See you again, people! Here I bring you the expected conclusion of this story. At first I didn't think this would be so long, but in the end it ended up being almost as long as the previous chapter. In the end I decided not to include the fight between Mordred and Semiramis, as this would lengthen further, and I didn't want to reopen the wound either.

And this time yes, as I always say at the end of my stories, the Emiya theme can not miss.

Without further ado, let the final battle between dreams begin.

Disclaimer I don't own any right over Type-Moon or the Fate franchise.

Amakusa Shirou saw hell.

After entering the Great Grail, he was received with the image of that hell in which he found himself at the end of his life. Hara Castle reduced to ashes and rubble, and his fellow rebels massacred by the Shogunate's army.

"I heard the people's lament..."

And in the middle of that hell, he found himself. Her past self that still kept his black hair and fair skin, bloodied and kneeling in the middle of hell.

"And so, I answered their prayers."

"But, what I looked for was a mistake. Perhaps, fighting to help those voices who asked for help was not the right choice. But my self at the time chose to fight alongside everyone else."

"And that's how it ended. I couldn't save anything." The response from his other self came in strong, and full of regret.

However, Shirou's calmed expression did not falter. "It was painful and frustrating."

"I hate my enemies! Yet, they are still human. That's why I can forgive them. But I can't forgive myself!"

"True... I can't be forgiven as I couldn't save a single person. That is why I wished it. A miracle for humanity to discard its selfishness. The salvation of humanity. Be it allies or enemies... I swore to save all humans."

Amakusa Shirou knew what this was about. The Grail was testing him to see if he was worthy to use it, so he showed it his resolve.

Just then, he saw another figure walking through hell. A man of tanned skin, white hair and steel grey eyes, dressed in a light black and silver armor, and a red cloak.

Shirou quickly recognized the man he had declared as his enemy, King of Fakers. He was walking aimlessly through the rubble, with a flat, emotionless look.

The sight caused anger to arise in the heart of the ex-saint.

That man pursued ideals similar to him, and even, unlike Shirou, he had managed to save everyone. But instead of cooperating with him to bestow the miracle of the salvation of mankind, he rejected him. He rejected the dream he had spent sixty years planning to achieve, saying that he had given up and entrusted it to the Holy Grail.

But, Shirou knew that was what the Grail wanted. His determination to save even that man to falter.

He pushed those turbulent emotions aside and closed his eyes to achieve a state of peace of mind. If he wanted humanity to give up those unnecessary feelings, he himself would have to be the first.

When he opened his eyes again, the image of that hell had disappeared, and now he was in a beautiful meadow full of flowers, covered by a clear blue sky.

And in front of him, there was a beautiful woman with pale skin, red eyes, and snow-white hair. She was wearing a white and red ceremonial dress with a matching crown, and she was looking at him with a cold, emotionless look.

He recognized her quickly. She was Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, the head of the Einzbern family when they created the Grail together with the Tohsaka and Makiri, and the woman on whom the Homunculi that family created were based. As was his former master.

"That kind of agony is no longer necessary. What I want is the materialization of the souls of all humans. I will not take no for an answer."

The woman simply nodded. Now, humanity would be saved.

Jeanne finally reached the chamber where the Great Grail was. It was a large room full of pillars, and hanging between them was the great mass of carved stone that was the Great Grail.

There was no sign of Shirou at the scene, so she assumed he was still inside. Knowing that Assassin of Red was currently fighting in the throne room against Saber of Red, the only presence she felt in the place must be...

"Caster, Shakespeare."

"Indeed, I am William Shakespeare, a humble playwright at your service." Said servant came out from behind one of the columns and approached Ruler carelessly.

"I suggest you surrend. You have no chance of defeating me."

"But please, we haven't even started yet!" The book in Caster's hands opened and its pages began to flutter around both of them.

"Curtains open! Go back to your seats. No smoking, photograph or recording. The whole world is my stage! The play begins! Let the thunder of applause roar!"

Once Caster finished her speech, Jeanne found herself dressed in common clothes of her time, and in the midst of a rural landscape she recognized.

"This is my home..."

It was the place where she was born, and where she had lived until she decided to take her banner and go to war.

"An illusion. Surely this is the noble phantasm of Caster of Red."

"Why? Why burn you on the stake and despise you for 18 years? Even if the Lord's guidance urged you to leave."

A familiar voice took her out of your thoughts. She immediately turned in the direction it came from, and saw a woman who was practically a more adult version of her. Jeanne recognized that person immediately.

"Mother?"

"Please don't go Jeanne!" The woman clung to her desperately.

Still Jeanne was impassive. "No, I'm going. I have to go. Not only to save this village or the country, but much more."

"Ah, Jeanne!" Her mother buried her face in her chest and began to cry totally desvastated.

Ruler simply turned his gaze to the other person present. "Are you satisfied with this, Caster of Red?"

"How could I? This is just the beginning! Now, let's go to the second scene."

The writer snapped his fingers, and the next moment the landscape had radically changed.

Now they were in the middle of a bloody battlefield. Jeanne recognized it as one of the many she had been on. She found herself surrounded by the corpses of soldiers killed and massacred by the army she led.

"You're covered in blood, Saint."

"It doesn't matter what you show me. The people who followed me got blood on their hands. That makes mine bloody, too. I've never been afraid of that."

"Then let me ask you in place of Carlos VII!" Shakespeare began to speak to her through the bodies around her.

"You went down to the battlefield, risking your life, bloodied your hands and won back to France. But in the end you were put on the stake. A terrible betrayal, if you ask me. A tragedy! Despair! You still say you believe in God? That your fight was not meaningless?"

Jeanne's answer came without hesitation. "Of course, my death was a fate I never tried to avoid. The moment I raised my banner, I lost the right to die peacefully at home."

After her response, the scene suddenly changed again. This time, she was walking through the streets of a city she soon recognized.

Her hands were restrained by shackles that were tied to a horse in front of her. It was the same scene as when she was walking towards the stake in which she was to be burned as a witch.

"How disgusting."

The horse rider turned to look at her and lifted the visor off his helmet, revealing that it was Caster.

"Excuse me, blame the costume designer."

"Huh?"

"The character to be executed is already on the stage!"

Jeanne's eyes opened in horror as she saw the stage in the middle of the square. Unlike how she remembered it, on top of this was not a stake prepared to burn someone, but a gallows.

And there on top, among several soldiers, with hands tied and rope around his neck, was Archer. He had his usual stoic expression, without any regrets or resentment towards his executioners, and with his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"What are you doing!? Stop!" Jeanne ran to them in an attempt to stop them, but the chain that tied her hands prevented her.

"You mustn't touch the actors!"

Ruler did not listen to him. The only thought that filled her mind was that this was a mistake. They were going to execute Archer, the person who devoted his whole life to making others happy without receiving anything in return.

"Stop! Please stop! Why are you going to execute him and not me!?"

Her words fell on deaf ears. Finally, the trap door at Archer's feet opened and he fell. The rope tightened to the max, and with an unpleasant sound, broke Archer's neck. His death was quick, painless, and with any struggle from him.

"Why...?" Jeanne looked at the scene with a mixture of horror and shock. Above all, for the smile she saw on Archer's face just before his death.

That was a real smile, the one he always put on when he got someone happier. Surely, he died without blaming anyone else, thinking that if he died, no one else would have to. That she wouldn't have to.

"Oh? But you're the one doing this."

What Caster said made Jeanne even more confused. "What?"

"My noble phantasm uses your own memories. So it's not that I did this, but you did it yourself!"

"No! I never!"

"Ah, but I must admit that this tragedy is really plausible. He would have sacrificed himself so you wouldn't die if he'd been there at the time, don't you think?"

There was no response from Jeanne. She knew he was right. If it was so that others could be happy, Archer would happily give his life.

"But, this isn't over. Now, let's go to the last act."

When Jeanne opened her eyes, this time she was not in a landscape she had seen during her life, but in one she had seen a few days ago.

A barren hill where life did not grow, and an orange sunset sky, covered by a mist of rust. And swords. Many of them, of all sizes and aspects, but all rusted and stabbed to the floor like graves.

This was undoubtedly the Unlimited Blade Works, Archer's reality marble, and the manifestation of his inner world.

"This is really an interesting landscape you saw, Ruler. I would have loved to see it in person. Every little detail has an immense meaning behind it. Forgive me if I couldn't recreate it completely."

Jeanne recovered from the previous shock and stared at Caster. "Well? What are you going to show me now? I doubt you can keep me inside your noble phantasm much longer."

"See by yourself. I can say with confidence that this is one of the greatest tragedies you'll ever see."

Ruler looked to where Caster pointed, which turned out to be the top of the hill. At that moment, she understood what he meant by that he couldn't recreate it completely.

During the battle with Caster of Black, though the view of the Unlimited Blade Works landscape had overwhelmed her, what lay at the top of the hill had not gone unnoticed for her.

Unlike the rest of the hill, the summit was covered with green grass full of life, and on its center was the only sword that was not rusted. As Archer had described it, the light he found at the end of his path, and the representation of the miracle he achieved.

However, in this replica that Shakespeare had created, the nameless sword of the promised salvation was not where it should be. Instead, the top of the hill of swords was as arid as the rest of the place.

And what struck her the most was what she saw there. There was the owner of this world, kneeling with his back to them. And on his back, there were several swords stabbed. His own swords.

"Caster, what is this supposed to be?"

"You should already know. You're the one who didit after all. This is basically what would have happened to that man if he hadn't found that light at the end of his life. Betrayed by the very people he swore to save and make happy, and by the ideals he believed all his life! All he did was die alone and full of regret on a hill of swords. And there's more!"

After Caster said that, Archer stood up. A sword appeared in his hand, and then he stabbed it on the ground.

Just at that moment, an image appeared in Jeanne's mind. It was a road in the middle of a desert. In this one you could see what looked like a convoy made up of several off-road vehicles.

And the people who handled them or rode them were all dead. Their bodies were scattered around the place, all of them pierced with twisted swords. The same ones that Archer usually shoots with his bow.

Archer stabbed another sword to the ground, and another image appeared in Jeanne's mind. This time, it was a ruined city, and again, all I could see were corpses, all of them also pierced by twisted swords.

The scenes kept repeating, and at all times, Archer's face remained the same. A shell without emotions, and his eyes devoided of any trace of life. He seemed a machine just doing its assigned task.

It didn't take Jeanne long to interpret what she was seeing. "This is... what would have happened to him if he hadn't made that wish..."

"Indeed, Ruler! A never-ending cycle of killing, in which each time he ends up destroying his own ideals! Continually killing people without distinguishing whether they are innocent or not, moving further and further away from his ever-distant dream! In the end, he became an emotionless tool, a sword in the service of humanity."

As if to represent what Shakespeare said, several gigantic rusty gears appeared in the sky and slowly began to spin between them. It was the representation in this world that its owner finally ended up seeing himself as a machine.

"This... can't be... He doesn't deserve something like this..." Jeanne couldn't take it anymore and closed her eyes to avoid seeing them.

"Oh? Is that so? As a follower of the Lord's teachings, you must treat everyone equally. Why do you make an exception with him?"

"No! I..."

"That exception is certainly love! A powerful feeling for that man!"

"No! I have neither the right nor the will to love someone as an individual. That must be..."

Jeanne left her line inconcluse. She didn't know what her feelings for Archer were. Even if she knew the only way Archer didn't end up like this was if someone loved him, she doubted that she herself deserved to be that person.

"No! You're wrong, Lady Jeanne! You're wrong!" The voice of Laeticia, the human she was possessing because the vessel of the Ruler class was already occupied by Amakusa Shirou, was heard within her.

But, it didn't reach Jeanne.

"It is exactly as you say. You are indeed a saint, Jeanne. Of course you don't have those feelings. You love humanity as a whole. You would never love one person over the others. Isn't that obvious? You let him end like this! You sure knew if he went down that path, he'd end up regretting it, but you didn't do anything!"

Shakespeare's words, struck Jeanne's heart hard. "I didn't..."

"He willingly assumed the entire burden and killed Assassin for you, taking one more step towards this sad and heartbreaking end. If you love him so much, why didn't you stop him?"

Jeanne fell to her knees, her mind a bundle of doubts. What Caster said was undoubtedly true. Being the person his dream was to sabe everyone, he must have been the most affected by having to kill the children. She knew it, and yet she didn't do anything.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I should have told you clearly! Your heart was right!"

The sad and depressing landscape faded, and both servants found themselves again in the Great Grail room.

"I guess my time is up. Maintaining a replica of a reality marble is really expensive. I couldn't even bring the special guest, so I had to manage to interpret it convincingly. Anyway..."

Caster stopped talking to himself and headed for the mentally devastated Ruler. "This is my great victory, Jeanne d'Arc. In the end, you are but a Young girl. You lost because you could not realice and accept your own feelings, and that is what I call being dense. But enough of this buffoonery!"

Shakespeare glanced at his pocket watch, and after checking what he wanted, he threw it aside.

"It is time for the two protagonists of this story to enter the stage for the final battle! First, with all of you, my master, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada! The man who has just set in motion the salvation of mankind!"

Both servants watched as the Holy Grail began to shine. Stairs made of prana appeared to connect the front of this with the ground, and on high appeared the master of the servants of the red faction.

He no longer wore his priest's clothes, but his traditional clothes with which he was summoned in the Third Holy Grail War, and wielded his Katana enchanted by Caster, Miike Tenta Mitsuyo.

With a conviction-filled gaze, he raised his free hand. "My desire was granted! It was indeed granted! This is the victory of humanity!"

His gaze then landed on Ruler, who looked at him with virtually no will to fight.

"Jeanne d'Darc, the Third Magic has been set in motion."

"Third Magic? The materialization of the soul..."

"Now, the Hanging Gardens will travel the world absorbing the magical energy of all souls. This is for the purpose of freeing humanity from their physical bodies. The instinct to survive will disappear. Selfishness will vanish. Humanity will ascend to beings with mental bodies. Normal people will attain immortality without discarding emotions like love. I have a question for you. What is that if not salvation?"

Jeanne's eyes were opened to it. What he said was correct, and in the state of mind she was in, he no longer knew what to answer.

But what she missed was that it seemed like he had asked the question for someone else.

"I don't know about her, but I think it's stupid."

A low voice was heard behind Ruler. She immediately turned to face the entrance of the hall. There, at the top of the stone stairs was Archer. His hair usually combed backwards now fell on the part of his red cloak tied to his head. His combat suit was in tatters and his body was full of wounds.

At that moment, she remembered the revelation she had the day they met. The one where Amakusa Shirou and Archer were fighting, and Archer was about to be defeated. Then, she realized that the pitiful state in which he was in the vision was not caused by that fight.

He was about to start fighting in that state.

"And with all of you, here we have the other protagonist, whose presence here can only mean that he managed to defeat a hero of the caliber of Achilles! King of Fakers, the nameless hero who opposes the miracle of the salvation of mankind."

"As I expected, you finally made it here, King of Fakers. Could you tell me why you find the miracle of humanity's salvation stupid?"

Both white-haired men slowly began to descend their respective stairs as they spoke. Though their glances were so intense, their expresions remained calm.

"Well, I can see that with that method that hell will not happen again. However, you forgot one crucial aspect. Do you really think people will be happy like that?"

"Of course. There will no longer be evil in people's hearts. People can love without being hurt. There will be no more sins, and everyone can be atonned."

"Well, I'm not someone who can talk about something like love, but I can tell you that you're wrong about the other aspects."

Shirou kept calm despite Archer's claim. "And why would that be?"

"When one remembers his past, one does not think of how many years he has lived, but of the good times he has lived. People enjoy their lives to the fullest every day because they know that someday it will all be over. Being immortal and carefree, do you think that's possible?"

The only answer Archer got was silence. They both just walked down the stairs and started walking towards each other.

"No more talking, huh? I guess this was inevitable."

Archer walked past Caster and Ruler. The first one turned aside and went to one side of the room saying he was going to pick a good spot to see the resolution of this story.

As for Jeanne, she stared at him not knowing what to say. "Archer..."

He softly touched her shoulder. "Stay back, Ruler. I'll take care of this."

Jeanne looked at Archer's back as he continued to walk toward Shirou. That firm, sturdy back that seemed to be able to carry the weight of the world.

It was the same image she saw when he dealt alone with Spartacus' final attack. The same image she saw when he took on all the consequences for himself and murdered Assassin of Black.

The same situation repeated constantly. Archer would fight alone again, even if he was all hurt and with barely any magic energy, just because he doesn't think he deserves to be helped.

Jeanne couldn't take it anymore. Even if she no longer knew if the miracle that set in motion Amakusa Shirou was right or not, and she was no longer going to love everyone else equally, at that moment, there was only one thought filling her head.

She didn't want to see that man all alone anymore, making others happy without being able to be just as happy in return.

Pressing her grip on the handle of her banner, she mustered the courage to rise up once more.

"Wait, Archer! You're not alone anymore, so stop doing everything on your own and let me help you!"

"No. You're wrong." The resounding response came not only from Archer, but also from Shirou.

"Huh?" That surprised her a lot.

"This isn't about me wanting to take care of this so no one else has to fight, Jeanne. This is something personal between him and me that we have to solve alone. Just as he doesn't accept my dream, I don't accept his."

"Yeah. We will decide which of our selfish dreams triumphs in this fight. It is a good end to this Holy Grail War. But do you think you can defeat me in that state, King of Fakers? If Jeanne d'Arc wants to help you, I don't mind facing both of you. After all, if she opposes my wish, after destroying you she will be next."

"I won't know until I try. Besides, coming from the guy who had to be summoned in the Ruler class to fight other servants, you don't sound very convincing."

They both remained silent, ten meters separating each other. Both had their eyes fixed on the other, totally calm and without any trace of hatred for the adversary.

"Trace, on."

While Shirou drew his katana, Archer projected Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands.

Considering the prana he spent to destroy all the traps he found on his way here, that would be the last projection he could make.

After a few brief seconds of silence, they both kicked the ground and threw themselves at each other. The yang sword clashed into the katana of a certain one-eyed master swordsman in a rain of sparks.

The final fight that would decide the fate of mankind had begun, with Jeanne and Shakespeare as the only witnesses.

The fight began even. They both had similar parameters, and they could also reinforce his body, although Archer was much more skilled at this. However, in terms of sword skills, Archer far surpassed Shirou, and the same could be said in the combat experience.

But a few minutes later, the difference began to be noticed.

Amakusa Shirou threw a thrust to the left of Archer's chest. He brought Kanshou quickly to deflect the attack with a backhand swing.

His timing had been perfect, and the attack should have been avoided without receiving any damage. But that would have been the case if the nameless servant had been in full condition.

The fatigue accumulated in the fight against Achilles began to make a dent, and his movement was a little slower than usual. It was barely perceptible, but it made a difference.

"Guh!"

The katana was not deflected in time and ended up leaving a cut on Archer's side, adding one more wound to all he had. It wasn't a serious wound, but in the state he was in it was troubling.

However, Archer endured the pain and struck back before Shirou could bring back his sword. He swung Bakuya quickly towards his opponent's exposed neck.

But, again, the movement was slightly slower than normal, giving Amakusa Shirou the opportunity to lean back and let the married sword pass within inches of his nose.

Archer continued his attack, his right leg kick hard the left side of the former servant Ruler. This one flew to the side and rolled a couple of times to get back on his feet.

His opponent threw himself back at him, his speed reduced compared to the first clash. Amakusa took advantage of this and took out five Black Keys in his left hand and threw them at Archer.

He did not bother to slow dawn, and with a wide swing with Kanshou he deflected them all behind him.

But this was already part of Shirou's plans.

"Set!"

The enchantment in the hilts of the weapons to exorcise evil spirits was activated, and the three blades changed their trajectory in the middle of the air to fly towards Archer's back.

He realized it, but he could not turn to stop them as it would mean turning his back on his enemy. Nor could he trace a copy to counter them, so all he could do was to jump aside and abandon his attack.

Still, his body didn't respond as quickly as his mind did, and one of the Black Keys managed to stab itself in the left side of his back.

"Archer!" Jeanne's worry-filled scream was heard in the background, but they both ignored it.

Archer landed as best he could, but he didn't have time to regroup. Amakusa had already crossed the distance between them and his blade was heading in a thrust aimed at his head.

Archer dropped all the weight on his wounded side, causing his body to lean by itself to the left side. He barely managed to avoid the attack, rubbing his temple and cutting his bandana.

As the red cloak fell to the ground, Archer quickly returned to balance and struck the blade that had almost killed him upwards with Bakuya. That left Amakusa's chest wide open, and without missing the opportunity, Archer threw him a backhand cut with Kanshou.

Shirou reacted quickly and jumped back, receiving only a superficial cut. If Archer had been in full swing, he would surely have been cut in two.

Both took advantage of the distance between the two to regroup and reassess the situation.

While Amakusa Shirou was almost unharmed and showed no signs of fatigue, Archer was just the opposite. His breathing began to become difficult, as he drew the sword from his back with a grimace.

There was no doubt that he was already reaching his limit.

At that moment, everyone's eyes, including his own, landed on Archer's body. It was not surprising, as the view was unique and uncomfortable.

Swords sprouted through all the visible wounds on his body, sewing and pluging them. And from the face Archer was making, it wasn't painless.

You could say now that his body was made out of swords.

Archer had tried to delay this, as being a servant the loss of blood was not a very serious problem, and the swords could hinder even more his movements.

If he had any prana left, this would help him to heal the wounds more quickly, but he had hardly any prana left to maintain his existence on the physical plane, and if it weren't for his Archer class ability, independent action, it wouldn't even be enough for that.

And seeing the little prana that came to him from Fiore, she must also be almost on the verge of the insufficiency of prana. It wouldn't be weird if she'd already fallen unconscious from fatigue.

The fight resumed shortly after, but, that could hardly be called a fight from that point on.

Archer could barely defend himself against Amakusa Shirou's attacks. He had practically no strength left to fight back. Although he had managed to adjust to his unfortunate condition, his combat experience only made him survive longer.

Every attack of his katana that parried made him fall to the ground, but he got up and kept trying. Without giving up, he continued to fight that hopeless fight.

"Realize now, King of Fakers! You have no chance!"

Amakusa Shirou's sword overcame Archer's defense and made a pretty deep cut in his chest. Archer spit out a handful of blood, but stood up to his enemy again.

"Give up already! You alone can do nothing!"

Another cut, this time on his thigh, that practically showed the bone. But his opponent did not give up.

"Your dream is impossible! You cannot get it on your own! Accept my miracle and put aside that unreal illusion of yours!"

The katana this time stabbed Archer's abdomen. A really serious wound, but he stood up, facing him without hesitation, even though he looked like a walking corpse.

"Even if my miracle will not make humanity happy, there will be no more suffering! Wasn't that what you wanted? You're only opposing me because of your selfishness! You want to make everyone else happy because it's your only way to be happy! With such shallow, hypocritical motives, you never stood a chance against me!"

Amakusa Shirou raised his katana above his head to strike the final blow. His arms shone with black and white, indicating the activation of his noble phantasm. The crystallization of all the 'miracles' he performed during his lifetime, which allow him to perform any existing magecraft.

The katana was flooded with prana. The spell used by the Japanese servant was the one Archer used to try to match Achilles, prana burst.

The sword descended upon Archer, bringing certain death. He crossed the married swords over his head and received the attack directly.

Kanshou broke in the crash, and Bakuya barely resisted. The sheer force of the attack sent the nameless servant to collide with one of the pillars. Blood splattered on the debris created by the stunted crash, and Archer sat there and didn't get up again. His bangs covered his eyes, and the white sword in his hand was beginning to fade.

"This is my victory, King of Fakers. The miracle of the salvation of mankind has triumphed."

Jeanne looked down and speechless as the man she admired had been completely defeated, and his dream crushed.

At the time, Archer's mind was about to give up, but his body, for some reason, denied it with all its might. It kept telling him that that man was wrong.

He wondered why he had been defeated. Was it because Amakusa's words?

Of course not. All Shirou said were things he already knew from the beginning, so it could be said that they went in one ear and out the other.

It had to be something else. Something his opponent did and he didn't.

Analyzing his last line, he realized what it was. Unlike him, who had focused on defeating the enemy before him, Amakusa Shirou fought to defeat his enemy's dream.

Once again, he had lost sight of his true purpose. King of Fakers, and all his companions, had come here to save everyone, not to defeat Amakusa Shirou. That was just a stepping stone to his dream.

Besides, he really got on his nerves. He really couldn't accept that man.

If parts of his body were broken, then he just had to use the parts that weren't. And if everything he had was broken, then he would use parts he didn't have. His body hadn't given up yet, so he could definitely reach it.

The applause rang in the hall as Shakespeare approached them again, with an ecstatic expression.

"Wonderful! What a battle brimming with emotion and tragedy! The play has finally come to its conclusion, and the victory was for my master! Ah, but it seems that some spontaneous actors are approaching."

"Resist, Archer! We'll take this from here!"

Astolfo entered the room mounted on his hypogriff, accompanied by Sieg and Caules. The pair of servant and master remained in a rather pitiful state, but it seemed that the former master of Berserker had helped them to recover a little.

But, before they could head for Amakusa Shirou, prana chains caught the hypogriff and its rider. Caules and Sieg managed to jump just before and landed near Jeanne.

"Tsk. This is nothing!" Astolfo tried to break out of the bindings, but he was too weakened.

"Master! Quick, give me the order!"

Near them appeared Semiramis, who had caught Rider. The battle with Mordred had left her in a deplorable state, without her left arm and a horrible cut on her chest. Still, she had drawn strength to return to her master and support him to the end.

He wasted no time and raised his hand with his command seals. "Assassin, by my command seal, I order you to bind Rider of Black!"

The effect was immediate and the chains strengthened, leaving the Charlemagne paladin completely immobilized.

Seeing the situation, Sieg looked at the two remaining black command seals in his hand. He barely managed to be able to move a few moments ago, but it was their only chance to win against Amakusa Shirou.

"Ruler, I'm going to transform. If the two of us fight together, we can beat him."

She nodded and stood up. Her hand was placed on the hilt of her sword, the sword she had never wielded on the battlefield. At this point, she didn't mind sacrificing herself so Archer's defeat wouldn't be meaningless. However...

"Hold on, stay out of this... This is not yet finished..."

An unexpected voice interrupted them. The eyes of all present turned to Archer, who was slowly rising.

"OH! It seems the show is not yet over! King of Fakers still has more to offer!" Caster's comments were ignored by everyone in the room.

"Are you still going to challenge me, King of Fakers? Give up now, it's impossible that you can defeat me-"

"Shut up damnit!" Archer's scream silenced everyone here, mostly because of how surprising it was.

"You keep repeating those meaningless words... Impossible... That's just a term created by people who gave up like you to complace hemselves!"

The grip of his hand on the White married sword hilt was reaffirmed, and it regained its image.

"I am the bone of my sword."

He muttered the first line of his aria, the poem describing him as a person and the response to which he came after living his whole life as a sword. It had no visible effect because of the little prana he had left, but it served to remind himself of his true goal.

He poured sheer determination into his dying body and finished rising. He swallowed the blood that had accumulated in his throat, and his bangs withdrew from his eyes, revealing a sight full of nothing but determination.

"I don't mind losing to someone else because of my weakness... but... I'll never give up!"

Archer kicked the ground and rushed at Amakusa Shirou swinging the married sword. This one easily saw the attack coming and stopped him with his katana. The sound of the clash between swords announced the restart of the fight.

It is an unbelievable technique. His attacking body is on the verge of death. His fingers are broken, his limbs are slashed, and his breathing has stopped without him even realizing it. His speed is nothing, and his attack is mediocre.

The man who has trained and honed to the limit his abilities to face opponents much superior to him, has returned to fight him without them.

An unskilled, frantic attack . But still... This blow is heavier than any that came before.

"Wh...at?" Amakusa Shirou's calm, indifferent expression turns into surprise in less than a second.

The swinging swords are crazy. They clash with his katana with unimaginable speed.

Where is their power coming from? The attacks are no longer like before.

"You...!"

Shirou cannot go into defense. The next attack should cut through the man's neck. Realizing that he could no longer can make light o fArcher despite his current state, he swings his enchanted sword.

Up and down, left and right. The four attacks should be enough to cut off his limbs and cut up his body into pieces-

But, the only thing heard in the room was four steel clashes.

The man blocked them. No, exceeding his four attacks, the Yin sword comes to cut his throat.

Bringing back the katana, Amakusa Shirou parries the attack.

He intuitively knows that he will be killed if he does not attack. The katana attacks the enemy that is on the verge of death, and the man swings his sword frantically.

His swords clash in balance. Space is full of sparks, and anything that enters the space should be cut to pieces.

But that should be the last spark a dying man gives off.

Archer loses his breath every time he attacks, almost falls down, holds his ground, and attacks again.

The sight reassures him. There is no power left in his enemy. The man in front of him is literally on the verge of death. So...

So why do those arms have seemingly infinite power?

Archer has no consciussnes. He can no longer say what his enemy is doing, or whether his attacks are doing anything.

The immense pain that he feels, not only for his wounds, but also for the swords that sew them together, which when moving frantically tear him even more, orders his body to stop.

He suppress them all together by force.

"... isn't..." That's all that fills his head.

His ideal is fake, a mere fantasy that he had when he saw the smile of that man when he was saved. His motives were selfish, and the path he followed led him to a lonely death.

"It isn't...!" But he felt beauty in it.

He know it's just hypocrisy to value everyone else over himself. But still, from the beginning, he admired it, thinking how great it will be to live that way.

That's the only thing driving his dying body.

Amakusa Shirou cannot hear what his enemy is saying. His enemy's voice is weak, yet his attacks are relentless.

Looking, the man's hands are one with the hilt of the sword. It must be to keep the sword in place, but that will transfer the impact directly to his body.

The man is practically a swords mess covered in blood, and he will fall forward and die if he retreats. Even swinging the sword should come with great pain.

He blocks it in annoyance. His dying enemy gets on his nerve, but...

He himself gets on his nerves, because even though he knows it'll be all over when he retreats, he's not able to do so.

But how can he retreat?

Straightfoward attacks without strategy. If it is a shame to turn his back on such attacks, it is also a disgrace not to block them.

His enemy will self-destruct once he retreats. But he has a presentiment that he will lose something important if he does so.

The worries will end soon. His enemy is at his limit. He will fall after two more blows, or three at least.

"Damn..." Shirou clucks his tongue at his stupid thought.

He previously thought that his enemy would last two more blows. But he has received more than ten blows since then. The man will not fall.

"...….!"

He cannot hear Archer's voice. The dying man frantically opposes the obstacle in front of him.

That figure... He observes the figure with his own eyes for the first time.

Archer keep swing his sword with arms that are about to tear off. The only thing he has left is this one thing he's saying with all his might.

"...isn't..." His barrage of attacks make up for that scream.

There were people who could not save others, and there was he who could not save them. He swore to himself never let such a thing happen again, seeing the memories that meaninglessly disappeared.

"It isn't...!"

How long has been since then? There were things he lost, and there were things he dropped. There are always things that will be forgotten. So he swore to himself that he would not forget that one fact.

To become a hero who can save them all, so that everyone can be happy.

He will protect that, even if his reasons are selfish and hypocritical, and even if it is only sophistry to soften the guilt. That has to come true...

That was the oath he took that night of the full moon. He believes in that desire, even if everyone disagrees with it.

And so... Amakusa Shirou realizes that the attacks will not end.

His enemy will not stop. He will not stop from his own will. The man is attacking with all his might, but he's not looking at his opponent.

What Archer is trying to defeat is his obstacle, the miracle that is hindering him from reaching his dream. He is swinging his sword to enforce what he has believed in, and what he will keep on believing in.

Realizing this, he clenches his teeth in annoyance. The man continues to challenging it, opposing the miracle of salvation that he offered to humanity after sixty years of effort and preparation.

He really can't accept him. So why...?

Why does he want to see how long the man can continue?

"This is it, Disappear!"

He raises his katana. The attacks of his enemy are something he must take seriously. His arms once again shine, and the spell known as prana burst is reproduced on his sword. He repels his enemy's attacks and crushes his skull for sure.

A clanguing sound. The fatal attack is easily diverted. The one who had not been able to block that attack before, now repels a swing done with all his might.

Shirou gasps. He sees his enemy repel his enchanted sword and get back to stance. The man's eyes are looking straight at-

The impact causes one of Archer's arms and legs to break. His sense of pain hasn't gone numb. He uses his anger to suppress the pain that almost makes him faint.

That isn't important. Swords will do the function of broken bones and will keep the limbs firm and still usable.

What is important is that the left side of the enemy's chest is open. With half his body broken, and his independent action skill reaching its limit, that would be his final blow.

But such thoughts didn't fill his head. The only thing in his head was...

Amakusa Shirou pulls back his katana to protect his open left side. He will make it. He will easily make it.

"It isn't a mistake!" This is Archer's final attack.

That's the only thing that fills his head. Even if he is a fake, this is absolutely true. For everyone to be happy... That's an ideal everyone thinks of.

So he won't back down. Because this dream is...

The unwavering gaze. Faults and lies, shaking off everything, running without stoping.

"My dream is not a mistake!"

Those words are driven into his chest. An attack made at full strength, defense that should have been fast enough...

The battle is decided quickly.

He hears the sound of the blade piercing his heart.

The surprised one is the man dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. His enemy attacked full of determination to defeat him. Then it is natural for his attack to do so. The man does not need to be surprised, nor does he have anything to spare to be surprised.

That's why Amakusa Shirou is the only one surprised. It is a great wonder why he could not block an attack that he could have easily blocked.

"Master, why...?" His servant asked him in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

At that time they both remembered that their remaining allies had been seeing them a few feet away.

He did not respond. He might not need to answer, or maybe he not know the answer.

Archer released the hilt of his blade, his broken fingers unable to hold it any longer. His opponent stood still, with the Yin sword still thrust into his chest.

Even having reincarnated, it shouldn't be a problem for him to counter-attack. But, his hands are down, without any sign of movement. Archer knew without being told what that meant.

"I won, Amakusa Shirou." He made the statement as he looked into his eyes.

This one closed his eyes one time. "Yes. And I lost, King of Fakers." He murmured with his eyes looking in the distance.

The room was completely silent again. The conclusion of the battle between dreams had come to an abrupt end, and their minds had not yet finished processing it. All, except a certain writer.

"OOOOOOOOOHHH! Fascinating! Really fascinating! A really unexpected and shocking ending! The resolution forged for sixty years by my master at the end had no chance against a man who has been pursuing his impossible dream throughout his existence!"

Shakespeare was ignored again, but he kept writing things down in his book, his hand becoming blurred by the speed at which he wrote.

"Master, don't give up yet! Just give me the order and I'll finish them off!"

Semiramis was the first to react, and ran to Shirou, catching him before falling to the ground. His body finally began to succumb to his mortal wound.

With her concentration lost, the chains that bound Astolfo loosened, allowing him to free himself from them and regroup with his master and Ruler.

The three approached Archer, who remained barely standing as the blades held his legs steady, and stood guard against Assassin's hostile intentions. But Amakusa Shirou stopped his servant.

"Stop, Assassin!"

Semiramis still resisted his master's command. "Why do you surrender, master? Your desire, that for which you have been striving for sixty years, is about to be fulfilled! Now all we have to do is stand by and defend the Great Grail."

"You heard me. I lost. His determination to achieve his dream far surpassed mine. The only thing left for the loser is to take the leave. But..." His gaze turned to the Great Grail. "There is something I still want to witness. I can no longer stop the miracle of the salvation of mankind."

Everyone's expresions were filled with concern. Even if Archer haa defeated Amakusa Shirou, it would serve no purpose if they could not stop his desire already set in motion.

Then the winner of the conflict of ideals stepped forward. "Then I will do it. To stop a miracle, it will take another miracle. That's what you mean, isn't it?"

Amakusa Shirou nodded, and then everyone realized what they were both talking about. The true noble phantasm of Archer was the only thing that could stop the Great Grail. However...

"But that is now impossible. You have hardly any magical energy left to sustain your existence, let alone to use your sword." Jeanne said what everyone was thinking.

"There is still a way..." After those enigmatic words, Archer looked at the entrance to the room.

Everyone did as he, and right after that, the last two people who were missing there showed up. Gordes leapt from above the stairs to land next to them, while carrying a very pale and barely conscious Fiore.

"It seems that... we did not arrive in time... to see your servant... kick Amakusa Shirou's ass." The blond magus commented between gasps.

He seemed almost exhausted and he was all sweaty, so he must have been running at full speed the whole way

"That's because... you have a few extra pounds... When we get home... you're going to diet..." The man shuddered at Fiore's command, even in her pitiful state.

Ruler's eyes then opened when she realized what Archer meant. "I see. The command seals..." But she stopped as she looked closely at Archer's master's left hand.

There was no trace of any red mark there.

"Fiore, what happened to your command seals!?" Caules screamed at her full of concern.

"This... Well... since I wasn't going to get here in time... I used them to help Archer..."

"So, that's why he won-"

"No. You're wrong... I simply ordered him not to give up... and to continue pursuing his dream to the end... Things he'd already done... without me telling him... That was more like giving him my moral support..."

"But then, what do we do? If you no longer have command seals, Archer will not be able to use his noble phantasm."

"She's not the only one with command seals to command King of Fakers..." Amakusa Shirou's words made everyone look at the person he was referring to, Jeanne.

She clutched her hands to her chest. She already knew she was the only one who could do it, but she still avoided thinking it unconsciously. Even if giving that order meant winning this Great Holy Grail War, it would also mean something that she for some reason wanted to avoid.

It would be the final farewell. Archer and she would return to the throne of heroes, and they would probably never meet again. Moreover, that would also mean that Archer would return to his duties as counter guardian, and what the noble phantasm of Caster had shown her was still in her head.

"Come on, Jeanne. Say your command, and I will fulfill it as your sword." Archer's voice interrupted her thoughts.

There he was again, seeing himself as a tool to make others happy.

But after seeing that battle with Amakusa Shirou, she understood it completely. Those were his beliefs, and he would keep believing in his dream until the end.

Casting aside the pain in her heart, she proceeded to fulfill his will. "In the name of Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc, I command you with my command seals! King of Fakers, save everyone!"

Archer's dying body was immediately filled with power, and his golden sword appeared instantly in his hand. He closed his eyes, and lifted the crystallized miracle above his head.

Its warm and comforting light illuminated the whole place, as small particles of light began to float towards the blade. Some had already witnessed it, others had not, but they all agreed on one thing. It was not an impressive or powerful sword. It was simply beautiful.

With the energy already gathered, Archer opened his eyes and swung forward the sword of promised salvation.

The light bearing the hopes of all the people he saved throughtout his life was fired in the form of a beam that completely enveloped the Grail. There a huge pillar of light formed that destroyed the roof and reached the dawn sky.

The Great Grail disappeared into the pillar. As with Beast IV, it was sent to the reverse side of the world. A place that humans could not reach, and therefore, where the miracle of humanity's salvation could not be fulfilled.

The golden sword disappeared, and Archer watched as his body also began to fade. Without the Holy Grail, the servants could no longer maintain themselves on this plane of existence.

"I guess it's my turn to take the leave. It's been a pleasure fighting alongside all of you."

As Fiore, Sieg, and Astolfo bid him farewell, Jeanne remained silent. After witnessing that fight, she finally understood her feelings. Having made her decision, she approached Archer.

"Jeanne-" What he was going to say was cut when she put her hands on his cheeks and pressed her lips against his.

"HAH!" The collective scream of surprise was soon heard.

While Astolfo gave her a thumb up, Sieg looked at the situation without understanding, and Shakespeare increased his writing pace, reaching several pages per second.

"The holy maiden finally accepted her feelings and attacked head-on the massive density of her beloved! Damn it! I don't have enough time to record this whole story!

The kiss broke soon after. Jeanne gave a dazzling smile to Archer, who had been completely paralyzed. His brain tried to understand what just happened, but it couldn't and he went blank.

Still, Jeanne told him what she need to say, with a voice without regrets.

"I love you, King of Fakers. Even if we part now, no matter how much time passes, I will find you again, and I will keep loving you. I won't let you be alone anymore."

Without knowing how to respond to Jeanne's confession, Archer finally vanished.

With the Great Holy Grail War over, the Ygmillenia family broke down. Although the Magus Association stopped actively persecuting them due to the disappearance of the Holy Grail, the families that composed it were not very well seen. Gordes, Fiore and Caules returned to their respective families, and left the Yggmillenia fortress to the homunculi.

Despite all the difficulties, Fiore went ahead with her goal of improving the 'moon-lit world'. Her great talent got her a place in the Clock Tower, and she continued to fight with her brother's support despite having most families against them. Even under the pressure of the Barthomeloi family, she kept keeping that rusty grip. The catalyst they used to summon Archer, and the only link she had left to her precious servant.

Sieg set out on his journey around the world to protect humans, accompanied by his servant and friend Astolfo, who had managed to keep his contract because of his master's bast prana reserves. He followed the path he chose to the end and with no regrets, and Astolfo made sure that he did not have a lonely death like Archer's.

As for King of Fakers, as the last time, his memories of the war were mostly blurred. But one thing stuck in his memory.

That girl who said she loved him. Other than that it was his first kiss, for the first time he heard that someone loved him. His life was important to someone else, and now it has a meaning.

Despite his countless servitude as counter-guardian, he never forgot that, as well as that promise he made to that girl who was his master, and that boy who inherited his sword and promised to surpass him.

And as for Jeanne...

Antarctica, unknown location. Chaldea Security Organization.

Jeanne breathed unconsciously a sigh. The person other side of the table, a woman with long silver hair and blue eyes, noticed and put on a comforting smile.

"Thinking about him again?"

She simply nodded in response. It had been several months since she had been summoned into the singularity of Orleans and had helped Chaldea's master to overcome her evil version that wanted to burn France.

Soon after, she was summoned here as part of the last resistance to the incineration of Human Order. A small part of her hoped to be reunited with the man she came to love, and she will continue to love, but he was not summoned in the singularity nor in Chaldea until today.

"Here are the cakes you ordered." The low voice of a man near them caught their attention, as a couple of plates of such cakes were placed in front of each.

Jeanne glanced sideways at the tall man with white hair combed back, steel grey eyes and tanned skin.

As soon as she was summoned here, she met this man and her heart turned when she thought she had finally met King of Fakers.

To her disappointment, this man and her beloved could not be more different. Although they both pursued the same dream, their endings were totally different. In fact, the end this man had was suspiciously very similar to what she saw inside Shakespeare's noble phantasm.

You could say they were both two sides of the same coin. The only thing they had in common was their appearance, and they both tended to complain about their E rank luck.

"No matter how much you look at me like that, I'm not gonna become him."

Jeanne couldn't help but blush and look away at the cake in front of her.

Right... Another difference was that he was a cynical, sarcastic bastard. And unlike King of Fakers, the man had experience dealing with women, which was sometimes annoying.

"Hey, Emiya, don't bother Jeanne like that." Marie came out in her defense, although the shaking of her shoulders didn't help much to disguise her contained laughter.

The man breathed a heavy sigh. "Although I don't like to admit it, if we're talking about preventing the extinction of humanity, he's the right man. Sooner or later he'll end up here, even if the goldie there doesn't like it."

His thumb pointed to the lone blond man sitting on a luxury sofa in the corner of the cafeteria.

The man stopped drinking from his glass of wine, and sent a look full of disdain to Emiya.

"Heh, having already one Faker here we do not need another. Besides, when I meet him again, I will erase his shameful existence."

"You're just upset because he beat the crap out of you in one of the Fuyuki Grail Wars, right?" The archer in a red cloak answered him with undisguised amusement.

"How dare you, mongrel!? You have exhausted the King's infinite patience! I shall destroy you right now." The murderous intent coming from Gilgamesh roared up, at the same time as Gate of Babylon opened behind him.

The situation became rather tense, but even so the others present in the cafeteria did not pay much attention, even the human staff of Chaldea.

It had already happened so many times, that everyone stopped paying attention to the occasional fights between the King of Heroes and EMIYA. Even Jeanne turned her attention to her cake and her conversation with Marie.

Anyway, the fight ended as quickly as it began when a low-height blonde woman with pale skin and golden eyes came between the two. She was wearing what she described as a cute gothic loli maid dress.

"King of Heroes, you're bothering the customers. If you don't want me to kick you out of here, you'd better behave properly."

To the surprise of some, the golden servant simply snapped his tongue and sat back down on his luxury couch.

But that was not the end of it. Saber Alter turned to look at EMIYA with terrifying eyes. "And where's the burger I asked for, Archer?"

He kept his composure, although everyone could see a chill running down his back.

"It's almost ready. Follow me to the kitchen."

When both servants left the scene, everyone in the cafeteria released the air they had been holding in their lungs without realizing it.

"A-anyway. I have good news for you Jeanne." Marie continued the conversation as if nothing of the above had happened.

"And that would be?"

"On the way here I passed by the command room, and heard that they have finally determined the date of the second singularity. It is located around the year 60, the time when the Roman Empire was ruled by Nero Claudius."

Jeanne's eyes widened upon hearing that. "That means..."

"Yes. According to the records we have, King of Fakers lived during that time."

And here ends this story. Heh, you certainly didn't expect that last thing. You can take it as a link to the next story I plan to write. But we'll talk about that later.

First of all, it has been a pleasure to write this story with you, my readers. I thank you for all the support you gave me all this time. Even if they were just favs, follows or short reviews of "good chapter", I really appreciate it. This story got almost twice as many follows as the previous one, exceeding the two hundred mark, so I guess it could be considered an accomplishment.

Like I said previously, this was the first time I've written about romance, so I'd like to hear your honest opinion about what the pairing between King of Fakers and Jeanne was like. And well, it's been a year since I started writing in Fanfiction, so I'd like to know what you think about my writing, since no one has complained until now, but no one has said it's good either.

In this final I included many references to the route of Unlimited Blade Works, especially the final part of the fight between Amakusa Shirou and Archer, which is a tribute to the Shirou vs Archer of the visual novel.

And well, King of Fakers got his first kiss, leaving aside my parallel story. The good "King of has stoped working" couldn't miss. The pairing will be maintained, as I endeavoured to make it at the request of most of you.

As for my next story, as you have seen in the little omake I left you at the end, it will be the second singularity, Eternal Madness Empire, that will change because King of Fakers will be present in this timeline. After this, as I put in my profile, we will move on to the seventh singularity, Absolutly Demonic Front: Babylon.

Now let's talk about the aspects of the story. It'll take a while to get out, since I played the singularity over a year ago and I'll have to at least see the cutscenes again. Besides I also have some things I haven't decided yet. Like, for example, should Chaldea's master be Gudao or Gudako? But more importantly, should other servants apart from Mash go with him/her to the singularity?

I know that in the current anime of FGO they didn't bring servants with them, and Ritsuka can only make contracts with the servants that already are in the singularity. But, in the game it is never clear if the servants go to singularity, in the first part of the game. In Epic of Remnant there are servants who travel with you to the singularity, but most of them for some reason or another end up lost or even being your enemies, as is the case with Heracles/Megalos. And in the events also appear servants of Chaldea.

There is also the issue of the inconsistency that Nero, being a living person, can fight equally against servants. But for this I have more or less a solution related to the changes of the timeline itself.

And well, if you've come this far, well, all I can do is thank you for taking the time to listen to my ramblings.

With this I bid farewell. I'll see you in the next story, or if you follow my crossover with Date a Live, the next thing I update will be the next chapter of that story.