Blood dripped as Rin and Sakura stood, hugging each other.
Neither was there an end to Sakura's enormous magic, nor was there an end to the Mana that the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch could borrow from the infinite parallel worlds.
Hundreds of Shadow Giants had already succumbed to the projected Sword, letting Rin match The Shadow's ridiculous powers.
Moment after moment, unleashing the Sword's magical wrath, she had closed the gap between them.
However, when it finally came the time to deal the last blow, Rin faltered.
Now, a strip of black-red cloth was running through and through her stomach, blood pooling under her feet.
"… Big Sister…" Sakura winced, a blankness replacing her raging emotions. She looked down and saw what she had done… and her entire body shook.
Rin's hand landed on the back of Sakura's head.
"… I do not hate you, Sakura," Rin whispered. "None of us do… I… am sorry, for not being there for you when you needed me the most. I… love you. Hehe… In that, we both are cursed, no? … And here I was, blaming Shirou…"
Letting out a sigh, Rin fell back, her body rolling downhill before coming to a bloody stop.
Watching this from above, a blank-faced Sakura screamed… a blinding whiteness replacing her vision in the very next moment.
…
Ground upended.
Hills and mountains disappeared.
Bounded Fields ceased to exist, torn apart by the mere shockwaves.
The Greater Grail Chamber was hundreds of meters underground. But when the whiteness receded, all the earth around the chamber itself had been blasted away, revealing it to the outside.
One by one, figures began falling on the slopes of the hill, on top of which the Greater Grail rested, a black hole pouring Mana into it.
With loud thuds, Berserker and Medea struck the ground like missiles, creating a huge storm of dust.
Ainz Ooal Gown, missing his left hand and carrying a Staff in his right, struck the earth like another missile not far from them.
Betty Shaw's figure, lacking any video camera, skidded on the ground as if it were a lake, a loud boom arresting his momentum as his bones cracked.
Shirou bounced off a boulder, coughing blood. In his arms, he carried what looked like a head, but too mutilated to reveal its face.
At last, covered in motes of light, the Heroic Spirits appeared, their footing firm — but their existences dying.
The moment her eyes landed on Shirou, Sakura stumbled back, tears dripping down her chin. "… I killed her…" she mumbled. "… I killed her…"
"Do it, you dumbass!" Archer shouted, his body becoming transparent.
"Shirou!" Saber screamed, her legs vanishing in golden motes of light.
"Save her!" Rider screamed, her body covered in holes and blood.
Ruler, who had unleashed her second Noble Phantasm, sacrificing herself, looked at the spot where her Master lay and smiled. "End the evil…"
Shirou put down Black's head as flesh began wriggling out of his neck, gaining form.
Mana bolts crackled on the palm of his hand as he began projecting a weapon, his eyes never looking away from Sakura.
"… No! Don't!" Sakura screamed. "I killed her!!"
"She's alive!" Shirou shouted back. "It's not too late! We can save her! Together!!"
Suddenly, the earth around them caved in, lava shooting out like a fountain. Hundreds of strips of black-red cloth shot out of the lava, pooling over Sakura's head.
"NO!" Sakura gasped. "Run, Shirou! Take Rin away and run!"
"Like I'll ever…" Shirou smiled.
A boom rang out as the strips shot toward him, Shirou blurring out of existence.
He was on his last legs, but as he ran over the breaking ground, he knew this was something he must do.
Dodging, parrying, and getting struck by the strips, Shirou jumped over to the platform where Sakura was standing.
A silence lingered in the burning chamber, then, with all eyes planted on the scene.
With one last cyan crackle, a dagger appeared in Shirou's hand. "… You killed so many people…" he said, looking at Sakura with a smile. "Are you ready for your punishment?"
Sakura's entire anxiousness melted as she opened her arms. "… Yes."
The earth under Shirou's feet cracked as he ran toward her, the strips of cloth failing to damage his sword-like body.
Then, raising the Rule Breaker high, Shirou plunged it deep into Sakura's chest.
A shiver ran through the Greater Grail itself.
The Shadow's dress covering Sakura disintegrated.
All the black-red strips fell, disappearing back into the lava.
Angra Mainyu's shell within the Greater Grail, which was shaped like a bottle, also shook. The four eyes within it, that had opened as a sign of Its imminent incarnation, lost their light.
The blood-like Mana pouring out of the black hole above the Greater Grail lessened as well.
And it all meant one thing.
The core needed for Angra Mainyu's incarnation, the gateway through which curses were flowing out from the other side of The Root, had vanished.
The Shadow—was dead.
The incarnation of All The World's Evil—had been thwarted.
Now, they just needed to destroy the Greater Grail and all would be…
A hum reverberated in the surroundings, suddenly.
Black, Saber, Rider, Jeanne d'Arc, and Archer, all those who were smiling at the sight of Sakura lying in Shirou's arms, cut off from Angra Mainyu's hold on her, gained a chill… their bodies refusing to move under the might of her presence.
With a splash, spraying lava all across the destroyed chamber, massive snakes, hundreds of feet large, came slithering out.
Shirou's face paled, his eyes matching with Saber's. "… Run!"
Black looked over his shoulder at Archer, who was blankly looking ahead. "… Move!!"
Betty Shaw dashed toward the Holy Maiden. "… Dear audience…"
And Rider… exploded, heralding her return.
Thick beams of purple Mana shot out of the snake's maws as they bared their fangs.
In the next moment, Archer, Saber, and Ruler disappeared, a purpleness washing over them.
Shirou, Black, and Betty Shaw listlessly kept looking where the Servants had been standing…
… and the horror slithered out of the lava, looming over their heads.
Gorgon — stronger than ever — livelier than ever — viler than ever — had returned.
Sigh… Zelretch shook His head in disappointment. And that's why… you should never play with Luck…
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AN: Original Character Image of the changed Gorgon, wide scale, is available
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