"Over here!" Atalanta guided the group of servants through the beamless forest.
They had just met another group on the way, which indicated they were heading in the right direction.
It wasn't an easy task to navigate through that forest. It was too dense and large. At sunset, white mist engulfed the environment as though it was still morning and at night its darkness would make even the best trackers fear being lost.
The instinct in them aiming to where Shirou was was too weak to be their priority. The world did not stop moving and, consequently, neither did the movie. The servants had no option but to hurry, so Atalanta and other groups simply decided to find the castle first, and wait or find Shirou there.
A simple problem complicated this task: the Einzbern castle was hidden behind the countless trees.
One would have expected the servants jumping above the trees, tracking easily the right path or flying until there. But they couldn't do any of those things. The fragment was messing with their heads again, and with the world around them as well. The same confusion Shirou was dealing with while advancing in the forest hit even the most experienced servants, and an invisible wall accompanying the treetops blocked the possibility of getting off the ground.
All of them reacted different about it.
There were those like Atalanta and Irisviel who decided to fight the mental backlash using their own abilities within the wild or memories of once living there.
There were those who preferred not to bother like Robin or Sitonai even having said skills or memories.
"You could help too, you know?"
Tired of watching Ishtar walking in circles, Circe turned to Robin.
"Meh. Let her have her moment."
You're just lazy.
"Shouldn't you know the right direction?" Parvati asked.
"And lose not-Rin suffering in her own ego? Absolutely not!" Sitonai chuckled as the little devil she was.
You are gentler in Chaldea. I guess this fragment is bringing new facets to everyone who has a connection to it... Parvati glanced at Kama. We really do fall into the same group almost every time. I wonder why...
There were those who didn't accept reality like Gilgamesh.
"Laugh as much as you want, dumb mongrels! It isn't him who was preventing me from flying. IT IS ME! It's my choice! FUAHAHA!"
"Has anyone even said anything to him?" Gray asked as quietly as possible.
"No," Reines answered. "Let the guy vent."
And some few who took advantage of the way back to have fun.
"My king is certainly having a good time, isn't she?" Gareth held back a laugh.
Artoria Alter had taken the opportunity to get back on her bike and now was using the uneven terrain to do maneuvers.
"Bike's goin' to break soon, though. Is not made for this kind of place..." Kintoki warned.
Then there was the unique case of Scáthach forcing the Magical Girls to run nonstop from the Emiya household to the eventual castle.
Regardless of darkness and vegetation density, in the end no one wanted to miss a single piece of the story.
"This place is giving me the creeps..." Euryale complained.
"You're right, me. It sends ominous chills down my back with every step," Stheno answered.
"Every step, huh..." Muramasa snorted.
"Don't be like that, blacksmith. You are being a gentleman."
"And by 'gentleman', Stheno means 'doing your duty as a man'."
In that big group following Atalanta, the goddesses were being carried by none other than Muramasa — one on each shoulder.
"Asterios does a better job, but you're not so bad." It was hard to know whether Euryale was praising him or not.
"Ya two are lucky I'm in a good mood today. Otherwise, I'd be pullin' your ears right now until their color matched your hair."
This time it was Euryale's turn to snort. "Scaaary!"
"Good mood? After all that stuff with Sakura?" Stheno asked.
"It is EXACTLY because I am in a good mood that 'that stuff' didn't disturb me as much. Anyway, the bastard really made us walk all the way here AGAIN."
"Gosh, stop complaining, blacksmith. If Chaldea had a tournament of 'who complains more about being old', the finalists would be you and Hektor!"
"Euryale is right. You should be happy to be carrying goddesses."
As the two were too graceful to hold on to him, what fixed them on Muramasa's shoulders were his own arms, which were over their legs, steadying them there.
He let go of his arms.
"AH!" Both of them screeched at the same time almost falling.
Jekyll watched from a certain distance the two goddesses hitting the blacksmith on the head as he cackled — after, of course, stopping them from falling. You sure are brave, Mr. Muramasa. Those two were petty and vindictive (in a graceful way, somehow), everyone in Chaldea knew that, especially El-Melloi II.
[Already at night, Shirou ran through the Einzbern forest with difficulty, crossing it in the pitch black.]
"Look! We found him!"
"Look! We found Shirou!"
Atalanta and Astolfo's voices echoed together, warning their own groups; however, they were looking at different things.
Euryale and Stheno stopped attacking Muramasa and turned to Astolfo pointing at them.
"He's there, idiot! I am Muramasa, the servant!"
"Oh! Sorry! You're kinda naked, I should have know!"
"I ain't naked, dumbass!"
"We found Shirou!" Irisviel and her group appeared from another side.
"Groups are showing up quickly now, huh?" Jekyll said.
Although Muramasa's attention was on Astolfo, the goddesses focused on another servant, one that had passed right by them on a bicycle, alongside another servant on a motorcycle.
Were they racing against each other?
["Talk about rough trekking." Looking up, Shirou saw one of Illya's familiars through the darkness. "Guess it wants me to follow, huh?"]
Irisviel smiled.
"This was faster than I expected. You are truly talented at navigating forests and very dense environments." It was not the first time Enkidu had witnessed the huntress in action, the two had already participated in many missions together, and she was always a pleasant company to be around.
"Well, it is my specialty after all. That's the least I can do." Atalanta opened a half-smile. "I'm sure you could do the same, and maybe better."
"Hardly. I—"
"Isn't she so wonderful!?" Nero appeared between the two. Or maybe she was there the whole time. "Truly, such a beautiful goddess!"
"Leave me alone! You make me unerosy every time you compliment me!"
"What it is with her and Atalanta?" Raikou asked.
"Oh, it's just the lack of Nero Fest lately," Tamamo answered.
"Did you guys just see what I saw!?" Illya stopped running and asked her friends. "Well, 'heard', in this case."
"What?" Miyu questioned.
"Atalanta!" Illya waved her arms in frustration. "She made a dubious joke and nobody judged her for it!"
"What joke?" Kuro asked.
Miyu seemed confused as well.
Illya dropped her arms, defeated.
"Hang in there, Illya!" Ruby encouraged her. "Just BEAR it with for now!"
"I hate you guys!" Illya started running again with tears in her eyes.
"Ruby, you shouldn't say those things to her," Sapphire complained.
"Hey! You two!" Scáthach yelled, scaring Kuro and Miyu. "Take your friend as example and run with determination!"
"Y-Yes!" Miyu followed Illya at the same speed.
Kuro pouted and grumbled. "I didn't even want to be part of this..."
"What did you say?"
"The body is a temple, you know! I gotta start training now! Bye!" And Kuro ran too.
"Man, you should definitely take these girls from her..." Astolfo said.
Chiron thought deeply about it. "Frankly, I'd better not."
[Suddenly, the familiar was caught by something. Shirou, intrigued, approached the bird writhing on the ground only to be startled when a worm flew towards him, but he dodged in time.]
Kintoki who was standing next to Shirou jumped out of the creature's way as well. "What the hell!?"
Iskandar followed the insect disappearing in the forest with his eyes. "It seems, someone else had the same idea as Shirou."
Shirou started running, so they did too.
"Shit! Of course! The old fart was too quiet until now!" Mordred growled.
"And here I was, thinking things were going to be all right..." Gareth sighed.
"No problem then. The girl has Heracles and the old man only has that Assassin douche," Euryale said.
"And the shadow," Amakusa complemented. "The biggest threat is the shadow. Even Heracles can get in trouble if that 'thing' attacks him too."
"We're talking about Heracles here. Even if he's a Berserker, he should have the skills to dodge that shadow and kill Assassin," Stheno replied.
"We can hope so." Chiron spoke in a frighteningly serious tone.
[Eventually, Shirou arrived in the back of the castle and found Illya with Berserker facing Zouken and Assassin.]
"Damn it!"
Medusa and Artoria Alter were indeed racing against each other. And Alter lost.
"KYAAAAAAAH!"
"Sisters!?" Medusa quickly turned in the direction the screams came from. If wasn't her sisters, she maybe would not reacted in time, but she grabbed them before it was too late.
Muramasa had just taken the girls off his shoulders and thrown them at Rider.
"Brute!" Euryale exclaimed. "Medusa! Look who you left us with! Why didn't you look for us? Don't you care about your beloved sisters?"
"S-Sisters!" Medusa gasped. "I-I-I'm sorry. I saw this bike and I... I-I wanted to ride so much! I'm sorry!"
["You sure are a cowardly Servant, much like your master. I can't feel any intent to fight against us. Do you value your life that much?"]
Fifty-three heads peered through the wreckage of the old wall, staring at the scene from the same distance as the boy... since he was right beside them, hidden.
Sitonai took her attention from the movie and looked at Emiya. He was staring at the scene with the same focus as the others. He wasn't there because he wanted to, she realized very soon, and he wasn't even enjoying the experience, easily noted, but it was clear that for the moment, at least, he was completely focused on the scene. Worried about that Illya, are you? Sitonai chuckled.
["Of course I do. My wish is for eternal life. Just look at this body!" Zouken replied. "I'm a walking corpse. Rotting, stinking and losing knowledge I have stashed away within. Do you understand the pain of rotting away while you're still alive? No human is fearless of death. If that was going to grant me my wish. I would run around the entire world killing every human one by one!"]
Sometimes, the world tried to show Yu she had made a mistake by choosing a life of isolation, but it always forgot about its own residents: humans themselves always proved she had made the right decision. "Pathetic. I just cannot understand this obsession that humans have with immortality. Being one is a pain in the ass."
"I don't want to be immortal, Senpai!" Ritsuka replied. "What's the use of being immortal if someone locks you up in a coffin under concrete!? That's worst than hell!"
"That's a good point, pupil. It'd really suck... if you're this weak."
"You're watching too many horror movies, Senpai..." Mash said.
"Everyone, can I ask something?" Prince of Lan Ling said, but didn't wait for someone to give permission. "There are no invisible walls around us. There is enough space for a hundred servants here, whether next to Shirou as we are now or on top of this broken wall or even outside since neither Illya nor Zouken can see us. Why is it that everyone is tight together?"
"Well, you got a point there..."
The servants scattered, uncomfortable.
Illya hit something with the back of her right foot. "Huh?" She was surprised to find a turtle there, a tangible animal.
"Where did this turtle come from?" Miyu asked.
"I dunno." Illya took the turtle in her arms. "Hello, little fellow. Where did you come from?... He isn't answering, Miyu."
Miyu just stared at her friend. "Yes, Illya, who would've thought?"
["I'm disgusted." Illya's words were as cold as her eyes. Zouken was an existence beyond despicable, so much that could not even be described in words by the Einzbern. "You have lost sight of things that much, Makiri? Remember again what we earnestly wished for. Remember where our thirst for achieving the miracle came from. And why we've been striving to reach the point where we're not human while keeping our human bodies."
"Quite the words from a mere puppet. They taught you how to imitate your ancestors very well."]
The worst thing for Irisviel was knowing that Zouken was right. She and Kiritsugu never wanted this curse on their daughter. The very same cursed fate that she once desired to take with her to the grave.
"I guess that's what I was supposed to be..." Kuro's face darkened a bit.
"What WE were supposed to be. Not just you, Kuro." Illya's face carried relief for both of them.
Miyu remained silent.
["But I'm afraid that playtime is over. I, Zouken Matou, will take the Einzbern's Holy Grail."
And laughing, Zouken disappeared in a wave of insects.]
It only took a second for the world to change.
They were still in the same place, near the same castle, within the same forest and the same city; however, the unknown dominated the ground beneath their feet and the very air they breathed. They felt as if they had been dropped into another place, a very distant and very dark place.
It looked to them as though they were back in the Matou's basement.
In other words, hell itself.
[And said hell announced its real arrival with the explosion of darkness and tentacles from the swamp behind the field.
Illya's eyes widened. Berserker jumped towards the threat. And Saber Alter finally appeared.]
None of the servants saw Alter's "birth" per se, but they felt it.
"W-Who the hell is now?" Astolfo stammered.
Nero's eyes beamed as the soundtrack filled their ears. "This is superb!"
"Superb? It's ominous and it's bursting my eardrums!" Reines had to cover her ears.
Others with sensitive hearing did the same.
From the section of the swamp overtaken by red light, the answer to Astolfo's question was unveiled with a burst of energy, decimating the trees and ground.
It had gone straight to Berserker and Illyasviel, hitting the wall and sliding sideways like a knife through butter.
All the servants noticed the same destruction coming towards them and immediately jumped out of the area they were. It would be one of the places hit by the attack.
"This is—" Gawain froze upon identifying the attack, so powerful it could be mistaken for a Noble Phantasm.
But Lancelot, feeling the same, didn't let his mind fog his judgment and pulled his companion by the collar of his armour.
"Shirou!?" Sitonai let out as she jumped away.
The boy was too slow to react in time, the same way Ritsuka didn't reacted either but was grabbed by Mash.
[After the explosion, Shirou writhed in pain on the ground and turned to find Rin protecting him, behind a green shield emerging from a jewel of the same color.
"Tohsaka! Why?"
Rin smiled. "I never thought you'd come up with the same idea, Emiya."]
"Yes! I love her!"
"We get already, Ishtar!"
Mordred and the other knights from the Round Table were already climbing the wreckage of the wall to see who had attacked. The other servants followed shortly after and, naturally, so did the characters.
[Berserker landed on the still standing part of the wall with Illya on his shoulder. The duo looked at the crater originated from the previous attack.
In the distance, walking slowly in the swamp with an obscure red light underneath, following like her shadow, was Saber Alter slowly advancing with a corrupted Excalibur.
"Gotta be kidding me!" Rin gasped.
Shirou was speechless.]
"That servant is..." Mash trembled. "Saber Alter."
A shiver ran through Illya and Miyu's body, and their faces lost its color.
That one was not the Artoria Alter walking around Chaldea with a burguer in hand or playing the maid, this was the same woman and threat that traumatized Ritsuka and Mash in Singularity F, and Illya and Miyu in one of their first battles.
"..." Artoria could only stare at her corrupted counterpart, fearing the future.
The knights were all paralyzed and speechless. The suspicion was created in the first movie, but they convinced themselves that it wouldn't happen.
Artoria Alter, the one from Chaldea, felt nothing. Honestly, she was just curious about what this altered version of hers would do in this movies.
[Berserker charged at Saber Alter once more, but she knocked him away with a counterattack. Before he could attack her again, tentacles came out of the water, entangling his arms and legs.]
"The tentacles again!" Gray stuttered.
"Tch... this is too unfair..." El-Melloi II clenched his teeth.
Until now, this Fifth Holy Grail War gave only the feeling that it was all for nothing, a battle against an invincible enemy with no way to turn the tables.
Ironically, it was exactly this feeling that made several of the bored servants become more interested in the movies.
"Against these tentacles not even a super golden servant can win a damn fight," Kintoki murmured.
Chiron frowned. If you're going to be defeated, Heracles, don't go like this. The little girl you're suppose to protect is still in danger.
["Get away from there! If that thing gets you, you won't be able to come back!" Illya screamed.
The tentacles pulled Berserker to Saber Alter that took advantage and made a deep cut in his right side, killing him.]
"Berserker!" Sitonai snapped on instinct.
"Damn shadow!" Atalanta clenched her fists.
Stheno squeezed her sisters' hands tightly.
A feeling of nervousness hung over the group.
"Calm down, Chelone. I'm sure he's gonna win and everything will be fine!" Illya said to the turtle in her arms, twisting in agony as he watched the scene.
["The score has been settled. I'll leave you to do the rest. Don't let the Einzbern girl go after all this effort." Zouken spoke to Assassin before disappearing.]
"Hm. Seems like Zouken don't know about the twelve lifes..." Ritsuka pointed out.
My absence from the battle against Berserker wasn't so bad after all. Although that was Emiya's thoughts, he knew that the old man's presence wouldn't make any difference in this scenario. Even if Zouken knew about it — and maybe he did — he couldn't contribute much there. His advantage was being "immortal", but even a decently prepared Shirou Emiya could keep himself alive against the Matou.
"Why is Zouken leaving, uncle?" Jack asked.
"While the shadow seems to be aiding him, I guess it could easily turn on him if he's not careful," Amakusa explained.
[Berserker revived and got up, but Saber Alter prepared one more Mana Burst and hit the enemy with another explosion, this one so big that spread across the entire area.
Shirou ran to Illya throwing himself at her to protect the girl.]
"Holy—" Ritsuka screamed at the sight of all that destruction heading towards them.
The servants and Rin Tohsaka quickly reacted, running as far away from the explosion as possible.
That was one funny sight: Rin Tohsaka leading a group of servants — one of them, the Shielder, carrying her Master like a princess — running out of the castle while the result of Saber Alter's attack proved itself as all-powerful in the distance.
"Did she get a free power-up?" Musashi shouted. "That was one hell of attack! Goddamn, Artorias!"
"When this battle is over, I'll be deaf!" Reines ran along with the rest, but covering her ears.
"I know!" Tamamo cried together.
"Why are we running!?" Yu asked.
"We can't trust anything in this Singularity. Attacks can start harming us at any time!" Prince of Lan Ling answered.
"Is that so?"
[Ultimately, Shirou Emiya saved Illya. The older one.
Archer landed beside Rin with Shirou and Illya in his arms. The boy he threw to the ground and the girl he placed gently.
"You're a dick, you know that?" Shirou got up from the ground glaring at Archer.]
A few servants laughed at that moment. None of them very close to Artoria.
Mash was just grateful that Emiya never did this to her or Ritsuka even when angry with them; both were saved by him exactly the same way countless times, it wouldn't be a pleasant experience or memory if half of those times they had been thrown on the floor like that.
[Emiya summoned his twin blades and prevented Assassin from kidnapping Illya.
"I will be your opponent," said, calmly.
In response, Assassin fled.
"Archer!" Rin called her companion. "I'm counting on you."
Archer gave her a slight smile and went after his own battle.]
For a single second, when Archer's weapons appeared in his hands, Artoria woke up from her own worries; she feared that Archer would do something to Shirou, but as soon the thought entered her mind, she expelled it. Emiya wouldn't resort to such idiocy, not in the situation they're all in.
However, to make up for it, Artoria's concern went from one Shirou to the other. It was his time to fight the deceitful Assassin.
"Finally!" Musashi celebrated. "We came to see you fighting too, Emiya, and somehow this is your first official fight after two whole movies!"
"Not my fault."
Musashi was certainly not the only one interested in seeing Archer in action.
Scáthach was one of those. The fact she didn't like interacting with him didn't change her interest in his peculiar abilities. On a measure of servants, Archer was in the middle, the very average. However, even so, he showed himself above that average numerous times when Ritsuka was in danger.
The truth was: few in Chaldea had truly seen that man fighting with his all. And that made some very irritated. Especially since he never liked sparrings, nor did he participate in them.
Did the Queen of the Land of Shadows believe he hid the ability to defeat servants like her or Karna? Absolutely not. Her curiosity came simply from the doubt of how strong he was, and that was it.
[Archer and Assassin's clash was more a chase than a fight.
First, Archer attacked with Kanshou and Bakuya, but Assassin was too fast, so he changed to his bow and send arrows, but, again, the Assassin dodged.
The game changed there, in that last dodge; in that moment, Archer took advantage of Assassin opening his guard for a few seconds and encircled his neck with both legs, spinning the enemy in the air and slamming him to the ground.
With Bakuya in hand, Archer was ready to kill the enemy.]
Instead of forcing them to ran after the two characters, their vision was switched to the fight scene.
"Nice!" Mash rejoiced, but too soon.
Iskandar frowned as he noticed the fight following the same pattern as the others fights. So, as expected, there was no reason for the conclusion to be different either.
[Just as Bakuya was about to finish Assassin, the tentacles emerged from the pitch black forest and attacked Archer.]
Iskandar sighed. "How troublesome this shadow is."
"That's too fricking unfair!" Kuro roared. "How do you fight against this asshole if that thing is always present!?"
"Exactly. There's no way to do it," Chiron replied. "It is our natural enemy as Assassin said before."
"Well, they just need to kill Assassin faster then," Yu said.
["A genuine Heroic Spirit could not fight that. At present, you are not much different from the phantoms filling this forest."]
"Shit!" Astolfo let out as soon as he saw the "infection" that Artoria suffered before her death corroding Archer's ribs. "It got him!"
Ishtar placed her hands on her head, stressed. "AAAAAH! And now what!?"
But then, Archer and everything there disappeared from their eyes, and the servants were back outside the castle.
"What!?" Musashi howled. "Is it over already!?"
"We are left on a cliffhanger!" Ritsuka snorted.
"Things started to develop on Heracles side," Amakusa told them.
He was already climbing up the wall the trio of protagonists went up while the servants were watching Archer's fight.
[Berserker was still trapped by the tentacles, trying to break free, and the same "infection" was spreading through him.
"Berserker!" Illya shouted in desperation.
Saber Alter turned to them.]
"C'mon, lass, screamin' now of all times?!" Muramasa complained, worried.
["Berserker..." Illya clenched her fists. "BEEEEERSEEERKEEEER!"
No one saw it because of the black visor, but Saber Alter's eyes widened when Berserker blasted away the tentacles on one of his legs, kicking her with all his might.
And with the same might, he fought the shadow, destroying the tentacles still intertwining him.]
Everyone was caught off guard by it, but it didn't last long. Obviously, of all them, it would be Heracles who would have the strength to fight that monster.
"YEEES!" Ritsuka yelled, jumping like a fangirl.
"Marvelous! These chains will not stop Heracles, Greece's greatest hero!" Nero vibrated upon seeing one of his admirations honoring his legend.
Chiron and Atalanta shared the same pleasure. And Illya, confused, looked at her turtle... fluttering in happiness?
"Oho. Now things are finally getting interesting," Gilgamesh said. "The movie has gained my attention!"
"You're quite excited moments ago when the King of Knights appeared like that." Enkidu was at his side, both distant from the rest.
"Of course! She gets more and more beautiful as her despair grows! FUAHAHA!"
[Berserker grabbed Alter's face, leapt into the air with his enemy still clutched in his hand and hurled her at the castle.]
"HAHAHAHA! THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!" Jeanne Alter was loving it.
No one accompanied the protagonists of the battle to the castle interiors to see the battle up close. Everyone was happy to stay where they were. From there it was possible to watch everything, anyway. Shirou, Illya and Rin were together with them, watching as well.
"That's Heracles for you!" Stheno couldn't contain her excitement. She was profoundly disappointed to find the great hero as a Berserker when she was summoned in Chaldea, and the feeling repeated itself when she saw him fighting like an animal in the first fragment, but now, at least fighting desperately for Illya and turning the tables on Alter made some of the old glory returned.
[Berserker continued landing blows on her until Alter counterattacked with another Mana Burst, killing him. They both landed in the castle garden. Berserker as a burning corpse.
But he came back again and picked up his Axe Sword that had fallen alongside him.]
While some were still enjoying the scene, others were just worried.
"How many lives has she already taken?" Atalanta asked.
"Two or three," Chiron answered. "I'm not entirely sure about that second explosion. If it indeed killed him, then he lost three."
[The fight proceeded with Berserker punching and throwing Saber Alter across the castle.
Saber Alter kept increasing the output of her attacks until it finally worked again. The two fell back into the castle garden.]
Jekyll was worried about Mordred. She wished for good fights and more moments from her Father since the first movie began, only to be given, in theory, the most epic fight in the worst possible way.
But it wasn't just her, the other knights too were in silence.
Ironically, the King of Knights is fighting just like his son in this form. Amakusa found that more funny than interesting; what really intrigued him was how Heracles was being wounded and killed so easily.
"Isn't God Hand working?"
Out of all the people Amakusa expected asking the same question as him, he never thought about Medusa, but he couldn't blame her either, the situation was just too weird.
"It is. Is just her attacks being too powerful," Chiron said. "She's increasing the damage given as the fight progresses. The surprise here is not the success of Artoria's attacks. She is one of the few capable of standing against Heracles. Intriguing it's not why she's winning, but HOW."
El-Melloi II saw Gray's confused face and decided to enter the conversation. "I'd guess it's the magical energy. The amount of increasingly powerful attacks doesn't match Artoria lack of exhaustion. The magical energy she's expending right now is absurd. That shadow must have an absurd amount of it to give to her Servants. Way more than any normal magus has, maybe more than the most powerful ones have."
Reines nodded in agreement with her brother. "Yes, I can feel from here. She's practically overflowing with magical energy."
"How much would you need to fight that way, Artoria?" Ritsuka asked.
"A lot." Artoria just frowned. As a Servant from Chaldea she could fight like that if she wanted to, but not in a normal Holy Grail War. Rin was definitely stupendous in that regard, but Artoria was pretty sure that by now, fighting like Saber Alter, the girl would be starting to get tired or worst.
And considering the fight wasn't over yet, more magical energy would be spent. If I chose to fight like this, I might as well just chop off Shirou or Rin's head instead, it would be less painful — and faster — to kill them.
[Saber Alter lifted Excalibur up, defended herself from Berserker's attack with one of her arms and stunned the big enemy with a jab to the jaw.]
"Is that...!?" Jeanne and everyone else knew exactly what Alter was preparing to do.
The battle was over.
[No one heard the woman screaming its name, but the Noble Phantasm happened anyway and showed again how powerful it was.]
Silence reigned over the group.
No one said anything.
"FUAHAHA. Impressive as always, Saber!"
Except Gilgamesh.
[Illya ran to the edge of the remaining wall, there the trio stood witness of the Berserker's state: he sank into the pinkish mud, his body completely mangled.]
Sitonai fell to her knees, desolate eyes beholding the great hero defeated once again.
At this point, servants were wondering how that story could result in a happy ending. Deep down, they all knew that Shirou and his friends would win that war at the end of the day, but they also would be lying if they affirm that with each battle passed it hadn't became more difficult to be completely sure of that victory.
"Calm down, Chelone!" Illya clutched the turtle on her.
But Chelone, the turtle, couldn't accept what he had just seen.
"Wait a minute." Irisviel looked around. "Where is Artoria?"
The answer landed right next to the big group; in specific, next to Shirou Emiya.
[Saber Alter moved her sword faster than any human there could react, swinging to Shirou's neck.]
Artoria forgot everything in that instant.
Security gained knowing that Shirou was the protagonist, that there was still a whole movie left, all disappeared in the depths of her mind.
Any fear, insecurity, distrust or regret paled in comparison to the fright and, then, terror of following the path of that corrupted sword closing in on her former Master.
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden scene, but only Artoria Pendragon genuinely feared what might happen. Emiya had to hold her arms or she would fall, because even after Saber Alter chose to not kill the boy, the shock had been too much for Artoria.
[The sword had indeed stopped a few inches from the boy. Her black visor was full of cracks and broke revealing the woman's face. Her eyes were lifeless and didn't even seem to recognize the people in front of her.
"My duties are complete," she warned Assassin after distancing herself from the trio. "I will leave you to do the rest."]
Tristan's harp made no sound. Neither words nor music could possibly depict what he was feeling. His eyes were so open they could pop out at any moment.
The outcome of his great mistake had just introduced itself. The king whom he had accused of not understanding others had finally lost her humanity. To right a wrong she believed be all her fault. Her incompetence.
He wanted to complain to her for that, but a scum like him had no right to even open his mouth about something... no, about anything regarding her.
Tristan left before the battle ended; he move away from the center of the group, little by little nearing its back, until he finally reached where no one could see him anymore, and took his spirit form.
He had no courage to be around her anymore.
And Gawain was the same. However, his shock was a bit different, somehow more impactful. It had paralyzed him. From the beginning of the battle to the end he didn't move a muscle, and it wasn't until Saber Alter turned her back to her former Master that the knight finally woke up.
With what he was daydreaming about? A memory from a long time ago. The day his beloved king had defeated the Vile King, Vortigern. The final battle between the future of Britain and, as some would call, Britain itself. A shine of light facing the definition of darkness.
Inconceivable destruction, hours that seemed infinite, uncertain victory — the one time Gawain just gazed upon with nothing to do about. No different from now. He could only watch the fragment, there was no way to interact it.
The biggest difference, however, was the fact that this time it was Artoria Pendragon who was the darkness itself.
"I will require your assistance a little more, Sir Gawain. You and I are here together. What are wielders of the holy swords if they cannot quiet tantrum of one or two fits of the island!?" Her faint cool smile was directed at herself, and also towards Gawain.
To this day, her smile and the encouraging words still meant everything to him. But now, she had nothing on her face, not a smile or life in her eyes.
Gawain had helped her fighting the enemy, but in the end, the only memory he kept was his younger self watching her back, piercing the shining spear in Vortigern's chest — walking to the Vile King to finish the job while he stayed behind, astonished and speechless.
Now, she turned her back to Shirou, to him, without the shining sword, without the shining spear, without the warmness that made every knight follow her.
Gawain didn't want to watch those movies anymore. If he could, he would get out of that Singularity immediately. But it wasn't an option.
So he had to endure. That was the only option Lancelot had. To endure.
Lancelot resisted the temptation to summon his sword and cut his own throat. He noticed Tristan taking his spirit form, no longer fiding himself worthy to stand in Artoria's presence, but the Knight of the Lake approached his agony differently; he wouldn't run from her nor would he ever harm himself, but his desire for punishment at her hands not only rose but grew too.
"Sir Lancelot..." Gareth called the man.
She had tears in her eyes and was doing her best not to cry — it would certainly drew her king's attention. Lancelot pursed his lips and tried to comfort her.
Bedivere did the same. He put a hand on the girl's shoulder and stared at the figure of his king disappearing into tentacles. It hurted as much as the others, but he had already seen his king like that, so the shock was a little less.
At least, he was relieved, Alter hadn't kill Shirou. If had happened, Bedivere was sure that his king would be heartbroken.
Artoria Alter crossed her arms. So you still have feelings for Shirou, huh? Even corrupted this weakness of yours remains... well, whatever, this is going to be interesting.
["How gracious of you. I can regain the points I have lost."
With Alter gone, it was Assassin time.
Shirou, Rin and Illya escaped through the forest. And the enemy servant followed.]
"Thanks, Lan Ling!" Ritsuka said.
She and Mash were passengers on his horse as they were chasing the chase. The other servants ran or were on some kind of "vehicle" (Astolfo's hippogryph, Medusa carrying her sisters on the bike, Gilgamesh's ship which he only let Enkidu ride in, Iskandar's chariot and others).
"What are the chances they'll escape Assassin?" Mash tried to be positive, but the situation didn't help.
"Unlikely." Lan Ling answered bluntly. "We don't know about Emiya, so he can yet appear to help. But honestly? I'm betting on Rider again."
"Oh! You're right! She was suppose to be here! Yo, Medusa! Where the hell are you!?"
"Master's right," Stheno said. "Where are you?"
"Probably still halfway, me. These cow legs are heavy, after all," Euryale answered.
"Sorry!" said Ritsuka's face upon seeing the result of her question.
"Don't worry, Master", answered Medusa's crying face.
[Illya tripped on a branch and fell down a steep slope, but Shirou hugged her and received the pain of rolling downhill for her.
Rin saw the two falling, turned her back to them and shot countless Gandr spells from her finger at Assassin, trying to delay him. She didn't hit a single one.
"That's far enough. You're of no use," Assassin said, close enough to kill Shirou and take Illya.
But he was interrupted by two arrows, and then a massive kick from Archer, sending him flying.]
"Uncle!"
"Archer!"
"Emiya!"
The servants cheered his reappearance.
Parvati smiled. "As always, Emiya comes in clutch."
"But how...?" Iskandar looked genuinely surprised to see him well.
"An example of an Archer, isn't him, Atalanta?" Chiron commented with a small smile.
Atalanta grimaced. "And what do you mean by this, teacher wanna be?"
["You can't kill a puny boy unless you do a sneak attack, can you?" Emiya undid his bow and replaced with his twin blades. "Pathetic."]
Artoria still lost in her own pain found herself smiling at hearing that. "You never change, do you?"
Emiya shrugged, but deep down he was glad that something he did brought a smile out of her.
That corrupted Artoria hurt him as much as did with the knights, and though some of them wouldn't believe it, in much the same way.
["How could you come here?" Assassin asked.
"Who knows?"]
"Mikon! You're always a party pooper! Just say some one-liner and have a moment, would you!?" Tamamo complained.
Boudica chuckled. "That's never happening."
"I like that about him, to be honest." Kama surprised Parvati with that comment. "What!? It's funny to see people's reaction to it!"
["Archer!" Rin came down the steep terrain, happy to see her servant again.
But Archer knew they didn't have time for that. "Hurry! If that thing catches up, it's all over!"
In the distance, an explosion of tentacles emerged within the woods along with the pinkish mud flowing down.]
"Senpai, that reminds me..."
"Yes, I know, Mash..." Ritsuka gulped. "Just like the mud from Babylonia. Or the ocean of milk from India's Lostbelt. One foot within, and bleh, dead."
["We'll talk later. Run, brat!" Archer exclaimed to Shirou. "Now that you've taken Illya's hand, protect her until the very end!"
The trio took Archer's advice and fled. At that instant, he gave Illya a look heavy with regret.]
Emiya's pained face lasted less than a thousandth of a second before he focused on Assassin again. Only a few noticed.
That look said everything Irisviel needed to know about Archer and his Illya. And Illya and Kuro who also noticed couldn't help but sympathize with the man.
[Assassin again tried to use his "getting away tactic", but Archer was more motivated than ever, abandoning his cool and neutral way of fighting for a more agressive one.
With an unnatural roar coming from that man, he reached Assassin and started an exchange of blows.]
"And there you have it." Scáthach flashed a smiled that only bloomed on her face when seeing great warriors fighting. "Hassan's strength is slightly better than Emiya's, but his agility should be far superior. Yet, Emiya is fighting toe-to-toe now."
"I would say, perhaps, not toe-to-toe, but in a superior way," Chiron said beside her.
Iskandar whistled, amazed. Honestly, he never paid much attention to Emiya and what he knew about the man didn't go much further than the kitchen. However, he had to admit that he was always curious about him, as Emiya never accepted mock battles and, even looking weak, he had the respect of Master, Artoria and Cú Chulainn.
"I'm always impressed by the bursts of effectiveness he has sometimes," Amakusa commented.
It was undeniable how impressive the difference between the two servants became. Archer's vigor was incomparable to before (including Chaldea, to many of the servants). The scales of victory were tipping towards Archer.
For some reason, no hard to figure it out by those closer to him, he was now strong as a fierce god.
Sitonai smiled and took Emiya's hand. He grimaced, but didn't remove his hand.
[Tired of the relentless exchange of blows, Archer ended it by spinning in the air and kicking his enemy with all his might, so fast that Assassin couldn't defend himself. Archer's foot connected with the back of Assassin's neck and pushed his face into the ground.]
That blow was so strong that everyone felt the impact. The children and Ritsuka even closed their eyes.
"HOLY GOLDEN!" Kintoki laughed. "That was awesome!"
"Wow! You really know how to fight, Emiya!" Yu' words could be taken as an insult, but she was genuinely impressed. She had never seen him fight seriously, and she honestly underestimated him a little.
Sitonai kept her smile. I'm flattered, even though it's not exactly for me. But... this "anger" of yours isn't just because of "me" is it? She turned her eyes slightly to Artoria and her Alter watching the fight too.
["How!? How are you able to move!?" Assassin had every right to be shocked and confused. Only the King of Knights and Heracles himself had the strength to fight the corruption, and none of them for such a long time. That Archer was nothing compared to those two legends.
With even his strongest attack repelled, Assassin tried to retreat.
"That's obvious. I am not a proper Heroic Spirit like the others. As I am not canonical, a little defilement won't affect me. Which means that I am also a distorted Heroic Spirit!" And with one last burst of strength, Archer slashed Assassin across the eyes and destroyed his mask.]
"Yes! Finally! Fuck!" Jeanne Alter almost jumped with joy.
"Hah!" Ritsuka roared in excitement. "Sorry, Hassan, but you deserved that one!"
"Good job, Emiya!" Raikou clapped her hands.
"Boss is right! You did great!" Kintoki praised.
"Well, you've done more than Cú." Medb sighed. "Just because he was nasty to me, I'm going to make sure to rub this fact in his face when this is all over."
[Blind and without his mask, Assassin agonized on the ground and took spirit form.]
"Wait! He escaped again! No! Fuck!" Jeanne Alter screamed. "Goddamn it!"
Prince of Lan Ling felt the pain of losing a mask. Next time, when I get a chance to talk to him, I'll give my regards!
Gilgamesh laughed.
"How unusual. You of all people, happy with Archer's victory," said Enkidu.
"I'm not happy because of that fool. I'm laughing because of the other fool!" Gilgamesh answered. "He always looking at me with disdain. That'll end one day, when I lost my patience. Not even Master will stop me!"
Enkidu sighed.
[Battle finished, Archer relaxed a bit. Behind him, the pinkish mud had already turned into a river, descending the hill.
"Good job, Archer!" Rin praised her servant, stepping out from behind some trees along with Shirou and Illya.]
"Why are they still here!?" Ereshkigal shrieked. "Don't they know what the word 'run' means!?"
Ishtar shrugged and floated over to Archer. "Of course Rin wouldn't have the lack of heart to abandon her servant. She is kind and likes him! The same way I like Gugalanna. Actually, they're kind of the same, aren't they?"
"What...?" Emiya muttered.
"I mean: when you need them the most, they are absent! Like in the first movie, against Berserker!"
"I was absent because I was nearly split IN HALF by a SWORD SLASH," Emiya retorted.
"Eh?" Ishtar did not understand his irritated tone. "I was praising you! Gugalanna is a good boy! If he's absent it's for a good reason! Idiot!"
"Hmph. Wasn't he absent in Uruk too?" Gilgamesh asked. "Any idea where he at?"
"Dunno. As a said before, probably doing something good! Maybe helping someone killing a bastard like you!"
"FUAHAHA. As if!"
["You can return to spirit form now. We have to hurry up and get out—"
Archer quickly turned around while Shirou screamed for Rin.]
"Nooooooo!" Ishtar echoed the cry.
Artoria almost moved to help the girl.
[The humanoid figure, the embodiment of the shadow, stood side by side with Rin Tohsaka. Before the creature's attack could kill Rin, Archer pushed her away, saving her, but taking the blow in her place.]
"Oh no!" Mash covered her mouth with her hands. "Emiya!"
[Archer had his chest pierced by two tentacles and was thrown into the river of pinkish mud.]
Emiya closed one of his eyes and took a few false steps forward, barely managing not to fall, all because of the sudden pain. [I]I'm done for...[/I] When he felt what his counterpart had suffered, he knew that his role in that war was about to end.
"Emiya!" Artoria ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him to make sure he didn't fall, whether he needed it or not.
Many other servants ran to him as well, worried.
"Emiya!" Mash almost wrapped her arms around him too. "Please, not you."
"Dammit! I'm through with this shadow!" Muramasa cursed, frustrated. "Everythin' they do only damns them further!"
Artoria clenched her teeth. It was one thing to resist the creature's corruption, but one absolutely different to survive a deadly blow like that one, or even get out of the mud that reminded her of the same mud she and Rin had to face before destroying the Grail.
"What a deplorable being..." Enkidu said. "It looks like something sent by the gods."
"Fufufu. One more will fall..." Shuten chuckled. "Although I dare to say Archer are taking it more gracefully than some of the others."
["Hurry up and get out of here, fools!" Archer screamed.]
"And this time, listen to him, you frigging idiots!" Jeanne Alter roared. "I swear, these people want to die!"
For someone who was being so hostile and rebellious in the beginning, you're very immersive right now, huh? Artoria Alter snorted.
[Archer's eyes widened as the creature began to grow.
"Magical energy is gathering!" Illya yelled as they ran. "If this keep going...!"]
"How powerful is that thing?" Astolfo knew that question was getting old, but it was impossible not to ask it.
He had to raise his voice so they could hear him, the sound of energy being gathered and the soundtrack was making it difficult.
"Can they escape in time!?" Jeanne screamed.
"Can we!?" Robin shot back.
[Even as it gathered energy, the shadow still lashed out at Archer with tentacles when he tried to move, shattering his blades and piercing his body once again.]
Emiya coughed and placed a hand on his chest, exactly where it had been pierced.
"Emiya!" Artoria squeezed him harder.
[Feeling Archer's life force weakening, Rin turned to him in sudden concern.]
"GIRL!" Jeanne Alter almost tore her own hair out.
"GUYS!?" Robin screamed. "We need to get out of the attack's way too!"
[With the energy finally gathered, the place was flooded with miasma.]
The feeling of an imminent end flooded the characters and the servants.
It was already too late for any of them to move. There was no more escaping what was about to happen. It was as if time had stopped for the servants.
But even with time frozen, some words echoed inside their heads.
["I am... the bone of my sword... Steel is my body... I have created... over a thousand blades!"
Archer last struggle could only be watched by the humans and servants.
"Rho Aias!"]
The explosion spread powerful as a Noble Phantasm; its impact was so great that Shirou, Illya and Rin had to hold on to the ground so they wouldn't fly away.
The servants from Chaldea remained standing, but the only difference between them and the protagonists was not having to worry, in theory, about their own lives, because otherwise they were pretty much there. Ritsuka and the children were held by others.
Another servant who remained standing was Archer himself, the one from the movie. His shield was ravaged and corrupted, but until it was crushed he gave his all to keep it standing, even when he couldn't anymore.
[Destruction swallowed up that entire part of the forest. When the smoke cleared, blue flames were scattered across the crater.]
Illya opened her eyes when she felt that the explosion had ended. One look around and the destruction had visibly swallowed up that entire part of the forest. Blue flames were scattered here and there in the crater together with remains of burnt trees.
Chelone is still in my arms and fine... The same could be said about every chaldean, they were all fine.
The girl looked around until she found Shirou without an arm and Illya beside him. She had to double check to understand what she had just seen. "Shirou!"
Her scream made everyone look at where she was running.
"Oh, no..." Irisviel ran to Shirou too.
Miyu, Kuro, Sitonai and others did the same.
But the kitchen staff and Artoria didn't move. They all found the other Shirou emerging from the crater's smoke. Wounded, tired and close to death.
Artoria immediately checked Emiya in her arms and received an "I'm fine" look.
She wouldn't take his words as granted, usualy yes, but the pain felt by her and others at the death of their counterparts was too high for Emiya to pretend to be well.
He left Artoria's arms and stood camly at her side, as if nothing had happened.
[Archer finally lost the strength to stay on his feet and collapsed beside Rin. He saw Shirou's situation in the distance. Illya crying.]
The fragment didn't have to point them out where to look, who to look at.
Whatever was about to happen would come from Archer's hands.
["I guess this is it for me..." Archer stroked Rin's hair. "Take care, Tohsaka."]
His words, his hair, his face... all too identical to Shirou. That was why Artoria never blamed him for not wanting to wear his hair that way.
Mash only knew she was almost crying when she noticed her blurred vision.
Ishtar easily recognized that Emiya wasn't saying goodbye to his Master, but to his old friend. Probably a second time, and maybe a last. She felt great sadness and her mouth almost opened, saying "goodbye" back, but it would be her vessel talking, not her.
They all could only follow the Archer getting up with difficulty and walking towards Shirou. Again, all in silence.
[Archer summoned one of his swords and placed it on his left shoulder.
"Are you insane?" Medusa asked finally appearing. "If you did such a thing, you would..."]
"Wait-Wait-WAIT!" El-Melloi II exclaimed. "Is he...!?"
"What in hell is he thinking!?" Reines echoed her brother surprise.
Many others understood Archer's idea and were incredulous at the man's madness.
"Wait a sec!" Astolfo said. "Something similar happened to Sieg, but he was a homunculus! Shirou is just a normal human! A child!"
"These two are a special case." Artoria Alter's confidence silenced the others.
["Not even worth a thought. If I do nothing, two will be dead. But this way, at least one will definitely be saved."]
"But...but how do you even make it work!?" Ereshkigal asked.
"I have a better question. Who could possibly make this work?" Tamamo said.
Amakusa chuckled. "I'm really surprised you guys didn't think about him yet."
[Emiya pressed the sword against his shoulder, and finally slashed it out.]
"There is only one person in this town who could do this transplantation."
Hello. I'm good, thanks y'all for worrying, though I'd to admit that last week or so just when I decided to post this chapter, I got sick, but I'm good now. I hope you guys are well too.
Until next time.