Once more the fragment filled their eyes instead of changing the world.

["When I was little, I admired a hero of justice. You can only be a hero for a limited time. Once you become an adult, it's harder to claim to be one."]

Siegfried realized that he must be the only one who didn't have a negative reaction towards Shirou's decision. Many were calling him a "suicidal", and from a certain point of view they weren't wrong. But he thought different, seeing in that a noble act from one who considered his servant as a human being, like Ritsuka Fujimaru always did.

Rin wanted Shirou to run and Saber certainly didn't want his help. But he choose to save her anyway. And the dragonslayer would respect any decision made completely by oneself, especially one like that.

["Kiritsugu..." Shirou sank in a sea of doubts as his father's voice echoed in his head.

"Besides, to side with someone means that you're not on the side of someone else."]

Siegfried was wrong. He wasn't the only one who felt something positive about Shirou's decision.

Think about it rationally, Jekyll saw that as nothing but stupidity. If the boy survived would only be because of luck. An absurd luck. But when the scholar stopped thinking with his brain and began with his heart, he could only respect that courage.

In life, his dream was become something of a hero of justice too, but he always had doubts if when the day finally came he would have the bravery to sacrifice himself. Such fears led Jekyll to his eventual fall.

["... what in the world do I have to do to become a hero of justice?"]

That's the question we all want to know. Amakusa saw a thousand ways to deal with that situation differently, and few needed the boy jumping in front of Berserker. However, after thinking about it a bit more, he realized that it might have been the best decision.

They didn't have just the problem called Heracles, there was another one called Illyasviel too.

If Shirou had run away, Artoria would be dead and the next one would be him (and Rin). If Shirou had only watched, the same would happen. If Shirou had used a Command Spell to save Artoria, the situation would repeat itself; maybe he could use one to send the two flying away, but nothing would stop Illyasviel from doing the same. Einzbern had an absurd source of mana, she could let Heracles fight the whole night without problem.

So the only way to save themselves from Heracles was killing his Master — something impossible for an Artoria in that state. Or, like in this case, changing her mind. Whatever the girl's purpose was, she appeared to give up the fight the moment Shirou did that. She could very well finished the job killing Saber and Rin.

[Before Shirou disappeared under the sea, a source of light appeared from his chest, taking the shape of an object.]

"Hold on, is that what I think it is?" Lancelot's eyes widened.

"Avalon." Artoria's surprise was visible. She turned to Archer. "All this time he had Avalon?"

"What do you think he summoned you with?" Emiya shrugged.

"That's not what I ask!" Artoria was angry. "I asking why did you not tell me about this in our war!"

"If you remember right, I was trying to kill that stupid boy, you would be a problem with that scabbard."

"After your fight with him, you moron! You are alive, why not run to us and reveal that!? With Avalon I could fight Gilgamesh with a good chance of victory and Shirou wouldn't need to risk his life against that man! And you could even help us making a contract with Shirou to not increase Rin's burden as a Master!"

"Make a con—Make a contract with Shirou Emiya!? Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Saber!?"

"She got him by the collar now. Should we stop them?" Martha asked.

"Absolutely not! These two fighting are always something wonderful to watch!" Tamamo answered.

"This Avalon thing must be something really powerful to make Artoria consider it a form of victory against Gilgamesh," Ereshkigal said in surprise.

"Beat his ass, father!"

[Shirou woke up, startled. Upon checking where his stomach had been opened, the only thing he found was his torn clothes.]

Emiya found his kitchen team sighing in relief. Boudica and Raikou wiped their teary eyes, Martha placed a hand on her chest as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders and Tamamo complained that she had aged a few years with the stress that fragment was giving her.

"You all too sensitive today."

"And you're as insensitive as always!" They accused him.

["You healed those wounds with your own powers, Master," Saber explained to him.

"No way! I can't do something like this."

"Then perhaps your pact with Saber has some kind of influence on you." Rin tried to come up with an answer.]

"Hmmm..." Ritsuka didn't believe that was the case. "I've never healed from even a minor cut fighting by your side, Artoria. Is he healing because of this 'Avalon'?"

"Talk about Avalon wouldn't be a spoiler?" Bedivere asked.

"Damn, you're right!"

"I don't think that talking about Avalon is going to spoil anything," Emiya said. "Is not relevant since everyone here knows what her identity is as a servant." And there's the fact that a Shirou Emiya who focus is not Saber will hardly find out about the sheath... Emiya remembered how it worked with Rin being the boy's focus.

"Okay, I'll trust your judgment. Go ahead, Artoria."

"Shirou has my scabbard inside him. Avalon. When connected with me, I imagine its function is the same as when I carry it. It can heal the user even from mortal wounds."

"Impressive!" Mash's eyes widened.

"I thought Avalon was lost," Tristan commented.

"It was. But they found it. How they did would be a spoiler, I'm sure. It will probably have some role later in the movie," Artoria explained.

"Too bad you don't have Avalon now, Artoria, it would be the most useful thing in the world for Master." Mash sighed.

"Can you project it, Emiya?" Artoria asked.

"I don't know. I chose not to try after my war. Neither Avalon nor Caliburn."

Artoria understood why quickly and made a sad expression.

"I can try after this fragment," Emiya said, feeling that half the servants would ask for it. "The problem is that it only have effect if Artoria is close to Ritsuka. And we already know that if any servant we wanted to Rayshift to a Lostbelt work out, Gilgamesh or someone just strong would always be the first option. Sadly, in most cases something prevents this choice. Everytime. And we can only stick to shadow servants."

"Maybe as a shadow servant Avalon could work too," Bedivere suggested.

"Maybe."

"You bastard! You can use Caliburn!?" Mordred didn't gave a shit about Avalon, she was furious about Archer using the very sword of selection.

["First off." Rin got close and scowled him. "Let's hear an explanation about the incident earlier!"]

"That's my girl! Bring it on!" Ishtar encouraged.

["I didn't do anything particularly wrong. Actually, I was going to do better-"

"We Servants exist thanks to Masters supplying us with magical energy. If that goes away, we are no longer able to remain over here!" Saber was also frustrated having too much at stake for her.

"I-I see."]

He seems very peaceful after being brutally killed... Ereshkigal was troubled by that boy, and she also felt very sorry for him at the same time.

Medea felt a little disappointed that she hadn't realized what that boy was carrying inside when she captured him. If she had took from him and used it for her own good, things would have been different. Considering his suicidal behavior, these two were made for each other. Any other servant who cannot save this boy from death would make their participation in the war very small.

Atalanta was troubled. Not with Shirou; the huntress had already encountered several men of his kind, thinking they were invincible heroes just to meet a gruesome end. But it was this exact resemblance to the past that bothered her. Shirou reminded her of someone, but she couldn't identify who.

["I'll be going now," Rin warned. "I have to heal my Servant. Oh, and the next time I see you, we're enemies!"

Rin left after handing Shirou a bottle of water. Despite the reprimands and threats, the boy smiled as he understood her true intentions.

"She's a good person."]

"Isn't she wonderful?" Ishtar giggled.

Cú Chulainn smiled seeing Rin acting as usual. He liked that girl a lot. Too bad Ishtar lacked her charm. Not that he was going to say that aloud, it was enough problem to have Scáthach craving for his blood already, he didn't need another one.

[Shirou hid his torn clothes with a jacket and joined Saber to go home.]

"He already has your ripped body, Muramasa!" Musashi yelled, flushed, covering her mouth.

"Keep that sort of thing to yourself, cow-legs!" Muramasa hit the woman in the head. "I'm old enough to be your father!"

Everyone laughed.

[The duo walked through the city carefully so Saber doesn't draw attention.]

"Looks like we've been split into groups again." Mash noticed as she felt the number of presences around her disappear as they left the park and entered the alleys of the city.

["Saber, do you want the Holy Grail, too?" Shirou asked.

"Yes. That is why I am here right now.]

"You seem troubled by something, Gawain," Artoria said.

Gawain's realization that he was letting his emotions visible enough to upset his king made him embarrassed, "I'm sorry, my king. It's hard to accept that you had to participate in a Holy Grail War."

Artoria cracked a small smile.

"Don't worry, my friend. Although I can't predict what this version of the war will be like, as long as Shirou is by my side, I firmly believe that I will come to the same conclusion."

Gawain chose to believe in his king's words. But it was still hard to accept the reality where King Arthur was forced to fight something bloody and barbaric like that because she thought she was incapable as king... when in fact that guilt fall more in men like him. She did everything she could do, and more.

["Berserker's Master said her name was Einzbern. Such a child is participating, as well?"]

"I'm curious, Archer…" Medea had a teasing smile. "What fate will Illyasviel face in this war. In ours, she had a pretty cruel one. And you never seemed to care. But now I can see right through you and I know you do care."

"How about we let our hopes and expectations just to Kuzuki's fate?" Emiya smirked and walked away.

Medea clenched her teeth.

"He can use Caliburn...?" Mordred was still troubled by that discovery.

[Saber stopped walking and her expression became very serious.

"Someone is using magecraft. But it isn't the presence of Berserker." Saber looked for the source. "Master, you orders!"]

"Damn! Are we going to have another battle already?" Ritsuka was surprised.

"Looks like it, Master!" Musashi whistled.

"Yes!" And with that the Knight of Treachery finally let Archer out of her mind.

"You sure like fights, lady," Nursery said.

"I like too!" Jack answered. "We saw the inside of young Uncle Emiya, now we know he would be a good mother!"

[Shirou looked surprised. He rubbed the area where he was mutilated by Berserker before deciding what to do.

"Let's go!"]

Ishtar felt relief seeing Shirou's hesitation and how tense he became. The fact that he wasn't complete suicidal made his choice to go after the enemy less stupid and more courageous. The goddess didn't even notice the smile forming on her face, glad that there was hope for that idiot.

Medusa was dying inside. Her sisters walked besides her, one on each side, holding her hands. Apparently they found a way to preventing the Singularity from putting them in separate groups: maintain physical contact at the time the groups were made.

"You don't have to worry about being separated from us anymore." Stheno reassured her.

"Just try to not stumble around with those long legs of yours or your going to knock us over in the process!" And Euryale reassured in her own way.

Medusa smiled, nervous.

["Please be careful. A barrier has been put up."

"I know this feeling... I've felt it somewhere."]

Medusa's eyes widened, she knew exactly who the next opponent would be.

"Why so nervous, Medusa?" Stheno asked in an innocent voice.

"Looks like you noticed something." Euryale smiled.

"I wonder what she noticed."

"I hope it's not something bad."

Medusa wouldn't look at anything but what was in front of her, she felt that meeting her sisters' eyes now would lead to something she wasn't willing to experience.

[Arriving at the right place, Shirou was surprised to find his friend from school, Ayako Mitsuzuri. Before he could get any closer, he noticed that she wasn't alone. Next to her appeared Rider, who was drinking her blood.]

"The Rider class Servant," Lancelot noted. "Medusa."

"Is that girl...?"

"Yes, Master. She appeared at the beginning of the movie. She is one of Shirou's friends," Jekyll replied.

Parvati decided that once she fall into the same group as Medusa, she would have a serious conversation for using innocents like that.

Beside the Indian goddess, Miyu's only thought when seeing Medusa was remembering that she had been her first opponent. "My first victory..."

"And my first despair!" Illya remembered that day shivering.

"Don't be like that, Illya, you guys did great!" Ruby said.

[Shirou tried to approach, but Saber stopped him.

Rider's master is revealed to be Shinji who laughed and was amused by the situation.]

Reines sighed, "He looks like a spoiled brat."

["Let me introduce someone to you! This is my Servant!" Shinji exuded excitement. "Hey, let's have them fight each other, Emiya. I've always wanted to see a battle between Servants!"]

The Knights of the Round Table spread across various groups all had the same reaction: anger and, some, lust for blood; who that mage thought he was to treat Artoria Pendragon like nothing more than a toy.

"He treats servants like objects!" Ritsuka complained. "This guy just gets worse everytime!"

Emiya wanted to say that in the end that was what they really were. Chaldea just had the illusion of servants being humans because it gave them the opportunity to live a mundane day to day. But a normal Holy Grail War wasn't so kind. Obviously, he didn't open his mouth, as he noticed Lancelot's anger. The last thing he needed was more friction between the two of them.

Medusa almost chuckled seeing Shinji talking about her and Saber in that way. She didn't experience that scene in her own war, but she could easily see Shinji doing something like that. What a disgusting boy.

["What the hell. Shinji, your a master?" Shirou was too shocked to process what was happening quickly as he should.

"Nothing gets past you, doesn't?"]

Mordred, Jeanne Alter, Artoria Alter and Kama laughed almost at the same time when they heard that answer from Shinji.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked Nursery, but she didn't understand either.

Ereshkigal noticed that she had fallen into the group where most were Shirou's haters. Please let we change groups soon!

["I've come from a family of mages. The Matous are one of the Three Great Families of the Grail Wars. Though, I didn't want an amateur like you to find out. And it's only natural for me, the firstborn son..."

Rider leaned Mitsuzuri against the wall, away from them, gently.

"...to participate in the Holy Grail War, isn't it?"]

Let's see if this time you won't embarrass yourself again, Artoria Pendragon. Alter and her counterpart didn't get along, but it was undeniable that both carried the same face and the same legacy, in addition to having similar abilities, so Alter felt herself humiliated everytime Artoria made a mistake. And just got worse by that fact the bitch next to her would use that as a way to provoke her.

["Shinji!" Shirou tried to plead for his friend to listen.]

"There goes that idiot trying to be the nice guy again. If he ends this war alive, I'm going to be surprised." Jeanne Alter found all that kindness unbearable.

["You're not getting it at all, as always!"

Beside Shinji, Rider drew her daggers with chains, preparing for combat.]

"You better win, Me-du-sa." Her sisters spoke into her ears, calmly.

Medusa had nothing against Saber or Shirou, on the contrary, if she could she would help them kill Shinji right there, but at that moment she could only hope that the two would be defeated.

["You already understand, don't you? That this game is one that is a little bit more serious!"

Saber responded to that affront by preparing herself, exploding mana around her.]

The servants were startled as they felt their bodies filled with adrenaline. In combat it would get them excited to fight, but watching only served to make more immersive.

"I have no idea what's going on, but this is awesome!" Cú Chulainn said.

Iskandar shared the laugh, "I didn't expect this, but it's a good feeling. It almost makes me want to start a fight here and now!"

"Please. Don't." El-Melloi II begged.

Chiron found that singularity more and more intimidating: forcing them to move along with the "characters", to feel a portion of their emotions and now feel as if they were part of the battle. None of them had paid much attention to that in the last battle because they were too excited, but now that everyone was calmer, it was noticeable how the fragment struggled to make them feel there: in the battle against Berserker the atmosphere around them was tense and now it was epic.

The man marked in history for teaching dozens of heroes didn't like the power that Singularity had over them. Not a bit.

"Interesting." Artoria was curious about that match. "I never met Medusa during my war. Let's see how this battle develops."

[Rider rushed forward, cornering Saber with chains.

"Go, Rider!"

Though Rider had the initiative, Saber destroyed it with ease, sending the enemy across the alley.

"Huh!?" It was the only sound that came out of Shinji grinning like a idiot.]

The groups couldn't contain their laughter at him. The whole situation was too funny to not laugh.

Just one group didn't laughed.

Siegfried felt sorry for the woman who had been defeated like that in the fragment. Stheno and Euryale were squeezing their sister's hands so hard that they could break them at any moment.

"Do something, Sir Knight! They hurting her!" Robin Hood said.

"I know you're being ironic, but you're right anyway." Bedivere took a deep breath and went there. "My ladies, forgive me for the inconvenience, but I think..."

"What do you think?" The two sisters turned to him. "Do you think we're being too cruel with this giant know as our sister? That we're being to unfair with the fact that she have an embarrassing existence just not bigger than her giraffe height?" The two giggled. "I think it would be better if we stopped holding our sister's hands and hold yours, right, noble knight?"

"I think it's better that I don't get involved. It's family business, after all..." Bedivere said next to Robin again.

"What a white knight you are."

"Then why not YOU go there and do something!?"

"Do I look like a damn idiot to you!? And I already have my own problems with women!" Robin immediately had the image of Circe popping into his head. Thank god she's in another room...

"You did your best, sir Bedivere," Siegfried said.

Ishtar just looked at the whole thing grateful that she and Ereshkigal had a better relationship...

[Saber dropped Rider's chains on the ground and waited patiently for Shinji's next comment.]

Gawain clapped his hands. "That's my king!"

Mash joined, but felt sorry for Medusa too.

"Good job, King of Knights. Your performance here made up for the previous one. It looks like you're already recovering from the wound inflicted by my pupil. Truly, impressive." Scáthach smiled at her companion.

"That's what I call a battle!" Nero exclaimed. "Tears, blood, epicness! And a good victory for the good guy in the end!"

Artoria blushed a little with all that praise, but her focus was elsewhere. She shared the battlefield with Medusa after being summoned in Chaldea, so she knew that the performance in their war was something abnormal, the woman was quite skilled under Ritsuka's command. Maybe she is this weak right now because of Shinji.

"HAHAHA, that was great!" Mordred laughed.

Jeanne Alter and Artoria Alter chuckled, the latter finally satisfied.

Ritsuka tightened her mouth, turning her face red trying to not laugh.

"You should hide it better or just laugh already," Emiya said.

Jekyll patted the girl's shoulder for the effort when she couldn't resist anymore.

[Shinji eventually realized his defeat and walked over to Rider.

"Hey..." He called Rider who seemed to regain consciousness. "Who said you were allowed to be defeated?"

Shirou took that moment to ran to Mitsuzuri, checking the girl health.

"Stand up!" Shinji yelled as the book takes on color once more.]

"What is this book?" Raikou wondered.

Everyone was confused by that book, but some of them had their suspicions. Irisviel, El Melloi II and Amakusa came to the same conclusion based on their different backgrounds.

[Rider's screams filled the alley as Shinji continued to try to force her to fight again.]

Medusa gasped as she felt the pressure on her hands going away.

"Medusa. Do you have a reason to be taking orders from that disgusting boy?"

The two sisters waited for the answer in silence, strangely calm. Medusa gulped, but answered yes with a nod. And although they continued to hold her hands, there was no more brute strength to punish the woman.

Siegfried, Bedivere and Robin observed from afar.

"That's a good development, right?"

"I hope so."

"I doubt."

[The book caught fire. Shinji tried to extinguish the fire in desperation, but failed and Rider disappeared.]

"He's not her true master," Ritsuka spoke suddenly.

"Master?" Lancelot didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Just my impression."

Good perception, Master. Emiya knew it was easy to be tricked by Shinji when you didn't have all the pieces, but now that they knew about Sakura's existence as a mage, things became clearer.

["It seems this was too much for you, Shinji. And now the Matous have been defeated."

Zouken appeared surprising everyone. Shinji begged for one more chance, but the old man showed that he clearly doesn't consider the young Matou to be anything but a failure.

"I have not one expectation from you." And with that he disappeared in insects, leaving a sobbing Shinji behind.

"From you...?" Shirou repeated. "Wait, please wait! Is Sakura forced to do something like this, as well?"]

Lancelot immediately understood Ritsuka's comment.

Medusa was scared. She didn't want Sakura to participate in that war. But remembering how the movie seemed to have focused on her until then, Rider thought about the possibility of the girl winning and having her wish achieved. She quickly gave up though. The protagonist is the same boy who becomes the cold Archer we have in Chaldea... he wouldn't side with Sakura. Never.

["Why did you bring up her name now?" Shinji seemed to wake up from his lamentation. "I'm the one! That scum can't possibly know magecraft! The teachings of Matou were all mine!"]

"He is lying," Gray said. "Sakura recognized the Command Spell appearing on Shirou's hand."

"What a cry baby," Add spoke. "Artoria should cut his head off right now."

[Shinji left, but not before giving Shirou one last hateful look.]

Kama couldn't be more dissatisfied with that fragment. All those humans showed exactly why she hated them: they were weak and incompetent. Seeing Shirou and Shinji acting like such imbeciles was hurting her Saint Graph.