Hector knew his judgment was clouded.

Ever since Sakura insulted his savior, he acted rashly, desperately wanting to teach her a lesson by crushing Caster right in front of her eyes. Still, it wasn't long into the battle that he was reminded of why Gilgamesh was considered the King of Heroes. He had Iskandar in his grip, ready to tear Rider apart, and Hector was completely powerless to stop him…

But then, something unexpected happened. The walls of the nearby house collapsed, and a powerful wave of wind magic pushed everyone aside. Even Gilgamesh, despite his power, wasn't quick enough to block this swift attack. By the time the group looked up, they saw a devastated house and a giant whirlwind at the heart of the wreckage. This completely annihilated any hope of secrecy that they had. Hector could feel his heart sinking as he realized that this was another powerful source of magic. They have been found by another enemy.

"A-ha-ha-ha!" A loud, psychotic cackle echoed in Hector's ears as he witnessed the silhouette inside this whirlwind. There was a human mage there, and this barrier that surrounded him manifested in an unbound power of the wind. "And what do we have here? Not one, but two pairs of master and servant? Oh, this is my lucky day! I see your fight kept you busy, and you didn't even realize that I was getting close! Oh, what folly!"

"Who…Who are you!?" Sakura demanded, with Gilgamesh quickly speaking next.

"Some deranged dog that I will gladly put down."

"How rude of you." The mysterious man responded. "I thought that this battle was built on honor and principles, and all esteemed mages held respect for each other…I suppose not."

"Are you a master, as well?" Hector asked.

"You can figure it out on your own…My name is Iseri, but considering all the carnage my servant and I wrought, I prefer the name Vortex!"

"Ah, I see," Iskandar said with curiosity. "That explains the hurricanes!"

"I've come to claim the Holy Grail, and no one will stand in my way and live!" Iseri declared with pride. "Berserker, annihilate them!"

This command began the onslaught. The pure wind charged forward, separating into two smaller hurricanes for each servant.

"Is this hurricane his servant?!" Hector said in confusion.

"Does it matter?" Rider chuckled. "If it is, that means we will tame the nature itself!"

Hector could only see a glimpse of what happened to Sakura and Caster before the wind barrier separated them. The magic surrounded them, and Gilgamesh was already preparing some sort of defense or counterattack with a golden barrier. For a moment, Hector felt fearful that Caster wouldn't be able to defend Sakura…Why did he even care? He had his own battle to fight now.

"Let's see what you are made of!" Rider proclaimed and turned towards the surviving soldier. "Attack, my warrior, let's bring the beast down!"

The warrior battled on, piercing through the veil of the mysterious Berserker, but there wasn't that much he could do, even with Iskandar covering his back. The wind got into his joints, squashed his bones, and tore him apart, creating a bloody and grotesque sight in front of Hector, who couldn't help but look away in disgust. Now, he and Rider were this maniac's primary targets.

"You think you can fight me? I am the Lord of the Wind!" Iseri shouted as he looked at his opponents from above. "I am the god of destruction, and this world will pay for mocking me; you will all feel the brunt of my power once Angra Mainyu is mine!"

He continued to attack, forcing one wave of wind after another towards Rider. Iskandar stood valiantly, deflecting each of them in time, but even Hector could see the energy slowly leave his shining blade. Nevertheless, the King of Conquerors did not dare to lose his form.

"Is that the best you can do? Such overconfidence, and yet you don't have anything to back it up with."

"Oh, I'm just getting started!"

Iseri doubled the power of his waves, making Iskandar take a defensive stance. The king help on, continuing his resistance, but soon his eyes caught the master. Hector was swirling around in a whirlwind, grasping for what little breathable air he could get, all while feeling his lungs burning from the inside. His eyes became red, a few more moments and he would share the fate of the fallen soldier…

Rider retreated instantly. He summoned his chariot and charged through the other side of the barrier, all while grabbing Hector with his bare hands and pulling him out of the chaotic swirl.

"Where do you think you are going? Coward!" Iseri would shout and threaten, but his fury was meaningless, even the wind was not as quick as Iskandar's chariot. In only a few moments, the two of them were free, but Hector felt absolutely no relief. The pain still persisted, both in his body and soul as he looked back at the ruins they left behind.

"Are you alright, boy?" Alexander said with concern. "Forgive me, I got too caught up in the moment and nearly had you killed…We will have to face this for another time."

"Wait, we can't leave just yet, we…We haven't finished with Sakura yet!" Hector wanted to use the word 'kill,' but something internal and powerful stopped him. Even thinking of saying this word left him disgusted, but it could not be that…He couldn't falter again. He was given a task and needed to complete it…Yes, this had to have been the source of his fear. Hector needed to prove himself to Angela and prove his worth as a mage, apprentice, and master…This couldn't have been the outcome. "She needs to be taught a lesson, not…Not die like this!"

"Have no fear, it seems like we will still have our opportunity," Alexander said confidently as he pointed at the nearby roof. "Whatever their intent is, they could create a perfect distraction for Berserker."

Hector watched and noticed two people standing there. One of them was a tall man who observed the battlefield with cold, emotionless eyes of an eagle, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The ashen-haired woman was in the middle of casting some spell, magic swirling around her. Finally, the third figure emerged, the shadowy servant.

She was there.

There could be no mistake about it; Shirou's old friend, the one with whom he shared countless warm and sweet moments, was here. Sakura Matou is a girl he treasures without ever knowing the meaning of her lineage. The woman he left years ago and thought that he said goodbye once and for all. Shirou had an inkling that they would reunite one day, but this was not how he expected it to happen.

"Look!" Rin pointed at the chariot that got further away from the place. "That has to be Rider."

"It is him." Hassan supported. "The sight is unmistakable."

"Ignore him," Shirou interjected. "We're here for Sakura."

"I know." Rin nodded as she looked over the hurricane. "The Mage's association has no chance of covering that up…But we can let them worry about it." She channeled some of her magic into Assassin, making him more resistant to wind. "That's it, he should be able to last down there for a while. The rest is up to you."

"Thank you," Shirou said and turned towards his servant. "Do you see an opening?"

"There are a few spots where the wind is weaker; this is where I can strike. It won't be enough to kill him, but it will weaken the aura.

"Good, I need you to do exactly that. Then, go down and get Sakura out of there. Is that clear?"

"Yes, master."

"Then don't let me keep you any longer."

Hassan nodded and made his leap. He focused on the weak spot and moved towards it with incredible speed and precision. One merciless strike with his razor-sharp blades worked wonders. Shirou could hear the raging, agonized scream coming from Iseri as the dark energy that Assassin unleashed wounded his body. This made the wind aura lose its shape and become more chaotic, creating more openings.

"What was that?!" Iseri screamed from the depths of his hurricane and began to chaotically unleash the wind waves in different directions. This was when Shirou was able to spot Sakura within this barrier. A grown woman, elegant and gorgeous, and with newfound confidence in her eyes that Shirou could never imagine seeing in the shy girl he knew. She had a golden Caster servant beside her, and it didn't take more than a single look for Shirou to recognize him, as well.

"What's going on?" Sakura spoke up. "Is he getting weaker?"

"He is switching his focus…" Gilgamesh noted. "Decided to run already, coward? You stole my victory, and for that, I'll make your death twice as painful!" Gilgamesh released a few spells that further cleared the windy mist, but he was unable to find Iseri. The master camouflaged himself well and was likely restoring his powers so he could strike again. Before Gilgamesh and Sakura began the battle again, the two noticed the cloaked servant.

"Gilgamesh, look!" Sakura pointed at the servant. "That's the shadow we saw."

"Assassin? Now, seems like things are getting even more interesting…"

"I am not here to fight you but to help." The Assassin spoke. "You need to leave now."

"Do you hear yourself?" Gilgamesh said arrogantly. "You are barely worthy of even looking at me, and you are saying that you can 'help'?"

"I am talking to your master, not you." Hassan focused on Sakura, ignoring Gilgamesh's gaze of annoyance. "Shirou Emiya sent me."

Even watching from above, Shirou could feel Sakura's shock. The girl took a step back and looked at the servant in disbelief.

"Wha-What are you talking about?"

"Shirou Emiya is my master, and he…"

Before Assassin could finish, the winds rose once again. Iseri enhanced his aura, pushing Assassin away and immobilizing him. Moments after, he commanded Hermes to turn towards Gulgamesh and Sakura. Caster created a golden barrier which blocked the wind's approach, but it took a toll on him.

"This mongrel is far stronger than I expected…There has to be something that fuels him!" The golden barrier that Gilgamesh continued to uphold bought them some time, but Shirou saw that it wasn't invulnerable. Moreover, Gilgamesh was unlikely to retreat voluntarily and hurt his own ego like that. As Shirou looked down, he saw a small tornado form around Sakura, overtaking her limbs and body, causing her to breathe heavily and in continuous pain. Gilgamesh was too busy fighting Hermes to intervene…

In the heat of the moment, Shirou made his decision.

"Hey, what are you…" Rin began but had no time to finish. Shirou Emiya leaped into the fray, not willing to wait any longer. He knew that despite Iseri throwing all he had at them, he was weakened by Assassin's strike. The rest happened in a matter of seconds, too quickly for Shirou to process. All he knew was that he could not stand aside and watch his friend in agony.

A magical sword emerged in his hand, courtesy of projection magic. With this, Shirou cut through the wind barrier and finally reached her after all those years…He held Sakura in his hands, keeping her close to his chest. She had her eyes closed, possibly unconscious from such a sudden attack. Even after a decade, there was still an aura of purity and innocence to her that Shirou recognized immediately. Now, it was a matter of getting as far away as possible.

"Gilgamesh!" Shirou called out his name, immediately garnering Caster's attention. "I am your master's ally, I need you to create an opening."

"You dare to command me, mongrel? Know that I'll only oblige for my master's sake!" Gilgamesh said arrogantly before charging his barrier. His spell was followed by an explosion that pushed Iseri back. As much as Shirou wanted to seize this opportunity to destroy Hermes and eliminate a powerful opponent, it would be too risky to do. Instead, he ran as far and as fast as he could, thinking of nothing but Sakura's safety. Gilgamesh created enough destructive spells to weaken and distract the deranged master, after which both he and Assassin followed Shirou. After a few minutes, the three of them were finally at a safe distance in another alleyway.

"I don't know who you are, mongrel, but your entrance was amusing enough. Now tell me, what do you want from Sakura?"

"You have nothing to fear, I am her friend, and I…" Before he could finish, the woman in his hands finally began to move. She slowly opened her eyes, making the man sigh in relief at the realization that she was safe.

"S-Shirou?"

"Yes, it's me, Sakura…You're safe now."