Name: Emiya Shirou

Level: 85

Class: Assassin

Occupation: Fate Hero

Having to memorize the map projection since Kotomine rejected to give it to him Shirou now remembers every location he has to hit. Five main locations first and then proceeding to Myne and Naofumi.

He doesn't know who is where so it makes things more difficult. He hopes to take out Rider and Assassin first and then Saber as the last one. She will be by far the strongest and his plan is to get all the other servant cards and fighting power to take her out.

Maybe it is luck but his first opponent is Assassin who is engaged in a fight with Raphtaria.

A vassal hero who seems to be a samurai though Shirou still doesn't know her name and neither does Kotomine as every time she asked something happened in between and she just stopped asking. Strangely it happened to Shirou as well forcing him to refer to her as female samurai, otherworlder or simply assassin right now.

"A peasant like you will never be able to defeat a samurai like me nor will you be able to serve your lord the way you are. You better give up now you disgrace of a warrior."

Assassin's number of sword strikes increased for Raphtaria to defend on but he didn't waver. He blocked every single one of them and attempts a counter with his Caliburn sword.

"A slave working against its master. You are a disgrace!"

"I'm not a slave! And I will save Naofumi, if I can't defeat you here then I cannot call myself Naofumi's sword!"

This isn't a battle Shirou can easily step in and help. It's a battle Raphtaria has to fight alone against the Alter Assassin. For now he will observe and step in if necessary, having his bow ready.

The vassal hero pushes forward and forward, her sword becoming sharper and faster with each fail to kill Raphtaria. It's mostly one sided but no matter how many attempts were made, Raphtaria doesn't give up and wields his sword more like a warrior than the so called samurai.

Raphtaria parries an attack and goes for a lunge as it would be one of the only chances to get one hit done but this was a mistake, a big one.

One that not even Shirou could do anything in his position to help. Raphtaria went right into Assassins trap.

"Tsubame Gaeshi," assassins eyes narrowed as she utilized her noble phantasm. Three strikes done by a single sword in one breath. One that cut down Raphtaria in pieces when he ran right into it. "Dirty peasant, thinking you could stand against a samurai."

"Right back to you!" materializing right behind Assassin Raphtaria used a downward slash with his sword and cut his opponents back. His illusion magic fooled both Shirou and his enemy.

"Gah," assassin gagged blood as she rolled forwards and turned around to point her blade at Raphtaria again who was now in the initiative to lead the attacks. He seemed to win now with assassin injured but it's of course not that easy.

She utilizes her vassal hero skills and pushes Raphtaria back again. "Double Sword," another sword appears in Assassins hand, this is bad. She goes into a position to unleash her noble phantasm but now with both swords.

"This is getting dangerous, I need to help him," thinks and draws his bow but stops when he was about to aim. With time accelerated now for him to make sure not to do the same mistake he notices a glow in Raphtaria's hand and blade.

Was it really what he's thinking? But using it wouldn't be possible. Unless he utilizes this world's system.

"Raphtaria, use your light magic and call your sword's name while moving forward to your opponent!"

Having his ears twitch from recognizing Shirou's voice Raphtaria does as he was advised. Pulling his sword before his chest he starts to chant.

"I am the source of power, I command you to heed my words. Golden Light from the Sword of the Victorious. Spring forward and bring me to victory," Raphtaria makes a huge lunge forward his sword ready to attack his enemy but Assassin is faster, way faster.

Her swords come to life and Shirou sees the lines of the six sword blades, right about to unleash.

However, something strange happened. The jewel on the vassal hero's weapon acted up and green light emitted out of the orb and one of the swords vanished.

Panicking Assassin could barely unleash half of the skill she intended and missed when Raphtaria dodged and pulled his sword forward.

"Zweite Light, Caliburn!" the sword was glowing up and a burst of light forms and pushes Assassin away who couldn't get away from the attack.

"Raphtaria, are you alright?" asks Shirou as he comes forth to him.

"Yes, I'm alright. What was that magic?" wonders Raphtaria examining the sword.

"It's the ability of the holy sword. It's but a replica and I don't think you used its original power but with your light magic it came very close, it seems it resonated."

"This is surprising but it used so much of my magic," coughs Raphtaria, exhausted from using the power. Taking out a potion from his class card that gets recognized as a holy weapon he hands the drink over to Raphtaria to regain energy.

"Why didn't you interfere in the fight?"

"I… I didn't think I should have. It was your fight after all."

Looking surprised Raphtaria blinks with his eyes and his ears rise up. "This is… thank you Shirou for your trust," smiles Raphtaria which Shirou only can return but then he notices Assassins presence again and so does Raphtaria as his ears twitch.

"I will get you for it!" sprints up Assassin. "You-"

Without ending her sentence Shirou with his time accelerated shoots Assassin through the chest with his Thompson Contender. The class card comes out of her body and with it the black mud right the instant.

"This is- how?" wonders Raphtaria in sheer astonishment.

"An Origin bullet," answers Shirou and takes the Assassin card into his possession. "I got it- that's not really important. Anyway, it helps us getting the card out of them and at the same time separates them from Angra Mainyu, a special help from my new class card."

"You… this isn't over," groans the vassal hero as she tries to stand up again. "I won't be defeated by you peasants. I WON'T DIE, I'M A SAMURAI! I WILL-"

Horrified in what happened now Shirou and Raphtaria are in utter shock. The space shattered above them and a giant monster came out and ate the vassal hero's body, killing her as her lower body fell down to the ground and monsters start to swarm the place.

"This is bad!" reacts Shirou anxiously and takes out Kanshou and Bakuya to kill the spawns coming near him and projects swords to kill the ones coming for Raphtaria. "We have to get away-"

The one monster that killed the vassal hero and appears to be the boss is snapping his jaw and goes after Shirou as the next target. More and more monsters will appear upon time, they can't stay here any longer, the vassal hero is dead anyway and he got the card.

"Raphtaria, use your illusion magic. I'm getting us out of here."

Accelerating his own time and with Raphtaria's magic they manage past the emerging hordes and get into one of the tunnel entrances.

"What should we do now?" asks Raphtaria exhausted from the fight. Looking back they both see more monsters are appearing out of the cracks and after checking his status he understood what was going on.

The waves have started again and won't stop till the perpetrator is taken care of and this one would most likely be Myne. They can delay the new arrivals of monsters by killing what seems to be the boss but it doesn't change the fact new ones will come shortly after.

"We go to our next target, we better run for it."

Fighting the monsters would be a hassle and too time consuming. So they hurry to the next point while Shirou explains his plan and Raphtaria agrees to help. After all it is about saving the world and the heroes, especially Naofumi.

Somehow they get by cutting down the monsters and absorbing materials quickly while running. No shadows ever since Myne used the Grail. Kotomine must be doing her part well.

"High Quick!"

Figures flash in the air fighting a battle of speed in the air. Filo in his Filolial smashing the walls and ground every time he misses to land a solid hit on Rider.

Stone pillars rise to form this cave area's structure and they are fighting around it while black mud formed the ground underneath with unknown depth. More and more is flowing in from different openings. Soon this place will be full of it and going over to the other areas of this big caves.

"How should we go on?"

"I don't know," Shirou scans the area and comes up with a rather risky idea. He jumps and clings on a pillar almost falling down in the process and slowly climbing up.

Reluctantly Raphtaria follows up.

"Hiya!" Filo seemed the most upset of the fight for not able to reach her and goes in with a kick. Rider uses her chains and wraps them around Filo to throw him against one of the stone pillars.

Filo, boiling with anger grabs on the chains and pulls Rider towards himself and kicks her up in the air.

The chains hold on to him and he goes up as well but turning back into human he gains control and accelerates upward with wind magic. Filo is quick and agile, as small as he is he uses the chains as a means to come further.

Like an angry child boxer he coats his fists in wind magic and delivers an uppercut to Rider's stomach and many more following up across the upper body and finishing up with a kick to sent her crashing against a pillar.

Seems like he didn't need help after all.

"AHHHH, I'M ANGRY!" yells Filo and throws his fists up in the air.

"Filo, calm down, it's alright now," noticing Shirou and Raphtaria in the distance Filo bolts up and runs up crying to them burying his face into Shirou for comfort. "Hush now, it's alright ."

"Ahhhh, I was so frustrated, Shirou, Brother Raphtaria."

Good, Filo is here now too. Now all is left is to get Rider's card before-

"Bellerophon."

Like a magnificent light of red Rider shoots through the pillar Shirou and the others are standing on. Flying with her Pegasus in the air signalling that this isn't the end of her yet. Her new target was Shirou who she catches with her chain and throws him through the air while flying.

Making loops in the air and manoeuvrers Shirou felt sick in the stomach being thrown around like that but the worst has yet to come because Rider was sending him directly into the mud.

He doesn't know when he landed in or when he came out but it was like a dreading instant he was in and then out. As if he immediately came out but with the experience like back then. His body was tired and throwing up but it seemed Filo and Raphtaria are having a mount battle with Rider.

"Ergh," Shirou throws up again. Being inside the mud is awful and his whole being is revolting. This is no time for it. Standing on the rocks in the midst of the mud he inhales the air and yells at Rider. "Sialia, Rider! Come here you coward!"

This is an all out plan, his last resort in this fight with the unfavourable environment. Noticing Shirou Rider ignores fighting the other two and starts his fast descend at Shirou.

The black mud won't do her anything since she is already corrupted by it so she won't be hurt too much unlike Shirou but he doesn't plan to let it end like that.

Using Include he summons both of his spears and throws the golden one at her, forcing her to change plans by evading the projectile and going for a more straightforward attempt.

Readying his spear he faces Rider who flies at him at a straight line. She seems to overpower him with a direct hit and making him unable to use his spear but he wouldn't use it on her anyway.

In fact, both spears are too dangerous to use on an opponent as it risks permanent damage.

No, his plan is different. He uses the spear like a vaulting pole right before her and jumps on Bellerophon as well disrupting the control over the Pegasus and having them fly up.

"This is it," putting the gun against Rider's back he pulls the trigger and collects another card for the endeavour.

Thankful for being saved from Angra Mainyu and Myne's control Sialia is happy to help but she needed to do something else and can't join to help directly. She needs to inform the king of Spearforwerts about the situation and set things in motion.

Parting ways Shirou, Raphtaria and Filo proceed to the next area where the next target is supposed to be. Time is running short, the amount of the black mud is increasing.

"Shirou, how did you manage the black mud? I thought it's dangerous to enter?" asks Raphtaria who sits behind him as they ride Filo through the tunnels.

"Honestly, I'm not sure myself but remember having been in a similar situation before but it's better to try avoiding it. I still feel like a huge mess," coughs Shirou still feeling as if he has some of the mud left in his body.

How much longer will he be able to hold up like that?

They defeated Rider and Assassin meaning all who those who are left are the three knight class servants Saber, Archer and Lancer who fused with three of the legendary heroes. They will be much much harder, disregarding Naofumi right now.

"Filo, stop immediately!" yells Raphtaria and Filo comes into a sudden halt, right before the catastrophe.

"… Morgan!" the path before them was cut and Filo jumped away in time before the Noble Phantasm of Saber. It carved in a giant crater that opened up a way to the sky and one to the next cave area where the sword cut ended.

Glass was lying near the cut path which is still steaming with black smoke from the recent attack. He was most likely the target and barely got away.

"That outfit, it changed," recalling the last encounter Shirou remembers Glass wearing adventure like clothes same as L'arc and Therez but his new sets of clothes are Japanese looking and seem more fitting for his appearance.

"During the waves our strength is boosted, our stats from both worlds get add together," explains Glass as Raphtaria helps him up. "We need to get to L'arc and Therez, the heroes are even stronger than before. Fighting them is nearly impossible."

"I hear you, we will go now and better find them but we need to fight the heroes to get their cards out. We already got Assassin and Rider down."

"You got them? What about the Vassal Hero and her weapon?"

Looking down Shirou shakes his head and explains the situation. How he was unable to save her as she was eaten up entirely by the emerging wave boss.

"This is terrible, I at least hoped the weapon could be retrieved. Wwe can salvage it out of the boss later, together with her body and bury her, hopefully."

"If you get out of here it is," comments Saber Alter who was standing where the crater is carved in behind her. Ren's face in display with her now red eyes. Sensing that Shirou and the others plan to escape she moves her sword and unleashes cuts that go past them and bring the path behind them to collapse.

"I will go distract her, run to the next area!" says Shirou and charges at Ren while summoning the red spear who Ren deflects though didn't think it would cut her through her armour by ignoring the defence.

So she grabs the spear and makes Shirou stop advancing, ignoring how Glass and the others proceed to the next area. "So you got the card back from Kotomine? You seem to be stronger as well."

She pulls the spear with Shirou towards herself but Shirou jumps over her having his eyes remain on her as he jumps back and into the wider area.

"100 Swords," Ren sends out a barrage of swords. Shirou and Glass are the ones that start to destroy the ons incoming and charge ahead together, engaging a fight with Ren but get thrown back by one swipe of her sword.

"Phoenix Blade + Mana Burst," Ren unleashes a combined skill of hers that forms a destructive crimson force.

"Circle Stance of Ascent: Tempest Union," unfolding his fans Glass' weapons glow in green light and forms a dance like performance to form gales to counter Ren's attack and forcing the attack upward and disperse in a red wind.

Using the moment everyone hid away with Raphtaria's magic making Ren force to drive her sword to the ground and unleash a current of black lightning across the ground, cracking it. Her dash is aimed at Shirou who makes her hesitate for a moment when he kicks up from the ground the red spear from before.

"Ren, you truly don't understand anymore what a hero is, do you?"

"Understand? This world doesn't understand what a real hero is so it will get a lesson it won't forget so easily. This is the world's punishment."

"World's punishment? Do you want to let the people suffer through a teaching like that?"

"So what? You don't even know how it is like to be summoned to this world?"

"What?" Shirou reacts agitated. "I don't but what do you know about it? You are not one to talk about it like that! Shooting Star Slice!" projecting his sword in his other free arm he swings down the skill at Ren who has to block it with her arm though the armour bursts.

"Then you will be taught as well," says Ren and lifts up Excalibur that starts to overflow with magic, preparing to unleash it's Noble Phantasm but won't finish it as the ground between them shakes and bursts with blue flames emerging from it.

Out of the flames jumps out Itsuki as she reaches the sky and draws her bow to shoot at Ren and Shirou alike.

"Did you try to hit me with that?" yells Ren at Itsuki who lands right before her.

"If you got hit then that means you were too weak anyway."

"What was that?"

"A little help please," while Ren and Itsuki go into an argument L'arc and Therez ask for help to get out of the hole where Itsuki came from but when they do they hush Shirou and the others quickly away.

Motoyasu was coming out as well with a high jump into the air, landing behind the duo with a flip.

This is one of the worst outcomes Shirou was trying to avoid. Having to fight all three legendary heroes fused with heroic cards and Angra Mainyu.

"What happened?" asks Shirou as they slowly gain a formation to fight while Itsuki, Ren and Motoyasu are in a fight.

"Did you call me weak? Who is useless by not being able to utilize the full strength of the hero you got?"

"Excuse me? At least I am not a pervert going after young boys you sword brain."

"What was that? I will make it clear that I do not have any weird fetish but Filo will be mine anyway!"

"Let's try to ignore that conversation they have."

"Agreed," they all answer in unison.

From the situation they gather that Therez was fighting Itsuki and L'arc against Motoyasu but somehow ended up in one battle together.

Glass was fighting Ren in the meantime which Shirou already guessed but apparently the three didn't stand a proper chance against them even with their strength from their world. They were able to push them back now and then but ultimately would have been overpowered.

"Ok, we stay together and rotate our fights with Ren and Motoyasu, helping on one another in danger. I will first handle Itsuki and get my class card back," this was kinda a personal matter which Shirou wanted to do first. He wants that card back at all cost.

"Shooting Star Bow," Itsuki fires an explosive shot at them with Ren and Motoyasu rushing towards them dividing their group. "You think you can defeat me, Phony to Justice?"

"Huh?" reacts Shirou agitated from Itsuki's way to name Shirou. She is shooting projectiles non stop at Shirou but when she sees they don't hit him thanks to his time altering ability she gets angry herself and unleashes a skill to fire several arrows at once, making it impossible to just get past them.

Jumping above it he fires a volley of bullets from his Caligo M950 which Itsuki with a grunt avoids.

"Talking about Justice? Do you think controlling the waves against the people is justice?" asks Shirou with a furious tone as he closes in with close combat at Itsuki, preventing her to use her bow.

"The people of this world deserve this justice. They will learn by being punished."

"You all are planning to sacrifice the people for this warped thinking!"

"If they die then they got what they deserved, this is Justice," ends Itsuki and creates a wall of smoke with her bow.

Shirou has to stop them, their minds are warped and they are dead set to kill people if necessary. He needs to stop them.

As Itsuki prepares her broken phantasm Shirou uses his Heliotrope Blast creating a blast of force from the attacks that connect and creating yet another but thicker smokescreen.

"Shirou, watch out!" warns Glass as Shirou turned around and gets confronted by Ren. Shirou puts up his swords to block it but they break from the impact and cut him across the chest.

Blood is coming out of the cut but it's shallow, he can still move.

"Gáe," Motoyasu stood on the side and glared at Shirou as she was throwing her spear at him. "BOLG!"

Gáe Bolg activated and flying right at Shirou. This is not an attack he can just get away so easily. Not even with Rho Aias without preparation and concentration. So he runs, runs and jumps away as Gáe Bolg chases him while Shirou uses Chronos Rose but it will sooner or later hit him. That or Ren's Excalibur or even Itsuki who prepares an attack as well.

It's checkmate, he can't get away but if he dies now then everything is lost.

"Shirou, don't give up!" L'arc and the others yell after him as they distract Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki. "We will help you, no matter what!"

He's not alone. He's getting help in surviving the situation. He's not going to give up. "I'm not giving up, I will be the Hero of Justice! Include!"

Jumping right towards Gáe Bolg Shirou summons the golden spear Gáe Buidhe and intercepts Gáe Bolg with it. The tips of both spears clash at one another and create a shock wave Shirou feels going through his body but he won't stop.

In the end it worked but at the price of Gáe Buidhe which shattered into many golden pieces. It blocked Gáe Bolg at the price of its life, at least Shirou could use it for one time even if it was for this.

Before Gáe Bolg can use the chance to target again Shirou does the unthinkable. He grabs the spear and fights the surge of energy that comes with it and throws it at Ren who notices it almost too late and hits it with her Excalibur but the creating explosion throws back Ren and destroys the armour she was wearing.

"And further!" he aimed next at Itsuki and projects a heavy amount of swords to shoot them at Itsuki who can't use a chance to avoid them as they rain down on her.

Shirou was exhausted, when he lands on the ground his body was burning up. The magic circuits in his body are overheating and burning, it's a wonder he can stay conscious.

"He avoided Gáe Bolg," Motoyasu reacts shocked as her spear returns and Ren with Itsuki are mad at how they were played.

"You did it lad! Don't let up folks, we are still fighting!" yells L'arc and proceeds the fight as the others do so too and help up Shirou who has trouble walking.

"What do we do? You can't fight."

"No, I still can. I have to save these three," huffs Shirou, drained to the bones. He's at the brink of collapsing. It becomes a hassle to keep up the fusion of his and the card.

Every hit he blocks off, redirects or avoids send ripples throughout his body that make counter-attacks much harder to bring out. He can't say how much longer he can hold out together with everyone. This fight feels like a great struggle, as if the affects of Angra Mainyu never left making his vision see the same things he did in the black mud.

It was slowly dragging him down and he didn't notice it until now.

"You heroes are pathetic," says Naofumi with a sneer on her face as he stood above them all where the hole of the cave was to the shattered dark sky. Her dark hair flowing back as she jumped down to them all and whirled up dust upon contact to the ground.

Berserker joined in as well.

The other three heroes regard her with malice as the sneer on her face remains and she comes closer to everyone. Her bodylanguage, her posture and face. That's not the face of a typical Berserker or Heracles. This is Naofumi and she looks like to be very much in control of Mad Enhancement.

Using the Shield of Rage makes her go into a frenzy, increasing every time the shield gets stronger or her hatred grows bigger. However, this time it seems like nothing was bothering her, she was in her element, controlling her rage or rather she became her rage and hatred.

"Naofumi, you have come too?"

"Back off, this is our fight."

"What will someone with a Shield even do in this situation?"

"What I will do?" Naofumi cocks her head and opens her bright scarlet eyes full of malice and anger. "Do what you are incompetent for. Even with the powers of the heroes from the past you are as useless as you were before. This world would really be better off without any of you, I pity my former self to have put up with you."

Naofumi's smile vanishes and a forbidding aura forms around her, making the others even the three heroes flinch.

This isn't Naofumi anymore, it's hard for Shirou to see but this isn't her at all.

"Are you trying to provoke a fight, Naofumi?" asks Ren, more collected than anyone from the three.

Mockingly Naofumi outstretches her shield arm and motions them to her with a glare. "Come at me, me and this dragon have some unfinished business with you all."

As if it was a cue Ren, Motoyasu and Itsuki all dashed at Naofumi to attack her. "Shooting Star Shield," Naofumi deploys the skill Ren and Motoyasu running into it like a wall while Itsuki's arrows just bounce off of it.

The barrier pushes the still dazed Ren and Motoyasu back when Naofumi makes a run for Itsuki who shoots arrows and destroys the barrier but when they connect with Naofumi's shield they burn off. Not even bolt like projectiles that are much sturdier did much of an effect as they bounced off and incinerated.

With a tense yell Itsuki projects a broken phantasm and draws her bow.

"Shoot!" yells Naofumi with a smile and so does Itsuki at command. "Soul Eater," the shield extends and forms a jaw like form with the head of a Soul Eater appearing before Naofumi and devouring the projectile like a meal. "Rope Shield," the shield changes again and drags Itsuki towards Naofumi when the rope hooked around her waist and hurled across the cave.

"Gáe-"

"Air Strike Shield!" casts Naofumi and knock off the air out of Motoyasu hitting her stomach.

"Excalibur," Ren had jumped into the air and was above Naofumi to strike her when she is on the ground but Naofumi jumped right into Ren's sword. "Morgan!"

Ren swings her sword right against Naofumi's shield and uses her Noble Phantasm. Rays of purple and red explode but also sharp red flames and the roar of a deranged dragon blows.

Armour shattered, skin partly charred and clothes about to burn off Ren was on the ground with Naofumi standing above her and delivering a kick of satisfaction.

In but a moment Naofumi just took care of all the three heroes without breaking into a sweat and she even seemed to enjoy her win towering before them all.

"Naofumi..."

Tainted with Angra Mainyu and falling into the inner Rage and Madness from Mad Enhancement. She is fused with one of the strongest servants that exist, a demi god with the twelve labours though she doesn't fall into the depths irrationality entirely, she's remains calculated with her posed form.

"Shirou, Raphtaria, Filo- even L'arc, Glass and Therez are here," her smile drops again and a deep frown forms. "So you formed an alliance to bring this all down, to bring me down, didn't you?"

"What- no! We didn't do anything!"

"Naofumi, we are here to help not fight," speaks L'arc with a firm notion and approach to the scene. "We can talk it out later, alright? I know you are not a bad person so I believe you-"

"Believe you?" Naofumi cocks her head and the bones in her shield arm cracked loudly. "I cannot believe anyone anymore and I won't. Until all of you are under the spell of a slave crest I won't listen or trust any of you. That reminds me," Naofumi stretches out her hand and glares at them. "Raphtaria and Filo, obey me."

Raphtaria and Filo are standing right next to Shirou and they cry out loudly in pain. Their slave crests on their chests activate and convulse their bodies from the shocks.

"I don't tolerate disobedience of you. I maxed the effectiveness of the slave crests so disobeying will result in immense pain till you die," her eyes wander to L'arc and then to Shirou. "When you all are under Angra Mainyu then maybe I can trust you some more. You are not as incompetent than them but you all, especially you Shirou, I have no idea how to feel about you."

Naofumi closes her eyes and slowly opens again. Shirou is full with concern about the situation and the feelings in his throat and chest are stuck and feel heavy. His very core is burning and stinging.

"Raphtaria and Filo, attack them."

Turning around Filo turns into his Filolial form and Raphtaria points his sword at Shirou. Both have tears in their eyes from the pain to try and disobey but they couldn't anymore. They had to obey and start to attack Shirou.

"They will kill you, either by their own will or of their master.

"Her slaves will kill you

"You will lose all that are close to you. I hope you heed my warning, Emiya."

The words of trash come into Shirou's mind as he fights Raphtaria and Filo.

He doesn't want to hurt them, he can't hurt them nor do they want to. They have to obey Naofumi, their trust for Naofumi turned against them the moment Naofumi became tainted by Angra Mainyu.

Can he still save her? Can Shirou still help Raphtaria and Filo in his current state?

Shirou's back is pressed against the ground and he's barely able to hold back Raphtaria's sword with his ones.

Filo is high above the ground and prepares to strike in a fall and he won't be able to withstand it.

"Stop it Raphtaria!" yells L'arc and brandishes her scythe at Raphtaria to get him off of Shirou.

"Are you okay Shirou?" she helps him back up and he sees how Therez occupies Raphtaria while Glass holds off Filo. He's not alone, they can do it together. Somehow, they will do it somehow.

"Yes, I'm fine," huffs Shirou, thankful for the help. "Can you take care of them please? I will take care of Naofumi."

"What- are you crazy? You can't simply fight her alone… fine, I hope I won't regret this," L'arc agrees reluctantly and helps Therez on Raphtaria.

Now Shirou is all alone to fight Naofumi. It's a fight between him and her.

"Naofumi, please stop making Raphtaria and Filo fight against their will."

"They can stop anytime they want to."

"Wha-"

"They slave spell doesn't force them to obey my command. It's there to push them to the edge to do so. It sets conditions for what will happen if they disobey, meaning they will receive severe pain until they die or obey."

Glancing back Shirou observes how Raphtaria and Filo fight with a lot of reluctance. They try to obey and fight as little as possible.

"I'm sorry for this," whispers Raphtaria as she swings her sword at them.

"Don't worry, just keep swinging," says L'arc with a meek smile of reassurance.

"Naofumi, don't you understand you hurt them? Are they not the reason why you still want to save the world?"

"This world doesn't deserve to be saved," retorts Naofumi coldly. "You want to be the hero of this world? Then be one, I'm fed up to be one anyway. I never planned to do it anyway. A hero of justice you say, there is no justice in this world. Example on Bastard who took control and planning to bring everything down. Face it Shirou, there is no justice and the world deserves no hero."

Is this really Naofumi's world view? Deep down, is she thinking it is true? "I will prove you wrong Naofumi. You all were chosen to be heroes for a reason, especially you."

"Can you stop it? You are already half beat and barely standing. This is a farce all over."

"What is going on?" yells Myne standing at the opened cave entrance from where Shirou and the others came. "The hell is going on! Can't you guys do a single thing? Get them already!"

"Shut up Bastard!" yells Naofumi, the ground cracking underneath her. "You think you can command us all you want just because you have stolen the spells?"

"Just because I stole them? Oh I can sure use them since I have plenty of them and you all are under my command! So I command you to-"

"Command? You just can't do anything alone, that's why you even need me under control," laughs Naofumi when Myne's face contorts from embarrassment and anger. Using her rope shield she pulls Itsuki to her who tried to attack and throws her over to Shirou who catches her.

"Here, if you are a hero then do it now. Show me your resolve, Shirou. Show me you can do what is necessary-"

A gunshot resounded and everyone stopped in what they were doing.

Naofumi looked surprised at the scene how Itsuki buckles over, black mud leaving her body and the class card in Shirou's hand and a gun in the other.

"This is not like me, I know that," confesses Shirou with a wavering face. "But I will do everything I can to stop you all. I will save you Naofumi."

"DO SOMETHING ALREADY YOU IDIOTS! Motoyasu, Ren, Naofumi, move your damn asses!"

Naofumi didn't move, it seems she can still control the servant contract she is forced under but Motoyasu and Ren are different. While Ren struggles to stand up Motoyasu was already ready to attack again.

"I'm not going to disappoint Myne now and neither will I be outdone by Naofumi ever again!"

Shirou doesn't care, he can barely hear Motoyasu. The blood pumps into his head and his heartbeat is the loudest ever, he doesn't even hear the firing of his Calico.

"Are you stupid? Projectiles don't work on me," snickers Motoyasu confidently but Shirou can't hear anything.

Beating louder and louder, his heart was about to explode. Chronos Rose slows everything down and Shirou slips under the spear of Motoyasu. Guns don't work so no use to use his Thompson Contender so instead he takes out his other weapon, it will work too.

"Phantasm Punishment," and Shirou drives the Origin Knife into Motoyasu's chest. Taking it out black mud flows out alongside the card. "And the last one."

Now taking out his Gun he shoots Ren and she buckles with Excalibur dropping and vanishing with the card out of her body.

"It's… done..." Shirou hurls out the words and coughs into his hand with blood coming out his mouth ultimately falling to his knees.

The world started to spin around him. He was on his knees and felt his body burn, looking down he didn't expect what he was seeing. A big gap was in his chest and black mud is coming out of his body like from a river.

"This… is..."

"Shirou!"

"Oh god, what happened."

The voices of the others echo around him as his view blurs more and more. It was like he's submerged back in the black mud of Angra Mainyu but it was different, now it was inside him as well.

All the voices in his head, the negative emotions are so much stronger now.

"Seems like the hero business is killing you as well, been there as well," Shirou looks up to Naofumi who's standing right before him now, arms crossed and with a lightened frown on her face. "Accept the evil of this world, it makes things easier to comprehend and cope with it."

Accept? How can he simply accept it all inside?

Ah, it's impossible, Shirou's eyes become heavy and he closes them to let them rest for a moment.

"You're completely at your limit, aren't you?" Naofumi crouches down to Shirou and raises an eyebrow at what she sees. In the hole of Shirou's chest is a heart wrapped in black bandages and leaking black ooze like the wound regularly does.

Is that the source?

When the heart started to beat again Naofumi jumped back by pure instinct and glared frozen at the black heart. Beating louder and faster every second until the ground cracked again and from every hook and corner black mud started to come out.

Exploding from the middle appearing an entity Naofumi and Myne knew by instinct as the mud spreads out near Shirou's body. The black shadow.

Its appendages spreading out all around it and gently wrapping around the bodies of Myne and Naofumi who aren't bothered by it at first. Only when Myne sees that it does the same for Shirou as it wraps around his arms.

"What is this supposed to be! What is happening?" yells Myne upset about this development and brings out the broken grail that's leaking as usual. "I have the superiority here, so what is this supposed to be?"

"Seems like you still can't do anything on your own, huh? Struggling to do the simplest thing," scoffs Naofumi and shrugs making Myne even angrier.

The black shadow disappeared then again like it was never there to begin with.

"Naofumi, kill that bastard already!"

"I would like to but sadly I can't kill you by that stupid contract," retorts Naofumi with a smile making Myne even more embarrassed. Were the situation not so tense the others would have laughed as well.

"You," Myne growled. "Fine, I will just do this."

Lifting up the broken grail the contents glow up and the spirals in the sky distort creating more and more cracks in the sky. Eventually they collapse and everywhere in the cave, be it mud, wall, ground or air appear monsters of threatening size and danger.

"I hate this," growls Myne. "I can't control everything as much as I want. I will get everything back and make you pay. Monsters, kill everyone especially that annoying brat!"

L'arc and the rest are too occupied to properly react to the new monsters incoming. Raphtaria and Filo are still under control and the monster would even try and kill them.

One of the monsters in particular appeared, a boss and the same one that killed the katana hero before. Baring its teeth at L'arc and the rest to kill them in one go like it did before but right before it was able to the head stopped and fell from the monster's shoulders.

An object flashed out of the corpse and was flying across the room.

"What is that?" reacted Myne baffled and Naofumi raised an eyebrow at that and stared at her shield, at the part of the jewel which was glowing. At the same time Shirou's body ejected two class cards with the depiction of assassin and rider.

Both cards take off and fly to L'arc's group. Assassin's card hits together with the object that is revealed as the katana hero weapon and fuses with Raphtaria while Rider does with Filo.

"Contract severed?" reads Naofumi and observes how Raphtaria and Filo appear in the attire of assassin and rider.

Caliburn has changed shape and forms from a double-edged sword into a katana shaped one in Raphtaria's hands.

"This is- Fast Light, Light Slash!" moving his newly shaped sword a golden arc of light appears and cuts the monsters in half approaching them and Filo hits around with his new chain weapon by hooking one giant monster and throwing it against another one.

Raphtaria has became the new Vassal Hero of the Katana and holds a class card together with Filo.

With the death of the former vassal hero her weapon seems to have chosen Raphtaria as the new one. Possessing an already powerful sword the katana must have altered Caliburn and added as a weapon of choice. The guard became similar to a tsuba for a japanese sword and is now a single-edged golden sword.

"L'arc, everyone, I'm sorry for having caused trouble," Raphtaria bows to them his tied up hair falling to the side.

"Me too, me too!" Filo chirps in holding back tears.

"Don't worry, keep going and help the lad and lass. We will take care of the rest."

"Again my slaves have turned against me. I should have seen this coming."

"Naofumi, as Shirou stated. No one has turned against you," Raphtaria readies his katana and aims at Naofumi.

"Yes! Master is still master even if she's evil. I don't like evil master so we need to punish her."

"Yes," sighs Raphtaria. "Naofumi, you are heading a dangerous path and we will stop you!"

"Stop me? First stop the monsters before they kill Shirou," recommends Naofumi and the two are forced to first get rid of the never ending approach of monsters. It's like whenever they do one step they are hit with more and more obstacles. This constant fighting has no end in sight.

"I'm sick of this," Myne crunches with his teeth at the sight of how things are developing.

All of the ones who were under him are crushed and defeated. Everything went downhill right before he could start it all. Not even the legendary heroes that were fused with legendary heroes of the past were any help to him! At least they are lying unconscious on the ground. He will retrieve them later, like the cards but one thing annoyed him.

The red haired man. Even right before death he won't die.

"Annoying, annoying, annoying!" yells Myne inside his head. More annoying than Naofumi.

"Sick of what? Failing so hard?"

Yes, Myne has enough of things not going his way.

"Naofumi, kill him. I want him gone from this world."

"DIY. Do it yourself, I am not listening to your command."

She won't listen. She still defies everything Myne tries to do. Nothing goes his way, nothing, nothing, nothing!

"Ah," there was something. Yes, something that gave him power to. "By my command seal, I order you. Kill that man named Shirou."

"Hrngh!" Naofumi grunts, feeling a heavy pressure in her body but she resists the urge of the command.

"Ah, of course. Having Heracles in your body and berserker class you won't easily follow my command. So how about this," the command seals on Myne's body activate. "By my command spells I use two more to order you. Devil of the Shield, obey your master as my name is Malt K Melromarc and I order you, kill that man named Emiya Shirou."

"Again this place," thinks Shirou as he is brought back to where he interacted with Zelretch and Kotomine. He can't stand in this place, there is no time left for it.

"What's the matter, already planning to leave?"

"Who-" when Shirou turned around he was face to face with… with himself. "You are-"

"Avenger, at your service," smiles Avenger and makes a laid back salute.

"I don't have time for a chat with you, I need to go back."

"Oh I know, I wanted to give you a direction. Just exit this way," Avenger points at his right side which leads to nowhere. "Wait no, it was actually this way," pointing now left there was but the same lead to nowhere.

"Tell me, aren't you tired of being like this?"

"Being like what?"

"Being you, enduring everything like you are doing right now," Avenger's face drops serious and becomes cynical. "Your efforts are a pile of trash and all your efforts will be for naught."

"I have no time for you, I didn't call you."

"Didn't call me?" his voice becomes even angrier. "Same way you didn't call your father or now mother, whatever. I came from you inner self as I am a part of you from a different version. If you didn't call me then how do you think I was summoned?"

Summoned? Could it be-

"Correctly, the black mud. Damn you are slow and I thought I was lazy but you proved everything wrong by letting the mud circulate through your body. A little advice, if you thought you were struggling up to this point then hear me," his eyes glare at him and a malicious presents wraps around him as he becomes blacker. "If you wake up the struggle will nothing be like before.

"Having been comfortable playing the hero? You're gonna find realize this one ugly truth, you can't save everyone and yet you still will keep playing hero."

"Shut up or-"

"Oh, threatening me? How unlike you, look at yourself and see that you are already changing," a mirror forms before Shirou and he sees how his arms are wrapped with black cloths, his chest hole closed by the black mud and black lines follow the sides of his left face.

The mirror shatters again and before him stands Avenger, clad in black and with a card shrouded in darkness.

"Hehehe, I wonder what will happen now in the fight with her. I'm gonna relax and watch from the sidelines with that old geezer who seems to despise me will all his heart."

Avenger vanishes in the space of the collapsing world and Shirou drops through the ground falling to the darkness and back to the battle.

"Shield Prison," right when Shirou had solid ground from falling down he was lifted up again and enclosed in a cage.

"What the-" Shirou reacts surprised as he rocks back and forth in the prison sphere. Needles come from the sides but he manages to avoid them and goes for one of the gaps of the prison looking down as he is up in the air.

His eyes fall on Naofumi who has her hand up in the air and her shield burning near her side.

"Within this virgin of cold ore, who shall swallow even your screams with her embrace,"

"Yes, finish him off already!"

"Naofumi, stop it!" yells Shirou and tries to pry open his way through the gaps of the shield.

"Suffer in anguish as your entire body is stabbed and skewered!"

It was no use, he won't get out in time!

"Iron Maiden!"

Hearing a bell chiming Shirou sees how the Iron Maiden is already above him. Wide open with its needles and taking the Shield Prison inside to squash the person inside.

However, this isn't the final act. Naofumi still needs to clench her hand into a fist. The same one that is shaking and appearing to refuse to finish it. Naofumi is still resisting the spells.

"Tch," Myne clicks with his tongue. "Still disobeying, fine I will just use another command spell on you-"

Just when Myne tries to use a command spell a hand of red and orange breaks through the wall and makes its way to Myne from a distance expanding making its way.

"The hell is this!" shouts Myne and activates his Gate of Babylon, intercepting the hand that now seems to have chosen a different target winding itself through the rain of weapons.

"Noble Phantasm… Zabaniya!" the hand strives Naofumi's chest and returns back to the Hassan who breaks through the wall entirely. A heart in its hand and Myne's weapons stopped by the mud.

"What is happening?" one shouts out and then the Hassan crushes the heart and with it Shield Prison vanishes and Iron Maiden.

Shirou absorbs the shock from falling by making a roll, barely able to avoid the fall and unconsciously touches his chest. The mud wasn't there anymore and the wound is closed by a layer of swords, his origin.

No, this wasn't the time to pay attention to this.

Naofumi's skills were cancelled and the reason was easy. She was killed. The arm still hanging in the air and her lifeless eyes stare at Shirou, not at the assailant who crushed her heart.

"You bastard! Come back here," yells Myne who tries to kill the Hassan Shadow who escapes through the opened ceiling after having killed Naofumi.

"This can't be, Naofumi.

"No, master can't be dead, right?"

"Hey lad, tell me this is some sort of trick. She can't be dead, right?"

"No," this is indeed not a trick. "Naofumi isn't dead," says Shirou confidently.

Naofumi might have lost her life but she is far from dead. After all, the heroic spirit inside her is Heracles.

Her eyes come back to life and glow in a brighter shade of red and her her rage fuelled roar disperses everything troublesome in her way. This is a fact they had to realize, killing Naofumi won't ultimately defeat her. She still has 11 lives left and being a legendary hero she will regain that back the lost one over time

Her hair waving back, eyes glaring red and steam leaving out her widely open mouth Naofumi flexes her now broad shoulders and roars once again. Black flames erupt from beneath her feet. She transitioned over to her mad form that symbolizes her berserker class.

"Now you finally show your true form, Devil of the Shield or are you know the Berserker Shield?" scoffs Myne with a grimace plastered on his face but instantly have it vanish when Naofumi turns to him.

He was in a state of panic when Naofumi leaped from her place up to Myne's higher position. Her shield crushed the ground where Myne was standing before. He needed to jump back and it was pure luck he was able to restrain her in time with the chains of heaven, centimetres away from his face.

An uneasy smile formed on Myne's face when looking at Naofumi's deranged state. "Ha! You wish you can kill me, don't you! You will never win anymore, you hear me? Never-" it was a mistake that he came closer to her.

Naofumi somehow grabbed Myne's wrist and didn't let go as the flames engulfed the palm. Flames burning the flesh and skin as Myne cries in agony till he is spared when the wrist snapped and separated wrist downward.

The flames cauterized the wound but he's surely by a curse as well. Nonetheless the mud takes care of the wound and covers the place.

"Now is our chance! Drop everything you do and charge forward!"

"As if I will let you, I am sick of this all," another gate opens and with his remaining hand Myne brings out the strongest weapon in Gilgamesh's arsenal. Ea. "No one will escape! I don't care if the heroes die and the cards get lost! JUST DIE!"

Myne's voice turned bizarre and cut off with images flickering around him. Red lines take over half of his face and the black shadow creature appears behind him. Tentacle like forms and mud come from the ground. They may kill all the monsters but it was impossible to escape, there was no way to escape anymore and Myne is set to kill them as the shadow slowly wraps itself around Myne's body.

"This is bad..."

"How do we escape?"

"Damn it, Glass does your portal skill work, mine won't?"

"No, neither mine."

"We can't get to them, how do we escape?"

"We can't escape," admits Shirou, his head hanging.

"Exactly, your fate is chosen!" Ea starts to turn and produce a massive amount of energy. It seemed different, is is altered as well?

"Shirou, what do you mean? Is it over?"

"No, it's not," Shirou pulls up his chin and gives a final determined look at them all.

Raphtaria, Filo, L'arc, Therez and Glass. All five of them are depending on him and want to get out of it safely, even the three idiotic heroes although they don't realize anything yet. Looking at Naofumi Shirou can't feel otherwise than wanting to save her so badly, she too, she also needs to be saved but now this situation needs to be somehow solved.

"I-" the tentacles of the black mud penetrate Shirou's limbs and body. He didn't expect the attack but he won't die from it! This is a battle he won't lose and going through his memories he remembers a certain scene.

Archer, he somehow was able to take the blast of the black shadow. This is the key.

"Guys, if I die. Please save Naofumi," coughs Shirou fighting the black shadow.

"What? You can't just die now?"

"Exactly, we need you. We don't want to let you die."

"I'm sorry but please prepare. I will somehow manage the attack," says Shirou one last time to them before focusing all his energy on the act he plans now.

"Archer! Kiritsugu!"

Both cards of Archer and Assassin appear before Shirou now. They are the ones he needs the most strength, the one he can handle.

"Double Install!" Fusing with both Counter Guardian spirits Shirou destroys the shadows that restrained him but parallelly feels the strain that comes from this install. This isn't something he should do recklessly but he has no choice.

He realized it before, his body was giving up already.

"I am the bone of my sword," there's only one spell that might bring them out alive and he will focus his entire being on it. "Steel is my body and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand weapons!"

The spell forms in Shirou's hand, his body already burning. An overuse of mage craft surely but he will make it in time as the Ea is about to be fired as it already blasts off the entire ceiling.

"Unknown to Death,"

Nor known to Life.

A bit more.

"Withstood pain to create many weapons, waiting for one's arrival."

"EA!"

The first blast was coming and Shirou already shoots off the first layer to protect them from the incoming attack but he's not done yet.

"Yet, my flame never ends.

"My whole body was still Unlimited Blade Works.

"Rho Aias!"

Rho Aias expands, forming a huge wall like barrier to protect them from the brunt that came their way. It's way stronger and bigger than what Archer could probably cast on its own and it's no wonder. After all he has helped to create this form of Rho Aias by being fused with Shirou.

Additionally a boundary force was created around them as added protection against the Black Shadow and the Mud.

"A wasteland? It seems so huge yet tiny here."

"It feels so cold here," their breaths gets visible.

This is an altered form of the reality marble. The huge wasteland was cold to the touch and it was dark yet the sky was replaced beautifully by a new view. The stellar object was half sun and half moon to form an interchange of the cold place to warm as gear wheels turn in the distance sky like stars.

Everywhere they are surrounded by swords in this waste wasteland and they begin to vanish and be absorbed into Shirou to strengthen and repair Rho Aias.

How long will Shirou be able to keep it up? Lighting is being produced in his outstretched arm and burn the flesh inside the armour. He feels how his face burns exactly where the dark marking formed and a patch of white hair came forth.

"Why won't you die? I have enough of you!" The broken Grail appears above the stump of Myne's hand and glows with the content spilling out. Ea's red blast turns to purple and grows in size and force with another much bigger blast coming.

"Urgh," Shirou almost break down. This blast destroyed half of Rho Aias and they were almost done for.

"No, I won't be able to hold it on," he vomits blood and falls back.

"Don't give up Shirou!" Raphtaria pushes Shirou back forward with his hands. "Aren't we fighting to save Naofumi and the world? Keep fighting!"

"Don't give up Shirou. We need to save master!" Filo chimes in doing the same as Raphtaria.

"We believe in you sonny, let's push forward."

"L'arc is right, even if we departed in a bad way we can't let Naofumi die and our worlds be destroyed by this."

"We may have been enemies but this is a common goal we have to achieve."

L'arc, Therez and Glass put their hands behind Shirou's back and push him.

"Ah, seeing Naofumi all evil isn't right!" groans Motoyasu.

"This isn't like her, we will help you," says Ren with a half confident expression.

"Justice demands we survive this and save the world!" Itsuki, perhaps the smallest of the three struggles to reach Shirou and push as well.

The three seem to have woken up at one point and are free from Angra Mainyu's effects. They may be incompetent but they want to save the world as well.

"You are right guys! Push on!" yells Shirou and pulls forward to fuel in more energy that comes together from them all.

"Fight!" they all yell and give their all.

Rho Aias stands, they won't be defeated so easily but this wouldn't be enough. Ea becomes stronger and stronger while Rho Aias is slowly collapsing.

They need more power but what should they do?

"I was summoned as the Shield Hero. This world won't let me do anything but defending others. This shield is only good for protection that's why I need to rely on you all."

This was Naofumi's voice Shirou recalls from the night he talked with her in the castle. She explained how she can't attack and only try to protect others with the shield of hers as she is the shield hero.

The shield. Naofumi is the shield.

Projecting one more time Shirou tries to project what could be their last hope. The one legendary weapon meant to protect others. Naofumi's shield, the object and symbol to defend from any threat that comes.

It was their last hope.

So Shirou painfully uses every strength in his body and images the shield on Naofumi's arm. Not the sinister one but the one she normally wears.

The shield eventually forms and attaches itself on his arm but nothing changes. It was but a hollow shell of the original. Dull as the jewel is he produced so is their future now.

"I'm sorry everyone, I failed you all. I couldn't save everyone."

"Don't be so negative, there is still hope."

"Huh?" a familiar voice sounds in Shirou head and he opens his eyes to see a man's figure before him. A vivacious man with Chinese-looking eyes. The voice sounds exactly like the one that saved them from the collapsing space.

"Who are you?" asks Shirou feeling time slowing around him but not between the two.

"My name is Ost Horai, the soul of the Spirit Tortoise, one of the Four Benevolent Animals that protect this world. I heard your trouble Shirou," Ost projects his concern to Shirou. "The shield hero can still be saved. I will help you with all my might. I will give you the authority of the shield."

Ost touched Shirou's counterfeit of the legendary shield and the jewel starts to glow in a magnificent green light.

"Please save this world Shirou. I, everyone counts on you."

The shield changed its form and Ost touches Shirou's shoulder to put an arm forward like he does. The others seemed to copy this but when did they start to?

Authority of the Shield Hero.

Projecting Spirit Tortoise Heart Shield (awakened) + Bless Series.

Skill combination. Rho Aias and Liberation.

"Use the spell!"

"I, Emiya Shirou the Hero of Justice, borrow the strength of the Spirit Tortoise to command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join and spit up blood. Oh great strength of the dragons—join the power of the heroes with magic. The source of power that is the Hero of Justice commands you. Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me! I command you—give them everything!"

"All Liberation!"

Shirou becomes the beacon of light as he uses all of his strength and being to this spell of defence. To protect his friends and everyone dear. To give the power to overcome everything.

Rho Aias changes colour and form again in accordance to its new strength. More and more light shines and seems to push back Ea. The force of power reaches an apex and explodes in a grant mega-bomb that destroys the entirety of the cave system and reaches up to the sky.

The battle was over and what was left is nothing but destruction. The epicentre of the explosion destroyed everything around them and terraformed the cave into a plain.

Myne took some damage but survived it without much issue with Naofumi having calmed down under the chains. There was nothing left of the reminder of the battle.

The battle was won and on the winning side was Myne who laughs like a maniac with an outstretched fist into the sky.

"You see that? This is the power of Melromarc's future king, no today's king, no EMPEROR OF THIS WORLD," Myne laughs even louder and louder. He turns to Naofumi to celebrate viciously but to his dismay Naofumi was unconscious.

However, it didn't stop Myne to feel victorious and plotting his new plans.

"See that? They failed, died as they struggled so helplessly having been unable to save anyone or themselves. You will soon feel the despair too my berserker. Letting you lose and causing chaos so I can seize control over this world then the one where the others came from. I will rule everything oh how I cannot wait!"

Myne walked away, dragging Naofumi through the air with the chains.

The winner was clear and the world is facing an imminent end.

A crack appears in the centre of the destruction and with it would form the end.

Was the battle really over or did just the first act end?

Author's Notes

And with this the first arc ends. The chapter ended up being over 10k words long. Longer than I anticipated but didn't want to split into two chapters. It's done and with this my work for the writer's contest as well. Maybe I will continue this story at a later point but first I will take the time to recharge, work on different stories and plan out new ideas.

I actually planned to end it differently but as it developed it became impossible to. So I decided to do it differently and give it a possibility to get another arc.

The story isn't done yet and the chance remains for continuation. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and the rest of the story.