Fate Stay Night – Unlimited Boob Works

Chapter 21

"La Morte D'Arturia"

"Rin tells me you have an idea of how to beat her?"

It was Archer who asked the question. They were seated in the living room at Emiya House. Shiro sat on one side of the table, with Illya and Kiritsugu with him. Rin Tohsaka sat to his right with Archer beside her, while Sakura Matou sat to the left, with Rider along with her.

Shiro wondered if she was comfortable sitting in the Japanese style, with her legs tucked up under her, but her mask hid the upper part of her face, so he could not see her expression. The memory of seeing her red eyes made him blush. Rider said nothing about it.

Opposite from them, on the other side of the table, was Issei, with Caster to his right, and Lancer to his left.

"I don't like letting strangers inside the barrier" Kiritsugu had warned.

Shiro nodded.

"I understand how you feel. And normally I'd agree. But we've imposed on them several times at Ryudo Temple, and it wouldn't do to impose again – especially not when we're asking for their help."

"So you're serious about going through with this?"

Shiro nodded again.

"It took the coming together of three Great Mage Families to set up the Holy Grail War. It'll take more than just us to defeat it. I doubt we can accomplish very much on our own."

Those had been Shiro's words at the time. But looking around the table at the collection of Masters and Servants gathered before him, he was struck with the sensation that this was too great a matter for so humble a place as his own living room.

"Einzbern, Tohsaka, Matou, Emiya – the Three Great Mage Families, plus one outsider – and the heir to Ryudo."

Just saying the names in his mind filled him with a sense of dread.

At least the dinner Sakura had prepared was delicious. There could be no disagreements about that, and it helped to start things off on a positive footing. Rin smiled sweetly as she poured the tea, being certain to close both her eyes and give Issei her best fox eyed stare as she handed him his cup, which gave him second thoughts about drinking it. He had serious concerns that it might be poisoned, but a warning look from Caster told him that we was going to drink it or else, and that she didn't care if he died in the process, so he had no choice but to brace himself, and dutifully take a sip.

Lancer finished half of his cup with one gulp before setting it back down on the table with a loud "plunk!"

Shiro took a deep breath.

"I might. When Saber fought in the previous Grail War, Sasaki Kojiro was almost able to defeat her – almost. They had an honorable duel on the stairs outside of Ryudo – it was actually his only wish.

'Saber told me that she had a great deal of trouble with his Swallow Tail Strike. It was an attack that comes from three directions at once. Basically it's unavoidable. The only reason she was able to beat it was because Kojiro's sword was bent from their previous duel, so it was only able to perform two of the three cuts.

'What I think we need to do is set up our own version of the Swallow Tail Strike."

Archer looked at him with interest.

"Go on."

"We don't have anyone capable of fighting Saber one on one –"

"I beg to differ – " Lancer protested, but Archer cut him off.

"Shut it. The boy's right. She's more than a match for any of us alone."

Lancer grumbled.

"We don't have the luxury of fighting an honorable duel, so our Swallow Tail Strike will have to be a little bit different."

Archer raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?"

"What is it?" Rin asked. Shiro was watching while Sakura cleared up the plates.

"It's – nothing . . ."

She frowned.

"Don't give me that."

"I was just thinking – this is what Saber talked about, back at the beginning – when we had the party – the one you set up. Do you remember? She talked about castles, and Camelot – travelling from one house to another, keeping court. And now, here we are, doing the same thing. It's funny . . ."

Rin looked at him worriedly, her eyes full of concern.

His Father noticed the same look when he went to speak to him in his room.

"I know you don't like this", Kiritsugu said, seeing Shiro's sullen face. "But there's something you should know. There's a lot of mystery surrounding the man called Sasaki Kojiro. I've looked into the matter, and the sources don't agree. It seems some sort of historical figure must have existed to inspire the various stories and legends, but we don't know where he was born, who his parents or master were, or even how old he was when he died.

'Even the events of his famous 'honorable duel' with Miyamoto Musashi are shrouded in mystery. We know the date, but the exact circumstances are unclear. There's speculation that all may not have been as it seemed. Musashi and Kojiro were both famous persons by that time. Such a matter would have to be arranged.

'Kojiro was in direct service to a feudal lord, but his reputation was growing, and that power may well have been a threat to his lord's own ambitions. Removing him, however, would have been difficult, as it would have had certain religious and political implications. It's possible that, though it may have been unknown even to Musashi himself, that their so called honorable duel may have actually been an act of assassination."

Shiro stared at his Father incredulously.

"That – actually makes sense . . ."

"Oh? Did you remember something?"

Shiro nodded.

"Mm – kind of. Saber once told me that Servants are a mixture of the legends that surround them, as well as their own historical lives. Especially in her case – King Arthur isn't even remembered as a woman. That part isn't so surprising – she kept it a secret, so it isn't recorded in history, or any of the tales.

'But there were other things – details about her own life that she couldn't remember. In her case, the legends about King Arthur are so long, and they've been told and retold for centuries. She told me that she could remember things like the faces of her friends and her family, but other things that should have been familiar like her clothes and armor were cloudy and vague.

'Even my trusted sword – Excalibur. I remember that it was given to me by the Lady of the Lake, but I can't remember how it felt in my hand – or even what it looked like. I know that the sword I carry is called Excalibur, but is this really what Excalibur looked like? Or is it just a projection based on all of the myths and legends? And would I even know the difference?'

'That's what she said."

Kiritsugu smiled thoughtfully.

"Saber never told me any of that . . ."

"If that's the case, then it kind of makes sense about Sasaki. We don't really know the details of his life, either. All we really know is that he fought a battle with Musashi. That was the defining moment of his existence. So it makes sense that the Servant who was summoned as Sasaki was vague on all points except that one. He was summoned to have a great duel. And he did."

"Hmm – you've learned to think well. When all of this is over, I want you to go through the books and things in my old library – the one at Castle Einzbern. Your reasoning is sound, but there is still much that you don't know.

'But for now, there's one more thing you need to be aware of. While the accounts disagree, one version of the story states that Kojiro was defeated when Musashi attacked him with the setting sun behind him. The glare got in Sasaki's eye, temporarily blinding him.

'If you let the sun get in your eyes – if you let that blonde sun distract you, even for a moment – then you too will be defeated, just like Kojiro was. Do you understand?"

Shiro nodded.

"I – think so."

"Good. Then get some rest. It's already getting on towards the evening. We'll make our move after nightfall – "

Suddenly Kiritsugu tensed. Reaching up, the large Thompson pistol appeared, materializing in his hand.

"What is it?" Shiro asked, suddenly on guard as well.

"Someone's here – "

Miss Taiga clung to the wooden post that framed the doorway. She'd come to see Shiro, but paused when she heard him speaking. It wasn't that she was trying to eavesdrop, but –

"A good Teacher has to check up on her students," she thought to herself, with her usual sense of mischief. "Sometimes without them knowing about it – "

She'd expected to find him talking to Illya, or possibly Rin, or maybe even Miss Saber, if she was back from her trip. But when she heard his voice . . .

"It's not possible – " she whispered, as she pressed her back up against the wall, still clinging with one hand to the frame of the door.

Of course it wasn't. She'd been there when it had happened, eleven years ago. She'd attended the funeral herself. But –

"Kiri-san?"

She'd know that voice anywhere.

Taiga had always thought there was something strange about Emiya House. In a word, she thought it was haunted. Not in a malevolent kind of way. It was old – the wooden floors were worn, the beams were spiced with age, the furniture was all very cozy and quaint. Sometimes things went missing, only to turn up where they weren't supposed to – there'd be a draft where there wasn't one, or the floor would creak on the other side of the hall when no one was there. None of these were scary things. But now –

"Shiro . . ?"

Miss Taiga called as she peeked around the corner.

It was only for a moment, but she saw.

Shiro was standing on the left, in that usual blue and white shirt of his, along with a pair or wrinkled jeans. And to his right –

"No – "

It simply wasn't possible. But there could be no mistaking that shape – the figure in the room was vague, a hazy shadow, tall and broad shouldered, with that old black slouch of a coat wrapped around him, and the vague wisps of his hair teased off into space like clouds. The room was brilliant with the setting sun, obscuring his face, but there could be no mistaking that form – she'd have known it anywhere.

Miss Taiga blinked.

And then the room was back to normal. Shiro was standing by himself, with only the curtain swaying on the other side of the room.

"Miss Taiga . . ?"

Shiro asked, finding her leaning against the wall. "Are you alright? You look like you've – "

" – seen a ghost – " she finished for him.

"Taiga? Ma'am?"

That brought her back to reality.

"Who are you calling ma'am?" Taiga asked, at once prickling up to defend herself. "I'm not THAT old, ya know! It wasn't THAT long ago! Why – I can probably still raise hell better than any of you kids! I'm still young enough, but I've got this wisdom of age and the benefit of experience! It's a perfect balance!"

"Wha - !" Shiro called as she swatted at him, dodging her attack.

"Sorry – I had come up to check up on Miss Von Einzbern, and I – I thought I heard voices . . ."

"Illya's doing great!" Shiro said, eager to change the subject. "We got her some – medicine from Castle Einzbern. She's doing fine."

"I'm glad to hear it", Taiga said, slumping back against the wall.

"Are you sure that YOU'RE all right?"

" – Yeah. I think grading all of these papers is finally getting to me. Think I'm going to go home, and turn in early. Hey Shiro?"

"Yes?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Yeah – "

"I mean it – about anything – okay?"

Shiro beamed good naturedly.

"Okay!"

"Okay . . . well, I think I'm going to go now. Be a gentleman and walk me out. You have to practice for Miss Illya. Is she eating enough? Is she sleeping okay?"

"Yes, yes – she's fine", Shiro laughed as Miss Taiga sat on her scooter, tugging at the end of her chin strap. She finished adjusting her helmet, then revved the throttle and rode away. Shiro listened to the sound of her engine fade into the distance. It was high and thin – very different from Saber's. When he was quite sure she wasn't going to come back, he turned and went in, and attempted to go to bed.

But with everything going on, he found it difficult fall asleep. With his Father back, he and Illya had taken to sleeping in separate rooms. It had seemed the thing to do, both for propriety, and for the sake of not getting him killed. It hadn't seemed like such a big deal at the time. Illya was just on the either side of the hall. She could call out to him, and he would hear her, if she wanted.

But now that she wasn't here, he became miserably aware of just how cold and empty his futon seemed with only one person in it. He tossed and turned, until at last he drifted off, but even then, his sleep was beset by terrible dreams, full of swords and battles and snakes and boats that creaked over black waters. Several times he woke, before finally settling at last, drifting off again, and sleeping soundly.

It was late in the evening when his Father came to wake him. To his surprise he found Shiro already up, though very weak and pale looking.

"What's this?" Kiritsugu asked, as Shiro slipped something into his hand.

"Just a bit of extra insurance."

Kiritsugu opened his fingers to find a single large shell, the neck of its brass casing crimped around what appeared to be a hand poured bullet.

"An Origin Round? When did you!? HOW did you !?"

He looked at Illya, who had come to see what the commotion was, but Illya looked back with a face that told him she was just as confused as he was.

Angrily Kiritsugu seized Shiro, lifting up his shirt to reveal a line of rough stitching, crudely sewn, running down his left side, over his ribs.

"Illya didn't know", Shiro panted, clearly in pain. "I figured if I told her, she would tell you, and you wouldn't approve. Looks like I was right."

Kiritsugu put his shirt back down, still angry, but a bit more gently.

"I couldn't possibly – "

"That's a real shame, 'cause it was very painful to make. I'm not as strong as you, though – I could only bear to make one. Hope you're a good shot . . ." he said with a mischievous grin. Kiritsugu wasn't sure if it reminded him more of Archer or himself, and so wasn't sure of whom he most wanted to kill.

"Ohh – " Shiro groaned, unable to maintain his bravado, holding his side as Illya rushed to him.

"Are you all right? Here – sit down – "

"No – no – there isn't any time. I'll be fine – I'm sure Avalon will kick in any moment now – HNGH – that really does hurt, though . . ."

He was mostly recovered by the time that he heard the sound of an engine approaching.

"Well THAT turned out to be easier than expected", Rin said, hearing the snarl of the motorcycle as it drew near. They were in a park on the outskirts of the industrial and harbor districts. Archer had deposited Shiro behind a clump of bushes, leaving Rin and Illya to tend to him while he went on ahead to scout out the area.

"I'd been concerned we might spend the whole night searching and still not find her – "

Presence concealment had never been one of the hallmark skills of the Saber class. They also typically did not have abilities for long range detection. To put it simply, this made them rather easy to sneak up on – though Rin wasn't sure if that was really the right way to put it. To say that they were sneaking up on Saber was a bit like being a mouse planning a sneak attack on a dragon – was it really that the dragon did not know they were there? Or was it that she did not care?

Rin did not particularly want to know the answer. She'd been prepared for the possibility that they might spend several nights searching, and still not find anything. Now, to have found her so quickly – the idea of attacking Saber, one of the most powerful Servants in all her class, a class that was widely considered to be the most powerful out of all Servants – just the thought of it filled her with dread.

Rider, to her credit, did not hesitate. She looked at Kiritsugu, who nodded, then at Archer.

"Mmm – hmm" Archer grumbled, as Lancer also nodded his approval.

Without a word, Rider crept forward. A silver ripple went down the length of her chain, arching across the tops of each of the links as it slid along the ground, lodging its spiked tip in the foundation of a building on the other side of the street.

They had positioned themselves in the shadows, where they could watch Saber approaching without her seeing them – or so Rin hoped. The light was behind them, so that should have meant that they were concealed by the darkness. But as Rin listened to the sounds of the engine approaching, she was filled with a fear that some stray glint of metal in the moonlight would give them away.

There was nothing she could do but wait in agony as the bike drew near, growing closer and closer until she was sure that the front tire would roll right over the silver links.

"Here she comes – "

Rider stood up, and gave the chain a savage yank.

At once it sprang up off of the ground, coming alive to form an irregular triangle from the height of her hands, running down to where the spike was burrowed into the bottom of the wall.

The result was that it clotheslined Saber, catching her across the forehead before she could raise her hands to defend herself, knocking her clean off her motorcycle.

The trap was set.

But who was caught in it, they had yet to tell.

Saber came up like a lion, her black blade forming in her hands, to find Archer already rushing towards her. With a poise that could only belong to one who had spent a lifetime attacking and being attacked, she asked no questions, but acting only in the moment, made two broad strokes, one down, then up, in a manner that reminded Archer that the black blade could cut equally well in both directions, and with either of its edges.

Just like that, the hunter had become the hunted. Archer's attack stalled, and he was quickly put on the defensive. But he was not alone.

Vaulting in, Lancer lunged, jabbing at her with his spear, covering him as he leapt back.

Rider's sharp spike lashed, flashing out like a whip, then whirling overhead, but was batted away.

With the three of them, Shiro would have thought that they would have the advantage, but Saber deflected them easily, before quickly turning the tables. She attacked each of them in turn, leaving him with the impression that it didn't matter if they had one man, or a thousand, it didn't make any difference to her.

Hefting the great black sword, she struck at Archer, then Lancer, then Rider, alternating between the three of them, making the blade pass through the space where they had been, dispelling them like an errant breeze, making them wither and fade as she cut off their attacks with her own.

Seeing their plan appear to falter, Kiritsugu took out his machine pistol, and sprayed a blast of bullets in her direction. This made her hesitate. Recalculating, she made a quick adjustment, wheeling to one side, keeping all of them aligned together so that instead of having a numerical advantage, they found themselves clogged together, hindering each other's motions even as they served as her shield, covering her from Kiritsugu's fire.

"Damn tricky bitch!" Lancer shouted, dodging in an effort to save his life. "You know her – don't you have anything you can do about this?"

For an answer, Archer reached into his coat, and took out something that looked like a short sword. Its red blade was of an uneven pattern, as though it had been chipped out of a rock, jagged and irregular. Trading in his twin swords, he placed it on the string of his bow, and bent it back. At once the red shape grew long, drawing out to fill the space between the string and the bow's limbs like a needle. For a moment he held it, then fired.

"Hrunting!"

As he called out its name, the red streak became an arrow, and then a javelin, bearing down towards where Saber and Lancer were fighting.

Partly to give her room to maneuver (but mostly to save his own skin), Lancer leapt back as the red blur hurtled towards Saber with full force. With little time to dodge or react, she elected to meet the attack head on, bringing her sword over her head and then down in a whip crack motion.

The edge of the black blade met the arrow's red tip with a terrific clang, catching it in midflight, knocking it aside, out into the open sky.

But a weapon like Hrunting was not to be so easily defeated.

Circling around in a wide orbit, the red streak corrected course, righting itself before hurtling towards her again, this time careening around to attack from behind, blazing towards her in a red streak of death.

To answer, Saber leapt up to meet it, swinging the black blade by its handle with one hand, as though offended that he would accost her with such a cheap trick.

"That's two!" Lancer called with admiration as the red and black blades met again.

"Don't just stand there, you fool!" Archer shouted. "Now's your chance!"

"Tch! Don't be a fool! That would be rude! And besides, that's no way to win a contest!"

Archer stared in disbelief.

As they argued, Saber leapt again, putting all her strength into a two handed swing.

"Hrrnngghh!"

The effort left both of them stunned, knocking the missile back so that for a moment it hung suspended in the sky, as if it shared in their confusion.

"Three!" Lancer called, evidently still keeping score.

By now the projectile had lost much of its energy, which would seem to make it less dangerous, but it also moved in a much smaller arc, staying closer, tracking her motions, leaving her with little time to react, and no room for error. For a moment it stalked her, circling treacherously. And then it struck – twice, in rapid succession, it's pair of twin arcs leaving red streaks in the night around her.

"Four! And five!" Lancer called.

"Six."

Saber finished, batting the projectile to the ground, where it skittered lifelessly to a halt, coming to rest at his feet.

"Six!" Archer shouted. "That's not possible! No one has ever made it past five! No one's ever lived to see six!"

For an answer, Saber crouched. Flexing her legs, she sprang. At once the space distorted all round her, spreading out in a ripple as she closed the distance between them in an instant. Normally such a feat would only be possible with a Command Seal, but things being what they were, she did not care, but broke all the rules, defying them on a whim as she unleashed her rage in a rush of unbridled power.

"H – H – H – H – Y – A – A – A – A – H – H – H – H !"

As she struck, a black wind formed around the blade. It threw long streaks upon the ground, casting shadows that became black spatters, their edges splintering out like needles, tarring the pavement. Archer summoned his twin swords to block, but it was no use. Even when he stopped the blade, the shadows reached past it, splashing across him, leaving dark smudges on his red coat and tanned face and white hair.

By now the blade had become enveloped in an orange flame. Saber struck with such force that cracks began to appear in the earth, reaching towards him, glowing with the light of magma beneath.

"Shit!" he yelled, trying to evade.

Sensing the time was right, Shiro shouted.

"Now!" he called, signaling Kiritsugu to support him with a blast of covering fire.

At once Archer leapt back, trading his twin swords for a bow that formed in his hands. Drawing back the string, he drew the breath out of the wind, making the air grow still around him as a gale formed behind the bow's limbs.

An arrow formed upon the string, stretching forth up to the body, reaching past it, extending out in sections, growing impossibly long in front, while the feathered fletchings splayed out behind, trailing along Archer's arm, as though he wielded not a bow but a lance, and the very wings of heaven poised to give it flight.

A vortex formed around the tip, surrounding the head of the arrow with a pocket of clear air, so that Shiro could see the shape of the stars beyond. For a moment he paused, then let loose, the blast of the tempest becoming a sideways tornado as it spiraled towards the target.

Seeing the danger, Saber leapt to the side, her eyes wide as the storm went hurtling past. But this had been anticipated.

"Trace – on – "

At Shiro's words, a red light glimmered, and formed in his hands. It began in two places, one for his right and one for his left, then spread out, joining in the middle and extending out above and below, drawing out into a familiar shape, both long and thin.

Closing his eyes, he imagined the vines that spread out along the shaft, the shape of the scroll work, and the head with its murderous point that he knew all too well. It didn't have to be perfect – he'd learned that much from countless trial and error – it only had to LOOK the part – the way he remembered – and it would have the powers he knew it to have because he believed it did.

Still, opening his eyes, he had to admit the results had turned out better than he had expected.

"Not bad", Lancer said as Shiro handed the spear to him, "If I do say so myself –"

He had little time for admiration. Drawing back his arm, Lancer held the spear over his shoulder with one hand while he stretched out the other.

"G – A – E – "

Reaching out for balance, he steadied himself, then took two quick steps.

" – B – O – L – G ! ! ! !"

And with that he hurled the spear.

The weapon was under an enchantment, such that no matter the direction in which it was thrown, and no matter the angle, it would always seek its adversary's heart.

Lancer's aim was good, sharpened by centuries of practice, so that even without the aid of any such spell, he still would have landed a mortal blow, but with magic to guide it, the spear became a guided missile, infallible and unavoidable.

Saber's eyes went wide. Dodging Archer's blast had left her standing flat footed, and so with little spring in her legs, she did the best she could to push off, leaning back out of the way and lurching off to one side as she held up her sword in an effort to parry.

Her blade caught the onrushing lance, diverting its path away from her heart, but as it sheared along the edge, it skipped over the handguard and struck her arm, slicing through the black silk of her dress, leaving a trail of blood dripping from her shoulder.

Still, one could count on one hand the number of opponents who had seen Gae Bolg and lived, so she smiled, deciding to count this as a victory, before lifting her sword in preparation to give him a blow that he would not be able to answer.

That was when Kiritsugu lowered his pistol, and fired.

The muzzle of the great gun flared. Its blast was solitary, for it only held a single shot. The slug hurtled towards her, striking just beneath her outstretched arm. Kiritsugu fired with such precision that the bullet struck directly on the gap between two of her armor's plates where it punched through, lodging in her side.

For a moment Saber glared, watching and listening to her blood as it spilled out, spattering on the ground. Then she narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"Excellent shot, Mage Killer. Too bad for you I'm no Magus. I could care less about my magic circuits. You should have aimed for my heart – "

Shiro held up his hand, and uttered the words.

"Trace – on – "

Instantly a series of green lines fanned out, spreading throughout Saber's body.

"Hahn – !"

They spread across her arms and legs, reaching up into her neck.

"Shiro – what are you – !?" she shouted, as the green lines spread out across her face. She glanced at Rin and Illya, unable to resist giving them a small taunt.

"Look, if you wanted to get inside that badly, there are easier ways – "

Lancer smirked.

"A touching moment to be sure." By now the replica Gae Bolg had lost its magic, and was dissolving in his hands. As an insult, Saber took her right hand off of Excalibur, and held it aloft, causing the familiar shape of the red spear to appear between her fingers.

"Nothing like the real thing, is there?" she said, holding it up with a haughty sneer.

For a moment she sized up her two opponents, staring down the length of Excalibur's edge at Lancer, while holding Gae Bolg up towards Archer, letting the red spear head hover over him like the cross hairs of a targeting sight. She made several test jabs, nodding appreciatively at the way the red shaft curved, bending time and space so that even when she pointed away from him, it still arched towards his heart.

"Hmph! And here I thought you were a first rate spearman – it turns out that all this time it was just a cheap trick. Still, it is handy though. I shall have to test it out. Perhaps Archer here will be good enough to help me – " she said, making a sudden lunge –

Only to find her arms frozen stiff.

"Ack! Shiro! What are you – "

Holding up his hand, Saber could see a matching series of green lines trailing down the length of his own arm. They spread out through his shoulder, across his chest, and down into his body.

Seizing his opportunity, Lancer struck.

"Hyah!"

Her arm was locked at the elbow, forcing her to twist her whole body to make the parry, awkwardly batting the spear away.

Archer moved next. She jabbed at him, watching the spear arch over his head, bending down as it sought to stab him through the face, but he ducked under it, coming up on the outside, where he lashed out with his twin swords.

She moved to strike him, but it was no use. It was as if Shiro was standing behind her, with his arms around her, holding her back.

"Let – me – go !"

She was stronger than him – she always had been – and she could overpower him, but not without effort, and at the moment, it was an effort she could not spare.

That and –

"I don't want him to let go – " she whispered, if only to herself.

Archer's twin blades clanged, hacking away at the spear's red shaft. Lifting the black Excalibur, she made a broad sweep, driving both of them back, reminding them that even in her present condition, she was still dangerous.

"Damn it!" she snarled, bringing the sword up over her head, then down. Lancer avoided the blow, then lunged.

Seeing the spearhead rushing towards her reminded her of another battle, from ages ago.

"Not this time!" she growled. Making a circle with her sword, she caught the shaft, then lifted it, running down the length of it to punch him in the chest with the end of her handguard.

"Hrrk!"

Lancer gasped, falling back, feeling his ribs were broken.

The twin swords rang again. And then sliced through.

Shearing the head off of the shaft, Archer let fall one of his swords, reaching to catch it as it bounced off of the pavement, turning it in his hand, then driving home. The red blade surged, whether guided by the enchantment of a spell, or some connection between her and the hand that wielded it, who could tell?

Whatever the case, it moved irresistibly forward, travelling almost of its own will. Archer's eyes went wide as he watched his arm bend, distorting the space around them, travelling under her arm, then back up, until it met with her heart.

And his.

"H – Y – A – A – A – A – H – H – H – H !"

Shiro dropped to his knees.

"SHIRO !" Illya screamed, leaving her hiding place behind the bushes to run towards him.

"You fool!" Lancer snarled. "I warned you not to stay connected – "

"Is he - ?"

Rin asked timidly, standing up to trail along behind as Illya fell sobbing against him.

"He'll be fine", Lancer said angrily. "Just an idiot – "

Meanwhile, off to the left, an altogether different scene was taking place. Looking closer, Rin could see Saber lying on her back. Her head was against the curb, while her body lay strewn in the gutter, her legs drawn up to one side, creating a most unnatural bend in her back. Just the sight of it made Rin cringe, and she could tell at once that the wound was grievous. The red blade emerged from her chest, its end jagged and broken, where it quivered with each breath.

Archer was standing over her, with tears welling in his eyes, which he wiped at the corners with the edge of his red sleeve.

"I guess – that's about the only way an Archer could ever beat a Saber class Servant . . ."

Saber smirked.

"Pretty good – for a mere bowman . . ."

A cough brought a spurt of fresh blood to her mouth, reddening her lips. Archer reached to take hold of the broken spear where it emerged from her chest.

"Hahhn – LEAVE IT!" she called, pushing him away. "In a few more minutes it won't matter anyway –"

The sound of her cry brought Shiro to his senses.

"Shiro - !" Illya called as he broke away from her. She moved to follow him, but Rin stepped between the two of them, shaking her head to either side and giving her a warning look.

"What's the matter boy? Why the long face? You did quite well – for a second rate Magus. That trick with the Origin Round – now that was something I didn't expect . . ."

"Saber! Don't talk – " he said, seeing a golden light forming around her. At first it gave him hope. She looked radiant – even lovelier than before, if that were possible, as the dirt and blood seemed to disappear from her face. But then he realized that the golden glow was the mana leaving her body.

"Don't move! I'll get Avalon, and – "

"There's no need for any of that. Besides – this is nothing, compared to Camlann – "

By now the edges of her outline were beginning to dissolve, shedding particles like grains of sand into the air as the summoning spell that bound her spirit to her body unraveled, the magic that made up her body starting to disperse as her soul prepared to return to the Throne.

"Did you like the dress? I wore it just for you – thought I'd go with something a little more daring this time – "

"Saber!"

"There – there – try to smile if you could? It doesn't hurt – And besides – I really don't mind – so long – as it was – you . . ."

The gold light glimmered, casting a thousand sparkles into the air, untold and innumerable, like the grains of a gold sand beside the sea.

And then she was gone.

"S – A – B – E – R !"