Though the battle between Saber Alter and Heracles had ended, the chaos in the forest was far from over.
Zouken Matou's determination to claim Illya, the Lesser Grail, was unwavering. While Saber Alter was temporarily incapacitated, Zouken still had two formidable assets: the Servant, Assassin (Cursed Arm), and the shadowy force capable of countering any Servant.
As for the opposing side?
Aside from a third-rate Archer, all they had were three magi—practically powerless in a battle between Servants.
Naturally, Zouken's confidence swelled.
"Two-on-one—clearly, the advantage is ours!" he thought, urging Assassin to pick up the pace.
Meanwhile, Shirou could only pull Illya along, trailing behind Rin as they fled deeper into the forest, desperate to escape.
But their pursuers drew closer with every passing moment.
"Shirou, behind you!" Rin shouted, glancing over her shoulder at their relentless enemy.
"Tch!" Shirou groaned in frustration.
Carrying a small girl while running through a dense forest—of course, a Servant would catch up eventually. Even Shirou, with his reckless determination, knew this was inevitable.
Unfortunately, he had no idea how to shake off their pursuers while ensuring Illya's safety. All he could do was stall for time.
"This is the end of the line for you."
A ghostly voice whispered in Shirou's ear.
"Huh?"
Turning his head, Shirou came face-to-face with a pale, skull-like mask, the figure's lips curled into a sinister grin as it licked the edge of its dagger.
Assassin.
Without the cliché declaration of "My blade is poisoned," the seasoned assassin wasted no time. His mission was clear: eliminate the nuisance and seize the silver-haired, red-eyed girl.
"Then I won't hold back—ACK?!"
Before Assassin could finish his sentence, he let out a monkey-like screech as he was sent flying.
"Hmph, can't even take down a kid without an ambush? What a third-rate hack!"
It was Archer.
Before Assassin could strike, Archer had kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him sprawling.
"I'll hold them off. You take Illya and get out of here!" Archer commanded Shirou without breaking stride.
"Hurry up! If that shadow catches up, it'll all be over!"
Archer's gaze was grim as he looked at the ominous black substance creeping out from the depths of the forest.
His eyes shifted between Assassin and the approaching mass.
▃▄▅▆▇█▇▆▅▄▃▃▄▅▆▇█▇▆▅▄▃▃▄▅▆▇█▇▆▅▄▃
Off-screen, viewers could easily guess that the black substance was somehow tied to the corrupted Holy Grail.
Remembering how the black mud was portrayed in earlier Fate entries, the sheer volume of this writhing, malevolent material spilling across the screen made their skin crawl.
"This feels more like a horror movie than anything else," Shibamatsu muttered. "Do you think Shinji is using this series to finally depict all the grotesque aspects of magecraft that couldn't be shown before because of censorship?"
Hearing this theory, Alice nodded thoughtfully.
"There's some truth to that. Zouken Matou's grotesque, half-human appearance is likely meant to highlight the inevitable fate of mages who abandon morality in their pursuit of their goals."
For most magi, outward appearances were meaningless. If reaching the Root required becoming something as monstrous as the worm-riddled creature in the Heaven's Feel route, they would do so without hesitation.
In the series, Zouken Matou is described as a microcosm of most magi—obsessed with their goals to the point of abandoning their humanity. However, the specific ways in which they discard their humanity vary from individual to individual.
When the decline of mystery began, many magi sought to prolong their lives and advance their research by transforming into inhuman entities. Yet, ironically, this tactic backfired.
In a world where mystery was waning, those who abandoned their humanity were among the first to perish. Not only did they fail to live longer, but they also met their ends far sooner than their peers.
Alice speculated that Shinji Matou was using this theme to mock magi who stop at nothing to achieve their desires. After all, without the decline of mystery, Zouken might very well have been the same twisted insectile monstrosity viewers saw on screen.
"Shinji really doesn't pull his punches," Fujita joked. "Maybe this is his way of reminding himself not to live too long—old age leads to baldness!"
"That's... probably not the point," Shibamatsu replied, though he couldn't stop himself from imagining a bald Shinji Matou.
"The protagonist team is in shambles now. Archer's the only one left standing," Shibamatsu commented.
"Of course. He's the Heroic Spirit Emiya—the most dependable presence," Fujita added.
"Do you think Archer will stab Shirou at the last moment to fulfill his wish?"
"Hard to say... but by then, it wouldn't really matter, would it? If Archer loses, Shirou and Rin are as good as dead anyway."
"Maybe Archer will make a choice none of us expect. He's Heroic Spirit Emiya, after all."
Meanwhile, the discussion outside the screen did nothing to change the events unfolding within.
The protagonists stared in horror at the encroaching mass of black substance spreading through the forest.
"Archer, what is that?!" Shirou shouted.
"We'll talk about it later," Archer replied impatiently, his gaze falling to the joined hands of Shirou and Illya. His eyes softened with a hint of guilt.
"Listen, kid. If you're holding her hand, you have to protect her to the end."
The cryptic remark left everyone on-screen puzzled. But the audience understood—this was Archer's regret from life.
Even though Shinji Matou hadn't elaborated on the Holy Grail War that Heroic Spirit Emiya participated in, fans could piece together the likely scenario. Archer's greatest guilt might lie with Rin, but his deepest regret likely involved his sister (or sister-figure), Illya.
"At least this time—"
Summoning his signature black and white dual swords, Archer charged Assassin head-on.
Clang!
The clash of blades echoed through the forest as the two battled fiercely for their respective goals.
"Stand down!" Assassin shrieked in frustration.
No matter how many times he attacked, Archer deflected or countered effortlessly. Even the daggers he hurled at Shirou's back were intercepted mid-air.
It wasn't just a difference in skill; Archer's overwhelming presence was undeniable. He exuded a strength akin to that of a demigod.
"This might be my most glorious moment in the series," the off-screen Archer remarked with rare pride as he watched himself dominate the battle.
"Too bad it's the only one," he added, glancing at Shinji with mild resentment.
He knew his presence would inevitably diminish in the Heaven's Feel route. Still, he couldn't help feeling annoyed.
In UBW, he shone brightly, but here? After the obligatory opening fight against Lancer, his notable moments were limited to taking down Zouken and Medusa—and even those were brief.
"To top it off, Shinji even saddled me with a 'wounded by Saber at the start' debuff. How much does this guy hate me getting screen time?" Archer muttered.
<+>
"Why... why are you still standing?!" Assassin screamed in despair as he staggered backward.
"It's nothing special," Archer said coolly, explaining his nature.
"I'm not a true Heroic Spirit like the others. My existence is an aberration—an evil spirit in the same vein as that mud you serve."
Seizing the moment, Archer charged at Assassin with a reverse grip.
"Not to your extent, but enough to make this work."
Slash!
The white skull mask split cleanly in half.
"Argh!"
Black fabric tore apart as Assassin retreated, clutching his shattered mask. But his retreat wasn't tactical—it was desperate. Moments later, the dark assassin vanished into the depths of the forest.
With Assassin gone, the tension in the air eased. Both the protagonists on-screen and the audience outside sighed in relief.
"Well done, Archer. Take a break and revert to spirit form for now," Rin said with a smile.
But the momentary respite was shattered in an instant.
From the shadows, a humanoid creature of pure black emerged, looming behind Rin.
"Rin!" Shirou's warning came too late.
The girl turned around in confusion.
"What—"
A black tendril shot toward her.
"—RIN!!"
Archer's desperate scream echoed as the screen went black.
<+>
"WHAT?! NO WAY!!"
In less than a second, the audience erupted in panicked cries, their voices louder than anything on-screen.
The third episode of Heaven's Feel had ended. On a massive cliffhanger.
<+>
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