Blade of Fenrir Chapter 46: Surpassing the Past: End, a Fate/stay night + God Eater Crossover fanfic

"It looks like... things are coming to a head."

Archer stood atop his hill, and 'watched' as an explosion consumed Shirou's vision. While he couldn't physically see what was happening, he was able to sense it through his connection to Shirou and Unlimited Blade Works. His brow furrowed at what he could feel from Shirou and from what he could see in this 'world'.

The gears in the sky, once so proud in their lustre and motion, were beginning to slow. Almost unnoticeably, rust began to spread across them as the blue sky began to darken, clouds shuffling towards the 'sun'.

But the most noticeable change was the land below. From the sand, grass burst forth, growing luscious and green, but suddenly wilting, becoming dry and brown.The blades impaled in the world, both normal and God Arc, began to dull and rust, but also began to vibrate, as if in anticipation.

But separate from all of that, the white corruption that grew so long ago, that became orderly as time passed, seemed to shine. It didn't grow or move, but one could feel that wouldn't be the case for long.

And the red-clad Archer watched it all, before looking up to the sky with his brow furrowed.

"Make it through, Shirou."

A groan made its way out of Shirou. With a grunt of effort, he pushed himself off of the dirt floor, holding back another groan of pain. He opened his eyes and saw a blur of browns, greys, and black. Rubbing them, he blinked and everything came into focus again. Then he felt something off. It felt... hot. With a slow turn of his head, he fought off the feeling of dread and tried to ascertain the source of heat.

He saw flames.

He saw black mud, and flames licking across it.

He saw flames cover the floor and the buildings, smoke rising and beginning to blot out the midday sun.

For a second, he saw hell.

Then it all came back. With a gasp, he spun around to face the epicentre of the flames. And he saw a large, hulking beast, it's pitch-black body seeming to absorb the light around it. It stared at him, its crimson red eyes, pupilless and glowing, pinning Shirou down. Even as small flames rolled across its body and towards the mud below it, neither Shirou nor the monster moved.

Shirou felt himself being dragged into the past, a vision of that hell superimposing over his sight. The sky had darkened, ash carried on the wind, and the boy felt himself succumbing- to regret, to fear, to simple death, he didn't know. A flash of someone who's face he didn't recognise, but he did, someone with brown hair and blue eyes, someone he wanted to save but couldn't he couldn't save anyone what sort of arrogant fool would think he could-

The sound of someone grunting followed by a wet laugh brought him out of his... introspection. Turning, but keeping an eye on the monster, he looked down to see Kirei Kotomine, the impossibly powerful 'priest', bleeding profusely from a hole in his chest. It was also at that moment that the scent of burning flesh made itself known.

"Heh. So, is this how it ends? My heart burst by the same being that gave it? Cursed to only watch the first fleeting moments of newfound despair? Truly, this is the ultimate punishment..." Turning his head, he looked into Shirou's eyes, which held a certain amount of disgust and even hate. A smile bloomed. "At least I was able to witness your despair... Shirou... Emiya..."

Shirou watched as the man who was impossibly alive finally died, before his corpse was suddenly consumed by a wave of the flaming mud. Shirou jerked away, before looking back to the monster, or rather, the Angra, and saw that it was now twitching, its colossal yet indistinct muscles shifting. All at once, Shirou realized that he was unarmed, his God Arcs evidently being forced away from the blast. Taking a step back, he thrust out his arms and flexed his fingers, feeling for his Unlimited Blade Works.

When he was thrown back by the blast, he must have lost his grip, especially considering that he felt both of them lying somewhere far behind him. On a somewhat related note, he noticed that he was missing the right half of his shirt, showing off his mismatched tan and pale skin. Pulling on the tethers of Oracle that always connect him to his God Arcs, and noting how he was running out of Oracle, he let out a sigh of relief when they flew into his hands.

Then the Angra twitched, and it let out a noise. Its wolf-like head turned away from Shirou, looking to the sky, before its maw opened wide. Then a roar shook the world.

Sakaki looked at the screens showing static with a growing sense of worry. The cameras themselves were placed at poor angles to view the battle, and when the explosion occurred it was wide enough to destroy any that were of use. He couldn't help the concern and fear growing at the prospect of what could be happening to his God Eaters. Regardless of contractual obligations, he genuinely cared for all of them.

Quickly, he tried the comms, which had gone silent a few minutes before the explosion. When no one picked up, his concern only continued to grow. Could something have happened? The explosion did sound like it was powerful...

Shaking his head of the damning thoughts, he radioed the other God Eaters, the ones he sent to evacuate and watch over the civilians. It may be foolish of him to deprive the civilians of their guards, but he knew that if he didn't suppress the threat he knew was there then nothing could keep them safe. So, with a solemn tone, he gave the order for the guarding God Eaters to assist in the defeat of the enemy.

But his gaze was drawn to the readings on the scanner, how it was now only a single point representing the Angra, and how it was much more concentrated than the previous two.

"Shirou..."

The roar was followed by another explosion. Thick black mud released from its frame, coating the landscape around it. The force of the mud was strong enough that it crushed the more rickety of the buildings. But along with the mud came fire, and that fire surrounded everything. It grew large enough that it moved beyond the mud, flicking across the metal and wood of the houses. From the fire came smoke, dark and billowing. It grew and grew and grew, encompassing the bright blue sky, giving the illusion of night.

Shirou was staring at his dreams, his worst nightmares made manifest. He felt an ache, deep and weathered in his heart. It was like everything was leaking out. His emotions, his memories, his identity. He felt small again, tears staining his face, becoming sticky from the flames heating them. Slowly, he brought his hands up towards his ears, to try and muffle the screams. But he stopped.

He looked down at his hands, and in them were his God Arcs. His Unlimited Blade Works. Their black handles, smooth and perfectly made to fit his hands, blending well with his tan skin. A representation of his strength, of his ideals, of his friendships. That made him pause. His friendships. That's right. These blades were used to save Sakura. These blades killed Shinji. These blades fought against Heracles. They helped him save Illya, and have kept him and his friends alive.

There were plenty of ups and downs, plenty of problems to face and overcome, but he didn't regret any of it. Then he thought of his friend much closer to home, the personality housed in his blades, the one that looked so much like his current self. The one that gave him a hand, that consulted him at his lows. The one that he reassured and in turn was reassured by.

These blades in his hands were so much more than just blades. So much more than God Arcs. They were his strength. They meant so much. Because they were the distinction between Shirou Emiya and the nameless boy that wandered through the flames. Then, everything was clear again. He looked back up to the Angra, the beginnings of a smirk playing across his face. He brought his hands down to his sides, before taking a single step forward.

The ground cracked from the force behind it, and he raised his right arm, Bakuya pointing directly to where the Beast's heart would be. His eyes reflected the fire surrounding them, burning bright with his newfound resolve. Heated steel and melted gold stared into unerring red, and his smirk growed, the snark he absorbed from Archer empowering him. Just a little bit.

"I have no regrets, huh? Then this is the only path. And you," his grip on his God Arcs tightened, and he put his weight on his front foot, "Are blocking the way!"

He sped forward, ignoring the black mud that clung to his shoes and the fire that tried to burn his flesh. His eyes were entirely focused on the Angra, which was now growling.

And so, Shirou fought a battle to surpass the past.

Just as suddenly as the grass died, it began to rejuvenate. Dead brown drained into lively green all around, some stalks fully changing while others were midway. The rust that creeped up the gears stopped, but they remained motionless in the sky. Once more, the skies cleared, with the sun beginning to shine even brighter, but not unpleasantly so.

The red bowman continued watching, a soft smile peaking through. After all, his partner had regained his determination, and even found something else. A look downward showed him that their hill was almost entirely grass. There was only one patch of sand, surrounded by the only fully dead grass in the plains.

"Staring into the past, ignorant of the future. With blood of Oracle and heart aflame, walk your path and fulfill your goals! How's that for a heroic poem, Shirou?"

His only response was the wind blowing through the grass.

Maybe a flurry of strikes wasn't exactly the best idea...

When Shirou rocketed forth, he brought his blades back to allow for a cross-slash. Instead of the resistance he expected, his God Arcs just slid right through its midsection. Before he landed into the Angra, he caught himself by putting his foot against it, pushing himself off. When he landed, he moved forward again, this time trying to attack at the ankles and knees, but every strike just slid through.

A growl was his only warning before a large black backhand came for him. He barely got his God Arcs up in time, not even in Shield Form, before flying through the air, right side stinging. Very quickly, Shirou found himself reacquainted with the ground, the dirt just irritating his wounds.

As he stood up, he saw the Angra continue to just stand there, almost like a statue if not for its skin looking like it was shifting and its head slowly opening and closing its jaw. Shirou grunted before taking off once more. This time he went for an aerial attack on the arms. Once more his weapons just slid through like there was nothing there. When he eventually landed on the floor, he took a chance and tried to pool his very little amount of Oracle into his God Arcs.

Once he felt it was enough, he went to swing. At the same time, the Angra began to retaliate, once more bringing its clawed limb to bear. When the two connected, Shirou was sent flying. He once again rolled across the floor, but then quickly got up. The main difference between a minute ago and now though was the small smirk that had resurfaced. Even if it was for a moment, he felt it.

He felt his God Arcs bite into its hand, and saw some of its black blood coat his blades. The beast did too if its reaction was any indicator. It once more stood still, only this time it held its hand before it. Its monstrous head was slightly downturned, its piercing red eyes staring at the cut on its hand. Without warning, it clutched its hand, causing a splatter of mud to explode from the hand, before howling.

Unlike the last howl, this one did not preempt mud. This one instead preempted fire. The mud around it immediately burst into flames, with the mud already on fire beginning to flare blue. Slowly, flames also crawled up the Beast, illuminating the edges and crevices of its pitch black body. Then, it looked down to Shirou, stared him in the eyes, and, with an unsettling sound, smiled.

At least, Shirou thinks it was a smile. Either way, it looked like the Angra was getting serious. He tightened his grip and lowered his stance. Well so was he.

"What's your arrival time?"

The two-way radio crackled as the other side responded.

"Should be T-minus one minute. What should we be expecting, Director?"

The old man thought back to the events of ten years ago, of the mud and the fire that appeared without warning and disappeared just as suddenly. Then he thought to the man behind that incident, and the man behind this one, the one that lived. Finally, he thought of the monster he saw fighting the boy that had become something like a nephew to him. The monster from back then, the same monster now.

"Watch out for fire. It seems to have an affinity for that. As well, watch out for its mud. It seems to conduct flames. Its physical capabilities are unknown, but it likely possesses strength of a regular Medium Aragami and an agility exceeding that. And one other thing. No matter what, don't be submerged by the mud."

A beat of silence. Then,

"Understood."

The line went silent, and Sakaki looked down at his clasped hands as they shook. It was odd, he thought, how the children of his morally ambiguous friends seemed to become people he deeply cared about. If he ever could, Sakaki would get Soma back from his doctor friends to meet Shirou and Illya, if only for the satisfaction he would feel from Soma's surprise.

He was broken from his musing by the other transmission system he had that connects him to the workers in the Den. It seemed this one was coming from one of the God Arc labs. Pressing the transmission button, Sakaki accepted the call. Almost immediately, the person on the other side spoke.

"Um, Director! Something's uh... Something's happening to one of the God Arcs down here! It's-It's the one that Emiya had been working with earlier!"

Sakaki blinked. Something was happening to... Ea was it? He cleared his throat.

"What's happening to the God Arc?"

"U-um... Nothing much, just uh... just a lot of shaking. And I think it's moving. A bit. I can hear the metal grinding as it moves. So uh... What should we do Director?"

"Hmm," Sakaki hummed to himself. This could either be a very good thing or a very bad thing. Hopefully the personality behind the God Arc wasn't seeking vengeance. With that in mind..., "I would suggest continuing to monitor it but from a safe location."

When the caller agreed with less worry in their tone, Sakaki hung up before going back to monitoring the cams and occasionally checking the radar. He sighed once more, hoping for the best, before leaning forward and submerging himself in his almost uselessness.

Archer could feel it. At the edges of his awareness, beyond his connection to Shirou, he could feel the foreign presence in the mindscape of his partner. It helped that it wasn't the first time he had felt a foreign presence, nor was it the first time he felt this particular presence. After all, it had been less than a day since the presence was here. But what was on Archer's mind was the presence's intentions.

Did it seek to harm his partner, or to aid him? Unfortunately, Archer could not read this presence at all, not helped by the fact that they've never met. Even with Rin, Saber, Sakura, and Illya, he experienced interactions with them vicariously through Shirou. But he couldn't feel what Shirou feels when he's in here.

So now, Archer found himself with a choice. Stay on his hill and not meet his guest, or go to his guest and risk having to fight them. Well, in the latter case he had very few doubts he would lose, especially considering he knew how to utilize the mindscape to its fullest.

Regardless, he had to make a choice. Friend or foe, he would have to confront them eventually. With a sigh, Archer dug his feet into the grass below before pushing off, sending himself flying and leaving a small swirl of dust behind.

Shirou didn't wait. He leapt forward, trying to avoid the flames covering the ground and those covering his opponent. He readied his God Arc, bringing it above his shoulder while leaving the other near his waist. Once more, he was right in front of the Angra. Since he had found that he could deal damage, he decided on his original plan: Debilitate it.

At the foot of the giant, he brought his God Arc rocketing down onto its knee. Except, Shirou hit nothing. Shirou blinked at the sudden disappearance of a giant monster, but didn't get the opportunity for much else when he heard a deep, wet breath, almost like a huff of laughter, before being struck from behind.

This time, Shirou couldn't even block, so everything hurt. He went tumbling across the ground, occasionally striking some of the mud and burning his skin. Before he would crash-land in a puddle of the stuff, he found his balance and managed to shift to his Bow, releasing a weak Oracle shot and destroying enough mud for him to land safely. And land he did, poorly, panting up a storm, arms stinging and his back burning.

Shirou had a stray thought, specifically on how this all probably wasn't too good for his hygiene, but before he could snark about it the Angra made its move. With another 'laugh', it brought its arms up, the limbs deforming into pillars of black, before bringing them crashing down. From them, no, from the very Earth itself, came a wave of mud. It was tall enough to obscure the Angra, and wide enough to block Shirou's field of view. And it was approaching very, very fast.

In almost no time at all, Shirou was being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the wave. But he grit his teeth and turned his body, taking a hold of his Oracle bowstring and pulling backwards. With a harsh breath, he pushed what little Oracle he had left into the one arrow, and aimed for where he had the greatest chance of breaking through the wave and hitting the Angra. Then, he let go, with a harsh cry of, "Caladbolg!"

From outside, it seemed as if a great neon light appeared, before being swallowed by the pitch black wave. But then, a part of the wave bubbled up before bursting, spewing forth a shot of the neon green energy. It reached the figure from which the wave came forth, and almost struck. It was as if the figure was in one position one second, then suddenly out of the way the next, with no movement in between. But its efforts were all for naught as the shot then exploded.

Shirou, who was watching the proceedings first hand, let out a small sigh of relief when he saw the Angra get caught in the explosion. Unless it could move 20 meters in an instant, it wasn't getting out unscathed.

When the dust settled, Shirou was relieved to see that the Angra was nowhere in sight. Shirou stood with a groan, glad to see the the mud wave just pooling around the ground as the flames continued to flicker...

Wait...

Very quickly, Shirou thought back to the second strangest detail of that night. While the giant wolf-like monster was the first strangest, the second strangest was how all of the flames and mud just disappeared when the monster did. If the presence of the Angra was true, then wouldn't that mean that...

A bubbling noise was all Shirou heard, then that 'laugh' again. Shirou looked up to see the black beast, its ethereal red eyes burning themselves into his psyche once more. Then it brought its claws down and...

The figure found itself standing around in an unfamiliar location. Or rather, it knew where it was but didn't recognise the surroundings. Since when was the floor covered in grass? Why was some of it vibrant and some of it not? And why was what little remained of the oddly disturbing white area so... shiny?

But beneath all of those questions was one important one. Where was the owner of this place? The boy with white hair and heterochromatic eyes. The one that helped them come to... understand? Accept? Become one would be the more correct term.

But now it felt itself needing to go. Something was happening between the white-haired boy and their... king? Friend? Wielder would be the technical term, but it felt too impersonal. Regardless, something bad happened to Gil gamesh and when they went to investigate they found themselves here once more. But no white haired boy.

Before they could continue that train of thought, a sudden arrival gathered their attention with a bang. Literally. As the dust wafted and eventually cleared, they found themselves looking at... Shirou? But this feeling... Could it be that-

"Hello there."

The man spoke in a deep voice, unexpectedly smooth for his size and stature. While he certainly looked like Shirou, there were differences as well. Not just in appearance and voice, but even in stature. The man seemed more casual than Shirou, but held a sense of preparation as well.

"Where is your wielder?"

The man faltered, blinking at the sudden question, before letting out a huff.

"Not even a hello? You're quite rude, aren't you?"

They remained silent, their green hair swaying in the wind. The man in red sighed before shifting gears, his face losing all traces of friendliness as he stared at them.

"What are your intentions towards my partner?"

That got them thinking. What were their intentions? They wanted to know what happened to their King friend, but what happens when they do? What if they have to... fight Shirou?

For his King, he would gladly kill the boy.

He didn't want to hurt someone that didn't deserve it.

Huh.

"I'm... not certain. I felt my... wielder in trouble. When I went to look for him, I found myself here."

The red man looked into their eyes, searching for any hint of deceit, before nodding to himself with a huff. Putting out his hand, he spoke.

"It would be much easier to see rather than explain. Give me your hand."

They nodded, offering out their rather dainty hand to take the man's much rougher one. Once more the man nodded before speaking.

"With this, we'll see where you stand, God Arc."

They smiled at the loyalty they felt from the fellow God Arc, before deciding to clear something up.

"Call me Enkidu."

A bang interrupted the process, surprising Shirou enough to jump. A man jumped down next to him, making sure to pick him up before jumping away, aiming for the ground untouched by the mud. When they landed, Shirou tried to get a good look at his saviour, but was greeted with blur and non-distinct features. Putting a hand to his head, Shirou nearly missed their outstretched hand with two pills and their words of instruction.

Clumsily, Shirou grabbed the two pills before popping them one at a time. The first helped make him feel less tired, getting rid of the blur on his vision. The second made him feel better, closing his many wounds and soothing the burns on his arms and back. His headache was almost entirely gone at that point, so then he looked up to see the God Eater that helped him so.

As he first thought, their appearance was quite unremarkable. If Shirou knew better, he would have described them as an average looking Oriental male, but because all Shirou knew was very un-Japanese-looking Japanese people, all that came to his mind was plain. With short black hair, olive skin, and dark brown eyes, Shirou had never seen anything plainer. Shaking his head of the rude thoughts, he gave voice to his gratitude.

"Thanks for helping me. I'd be a goner without you."

Shirou gave a bow to show how gratuitous he was, and thus missed the God Eater's reaction.

"Don't worry about it. If anything, you should be thanking the Director. He's the one that sent us out to give assistance."

"Well, that's good. Wait, we?"

Shirou stood up before turning at the God Eater's prompting. There he saw the Angra, growling as it stared to its right. It wasn't immediately clear what he was looking at, but then Shirou realized it was God Eaters. Around twenty of them, all positioned on patches of land or on buildings, each God Arc pointed towards the Angra. The sight was actually quite heroic, and he was certain Kota would love to see it. Wait a minute-

"Hey, do you have an earpiece that connects to everyone elses!?" He didn't even wait to hear them say it, continuing after they nodded. "You need to tell everyone that other God Eaters are still around here! They're all still alive, just unconscious!" The God Eater blinked before nodding, a grim expression on his face as he made to touch his communicator.

"Also warn them to avoid the mud. I'm not sure how, but I think the Angra uses the mud to travel. And tell them to only attack with Oracle attacks, otherwise they'll do nothing."

Without looking to the God Eater, Shirou split apart his God Arc back to Kanshou and Bakuya, launching himself towards the Angra. The God Eater just watched him, mouth hanging open, before shaking his head and bringing his fingers to his communicator, spreading the message.

"Everyone, listen up..."

Sakaki heard the crackle of the radio and immediately tuned in, noting that it was the God Arc Lab again. As soon as he did, he was greeted by frantic mumbling, and a keening noise in the background.

"Do you copy?"

"Ah, Doctor Sakaki! It's the God Arc again, sir! It's begun-" There was illegible shouting, and the background noise became louder, more noticeable. "The God Arc has begun to spin sir, and it's quickly picking up speed! There's Oracle being expelled from it, and-"

A scream followed, along with shouts of surprise and curses.

"What happened!? Are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah sir, it's just... the Oracle solidified into little blades and shot out of the room." Now that Sakaki called down, he could hear another background noise, one like a rain of nails. Or at least, what he imagined that would be like. "It still is actually. What are your orders Director?"

Sakaki had to take a second. The situation was becoming stranger by the second, and the 'correct choice' was becoming harder to ascertain. He took a moment to laugh to himself. What a Johannes thing to think. Shaking his head, he decided to follow his gut. He was, after all, a Stargazer.

"Continue to observe from a safe distance. I'm coming down to observe myself."

"Ah-Alright then, Director."

With a click, the conversation ended and Sakaki let out a sigh. He sat down long enough to wonder if it would be okay for him to do this instead of watching snippets of the battle taking place outside, but decided he would be of more use there than in his office

So, standing up, he made his way to see if he there was something he could do.

The battle raged on. The rooftop God Eaters loosed their Oracle Bullets, peppering the Angra and blasting up the environs. Dust was raised, mud was cleared, and the black beast was angry. It roared and swung its arms, spreading waves of mud to consume all who resist. The God Eaters dodged and the ranged battle continued.

As Oracle ran dry and ampules were injected, Shirou ran throughout the flaming battlefield, shooting the Angra when he could. Otherwise, he worked towards blocking any stray attacks that would harm the God Eaters, and took any unconscious God Eaters he could find to safety.

But he was drawn into the battle over and over, at a point abandoning his self-appointed protection duty to try and bring the Angra to a melee. It was to let the other God Eaters attack it when its guard was down, but the Angra possessed enough presence of mind to continue defending.

But eventually, the Oracle ran dry, and any Oracle supplements remaining had been used. The Oracle could not be easily recovered in this situation. While it could replenish slowly over time, it wouldn't prove enough to be worth anything on its own, and the God Eaters couldn't attack or Devour the Angra without risking critical damage.

It was a stand-off, a battle of attrition that was quickly shifting in the Angra's favour.

As more God Eaters used up their last Oracle, more of them took up Shirou's previous duty of taking the injured to a safe place. And as more God Eaters dropped out of the fight, the more Shirou was being pushed back into the centre of the melee.

It was in the middle of that melee that the scales seemed to shift, at least minorly, in Shirou's favour. He jumped, twisting out of the way of another strike. As the wave coming from the Angra's hand receded, Shirou retaliated, throwing out Bakuya. But instead of flashing out and leaving a light gash on the Angra's side as it had every other time, it impaled itself into its hand. Which it moved. Directly where he was aiming.

Then it was gone in a ripple, one that was echoed behind him.

Ah, he chastised. It seems I had become predictable.

As he felt more than saw the pressure of the Angra's claw coming down on him, he had enough propriety to wonder how he was going to walk away from this one before he saw a flash from the corner of his eyes.

Then...

BOOM!

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

Archer stood by, watching as the God Arc- as Enkidu raged throughout the... well, not much of a desert anymore. More like a glade. Almost.

"DAAAAAAAAMMN!!"

That's right. Enkidu. Their anger is understandable. He would find himself not doing much better if Shirou were...

"WHYYYYYYYYYYY!?"

Archer sighed; now wasn't the time to let his sympathy overwrite his sensibility. He would leave that to Shirou. Right now, he had to get Enkidu to see reason. So, with a deep breath, he reached out.

"Enkidu."

Just his voice wouldn't capture the raging Arc's attention. But doing something egregious...

Thunk.

...that always got people's attention.

"..."

The wall of steel and displaced dust halted Enkidu's rage. The blades within the desert-glade-mental space had moved at Archer's command, suddenly and smoothly. In a strange way, it was reminiscent of Gilgamesh and Enkidu's own ability.

Enkidu was halted both physically and mentally, confusion and surprise superseding their still-blazing anger. After all, how could he have done that? Didn't this place belong to Shirou, the red bowman's wielder?

Of course, it wasn't like Enkidu could know that Archer was intrinsically connected to this landscape in a way that no other God Arc could connect to their wielder's psyches.

"Enkidu."

The green-haired God Arc glared at the red-clad God Arc, a tension starting to brew within the atmosphere. Then, with a grunting exhale, the tension dissipated and Enkidu responded.

"God Arc."

"Archer."

A snicker left Archer as he corrected Enkidu, and even Enkidu had to laugh at that. But it passed, and they were back to business.

"Enkidu. What do you want?"

A flinch was his response.

Sakaki took the elevator down to the Den before making the transfer to the other elevators. As he did, he wondered and worried, finding himself stretched thin between all of the events going on. When he entered the elevator, he shook his head. Now wasn't the time to let himself be distracted.

Stepping out of the elevator onto the Laboratory floor, he resolved himself to focus on the problem at hand. Besides, that optimistic part of himself thought, maybe this can help. Somehow.

The door to God Arc Lab 2B slid open, and within he found...

Clangclangclangclangclangclan-!!!

A cacophony of noise reminiscent of what he heard over the radio but so much worse in person. He was going to be feeling this tomorrow, wouldn't he?

Well, that's assuming that there'll be a tomorrow.

Shaking off the negativity, Sakaki took in the sight before him. Within the room itself are several researchers, all wearing the customary white lab coat. One, a young man, was standing near the radio placed into the wall, so he was presumably the one that called Sakaki. And within the chamber, beyond the glass, was...

Oh.

The God Arc that Shirou had been Resonating with, the one he took off of that Gilgamesh fellow, was still in the middle of the room, held by the stand. But instead of its previous inert state, the three 'rings' that made up its 'blade' were spinning, creating a barely perceptible whirring noise. As it did this, it also created the Oracle blades he had been told about, and sent them flying throughout the room.

As he witnessed this, Sakaki had the oddest impression. While he had never met a God Arc Personality personally, his fluke with Shirou's notwithstanding, and he never considered himself a good judge of emotion, something was telling him that the God Arc was... angry. He had seen the emotion enough from Johannes at times, and from Saber when she got back to base after a mission with Kiritsugu.

But this anger was deeper. More raw. Like the anger someone felt when they lose someone precious. Could it be...

Could the God Arc know its wielder was in danger? While the camera feed was inconveniently placed, Sakaki could see that something happened to the blonde man Gilgamesh. Something to do with Kirei Kotomine.

Sakaki moved to the man by the radio and spoke.

"Has anything changed with the God Arc?"

"Ah!?"

The young man jumped in fright.

"Ah- D-Director! I didn't notice you," he proclaimed while offering a small bow. Sakaki waved him off, prompting him to continue.

"But no, nothing has changed. It's just been attacking that wall this whole time. Even though it should have run out of Oracle at some point, it keeps producing those blades. I wonder, are the blades low-cost, or do they not use Oracle at all? This would be something interesting to research but we can't use the God Arc remotely... Maybe if we asked Emiya for help..."

The man continued muttering, and Sakaki, while interested in what he was saying and drawing his own conclusions on the matter, had a moment of realization as to what people meant when they said he could derail a conversation. As he went to try and get the man back on track, he stopped when he noticed something had changed.

The lab was quieter than it had been.

Turning, Sakaki saw the God Arc slow down its rate of fire before eventually stopping. As he marvelled at the sudden change, he was reminded of times he would shut Johanne up by saying something out of left field and leaving him floored. But he found himself surprised again when the God Arc began firing once more. Only, it was firing at a slower rate and seemed to stop firing haphazardly, aiming at specific spots. Actually, looking at the wall, it almost looked like it was writing some... thing...

Oh. It was.

On the wall at the far end of the test room, there was a collection of Oracle blades sticking out like candles on a cake. Only instead of representing a number, they wrote out 'Shirou Emiya' in hiragana. Which was... ominous, and not particularly trustworthy. But the God Arc had gone back to being inert, so maybe that was meant to be taken as a sign of trust?

Looking around, Sakaki found all the other technicians in the room looking flabbergasted, or just otherwise confused. Clearing his throat, he gathered the collective's attention, before deciding how to deal with this.

On one hand, it's entirely possible that the God Arc blames Shirou for the death of its wielder, and this was a death threat, so to say. Thus, bringing it to Shirou would only be adding more fuel to the fire.

On the other hand, this could be the God Arc's way of saying it wants to help. He could get it to Shirou and it could provide him another layer of fire support. And the longer he takes to decide, the more likely Shirou and his God Eaters will die.

The pessimist or the optimist?

His mind or his gut?

What's the right choice?

The Director or...

"...Well, I am a Stargazer. And a Stargazer follows their gut to try and understand the mysteries beyond their reach. So, I..."

"What do you want?"

I don't know. I don't know.

Gil is dead.

My King is dead.

I don't know.

"I..."

The boy must pay. It is because of him that my King is gone.

It wasn't Shirou's fault. He was just protecting his home.

"I don't..."

You would defend that Faker? You would defend he who our King loathed? I thought you were a fool for even giving him the time of day, but now I know. You never cared for our King at all!

No! It's not like that! Maybe he wasn't how I remember, but he was still Gil! I'm just as angry as you, but that doesn't mean we should kill Shirou! Besides, you saw it same as I did! The one that killed him was Kirei!

"I don't... I just..."

And we don't get to put him through the suffering he deserves! The bastard died before we even knew it! So without him, the only other person responsible for my King's state is Shirou Emiya!

That's not true and you know it! Damn it, why won't you listen to me!? I don't want to kill Shirou! After all, it's because of him that I...!

"Gilgamesh..."

"Hey."

E a nkidu looked up, staring into the eyes of the man that was a dead ringer for Shirou Emiya, that bastard. I should kill him to- No, you can't jus-

"It's okay to feel angry. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same."

E a nkidu blinked. As if, you don't understand what it's like at al- I wish I was just angry, the sorrow it's too much I'mdrowninghelp-

"But you know it wasn't Shirou's fault."

E a nkidu clenched their fists. Of course you'd say that, of course you're on his side, kill you I'llkillyou- I know that, I know that, but I can't help it I'm still angry-

"And it wasn't your fault either."

And their fists loosened, their jaws opening in shock.

"But, I... if I... if I were there, then..."

"Yet you know that isn't true, don't you?"

Silence bastard, it's a subject's duty to always stand by their King, and I wasn't there wherewasIwherewherewhere-

You're wrong, I was his friend, friends stick together, I left him by himself, it'smyfaultmyfaultmyfault-

"And even if it was, why aren't you doing anything about it?"

"...What?"

"You say he was your friend, or your king, or whatever, but the moment he gets himself in trouble you fold and start blaming yourself for everything? What kind of friend or even subject are you?"

"I'm a..." failure

"A real friend wouldn't be moping. They would be trying to get their friend out of trouble. A true loyal subject wouldn't be fretting about the king's absence, they would he preparing for their king's return."

A... true friend?

A... loyal subject?

"And even if he was gone... Then it would be your responsibility to put him to rest."

Put him... to rest?

"So come on! He's still there, even if only in part! If you say it's your fault for him being like this, then go out and take responsibility!"

Right... a true friend... always has their friend's backs!

Of course... a loyal subject... shall always protect the king and his memory!

"And the easiest way to take responsibility... is to go out there, help Shirou, take down that monster, and pull Gilgamesh out of there! So... are you willing to help?"

"I..."

For the sake of my friend...

For the sake of my King...

"I..."

I will help him!

I will protect him!

Even if he's already gone, I won't let this travesty last!

"I will. For Gilgamesh."

Enkidu said this without hesitation.

Thunk!

A blade sank into the Angra's arm. No, not just a blade. An Oracle blade. Multiple. The force from each blade pushed the arm off of its course, preventing it from encompassing Shirou in a wave of mud and allowing him to move back to make room. But looking to the direction of the Oracle blades, he could see...

A rocket?

Whatever it was, it looked vaguely large, about the size of a cardboard box. But it was being propelled by fire like the rockets he saw on some old TV shows. And it was getting closer. Fast.

Backpedaling once more, Shirou avoided the rocket, which he now saw as being longer than it was tall. Long enough to hold a body. Or a God Arc. And considering what came out of it...

The rocket-propelled locker crash-landed, the lid popping off fully to reveal Enkidu in all of its cylindrical glory. What the God Arc was doing here certainly crossed his mind, but Shirou dismissed that for what the weapon seemed to be doing. That is, spewing out Oracle blades to use against the Angra.

Which proved a useful distraction.

Pushing off the ground, Shirou made room away from the Angra, moving towards the source of the distraction. With a twist, he landed besides the God Arc and, with a flourish, planted Kanshou into the floor and took Enkidu into his hand.

And found himself once more in his internal world. At least, he thought it was his.

The grass was new. Well, not new new, but there certainly wasn't this much last he was here.

But that wasn't important. Time was still a limiting factor here. Now, where was-

"Shirou Emiya."

...Enkidu.

Why were they there, in the real world? While he wouldn't doubt someone's desire to help, he also knew that God Arc's weren't exactly people. As Sakaki told him when he asked about them, "God Arc Personalities seem to be derivatives of their wielder's own experiences and personality."

While certainly a version that had been dulled down so Shirou could properly understand, it held the core of the matter. The manifestations of the God Arcs he has met were all influenced by the people their wielders were, and the people they had met. And considering that Enkidu was wielded by Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh knew Kirei...

"Enkidu."

The green-haired figure pursed their lips, closing their eyes.

It wasn't as if Shirou didn't have faith. The last time they met, they had left on good terms, or at least amicable ones.

But that was before Gilgamesh was... before he became the Angra. When Shirou promised he wouldn't wield Enkidu against his friend. And Enkidu would know. Wouldn't they?

"Shirou, I..."

It seemed they were done thinking. Enkidu stared at him, both eyes sparkling. That look... it was one he had seen a lot in both the mirror and in his little-big sister's ruby orbs.

"I'm going to help Gilgamesh."

...What?

"What?"

Good job.

Enkidu's face tightened at having to repeat themselves.

"I said, I'm going to help Gilgamesh. And helping you fight... that... is the best chance I have."

Shirou blinks.

"So, I'll be working with you for a bit."

And blinks again.

Opening his eyes, Shirou saw how the God Arc lazily spun its cylinders, the stream of Oracle blades halted. Yet, awaiting the command to produce more. To forge over a thousand blades.

So, with an exertion of his will, the cylinders spun, and twenty blades had been produced. Lacking even the stinging pain that was there the previous time he held Enkidu, Shirou was able to produce the blades seamlessly.

And with a wave of the cylindrical 'blade', the thin, shining blades of Oracle flashed through the air, impacting against the hulking black beast. Its outraised arm was struck once more, throwing its aim off and causing a wave of the mud to miss him by a few inches.

Now this would be useful. But...

Casting a glance to the floor, Shirou saw Kanshou standing upright on its lonesome, the black blade looking remiss without its white partner. But duty calls. So, promising to reunite the two, Shirou hefted Bakuya over his shoulder and moved.

Fielding the Angra, Shirou beckoned for more blades to appear. And appear they did, forming a field not dissimilar to the one Shirou found himself in earlier. And with a wave, the blades shot for their target.

Of course, while the briefly pincushioned wolf-like beast was amusing to view, Shirou knew it wouldn't stick, so he set up another field while preparing to reenter the melee.

And so, another dance started. A dance that had the two on more even ground.

Sakaki watched from the roof. He had to make sure that the God Arc made it to Shirou. He had to make sure that sending the God Arc to Shirou wasn't a mistake. That following his instinct as a Stargazer wasn't a mistake.

Great, it seems his time as Director has worn down his optimism.

Regardless, he had to be sure. So, wielding the enhanced field binoculars, he watched the engagement. He stilled when Shirou held the God Arc in hand and closed his eyes, and started worrying his lips when the Angra rose its arm and Shirou held no reaction. But he calmed when Shirou opened his eyes, and from the strange God Arc came the blades made of Oracle that were being shot earlier.

With the issue settled, Sakaki calmed down and began to watch the battle as it began in earnest. Of course, it was more often a blur, with Shirou flinging himself around the battlefield, blades flying, his white God Arc flashing, and the Angra moving erratically, throwing around its claws or spearing waves of mud. Occasionally the Angra would block Shirou's blows, other times it would stand motionless as it was harmed, and at other times it disappeared to another part of the battlefield.

At the same time, Sakaki saw how the other God Eaters, the ones he had sent out to assist Shirou and the others earlier, sat on their laurels waiting for an opportunity to strike. It only took a moment for him to puzzle out that they must have been out of Oracle. And since the Angra seemed to be immune to any non-Oracle-based attacks according to the radio chatter earlier...

That left them as useless as him. Well, not necessarily. They could recover Oracle naturally, but it would be too slow to prove meaningful. And by the time they had gathered enough Oracle, the battle would be over, for better or worse. Speaking of Oracle...

"Director sir! I got the relay earpiece you asked for!"

"Thank you. Now then..."

Sliding the earpiece into place, Sakaki began to coordinate. First, to check on Shirou.

"Hibari, come in."

"Doctor Sakaki!?"

"Hibari, I need a sitrep."

"Uh- Ahem. Of course. The data shows that the initial team of God Eaters all took considerable damage, but nothing fatal. Any wounds were handled with the Restore Pills. As for the second wave, no major signs of damage. But, Oracle Points are at a minimum, and all O-Ampules have been used."

"Where is the forward team?"

"They've been brought to a safe location near the Den, away from combat but within distance of the sidelined God Eaters."

"That's good. Now, what about Shirou?"

"Shirou's vitals are steady. While he has taken some damage, he's bounced back. His Oracle on the other hand is nearing empty. It's a wonder he even still has any, considering he forgot to bring Consumables with him in the first place."

Ignoring the admonishing tone, Sakaki thought on that. Shirou was near empty on Oracle. The only way he can attack is with Oracle, and at this point he's the only one whose Oracle is actively decreasing. It's a battle of attrition, Sakaki realized, conversations between Kiritsugu and Johannes coming to mind. One Shirou was losing.

But the God Arc was an extra piece on the board; a Joker in the deck. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem to be draining Shirou's Oracle using its attacks. This pushes Shirou's theoretical limit even further ahead, but that doesn't change the fact that it can't stay that way forever. Even if it was drawing from its own Oracle like a self-induced Burst State, it would eventually use up that pool and draw from Shirou's own. At which point, Shirou loses.

So then, the Angra needs to be stopped before that can happen. But how? At this point, if all the damage it had already taken wasn't enough, then he couldn't see how they could manage that.

Unless they hit it with everything at once.

But would that be enough? Everyone has only a little Oracle, and Shirou can't make efficient use of both his God Arcs and the one he was borrowing simultaneously. That's not even thinking about the likelihood of the Angra just avoiding the blow by translocating through the mud.

It was times like this Sakaki wished he took his own advice. All the times he recommended Johanne to seek aid and build a rapport with people whom he could depend on, only to be rebuffed being told it was 'the Director's duty to shoulder all the burden.' What a fool he had been. Not only was he effectively useless here, but he couldn't even defer to someone that was useful here.

What was even the point of trying here if he couldn't...

Crash!

No. He couldn't give up here. Looking through the binoculars, he saw: The boy was still fighting. The boy with no blood relatives, with no past, with no consumables to his name or comrades to directly back him up other than the God Arcs in his hands, with every reason to give up in the face of this beast. He didn't stop. He kept moving forward. Kept fighting.

If the boy who only had a dream could keep moving forward, then why couldn't he? In the end, they were both Stargazers in their own right. He couldn't let himself be shown up now of all times.

So, with a deep breath, Sakaki cleared his mind and thought about what he could and couldn't do. He could contact all conscious God Eaters, and coordinate them as he saw fit. He could get them further supplies, but not in an affordable time-frame. He couldn't account for the Angra's strengths, weaknesses, or general battle strategy. He could contact someone who can.

Bringing his fingers up to his earpiece, he sent the signal out.

"Shirou?"

"Sakaki."

The boy didn't even falter as he fought, not bringing any attention to the fact he was talking to someone aside from his moving mouth.

"I intend to order a joint strike on the Angra using the last of everyone's Oracle. However, I don't know how to keep the Angra from any mud long enough to coordinate an attack. Do you have any ideas?"

Silence was his response for a few seconds as Shirou dashed, leapt, and flipped beyond the Angra's advances.

"I think I have an idea. You just focus on having everyone keep a bead on the Angra. I'll give the signal."

"How will I identify it?"

"I'd like to believe you'd know it when you see it, but otherwise..."

Plans officially hatched, Shirou focuses himself entirely on building up the required Oracle and distance for this. As the Angra swings and Shirou cartwheels to the side, he muses on how he managed to hold onto his Oracle for this long. It was actually sort of funny when he thought about it.

Sending a salvo of blades towards the Angra's head, making it block, Shirou made some distance backwards. God Arcs regained Oracle by doing what was essentially small-scale Devouring when hitting other Aragami and taking in their naturally abundant Oracle for themselves. But to damage the Angra, he had to use his Oracle to 'Reinforce' his blade. So, he found himself in an eternal loop of using and regaining his Oracle, with a net loss as his ultimate result.

Winding back his arm, Shirou threw Bakuya in a curving motion, once more aiming for the face. Instead of blocking, the Angra moved to another part of the mud, to his left and closer to the mudless ground. Perfect.

Now, to note, he wasn't lying when he told Sakaki he had a plan. He just didn't mention that it was a pretty stupid one. It certainly would have gotten him irate comments from his friends had they been aware of what he was doing.

Noting that Bakuya was making an arc that would near his left side, he couldn't help but smirk. Tugging on Kanshou, he set his plan into motion. Hefting his left hand this time, he brought Enkidu to bear, asking it to produce another Oracle blade. Only this time, it would extend from the top, turning the cylindrical blade into a very odd-looking drill.

Pushing his Oracle into it, he Reinforced it for the sake of more force before letting it fly on a linear path towards the Angra's chest. Of course, there's no guarantee that the Angra wouldn't just dodge again, but Shirou had come to notice that the Angra only ever blocked or dodged when the head was targeted. For anywhere else, it was more likely to just take the hit or otherwise block. And if it blocked, then the force of an attack would be mostly redirected.

And block it did. But regardless, the force behind the lobbed God Arc pushed through the Angra and moved it towards the edge of the mud. Of course, Shirou prepared for that. Pushing forward, Shirou jumped into the air. Twirling, he caught the black and white blurs coming for him in their respective hands, before landing and pushing off once more.

Leaving a crater where he left, Shirou made a beeline for the Angra. Bringing his God Arcs in front of him, he clipped them together, activating Rho Aias. Pushing Oracle into the shield, the petals extended away from the God Arc and produced a pink barrier. Almost immediately, the Seven Petals of Heaven made contact with the Angra, forcing it further back and away from the mud.

At once Shirou deactivated Rho Aias, causing the 'petals' to retract back into the God Arc. With a swift motion he unattached the two God Arcs before Reinforcing them and flicking them downwards, piercing the Angra's feet and rooting it to the ground.

Following momentum, Shirou reached for Enkidu and, when he found himself falling short, tugged and pulled it into his hand. Letting the God Arc's force push him away from the Angra, he reached the floor and bounded backwards making plenty of room.

Now, it was time! Pouring all of his remaining Oracle into Enkidu, he bled off most of it by producing hundreds upon hundreds, possibly thousands of Oracle blades, surrounding the Angra on three sides. With the rest of the Oracle being centered out the front of Enkidu, forming a drill even larger than the last. With the addition of Enkidu's cylinders spinning, and red Oracle coursing along the exterior, it made an impressive sight truth be told.

Now for the signal.

"I am..."

The burning of his body was a signal, one that told him he was pushing his limits. It was a familiar burn, one that he had experienced plenty of times over the last two years. As his skin further fell to the Oracle Cell Erosion, his now silver eyes flashed as he finished the signal.

"The bone of my sword!"

It was an explosion of light. Pink, blue, red, purple, yellow, and all sorts of colours filled the air. While individually they wouldn't do much, together they could shake even mountains. Of course, not all of the explosion was derived from the God Eaters with precious little Oracle to spare.

At the same instant as the God Eaters attacked, Shirou Emiya did too. He brought his Oracle blades down, piercing the Angra from almost every angle. And when the Oracle blades made contact with the Oracle bullets, it caused an explosive reaction, dealing more damage. This isn't taking into account that Enkidu itself made a good dent.

When Shirou ordered the Oracle blades downwards, he squared his shoulders, tossed Enkidu into the air, brought his right arm and leg back, then thrust his palm forward when Enkidu was perfectly positioned, sending it flying forward. As it flew, it tore the ground underneath it apart, until eventually piercing through the Angra. But not before imparting an excess of Oracle, allowing for more explosive reactions.

All in all, separated from the mud as it was, the Angra should have been destroyed. In fact, once the dust settled, the only trace of the Angra remaining was a small pool of mud, with Kanshou and Bakuya lying on top.

But the fires surrounding still raged.

Shirou breathed out.

It was over.

It was over!

Looking to his hands, he saw how they shook, and the weight of what he had done finally hit him.

He had killed the Angra.

The Angra was dead.

The monster that caused that hell was dead.

That hell would never be repeated.

It was slow, but he realized that his face hurt. Bringing up a shaking hand, he felt that his teeth were exposed and his lips were curved upwards.

Ah. He was smiling.

He didn't deserve to smile, to feel happy. He lived when no one else did, so he shouldn't. But maybe they wouldn't blame him if they saw him now.

Walking forward, he made his way to where the Angra had been and where his God Arcs were laying. He could see not far ahead Enkidu on the floor, and on the rooftops were all the other God Eaters cheering. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, it looked like some of the God Eaters in the forward group had woken up.

As he reached his God Arcs, he went to pick them up before freezing.

Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right, something wasn't right, something wasn't right something wasn't right somethingwasn'tright somethingwasn'trightsomethingwasn'tright.

It was still blistering hot.

Looking down into the mud, Shirou saw how the mud rippled and shifted. He saw how it was moving somewhere behind. He saw how it moved like it was alive.

He felt it behind him.

Don't look, don't look, it'll pass by if you don't look, just ignore it, it's not real it can't be real please don't let it be real nononono.

Of course, he didn't listen to himself. So, turning, he saw it, over his shoulder, standing there, still there-

A pitch-black snout, attached to jagged teeth and a wolf-like head. As flames spread over its head, Shirou found himself drawn to its red, red eyes, deeper and deeper, infinitely deep and dragging him in endlessly like an abysss staring into an abyss but the abyss is staring back and it won't let go please let go let me be I don't want to be here I thought I was done no-

Shirou only had a moment to scream, to try and alert the others, to call Kanshou and Bakuya, to try and orient himself to dodge, or block, or anything.

But it wasn't enough, and the last thing he saw was its jaw curling up as if in a smirk before consuming him in a wave of deep, deep black, leaving the impression of red eyes deep into his consciousness.

Black, black, as far as he can see. There isn't any difference between eyes open and eyes closed. It all flows through him like handfuls of sand.

Sometimes he feels something brushing across his hands, like someone was trying to take his hands. Or he was trying to take theirs. He wasn't really sure. He didn't know if he was moving. Maybe he was, and he kept bumping into something. Or maybe he was stationary, and things kept bumping into him.

Maybe he was actually in a river. That sounded sort of funny. It wasn't that he was moving, but he was moving at the same time. He was bumping into things and things were bumping into him. But it wasn't a river. It couldn't be. After all, it wasn't wet or cold.

It was actually quite hot. It was blistering.

A crack. There was a crack in the black. He had to reach that crack. He had to. He tried to move his arms, but he couldn't feel them. He couldn't feel anything but the heat.

But he still had to try.

He bucked his arms, he jerked his body, he threw himself however he could. It didn't feel like he got any closer, but the cracks got bigger. They spread further and further, and as they did, as their light spread further and further, he could feel things fall into place.

He remembered he was fighting something. He remembered he needed to protect something. He remembered there was something waiting for him. He remembered he couldn't keep laying down here.

He remembered Kota Fujiki. He remembered Paylor Sakaki. He remembered Taiga Fujimura.

He remembered Rin Tohsaka. He remembered Saber. He remembered Sakura Matou. He remembered Illyasviel von Einsbern.

He remembered Archer. He remembered Unlimited Blade Works.

He kept struggling, fighting against his non-existence. He made more cracks, shed more light.

He remembered fighting Gilgamesh. He remembered talking to Kotomine.

He remembered fighting Jubstacheit von Einsbern. He remembered failing to save Berserker.

He remembered killing Zouken Matou. He remembered killing Shinji Matou.

He remembered his first fight against an Aragami. He remembered being impaled.

He remembered saving Illya. He remembered saving Sakura. He remembered saving Kota's mother.

He remembered Kiritsugu Emiya. He remembered being saved by Kiritsugu.

He remembered walking through fire. Walking past the corpses of others, even the ones that still contained life. He remembered ignoring their pleas for help, focused on maintaining his own survival. He remembered giving up his self for the sake of taking one more step.

He remembered the black beast. The one that he was fighting.

Then he remembered one more thing. A star-lit night. Sitting next to Kiritsugu. Being told his old dream. And making a promise.

"I said I'll become a Hero of Justice in your place."

Ah. That's right.

That scene was... the first time he felt like he could understand Kiritsugu's smile that day. It was the first step he had taken to being closer to his father.

Through the cracks in the black there was a flash of neon-green light. Something flew through the cracks, landing by his sides. It only took a glance for him to recognize them. How could he forget his own partner?

He reached out for his Unlimited Blade Works, for Kanshou and Bakuya, their black and white blades juxtaposing each other and the world around him. He drew the blades from the ground, their lengths extended by green Oracle blades.

"My name is..."

And with a mighty roar, the boy swung the blades in his hands, shattering the black abyss around him and freeing the bright sky above.

"Shirou Emiya!"

He was staring up at a bright blue sky, without any clouds obscuring his view. At the corners of his vision, he sees massive gears hanging in the sky. But they were partially rusted, and hanging near to the ground. Beyond them was a bright light, the source of this place's colour.

As his feet moved, he felt how the green grass rubbed against the legs of his pants. Looking down, he saw how a grassy meadow spread before him, coexisting with sandy shoals that held clear water. But instead of being stagnant, every pool was connected, causing the water to flow from one to another. And within each was placed a God Arc, as polished as the day they were made.

Of course, far in the distance, Shirou could see how there were entire parts of the environment that were held in monochrome. Pure white sand, under pure white water, surrounded by pure white grass and pierced by pure white blades. But they were just that. In the distance. Part of him knew, the monotone of Erosion would never reach where he was until the day he died.

Speaking of, he looked immediately around him. He saw the hill, so familiar and yet so different. Instead of sand, it was covered entirely in grass. As usual, his Unlimited Blade Works were planted blade first into the hill, leaning against each other. And lying against it was...

"It's good to see you up and at 'em, Shirou."

Smiling, he lowered himself to the ground and leaned against the God Arcs in kind.

"It's good to be up and at 'em. I was worried I wouldn't wake up."

He said it jokingly, but they both knew he meant it. A silence ensued before Archer followed it up.

"I was also worried. When you were consumed by the mud... I couldn't find you anywhere. I was cut off from your senses, and couldn't see you anywhere in here."

"I... was in the dark. I forgot everything. But... I remembered. That I had saved people. That I had lost people. That I made a promise that means everything to me. That I made friends, family that mean just as much."

Archer began to stand, the grass underneath him shifting.

"Do you still want to be a Hero of Justice?"

Shirou looked out into the horizon, a beautiful array of blue, green, yellow, and white before him. With a deep breath, he answers.

"Of course. It's the reason I chose for surviving the Fire. It's what I've decided to do to pay back the unpayable debts I owe."

"But to save someone, you must forsake another. To protect your friends, you might have to forsake a stranger. And to save a stranger, you might have to forsake a friend. You are aware of that, aren't you? Doesn't that go against your desire to save everyone?"

The bronze gears in the sky began to change a bit. Some rusted further, falling closer to the ground below, while others shed their rust and rose to the sky above.

"Yeah, I know. It's impossible, isn't it? I can't save anyone if it means sacrificing my friends, and I can't save my friends if it means sacrificing anyone else. An impossible circumstance. It's hypocritical too. Wanting to save someone means wanting someone to be in trouble."

The rusted gears hit the ground, causing small plumes of dust, while the rising gears reached their apex and began to turn, becoming another part of this beautiful tapestry of his soul.

"But that's fine. It's okay if it's impossible, and it's okay if it's hypocritical. What matters is that I try. As long as I strive for that beautiful ideal, no matter how far away, I know that I won't lose my way. And if I have my family by my side, I won't have to worry at all. They'll keep me on the straight and narrow."

Standing up, Shirou stretched his arms and legs, brushing off any stray grass on his rear.

"So you won't turn back, no matter what? Regardless of the hypocrisy, regardless of the impossibility, you'll walk that road to the very end? Or will you abandon that dream, and walk with your family on a happier path?"

Turning, Shirou stared at him before smiling lightly.

"I don't know yet. I'll walk the path of a Hero of Justice, and I'll walk by my family's sides. And if one day, those two paths find each other at a crossroads, I know the path I'll follow will be one without regrets."

Archer stared at him before letting out a sigh, rubbing his brow and letting his hair sit on his face. At this point, ignoring the clothes, the two looked exactly the same.

"Hah. I guess I really can't change your mind. But, you're right. As you are now, you'll walk down a path that you won't regret. One unaware of loss or gain."

"Ha. I see my appreciation for poetry got you too."

"Oh, shut it."

Another silence, this one much more relaxed than the previous. This time, Shirou broke it.

"Well, guess I better get going."

"Yeah. I'll have your back, like always."

A flash and then silence. Shirou was gone and Archer found himself alone on the hill. Looking out at the horizon, he couldn't help but breathe out a single word.

"Beautiful."

The first thing he felt was everything burning. It was so damn hot. His skin was aching, his wounds were stabbing, and every movement was pure agony.

But there was something more important to do than wallow in pain, so he pushed past that. Pushing himself upwards with his arms, he felt as he started to slide upwards through something before eventually feeling the cool, crisp air.

Rubbing his hands off on his clogged down pants, he scrubbed away any left over residue on his eyes before opening them.

It wasn't much different compared to when he last checked. There was more mud everywhere, and even more fire and smoke. The sky was almost completely obscured, and any part that wasn't shone through orange. It was noon? How long had they been fighting?

Actually, where were the God Eaters? Where was the Angra?

Trying to focus his sight, Shirou looked to where the God Eaters last were and found what he expected and dreaded. From where he was, the building had also been covered in mud. Looking around, Shirou didn't find any sign of the Angra.

He should go look for the Angra. More people could be in danger if he didn't do something. But he couldn't just abandon the chance that other people survived the mud.

Shaking his head at his indecisiveness, he chose to check the building. Taking a running start, he leapt upwards and landed on the surprisingly sturdy tin roof. The first thing that drew his attention was all of the unconscious God Eaters on the roof. The second thing that grabbed his attention was the lack of mud on the roof. As if someone had blocked it.

Taking a closer look, Shirou noticed that these were some of the God Eaters that came in the second wave. But Saber and Rin and the others weren't here. Where were they?

It hadn't reached his ears until now, but he noticed the sound of Oracle discharges in the distance. There was also the sound of rippling, like a wave, and the occasional shout. That must be them!

Turning, he took a step in the direction of the sounds before pausing. He said he would beat the Angra, but how? He couldn't kill the thing when it was attached to the mud and he fought at full power, and he couldn't kill the thing when it was away from the mud with the combined dregs of everyone's power.

So then how? There wasn't an answer.

Looking down, Shirou's eyes caught on something strange. The mud on the floor seemed to be... moving away. Moving towards the edge of the roof, he looked down at the mud on the wall and he was right. It was moving. Slowly, but he could see how it rolled down the wall, lazily dripping downwards.

But why? Could there be a limit to the Angra's range? Is that why it was moving back? Or does it have a mud limit? That one seemed less likely seeing as its appearance hadn't changed when it released the mud. But the first one could make sense. Back when the Fire occurred, only a set area of the Outer Ghetto had been damaged. If not for a range limit, then why wouldn't it have caused more destruction?

But, that still doesn't answer the main question here? How can he win?

He couldn't puzzle out anything else at this point. The Oracle exhaustion was getting to him, buzzing his mind and darkening the edges of his vision. By himself, he couldn't do anything to fix the situation.

But he isn't by himself.

Reaching for his ear, he felt for the earpiece he was given before realizing it had been knocked out in the mud. Sighing, he knelt near one if the unconscious God Eaters, the plain one from earlier. Reaching for his ear, Shirou took out the man's earpiece and activated it.

"Professor?"

Sakaki's heart was beating something fierce. It was actually almost painful. But even that pain would be preferential to what he's seeing now.

When the Angra appeared behind Shirou, he tried to send out a message. Shirou was immediately caught in the wave, but some of the other God Eaters saw what was happening and prepared their shields.

While they successfully rebuffed the wave, it didn't prevent some God Eaters from falling unconscious. Whether due to the stress of the last hour, or due to the strength of the sudden attack, the remaining attack power was effectively quartered. To seemingly balance that out, some of the previously unconscious God Eaters had awoken.

While they had missed out on the entire middle of the engagement, they quickly picked up on the whole Angra issue and the gravitas of the situation. When Rin had asked about Shirou, Sakaki didn't have the heart to say that Shirou was... that he had been consumed by the mud. So he lied and said that Shirou had fallen unconscious in a safe place. He could tell his answer was met with suspicion, but he couldn't tell them. Not yet, at least.

So, the group attacked the Angra, and drove it away from the unconscious God Eaters. And once more, they fell into a battle of attrition with the God Eaters being on the back foot.

This is where Sakaki was at when he received a message that almost made him collapse in relief.

"Professor."

"S-Shirou?"

It couldn't be. He was dead. He watched him get swallowed by the mud. No one survived something like that, last time.

Except for Kotomine.

"Hey Professor. I know the last plan didn't exactly pan out, but right now I need your help making a new plan."

His mind was abuzz, he was going to get a cracked neck bone from the whiplash. Well, not literally, but regardless, he was feeling very chuffed. But, he can't let it get to him. If he isn't going crazy, then he has to keep doing his duty as Director.

"Understood. Do you have any new information?"

"I think... the Angra has a range limit, or something like that. The mud nearby is moving back towards the Angra. While that isn't a lot, it does explain why the Great Fire was contained... I think."

Sakaki stewed on that. It would explain the relatively short range of the Fire. But that doesn't much clear up any other mysteries. Such as where the Angra and the mud went, or even why it disappeared in the first place. It just disappeared according to eye witness accounts, without any external forces.

"If there's a range limit, then that helps in keeping it contained. The others drew the Angra further away from where the people were evacuated."

"That's good. But how can we kill it?"

There's the problem. Let's try and think this through. The Angra is made of mud. It can produce a near infinite amount of mud. There is a range for how much mud it can produce. Therefore, there is a theoretical limit on the amount of mud.

The Angra can survive its presumed main body being destroyed, even when separated from the mud. Although, this may be due to the mud where the Angra had been connecting with the rest of the mud.

It only takes damage from Oracle based attacks.

Really, the only idea Sakaki could come up with would be to destroy all of the mud. But how could they do that? A high concentration of Oracle spread out over all of it? But nobody here has enough Oracle to spare.

"Hey, Professor? Any ideas?"

Shirou was starting to sound worse and worse. Shaking off the worry, he decides to share his thoughts.

"If we can't kill the Angra with brute force, then we might need to somehow destroy all of the mud simultaneously. But I don't see any feasible way to do that."

His response was silence, yet for some reason he found it oddly worrisome.

"Shirou?"

"Hm? Sorry Professor, I was thinking about what you said. If we destroy all of the mud at once, then the Angra will die?"

"Well... theoretically. As far as we're aware, the Angra isn't a normal Aragami. It doesn't seem to have a core for one, so it needs to propagate itself through other means. The most likely explanation is that the mud itself is the core."

"Hmm. I think I might have an idea."

Sakaki did not like the sound of that.

"What's your plan?"

"Oh, you know. Just going to use Oracle to destroy all the mud."

"And pray tell, how?"

"I'll just use everyone's God Arcs to destroy swathes of the mud by pumping them with my Oracle."

...What?

"Pardon?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" Sakaki took a deep, calming breath. "You are aware, of course, that by trying to Resonate with anyone else's God Arc, let alone multiple God Arcs, will likely kill you in your current state? That's not accounting for how you intend to use the Oracle - which, might I add, you no longer have more of - on such a large scale! How would you destroy all of that mud with at most twenty God Arcs!? You only have two hands, and we haven't tested the limits of your own telekinetic ability with Resonated God Ar-"

"I know."

It was his tone of voice. Sakaki couldn't continue his justified tirade in the face of that voice. It was horrifyingly familiar, like a twisted reflection of his voice.

It was tired and resigned, yet light and hopeful all at once. He knew that it would probably kill him, but he was willing to try regardless. But, he didn't intend to die. He intended to come back. It wasn't exactly a disregard for his own life. He held it lower than he held most others, but he still held his own life in esteem.

It was just like Kiritsugu. Just like every time Kiritsugu intended to go out to deal with humans rather than Aragami. Only, even Kiritsugu's voice never held as much hope as Shirou's did. An unshakeable faith in his future.

He let out a shaky breath.

"Alright. Alright. I trust you, Shirou."

"That's good. I'll make sure you're not putting your belief in the wrong place. See you soon."

The frequency shut off, and Sakaki couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Honestly. Like father, like son."

Okay. Okay. I have a plan. Now how to go about it? So Shirou thought to himself.

"Well, first I should find Enkidu. Neither of us have any spare Oracle, but something is better than nothing."

Taking a step, he stumbled a bit, the edges of his vision blurring. Clicking his tongue, Shirou forced himself upright.

"Looks like I only have so much time. Have to move fast."

Reaching out with his senses, he felt for Enkidu. The connection was weakening, but he felt it beneath him in the building.

"Course it can't be easy."

Moving to the opposite side of the building to where he jumped up, he stepped off and landing in a crouch. Standing, and trying not to stumble, he moved towards the closest available entrance: a window.

Muttering an apology to the home-owner, Shirou tugged on his connection to Enkidu and pulled it out of the house on a linear path through the window. Avoiding the shattered glass, Shirou grabbed Enkidu and felt for any Oracle. Finding none, Shirou closed his eyes.

And opened them to a bright sky. Looking about, he saw the green-haired God Arc looking about in surprise, crouched near a shoal holding a replica of the original Enkidu as Shirou saw from their memories. Shirou took a step towards them and Enkidu turned their head at the sound.

Standing, Enkidu faced Shirou and assumed a grumpy look, eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed.

"Shirou Emiya."

"Uh... hey, Enkidu."

Shirou scratched his face. He wasn't sure what he did to upset Enkidu, but he's spent enough time with Rin to know he should just stay quiet.

The silence lingered a few seconds before Enkidu's patience seemed to break.

"What were you thinking!? Why did you throw me like that!? Did you think before using all of your Oracle to make those blades!? I could barely keep up with everything you were giving me! What would you have done if I couldn't produce everything you needed, huh!?"

Shirou looked away, still scratching his cheek and ignoring the sweat that rolled down his face. Eventually, Enkidu's tirade ended, and they were left taking a deep breath.

"So. How did it go. Did you...?"

Shirou understood their reluctance.

"No. I wasn't able to beat it. But I do have another plan. So, I'd like another hand if you're willing."

Enkidu narrowed their eyes again before shrugging.

"I'll help you. I still have something to do after all."

"Alright. Do you have any Oracle left?"

They furrowed their brows before answering.

"A little. Enough to produce maybe twenty blades."

Shirou nodded, before giving it some thought.

That's another twenty Oracle weapons, but that doesn't mean he can destroy all of the mud. That's even assuming he can convince the other God Arcs to help him.

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." Looking to Enkidu, he offered a small bow. "Good to be working with you again."

Enkidu rose a brow at the gesture, before giving a small smile.

"Same. See you later, Shirou."

Closing his eyes, Shirou saw a bright light filtering through his eyelids.

When he opened his eyes, the darkness was almost all-consuming. Letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, he looked at Enkidu in his hands before clenching his fist. Jumping up, Shirou reached the roof and stared at the twenty-something God Arcs littered on the roof.

"Well then. Time to get to work."

He knelt by a Long Blade God Arc, yellow with a Blaster Cannon and a regular Shield. Taking it in hand, he ignores the slight burning he felt coming from the God Arc and closed his eyes.

From there, Shirou picked up God Arc, after God Arc, after God Arc, some argumentative, some simply accepting of his requests. Their appearances ranged from unfamiliar to eerily familiar, sometimes looking like no one Shirou's ever seen, other times looking like an alternative take of the God Eaters themselves.

Unlike a Prototype God Arc, or even false Prototypes like Unlimited Blade Works and Enkidu, the God Arc Personalities didn't give Shirou a peek into the God Eater's past memories. But the effect was the same. They gave Shirou a rudimentary understanding of how they fight and use their God Arcs, and let Shirou use their God Arcs himself.

Unfortunately, the whole process had the effect of draining Shirou even drier of Oracle, practically going into the negatives. This reflected in how the lines of Oracle tracing up his arms began to sour, turning a sickly yellow near his wrists rather than their usual neon green. The skin near his wrists started to burn hotter too, the tan skin starting to go a darker brown. It didn't help that it also felt like his internal organs, his tongue, his hearts, his lungs, they all felt like they were being torn apart.

The headache and the blurriness were just icing on the cake at that point. He could barely tell back from forward at this point, and if not for the connections to the God Arcs he felt, he probably would have fallen off of the roof already.

Sighing as he let go of the last God Arc, a black and blue Charge Spear, Shirou looked towards where the sounds of combat continued. He knew he had to get moving now, but first he needed to see if his initial idea would actually work. Tugging on his connection to a black and green Short Blade, a Rune Edge: Hagalaz, he pulled it towards him and grabbed it.

Nodding at it, he poured as much Oracle as he dared into it - Oh, that burns - , drawing out some of its own Oracle as well, before throwing it towards the mud on the ground. It stuck right through the mud and impaled itself into the floor. As for the mud-

Sizzle~

The mud immediately touching the God Arc immediately melted away, but it wasn't a lot. Maybe only five centimetres in diameter. Shirou sighed. It wasn't a lot to work with. Just concentrated, it only destroyed a small amount. If only it could be less concentra-

Wait. Opening his palm, Shirou tried to visualise his connection to the Short Blade, and the Oracle he left within. Once he had it metaphorically cocooned in the palm of his hand, he clenched his fist and dispelled the structure of the Oracle; releasing all of it in a burst. The effects could be immediately seen in real life in the form of an explosion.

Boom!

Mud and dust was displaced, but the important part was that the God Arc remained in the ground, and an almost ten metre wide circle of mud was cleared. It became even better when the mud at the edge of the blast started to degrade in kind.

This was incredibly useful. Even with his vision making the blast almost debilitating, Shirou smiled at the success of his idea. Now, he knew what he could do.

But first he should probably deal with the mud on the building. And the first step to that is getting the God Eaters off of the building.

This fight sucked. This fight sucked. Nothing can ever describe how thoroughly this fight sucked.

Kota Fujiki, Captain of the First Unit, could not find anywhere in his memories dealing with something that sucked as much as this. Dealing with the Dyaus Pita didn't suck this much. At least with that thing progress was obvious. But here, this thing wasn't giving an inch. While he knew he caused damage, it was also like nothing happened at the same time.

Dodging another wave attack, Kota used another O-Ampule, restoring his OP Stock, before firing once more at the Angra.

They had all been fighting for what felt like hours, although that was probably the battle adrenaline talking. As Kota watched Saber and Jun attack the Angra from three different angles, he, Rin, Gina, and Karel prepared to provide covering fire. When the Angra rose its arm, the four gunners aimed for its head, causing it to block and letting the melee attacks strike.

Of course, as had been shown time and time again, only Saber's attack dealt any damage. Jun's God Arcs slid right through it, causing him to lose their balance. He caught himself, mainly because he had been expecting it, and then the two jumped away and the encounter reverted to how it started.

This fight sucked.

And then there was an explosion.

Boom!

"What!?"

He didn't know who said that. The explosion was off in the distance, but not far enough away that they couldn't collectively see the dust from the explosion. Kota felt a hint of dread, because-

"Isn't that where everyone else was?"

It was Rin who said that, and Kota gulped because she was right, that was where everyone was, and they need to go-

Their earpieces crackled.

"Everyone, don't worry."

"Professor Sakaki!?"

"Yes, Gina. It's me."

"What was with that explosion, Doc!? Is everyone alright!?"

"Don't worry Jun. Everybody is alright."

"While that is good to hear, Director, that does not tell us what the explosion was!"

Kota was invested in this conversation as much as the next guy, but there were partially more pressing problems right now. Such as the fact that-

"Guys, the Angra's attacking again!"

It brought it's arm up slowly, before slowly lowering it. Instead of producing a wave of mud it disappeared.

"Wh-"

"Kota!"

The Angra appeared behind the Captain, bringing its claws down low. Kota started to push off the floor, preparing to roll away with the attack. Before the claw hit him-

Boom!

Another explosion rocked the area, this one greater in intensity. So great, in fact, that it caused Kota's roll to turn into a stumble, causing him to hit the floor. Closing his eyes, he waited for an explosion of pain across his back. Instead he just hit the floor with a squawk, and aside from the vague burning he felt on his skin, it didn't hurt at all.

Not waiting for the chance, Kota pushed himself up, rolling and then jumping away to make room. Landing, he rubbed the mud off of his face, taking special care to keep it out of his eyes and nose. Too bad about his mouth though.

Spitting out the mud and grimacing at the taste, which was like anti-taste? It tasted so sweet it looped around to being sour, but it was also savoury and salty. Shaking his head, he looked up to see that the Angra had... paused?

Blinking, he saw how the Angra jerked, and then began moving normally. It was strange but he didn't have time to be distracted, he had to mo-

Boom!

Another explosion!?

It was even closer than the last, and the effect was more pronounced to boot. The shaking was worse, with Kota needing to brace himself so he didn't fall over. But what was interesting was the Angra.

It had stopped moving. The Angra had paused, as if it focused on a stray thought. But no, it was frozen and it wasn't moving. Now was the time!

"Everyone! Focus your attacks!"

That seemed to snap everyone out of their shock. Moving like a well-oiled machine, Karel and Gina primed their God Arcs for firing while Saber, Jun, and Rin rushed towards it.

Kota, Karel, and Gina pulled the triggers, firing at its arms and torso, while Rin and Jun swung towards its legs, impaling it to the floor. Saber went for the head, Excalibur glowing with the golden light of victory. With a swift slash, she struck down the black beast, severing its monstrous head from its shoulders.

As the black head fell, the six God Eaters all relaxed. When it hit the floor and started to disintegrate, Jun brought his arms up in victory, whooping with joy.

"Yeah! We did it!"

With that, the others truly started calming down, letting their arms go slack and letting their God Arcs lay in a resting position.

Boom!

Another explosion, this one even closer. The calm that was starting to suffuse them was blown away in the face of the problem that Sakaki insists wasn't a problem. Bringing their God Arcs back to bear, Kota reached for his earpiece to talk to Sakaki.

"Hey, Doctor Sakaki?"

"Yes, Kota?"

"What did you mean when you said we didn't have to worry about the explosions?They seem pretty concerning to me."

"Ah yes. That's right. Well, you see- Behind you Kota!"

He leapt before he looked. Dashing forward, Kota turned to look behind him, only to see something that froze his gut.

The Angra's head was regrowing. Slowly, the mud that was apparently making up its body climbed upwards and made a mold of its previous wolf head. Then, with an ominous slowness, the mold opened what would be its mouth, slowly revealing its insides, before bringing its jaws crashing closed and revealing a newly formed set of teeth.

Then the eyes reformed, starting as a dull glow before they burst aflame in a soul-wrenching red.

Kota could only watch the whole display in horror. Then, with the same deliberate slowness, the Angra opened its jaw again before giving a roar that Kota felt in his bones. And before he could even react.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

A God Arc sunk into the ground between the God Eaters and the Angra. Actually, it wasn't just one. There were multiple God Arcs all leading from the open road to where they were. And to accompany them was the sound of footsteps.

Boom!

The furthermost God Arc seemed to explode, destroying a swathe of the mud. The Angra seized motion, and the God Eaters took this to realize that they should get away from the Angra and the potentially explosive God Arcs.

Boom!

Another explosion, more mud gone. Everyone's earpiece crackled, preceding Sakaki continuing the previous discussion.

"That's something he didn't get from his father..."

"What?"

Boom!

"I didn't answer your earlier question, did I? Well, the reason why you don't have to worry about the explosions is simple."

The sound of footsteps became louder, and in the distance a figure slowly became visible. The silhouette was familiar, but Kota couldn't immediately place it. Sakaki's next words had him raising a brow.

"He's a friend."

The figure stepped into observable range, and Kota blinked. It was someone he had come to think of as a friend over the years, someone he owed for helping his mom. But he looked different from usual. The shred of red hair had gone white, the strips of pale flesh had tanned, and his golden eye turned silver. If it were just that then Kota wouldn't feel so surprised.

It was the fact that his arms had turned darker, looking like overcooked beef jerky, and the green lines of Oracle that sometimes ran up his arms had started turning yellow.

Yet despite that, it was without a doubt Shirou Emiya. His smug smirk, while not a common feature, wasn't unfamiliar. And, bringing his arm upwards, he snapped his fingers.

Boom!

The final God Arc let off an explosion, blasting the Angra away and destroying one more swathe of mud.

"I'm back."

"That smarts."

Shirou whispered that beneath his breath. The burning in his wrists had reached further up his arms and had intensified in scope. It took a lot out of him to do what he did, acting like there wasn't anything wrong.

Shaking away the thoughts, Shirou reached his hands outwards, feeling through his connections for some of the other God Arcs. What came to greet him was a Long Blade, Railblade II; a Buster Blade, Sharkblade; a Charge Spear, Freak Opal; and a Variant Scythe, Wengyang Scythe.

They all flew towards him, before he let the connection fade so they landed in the ground nearby.

Everyone seemed pretty surprised, gawking and everything. Shirou allowed himself a chuckle before focusing on the situation at hand. He could hardly hear at that point, so he chose to forestall any questions by plainly laying out the situation.

"Keep your eyes up. This isn't over yet."

He could see it, how the Angra was slowly stitching itself back together. While the blacks and browns of the environment were blending together, Shirou could easily see the Angra's pure red eyes.

"We win when we destroy all the mud. Talk to Professor for more info."

He wasn't sure if he would be able to move as he needs to, but he would push past it regardless. Stretching out his legs, he took a step forward before running towards the Angra. Pulling on his connections, he drew the God Arcs towards himself.

As soon as he had one in his hands, he threw it away, manipulating it to seek and destroy the mud near the outside of the current 'arena'. He continued this with the other two until he only had the Variant Scythe left. Variant Scythe in hand, he jumped upwards and brought the scythe down on the Angra in a spin, piercing into its arms. Twisting and pulling the handle, the Variant Scythe extended in length, pushing Shirou away from the Angra. Raising the now ten-metre-long scythe, he swung it at the Angra, cutting through its middle once, twice, thrice, and then bringing the scythe back to its original size. Pulling his arms behind him, he threw the Variant Scythe like a boomerang, letting it pierce through the Angra's side.

Opening his palm, he focused on the Oracle within each God Arc before crushing all four collections at once, causing four explosions.

As he took a deep breath, ignoring how everything inside of him felt like it was burning, he vaguely heard yelling, and saw a flash of golden light. Shirou huffs. Looks like they're finally getting serious. Tugging on more of the earlier God Arcs, he repeated his earlier actions.

A Boost Hammer, three Short Blades, four Buster Blades, five Long Blades, two Charge Spears, and a Variant Scythe. He grabbed and threw each one, destroying the mud systematically, while occasionally throwing some the Angra's way.

A Merkava Destroyer, a Rune Edge: Haglaz, an Iron Maiden, a Chevalier, a Destro-Panther, a Tsumugari, a Kusanagi, a Serpent Warblade, a Railblade, a Tempest Chainsaw, a Glacier Katana, a Sturmberg, an Animato, a Crystal Pike, a Lohenfang, and a Lucifero. They all pass through his hands, each one imprinting their will into his soul. Explosion after explosion after explosion. The pain intensifies, his body being scorched from the inside out.

"...ou..."

He could hear something. He brought his vision away from the Angra, and when had everything gone so dark?

"Sh...ou...!"

He felt something on him. Something coating his back, and most of him actually. There was the feeling of something sinking into him and...

"...rou!"

Ah, that's right. He was covered in mud from earlier. Of course the Angra could manipulate the mud remotely. It just didn't see the need to earlier.

With the strength he had gathered in his legs fading, Shirou fell to his knees. Coughing, Shirou found that his mouth tasted like blood. Looking back towards the Angra, he saw that its stance had changed.

"Sh..rou!"

It held its arms outwards, palms face up. Its knees were bent and it was looking skyward. Then, slowly at first, the remaining mud nearby was drawn towards the Angra. It quickly built up into a swirling cocoon, writhing and roiling, and Shirou thought for a moment that maybe it wouldn't get worse.

Obviously he was wrong.

The swirling cocoon started to swell outwards, the top of the cocoon cracking open to reveal the Angra. Except it wasn't just the Angra. From the insides that Shirou could barely see, there seemed to be another Angra. And another.

A whole army of them.

He couldn't let that happen. If one could bring about the tragedy he was born in, then what could ten do? A hundred? Nothing but devastation. Nothing but death.

Stand up.

Stand up!

"Shirou!"

Someone's calling for him. He has to stand up. If the Angra finishes whatever its doing, then the person calling for him will be hurt. He has to stand up. He has to protect them. He has to save him.

He'll accept no less.

Shirou's vision reached a perfect clarity. In his perception, everything had slowed to a crawl. He could see everything, as if the sun was shining directly on them. Surrounding him were his comrades. Jun, Gina, and Karel. But some of his family too. Rin, Kota, and Saber. They were right next to him, reaching out.

All of them were looking at the Angra with wide eyes. Shirou could practically smell the fear on them. With a breath, he pushed off of the floor and reached out. He called all twenty-two God Arcs towards him, intending to finish this.

He felt every connection, and called to them all. But there was one connection that was stronger than the rest. One God Arc that moved faster than any other. His one and only partner.

As they curved to land in Shirou's palms, as time resumed regular motion, as all the pain and damage came back to haunt him, Shirou planned out the next few seconds.

He can manipulate any God Arcs he has Resonated recently with, pulling them towards him in a linear fashion. But, he has to be touching them to let them move in a straight line away from him. From there, he can also change their direction, but only so it can move in a straight line.

The only exception to this rule are the black and white blades in his hands. Even without touching them, they can curve to blindside their targets. So, Shirou had to manually touch every other God Arc to make them target the Angra. And he couldn't only use two or three God Arcs. The potential of a splatter was too high. It had to be all or nothing.

But Shirou only had two hands. At most, he could only hold two God Arcs at any given time. Even if he were to try and touch them in passing or touch multiple at once with a larger part of his body, he was more likely to either miss entirely due to his quickly degrading reflexes or risk destroying his body even more. Not that that's a major problem, but he needed his body to still function so he could touch the other God Arcs.

That's why he has Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands. If his body couldn't handle the stress of hitting a fast-moving God Arc...

Clang!

Then a God Arc could!

As the other God Arcs came towards Shirou, he turned on his heel, swinging down Bakuya and deflecting one of them. As it spun in the air, thoroughly rebuffed by its temporary wielder, Shirou reached through the 'direct' connection he made with it via his God Arc, filling it with Oracle he didn't have and manipulating it to fire at the cocoon.

This continued. He struck all nineteen God Arcs coming his way, redirecting all of them to surround the cocoon. Then all at once, he brought them down onto the cocoon. As every weapon pierced into it, being surrounded by the misshapen Angras, Shirou destabilized the Oracle within them.

Twenty explosions went off all at once, and the sound was deafening. But Shirou's work wasn't finished yet. Tugging on the last God Arc he didn't call for earlier, Shirou reversed his grip on Kanshou, and waited for Enkidu to appear before hitting it with the part of Kanshou's grip that went beyond Shirou's hand.

Flipping through the air, Shirou called for Enkidu to produce Oracle blades. Directing them, he shot them towards the droplets of mud that had escaped the explosion. Only needing ten, he disrupted their structure to cause miniature explosions.

With that done-

"Emiya!"

He heard it loud and clear that time. He knew who was speaking, and he already knew what it was about. The mud left on his body was effectively ash, having been purified by the high quantities of Oracle Cells eroding his insides and outsides. But the mud left on Kota was still there, and the Angra was still there in part.

The Angra, at this point only a blob of mud rather than a defined form, pushed forward a tendril, and the mud on Kota's front morphed off of him, forming a miniature Angra that reached out for Shirou's throat.

What the Angra forgot, however-

"Ex-"

Was that Shirou wasn't alone.

"-calibur!!!"

A blast of golden Oracle, a beam of light that would purify the evil it touched. Spreading from a God Arc made to represent victory, it beamed towards the immobile lump of mud in the distance. As for the Angra reaching for his vitals-

"Shirou!"

A burst of Oracle, a displacement of air immediately next to Shirou's face, and a shot of black and red flying into the distance. From Rin Tohsaka came one of her patented Gandr shots, eviscerating the Angra that had taken root on Kota's front. And the last bits of mud remaining, both coming towards him and flying away from the remnants of the Excalibered Angra-

Swish! Boom.

Were erased by the remnants of the Oracle within Enkidu, shot down by ten Oracle blades.

Enkidu hit the floor, and the battle was over. Shirou had a moment to smile at the complaints he likely racked up in his careless usage of everyone's God Arcs, before eventually feeling himself succumb to all the pain he was experiencing.

With the last sound out of his mouth being a nearly unhearable question, he crashed down to the floor, ignorant of everyone's concerned cries.

"Was I able to become a Hero of Justice... Kiritsugu?"

So, the Battle to Surpass the Past had come to a close.

Hi all. Cee here. It's been seven months, and I'm finally back. No good excuse other than... writer's block? And perpetual laziness. But I'm here, and I'm not dead. So yeah.

Just to note, this chapter was written sporadically in bursts throughout the seven month period, with the writing and concepts probably changing like five times throughout, so if may seem inconsistent. Since it's also been seven months since I've read my own story, there might be some things inconsistent within the story itself which I intend to rectify once I do the epilogue. So, one more chapter then we're done. Then omakes.

Thank you to jameskorniton101, NeroAlmia, DarkSlayerZR1, GamalielRM2001, Swiftcaliston, AlbusManc, Maximum Rhapsody, Wolf579, AnonWhoLikesToRead, rauk14, nanox876, tsukiyomi83, Wastelandyoda, Sauru, Jake Wolf, LifeBlood-Aria, BROCKLESNER, Manuel Barrios, and Solitary Heart for favouriting or following or some combination of the two. And thanks jameskorinton10 and Crazy9087 for reviewing.

Thank you for reading, even after seven months. See you later.

Word count: 18223