When Ren was creating this film, he focused all the attention and central plot on the relationship between Shirou and Sakura. In the first part, the story carefully depicted their daily lives, slowly building the connection between them and allowing the audience to grow emotionally attached to Sakura.
By doing this, Ren made sure that, when the second part revealed what had happened to Sakura, the audience would be filled with anger and feel even more invested in the story.
In the screening room, viewers could even faintly hear some cursing directed at the Porter, frustrated by what was unfolding on the screen.
Amidst this rising tension, the film transitioned into another thrilling scene—the battle between Berserker and Black Saber! Unlike the chase between Lancer and Assassin, this fight would be a direct, brutal showdown.
To make this battle feel as real as possible, Picca Comics spared no expense in the animation, pouring immense effort into the transitions and camera angles to fully capture the chaotic clash of blades and sorcery in the Holy Grail War.
Every frame was crafted to perfection, with attention to detail evident in every shot.
"Wow..." someone murmured in awe.
"That's incredible."
The audience sat transfixed, eyes glued to the screen, not even daring to blink. The intense battle between the two powerful warriors—Berserker, the hulking, muscle-bound fighter, and Black Saber, the black-armored swordswoman—left everyone on the edge of their seats.
Each footstep shattered the ground beneath them. Blasts from their weapons split the earth, and castles crumbled under the force of their attacks. It felt like the end of the world as these two formidable servants clashed.
Red and black energy beams tore through the sky, massive axes shattered the land, and the audience could feel the devastation unfolding before them.
This was a full-on servant battle!
Although fans had already seen the fight between Lancer and Assassin in the first movie, there was something about this kind of all-out, hand-to-hand combat that stirred them even more.
Unfortunately, despite Berserker's incredible strength and his impressive Noble Phantasm that allowed him to resurrect multiple times, he was still no match for the corrupted shadow and Black Saber.
Even the ability to come back from the dead proved futile when faced with the overwhelming power of the shadow's corruption.
As Shirou and the others fled with little Illya while being pursued by Assassin, the tension in the theater reached its peak. Everyone knew that Shirou was just an ordinary human—how could he possibly escape from a servant?
Thankfully, just when all seemed lost, Rin's Archer appeared, managing to fend off Assassin and allowing the group to catch their breath.
The audience collectively sighed in relief.
"That's it, right? It's over now?" someone whispered, hopeful.
!!!
But before they could fully relax, their eyes widened in shock.
Archer had been pierced through the chest by the shadow's tendrils! Not only that, the surrounding mana surged into the shadow, causing it to grow even larger.
Then...
RUAAA!!!
A massive energy blast shot out from the shadow!
At that moment, Archer stepped into the spotlight for what would become his most iconic scene.
"I am the bone of my sword."
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
"Rho Aias!"
Archer began to chant, and a giant flower-shaped shield materialized before him—Rho Aias, his Noble Phantasm, blocking the shadow's deadly attack.
Though he managed to deflect most of it, Archer was already gravely injured. A portion of the blast still slipped through, and as he shielded Illya with his body, his left arm was severed by the blast.
In the original Heaven's Feel movie adaptation, this moment wasn't clearly explained. All the audience saw was the aftermath—a ruined battlefield, and Archer cutting off his own arm.
But in Ren's version, the scene was extended. It was shown that Archer had blocked the majority of the blast, but in his weakened state, he couldn't stop it entirely. To protect Illya, he sacrificed his arm.
Although this was the only time in the movie that Unlimited Blade Works was used, the sight of Rho Aias—a shield big enough to cover the sky, standing firm against an overwhelming force—was a truly awe-inspiring moment.
At that instant, the audience finally realized just how powerful Archer truly was.
In previous Heaven's Feel scenes, Archer's combat prowess hadn't been fully showcased. After all, the story primarily focused on Shirou and Sakura's relationship, leaving little room for Archer's feats.
Sure, he had defeated Rider and Assassin, but in the minds of many viewers, those two didn't seem like formidable foes. Rider had been dispatched with a single strike by Saber earlier, and Assassin wasn't a servant built for direct combat.
As a result, many audience members had assumed that Archer's combat skills were only average.
But this moment changed everything. Seeing Rho Aias stretch across the battlefield and hold back an impossible attack made them realize just how formidable Archer really was.
And the best part?
The chant itself sounded undeniably cool.
On the screen, Archer spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering over to Rin's unconscious body. He gently brushed aside her hair, his voice soft and affectionate.
"Rin... this is as far as I go. You'll have to finish the rest... on your own."
The tone in his voice was filled with warmth and tenderness.
"Wait... Archer's really dead?" someone asked in disbelief.
"I thought he and Rin would end up together..."
Although Archer hadn't been the focus of this movie, Ren had used subtle details to beautifully portray the relationship between him and Rin.
Many viewers had been rooting for them as a couple, and seeing Archer die like this left them heartbroken.
Still, some viewers couldn't help but be shocked by Archer's disheveled hair after the intense battle.
"Wait a minute, doesn't Archer kind of look like Shirou?"
"Yeah! If his hair was dyed red, he'd look exactly like Shirou!"
Indeed.
Normally, Archer's hair was styled upward, but after the intense battle, the hair gel seemed to have worn off. Now, his hair looked just like Shirou's. If you dyed Shirou's skin darker, they'd be identical!
This led to hushed conversations among the audience.
Some viewers even recalled how awkward the interactions between Shirou and Archer had been when they first met, fueling speculation about Archer's true identity.
"Could this guy really be a future version of Shirou?"
"Don't be ridiculous! What could Shirou possibly do to become a heroic spirit?"
"But they look so similar..."
----------
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates