At this moment, in the timeline of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
On a streetlamp in Fuyuki City.
Gilgamesh looked at the scene within the light screen and instantly flew into a rage.
He gnashed his teeth and cursed.
"This insignificant mongrel! How dare a counterfeit be so arrogant!"
"I want to see if you can remain so arrogant after your defeat!"
The battle between Shirou Emiya and Gilgamesh was on the verge of breaking out, but the light screen flickered, and the image shifted to the backyard of the Ryudou Temple.
[Saber, Artoria, witnessed the horrifying scene of the black mud pool and was deeply shocked.]
["If a Servant summoning fails, will the Servant become like that?" she murmured to herself, her eyes filled with doubt.]
["Or is this the power of the Holy Grail?" She stared blankly at the flesh within the Sea of Corruption, shook her head violently, rushed to the edge of the pool, and shouted toward the massive mountain of flesh on the opposite side.]
["Rin! Where are you, Rin!"]
[A faint echo came from afar.]
["Rin!!"]
[Artoria prepared to step into the Sea of Corruption without hesitation, but her instincts warned her that this substance must not be touched.]
["Wait! No, Saber, don't come in!"]
[Artoria halted.]
["Rin, but…"]
["I said don't! If you touch this mud, you'll end up like that. Alright, alright, Saber, prepare to use your Noble Phantasm. This piece of flesh is about to break—use your Noble Phantasm to sever it before that happens!"]
[The Sea of Corruption began to shift from squirming to agitation. With a gurgle, the amount of mud spewing onto the ground increased continuously. The pool water turned completely black and turbid, and the black mud began to spread across the land—in other words, it was growing at an alarming rate.]
["Rin, come out! As long as you can get out of the pool, I'll handle the rest!"]
["Okay, I'll leave it to you. But if you can't make it in time, choose the one you can save. Although the contract with Saber will be severed, if Shirou is alright, there will always be a way…"]
["Stop talking nonsense, Rin! I won't accept that. No matter what happens, I will break a curse like this!"]
[Artoria resolutely prepared to charge into the Sea of Corruption to save Rin Tohsaka.]
[However, at that moment, a red light flashed, and Artoria was fixed in place, unable to move.]
["Rin, you used a Command Seal?!"]
[She cried out in astonishment, her heart filled with indescribably complex emotions.]
["Of course. I can't let the only person capable of destroying the Holy Grail die so easily," Tohsaka Rin's voice sounded somewhat arrogant, yet her tone was firm. "And don't worry about me. At this level, it's easy to wipe them all out and escape. Saber, just stand there, calm down, and prepare your holy sword."]
[The camera zoomed in gradually, clearly showing Rin Tohsaka struggling. She looked at the black mud arms encircling her and smiled bitterly: "Of course it would be furious if its heart was stolen. If I return Shinji, will you let me go? This thing really wants…"]
[Rin Tohsaka glanced weakly at the pool that might become her final resting place and sighed: "Ah, really… That idiot took all my magical energy without any hesitation. Thanks to him, I have nothing left here…"]
[There was no blame in her tone; it sounded more like relief.]
["Knowing I have no mana to offer, this thing won't move… Really, is this the end?" Rin Tohsaka looked at her last remaining Command Seal and then toward the opposite bank. "I'm sorry, Saber. Because you might not have listened to me, I had to force you."]
["Hey, and I also have to apologize for not being able to rescue the 'duty worker'…" Rin Tohsaka's voice carried a hint of remorse.]
["Alright, alright, run quickly. I don't want to hear such discouraging words…" Artoria's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Rin Tohsaka.]
[Suddenly, a familiar yet unfamiliar word resonated throughout the space.]
[Rin Tohsaka's body, which was about to collapse, suddenly stabilized. "This voice?!" she exclaimed in shock, dragging Shinji Matou toward Artoria on the riverbank.]
[At the same time, arrows raining down from the sky like a torrential storm completely shattered the flesh tentacles, the net, and the ground blocking Rin's path!]
[As she stepped onto the shore, Rin could hardly believe her eyes: "Saber, please!"]
["Hmm!" Artoria's surging magical energy spread out, dyeing the entire Mount Enzo with a golden light.]
["EX—calibur!!" Artoria swung the golden sword, sweeping away everything before her with overwhelming firepower. The black mud evaporated, and the belt of light transformed the pool itself into a desolate wilderness…]
[The torrent of light that dissipated everything left countless golden specks in the dark night, as bright as stars.]
["It's over. My battle ends here…" Artoria knelt on one knee, gazing at the light formed by the convergence of countless wishes.]
[This collapsing Holy Grail was once the salvation she sought. Yet now, she deeply realized her mistake.]
[She had found the true answer from that boy and that hero.]
[After enduring the long years, the man twisted by ideals at the end of his journey remained, at his core, an innocent boy.]
[The regret was too heavy for words, the sin too deep for redemption.]
[Yet, at the final moment, the hero finally discovered the truth that no one could blaspheme.]
["The contract is fulfilled. This is your victory, Rin," Artoria's voice began to fade. "If possible, I would have wished to always protect you and Shirou. But that is no longer my duty. Shirou, and you by his side…"]
[As the light gradually dispersed, Artoria's form seemed to be swallowed by the radiance, slowly vanishing into the night sky.]