A New Challenger
"Arturia doesn't belong to anyone!" Shirou yelled.
"And who asked for your opinion? Since when are you worthy of touching a King's property?" the voice continued.
"Giglamesh! I've told you once, I'll tell you again, there is no way I'll come with you! Not even if I have to die a million times!" Arturia screamed.
"It's so cute that you actually think that it matters what you want." Giglamesh sneered.
"Prepare yourself, knave!" Arturia screamed, rushing forward preparing to fight.
"Aren't you a brave one? What will you do now that you've lost all your powers as a servant?" Giglamesh challenged.
"He's right, you don't stand a chance without your powers. You protected me before it's about time I protected you." Shirou agreed.
"But.." Arturia protested.
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself." Shirou promised, moving forward to challenge Giglamesh.
"You again? You just don't learn do you?" Giglamesh laughed.
"I guess I'm just stubborn." Shirou shot back.
"And that will be the end of you!" Giglamesh screamed.
At that time Giglamesh summoned the Gates of Babylon and laughed maniacally.
"I have all these weapons, what do you hope to accomplish, no matter what you summon it will never be powerful as the original." Giglamesh tormented.
"We'll see about that!" Shirou yelled, summoning Excalibur.
"I give you points for not trying the same tick twice but did you forget who you're dealing with? Did you honestly expect me to cower in fear of that when I have the genuine article? Excalibur, a mere replica based on the legendary sword Caladbolg from Irish folklore, it was said to have leveled three mountains in just as many blows." Giglamesh said, drawing out Caladbolg from behind him.
"We'll see about that!" Shirou said, rushing forward.
"Enough, this diversion is over. Away with you!" Giglamesh screams, swinging Caladbolg at Shirou.
Shirou blocked with Excalibur but it shattered and sent him flying along the pavement.
"Now do you see the difference between us?" Giglamesh sneered.
Shirou tried to get up and face Giglamesh but was held back by Archer.
"Let me deal with this, you are no match for him. Just watch and you may learn something." Archer ordered.
"Enough, Giglamesh. I am your opponent, I am the one you must deal with!" Archer challenged.
"And just who are you supposed be? Did you forget that you're no longer a servant, too?" Giglamesh yelled.
"Enough. This distraction ends now." Archer silenced him.
With that he summoned Kansho and Bakuya and assumed an aggressive stance.
"The time for words has passed, my swords will suffice to do the talking for me." Archer said.
"Now you're speaking my language, prepare to die!" Giglamesh yelled.
He and Giglamesh fought for a few minutes until Archer's swords finally shattered prompting Archer to jump out of Giglamesh's reach.
"Heh. It appears I may need to take things to the next stage." Archer noted.
"You just figured that out now?" Giglamesh yelled.
Summoned his two swords again and he threw them at Giglamesh.
"Is that all you've got? You'll need more than these weak parlor tricks to defeat me!" Giglamesh challenged while defending himself from the flying swords.
The air crackled ominously as Archer voice echoed ominously:
Many times I have withstood enormous pain to create thousands of weapons,
And yet those hands that have braved so much will never hold anything,
So, as I pray now, I call forth, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!
At this both Giglamesh and Archer were engulfed in a sea of yellow flames. They both found themselves in a barren field of swords with a series of large gears in the distance.
"What the, what is this?" Giglamesh demanded, looking around in confusion.
"This is my true Noble Phantasm, what you see before you is an endless supply of weapons. Here I can instantly create any blade I wish, the pinnacle of weaponry. What will you do when even your own weapons turn against you?" Archer threatened.
"What do you-? No, that's impossible, that's…" Giglamesh screamed.
"Don't you recognize your own blade, the one that you were so proudly demonstrating but a few minutes ago?" Archer sneered.
"Oh, now things are getting interesting, let's see you copy this!" Giglamesh challenged, drawing out Ea.
"Very well, then." Archer said, creating a copy of the very same sword.
"You don't disappoint but let's see whether it can stand up to the real article." Giglamesh said charging his sword.
"ENUMA ELISH!" Both Archer and Giglamesh yelled.
The two waves of red energy streaked towards each other and then dissipated.
"Well, it appears that I cannot defeat you as it currently stands. A pity but thankfully my orders were only to find you troublesome pups." Giglamesh said as the Reality Marble dissipated.
"And don't think I won't be coming back for my property. Saber is mine and nothing will stop me from reclaiming what is rightfully mine." Giglamesh promised as he retreated.
"That bastard, of all the people, why him?" Shirou asked.
"Shirou, he may be one of the most powerful heroes in history but he still would lack the mana to create a Reality Marble of this magnitude without some additional source of mana." Rin reasoned.
"While we're on the subject, how were you able to use your servant powers?" Shirou asked.
"Because my powers as a servant did not come directly from the Grail, they were direct result of my abilities as a Magus and so the disappearance of the Grail had little affect." Archer explained.
"Ah, ok. That explain- UNH!" Shirou cried out in pain as he collapsed.
"SHIROU!" Arturia cried out in panic, "Talk to me, are you alright?"
Not seeing any response Rin stepped in and took a look at him.
"We need to get him inside right now! It looks like that blow from Giglamesh was more severe than it first appeared. I think I'll be able to save him if we hurry." Rin announced.
They hurriedly carried him to the bed in his and Arturia's room and laid him down.
"This is going to be tricky since I used up most of my stored up gems and have been unable to siphon my mana into more to replace them." Rin said, closing her eyes in concentration.
After a few minutes of strained concentration Rin finally opened her eyes with a worried look on her face.
"I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is the wound itself isn't quite so bad and I was able to fix all the damage but the bad news is that there is some sort of curse that is slowly draining his life. I'm sorry, Arturia, but he's dying." Rin revealed.
"But surely there is something you can do, there has to be something you can try. Please try something, anything!" Arturia pleaded.
"I'm sorry but I have no idea how this curse works or even it's basic structure. Without that any attempt to remove will only kill him in the most agonizing way imaginable. I wish there was something I could do but even this is beyond my abilities." Rin said, as she and the others left the room to give her some privacy with Shirou.
"Why? Why this? Shirou, please don't die on me. I was devastated last time I left because I thought I would never be able to see you again. I can't live without you, Shirou! Please don't leave me!" Arturia pleaded through her sobs.
"And what if I were to say you didn't have to?" a voice said.
"What do you mean? What do you want?" Arturia asked.
"If you had the chance, would you save him?" the voice continued.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I would, in an instant, no matter the cost. Can you save him?" Arturia replied.
"I can save him but there will be a cost." The voice promised.
"Then please, save him." Arturia asked.
"Don't you want to know the cost first?" the voice asked.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS! JUST SAVE HIM!" Arturia begged in a desperate scream.
"Very well, the cost is a favor in exchange for this one. I wish I could just give it to you for free, considering you'll probably end up doing what I'm going to ask regardless but that is how my power works." The voice continued as a shaft of light streamed from his hand to Shirou, "There, done."
"Is that it, is he going to be ok?" Arturia asked, incredulous.
"Why take my word for it?" The voice offered.
At this moment a groan came from Shirou as he became painfully aware of his existence.
"Arturia?" Shirou asked in a panic voice, not seeing her immediately.
"I'm right here, everything is fine." Arturia reassured him.
"Thank goodness you're alright. I don't know what I'd do if I had let something happen to you." Shirou said before finally fainting again.
"Don't worry, he's fine. Healing his wounds and removing that curse took a huge toll on his body. All he needs now is rest." The voice explained, noting the panicked look on Arturia's face.
"Oh, Shirou. You're always getting hurt on my account and all I ever seem to bring you is pain and suffering." Arturia whispered regretfully.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Surely you've noticed it by now!" the voice admonished.
"And what am I supposed to have noticed besides the fact that I'm the main cause of his suffering?" Arturia responded angrily.
"You're way too hard on yourself, Arturia. You always were and this is not your fault nor could it ever be. You must've noticed the change in Shirou." The voice retorted.
"And what change would that be?" Arturia shot back.
"Well, you must've noticed his complete disregard for any danger to himself when you're involved at the very least." The voice continued.
"But he's just like that, we're the same in that regard. That is the flaw we both share." Arturia argued.
"Flaw? Hardly! You didn't notice that as time went on and the more he got to know you as you really were the more he disregarded his own life in favor of yours?" the voice challenged.
"He did at that but what can I ever do to earn it and at least try to make him happy?" Arturia asked.
"Look inside yourself and ask yourself this, 'Do I make him happy?' You and I both know the answer to that question. What does your heart tell you?" The voice reasoned.
"It tells me that I want to make him happy and to do that all I need to do is simply be by his side." Arturia relented.
"Remarkably simple, isn't it?" the voice asked.
"Yes, it is. Yet it seems that I managed to forget that so easily." Arturia said.
"And yet it's just those things that are most important to us, aren't they?" The voice continued.
"Yes, it is." Arturia agreed.
"Now, as I recall we had a deal, a favor for a favor. I also believe we owe our friends in the dining room an explanation, come. I wish to explain everything so that I needn't repeat myself too often." The voice said, as they walked out.
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"Now that we're all here, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Holy Grail!" The voice announced.
This announcement was met with an astounded silence and the chirping of crickets could be heard outside.
"Wait a minute. You're the Grail? Is this some sort of joke? Are we supposed to believe that you're the omnipotent vessel that has the power to grant any wish? The same one we all fought for not all that long ago?" Rin challenged.
"In answer to all of your questions. Yes." The grail answered.
"Right… do you care to explain then exactly why you're here?" Rin retorted.
"Ah, that was my next point. The reason I'm here is that I need your help." The grail explained.
"Let's just accept that you're the all-powerful grail for a minute. Why exactly do you need us? You already have all the power you need to do anything you want or need." Rin stated.
"That is indeed true. But you see there's a problem." The grail acquiesced.
"And what would that be?" Rin asked.
"There is now a second Grail!" The grail exclaimed.
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One should note that despite the fact that Ea, Giglamesh's sword, is indeed made of materials not naturally found on Earth, Archer's Reality Marble is capable of replicating it due to its very nature of bending the laws of nature to the creators will.