting a replacement Kansho. Looks like we can't get through without beating him…Rin, stay. No reply. Rin…?

Archer did a quick check and realized that Rin was no longer in the chamber with him. He shot Fish-Eyes a murderous glare.

"What did you do!?" Archer barked.

Indeed, what did he do? Because if anything happened to Rin, then other versions be damned. Because EMIYA Archer didn't care if this was another version of Gilles that did this, he would kill him if he laid a hand on Rin.

"I did nothing," Fish-Eyes stated, "But as I have said, the Holy Maiden wishes to see your Master one last time…

"And is not the purpose of this War to grant a wish?"

"Funny…" Archer had his swords go into Overdrive, "That's not how I remember it." Be careful, Rin…

Rin wasn't sure what had happened. Just when Archer began fighting that…(Man? Monster?), the ground opened up and literally swallowed her. It felt disgusting. She now knew had a piece of food felt when it down her throat.

She blamed herself for being caught off-guard. While she had never seen him in person, after sometime after the Fourth War she had grilled the Fake Priest about the Caster, if only so she could put a face to whoever had killed her classmates. While he never gave her a name to the Heroic Spirit, he had mentioned some of his features, like his fish-eyes.

Fish-Eyes!

And in her few moments of righteous anger, the trap had been sprung. Now Rin was separated from her Servant. And while she could summon him to her side with a Command Seal, she knew he would have to deal with Caster if she had any chance of fixing the situation.

(And just how are you going to fix it? A voice that sounded too much like Kotomine whispered in her mind).

Before Rin could give more thought to the issue, a faint glow caught her attention. She realized that the chamber she was in was far larger than the last one. And in the very center of it was some sort of fixture, like a mix between a cradle and a cocoon. It seemed to be made of hundreds of dark tendrils that had grown from the floor, woven together. It emitted a light that seemed to constantly shift between red and purple. And lying in it…

…was Sakura.

"She looks...familiar." Guadako admits not noticing Medusa and EMIYA Archer gasping.

"It's her." Medusa softly said, remembering her old Master from another time. A girl that she sympathized with, and wished to protect. From both Shinji and that worm Zouken. Remembering how she failed in actually saving her, but was glad when the younger incarnation of EMIYA did what she couldn't. Saving Sakura's soul where a version of her got to live with her.

As for EMIYA, he only sighed in his lament at failing to save her, but was glad that his foolish younger self did the job. Heck, in the timeline where he tried killing him, she was still saved thanks to oddly Shinji as he had Gilgamesh kill that disgusting worm.

'I just hope this version of Sakura is saved.' The Counter Guardian thought.

But this wasn't the Sakura Rin remembered seeing at school, or at Emiya's. Instead of her uniform or casual dress, Sakura was wearing a dark substance like a dress made of scales. Her hair was bone white. Faint red lines could be seen near her eyes. Eyes that were closed, as if asleep.

Rin swallowed. This was it. She took out the Azoth Sword. She began to walk.

All of the Prana holding this entire lair up is coming from Sakura… She thought, If I cut off the source…

"Woah, is she trying to kill her!?" Guadako felt shocked.

"Why would she do that?" Mash asked, not able to comprehend why the host body of Ishtar would do such a thing.

"Because this girl is connected to a tainted Grail, and is unintentionally killing people." The voice replied. "And while it's not her fault, she's the source of many problems."

"Wait, problems?" Ritsuka says before shaking his head. "Hold on, how is she even connected to the Grail, let aside the Grail being tainted?"

"Let's just say some creepy bastard did some immoral things to her, all to achieve something very stupid." The voice replied, thinking of Zouken and all his creepy glory. "And as for the Grail being tainted, I'm sure a few of you in the cast know what did this."

Indeed many did know.

'Angra.' Arturia, EMIYA Archer, Medusa, and a few others recalled the problems of their timelines. A Servant who was deemed the weakest, yet oddly could have become a Beast-Level threat if allowed to be born. Who would have guessed that would have happened?

Suddenly, Rin wasn't under Ryuudou. She was at the playground, watching her mother break down telling Uncle Kariya about Sakura…

Rin shook the memory from her mind. Even then, she understood why father had did what he did. It was for both their sakes. As Mages.

But as Rin tried to move on, her mind changed the setting. Now, she was at school, saving Emiya's life to keep Sakura happy...

Rin gritted her teeth. Shirou had been an unwitting casualty, killed by Lancer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It had no bearing on the present matter…

But then Rin was back at her family's mansion, being stared down by Sonic and Tails. Their disappointed eyes as they stared past her justifications and into her soul.

What do they know!? Rin told herself again, They're just outsiders, they have no right to criticize! This is how things are done!

But Tails' voice cut into her thoughts, "It seems like you're going out of your way to be hurt, just to please some people that aren't around anymore."

Rin took another step. But it was hard to do. Somehow, her legs had become like lead. She tried to think back on her father's lectures. Everything both he and Kotomine had to teach her about Magecraft and the workings of Mages. To remind herself of her duties as a Tohsaka Mage.

But all her mind could summon were those times she constantly bickered with Sonic and Shirou over the War. Eating dinner with the group. And breakfast. Flying in the Tornado with Tails. Playing with Sakura at the park while mother watched…

Rin felt her hands go numb. The Azoth Sword fell from her grip. It landed blade-first into the floor.

Sakura's eyes shot open. They were red, like blood. Sakura turned her head, and fixed Rin with a look that held no emotion. But, even still, the expression the younger girl held was inviting, challenging…and ominous.

And then, Sakura's entire body convulsed once, and Sakura's eyes shut once more.

"…Sakura?"

"Hold on, what happened?" Miyu asked, worried. Remembering her version of Sakura, someone she could have been friends with. Worried for her.

"It looked like she…" Illya spoke worryingly. "She rethought what she was about to do."

"Hopefully." Chloe shakes her head. "Honestly, this world seems to be darker compared to our own." Rin was a bit of a jerk, but even she was more light-hearted than that version. Plus she definitely wouldn't kill her sister...if she had one. Actually, in Illya's world, it didn't look like she had a sister.

"Regardless of the girls feelings, it seemed something happened to the other girl." Scathach notes recalling how the human convoluted like a miniature bomb went off her. "Whatever is going on with the girl, it isn't good."

"Then she must be healed somehow." Medea (Lily) says.

"Assuming she doesn't die." Little Gil comments getting dark looks from EMIYA Archer, Ishtar, and Medusa.

"Moving on, back to the story." The voice reminds them as the screen continues playing on.

"Berserker…?" Illya whispered.

But the giant did not respond. His headless body just laid there in the sand, dissolving into a cascade of sparkling light. Once his corpse had vanished, Illya felt it. The presence of one more Servant entering the Holy Grail. The Heroic Spirit Herakles was dead.

The Dark Knight stood over where Berserker had been. In his hand was Amy's hammer, now painted the same shade as his armor. He was joined by the Dark Spearman, and the Dark Charioteer. Opposite of the three Dark Warriors, the remainder of the group gathered at Illya's side.

"What happened to Berserker?" Tails asked, "I thought he was supposed to be invincible or something."

"He…he's supposed to be immune to any weapon below A-Rank," Illya explained, still shaking from the loss. "But…that knight…everything that knight picked up became a high-ranked weapon! Even that stupid hammer!"

"And he knew how to use them," Knuckles muttered, glancing about. "When he knocked that big guy out of his car, he drove it like a champion gladiator."

Illya gritted her teeth. The image of her Servant being run down like just another pedestrian was not how she wanted to remember Berserker.

"And those, are the beings you told us about?" Cu asked as he looked at the guys known as Tails and Knuckles. "They some kind of animal spirits?"

"Heck no." The voice said with a tip of irritation. "These guys are from another world, and are as heroic as Heroic Servants."

"These guys?" Chloe tilts her head while Miyu deals with Illya who seems shocked that Hercules was killed so easily and muttering curses at the Servant, which made Lancelot shiver. "Really?"

"Heck yeah!" The voice said. "These two are heroes, and have faced enemies that can give even you guys a good challenge. They may not have Servants powers, but they've faced giants, dark monsters of evil, beings that could control time, and have allies of all sorts from machines to even spirits."

"Now that sounds awesome." Gawain nods.

"That is an impressive list of achievements." Cursed Arm also agreed.

"I guess we're also about to see how good they are." Cu said ready to see if these animal-people are as good as the voice says they are. "Plus...I wanna see how she does." The Master he once could have had,

"We need to rethink our plans," Bazett said, "Those three aren't going to let us through, no matter what. But they aren't interested in chasing after us otherwise. We should retreat for now, and come back later."

"We can't!" Tails protested, "Rin got ahead of us! There's no telling what could happen to her! If we don't get through, she might die!"

"We don't have a choice," Bazett responded, "That girl shouldn't have rushed ahead on her own, even if she had a Servant. We don't live in a world where reckless behavior is allowed."

"But…"

"Hey, shut up!" Knuckles barked, "You feel that?"

Across the way, the Dark Knight stirred. He began to shake.

"Art….hur…?"

A crackling sound filled the air. Sparks of lightning appeared in a clear sky. There was a flash of light, and Sonic, Shirou and Saber fell into the sand.

"Umf!" Sonic hit the desert face-first. Pushing himself up, he spat out a mouthful of grains. "Why do I always land on my beautiful face?"

"Just letting you know, that's Sonic the Hedgehog." The voice then explains. "And while he doesn't have the raw power most of you Servants have, he's faster than any of you and has saved the world numerous times."

"Good resume." Tesla admits.

"Yep. That's what Mobians are. Amazing." The voice gives a non-existent smile.

Shirou shielded his eyes from the glare of the desert sun. "Was it this bright before we went into the house…wait, are we in a desert?"

"Sonic! Shirou!" Tails cried, flying over. "You made it!"

Sonic grinned and gave Tails a thumb's up. "Wouldn't miss it for the world! But what's with the sand box?"

As Tails filled Sonic and Shirou in on the current situation, Saber stared. The three figures barring their way stared back. Her expression turned dire as painful memories came rushing back to her.

"No…" She whispered, "This can't be possible…how is it that they've returned?"

"What?" Amy asked, "You know those guys?"

"…Yes," Saber said mournfully, "I know them quite well. They were my opponents in the Fourth Holy Grail War. I don't understand how, but…those three men are Servants I've fought."

"What?!" Everyone looked at Saber in shock.

"Those guys are Servants?! No wonder they're so tough!" Tails exclaimed.

"Did you figure out their identities?" Bazett asked.

"…Yes…" Saber tried to compose herself, but it was obvious to the rest that this was still affecting her. "The largest man once tried to conquer the world…Although you now call him Alexander the Great, he is Iskander, the King of Conquerors, the Servant Rider.

"The man with two spears is a hero from the legend of Fenian Cycle; Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the Servant Lancer.

'And the man in armor…" Saber swallowed, shaking. "He was…is…one of my greatest knights when I ruled Camelot…Sir Lancelot of the Lake…Berserker!"

"They look...different." Waver narrows his eyes, especially at Alexander, his old friend.

"They look pretty cool though." Ritsuka gazes at their strange new looks. Like they went goth or whatever.

"I don't know, it feels off." Cu narrows his eyes, getting a strange feeling from them.

The Prsima trio gulped, as they felt unease at those Servants new looks. EMIYA Archer glared, as he already got a good idea what was going on. Angra.

Illya's eyes sharpened. "That knight is a Berserker, too?!"

Shirou stared at his Servant. So she had to fight someone who was once a dear comrade…no wonder this is hard for her.

"But, why are they here?" Knuckles asked, "I thought all the Servants for the War were already summoned?"

But Shirou already had an answer. "The Shadow was created using the mud from the Fourth War's Grail. If he's involved, that would explain how these Servants came back…" He glanced across the way. "They don't seem pretty happy to see us, in any case."

That was an understatement. Dark Rider's expression was dark already, but his eyes had narrowed by such a degree that they were pinpricks. Dark Berserker seemed to have gone completely still. And Dark Lancer…

Eyes twitching. Hands shaking, gripping his spears so hard that if not for their supernatural nature, they would have snapped in two. He seemed to be positively frothing at the mouth.

"You…so you've finally returned, eh Saber!?" Dark Lancer hissed.

"So the Shadow wasn't lying," Dark Rider noted, "Still, judging from her entrance, I imagine her coming wasn't on purpose. Still a coward, pushing people away."

Dark Berserker titled his head. He looked from Saber, to Sonic. "Ar…thur?"

Back with the heroes, Saber noticed an absence. "Illyasviel, where is your Berserker?"

Illya gritted her teeth and fought back tears. "He killed him…that other Berserker killed my Herakles! He moved like an expert martial artist! Even though he's supposed to be a Berserker!"

Shirou and Sonic were amazed to hear this. To them, Berserker was an unstoppable juggernaut, a force of nature in human-shape. What kind of man could kill him on his own?

But Saber was not surprised. She knew her knight. "That's understandable. Even when consumed by the Mad Enhancement, Lancelot is so skilled with that he can keep his mind steady in battle. And he can make anything he gets his hands his Noble Phantasm."

"I suppose that makes sense." Fergus nods in understanding. "Even if Hercules is much stronger than Lancelot in that form, it's useless against someone with superior skill."

"Indeed." EMIYA agrees to those words. "Power is important, and necessary at times. But skill can be even more necessary and a great factor in defeating your foes." EMIYA was far from the strongest, but made up for it with his skills he learned and trained in life.

Granted, he still died from Hercules in that one timeline, but hey, he got all six lives.

"So what about the other two?" Bazett asked, "What are their powers?"

"Lancer's Noble Phantasms are his spears," Saber explained, "The gold one is Gae Buidhe; Any wound it makes won't heal as long as that spear exists. The red one is Gae Dearg, which can cut through Mana."

"What?! That's too cheap!" Amy cried, "I call hax! Hax!"

"As for Rider's Noble Phantasm…" Saber looked about, "We're currently inside of it. "

"What?!" Knuckles eyes darted frantically, "Inside?!"

Bazett was thunderstruck as she realized the implications. "A Reality Marble!"

"A what?" Tails asked. The land began to shake.

"Think of it as an enclosed dimension, generated by a Mage and shaped by their soul," Illya explained, "But, still, it's kinda plain for something created by a guy calling himself a King of Conquerors."

"This is just the beginning," Saber said, tensing. "In here, Ioniol Hetairoi, Rider can summon an army to wipe out whatever foe he has. But why haven't they appeared…?"

Shirou looked behind and blanched. "Uh, they have."

Turning around, the group saw it. The force coming at them was no mere "army." Instead, it was a massive flood of soldiers. All armed, all strong, and all determined. They charged without hesitation, their only goal being the destruction of whatever lay ahead of them.

"Do you remember, Saber!?" Dark Rider boomed, flying above the army in his Gordius Wheel chariot. "The brief display I showed you at your Master's castle, the obliteration of Assassin, was but a tickle compared to what awaits you here! So smug you were in how you pushed aside your comrades, now you face the power of my eternal allies, bound to me for all eternity!"

"Uh, those guys look pretty tough," Amy said worriedly, holding up her hammer. "But they're just ordinary soldiers, right?"

"No," Saber unsheathed sword, "Some of them are Heroic Spirits. This could be our last-" She gasped and whirled about. "Battle!"

Saber brought up her sword, releasing the Invisible Air that cloaked its length and shape, just in time to block both spears wielded by Dark Lancer. He had charged at her with so much speed that their clash created a small explosion of force that knocked everyone else away.

"Do not worry about them, Saber!" Dark Lancer snarled, his face almost beastly. "By the time that army is even halfway across, I will already have my revenge!"

"Dude seems really...dark." Cu narrows his eyes. "I'm no chivalrous man, but even I'm not an asshole like this dude. Yet something tells me he isn't like that."

"Indeed. My king is also acting more crass." Waver nods. "I believe it's due to him." Angra.

"Him?" Ritsuka asked, confused.

"What are you guys talking about?" Guadako also asked.

"Remember when we went to the fourth grail war." Waver then told them, with realization reaching their eyes.

"Ah, so it's that Servant, Angra." Da Vinci also caught on. "The weakest Servant in existence, yet the one who taints the Grail because of his curses."

"If I recall, because of his unique disposition, he can either absorb Servants...or turn them into something else." Medusa darkly says, recalling a timeline involving Saber becoming an Alter.

"Ah, like her." Jeanne then looks at her Alter who sneers.

"The result is a bit different from your...sister," Jeanne Alter glares at EMIYA, who pays her no mind. "But yes, it's likely Angra here turned the fourth war Servants into Alters, making them act differently from usual." What a cruel thing to do. But also dangerous.

"Alters huh." Guadako sighs. "I guess I kind of forgot that not all Alters are nice."

"Yes senpai." Mash recalls Saber Alter, Jeanne Alter, and others to boot like Okita Alter. "Most Alters we encounter usually are so nice to us."

"Don't you mean after we beat them then summon them on our side." Ritsuka points out all the times they nearly died by an Alter.

"Oh, right." Guadako giggles.

"Whatever the case, these mobians, despite not being Servants or strong monsters, are doing good." Chiron states as he sees Sonic and friends battle against the Altered Servant. It was amazing these Mobians were doing so well against them. Guess the voice was telling the truth that they were tough. However, could they win is the real question.

Dark Lancer began to thrust his spears at Saber rapidly, which she immediately parried. They moved so quickly that immediate space around them became too dangerous to approach, for fear of getting impaled or cut by their sacred blades. Unlike the duel against Assassin, who was cool-headed, there was sorrow and rage in Saber and Dark Lancer's battle, a desperation not yet seen in the Holy War.

"Saber!" Shirou shouted, wanting to get involved, yet also knowing he couldn't.

"Do not approach, Shirou!" Saber yelled over the screech of blades. "Focus on saving yourself!" Having said that, how can they do that? My Noble Phantasm is the only thing with the power to wipe out Rider's army, but I can't do that with Lancer attacking me. Perhaps if I were to position him with his back towards Rider…

"I'm coming, Saber!" Sonic cried, preparing to run. But before he could he reach Saber, Dark Berserker landed in front of him. "Whoa!"

"Arthurrr!" Dark Berserker roared, before pausing. "Ar…thurrr?" He looked back at Saber, then to Sonic. "Arthurrr?"

Oh, man! This armored chump can't tell the difference between me and Saber, just 'cause we were both King Arthur! Sonic realized, Might as well roll with it! Saber's got her hands full!

"Wait, what?" Arturia then says in mild surprise. "That hedgehog is...King Arthur?"

The Round Table suddenly fell into silence. This Sonis is...King Arthur? Then...what did they look like!?

"Don't worry," The voice then tries calming them down. "Sonic isn't actually King Arthur. Due to an adventure though, he did play the role as King Arthur, and has the image of the king within him. And since this Lancelot isn't exactly bright as he's a Berserker, he's confused.

"How does that happen?" Trison requested.

"A magic book made him King Arthur while teleporting him to another world." Kinda. The voice never played the game, and didn't actually know much about it.

"That makes no sense." Ritsuka says.

"Says the dude who believes in Servants and Singularities, but can't believe in magical books. Like Nursery Rhyme." The voice retorts.

"...Touche." Ritsuka chuckles.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that." Lancelot laments as his Berserker self can't realize the difference between a one-time Arthur and the real Arthur. Especially since Sonic had fur and no clothes! Uh, how come he couldn't be a Berserker like Beowulf, Nightingale, or even Nobu?

Because for some reason these days Berserkers could still think properly, if lacking in proper reasoning and the like. Still, he was an enemy here and he should probably cheer Sonic on.

Sonic wagged his finger at Dark Berserker, saying, "That's right, Sir Lancelot! It's me, your king! And you should be ashamed of what you pulled with Guinevere!"

...Or not.

Dark Berserker howled in fury, and lunged at Sonic. Rather than actually fight back, Sonic zipped just out of the black knight's reach. And did so again. And again. It was incredibly comical to look at, a fearsome corrupted Servant diving after the speedy Hedgehog. It was like a cat chasing the beam from a laser-pointer.

"That's right!" Sonic shouted, "Follow the Blue Blur! You cur!"

"Woah." Mash looked impressed. "Sonic, he's...very fast."

"I wouldn't say he's that fast." Atalanta pouted.

"How is a living being like this hedgehog even capable of moving at that speed?" Da Vinci looked interested. "For Servants it makes sense, but Sonic seems biological. Is it an ability of his?"

"Like I said, other worlds, there's factors that can make people different." The voice says. "And trust me, this isn't even his top speed yet." I mean, dude can do a Sonic Boom like nothing.

Knuckles slapped his forehead. "Look at Mr. Speed-demon having fun, almost as if we didn't have a flipping army about to step on us!"

But strangely, Shirou did not feel concerned with the ensuing threat. Not just because he was too worried about Saber's battle. Or Sonic's. For some reason, the threat of Dark Rider's army held no meaning to him. There was a faint idea brewing in his mind. A connection, a faint line, began to be drawn between memories and experience.

Rider's army…are full of Heroic Spirits.

They are his Servants.

A Servant is controlling Servants.

Just like Caster did…

Caster…had the power to break the bind between Servants and their Masters…

…And I can copy that.

"Grrrr." Medea growled angrily. "I get the feeling he's going to do something that pisses me off."

"Or something brilliant." Arturia smirks at Medea. "While somewhat naive and foolish, even he can get good ideas when the challenge shows itself to him."

"Still an idiot." EMIYA quietly mutters.Shirou looked up at Dark Rider, flying in his chariot. The solution presented himself in his mind. Now, all he had to do was bring it into the world.

I Am the Bone of my _

Shirou held out his hand, and in a flash it was filled by a bow. He held out his other hand, and in it the Rule Breaker appeared.

"Huh, isn't that…" Guadako then began.

"Like EMIYA?" Ritsuka finished.

A lot of Servants also felt this way, but it made sense considering that none of them truly knew the relationship between this boy Shirou and EMIYA. Well, until they saw that Monty Python world, but even then it still felt odd.

'Thinking on it, we didn't give much reaction to EMIYA stating he was the future self of that guy, Shirou.' Guadako thinks embarrassingly.

'Oh yeah, I forgot that he revealed his identity in that last world.' Though to be fair, Ritsuka and the other Servants kinda forgot since that world just kept going with the craziness. Making them forget the certain details like EMIYA was actually Shirou.

Arturia herself now glancing at the Counter Guardian who felt awkward.

"Maybe we should run," Tails had suggested off to the side, "We need to get out of here and help Rin and Sakura."

"I don't think we can reach the exit before that force catches us," Bazett pointed out, "And not all of us can move at light-speed."

"Well, we can't just wait for them to hit us…"

A sharp 'twang' cut their argument short. Shirou had let the bowstring go, with the bow pointed high into the air. They stared at him.

"Don't worry," Shirou assured them with a faint smile. "I've got this in hand…I hope."

High in the air, Dark Rider grunted as something struck him in the chest. Whatever hit him had barely tapped his body, and now lay at his feet. Reaching down and picking it up, he regarded the crooked dagger. Looking down from his elevated place, he glowered at Shirou, who still had his bow in hand.

The ground shook as Dark Rider landed right in front of Shirou. He held out the Rule Breaker. "Is this some sort of joke, boy?" He thundered, "This is a battle between kings! Toys like this-" He snapped the Rule Breaker's blade, and threw the dagger aside. "-are not even worth bringing to the battlefield! If you are going to challenge your betters, have the decency to make an effort!"

Shirou did not respond. Instead, he just smiled, faintly. Nearby, Sonic and Dark Berserker ran past them.

And that enraged Dark Rider even more. "Well!? What do you have to say for yourself?! I could break you in two!"

"...You and what army?" Shirou asked finally.

"Oh boy, this won't end well." Waver knew this was necessary, but he still felt a bit bad for his old Servant. Grey patting him on the back.

"Kids got some real guts." Cu chuckled. "That's gonna piss Rider off."

"Oh yeah." Kid Gil smiled at what he knew would be an amusing sight. "Gonna be a good laugh to see that smug look wiped off his face."

"What? That ar-" Dark Rider pointed, but his words died in his mouth as he looked. All he could see was the vast, empty sands. The strongest army, lead by the Alexander the Great, had vanished. "Wh- where did they go? Where are my followers!?"

"Gone," Shirou explained, "That 'toy' you so easily dismissed...was a Mystic Code meant to sever magical contracts. The bond between your soldiers, which allowed you to call them here...I broke it."

A vein appeared on Dark Rider's forehead. "You...!"

"What are you so smug about?" Cu asked Medea who gave off an aura of pride.

"Just glad to see that muscle head fool get what he deserves." Dismissing her Noble Phantasm, ha! He got what was coming to him for saying such lines.

If Dark Rider had any words to say, he was cut off as Knuckles and Bazett suddenly launched a punch and kick respectively into his sides. They followed with upward strikes to his chin, and Dark Rider stumbled back in pain. Shirou didn't hesitate Projecting Archer's swords, rushing towards Dark Rider to attack.

Spotting this, Dark Lancer shot Saber a poisonous look. "I see your new Master has just as much honor as your last," He snarled, "Resorting to cheap tricks with no regards to a warrior's chivalry."

Saber knew what Dark Lancer referred to, and remembered that moment. When her then-Master Kiritsugu interrupted her duel with Diarmuid by forcing his Master to use a Command Seal and have Lancer commit suicide. And to add insult to injury, he killed the Master shortly afterwards. It had been a huge affront to a warrior's honor, and enough to convince Saber that her Kiritsugu was a man unfit to to be her Master.

Saber gritted her teeth. "What Kiritsugu did back then was cold and cruel, of that I will not deny. But do not judge Shirou by those standards!"

With anger on Shirou's behalf burning, Saber fought harder. Off to the side, Sonic continued to run circles around Dark Berserker. While the black knight may have been the most skilled fighter in the desert, and even retained his weapons proficiency while consumed by the Mad Enhancement, he just wasn't fast enough to catch Sonic. With an guttural growl, he threw himself once more at the Hedgehog. Before Sonic could move, Tails swooped in and pulled him into the air.

"We can't stick around, Sonic!" Tails said, "Those three let Rin go ahead. I think she might be walking into a trap!"

Sonic thought about what Archer told him. "Might be. Let me down, I just gotta do one thing, and we can split."

Tails threw Sonic back down, and the minute he hit the sand, Sonic went into a Spin Dash. His spinning form began to sink, and Dark Berserker, only seeing that his target was no longer moving, charged to catch him. Just as the black knight was almost on top of Sonic, the Hedgehog released the Spin Dash, grinding a small trench into the sand. Sonic, still in Spinball mode, circled around Dark Berserker repeatedly, digging deeper and deeper. After maybe 20 laps (Done in the space of 7 seconds, no less) Sonic leapt into the air and delivered a Homing Shot onto Dark Berserker. As Sonic's form struck Dark Berserker's head, the impact caused the ground, already unstable from the trench, to collapse, trapping Dark Berserker.

"That should do it," Sonic commented, and waved at Tails. "Let's go, Tails!"

"Alright, I admit, I'm impressed." EMIYA leaned back. "These...Mobians as you call them, are fighting much better than I imagined."

"Indeed." Lancelot nodded. "While my Berserker self lacks certain things that I have, to temporarily defeat him is still impressive."

"Ai." Arturia gave a small smile. "While I'm still not sure if this 'Sonic' and his friends are capable of beating Servants fully, I admit that their ability and skills are the real deal."

"A bit of a showboat in my opinion." Cu gave a slight scowl. "Seems like the type that'd goof off in a fight and not take it seriously."

"I'm liking him even more." EMIYA smirked.

As the duo took off, Illya looked to where Dark Berserker had been buried. Already the dark knight was digging his way out of the sand. Making clawing motions with her hands, she created a large cage from magic threads and dropped it over Dark Berserker. It probably wouldn't hold for very long, but every second counted. Amy Rose suddenly leapt down from above and struck the cage, hammering it further down on the black knight. the pink Hedgehog gave Illya a thumb's up, and the homunculus nodded back.

"Guys!" Sonic called out to the others, "Tails and I are gonna get Rin and Sakura! We'll be back ASAP!"

"Take your time!" Knuckles shouted back, "We've got this under- WHOA!"

Knuckles, Shirou, and Bazett dove out of the way as the Gordius Wheel swooped down at them, nearly trampling the three under the hooves of its bulls. Projecting a bow, Shirou fired a slew of Projected arrows at Dark Rider, only to be deflected by the Conqueror's sword. In retaliation, Dark Rider shot a blast of energy from his sword, forcing the Master to run to avoid it. As he did, Knuckles suddenly came up and gave him a solid right hook to the jaw.

"Damn you!" Dark Rider grunted in pain, "Fight fair!"

"This from the guy who needed a whole army to fight for him?" Knuckles remarked.

Dark Rider snarled and slashed at Knuckles, who didn't move in time. Rings exploded from the Echidna's body and Knuckles fell from the chariot. Recovering quickly, Knuckles managed to snag at least three Rings before the rest vanished.

"Are you all right?" Shirou asked, helping him up.

"I'm fine, but that guy can really take a hit!" Knuckles said.

Saber spotted Sonic and Tails leave the Realty Marble, and allowed herself a smile. She jumped away from Dark Lancer as he attempted to skewer her. He shot after Saber, circling around to take her back. Saber whirled to cut block his strike with the gold spear.

"I thought you were supposed to guard this point." Saber questioned, "Are you going to disregard your duty to your master?"

Dark Lancer's eyes flashed. "I only accepted the role of guard dog for one reason; to finish the duel we began ten years ago! The battle our so-called Masters cheated us out of! I have waited too long for this vengeance!"

Arturia looked down a bit.

It made her feel bad that the once chivalrous person she knew ended up like this. Full of anger and rage, because of the curse placed on him. Hopefully if things went right, then maybe...maybe like her, he can be freed.

He's unhinged by anger and spite, and yet, he's still able to maintain his skills a warrior, Saber thought, beginning to get a bit worried. Fighting him was hard enough when I was Kiritsugu's Servant, but with Shirou's smaller Mana reserves...

A yellow glint caught her eye, and Saber broke away from Dark Lancer. Snagging the source, she marveled at the golden hoop in her fingers. It sank into her body, and Saber felt a bit of her energy be restored. She looked around, and saw other such rings floating in the air.

Power Rings! Why are they here? Saber wondered, We've likened the Special Zones Chaos Emeralds create to Realty Marbles before, but...

"You can't escape!" Dark Lancer howled, charging at the knight.

Saber put aside her confusion and brought up her sword. Strange or not, the appearance of Power Rings was a welcome surprise. As long as she kept using them to fuel herself, her duel with Dark Lancer might have a better ending.

"Hey, what are those exactly?" Kid Gil asked, wanting to know before the screening continued on. "Because from what I can see...those things don't exist in my gate." And everything existed in his Gate of Babylon. From the past, present, to potentially the future as well. Ultimately, all things made by man should exist in his gate, yet instantly he could tell those rings weren't in it.

"Of course they don't." The voice confirmed. "Like I said, these guys come from another world. Due to this, they also brought certain 'items' from that world to your own."

"Ah, I see." Babbage figured it out. "Gate of Babylon is indeed powerful, but while not a flaw or weakness per say, it only contains everything from earth. Our earth."

"Yep." The voice acknowledged the answer. "Those rings are exclusive to their world, not earth. Because of that Gilgamesh won't have them, just as he wouldn't have things and objects not of earth."

"I suppose that makes sense, however, what are these rings? A power source." Circe asked the voice, as she overheard that world's version of Saber mentioning it being used to fill her mana.

"Yeah, they can be used as such." The voice says to the aunt of Medea. "But their main ability is for a type of one-off defense. Very useful." Anyway, back to the show.

"Okay, where to?" Sonic asked as he and Tails raced through the bowels of Ryuudou's inner sanctum.

Tails typed into the Miles Electric. "This entire place seems to be made of Prana. But according to the Radar, there are dozens of empty points that intersect- These tunnels. I just need a moment to figure out where the source of all this Prana is. I bet that's where Rin and Sakura are."

The setting seemed to shake, and a massive pit opened up beneath the duo. With a yell, Sonic jumped and did a Homing Shot to reach the other side, while Tails flew after him. Fleshy arms sprang out from the walls to try and grab at them, but they easily rolled underneath. A new wall suddenly grew down from the ceiling, becoming an instant dead-end, but Sonic grabbed Tails and sped up, shooting past it.

"Ever get the feeling that we're not wanted?" Sonic asked his sidekick sardonically.

"I bet Avenger is trying to keep us from reaching the sisters," Tails commented, "Those Dark Servants wanted to keep us from following when they let Rin and Archer get through."

"Then I guess this is one party we have to crash- Sonic style!" Sonic declared, and stopped to build up speed with a Spin Dash.

Tails followed suit, and the two blasted down the tunnels, rolling across and bouncing off the walls. They would run into more of the creatures patrolling around, but the duo would easily get by them, either by destroying whatever got in their way, but more often bypassing them entirely. More pits would open up beneath them, but the pair easily got past them. On the odd occasion that Sonic did fall, Tails would catch and fly him to safety.

"Not that this isn't fun, but, shouldn't we have gotten there by now?" Sonic asked.

Tails reviewed his Miles Electric. "We're dealing with magic, it's not an exact science- Uh oh!"

"What?"

"The layout is changing! We're going around in circles!" Tails cried.

Typical. The Servants all knew what it was like to be trapped in a maze. Ritsuka and Guadako getting flashbacks of that creepy tower dungeon or Asterios Noble Phantasm. Yuck.

Sonic stopped, creating an ear-splitting screeching sound as his heels dug into the ground. Tails landed next to him, looking worried. Sonic tapped his foot in frustration as he thought about it. Snapping his fingers, he pulled out the Chaos Emerald.

"What are you going to do with that?" Tails asked.

"You said one time that Chaos Emeralds attract each other, right?" Sonic replied, "And Amy said that Avenger has a Chaos Emerald."

"You want to use that to find Avenger?" Tails guessed, "That's not a bad idea, but the tunnels are still changing!"

"Who said we're taking the tunnels?" Sonic asked back, "I don't like taking shortcuts, but seeing as we're in a hurry..."

Tails got the drift and grabbed hold of Sonic's arm. He switched off the Miles Electric and tucked it away. Smirking, Sonic squeezed the gem as sparks began to crawl about their body.

"Chaos...Control!"

"Huh?" Mash looked surprised, but then so many others did as well. "They...vanished." She then looked to the voice. "What was that?"

"That was a Chaos Control."

"That doesn't answer our questions." Da Vinci commented.

"Uh, fine." The voice moaned. "That gem you saw earlier, is a powerful mystic item from their world. Think of it like the Holy Grails you gather, something with a hell lot of energy."

"Like a Holy Grail?" Guadako was surprised to hear of something other than a holy Grail could have such power.

"You mean it can grant wishes?" Billy the Kid grinned. Feeling that he wouldn't mind stealing such items.

"Sadly no," The voice gave them a disappointing answer. "It's more like a massive mana source so to say. Of course bring more than one Chaos Emerald all together and well~"

"Well what?" Medea asked interested at what the voice was teasing at.

"Let's just say something beyond amazing." With the power to defeat even a Servant. "Granted, you won't see it, but for now, enjoy seeing Archer again."

This would be a whole lot easier if these damned things didn't keep popping up. Archer thought bitterly.

As a combatanant, Dark Caster was the epitomy of simplicity. He didn't attack Archer directly, but instead would keep to the side and summon more Dark Creatures to do it for him. The problem was that in the time it took for Archer to slay one, two would take their place. Targeting Dark Caster directly was pointless, because no matter who well he aimed and fast Archer ran to strike, another creature would suddenly appear to obstruct the bowman. Luckily, Archer's own skills were enough to keep Dark Caster and his abominations at bay, but he knew he would burn through his own Prana and Rin's if the standoff continued.

Archer then felt a presence behind him and pivoted, swinging Kansho. It slashed across Avenger's chest, sending out a splatter of blood which he threw into Archer's eyes. Rather than being overwhelmed by a taste of All the World's Evil, Archer just kicked the Servant in the wound.

"Urgh!" Avenger hissed, "You recovered from that fast enough…"

Archer wiped his face with his longcoat. "Been there, done that." Maybe I should use Unlimited Blade Works...

Before the fight could resume, a familiar crackling filled the air. In a burst of light, Sonic and Tails appeared, landing right next to Archer.

"We're here!" Sonic declared.

"Yeah, but where's- Archer!" Tails looked at the bowman, "What happened to Rin?"

Not even gonna ask where they came from, Archer thought, and said, "We got separated. I think she's with Sakura."

"And, uh, is that good?" Tails asked awkwardly.

"...Maybe." Archer said evasively, "But I'm glad you showed up. I can't go find her with these two blocking my way."

While Archer spoke, Avenger glared at Sonic with the focus of laser beams. If it were possible, his gaze would have bore two holes into Sonic's head. Eventually, his eyes shifted towards the gem in Sonic's hand. In the center of his body, a purple light throbbed. Meanwhile, Sonic looked back and returned Avenger's unyielding look with one of his own. Avenger then shot his arm out, stretching it towards Sonic's Chaos Emerald with fingers twitching like the tentacles of a paralyzed octopus. Sonic jumped, ran down the arm at top speed to deliver a high-velocity kick into Avenger's head that sent the Servant reeling. Hitting the floor, Avenger's form burst into pieces before reforming.

"Give that to me."

The words were no sooner out of Avenger's mouth when a group of creatures launched themselves at the trio. Archer let fly with a slew of exploding swords, destroying them all in seconds. Meanwhile, Avenger morphed into a ball, zipping out through a tunnel that opened up. Sonic performed a Spin Dash and shot after him, leaving Tails and Archer alone with Dark Caster when the tunnel sealed up.

"Sonic-!" Tails cried, but Archer cut him off.

"He'll be fine! He's the hero, isn't he?" Archer asked, Projecting his swords. "Anyway, I'm going to need help dealing with that guy," He pointed at Dark Caster. "He's the one whose been summoning these freaks. Think you can help?"

Nodding, Tails went into a Spin Dash and charged at Dark Caster, tearing through a bunch of creatures. Seeing the fox coming, Dark Caster pulled back one of his surprisingly muscular arms in order to throw a punch. But when Tails was right in front of him, the fox jumped up and spun around, knocking Dark Caster in the head with a swing of his tails. As Dark Caster fell, more creatures leapt up to get Tails, only to be shot out of the air by Archer. As Dark Caster pulled himself up, more creatures gathered around, becoming a cloak of eyes of tentacles for him. He glared at Tails and Archer in a way that only a man with fish-eyes could.

Tails shuddered. "Ugh, that's gonna give me nightmares."

"I know," Archer said, nocking his bow. "On the plus side, they make easy targets."

Sonic followed the winding tunnels at top speed. He kept an eye out, but all he could see was the walls that seemed to be almost organic as they shifted and shook.

This place is even creepier than the one Caster made, Sonic thought, it reminds me of the final stretch to the Eclipse Cannon's Core!

Sonic zipped into a wide area, and then stopped. Out from the shadows a clawed hand reached out towards his throat. Sonic easily jumped back avoid it, but then another figure appeared behind him. Sonic rolled to the side, but there was a third person there as well. They always seemed to appear from nowhere, and disappear just as quickly. Sonic eventually found himself in the center, surrounded by a large group of people, wearing black outfits with skulls masks. They leered at him, but Sonic wasn't remotely impressed.

"Y'know, I figured I was due to fight ninjas," Sonic remarked.

Hundred Persona instantly felt insulted, but also had a bad feeling.

"I'm going to lose...aren't I." It wasn't a question, but an answer.

"...Yeah, pretty much." Robin Hood chuckled. "Dude looks like he could handle you guys well enough, even with your body double trick."

"I mean, technically he's not fighting you." Guadako tried reassuring the Assassin Class Servant. "He's fighting your alter, a completely different Servant...I think." She then looked to her brother who shrugged, unsure himself.

"I'm certain you guys will put up a decent fight though." Serenity told their elder which made Hundred Persona crack a smile.

"Still your tongue, interloper," The skull-faces said at once, "We are no mere shinobi. We are the Servant Assassin, Hassan-I Sabbath."

"What, all of you?" Sonic asked, stretching. "That's convenient. Or does it get confusing during roll call?"

"The name has been passed down throughout the history of our order," The Assassins said, "When one summons an Assassin, they are not merely bringing forth one warrior, but an entire history!"

"So it's a ninja-clone trick?" Sonic rolled his eyes, "Gotta say, kinda expecting more from a Magic Ghost."

"Save your critique for after the battle," The Assassins warned, "That is, if your impertinent mouth still functions once we are done."

As the Assassins spoke, Sonic curled up and prepared a Spin Dash. As he did, his body began to give off sparks of energy that were immediately pulled back into him. After a few seconds of this, Sonic stopped spinning, but instead of shooting off, stood up, leaning forward in preparation.

"We applaud your decision to flee, but it will do you no good," Said the Assassins, "Even you cannot run away from this assault."

Sonic smirked. "Who said I was running away?"

The Assassins moved. And so did Sonic.

Only, there were now as many Sonics as were Assassins. Maybe more. And they were moving four times faster than Assassin ever hope to. The entire chamber was filled with dozens of spinning blue balls that ricochet off of everything and everyone. Bodies hit the floor, and skull-faces shattered.

Once he had run out of ninjas to hit, Sonic stopped. He checked his watch. Five point seven seconds had passed. Nothing happened. Shaking out his fur, Sonic continued on. Just as he left the chamber, the tunnel entrance sealed itself up. Soon Sonic was running along a twisting, winding bridge over a pit.

"..." Hundred Persona looked down, reminded how easily they were killed the first time, and how easily they were killed now.

"...I know Assasin is weakened due to splitting themselves...but to be defeated that fast…" Saber herself couldn't believe it.

"A little shocking to see something defeat a Servant just like that." Ritsuka knew if the circumstances were right, that a Servant can be beaten by someone that was weaker than them. But it was still hard to believe that could happen.

Servants were beings of ether, close to true miracles. So powerful and were considered the greatest of all Familiars. While he and his sister have faced Servants and even helped stop them, not even they could challenge a Servant unless they wanted to be ripped apart. So to see someone else do it, even if it is another lifeform from another world, was nearly unbelievable to see.

The voice mused, wondering how they'll feel later on with the more crazy stuff they did.

"Finally!" I was starting to get bored!" Sonic laughed

A clawed hand suddenly reached out from underneath the bridge and slashed at Sonic. Sonic jumped to avoid it, and when he landed he saw an unfamiliar figure crawl onto the top. It was roughly a little over Sonic's height, with a round torso and wobbling, noodle-like limbs. It's head was like a partly-inflated ball, with dim red lights were the eyes should be. Sonic was reminded of Chaos Zero.

"What the heck are you supposed to be?" Sonic asked. It didn't look like the creatures Avenger normally summoned.

Sonic got his answer when the being's torso began to glow. It was Avenger! Rather than speaking, Avenger once more slashed out at Sonic, who easily dodged. Spinning around, Sonic landed a roundhouse kick with the speed if a jet turbine into Avenger's neck. Avenger once more went splat, but as he did, some of his blood struck Sonic's skin. Sonic gasped as the sheer negativity invaded his mind.

Bloodiedwoundedmurderhatedispairdeathsorrow

The Shadow reached out to take away Sonic's Emerald, but Sonic suddenly went into a Spin Dash. The force sent the Shadow tumbling back, and he narrowly shifted away when Sonic shot at him. Stopping on a dime, Sonic jumped up and landed a powerful Homing Shot at the Shadow, splattering him. Among the pieces, Sonic saw the Chaos Emerald sticking out. Before he could grab it, the globs of muck reassembled, and reformed into Avenger.

"First Archer and now you…" The Shadow hissed, "Doesn't All of the World's Evil bother anyone?"

"What can I say? You got nothin' on Dark Gaia," Sonic made a finger gun. "Just be glad I didn't turn into a Werehog!"

"By the way, this is Dark Gaia." An image then replaced the screen and there it showed Dark Gaia-

"Mother of hell!"

"By what abomination is that!?"

"Shit!"

"I think that's adorable."

"...W-w-w-what is that?" Mash asked a bit terrified by what may as well be the world's most ugliest insect with multiple arms, massive eyes, a mouth for an eyelid, and dark energy coursing all around. Being bigger than even Fanfir!

"That," The voice began telling them. "Is one of the most deadliest creatures in existence. A being that lives only to destroy so that creation will be re-made. Living in the center of Sonic's world and trust me when I say, regular Servants stand no chance by themselves. This thing is a damn Beast-level Threat!"

"A Beast!?" Guadako went agap. "That world has Beasts?"

"No. He said Beast-Level threat." Siegfried remarked. "Though that doesn't make it any better honestly."

"If that's true, then how did this Sonic person defeat what may as well be the impossible?" Jeanne asked the voice, unable to ponder how Sonic could even win against this monster. As while he was strong, she couldn't see him winning on his own.

"It took him in a special state, the Chaos Emeralds as you saw, his friends helping him out, and I guess you could say this monsters 'good half'." The voice explained to them. "Overall, it's like when you guys face a Beast but need as many people as possible to help out. Can be defeated, but not easily so." Of course unlike the Beasts where they're destined to be defeated by humans, Dark Gaia wasn't like that and he was pre-destined to wipe the world clean when his time came.

Hell, Dark Gaia needed a Grand Servant to beat it down. Though even worse, the freak was unkillable technically as it was a part of that world. A true immortal so to say. "So yeah, even Angra, who's powered by a Chaos Emerald and the Grail by the way, isn't much compared to this thing."

"I'll say." EMIYA said, believing it. While Angra-if his demon form was ever fulfilled-might be a true threat, this current form he sees of him, not as much. 'Yes his new abilities as we saw when facing Sonic and twisting Servants is bad...but nothing that can't be handled.'

Making him glad Sonic, Saber, even his foolish younger self and the others were taking him down.

Avenger materialized two crooked knives and slashed out at Sonic. Sonic easily zipped around him and landed thirty-three punches in rapid-fire succession. Avenger stumbled back, and then sank into the ground, becoming like a silhouette. Avenger zipped around Sonic, rising up to take his back, but Sonic curled up and effortlessly rolled away from The Shadow. Avenger rushed after Sonic, a hunger evident on what little remained of his face. Once he was far enough, Sonic stopped, turned around, and went into a Spin Dash. The impact scattered Avenger's pieces again, and Sonic zipped at the global with Chaos Emerald inside.

"Jackpot!" Sonic declared as he snagged the jewel. But his feeling of triumph turned to confusion when he felt something pull at his hand. The piece of Shadow was trying to yank the Emerald out his grip. He looked in the direction of the force, and saw Avenger's body reassembling itself, with a notable gap in his torso.

"That's mine," The Shadow snarled, reaching out. "It belongs to me. It is part of me."

Still feeling the pull on the Emerald, Sonic decided not to fight against it. Instead, he charged right at Avenger, rolling into a ball and letting the momentum carry him. His Spinball impacted Avenger, but when Sonic turned around to look, he once again saw the pieces had already reassembled.

This is never gonna end! Sonic thought, How can I beat this guy? I wish I had some magic of my own... He smacked his forehead. Duh!

Sonic whipped something out. It was the Rule Breaker's handle, which still had half of its blade attached. When Dark Rider had thrown it away, Sonic snagged it absentmindedly while dealing with Dark Berserker. However, it seemed seemed like the energy from the Chaos Emerald he had on his person kept the fake Noble Phantasm from disappearing completely. With one smooth motion, Sonic plunged the broken blade into the glob of darkness on the Emerald. It made a tiny squeal and fell off, retreating to the rest of Avenger's body.

"No..." Avenger whispered, "That's not..."

"Sorry, Avenger, I don't make the rules," Sonic said, racing forwards. "But I sure love to break 'em!"

"Yeah to that! Hahaha!"Chloe sure liked doing such things. Illya beside her sighing.

Avenger tried to get away, but he wasn't fast enough. Sonic tore through his body like a pinball through wet paper. The Shadow was blown to pieces. Sonic stopped and looked around. So far, nothing happened. He didn't see any sign of Avenger reappearing.

He's not coming back... Sonic thought, Did I get him for good this time?

With no answer in sight, Sonic chose to keep moving forward. He had both Emeralds, and now he needed to find the others. He could only imagine how the battles were going elsewhere...

Saber fell to her knees, but rolled out of the way from Dark Lancer's spears. However, she still received a kick to the jaw that sent her flying.

Getting up, Saber spat a bit of blood before wiping her chin. She then said, "I'm sorry for deluding you."

At this, Dark Lancer stopped.

"When I entered the Holy Grail War, I was under the assumption that it was soley a battle between warriors," Saber continued, "Like you, I believed that it was to be a series of righteous duels. But now I see that it was never meant to be righteous. From the beginning, we were only meant to be fuel for the Grail's formation," She took her fighting stance. "I do not expect my words to stop you. I just wanted to say those words before we finish this battle."

Dark Lancer's expression was cold. "...It seems you will never stop finding ways to spit on my honor." He said before resuming his attack.

Meanwhile, Amy and Illya were still attacking the half-buried Dark Berserker. With his legs stuck in the sand, Dark Berserker was limited in how he could defend and retaliate against their blows.

"Storch Ritter: Knight of Bird."

Illya's wires transformed into birds and flew at Dark Berserker. The wire-birds opened its beak and unleashed a stream of energy-bullets that shook Dark Berserker's armor.

With a thunderous roar, Dark Berserker burst out of the sand. He easily ripped the strings Illya bound to him and charged across the desert. Amy leapt at him ready to intercept, but the black knight easily jumped over her attack while kicking her in the chin. Rings fell from Amy's body as she landed head-first into the sand.

"No! You're not getting away!" Illya yelled, and her birds transformed into swords that dove at Dark Berserker.

Dark Berserker just grabbed one and used it to destroy the other. Unhindered, the dark knight continued on his way, kicking up a cloud of sand behind him. The black knight made a beeline towards the duel between Saber and Dark Lancer.

"ARTHUR~!" Dark Berserker yelled.

The sound shook the air, but Saber could not give it much thought. She was too embroiled with Dark Lancer. But then she saw Dark Berserker's form fast approaching over Dark Lancer's shoulder. Her moment of distraction was all Dark Lancer needed to get an edge. With Gae Dearg he pushed Excalibur away, knocking it out of her hands and into the sand. With his foe disarmed, Dark Lancer readied himself to impale Saber with Gae Buidhe.

There was the sound of flesh being torn asunder. Blood dripped onto the sand. Shirou, having heard Dark Berserker's shout and abandoned the fight against Dark Rider, ran up to the site of Saber's duel. What he saw stunned him.

Saber was sitting in the sand, white with fear. Dark Lancer stood before her. And behind him was Dark Berserker, who now held a black sword in his hands.

And half of it had been thrust through Dark Lancer's body.

Dark Lancer spat blood. In his final breath, he choked, "Why...does someone always...interfere...?"

"Uh." Ritsuka flinched. "While his Alter self is kinda...an asshole, he's not wrong. That does suck."

"But necessary." EMIYA told him.

"Hopefully in another world things could be better." Arturia sorely said, wondering if out there her fight with Lancer wasn't in tragedy like before.

Dark Lancer's body disintegrated. And when it was gone, Dark Berserker's sword hung in his limp hand, before it fell into the sand. The black knight stared down at Saber, who looked up at him Shirou was then joined by Amy and Illya, who looked just as perplexed as he felt.

"What's going on now?" Amy asked, "I thought those two goons were working together."

Dark Berserker reached up and removed his helmet. The head that was underneath it belonged to a handsome man, truly befitting a Knight of the Round Table. But more shocking was his expression. Those watching had been expecting a face twisted by rage, much like Herakles had been. Instead, Dark Berserker's features were painted with sorrow. He looked mournful, solemn, even.

"...Fight, your majesty," Dark Berserker said, "If not for your sake, but for mine."

'And I will,' The wielder of Excalibur thought, with Lancelot watching closely.

Nodding, Saber stood up. Without taking her eyes off of Dark Berserker, she reached and retrieved Excalibur. Once she held her sword in her hands, Dark Berserker threw himself at her. Saber was just barely able to stop Dark Berserker from cutting her in half. The two knights began to duel with an intense fervor, but it was immediately obvious that not only did Dark Berserker have the skill advantage, Saber's energy levels were dropping.

It's because of me, Shirou thought, Because she's bound to a weak mage like me, Saber's Prana levels are going to run out before she can even regain her motivation. I've got to do something...

Shirou prepared to Project a bow, but Illya stopped him.

"Don't, Onii-chan," Illya warned, "Even if you don't care about Saber's pride, nothing you throw at that fake Berserker will do any good."

"But you're a wizard, or something, right?" Amy pointed out, "Maybe you can give Saber some status buffs!"

"I'm assuming it's safe to say this one doesn't know much about Servants?" Jeanne asked.

"Yeah." The voice said.

"Can't exactly blame them," Guadako then pointed out. "I mean, I doubt they know much about Servants. So maybe they think Servants are like video game characters."

"Not sure how to feel about our moonlit world being considered like a game." Da Vinci rubbed her head.

"Oh you'd be surprised." The voice chuckled, thinking of all the fun of said 'game'. "Besides, you guys can't talk like that when you have a literal status effect and skills like a game."

"He's not...wrong." Tomoe hesitatingly agreed, thinking that for some reason Servant stats were like a game for some mystical reason. 'Hm...games huh.' She wondered if she could play some games,like that new Nintendo Switch...maybe in the summer if she can.

Spoken like someone who only knows magic from RPG games. Shirou thought with bitter amusement, Too bad I can't even do that...

"Onii-chan," Illya then said, "Give me your hand."

Confused, Shirou did so. He then felt something cut into his palm and cried out in pain. Amy gasped, and Shirou then saw that Illya's own hand had a cut into it. She pressed her wound against Shirou's, and he felt a strange heat fill his body.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Yeah! What am I doing!?" Illya worryingly said.

"Something that might change the battle." Miyu told her friend.

"Like you said," Illya said, "Status buffs. Onii-chan, I'm giving you my own Mana. Tell Saber to take as much as she wants. She'll need it to avenge Berserker!"

Saber suddenly felt a surge of power and her Mana levels shot up. Her fatigue left her and she easily circled around Dark Berserker to strike. While he managed to block her, Dark Berserker found himself pushed back a foot from the force of her blow. Surprise was evident on both their faces. Saber chanced to look and saw Shirou and Illya holding hands. Her Master flashed her a thumbs up, and Saber nodded back, understanding. She turned back to Dark Berserker, who was now frowning.

Seeing that the situation was more or less under control now, Amy turned and ran. "Okay, you guys do what you can here, I'm going to help Bazett and Knuckles!"

"We've got this." Shirou told her. I hope…

Amy ran to a crimson dot in the distance. Once Amy arrived, she found Bazett looking up into the air. Curious, Amy turned her gaze skyward and saw Dark Rider's chariot circling in the air. Just barely, she could make out Knuckles attached to the side, shifting away from Dark Rider's awkward attempts to smack him off.

"They've been at that for a while, now," Bazett said, "Even with empowered legs, I can't make that jump, or I'd be up there as well."

"Then give me a boost!" Amy declared, getting an odd look from Bazett.

High in the air, Knuckles continued to punch the side of the Gordius Wheel. However, nothing he did seemed to leave any mark on the chariot.

"You're only waisting your time, rodent!" Dark Rider snarled, lifting his sword. "This sacred vehicle was forged by forces beyond your understanding!"

When he saw Dark Rider's blade about to come down, Knuckles jumped off and began to glide through the air. He caught an updrift from Saber and Dark Berserker's fight, putting the Echidna higher into the air. Turning around, Knuckles shot towards and went into a nosedive at the Servant.

"Fool," Dark Rider grunted, preparing to counter. But then, he felt a force slam into his body, nearly hitting him out of his chariot. Turning around, he saw none other than Amy Rose standing on one of his bulls, hammer raised in readiness. "You-!"

Before Dark Rider could retaliate, Knuckles slammed into his back. Rather than waiting for the Servant to regain his balance, Knuckles quickly pulled back his fist and delivered a powerful uppercut. At the same time, Amy shot forward and slammed her hammer into Dark Rider. The force of the blows knocked Dark Rider out of his seat, and out of the chariot. He fell down, hitting the sand with the force of an anvil.

"Perfect! Now we've got a fair fight!" Knuckles declared, and jumped after the Servant.

"Wait! How do I steer this thing?" Amy cried, gesturing at the reins. With their master gone, the bulls began to run wild. Down below, Bazett gasped and chased after the chariot when it began to twist and curve uncontrollably in the air.

Cu smiled a bit. He didn't really know Bazett all that well, but...it felt nice seeing in another time and place, she was doing okay. She was a hell lot better than that ass Kotomine.

Back with the knights, Saber and Dark Berserker's duel continued. However, no matter what Saber did, even with the influx of power she was getting from Shirou and Illya, she could not gain an advantage over her former warrior.

"I understand why you hate me, Berserker, but the Holy Grail will not grant your wish!" Saber declared, "It was an impossible dream from the very beginning, one that will only destroy the world!"

"I don't hate you, Your Majesty," Dark Berserker said, his cool tone offset by his aggression. "But, you clearly have never truly been to the Throne of Heroes. If you had, you would understand this rage of mine." As he spoke, his attacks became more aggressive. "When I died, my only regret was not being able to come to your aide in your time of need, so I became a Heroic Spirit to change our fate with the Holy Grail. But when I did, I learned the true nature of our lives."

Saber was pushed back. "What are you...?"

"It was all planned..." Dark Berserker hissed, his face becoming ugly with as the rage took him. "Everything, from the day you pulled that sword from the stone, had in fact been set in stone!"

As his fury increased, so did the speed and force of his attacks. Saber found herself being pushed further and further as Dark Berserker pressed his assault. And as he did, his tone became more and more enraged.

"That sword's cruel enchantment not only altered your nature, but all of ours!" Dark Berserker said fiercely, "From that day on, we all became players in a show set forth by the gods themselves! Guinevere, myself, you... To create the Legend of King Arthur, we were all made to suffer!"

Saber darted back as Dark Berserker unleashed a downward strike that created a small trench in the sand. From that point, she kept her distance from Dark Berserker, clashing sparingly as he continued to pursue her. However, she knew that if this kept up Dark Berserker would overcome her.

"And the vengeance I seek is not against you, or even our kingdom!" Dark Berserker continued, "This world, which glorifies the tragedy we experienced, is the true target of my rage!"

'The Quantum Lock.' Those who knew of it thought of this unique mechanism, realizing this version of Lancelot figured it out. Leaving the rest in the cast such as the Fujimaru twins, Mash, and others behind confused by what he meant.

Shirou, watching this and having heard Dark Berserker's speech, realized that Saber, through it all, was still haunted by the traumatic loss of her knights and kingdom. Even with the Prana Illya was donating, the guilt she had from not being able to save her country was keeping her from fighting to her fullest. He had to snap her out of it.

"Saber!" Shirou then shouted, catching both knights' attention. "You're no longer a Knight of the Round Table! You're a Heroic Spirit now! You don't have to restrain yourself!"

Saber and Dark Berserker stared at Shirou. While Saber's eyes seemed to soften at his words, Dark Berserker's gaze narrowed. When he looked back at Saber, he saw that her expression had a strength and clarity that they did not have before, even with her resolution to fight.

Shirou's right...All this time, I've been fighting as if I were still at Battle of Camlann, sword against sword, Saber thought, But I have to go further than a knight could…I have to fight like a Servant of the War…like a Magic Ghost!

"...I mean...she's not wrong." Cursed Arm shrugged, as technically they were all by definition of the human world, magic ghosts.

"I feel that's insulting." Though some like Jeanne Alter frowned at that.

Saber raised her sword above her head, an idea forming in her head. The blade began to glow as power gathered within it and began to concentrate. Dark Berserker saw what was happening, and then rushed forward, intent on intercepting the attack.

"EXCALIBUR!"

Much further away, Knuckles and Dark Rider had landed rather haphazardly in the sand. With grains shaking tumbling out of their hair and fur, their battle continued to devolve into an all-out slug-fest. Dark Rider was giving it his all, but he had dropped his sword in the fall and Knuckles was using hit-and-run tactics to land dozens of blows. However, Dark Rider refused to fall.

"Do you..." Knuckles paused to take a breath. "...give?"

"Never," Dark Rider snarled, "I have journeyed the world during my era, putting each nation I came across to heel. I have never stopped once in life, and do not intend to do so now!"

"Well, in that... Hey, what's that light?" Knuckles paused, looking past Dark Rider. His eyes widened, and he dove into the sand.

Confused, Dark Rider looked behind him...just in time for the impact. He didn't even have time to feel pain. It was over instantly.

'Probably best but...uh.' Waver wasn't sure hot to feel his old Servant being vaporized like an ant in a magnifying glass to go out as. At the very least, that was one less enemy to fight.

Tails' spinball slammed into Dark Caster's chest, knocking the dark wizard back a step. A two tentacles shot out from behind at the fox, which Tails jumped over. However, as he did, Dark Caster lunged forward ready to slug Tails, his surprisingly strong hands balled into fists. Before he could connect, though, a dot of light caught one of his over-sized eyes. Caster just barely jumped back in time for a one of Archer's swords to rush over his nose. The wizard shot the bowman a glare.

"Sorry about that," Archer said, shaking his leg. It had a starfish-creature clinging to it. "Was aiming for your head."

"Just let us through already!" Tails yelled, "Why do you guys even want with Sakura?"

"The Holy Maiden must be safeguarded until her purpose is fulfilled," Dark Caster said, "In order to become the Holy Grail, we require a vessel to contain and concentrate its power."

"Vessel?" Tails asked, confused.

EMIYA and Medusa both clenched their fists, remembering what made Sakura...unique.

Ritsuka and Guadako alongside Mash showed confusion, but the two Servants knew exactly what made it horrifying and tragic. If anything, they were better off noy knowing what Gilles meant.

'Those two don't need to see the true ugliness of man.' No. Not man. Of a worm. EMIYA's eyes narrowed dangerously, as he thought of that bastard. That sick abomination. Shame he never got a chance to kill him during at least one of his many forced adventures as Alaya's dogs.

Medusa herself felt the same.

Archer's eyes widened, then narrowed. "So that's it… You're going to sacrifice Sakura to create a pathway to the Greater Grail!"

Tails gasped. "Sacrifice!?"

"In order for the Grail to form, a human vessel is needed," Archer said. His voice was cold, but there was a fire in his eyes. "But containing all of that power will kill whoever it is."

-Illya's eyes closed for the last time…

Dark Caster shrugged. "If we are to deny God, then such sacrifices are necessary."

'Oh Gilles…' Jeanne thought mournfully, with even Jeanne Alter looking away a bit. While not as upset as her, Jeanne could tell her 'sister' didn't entirely approve of the way Gilles said those words. Goes to show how much she changed. It only made Jeanne ponder if the same could be done for that man.

Archer kicked off the starfish, and then destroyed it with Kansho. He then dematerialized both of his swords. "Tails, get clear. I'm going to end this...now!"

Archer held out his hand and a new sword began to appear. Its creation required far more Prana than either Byakuya and Kansho combined. It was a sword that had a special place in history, and an exceptionally special place in his memories.

He felt her arms next to his as she gripped the hilt of the sword. Together, they ran at the raging giant...

One the sword was fully formed, Archer ran at Dark Caster. The fallen Servant gestured for more of his Summons' to attack, but they balked. The light emitting from the blade was repellent to the creatures, the darkness that formed them burning away at its touch. Dark Caster himself flung his arms over his face, shielding his eyes from the glow of the sword. He began to pull away, from behind Tails rammed his Spinball into him, knocking Dark Caster towards Archer's assault.

This was all the opening Archer needed. He brought the sword down, releasing a flash of holy light that engulfed the Dark Caster.

"Caliburn!"

When the dust cleared, there was no sign of Dark Caster. Archer sighed, and released the spell, causing the Projected sword to vanish from his hand. His heart felt heavy from memory and a distinct dip in his mana reserves.

"Whoa, total anihilation," Tails commented, looking around. "Hey, is it me, or are the walls starting to look transparent?"

"That man was probably the one who crafted this place," Archer said, "Without his existence, the spells maintaining the structure are fading." Rin, we destroyed the fish-eyes. How are you doing? Rin? Rin!

With Dark Rider's death, the desert began to fade away, replaced by the ruins of Caster's Labyrinth. Shirou looked to Saber, who was on her knees. He couldn't see her face past the unbound hair, but he could hear the tears falling. In front of her was Dark Berserker, who looked almost peaceful, more at ease than a man whose left half had been vaporized should be.

"There will be no King as great as you," Dark Berserker said to Saber, "Never forget that."

Saber choked back a sob. Shirou went over and helped her up.

"Young man, I ask you," Dark Berserker said, "Are you my liege 's Master?"

Shirou looked their defeated foe squarely in the eyes. "No. I'm Saber's friend."

Dark Berserker did not reply. In fact, he didn't even move. His eyes, unblinking, stared into Shirou. There was a rush of footsteps, and Shirou knew that Sonic had returned. Dark Berserker glanced briefly at the Hedgehog. For a moment, Shirou thought he was going to continue attacking. Instead, Dark Berserker ' s eyes softened.

"…I see," Lancelot said, smiling. "If it led to this moment, then, perhaps…it was all worth it.

"Farewell, my liege."

With a sad, but content smile on his face, Lancelot of the Lake vanished from the world. Once he did, Saber broke down, sobbing as she mourned what to her was her knight's third passing. Off to the side, Illya just stared at the spot where Berserker- her Berserker had been killed by the Dark one. Shirou took Saber by the shoulder, silently offering her his support. Sonic, catching on quick, gave Saber a pat on the back.

"He seemed like a nice guy." Sonic commented.

Saber took a deep breath. When she exhaled, it felt to Shirou that she was releasing a lifetime of sorrow and anger.

"Yes," She said at last, "He was. It is a shame you could not see how he was before his corruption."

"I'm not sure about that," Shirou spoke up, "Even though he had been tainted by the Fourth War's Grail, there was a chivalry in his rage. I don't think even Avenger could smother that. And…I think that as a knight turned to evil, that chivalrous nature would prefer to be cut down by his Master, than have his rage consume the world."

Saber smiled. It was still a sad smile, but Shirou felt that his words may have helped Saber come to terms with her duel. Her eyes, at least, brightened considerably.

"Hm." Arturia smiled, feeling a form of happiness at seeing this. Recalling the fourth grail war, and the anguish when she met her old friend and ally. The pain it was to see him fall so hard. 'But in another world...it's nice to see that our relationship ended much better along with our good-byes.'

While the King of Knights has long accepted that war along with the fifth, seeing this world made her glad that Lancelot and her reconciled properly. If it weren't for the fact she was around other people, she'd have cried just a bit in joy.

"..." As for Lancelot himself, a smile could also be seen on his face. Truth be told, he had...some memories of that war. Not much, and he didn't know why either. It was like a dream if he was being honest. Vague and blurry, with so little detail. But he could still see it, recall it.

"Lancelot." The look of horror on her face. The uncertainty, the anguish. He never wanted her to feel that way. To be in pain. To suffer.

It got worse when he saw her in Chaldea, and simply avoided her. It was only when Mash kicked him in the face that knocked some sense into him, to see her just a bit. It was still awkward between the two, but he felt things improved. Maybe later they could hang out, with the other knights. 'And not just me.'

Maybe...he could also get his berserker self to join. Now wouldn't that be interesting.

"Sonic!" Something bright and pink leapt out of nowhere and latched onto the Hedgehog, wrapping her arms around his neck. Bazett arrived soon after.

"Ack! Amy!" Sonic gagged- although Shirou wasn't sure if it was because he didn't appreciate the Amy's affection, or because she was squeezing too hard.

A rock shattered, punched into bits by Knuckles. The Echidna looked nowhere near as chipper as Amy had been. In fact, he seemed outright livid.

"Who sent the death beam my way?!" Knuckles demanded, "It almost turned me into atoms!"

"Oh, right. Almost forgot about that." Guadako giggled. "He nearly got fried."

"That's gonna be awkward." Ritsuka also smirked while Arturia just scratched her cheek and smiled nervously.

Saber blushed slightly from embarrassment. "I apologize, Knuckles. My battle with the Berser…with Lancelot proved to be more difficult than I assumed it would be. I had to use my Noble Phantasm in order to match his skills."

Knuckles grumbled, unsatisfied with the answer. However, he let the matter drop. A tell-tale whirring told them that Tails was coming, and they saw that he was accompanied by Archer.

"He-hey, Tails!" Sonic greeted, still trying to escape Amy's constricting hug. "Where's Rin?"

"I don't know! We lost track of her!" Tails replied, looking around frantically.

"While we were fighting the other Caster we became separated from Rin," Archer explained further, "She's also refusing to answer my mental calls."

"She must be going to find Sakura!" Tails exclaimed, "The Caster said that she's being used as a Grail! We have to find them before Rin does something-!"

"HELP!"

The ear-splitting shriek bounced off the cavern's walls and caught everyone's attention. They looked to the source and saw Rin, carrying an unconscious Sakura in her arms. Both girls looked incredibly damaged, their clothes torn, their skin cut and bleeding, and their hair unbound. Rin swayed, clearly having trouble keeping Sakura held up and maintaining her balance at the same time. Nonetheless, she continued to stagger towards the group, refusing to let go even when Archer went over to help her.

"She's dying!" Rin continued to scream, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Something happened, I don't know what, but I don't have enough Prana to heal her! Somebody…" She began to sob. "Save my little sister!"

Medusa nearly gasped, and it took effort for EMIYA to not move to help the girl he once loved from another world. Knowing it was impossible.

"What's wrong with her?" Guadako asked worryingly. "She looks...well, near dead."

"A curse maybe." Ritsuka answered, though was uncertain himself. He and his sister weren't exactly...good mages. They were more akin to regular people than actual mages, and were just two siblings that spent more time in the modern world than the moonlit one.

So while they weren't stupid, they lacked loads of actual information that many mages would know. Maybe the next scene will help explain.

Sonic was instantly at Rin's side, holding out his arms. "Give her to me! I'll zip her over to a hospital!"

"Wait!"

Saber stood up. In that one instant, she was no longer the fallen King, mourning the loss of her country or the life of her knight. She was now a Servant, brought into the world in pursuit of a wish.

And it would be granted.

Saber turned to face a Shirou, her eyes hard. "I'm sorry, Shirou. This will hurt, but I need to do it to save your friend."

Before Shirou could ask what she meant, he gagged in pain. Saber had plunged her hand into his chest! A shining light appeared as Saber retracted her hand, but what appeared was not blood, but an ornate sheath. It was beautiful to behold, when Saber held it her own grandeur was amplified. It was an mystical object she once held during her life as a king. It was a tool Archer had seen in his own life. It was a catalyst Illya had seen very briefly at the Einzbern castle. And Sonic had seen one very like it in another adventure…although the one he remembered was a bit different.

The sheath of King Arthur's sword, Avalon… Sonic thought, and realized what Saber was planning. It was inside of Shirou this whole time!

"Eh!" Mash said aloud. "I-it was inside a person? How?"

"Just how certain concepts work." Circe took a sip of tea. "Magecraft is called 'magic' by the common masses for their own reasons." Because to normal people, it may as well be magic.

"Yeah. Sure." Tesla muttered while rolling his eyes. Also not getting how Avalon worked. A Servant he may be, with wicked powers, but at his core he was still a scientist. Meaning he and many other Servants also didn't entirely get how magecraft worked. Made sense, they were warriors, not scholars who delved into magic.

So stuff like this went by their ears.

Rin, briefly distracted from her sisters plight by Avalon's splendor, did not stop Sonic from taking Sakura into his arms. Moving quickly-but-not-too quickly, Sonic carried the wounded girl towards Saber, who was marching towards them, holding Avalon out. The two met in the middle.

"Okay, your Majesty," Sonic said, "Give it to her."

"I will," Saber said resolutely, and in a smaller voice, said to Sakura, "I'm sorry, this will sting."

Raising Avalon into the air, Saber plunged the sheath into Sakura's body! Sonic gasped and nearly dropped the girl, but Saber's unflinching eyes told him to keep steady. Sakura whined a bit, but the pain appeared to be minimal. Avalon sank into Sakura ' s abdomen, drawing no blood but vanishing into a golden light, a light that briefly rippled over the girl's entire being. The smallest of cuts and bruises Seemed to close and fade, and Sakura's pained expression softened.

"What is that thing?" Amy asked, amazed. "Some sort of magic charm?"

"This is Avalon, the sheath for my sword," Saber explained, her eyes fixated on Sakura. "It is a mystical tool that heals rejuvenates those who bear it. I imagine that it was implanted inside of Shirou to save him from whatever injuries he sustained during the Great Fire of Fuyuki, by my previous Master."

"But will it be enough to help Sakura?" Tails asked worriedly. "She was in bad shape even before Avenger kidnapped her."

"The recovery will not be fast, but I know that the worst of it shall be healed," Saber said, "However, Sonic and I must not leave her side until she awakens,"She looked Sonic firmly in the eyes. "Avalon's power can only be invoked in the presence of King Arthur."

Getting Saber's drift, Sonic smirked and flashed the King of Knights an understanding smile. He looked at Sakura's face and saw that her expression, once so pained, was now peaceful. It was hard to believe that scarcely a minute ago she had been at deaths door. During his own adventure through the Legend of King Arthur, the immortality granted by Avalon had been such a pain. Now, though, it's power was being put to good use.

Knuckles, meanwhile, had his own questions. "But what happened to her in the first place? "

Rin said, "I…I don't know. I was trying to keep her from becoming the Grail, when…when…I guess the excess Prana badly reacted with her messed up Mage Circuits."

"Badly reacted?" Knuckles repeated, his face scrunched up in confusion. "What's that supposed to Mean? "

"She just convulsed!" Rin half-shouted, "It's like something inside of her exploded, I don't know!"

Sonic and Shirou froze, and their eyes met.

Shinji stared at the smoking crater that used to be the Matou Manor. Only very tiny pieces of the house could be found scattered about. Further away, concerned citizens were making phone calls about both the noise and the debris that fell down from above. A tall plume of smoke was at the very center of the destruction.

My house… my room… my magazines… Shinji thought, too stunned to feel any emotion. Gone!

"Wow," Cubot commented, "That musta been some party!"

Orbot looked up and asked Shinji, "Does your universe's homeowners insurance cover for explosions? Ours does."

"Who's that guy?" Ritsuka asked.

"Nobody important." Medusa instantly answered. "Though I am surprised he hasn't died."

"Same." EMIYA agreed, while also not liking how Shinji was wit these strange two machines. Hopefully it wasn't anything important. Instead, rather focus on other things. Like that ruined mansion of the worm. How nice.

"…We should probably leave," Shirou said at last, "Avalon or not, we need to get Sakura to a Hospital."

"Yeah, plus, this place is looking pretty beat up," Tails said, looking around. "the last thing we need is a cave in on top of everything else that's happened."

Of that, there was no denying. Even though the majority of the battles had happened inside Dark Rider's Reality Marble, the few fights that occurred outside of it had done serious damage to the cavern's infrastructure. There was no sign that it would collapse immediately, but no one wanted to tempt fate.

"Don't worry, I know of a great clinic," Amy put in, "It's the same place where Bazett stayed after her own injury."

"Lead the way, Amy," Sonic said, picking up Sakura. " Or better yet, give me directions so I can carry her there."

Of course, he was joking. Even if Avalon's healing powers were being doubled, Sakura's condition was too delicate to be jostled by Sonic's high-velocity delivery. The entirety of them walked towards the entrance of the cavern. To ensure that Sakura would be more comfortable, Shirou Projected a stretcher for her to be carried on. With Sonic at the front and Saber holding up the end, the group headed out to the entrance of the cavern.

"So, what are we going to tell the doctor?" Tails asked, "He's gonna wanna know how Sakura was injured."

"That won't matter," Rin declared, her eyes regaining there usual light. "We'll just hypnotize the entire building if we have to. Sakura will be taken care of, and we won't have to answer any awkward questions."

As they reached the end of the tunnel, a blinding glare greeted them. But it wasn't the sun that was shining. Instead, it was at least a dozen floodlights. Flanking the lights were a multitude of what looked like armored soldiers, armed to the teeth. Hovering in the air were several drones.

"THIS IS COMMANDER TOPAZ OF SPECIAL FORCES!" A familiar voice yelled over a speaker, "PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND COME QUIETLY!"

"Oh man..." Sonic sighed, "Here we go again..."

"He's taking it pretty chill for being exposed to the public. Or at least a bunch of soldiers." Cu says feeling Sonic is downplaying what was going on.

"Yeah, I mean, soldiers! Soldiers!" Guadako yells. "What is going on over there?"

"Nothing good if they're caught by Japan's military force." Ritsuka adds on. Feeling a sense of foreshadowing.

"Um, Mr. Voice." Mash then asked the voice. "I-is magecraft exposed in Fuyuki?" Which would mean the Clock Tower might take some...drastic measures.

"Right, that." The voice realized some explanation was in order. "Okay, look, Magecraft as a whole isn't exposed. However, due to the presence of Sonic and his friends, the average person to the military is starting to realize something is going on in Fuyuki."

"That isn't good." Da Vinci says in worry. "I can assume that even if the people don't know the true details of the Holy Grail War, Sonic along with certain Servants like Angra aren't doing their best in keeping things under wrap."

"Hell yeah." The voice agreed to her words. "Sonic is a hero, a true hero. A bit smug and annoying sometimes, but a hero that doesn't give a damn about the magecraft rules and helped a lot of people during the early stages of the war. Mostly from Cu Lancer from devouring others' souls."

"Ah yes. Because the dog needed scraps." EMIYA says both to taunt Cu and an insult because he does recall nearly dying in his first life by that spear.

"Not happy about that, but eh." Cu shrugs. Personally, it did make him feel a bit bad at killing people, but orders were orders. Which is why he was glad that in a way he 'avenged' those people by killing the bastard that told him to eat those souls.

"This Sonic," Atalanta then spoke up. "It's safe to believe that he cares not for exposing himself."

"In his world, everyone from humans, to mobians, to even regular animals and machines are aware of the antics happening, including magic."

"No masquerade?" Medea asked, a bit impressed.

"Not unheard of." Robin Hood spoke up. "I mean, unlike these modern times in the distant past people could show off their power like nothing. Gods and everything until mana as a whole began draining."

"But in Sonic's world, they seem to have no masquerade even in the present." Helena says in joy. Wondering if maybe one day Servants could walk out in modern times without fear of the Association killing said people just for seeing them.

"Yeah, a pretty cool world." The voice liked that dimension. "Of course Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Tails try to keep their more active activities from the public eye, but it isn't easy." Like Eggman and Angra sending their minions to attack in public. "Luckily, thanks to certain attacks the Clock Tower can't do crap to Fuyuki as it would likely cause war against them and the Japanese military."

"The Clock Tower is full of nefarious people," Waver smoked on a cigar. "However, they're not entirely stupid. Likely being held back as if they try attacking a city as big as Fuyuki, it would do them no favors at all."

"Exactly." The voice was glad that out of the Lords, Waver was one of the few good ones. "Those assholes are greedy bastards, but they're not one-hundred percent stupid. Plus, Sonic, Shirou, and all they're friends from mobians to Servants won't stand by and do nothing."

"I gotta say, this world is certainly interesting." Achilles chuckled. "I mean, animal people. Damsels in distress. The weakest Servant being an actual threat." Just so much stuff was going on. It goes to show that there truly were amazing people out there beyond their world.

"It is pretty cool." Ritsuka smiles at what he saw. "Makes me wonder if Sonic could be a Servant alongside his friends. He seems pretty cool."

"I like that Tails guy." Guadako giggles with her hands covering her mouth. "He just seems so adorable."

"Amy is a good civilization." Is all Altera had to say.

"Ah, Amy." Tamamo also liked her. "May she find her love!"

"I wouldn't mind challenging that Knuckles guy either." Fergus grinned with his weapon out. "He might be a fun match."

"And I wouldn't mind if we could see those Chaos Emeralds in action." Da Vinci wanted to study them and those rings quite a bit.

"Maybe another day." The voice tells them. "But for now, on with the show." Then once more the screen turned on.

---

Just barely saw the Learning with FGO Animation video. It was funny. I'm definitely gonna show them that world one day. I'm already smiling thinking about it.