Fate/Stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Season 2 Episode Summaries

Fate/stay night: UBW Episode Summaries

Episode 1: Time of Departure

This episode opens with Shirou Emiya still injured and entering his room at night. He is thinking about talking to his adoptive father Kiritsugu Emiya 10 years ago and remembering the burning of his town. He wanted to become a hero of justice so that event wouldn’t just be some tragedy in the past. He has embraced the idea of a time when everyone will be happy and no one will cry. He didn’t decide to fight to become a master, but because it was something he could do and ought to do.

Morning comes and he gets dressed complete with his wooden sword and Rin Tohsaka’s pendent in his hand. He thinks of her before leaving the house.

Meanwhile Saber is bound and distressed in the Church by Caster as she continues to put her energy through defying her. Caster still hasn’t seemed to be able to control her completely yet and calls her stubborn. Her master Souichirou then appears in the Church and asks her what she is doing. She tells him about how she captured Saber as their own Servant for their benefit despite Souichirou having not ordered her to do that. She also says she killed the priest of the Church and overseer of the Holy Grail War but the location of the Lesser Grail is still unknown. He tells her to search every inch until she is satisfied. He doesn’t want her to leave until she has found it or is sure it is not here and he will wait there until that happens.

The scene then switches to Rin remembering and understanding the dream she had with Archer in it. She talks about Guardians which are failsafe devices that are summoned into various ages to prevent the destruction of the human race by their own hand. Before Archer was tasked with saving them, he was also forced to clean up the messes they had made. It did not take many summons for him to begin to lose hope and he began to despise the human world. In the end he continued to be betrayed by his ideal even after death. She then wakes up. She had been napping in a park. Archer appears beside her and tells her if she is tired they can wait but Rin wants to deal with Caster now because she knows her location. She asks about regrets saying that she doesn’t want to have any. Archer says she is a special person that shines bright and can believe in their path down to its very end without regretting an action unlike ordinary humans. They are then seen at the Church and find the blood left from the murder of the priest by Caster. She orders Archer to take on Caster’s Master Souichirou and tells him she will take on Caster. She wants Saber to be able to be unbound to forge a new pact with Saber.

Shirou is seen sneaking into the church and watches Rin talk with Caster. Caster begins to summon magenta orbs around her as she rises into the sky. Rin throws red crystals her way but they are shot down by Caster’s magical orbs. Souichirou begins to approach Rin and Archer seems to step in but instead of attacking Souichirou he hits Rin throwing her many feet back. Rin goes to shoot at him again but Archer deflects her shot and protects Souichirou. Archer then makes a deal to also become Caster’s servant because he will always side with who is more powerful and he finds her more powerful than Rin.

Shirou jumps into views when he sees Souichirou begins to approach Rin again and tries to strike him with his Traced weapon but he dodges and shatters it. He is thrown back on Rin as they fall to the floor together he stands back up and in his hands are his swords Kanshou and Bakuya. They then disappear as he falls to his knees. Skeletal creatures rise up all around them and Caster declares she will now kill them but Archer tops her. He has the condition that Caster must let Rin and Shirou go if he is to be her servant. She agrees and they leave, but before that Rin says she will beat Caster and take Archer back as her servant but she won’t forgive him no matter what.

Rin scolds Shirou for going into the Church. She is upset that he is only making his injuries worse, but he says she is in more pain then he is and she begins to tear up. She grabs his hand and pulls him along. They sit together at grassy overlook at the city beneath the stars. She says Archer was right that she should have defeated Caster when she had the chance no matter what. She says she always messes up on the most important things. She takes some of the fault for Archer going over to Caster’s side. She also says that she feels cornered and then hints to Shirou that he’s supposed to ask her by what. He shows her the pendant he was holding onto and says she can have it because he has one just like it and that he keeps it hidden. Rin is surprised by this. She asks why he came to save her and he admits his feelings toward her. He has been falling for her even more as he’s been talking to her. He went to save her without even thinking. She scolds him calling him an idiot, but then hugs him and sweetly thanks him for coming to her rescue.

Episode 2: The Princess of Colchis

Rin helps bandage up Shirou and then prepares some dinner. Over dinner they discuss the Holy Grail War. Shirou says at first he felt he fought because he was dragged into it but that’s not really why, but he is going out to fight even if he isn’t a Master and Saber isn’t his Servant because he needs to protect everyone. Rin doesn’t like the idea but can’t object to it after he swooped in and saved her, plus that he will still fight even if she objects to it. She is still OK with being his partner. They then discuss their next plan of action. Shirou suggests that they try to work with some other Masters and Rin agrees they should try and suggests Illyasviel von Einzbern. Shirou says finding her would be difficult, but Rin tells her about how her father told her of an estate way out in the forest where the Einzberns live so they decide to head there.

Meanwhile back at the Church, Saber is still bound and Caster is standing with her back against a pillar. She speaks with Souichirou about the Lesser Grail eluding her there, but he thinks that it isn’t there. A flashback then commences and Caster is now standing against a tree in a rainy forest with a scrape on her face.

The scene flashes again to her talking to a long blonde hair man who sits with over 10 beautiful women around him. He tells her he is fighting in the Holy Grail War to bring their family prestige and has invested a lot of money in it. He also commented that El-Melloi didn’t take it seriously in the last one. He then shows her his alchemy workshop which he calls a family business. It is a magic system that generates mana by using exchange. He calls it a primitive curse that relies on human sacrifice, but that the workshop makes it much more efficient. He then gives her a demonstration. The glass containers holding children fill up with liquid and then they each child inside seems to explode and nothing remains inside the containers but bloody water which strained into the middle of the room which holds a pedestal. The man makes it a point to say that it works best when the materials are still fresh. A bright shock of electric light hits the pedestal and a small crystal is left behind which normally takes a month to create. Many more seemingly unconscious children hang behind a glass window waiting to be sacrificed. However, Caster calls it inefficient and says that he’s wasting so many lives for such pewny crystals. She then casts a droplet of light into the pedestal and a crystal at least quadruple the size of the one he created appears. He asks her how she was able to create mana from an empty kiln and she asks what do you mean empty? Then she realizes that to the eyes of modern mages like him it seems empty. She implores that it should be shut down because it is such a waste of lives and so unprofessional in efficiency. He then orders her with a Command Spell to not use her Noble Phantasm on him because he has no desire to be stabbed in the back by a treacherous witch. He then punches her in the face and she falls to the ground.

The ground she is now however is again in the forest. The sky continues to rain down on her. She is upset that he called her a witch. That everyone calls her a witch.

Back with the blonde haired man, he is in the Church talking to the priest Kotomine Kirei about his difficulty to trust Caster. Kirei tells him he could possibly have a different Servant but he will need to take care of Caster and the man says he already has preparation for that in order but also gives Kirei a letter to give to Lancer which is a contract giving him the rights to dispose of Caster. The man returns to his workshop and finds it has been burned down and his assistants are dead on the floor. Caster is standing there saying it was best for her to dismantle his workshop before taking him to a better location. She also released the other captive children, which was about 50. He then commands her to kill herself, but she only chuckles. He uses another, his last, to command her again. She chuckles again and then reminds him of the name of her Noble Phantasm… Rule Breaker! She used it not against him, but against herself to undo her pact with him. He is then transported to a location in the dark with Greek paintings on the wall. He runs through the dark hallways of stone refusing to go out like this saying that the Holy Grail War hasn’t even begun yet and he hasn’t fought a single battle. He falls to the ground and backs up against a wall as his lighter goes out. Caster then approaches him and he looks down to see his hands covered in flames. He says he feels hot. Then the scene changes to them back in his workshop and he falls from kneeling to the ground covered in flames. Caster also falls to the ground weak from having just killed her source of mana. Lancer then arrives.

She’s seen again laying in the forest this time on her back as she laughs while the rain falls on her face. She feels she will die again like her last death, passed around from hand to hand and exploited. Rivalied as a traitorous witch. She reaches her hand out to the sky and says all she wanted was to return to her homeland once more. She turns to see Souichirou standing at her side with his umbrella and asks what has happened to her. He brings her back to his temple and believes her story of what happened. He tells her to rest there for the night. He says he is willing to become her Master. Lastly is a flash to the current time and Caster saying only a little while longer and the Holy Grail will be in here hand.

Rin and Shirou have taken a taxi far out into the forest, but have to continue the rest of the way on foot. They begin walking through the forest. Rin thinks Berserk doesn’t like Caster so that should help. Rin tells Shirou to go ahead in front for a bit and he walks right into a shocking trap. They aren’t worried about setting an alarm off though because they are not there to fight with Illyasviel von Einzbern but to talk to her. Rin thinks she can now handle passing through the trap but it shocks her even harder throwing her a few feet in the air and making her land on her back. Illyasviel gets a chuckle out of this as she watches through a crystal ball.

One of Illyasviel’s servants is upset with her allowing them to come into the castle without being invited but she tells them they can just go out and get them then. Illyasviel also seems to be interested in seeing Shirou, which when she thinks of she sees an image in her mind of her father Kiritsugu Emiya. The servants Leys and Sella however end up capturing Shinji Matou instead. They approach him and nearly slaughter him instantly as he asks to be taken to see Berserker but he manages to catch their weapon. They tell him he has 10 seconds to decide if he will be killed by the weapon or try to escape but that they have no time to hear him out. As the countdown commences and he tries to run away, Archer Gilgamesh appears on the roof. They sense he is very strong. One decides she will deal with him and orders the other to go to Illyasviel. He says they should leave now, in 10 seconds, should they want to keep their lives. He then says the boy is his Master. They say there is no way they can do as he asks because they must protect Illyasviel. Gilgamesh then calls Illyasviel the Grails Vessel which triggers once to jump after him but he uses his Noble Phantasm to throw a weapon her way and cut off one of her arms. More of his weapons begin to appear from his golden portals in the sky and they strike down both of the Servants. One can still draw breath and says he won’t go near the mistress as long as she can still breath and he tells her to be proud she did not break her word and decapitates her. Illyasviel feels this has happened and jumps into the scene with Berserker. She orders Berserker to kill Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is up for the fight and prepares numerous more weapons from portals in the sky.

Episode 3: A Battle of Legend

The series opens with Rin and Shirou exiting the forest and seeing the castle off in the distance. They also notice that there is a fight going on. They decided that under these circumstances they can’t just go through the front door so Rin says they will find another way in.

Meanwhile Archer Gilgamesh continues to shoot weapons down at Illyasviel’s Servant Berserker. Berserker has managed to block them, so Archer manifests even more. He brings Berserker to his knees and Shinji Matou runs forward excitedly and impressed, but Archer tells him to stand back if he values his life because there is more going on than he is aware. Berserker then comes back to life and Shinj runs away frightened. Archer comments that Berserker seems to have a Noble Phantasm he has brought from his myth into reality that he doesn’t possess then sends more weapons through his chest. They dissapear is sparkles of gold. Archer knows he is Hercules and says that despite his strength he will not last up against his endless supply of weapons. As Berserker begins to run toward Archer a flashback of Illyasviel starts.

She is younger and playing with her stuffed animals. She looks out the window, pressing her face against the glass and thinking she saw her father Kiritsugu Emiya return excitedly runs down to greet him at the front door. Her father isn’t there. Instead a shadowy woman forms behind her. She asks her if she's her mother, but the woman says she is sorry but her mother is gone and died at the hand of the man she loved above any other. She says she was betrayed and Illysviel was betrayed then cast aside like broken tools when Illyasviel says her daddy told her that her mom would become the Holy Grail and he would keep her safe. Illyasviel screams in pain and disbelief at this. She looks up to see her Grandfather Jubstacheit von Einzbern also known as Old Man Acht or Elder Acht looking down at her. The scene then switches to her back in her room, but it is empty and all her plushies are gone. She tries to comfort herself saying to herself that she can take care of herself. The shadowy woman appears again, telling her that her father, which she refers to as the traitor, is now thought to be dead. Illyasviel says she doesn’t care, but the woman says she has to care because he had a child and they can kill each other very soon. She adds that the fire of the Greater Grail still burns and because the last Holy Grail War was incomplete a new one will start soon. She can hardly wait. The woman disappears and Illyasviel smiles creepily.

The scene changes to Illyasviel wincing in pain as she sits in a room with bloody bandages wrapped around her limbs asking herself why she must be cut every day. Through the cracked door she sees women carrying a body in a bag on a board. She follows them and watches them dumb the body into water about 6 feet deep that fills the floor of a large room. She looks into the water and sees numerous other bodies identical to the one thrown in the water. She calls it stupid and wonders why they won’t stop. One woman in the water with weapons protruding from her back answers her saying that they can’t stop it because the Holy Grail War is their purpose, it is why they exist. Each one of them is a product of trying to replicate a miracle that happened 1000 years ago. The woman refers to herself as only a tool with no concept of happiness, the used not the user. Another woman with a spear in her continues the other woman’s thought saying they have suffered for 1000s of years, but finally they achieved Illyasviel. They say she is the product of the Einzbern’s research and they’ll never create another superior to her. Another woman says if she is defeated Elder Acht will stop everything. This upsets Illyasviel as she doesn’t want them to all die. They tell her not to mourn for them as none of them will mind even if it was all for nothing.

Illyasviel is then seen in her room with Sella introducing herself who is tasked with watching after her and Leysritt who is tasked with protecting her. Leysritt’s “link” isn’t complete yet and it affects her speech. Illyasviel looks angry and tells them she doesn’t care for their introductions because they are a waste of time. It seems her spirit has been hardened. She says they’re all the same as the others and asks if her Servent is there yet. He has been summoned and is currently being kept in chain - the great hero renowned in Greek myth - Hercules. They go to see Berserker and Illyasviel comments that Servants are nothing more than tools to use and what’s inside doesn’t matter. She says she doesn’t trust anyone anymore and that the Berserker would betray her in an instant if it weren’t for her Command Seals. It is then revealed that the cuts she had in the previous flashback were from them putting Magic Circuits in her body so that it is now composed of 70% of them. They begin the linking between Master and Servant. They warn her to be cautious because she will receive far more feedback from her Servant than a normal Master would receive. Markings on her skin begin to glow red. Berserker doesn’t heed her command to move and she yells at him, punching him over and over. He finally does while roaring and she wraps her arms around herself while she closes her eyes and teeters in pain. She screams and then falls to her knees, her head on the ground. Her Servants tell her she must sever the link and perform the pact ritual another time for Illyasviel says it’s nothing, that she is the most powerful Master in the world, and she will not be beaten. She says she will break him and then the scene changes again.

The forest is snowy Illyasviel stands up from having been laying in the snow and comments that it is her final test and if she can make it back to the castle she can go to Fuyuki. She seems to have left Berserker behind somewhere. She says it’s okay though and that she’ll summon a new servant onces she gets back to the castle that isn’t as scary and won’t cause her pain. Something moves in the trees and suddenly she is being attacked by wolves. But out of nowhere, is Berserker! He shields her from the wolves even as the bite at his body. She wonders why he came when she had left him behind and why he is protecting her. She thinks he doesn’t want them to hurt her, just as he doesn’t want to hurt her. The lines on her face grow red again and she orders him to attack the wolves. After the fight they stand beside each other. She tells him she understands now that he didn’t protect her because he is her Servant or because she had ordered him, but out of his own free will because that is what he wanted to do.

The scene flashes back to her fight with Berserker against Archer Gilgamesh. She shouts that Berserker is stronger than anyone. Rin and Shirou have found a way into the castle and are moving through the hallways. They hear the fight happening and Shirou wants to go help but Rin tells him he must promise to not interfere. She says before he is able to save anyone he must first save himself. They are able to sneak and look down on the fight from the second floor. Berserker is covering Illyasviel with his arm and is badly wounded from an onslaught of Archer’s weapons. He stands up to fight again, dodging more weapons and hitting others away. Illyasviel begs him with tears in her eyes to please not lose. But Hercules is brought down a 12th time, he seems to finally be dead for good and Archer approaches, but then Hercules gets up once more and goes to swing his weapon. Unfortunately he is caught in Archer’s Chains of Heaven that not even a God can escape. Not even a Command Seal could make him teleport away. Archer summons one final spear which shoots through Berserker’s chest and out his back. He is finally done for. Archer summons a sword and approached Illyasviel, cutting across her eyes so she can’t see. While she shuffles around and calls out for him with her hands outreached, he stabs her through the chest. She calls on ground trying to reach him. Calling out to him. Her hand reaches him and she asks him to stay with her forever. Berserker then breaks free of the chains and runs toward an very surprised Archer but he is able to summon two more weapons just before reaching him. Hercules continued to surpass his own myth down to the very end, coming back to life 13 times and breaking the Chains of Heaven. Illyasviel says again if Berserker is there with her she will never have to worry. The two are shown again holding hands in the snow as she remembers that he always protected her, even though he was scary he was kind, and he was big like her daddy. She wishes he would have scooped her up in his arms just one time.

Episode 4: Winter Days, The Form Wishes Take

The episodes open with Archer Gilgamesh forces his hand into Illyasviel’s back and pulls something out that looks like her heart. Shirou tells him to stop. Gilgamesh tells him without Saber he is just an annoyance and starts to summon weapons to shoot him down with but before he fires them Shinji Matou approaches and says he is an acquaintance from school. Shinji introduces Shirou to his new servant Archer and says he can beg for his life., but Shirou won’t do it. Shinji is about to order Archer to just kill him but Rin intervenes by threatening to kill Shinji if Archer so much as twitches. Archer withdraws his weapons and heads to leave. Archer tells him Rin could make a satisfactory vessel. Shinji turns to her and offers her a chance to join forces with them, but before he can finish she turns him down. Shinji orders Archer to kill both of them now but Archer says he can’t doddle anymore or what appears to be Illyasviel’s heart (still beating…) will spoil. Shinji says Rin will regret this because he won’t make the offer again.

The scene switches to Rin and Shirou burring Illyasviel. Shirou tears up and Rin tells him there was nothing he could do. He asks why he did what he did when he must have known that showing himself to Archer would be suicide. He says there was no reason. He just wanted to try and save her. Rin says the way he lives his life is seriously warped. It isn’t right to value the lives of others more than themselves. She says he will eventually come apart at the seems trying to always help other people. Shirou tells her she is wrong. She says whatever happened 10 years ago messed him up but he responds that his life was saved that’s all. Rin is surprised he didn’t have to pay anything or give up anything in return. He says Kiritsugu saved him and it didn’t cost him a single thing. He said he envied the happy look on his face though and wanted to become a man like him. He wants to make up for all those he couldn’t help back then. His only wish is that. Otherwise he feels his survival would be meaningless. She tells him though angry and with tears in her eyes that unless he lives his life for himself he will never really know what happiness is. But he says it can’t possibly be wrong to dedicate your life to the services of others. She turns and blushes. Then turns back and says she supposes she must keep working on him.

They walk out of the forest and talk about the eight servants summoned, Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, demigod and seeker of eternal youth. She says he is so powerful it is almost unfair and yet Berserker seemed to be not much less powerful than him. Shirou agrees and says on his own he is on par with Saber or Berserker, but it is his weapons that overpower him each been a Noble Phantasm or weapons made of Noble Phantasms. Shirou assumes Archer must have all the originals of the weapons that Noble Phantasms were based on. He thinks there must be a treasury full of his treasures and that is his Noble Phantasm. All Archer has to do is pull out the specific weapon that his opponent can’t beat. Rin thinks that Caster is the more pressing matter though. Lancer has been eavesdropping from the rooftop and tells them they know they two can’t go up against Caster. Rin and Shirou jump into attack positions against Lancer but they begin arguing with each other about who is going to fall back and who is going to attack, both of them wanting to protect the other. Lancer drops down pulling their attention away from their bickering and asks if they’re finished already. He says he has no intention of hurting them but instead would like to offer his help. He says it is an order from his Master for him to ask to form a united front until Caster’s army is beaten down. Rin asks why he would team up with them if there are better people to team up with but Lancer says that the guy who just beat Berserker won’t be good chemistry. He thinks he’s powerful but that they wouldn’t get along. He wants to work with Rin because he’s liked her since he’s laid eyes on her. He calls her beautiful, stubborn, and gutsy not stupid. Rin decides to team up, but if Emiya comes to think he can’t trust him they will back out. Shirou agrees but only on the condition that he doesn’t “cozy up” with Tohsaka. Both Lancer and Rin are surprised by that being what he requests over finding out who Lancer’s master is. Lancer laughs while Rin just stands there shocked and embarrassed. Lancer agrees and congratulates Rin for Shirou having been “bitten by the love bug.” Rin tries to argue that they aren’t anything more than fighting allies, but Shirou remains quiet. Rin is overcome with shyness and Lancer tells Shirou he is in for a bumpy ride. Shirou replies he already knows she is a handful. To which Rin gets angry for hearing.

Later that night at the Church, Souichirou Kuzuki is reading in his office. His Servant Archer (not Gilgamesh) comes in and tells him he is tired of just going through the motions of watching the grounds plus Caster can watch the entire area. He says there is no reason he should stand watch. She’s even watching Archer himself. Despite that he is acting on his own behalf, he knows if he does anything suspicious she will retrieve him with a Command Seal. Kuzuki asks him why he is there and Archer says he simply came because he wanted to get to know him more. Kuzuki then goes on to say that he never was able to form an identity and his own desires are formless, yet for some reason which he doesn’t know why he wants to make Caster’s wish come true for her. He knows freedom has never been her desire, but that she simply wants to go home. A shot of Caster at the beach facing away is shown that fades her into a little girl of herself as Kuzuki goes on. Kuzuki tells him to take up his post because he feels the final battle is close.

Back with Shirou, Rin and Lancer and going over his duty which is to battle Archer. Shirou reminds him that at worst he could be facing Saber, Assassin, and Caster all at once. Lancer doesn’t think Assassin will show up though because he’s not able to leave Ryudou Temple. He asks Rin if she really thinks she can manage Caster, and Rin knows she is at a disadvantage but thinks if she could just blindside her she might be able to win.

Rin and Shirou approach the front of the Church where Archer is waiting for them. Lancer then shows himself and surprises Archer. After throwing some shade at each other they get ready to fight. Rin reminds him he isn’t to kill Lancer but just bring him to his knees so he can still be alive to become Rin’s Servant again. Rin thanks him and heads into the church with Shirou leaving Lancer and Archer to battle it out.

Rin stops for a moment in the church and tells Shirou she needs to tell him something. She pulls out her red crystal pendant and says that there’s really only one of them. That hers is the one that Archer brought back to her on the day Shirou was stabbed. She always assumed that he had just retrieved it for her. That’s all she says she has to say and they head out to fight.

Episode 5: The Dark Sword Bares Its Fangs

The episode opens with Archer and Lancer about to battle in front of the Church as Rin and Shirou have just headed inside. Caster is shown in the Church with Souichirou Kuzuki and a still bound Saber. She sense and wonders why Lancer is helping them. Kirei asks if something is wrong, but Caster assures him there is nothing to worry about. Caster asks him how he has an objective yet is without desires. He says he might have a desire and talks about his youth when he was treated as less than human and grew up without ever doubting it. He says this eventually brought him to take the life of someone for which he had no quarrel with and whose death didn’t affect him one bit not even in profit. He killed because he was told to like a machine and that is when he gave up all hope of living as a human. But he makes it clear to say that his choices were his own and he doesn’t blame his actions on his upbringing. There is one thing he feels compelled to return to his rightful place. As he says this, the scene of a young caster facing away as she looks out at the waves is shown again.

Rin and Shirou go over there plan before heading into battle. Rin tells Shirou that no matter how bad her fight gets with Caster she wants him to stay out of it. She wants him just to focus on keeping Mr. Kuzuki as far away as possible. If they can take Archer and Saber back from Caster the Fifth Holy Grail War will be over. RIn and Shirou enter the room Caster and Souichirou are at with Saber bound in the back. Caster begins to ridicule her as a stupid child and Rin decides to retailate with a verbal jab at her fashion choices, appearance, and “parlor tricks.” Shirou calls forth his Kanshou and Bakuya blades as Souichirou eyes him and Caster rises into the air with purple orbs around her. Shirou knows there is no way they can win when they both outclass them and that he can’t hold off Souichirou for long because of his skilled close combat martial arts paired with magic. Not even Saber could. The fight will be a test to see how long they can hold out against superior opponents.

The fight between Archer and Lancer is already well underway. No one has gotten a hit on either though. Each has been able to dodge eachother’s attacks. During a pause in fighting Lancer asks him why he chose to side with Caster. Lancer thinks Archer might have had a chance against Caster with Rin, but Archer repeats what he has said before and that is he chose the option with the higher chances of success, however slight. Lancer tells him he chose the wrong option and his lack of pride in his sword is a weakness. Archer tells him to keep his useless pride to himself. Lancer prepares to use his spear’s special ability. He charges forth then leaps into the sky. His sword radiates with red light. Archer knows it well. The Gae Bolg - the spear which curse kills with a single blow. When thrown it is an anti-army Noble Phantasm. It aims for the heart never missing its target. The spear fires down at Archer and Archer reaches out his hand to face it head on. He tells himself he is the bone of his sword and uses Rho Aias which creates a multi-layered barrier in the shape of a purple flower. He keeps the barrier up as each layer is shattered away by the spear. A great explosion happens at the last layer and the spear returns to Lancer. Archer is still alive and impressed that the spear was more powerful than he thought. Lancer is also impressed that Archer was able to conjure up such a powerful barrier. It is however completely destroyed and he lost use of his arm which he was holding up to maintain the barrier. He says it was the most powerful defense he had in his arsenal. Archer also mentions that Caster must really have her hands full because she is no longer watching them. Lancer leaves to go help Caster.

Meanwhile Rin is continuing to battle Caster as Shirou continues to battle Souichirou. Shirou notices that Souichirou is going after his swords. Rin manages to throw up gems to create barriers preventing her from being harmed. Caster notes that she is being wasteful with them which Rin acknowledges to herself is true. Rin tries her best to attack with three more crystals but Caster is able to simply deflect them with her hand. Noticing how easily Caster reflected it, Rin realizes even if she had 100 gems it wouldn’t have been enough. She creates a bright light with one of her few remaining gems and starts to attack Caster in hand combat. She is able to get a few punches in on her, but Souichirou gets one in on her sending her to the ground. Caster thanks him thinking she wouldn’t have fared well against Rin’s martial arts. Souichiro says they need to wake up Saber and Caster agrees but before they can Archer appears and says “Trace On” and several swords are summoned above Souichirou. Caster leaps out in front of Souichirou stopping three of the swords with her chest. Her headdress is knocked off revealing her appearance, elf like ears, and long hair. She falls back into Souichirou asking him if he is hurt and is relieved to hear he isn’t. He tells her not to grieve because he will fulfill her wish in her absence. But she looks up into his eyes, holding his face, and says that moment was what she wished for as she disappears in a purple sparkles.

Shirou noticed that Archer said the exact same words that he does. Rin says she’s always suspected (something) and asks Archer if it’s true. Souichirou calls him a traitor and then approaches with clenched fists. Shirou tells him Caster is gone and he doesn’t have to keep fighting because there is no reason anymore, but he replies he knows that and he never had a reason because he never had any interest in the Holy Grail. He adds that he must finish what he started. He throws a punch at Archer but his arm is immediately sliced useless. He throws another punch and the same thing happens. He walks back into a pole and rocks fall down onto him, killing him.

Shirou approaches Saber and wakes her up. Archer throws swords but misses them. Rin is angry and asks him what he is doing and tells him she’s done with all his nonsense. He summons swords all around Rin trapping her and tells her their contract is terminated. Then he approaches Shirou with the intent to kill him with his bare hands. Archer talks about that becoming his only desire when he was reduced to a lowly Guardian.

Episode 6: The Beginning of the Circle

The episode opens with Archer approaching Saber protecting Shirou while Rin remains trapped by swords surrounding her summoned by Archer. He tells Saber he has no pride left, only foolish regrets and that following in the hero’s path was a mistake. He then tells her to stand down being fighter without a Master will make her disappear instantly and coming to the aid of Shirou who is no longer qualified to be a master will not grant her wish. She says that she will honor her promise to protect him in battle no matter what happens. Archer says so be it and they begin to fight. Saber does her best to defend against Archer, but she is greatly exasperated. She can’t summon her armor and or maintain Invisible Air on her sword. She falls to the floor and Archer approaches telling her to leave before he changes her mind. Shirou then runs in on him with his Kachou and Bakuya blades, but Archer is unphased and easily blocks him then throws him down. Rin can only helplessly watch from within the cage of swords. Archer tells Shirou using magic beyond his abilities will destroy him, but while he is talking Shirou seems to get grainy images of swords and a hilltop. Archer continues to belittle Shirou, but Shirou gets back up and continues to fight. After a few hits are dodged Archer manages to shatter Shirou’s blades. Archer raises his blade to perform a finishing blow but before that Rin calls out to Saber with an offering of being her Master if she would be her Servant. This takes Archers attention away from Shirou for a moment who tries to get another hit in on him but is blocked. Saber accepts Rin’s offer and a pact is formed. Command Seal then appears on Rin’s hand. Saber is also able to break her free from the swords surrounding her and her own stamina is refreshed.

Saber and Archer begin to battle which doesn’t start off well for Archer as part of his blade breaks off from her swords force. Archer is forced back and Saber asks him what he will now do since the tables are turned and he now has no one to supply him with mana. He reminds her that the Archer class has the ability of independent action and he thinks he can last two days or so without a Master. Saber is shocked that Archer’s wish all long was to not for the Holy Grail but to kill Shirou.She says if that’s true it was a mistake. Archer scoffs at her and says she took the words right out of his mouth. He asks her how long she will cling to her own mistaken wish. Saber recalls in her mind kneeling atop the hilltop with all of her fallen comrades around her. Archer drops his swords and then summons energy that swirls around him by saying “I am the bone of my sword.” Saber yells at him to stop because she doesn’t want to fight. He reaches out his arm toward Saber and says “Unlimited Blade Works.” Shirou finds himself on his knees in a barren landscape only cluttered with swords sticking into the ground. Rin is also there and calls it a Reality Marble. Saber is there as well. She realizes that Archer isn’t a swordsman or a bowman and Archer confirms that is true. He says in his former life before he became a Heroic Spirit he was a mage. He says his Reality Marble is his Noble Phantasm. With one look of a weapon it is instantly recreated there. Archer threatens to create the Holy Sword that Saber holds and notes that a clash between two Holy Swords might hurt the humans (Rin and Shirou) standing nearby. Archer summons several more swords in the sky telling Saber she can dodge if she wishes but it would be fatal for the people behind her. Shirou is maddened by this and runs out in front of Saber. He uses Trace On and is able to see the structure of the swords as he blocks them and sends them shattering.

He then wakes up to find himself face down on the ground with Saber next to him and Archer holding Rin under his arm. He manages to hit some kind of pressure point which causes her to pass out. Then hops up on the stone fence. Saber asks where he is taking her. He says he’s depleted his mana and can’t fight Saber right now so he is taking Rin as his mana insurance policy. He threatens that if Saber tries anything with him he will kill Shirou. Shirou tells Archer to meet him out in the forest where there is a castle where no one lives anymore for them to talk. He adds if he lays a finger on Rin he will kill him. Archer only guarantees her safety for a day. Once Archer leaves Shirou falls to his knees in exhaustion. Saber runs to his side and tells him he is being reckless. He apologizes to Saber for letting Rin get captured, but Saber says at the moment he is in far more danger than she is. She tells him to leave Rin to her and he should go home and rest. As Saber helps him walk out of the Church Lancer appears and asks if everything is over. Saber asks Lancer if he has some ulterior motive for aiding Shirou and Rin. He says of course and Saber orders him to leave since he must have gotten what he wanted, but Lancer continues to stay and notes to Shirou that it doesn’t look like everything has gone to plan. Shirou tells him that Archer took Rin hostage.

The inside of the Reality Marble is seen again and Rin talks about it being his world and his eternal reward for a lifetime of helping people. He seemed to have embraced this world, dying with a satisfied smile across his lips. But Rin finds it makes her furious and calls it stupid. She says he worked ceaselessly striving for greatness beyond his nature finally buying this miracle with his blood. It should have brought him happiness because if he brings happiness to lots of other people who happiness should have equalled it or even surpassed it. But that was not the reward he received. Instead he was given a cruel fate exploited as a Guardian long after even his death. She realizes that Archer is a future Shirou Emiya and that neither of them can be saved. All Shirou can do is grieve over what’s to become of him. He sacrificed everything, even his own afterlife. Death could not prevent him from helping others. His life as it was gave him constant betrayal and in the end he was betrayed even by the one idea he believed in.

Rin wakes up tied to a chair and asks Archer what he is trying to pull. He calls Shirou naive and says he wants to put him down before it is too late. Rin says it’s part of his charm. She finds comfort that someone like him can exist. She asks him if his constant betrayal and cleaning up of other people’s messes while trying to save people and saving them was what caused him to give up on humanity. He ignores her and stands up to leave, but she brings up “I am the bone of my sword” which she calls his incantation he was given the day he became a Heroic Spirit. She says even a curse should be that cruel. As they talk Shinji Matou walks down the steps into the basement she is being held in. He is surprised she is actually there. Archer chose that location because he thought they wouldn’t be interrupted. Shinji tells him to keep cool and that he is there to see Rin. Gilgamesh is also there with him. Archer tells Shinji he can have Rin once his business is finished with Shirou. Shinji agrees with this if they get to stay and “keep Rin safe.” Shinji wants to do whatever he wants to her, but Archer says she will remain unharm as per his agreement with Shirou but that will expire at dawn. He adds Shinji can do as he wants once daybreak. Archer then leaves, but as he passes Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh calls him a faker.

Back with Saber is Shirou waking up early in the morning. She looks down on him as he gets up from his bed noting that his fatigue and headache are gone. His mana is pretty low but his Magic Circuits don’t seem to be burned out. Saber says it is her duty as Rin’s Servant to rescue her but Shirou says to leave Archer to him. They both bring up who Archer really is. Shirou wants to end this even if it kills him. He asks Saber to let him fight Archer and stay out of it no matter what happens. She abides by his request because it seems truly what he wants. They head out in the morning and Lancer appears outside their house. He offers to tag along because he knows that Rin is in danger. Roll end credits~.