Tohsaka dominated the fight. Crimson flames torched the wasp swarm in a snap. He rubbed the ruby on his staff, firing a searing orb that stuck to Kariya, burning relentlessly.
As Kariya writhed, he sensed a bug go silent; one he'd set out to watch the area. Someone was close.
"Finally here?" Gritting through the pain, he staggered to the rooftop's edge.
"Are you running away? Too scared to die? Pathetic," Tohsaka said, lashing a flame whip that sent Kariya tumbling off.
"...Like a clown." Tohsaka felt nothing killing an old acquaintance, turning back to the Servant clash on the river.
Kariya crashed into trash, his head spinning. He heard footsteps approaching. Before blacking out, he smiled faintly. "Berserker, hold Archer back..." Then he lost consciousness.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
High up, the Servant chase was tilting. Berserker's onslaught was fierce, but his ride couldn't match divine craftsmanship. Vimana soared, elegant and swift, pelting the F-15 with treasures.
But as Gilgamesh was in high spirits, the jet slowed, circling; like it was done playing tag.
"Mad dog... Are you turning your back on me? How disrespectful!" Gilgamesh smirked coldly, spurring Vimana after it. The hunter became the hunted.
Unlike her endless arsenal, Berserker had no tricks to shake Vimana; just raw speed to dodge.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Target locked: Master Ryuunosuke Uryuu. There are no obstacles and no familiars. Requesting snipe clearance."
A calm female voice crackled in the man's ear. He peered through binoculars, double-checked, then replied, "Maiya, stay hidden. My angle's better. I'll take it."
"Yes."
They called him the Magus Killer, but Emiya Kiritsugu wasn't your typical magus. He trusted guns over mysteries.
Line up the shot, gauge the wind, steady the breath...
He'd done this a hundred times; failure wasn't an option. But right as he was set to pull the trigger, it went sideways.
Ryuunosuke's body jerked like invisible hands yanked him. Blood sprayed, his skin shredded with countless cuts; like he'd rolled down a blade hill.
"That's... Assassin!" Kiritsugu gasped.
In two, maybe three seconds, Ryuunosuke was a pulpy mess, barely a scrap of skin intact. Oddly, he seemed to die smiling.
A red-clad Assassin appeared, glanced at the corpse, then turned toward Kiritsugu's position; like he knew exactly where he was.
Kiritsugu's gut clenched. When he looked again, the Assassin was gone.
"Maiya, pull back!"
Without hesitating he gave the order. He wasn't gambling on that glance being random.
Retreating, he dialed his phone. "Illya? Give it to Lancer."
He only said one line to Lancer: "Saber's left hand hides an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm!" Then he hung up.
From a quiet hillside, he gazed at the distant Mion River. "Let's see your knightly honor now," he muttered, a faint edge of mockery in his voice.
Saber's Noble Phantasm, "Excalibur," was Anti-Fortress grade; strong enough to blast most of that sea demon away in one hit. But Lancer's "Gae Buidhe" had cursed her left hand, locking it down.
If Lancer put the big picture first and broke the curse, it'd weaken him and free Saber up; a win-win.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's incredible... like my life's been worth it," Haru breathed, perched on a tree far from the shore.
With reinforcement magecraft sharpening his sight, he could pick out details hundreds of meters off. Not Shirou Emiya's crazy clairvoyance, but good enough.
Heroes from myths and legends swung their Noble Phantasms, fighting tooth and nail to shield the people onshore. They were outmatched yet they didn't even budge an inch.
Their courage impressed Haru hard.
Slowly, awe crept up on him. Wasn't this what he'd chased forever; past life to now; the "unseen sights" he'd never stopped hunting?
Lost in the feeling, he watched the Mion River battle hit its peak.
Lancer, the knight of "Radiant Appearance," lived up to his name. Choosing justice over gain, he snapped "Gae Buidhe" in order to protect the people offshore, freeing Saber's left hand.
Saber lifted her golden holy sword, pouring every ounce of strength into her grip.
Light gathered.
Like the sword was her fate, it blazed, condensing into a blinding beam.
No words can describe it. Even master scribes would falter before it.
The beam stood alone, a pillar tying sky to earth, past to future, sorrow to song.
Pure, fierce light bathed everything, the ultimate sword and its wielder radiating holy grace.
This shining blade was every fallen warrior's dream throughout the ages; the crystallization of the dream called "Glory".
Its name: The Sword of Promised Victory–-Excalibur!!!
The holy sword of salvation, mark of the eternal king, unbeaten in twelve wars, its deeds and honor unmatched.
Crossing a thousand years, it touched the world again!
Its master, King Arthur—Artoria chanted its true name to stand by her creed.
"EX—calibur!!!"
In an instant the world hushed...
Light—
Surged!
Roared!
The dragon factor broke free, magical energy flashing into a torrent, cleaving night and river in two!
"Ah... this light—"
Caster gazed up, tears rolling down as a girl's shape flickered in his haze.
She prayed to the Lord, her mercy and purity heartbreaking. She turned to Caster, a tender, Mary-like smile blooming, her hand outstretched.
"Ah... so you never hated anyone..."
Caster got it. Jeanne d' Arc, burned by tragedy, never regretted or cursed others.
Always so gentle, she reached for him even as he had fallen to the abyss, offering him salvation.
Caster smiled, eased. "So that's it. I'm good. I... really..."
Golden light swallowed all…
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So beautiful..."
Haru stared, his heart brimming with something he couldn't name.
His old wish to "live normal" shifted. Now he craved to see "more of this beauty."
Heroes clashing, wills colliding, strength and wits dueling, shining at their limits; what topped that?
"The world... it's huge," he whispered.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kirei Kotomine meant to kill Kariya Matou. Instead, he saved him, dumped him at the Matou estate's doorstep.
"I've let down my mentor, my father... but why no guilt? Why this thrill?"
"No, you feel guilt," a voice cut in. "For you, it just turns into 'excitement.'"
"Assassin?" Kirei eyed the red-clad figure stepping from the shadows. "You're saying I'm evil, that sin excites me?"
"Everyone's evil at core. Misery, confusion, pain: they spark joy through comparison. Humans weigh themselves against others, related or not, and never stop," Assassin said, voice icy. "That's their hopeless nature."
Kirei blinked. "I took you for a quiet type, some nameless killer. If you know humans so well, what am I to you?"
"A shell."
"True... I don't know what I want or what to do. I've just followed orders. To feel 'human,' I tried stuff; even a family but in the end I failed anyway."
Kirei mused, "Why did I save Kariya? It wasn't the plan, it didn't help us. Why? Am i enjoying this immoral feeling of betrayal?"
"No," the Assassin said sharply. "You're testing. A shell stuffs itself with anything. Find what your heart wants, and you'll go from 'shell' to 'real.'"
"Assassin, you're more machine than man; how do you get humans? What's your name?"
"A nameless, weak spirit... I have regretted it before and longed to start over. But I'd pick the same every time....I am just a fool."
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A rustling stabbed his ears, sharp like ants chewing his brain.
Weirdly, the pain didn't repel him; it sparked a faint joy. Maybe deep down, pain meant life, so it fired him up.
Or maybe, next to past torments, this was light, so he relaxed?
Kariya Matou's body had hit a point where he needed to bleed to feel alive...
"Up already? Sooner than I expected," Zouken Matou chuckled, his withered, ghoulish face twisting. "You're trash. Both your life and luck are a wreck. Only your willpower is decent, but that just proves you're dumb."
Zouken jeered, then turned to the purple-haired kid nearby. "Shinji, look at your uncle. See this? That's what happens when you defy Grandpa."
Shinji nodded, blank-eyed, like a toy.
"Shinji... Zouken! What'd you do to him?" Kariya croaked.
He loathed the Matou clan; every one of them was twisted. But Shinji was a kid who has done nothing wrong and still has a chance to return to live a normal life.
Zouken grinned. "What'd I do? Whatever you have, he has too but his 'guests' are gentler. He's worth more; fresh, lively meat. I won't break him rough..."
"Zouken! You—"
Zouken's cane slammed Kariya's gut. He gagged, spitting out a nasty bug.
Zouken snatched the squirming thing, waving Shinji over. "Your uncle's essence made this beauty. Taste it, it's good for you!"
"Stop! Stop it, Zouken!"
Kariya pleaded, "Please... hurt me instead! Leave Shinji be... he's done nothing..."
The more Kariya begged, the wider Zouken's grin got, feeding off his agony.
Then Kariya froze, a weak smile tugging his lips. "...It's coming, it will be over soon..."
"What's that? Are you finally having a mental breakdown? I thought you'd last longer and keep me amused..."
"Zouken!" Kariya cut off the smug old man. "Do you know what retribution is?"
"Cause and effect," Zouken said coldly. "Good or bad past brings future results... What's your point? Are you cursing me? Don't be stupid."
"A curse? Maybe. If it worked, I'd scream your name from hell forever!"
Kariya bared a savage grin. "But no need. Retribution is here now, not later!"
A rumble shook the bug pit. Zouken sensed big magical energy closing in; straight down.
"Berserker?... Heh, hahaha!"
Zouken cackled. "Kariya, you're truly hopeless. Do you think a Servant can kill me? I'm not that sloppy."
He snapped his fingers causing the bugs carved inside Kariya's body to riot. Countless veins on Kariya's body bulged and worms crawled under skin. In a flash, his circuits and nerves teetered on burnout.
"Even if you use Command Seal to send the Berserker to kill me, what can it do? This body's a shell. I've got spares," Zouken sneered.
Kariya, gasping, said, "Yeah...without your real self, it's pointless. But I know it's in this house somewhere... If I can't find it, I'll just trash the whole place!"
"Funny. Berserker doesn't have the ability…..wait!"
Zouken stared up, stunned. "Two Servants?"
"Right... Berserker can't, but someone can!"
Kariya roared, "Die!"
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Arrrrr!" The dark plane roared.
He dove near-vertical, Vimana hot behind. The golden king sitting up on the top sneered; "Mad dog, ran all this time just to die?"
The jet spat decoy flares; weak normally, but Berserker's "Knight of Owner" turned "weapons" into D-rank Noble Phantasms.
Here, flares became a storm of D-rank blasts!
Explosions swamped Vimana.
"Damn!"
Golden light flared, but on Gilgamesh's face there was a trace of embarrassed and anger
"Want death, mutt? Fine!"
"Execution—"
Huge ripples spread and a sword dwarfing Vimana loomed, like it'd slice the sky.
As Gilgamesh readied it, the knight vanished.
"Tch, Command Seal..." She pinged Berserker's energy underground. There was no mistaking that wild and chaotic aura.
"Do you think you can survive hiding underground? Berserker's Master, you trust your barrier too much."
Gilgamesh swung hard. "Let me tell you what crushing means!"
"King's Execution—Sword of Damocles: Heaven's Punishment!"
The mountain-like sword dropped and the air along its path groaned.
As it fell glowing patterns sparked as it fell, turning crystal-bright, slicing the Matou barrier like butter, smashing buildings.
A hellish pit gaped in the end.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
In an alley, shadows twisted and a mist-cladded knight out with two figures; one big, one small.
Kariya spat out a black blood, eyeing the distant light pillar, shaken. If he was even half a second slower on that Command Seal, they'd be toast!
Although he had lost two Command Seals, he felt extremely relieved after killing Zouken.
"Uncle... Uncle?"
Kariya looked at Shinji, who looked blank as a doll, and hugged him tight. "It's fine now. That monster's dead! Sakura, you, me, we will never be bound by that devil again. The Matou curse ends here..."