Ever since getting back to base at the castle, Hector felt his soul slowly shrinking. Despite the decisive victory against Berserker without a single casualty, everyone felt down. Instead of parting with the Coalition on equal terms and demonstrating a measure of respect and chivalry, Angela and Archer backstabbed El-Melloi's team, ruining any chance at a peaceful resolution they had.

However, it was clear that Angela did not want a peaceful resolution. She wanted fire and blood. To her, those who challenged her right to claim the Grail were not just an obstacle; they were undeserving of life. It was not a matter of pragmatism. It was a matter of hatred and spite. Every time Hector tried to discuss this with her and hint that he did not feel the same way before, she shut him down, and after he refused to fight Assassin and El-Melloi, Angela went completely silent. She refused to talk, even about their course of action. She blamed him…Hector knew it, and he knew that his thoughts and feelings were completely irrelevant to her. All she cared for was the Grail, to prove her dedication to a family that gave her their name but could never change her blood ties…Just like Hector. Was this what he wanted? To become like her one day?

Eventually, Hector found himself visiting the Lorekeeper's room. Marianne sat at her bed, still reeling from her wounds and going through an incredibly painful healing process. Hector did not want to disturb her, instead slowly opening the door and noticing Marianne in her bed. She raised her eyes and offered Hector a warm smile.

"Come in…Don't be shy." She was welcoming and accepting, radiating kind feelings that Hector always craved from Angela. Marianne was different, she did not need for him to earn this warmth, she simply knew when the moment was right.

"Are you alright? That wound seemed pretty bad."

"It's not too deep, I just need some time…I might sit out some next new battles, but if you need Romulus's help, he'll be there."

"You're too kind." Hector smiled. "You'll need Lancer to defend you here, though; I wouldn't want to leave you unguarded…Sorry, don't want to ramble. It's good that you're alright." Hector was about to turn, but the Lorekeeper paused him.

"Wait a moment."

"Yes?"

"Back out there…You made the right choice. El-Melloi may disagree with our decision, but he is a good person. There is no reason to end his life unless absolutely necessary. I know it was a difficult decision, but you should be proud of it."

"I don't know…I don't feel much pride." Hector sighed with shame. "Angela thought that it would be an easy way to end the war and stop long-term casualties."

"And what do you think?

"Me?" Hector was stumped and unable to understand the question at first.

"You are not Angela. You can have your own opinions, and I know you do."

"She is my leader, I owe her my life…"

"That doesn't matter," Marianne said confidently, immediately shutting Hector's brooding down. "Owing anything, even life, doesn't excuse her humiliating you like she did. Especially not after you have been loyal to her for years. If she still thinks you have any debt to repay, that's on her."

"But if I'm without her guidance…What can I do on my own?"

"You know already. Back on that skyscraper, you didn't just act without her guidance; you acted against it. Would a man who can't act on his own accord do that? I doubt it."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't refuse to fight because of a sense of honor or anything; I just…I thought about Sakura Matou. She was kind to me, certainly kinder than I deserved after attacking her. It would not be right to betray her, and killing El-Melloi certainly counts as that."

"Everyone does irrational things for others sometimes…But at least it was your choice and no one else's. Come to think of it…Tell me, Hector, why do you fight in this war? Explain it to me without mentioning Angela or referring to her."

"W-what?" Hector couldn't help but raise his voice at how out-of-place this question seemed. "I came here as her apprentice; how do you expect me to answer that?"

"Well, what do you want to achieve in this war? What goal do you pursue?"

"Hm…" Hector took a deep breath. "I want to…I want to protect the Grail from destruction and to see if it can genuinely be used for good."

"And what would you like to happen to the Coalition that opposes you?"

"Ideally, to find a compromise. With Iseri dead, we should be able to find a beneficial solution with reasonable people on both sides, but…" He was about to say that the Coalition left them no choice but to fight until the bitter end, but that was not true. They were receptive, but Sakura and Angela's group did not repay in kind. "If there was anything our short Alliance revealed, it's that we can still figure something out as long as everyone genuinely tries to discover a solution," Hector said with newfound confidence. "Not sure if everyone's interested…But I think it is possible."

"I agree." Marianne nodded. "We aren't past the point of no return just yet…But we are close."

Those were the last words Marianne spoke to Hector as he left the room, pondering on what will happen next. Both him and the Lorekeeper were open to negotiations, but Angela was not. She was already performing her dark rituals on the outskirts of the castle. Nothing will convince her to stop for any reason.

"She asks the right questions." Iskandar's voice echoed in the man's mind. He showed concern, too. "But she is not entirely sincere, either. She has her own motives and plans for the Grail. Otherwise, she would've asked you another question."

"And that is?"

"If you were the winner of a Holy Grail war, the man that claimed the uncorrupted Grail, what would you wish for?" Iskandar asked with genuine curiosity, making Hector pause and think. The Grail was antithetical to his desires at the moment. It craved destruction while Hector finally accepted the truth. He was not a murderer.

"I would ask for a way to end this conflict peacefully. I want Angela, Marianne, Sakura, and even Emiya to survive. The Grail is beyond our understanding, and we should be studying its power together if we want to achieve something at all. This 'war'…It's a waste of energy."

"Then it seems you have finally made up your mind about it."

"I suppose…" Hector sighed, realizing that he didn't want to lie to himself anymore. He and Angela had very different goals and priorities.

"Hector, dear!" A sweet voice interrupted his musings, making Hector flinch and turn around. Angela was in the same hall, her demeanor completely switched. She looked at the young man with concern and worry, once again showing compassion and love in her eyes, so soon after her furious and hurtful words…It was unnatural, eerie, even. "Here you are, I've been looking for you all around the castle."

"Ugh…Are you alright?"

"I am, yes." Angela said with pride. "I wanted to talk to you about something…" She rushed towards him, but eventually slowed down after noticing the unease in Hector's eyes. Her expression changed, too, becoming far more shamed. "I…I'm sorry for the things I said back there, I got really emotional." She said. Angela sounded sincere, but Hector knew that she was good at faking any emotion that she wanted.

She called him an 'ungrateful worm', she hurt him…And this was hardly the first time. There was no reason to trust her anymore, and yet Hector still found himself charmed by her sweet words. What if she was truly sorry and will make sure this doesn't repeat, what if…

"It's alright…" Hector said sheepishly. "After all, I wasted an opportunity."

"Either way, we won against one of our most dangerous opponents, and you played no small part," Angela reassured him. Once again, Hector felt himself slipping…Ne wanted to serve her and be the loyal pup she molded him into. She was proud of him, grateful for his contribution…He could do so much more for her. "And I understand why you chose to abstain."

"Really?"

"You were worried that our servants would hurt Sakura, right? Don't worry, I don't blame you for developing a soft spot for that woman, I understand why. She is kind, caring, always ready to show empathy even to her enemies, and so, so naive…She reminds me of myself in my younger years. And that man, Emiya…She clearly cares about him, too. I didn't realize this until recently, but it would not be fair to put the burden of killing her on you, don't you agree?"

"I mean…If that's what you need of me…"

"We can find a compromise. I will be busy summoning the Grail tomorrow; Iseri's marbles that Archer brought us would simplify the process, but still…I will need you on the front lines for a while. Shirou and Sakura have been chosen by the Grail, but the same cannot be said about Tohsaka and El-Melloi. They want to disrupt the war and sabotage it even when they have no servants or command spells. They are simply a blight upon this contest of magical power, those two treacherous, cowardly snakes…They are our real enemies. How about this, my dear…" Angela grabbed Hector's hands as a wide smile emerged on her face. "Bring me their heads or at least one of them. If you do, I promise to forgive your little mistake and even share some of Angra Mainyu's blessings with you. Together, we will bask in his power and glory…You have my word."

And here they were, the words that melted Hector's heart and pierced his every single defense. He could not say no.

"I…"

"So, what do you say?"

"I'll do it."

"No…No…"

Shirou walked through the fiery pit of hell, the temple around him completely shattered and consumed. The fateful day re-emerged in his memory, but it has gone in another, far more dreadful direction. This was the day when Shirou challenged Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh, when he and Saber stood up for the people of Fuyuki, risking their own existence, and won. The fire was quenched before it could spread again, but not this time. Shirou felt the blood drenching from his body; he was too weak to resist. He didn't dream of victory, but he wanted to see the consequences of his defeat. Shirou climbed through the ruins, only to witness the grotesque image in front of him.

Fuyuki burned. The scorching blaze that permeated the city a decade ago emerged once again, annihilating entire cities and leaving nothing in its trace but a long trail of cinders and corpses. The first of which lay right in front of Shirou.

"No…No, please, no!" The young man fell on his knees in front of the corpse of once a beautiful, honorable maiden. Saber's body was mangled with withering golden weapons; her face was drenched in blood and completely torn to shambles, a sight too terrible to bear. "Please…" Shirou's tears dissolved in Artoria's blood, and her body soon began to dissipate. "No, please, it can't end like this! I…I'm sorry, I…I failed you…" Shirou fell beside her, shaking and crying uncontrollably, muttering the same words on repeat. This was what his reflection wanted to show…The inevitable outcome of following the hero's path.

When Shirou woke up, he took a deep breath, gasping for air untainted by flames. He was loud and neurotic, still witnessing visions of Saber's tattered corpse before himself. He was inside a room at Waver's residence, back at their base of operations. Sakura sat at the nearby table, rising up immediately the moment she saw Shirou wake. She put her hand on his, soothing Shirou with her graceful touch.

"It's alright, you're safe…I promise. The battle is over."

Eventually, Shirou's breaths became slower as he gained control over his nightmare.

"Tha…Thank you."

"Emiya!" Before Sakura could respond, Rin rushed into the room. "I knew I heard you wake up. It's good to see you're alright."

"Alright, yes…Alright…"

"So, what happened on that lower level?"

"Rin!" Sakura interjected. "Can't you see that he barely woke up? Be patient."

"We're in a war here. It's not like we have much time for stalling. I suppose I can start by telling what happened to Waver." Rin concluded. "After Iseri died, Berserker went crazy and attacked all of us. Sakura, Caster, and I went to help you while the others finally took him down. After that, Angela wanted to kill Waver and Assassin right there…"

"So she betrayed us." Shirou clenched his fist as he felt anger arise in his heart.

"What else can you expect from a manipulative bitch." Rin said, allowing Sakura to continue.

"Luckily, Hector and Marianne refused to backstab us, and their servants obeyed them. She wasn't happy about it…"

"All the better for us!" Rin added. "Dissent in the enemy's ranks, you love to see it."

"I'm worried for Hector." Sakura said quietly and with faint fear. "Angela hurt him before, I know she will do it again, especially after something like this."

"And why do you care?" Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe to you, everyone on the other side is a monster, but I know it's not true. I talked to Hector; he's not a bad person at all…Just too devoted to someone who doesn't value him at all."

"Whatever…Anyway, I'd rather hear about Archer." Rin switched the topic. "He said he remembered our time together. He shouldn't have known…You didn't tell him anything, did you?"

"No, I couldn't." Shirou shook his head. "I miscalculated, thought I could defeat Iseri all on my own…You can see the toll it took." Shirou touched his withering hair. Archer unleashed his blades to kill Iseri after he was weakened, and then he came after me. He told me he remembered sacrificing his life for our sake in the Einzbern castle ten years ago."

"But how?" Sakura wondered. "Servants aren't supposed to remember their summonings."

"Most of them." Rin corrected her. "Saber had some extenuating circumstances, but she was alive…Is it the same for Archer, too?"

"I doubt it, but he is not a usual servant," Shirou explained. "He called himself a Counter Guardian, I am not sure what it means, but this position must be the key to the reason he retained his memories. And he only pursuits one goal…"

"He wants to kill you, doesn't he?" Sakura asked in a trembling tone.

"Yes, though, if that's the only thing he wanted to do, I would already be dead. He wanted to make a point, to mock my ideals…It's all a part of his bitter vendetta against me."

"But why would he have it in the first place?" Rin asked.

"Rin…His tales about losing his memory and being uncertain about his identity, all of them have been a lie from the start."

"What…What do you mean?" Rin and Sakura acted puzzled, but Shirou knew that they must have begun to understand. He didn't want to prolong it any further himself.

"Be honest, both of you. I know you thought about it at least once. Maybe it wasn't that obvious before, but now that my hair lost all its color, don't pretend that you don't see the resemblance."

"No…" Sakura shook his head. "No, that makes no sense! You just got overwhelmed and can't think straight, tell him, Rin!"

"Stop treating me like a child and listen!" Shirou spoke up. "I know it's hard to believe, but we don't have much time to mull it over. Archer's identity and real name is Shirou Emiya."

"But…" Rin stuttered, even though she was in shock. "But how is it possible?"

"He is from another world, very similar to ours, but not identical. I am not sure how different he was back when he followed the path of a hero of justice, but he told me what became of him…In trying to save as many people as possible, he became desperate." Shirou said, wondering if the same fate awaited him one day. "He made a deal with the world, essentially selling his soul for power…He did it so he could save everyone and continue to be a hero, but something went wrong. Now, he thinks of himself as an executioner and decries my…Our ideals. He wants to kill me; he thinks that it's the only way…But not before he extinguishes my ideals and makes a mockery of me. That's all I know…"

"I guess we have that old mystery solved…" Rin said quietly. "Not that any one of us could have guessed."

"Now that you know about him, did Archer drop any hints about his nature or tactics ten years ago?"

"Apart from the peculiar nature of his summoning and all the bullshit about memory loss, no."

"I see; then we'll have to figure out as we go."

"Shirou…" Sakura showed her voice. "Aren't you at all concerned by this?"

"By what? Archer and I aren't the same person. Similar in some respects, yes, but that will help us figure out how he thinks."

"No, that's not what I mean…Shirou, Archer may be very different now, but he was like you once, right? He followed the same path of being a hero of justice, tried to save everyone, and…Look how he ended up! He hates himself, especially his older self, and outright tries to stop you from following this path. I…I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, but I don't want you to end up like this! Surely you understand…" Sakura's voice grew fearful and emotional, and Shirou understood her concern. Looking into one's future self was a miracle that human minds could not comprehend outside of fiction, even those who possessed magical powers.

"I won't end up like him, Sakura." Emiya said confidently. "Our worlds are similar, but it does not mean that the future is set in stone. Archer said that my path wasn't exactly like his, so change is possible…I made different choices in the moment, and those choices are what truly matters. If Kiritsugu had made a different choice twenty years ago, my parents would have been alive, and he would have been happy with Illya. But that choice was enough to set both me and Archer on our paths. Perhaps Archer was too naive about the future; he never knew what he would become, and I do now. I swear on my life that I will do everything in my power to never repeat his mistakes."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled. "But…No need to swear on your life. You always kept your word just fine, and you're putting your life in enough danger already." Sakura was right, but Shirou's path was one of endless self-sacrifice. Some, including Archer, would call it a path of self-destruction. At times, the line between the two was incredibly blurry, but Shirou continued his path. His life did not matter now, not when so many more were in danger.

"We all have to risk our lives in our current situation," Shirou said and stood up. "But it is up to us to end this war and destroy the Grail. With Iseri gone, this is no longer a Battle Royale. We are against a united group of three masters and three servants, and together, they are a formidable power. I will have Assassin keep an eye on them while we prepare for a counterattack. If we spot any of them, we will be ready to destroy their servants once and for all."