See you again, people! Exams are over, so here's the next chapter of this story. I warn you that this chapter will not have much action, but will have quite dialogue and talks about ideals.

As for Fiore leaving her heiress position, that's complicated. Basically because the one who knew the method of transplanting the crest quickly was Chiron, and well, he's not here and King of Fakers' knowledge of crests focuses more on counteracting and destroying them than anything else.

Without further ado, let the chapter begin.

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon or the Fate franchise.

After an all but pleasant talk with their new master, Lancer of Red, Rider of Red and Archer of Red had gone out to one of the balconies of Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The place was in an awkward silence.

They had just accepted Amakusa Shirou Tokisada as their master, but that was because they had no better options to begin with. The priest gave they a bad feeling, always acting so sweet and pleasant, and then having the other masters of the red faction locked in an isolated chamber, in a coma induced by one of Assassin's poisons.

It seemed that the man became so obsessed with his dream that he no longer cared what method to use to achieve it. And the way he said he would make the Great Grail accomplish it didn't sound very encouraging.

They talked about their desires and the reason they were participating in the Holy Grail War. Archer wanted to create a world in which all children were raised with love, and Rider wanted to be able to continue living as a hero. As for Lancer, he just wanted to carry out the will of the master who summoned him, but agreed to cooperate with Shirou as long as he could fight Saber of Black again, or the homunculus who inherited his power, or perhaps both at once.

The priest simply smiled and said that their wishes were compatible with his, so they should have no trouble cooperating.

What really irritated them, especially Archer, was that Assassin laughed at their wishes. Any of them didn't like the harpy and manipulative woman. Saber of Red had betrayed them basically because of her.

Rider, being the most cheerful of the three, decided to break the tense silence.

"You know, I'd like to be the one to fight Archer of Black in the next battle."

Karna's stoic expression changed to one with a slight interest as she looked at the Greek hero.

"I can see why. Although we only met for a short time, I could see it in his eyes as he talked about his dream with the priest. The eyes of a true hero. In a sense, he's pretty much like Saber of Black."

"At least, although his dream is very similar to that of Amakusa Shirou, he did not seem so ominous and unpleasant." Atalanta practically snarled when she referred to her new master.

"However, there was something very strange about him. Unlike Saber, who seemed to enjoy our fight, he seemed more of an emotionless machine. He was just fighting to beat me, and there was no pride in his swords. That's why I want to fight him again, but this time, like two proud heroes."

Karna simply nodded in approval, while Atalanta simply grunted and continued to stare at the landscape, still sullen at the previous conversation.

The silence this time did not last long when Caster of Red entered the balcony at a brisk pace.

"Greetings my fellows, and ah witness this wonderful weather." As he said that, the writer headed for the railing and leaned on it.

Achilles' expression hardened instantly. "Caster, did you know about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Amakusa Shirou's plan, of course."

"Ah that. "We're such staff. As dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." And as for that, of course I knew." At the end of his answer, Caster turned around dramatically.

"Is he sane?" Atalanta asked squinting.

"Sane or not, does it really matter? He went through suffering and despair to reach this conclusion. In which case, I will spare no effort to make that happen."

"I am quite aware that you are a screw loose, but I will ask you anyway. Why are you helping Shirou?"

Caster showed a bold smile. "Isn't that obvious? Because it's interesting! It's the salvation of humanity we're talking about! The salvation of the six billion lives in the world! Not to mention that he is not a saint! He lost his fight, and all with it, but he does not despise or abandon people! That must be how it is to save humanity!"

The three servants stared at Caster in white as he apparently finished his passionate discourse. But, he did not stop there.

"Or, that's what I thought at first."

That line did raise an eyebrow on the present servants, so Caster smiled and proceeded to elaborate.

"Fate orchestrated this meeting. The other side in this war summoned an existence very much like that man. King of Fakers, the hero who achieved the miracle of saving them all. It's really a shame that his legend was eclipsed by the legend of King Arthur. Although it was rather incomplete, I really thought it was a good story. A man who had nothing, no special offspring, no talent, no gift, only had his ideals, and yet he made his place on the throne of heroes. He lived his whole life to make others happy, and although he managed to fulfill his dream, the only thing he got in return was to die alone on a hill of swords."

That was really enlightening for the three servants. With that detailed explanation, they finally managed to discern the true identity of Archer of Black.

"And despite all that, he continues to pursue his ideals even after his death. They are really two very similar men. And yet both have rejected each other. While Amakusa Shirou seeks the miracle of the salvation of mankind with de Great Grail, King of Fakers wants to obtain the miracle of saving everyone with his own hands. This is much more interesting than I anticipated! I will be able to witness the inevitable clash of these two men with similar ideals and different methods! Who will have more determination to achieve his dream!"

That same morning, Rider of Black, Archer of Black, Ruler and Caules had gone to Trifas to investigate.

At the meeting prior to which Fiore had called everyone, she showed them some newspapers showing that Assassin of Black had been killing more magus in recent days.

This, together with the fact that Archer and Fiore could not remember Assassin's appearance or noble phantasm, made them decide to get down to work to solve that problem as soon as possible.

Archer tried to search his inner world for any weapons that might belong to Jack the Ripper, but looking for a weapon at the Unlimited Blade Works without having any clue would take days at best.

And here they were now, investigating the bodies of the magus. With a little hypnosis from Caules and Ruler, they posed as detectives.

Jeanne and Astolfo went down to the basement of the house where their two companions were. The first wore her formal purple suit, while Rider wore a white purple striped T-shirt under a lilac jacket, with matching boots and a black short skirt and long stockings. In short, a very feminine outfit.

Down there, besides Archer and Caules, was the body of a middle-aged man, tied to a chair and with a hole in his chest. His face was frozen in an expression of immense agony and pain.

"Here also? What cruelty." After saying that, Jeanne put her hands together in a prayer for the poor soul.

"well? Did you find any clues?" Rider asked in one of his odd moments of seriousness.

"With this we finished investigating the eight. They all died the same way, all of them had their hearts ripped out." Caules responded as he got up from finishing inspecting the body.

"Same thing here. Sadist."

"There is no doubt that this Assassin's handiwork. But there is something strange here. The heart is understandable as they are surely trying to replenish their prana reserves, but he was brutally tortured." Archer spoke next to Caules, with his hand stroking his chin as he thought.

"Some of those we checked were also tortured. Though not all."

"That's the thing. Why weren't all of them tortured?"

"Doesn't Assassin feed off people's fear before they die?"

"Then everyone would have been tortured."

"No time?"

"That's just as unlikely. We're already on the defensive. They had plenty of time."

"The only thing I can think of is that they were trying to get information out of them, but why?"

"There is no other way. I'll check his residual memories." With that said, Caules prepared for the ritual.

"What is that?"

"As I understand it, it's a way to relive the man's last moments." Archer answered Astolfo's question with his limited knowledge.

Astolfo simply nodded, but after looking at Archer for a few moments he showed a mischievous smile.

"That looks pretty good on you, Archer."

In fact, instead of his usual combat suit, Archer was wearing a black tuxedo, with matching trousers and tie, a white shirt and fancy shoes.

This one raised an eyebrow. "I wear this because you insisted, but I still think I look weird."

"Don't say that. Ruler here says you look very elegant."

For some reason that Archer didn't understand, Jeanne blushed and looked at Rider in panic. "R-Rider! That's not true!"

"But is what you really think, isn't it?"

"Well..."

"Ehem!" An exaggerated cough from Caules interrupted the conversation between the two servants. "Anyway. Although it's risky, it's worth it."

The magus sat in a chair in front of the corpse, and with everything ready, he began to scream from the bottom of his throat and to wriggle. His expression was practically the last that the deceased had put, while saliva dripped from his mouth.

"Hey, is this normal? This definitely doesn't look normal to me." Rider asked concerned about the boy's well-being.

"I guess he's experiencing the immense pain the victim felt in his last moments. Assassin really went out of his way with the torture."

After a few minutes that became eternal, Caules finally spoke a few words. "I know... I know them all. I know... I'll tell you all."

Seeing that Caules kept repeating the same words, Archer decided to end the ritual by following the instructions he was given. He took the bucket of cold water he had prepared and poured it over him.

It seemed to take the magus out of its state of shock and bring him back to reality.

Damn it, I tapped in too long. Did you find anything out?"

"You said a few words. As I assumed, he was tortured to get information out of him. 'I know all of them'"

"'I know all of them'? What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Is there anything important that this person knew?"

Caules reviewed the data they had about the man, and his eyes widened with horror. He quickly pulled out his cell phone, and with some help from Archer's structural grasp, they managed to call Fiore's phone.

Without even waiting for the answer from the other side, the boy began to scream. "Fiore, run! Assassin is there! They were looking for a way to break into the castle! One of the victims knew the code to deactivate the alarm!"

A few seconds went by, and there was no answer. "Huh? No signal? Archer!"

That servant didn't even need to be told. He immediately left the house, and with a powerful prana burst that even cracked the ground, he practically flew in the direction of Fort Yggmillenia.

He knew that Saber had stayed there just in case, but the uneasy he felt through his bond with his master gave him a very bad feeling.

Fort Yggmillenia had been engulfed by a dense fog. This appeared to be toxic, as the homunculus standing guard outside fell unconscious quickly.

Sieg and Saber took everyone they could to a room that Gordes sealed so the fog wouldn't come in. Yet, despite their efforts, there were some who did not did it.

That angered Sieg. To see his comrades again cruelly murdered was heartbreaking.

However, all three realized that someone was missing. They hadn't found Fiore anywhere.

Assassin had cornered her, and the heiress of the Forvedge family had barely managed to escape through the window of her room with the help of her mystic code.

But, she couldn't get very far. Jack the ripper cut off one of the metal arms with her knives, and Fiore fell helpless to the ground. The little girl stood in front of the master with a smile and pointed one of her knives at her.

"Well then, bye-bye."

She prepared to balance the knife, but stopped and jumped back quickly.

A silver blur crashed where Assassin had been a moment earlier. Siegfried stood imposing in front of Fiore, swinging Balmung to one side to pour blood on its blade.

Assassin looked at her right arm, which now hung limp and had released the knife, and snapped her tongue.

"Tsk. We ran out of time. We alone can't fight against five. Next time we'll surely kill you!"

With that last threat, the little servant leapt and slipped through the mists, just in time to avoid being pierced by several swords.

Moments later, the fog dispersed, and Archer landed next to his master.

"Archer!"

"Fiore, ¿are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Thanks-" Just as she had just said that she went into a coughing fit.

Archer stroked her back a bit as he turned to look at Siegfried. "Thank you, Saber, for protecting my master."

"No problem. It is my duty as an ally."

Ruler, Rider, Caules and Sieg arrived shortly after. Seeing what had happened, they came to the conclusion that they had to eliminate Assassin as soon as possible.

The only one who seemed to notice Sieg's clenched fist was Ruler.

The next morning, Archer, Ruler and Sieg were heading for Trifas.

The plan was simple. The three of them would act as a decoy for Assassin to show themselves, and then they would ambush they among Saber and Rider. Sieg had volunteered for the role, because his vast reserves of prana were the perfect bait for a servant with a master who could not replenish his energies. Ruler offered to accompany him so that he would not be alone, as his presence as a servant was not very overwhelming.

However...

"I still don't know what I'm doing here."

Jeanne pouted at Archer's words. "I've already told you. We're all going to have fun until it's time. I will make you put a smile on those stoic faces."

Archer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. How had he ended up like this?

At the strategic meeting everything was normal, until Ruler proposed that Archer also accompany them. Something that didn't add up o his mind. Wasn't the decoy supposed to look helpless for Assassin to show up?

To his surprise, Fiore, Rider, Sieg and Saber agreed, and the other two masters gave in to the pressure of the gaze of Ruler and his master.

It was true that, having been a human while hi was alive, his presence as a servant did not stand out much, and with his company reduced the chances that Sieg would have to use those strange seals of command.

But that doesn't detract from his success. Why did everyone insist that he should have fun?

Jeanne's insistence made Archer feel a huge sense of deja vu, and he eventually accepted.

And here he was now, accompanying them dressed again in the elegant black suit. They looked like a single father taking his two children to a religious event.

"...And if the worst comes to pass, you run. Archer and I will protect you." It seemed like Ruler was going over the plan with Sieg as Archer stepped out of his spiral of thought.

"I know. But are you two gonna be okay?" Jeanne and Archer put up interrogative expressions, but the first seemed to understand soon after.

"Could it be that you're worrying about Laeticia?"

"Uh, yes. She's-"

"So am I. But she wanted this."

"Wait, I think I'm missing something. Who's Laeticia?" Archer asked confused.

"Oh. I guess I never told you, Archer. For some reason, the Grail could not summon me in the conventional way, so I had to possess the body of this young girl named Laeticia. Of course, it was with her consent."

Despite that last clarification, Archer's eyes opened. "Does that mean that if something happens to you, it will happen to her, too?"

"No. My spiritual core will take all the damage, so when I disappear Laeticia will be intact."

With that, Archer sighed with relief. Jeanne smiled at the genuine concern the two had for the well-being of Laeticia, a person they did not even know.

"Back to topic. Is there anything else that you're worried about, Sieg?"

"I was wondering about the master of Assassin."

"Rikudo Reika?"

"At first, we thought she was meant as a sacrifice for the original master. But somehow she ended up a being a serial killer like Assassin."

"Maybe she's being coerced by Assassin. In which case..."

"There may still be hope that we can save her."

"Even so..." Archer intervened in the conversation. "Servants always tend to resemble their masters. We can't completely rule out the possibility that she's really a killer."

The mood between the two suddenly sank with the harsh words of the nameless servant.

"And what shall we do then?" Sieg asked with a scowl.

"Well, once we kill Assassin, she will have nothing to do with the war. If she continues on that path, there will be no other choice but to stop her and turn her over to the police."

The homunculus nodded, while Jeanne looked at them worried.

The three finally arrived in the city. Since Jeanne had no plan for the two of them to have fun, she ended up dragging them all over town to relate to as many people as they could.

They visited all the shops, played with the children they met, and even witnessed a wedding. She expected that Sieg didn't know what it was, but when Archer also put a confused face on the scene, it made her feel bad. He really was always alone, not knowing what it is to be loved.

Sieg, though he had already chosen his path, seeing how ended Archer at the end of it made him doubt. So he took this opportunity to understand humans. The Holy Grail War had shown him the most murky side of humanity, so seeing all those people happy and smiling made him think.

He could understand a little bit why Archer wanted to protect those smiles, and why he kept pursuing his dream despite his end.

It began to set, and though some veiled smile peered out at Sieg's lips, Archer's face remained stoic as ever. Although he had smiled a little when they were playing with the children, Ruler knew that those were just empty courtesy smiles.

The one time she had seen him smile when he saved Saber. With that, she came to an admirable but at the same time sad conclusion. Archer only really smiled when he made others happy.

All three were walking under the orange sunset sky.

"Those kids were really sweet at heart. They reminded me of me when I was in childhood." Jeanne commented with nostalgia.

"How was that?"

"Help at home, pray in church, play on the street and get dirty. Then repeat. Only children's stuff you will find anywhere."

"Then is there a chance that those girls will become saints like you? Humans are incredible."

"Please stop calling me a saint!" She replied a little embarrassed.

"Now you're being too humble."

"You have grown a lot." Seeing Sieg's raised eyebrow, she decided to elaborate. "Now you care about your fellows, and you've even decided the path you want to follow. That wouldn't have occurred to you sooner, I think."

"You might be right."

"We're excited to see you grow up, but at the same time, we're worried."

"You're worried?"

"You're too reckless with your life. Did you volunteer to be the decoy because you wanted revenge on Assassin?"

"I want to avenge my brothers and sisters. Is that wrong?"

"No. But to think of others as completely evil and to judge them as such is almost impossible."

"But-" What Sieg was going to say was cut off when Jeanne took his hand.

"I sacrificed everything, including my life, for my goal. In the end, I was burned at the stake. I have no regrets. But I also consider it this way: at some point, I agreed to stop being 'good'. I accepted that for some, I would be seen as evil."

"Wait a minute. If you call yourself evil, that would make everyone else so too."

"I believe in the good in people." Jeanne looked away with a complicated expression.

At that time, Archer spoke for the first time in a long time. "The line between good and evil is blurred. It is never black or white, but it is always grey. The hero for one can be the villain for another. People are not just evil because yes, they always have their reasons and circumstances behind them."

Archer paused briefly and looked directly at Ruler. "That's why I think that, as long as you followed the path you chose to the end giving it all, then you shouldn't have regrets or care what others think. And I can see that you really gave your best."

"Oh... uh... thanks." Jeanne got a little flushed.

"You don't have to thank me, I just gave my opinion."

"Still, that means a lot to me."

Archer stared at her somewhat confused, until Sieg broke the silence.

"And you, Archer? Why did you decide to pursue your dream?" Curiosity could be seen on his face.

Archer looked nostalgically as he delved into his blurred memories. "My memories are mostly blurred, but there are still things that cannot be forgotten. My first memory is of a huge fire. I was a kid then, and I was walking through rubble and corpses. That really was hell. I lost my parents and my home, and you could say that the person I was before the fire also died along with those memories. In the end, when I was about to give up and die, a person saved me. That person had a beautiful smile on his face. It almost seemed like he was the one who was saved. At that moment, I thought I wanted to be able to smile like that, too. That simple thought eventually became an ideal. I wanted to become a hero who could save them all, so no one had to suffer that hell. I thought if I did, maybe I could smile like that person."

When Archer finished his speech, he looked at Sieg and Jeanne's expressions. The first was a mixture of sorrow and understanding, while the second was full of pity.

She already knew that his story was anything but beautiful, but to hear that, although it explained his huge distortion, was heartbreaking.

"But well, the past is past, so there's nothing to do about it."

With that said, the three of them came to a coffee shop and ordered some teas. The silence as they sipped from their cups was quite uncomfortable.

"I would like to ask about Amakusa Shirou." Finally Sieg was the one who broke the silence with another question. "Didn't he take the Grail because he was sure he could save humanity? But, if he really can, shouldn't you help him? That worries me."

Ruler was the one who answered him. "I'm not sure either. He might be correct."

Both then looked at Archer.

"He is correct."

That surprised Jeanne a lot. He was the one who had rejected Shirou when he offered to cooperate.

"But just because he's correct that doesn't mean he's right. The salvation of humanity is a dream that everyone would want to pursue, an unattainable utopia. Even if he can accomplish the miracle with the Holy Grail, depending on his own definition of 'saving humanity', he may even end up causing harm to humanity.

"Then, what is your definition of saving everyone?"

"My dream is to be able to make everyone happy. A world where no one has to cry. As you can see, it's a dream full of hypocrisy and almost impossible, but for me, it's a beautiful dream worth fighting for."

"I see..." Sieg nodded in compression. With this talk, he could begin to understand Archer more, and he couldn't help but admire him.

"So, that's why you decided to protect someone as useless as me."

"Huh?"

"There was no profit in saving me for the two of you. Both Red and Black could have turned against you, but you still stood up for me. You gave me freedom. That's just enough to keep going. Words aren't enough to thank you. I want to use my body to thank you both!"

"Hey, I told you that you didn't have to thank me."

Aside from Archer's answer, Jeanne got a little flushed about Sieg's last words.

"Sieg, please choose your words better. Someone may misunderstand."

Both boys looked confused as the customers around them looked at them strangely.

But the conversation was abruptly interrupted when a thick fog spread across the street. The people around started to collapse weakened and coughing.

"They are here."

Both servants replaced their formal suits with their combat armor, and Jeanne materialized her flag.

"Put yourselves under cover! Immediately!" With her authority as Ruler, everyone obeyed her without a fuss and rushed into their homes.

"What's going on?" Sieg asked as he covered his mouth with a tissue.

"This must be Assassin's noble phantasm. Stay close to us, Sieg!"

With that said, the three went into the fog in search of the servant. But, because of the effect of it, they ended up separating and ending up each in a different place in the city.

Jeanne felt there was a presence stalking her, so she stopped to face it. However, Assassin's presence concealment made it impossible to detect where they were.

"Hell is starting."

Among the fog and shadows of the city, Jack the Ripper was stalking their prey.

"We are fire. We are rain. We are power. Let there be a massacre."

All three conditions had been met. It was night, there was fog and their target was female. They were going to finish off that annoying holy woman, then deal with the servant who was with her and finally feast on the homunculus they wanted to protect so much.

"Maria the Ripper!"

With the real name of the noble phantasm pronounced and the target chosen, the curse was activated.

It was the sublimation of all the murders committed in London. The four knives strategically placed on her hips, which could hardly be considered D rank noble phantasms, were empowered with the hatred of all children abandoned by prostitutes from the London ghettos.

Assassin jumped from the rooftop where she stood, hurling herself at Ruler with enormous speed.

Jeanne felt the enormous murderous intent and quickly dodged to one side. But she reacted late, and could not avoid a cut on her side.

The curse flooded her body, wreaking havoc on her internal organs. She spat out quite a lot of blood, but that was it.

"How?" Assassin watched her inn utter surprise. Her entrails were supposed to be torn out, and all her limbs mutilated, and yet the holy maiden stood with only a few wounds that were not even mortal.

Taking advantage of that, Ruler crossed the distance between the two in an instant. She swung her flag with all her might, hitting hard Assassin's chest and sending her into the wall of a house.

Assassin got up with difficulty. "Why you don't die?"

"Resistiance to curses is one of my skills. Assassin of Black, you've gone too far."

"Did we? We might've. We're not sure, but this is not over. Mom and us will get the Grial! Catch it!"

Assassin grabbed from the thick fog what Ruler recognized as the body of an unconscious man and threw him at her. She was forced to pick him up so he wouldn't hurt himself by falling violently to the ground, and that gave Assassin the opening she needed.

She prepared to throw herself at her with her enormous agility, but she stopped when she felt a huge pain in her back.

As she spat blood, she turned her head to see a twisted sword piercing her right lung, barely failing the spiritual core.

Archer had found her, and Ruler was back on guard. She had to get out of there immediately and go back to her mother.

Assassin jumped into an alley, but was intercepted by a red blur. Her head was caught between Archer's legs, and they both fell to the floor with a bang. She faced the ground, with Archer's knee pressed on her back.

"It's over."

The girl's eyes widened in horror and fear as she saw Archer's cold gaze, and the silver sword in his hand that emitted a huge evil aura. It was like watching death descend upon her.

But, to everyone's surprise, Assassin vanished. Redeemer pierced the pavement without drawing a drop of blood.

"A command seal?" It was the only conclusion to which both present servants came.

Just a few minutes later, the city was engulfed in an even thicker fog, and they were all transported to Assassin's hell.

Sieg walked through hell.

With every step he took, he could see a horrific scene. Children being abused, and killed as if they were nothing but cattle.

He had been chasing after Assassin's master, who had tried to kill him without a word, and soon after found himself in this kind of reality marble.

That must have been what Assassin experienced in life. Archer's reality marble was sad and heartbreaking, but this was hell itself. The worst side of the world.

So much cruelty and evil, coming from humans that he was trying to understand. The humans that Ruler and Archer had dedicated their entire lives to protecting and making happy.

His heart staggered. Was it really worth following the path he had chosen?

Seeing those horrors made him realize that saving everyone was impossible. That for the majority to be happy, a minority had to be sacrificed. And, in the case of Archer and Jeanne, that minority was themselves.

Finally, Sieg came out of an alley, and found Ruler, facing Archer of Red, who behind her were many of the children he had seen in that hell.

Both servants were in conflict. Atalanta, who had murdered Assassin's master, received most of the curse of Jack the Ripper. Seeing the horrors those kids went through, it almost broke her.

Her dream was a world where all the children were loved, so this hell hit her hard. She desperately wanted to save them from that cruel fate.

Jeanne, on the other hand, had decided to put aside her feelings. The children were not evil, but victims, but there was nothing she could do to save them.

Then she decided to purify them and put them out of their misery. It was the least she could do for those poor lost souls.

"Ruler!"

"Please do not interfere." Ruler's impassive gaze was not detached from the chaste hunter, who was mired in despair and helplessness.

"You must understand it. By leaving them alive, you are only allowing them to increase their numbers."

"Silence!"

"Putting their souls to rest is their salvation."

"What kind of salvation is that!?"

Atalanta could not stand it any longer and let go of the rope of her bow. However, in her ruined state of mind, the arrow failed and barely grazed some of Ruler's hairs.

"Ruler!" Sieg worried and tried to get closer, but his body was too weakened by the smog.

"Saint! Tell me why you're waving your banner in battle instead of a sword! Because you didn't want to kill people!? You didn't want to get blood on your hands!"

"Is that what you really think, Archer of Red? Do you think my hands are not stained with blood because I did not wield a sword? What a joke. I participated in those battles. That was my decision. From that moment, my hands were stained with blood. Do not take me lightly. That is why I will not hesitate to destroy them."

"How dare you call yourself Saint!?"

"You're right. I've never called myself Saint. This is the world of those children's memories. Nothing but an illusion made from their residual thoughts. Archer, perhaps your intention is to make them suffer eternally in this hell. If not, then stand aside!"

"If I abandon these children, then who will love them? Will your God? Ruler, you said that you would put their souls to rest! That is nothing more than killing! I never..."

Atalanta was reaching the point of madness, when one of the children passed by and walked towards Ruler. She stopped a few meters from Jeanne.

"You... you also saw hell..."

Her words confused everyone. Ruler then realized that the girl was not looking at her, but behind her.

They all turned to look where the child looked, and saw the last person who had entered hell.

Archer was standing there, looking at the children with a solemn expression.

"That's true. I saw hell, and hell was a part of me all my life."

That said, he approached the girl, to stay in front of her. Atalanta's face seemed to renew at the time.

"King of Fakers! You, who saved them all, must be able to save them as well!"

But, to her horror, Archer shook his head. "There's nothing I can do to avoid the miserable fate of these souls. Ruler is correct-"

"Don't give me that shit you too! Where did all that talk of saving them all go!? Were they just empty words!?"

"I can't let them go on living in this hell, so I'm going to save them."

"What nonsense are you saying? You're just going to kill them!"

"You seem to have misunderstood it, Archer of Red. Saving a person doesn't just mean prevent them from dying. A life full of misery and sadness is meaningless. A short life but full of happiness is better, don't you think? That's why..."

Archer changed his gaze to the girl in front of him.

"Are you going to kill me, sir?"

"Yes. You're going to die."

Hearing Archer's harsh words, Atalanta bit her lips. Sieg opened his eyes in despair, and Jeanne felt a hole in her heart. He was gonna take all the blame and consequences all by himself again, and he was gonna get his hands dirty instead of hers.

But, before the any of them could do anything, Archer continued his speech.

"But, you're going to die with a smile on your face." That made everyone even more confused.

"In your short life, you only saw the worst the world has to offer. So, I'm going to show you the other side. I will show you the light I found at the end of my journey. The miracle that gave me the hope to continue pursuing my dream."

With that said, he uttered the first verse of his aria. The poem that described him as a person, and the answer he came to after living his whole life as a sword.

"I am the bone of my sword."

A golden sword appeared in his hands. His unique and true noble phantasm. The representation of the miracle of 'saving everyone', and the crystallization of all his ideals that carries all the dreams and hopes of all the people he saved during his life.

The nameless sword of promised salvation.

The blade stabbed into the ground, and its light spread throughout the place. The ominous and toxic fog disappeared, the dreary landscape of London was replaced by a green meadow and a beautiful clear blue sky.

They were in Avalon, the unreacheble utopia that this 'sword' reached.

Everyone looked at the beautiful landscape in awe, even Jeanne having seen it before could not help but be moved.

Archer raised the blade above his head, and specks of golden light began to accumulate on his blade.

The children behind Atalanta finally understood his intentions, and began to approach Archer. She did not stop him. She fell to her knees with tears in her eyes, realizing that this was the only solution.

"Rest in peace, Jack the Ripper. You might find happiness wherever you go."

With those last words, Archer swung the sword, and its light was shot at the children. However, the warm and comforting light enveloped the children, welcoming them without harming them.

What the light 'killed' was the curse that bound the children to their miserable fate as the legend of Jack de Ripper.

Little by little, the children were disappearing. They were no longer 'Jack de Ripper', so their existence on this plane could no longer be sustained. Their souls would return to the Root, and go through the cycle of reincarnation.

But, all the children who disappeared, did so with smiles. The warm light of the miracle gave them hope to move on. It showed them that, despite how dark and rotten the world can be, there is still light and hope out there.

Finally, only the original spirit remained, the one they had faced in the city. Her eyes met Archer's, and she showed a smile. It was not a twisted smile full of evil, but a pure and warm smile.

"Thank you, sir... and sorry."

With that last farewell, the girl vanished, and the four were again at Trifas.

Archer, with his stoic expression, looked at Atalanta.

She was now a bundle of doubts. Atalante wanted to hate that man, and yet she couldn't.

Archer had certainly killed them, but she also saw the radiant smiles on their faces. What else could be called that than being saved?

She could also feel the warmth of the light of that sword, which even purged the curse that had clung to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he had to jump onto the roof of a building. Saber crashed his sword where she had been a few moments ago. Rider was also flying over the area.

With one last indecipherable glance, Archer of Red disappeared between the rooftops. Saber and Rider ran after her, but she ended getting away.

Archer turned to face Sieg, who was still overwhelmed by recent events. "I'd like to tell you not to hate humans, Sieg, but, after what you saw, the choice is yours to make."

The boy nodded half-assed, and Jeanne approached Archer with a serious yet troubled face.

"Archer, why did you decide to take all the blame and consequences?"

"I don't doubt that you could have taken it and overcome it, Ruler. But it's better if someone who's already used to it does it, don't you think?"

Ruler, although she didn't buy his reasoning, let it be. She already knew the answer anyway. He simply prioritized her happiness over his own. As he did with everyone else, throughout all his life.

That... that really felt bad for her for some reason.

They returned to Castle Yggmillenia in an uncomfortable silence. Sieg was still immersed in his thoughts, while Jeanne had mixed feelings.

And that's all for now. What do you think? Shakespeare, as a writer, nailed the title of this story, and being the only servant who comes from England along with Mordred, he did know the legend of King of Fakers, at least on its surface.

Jeanne inadvertently participated in a double date, with two very dense boys, although in the end it ended up being more of a talk about ideals and beliefs to illustrate Sieg.

FBI loli was not only purified, but her curse was eradicated and she could die with a smile. Maybe in her reincarnation, she can get the love of a mother she was so looking for. Mind you, Jack the Ripper still exists, what was purified was a servant, not the original heroic spirit.

As for King of Fakers' line "it's better if someone who's already used to it does it, don't you think?" Not only does he allude to the fact that he has killed a lot more people with his own hands than Jeanne. Those who have read my first story can see the parallels between this scene and Nero's final farewell. In both situations, King of Fakers gets them to die happy and smiling, but that doesn't take away the fact that they died in front of him without being able to do anything.

And well, I guess no one's missed the good meme of "just because you're correct doesn't mean you're right". This could not be called a true conflict of ideals without that line. It would be like a Fifth Holy Grail War without the "Yorokobe shounen".

And while we're talking about references, the movement that King of Fakers uses to catch Assassin is the same that EMIYA uses to catch cursed arm Hassan in the Heaven's Feel Lost Butterfly film.

Without further ado, as always, any constructive review, follow and fav is welcome, and motivates me to continue writing. I still haven't thought if my next update will be of this story or my other crossover.

With this I say goodbye for now. Until we meet again!