Heaven's Feel (route)

:This page is about a Fate/stay night route. For other uses, see Heaven's Feel.
Heaven's Feel is one of the routes in Fate/stay night.
The heroine and love interest of this route is Sakura Matou, with her servant, Rider, as the servant protagonist of the route. Heaven's Feel is the third and final route the player will be able to play through in Fate/stay night. It can be accessed after the first two routes, Fate and Unlimited Blade Works, have been completed.
Heaven's Feel is the 3rd longest and most complex route of the visual novel and the one which covers most of the lore and backstory behind the war, revealing a lot of vital and important information which was absent in the previous routes. This route is more focused on the Masters: Shirou, Rin, Sakura and Illya, and how they relate to the previous Holy Grail War and the true nature of the Grail itself. It is also considered the "black side" of the story line of Fate/stay night due the hints of suspense and horror of the plot. Its main theme is "the friction with real and ideal".ComiPress Interview
== Plot ==
===Day 1===
Shirou Emiya is woken for school by his close junior, Sakura Matou. While making breakfast with her, Shirou notices that Sakura is growing into a beautiful woman, and begins to feel attracted to her.
The day then proceeds as in the previous routes until dinner ends. Shirou offers to walk Sakura home, concerned for her safety. She is reluctant, fearful of getting them both into trouble with her brother Shinji Matou, who does not approve of her visits to Shirou's house. Shirou is insistent, and Sakura eventually agrees.
On the way to the Matou household, Shirou learns Sakura is acquainted with honor student Rin Tohsaka. He also learns that Sakura had noticed a suspicious blonde foreigner loitering around her house recently. However, they reach the Matou house without incident, and wish each other well. Before leaving, Shirou hears the suspicious sound of a bug in the bushes, and notices a third light turned on in the house, despite only knowing Shinji and Sakura in the Matou family. 
Returning home without incident, the day proceeds as normal.
===Day 2===
While making breakfast, Shirou decides to make an extra side dish for Sakura. However, he gets carried away, making too much. Sakura arrives, and enthusiastically helps him prepare the dish for lunch instead. Her mood is brought down, however, when she notices a strange bruise-like mark developing on the back of Shirou's hand. She becomes quiet, and leaves without eating breakfast, telling Shirou to get some rest.
The school day passes as in the other routes. After classes end, however, Shirou heads to check on Sakura, and finds her alone in her classroom, downcast. Discovering that she is mysteriously ill, Shirou skips work to keep her company, making her stay and skip her archery club practice to rest.
As the sunset passes, Sakura recounts a story to Shirou, of a young boy she had witnessed four years before, practicing high jump alone after school. The boy was unable to perform the high jump, but stubbornly continued to try for hours, unwilling to give up. Sakura reveals the boy was a young Shirou, and it was the first time she had seen him, and had admired him from afar since then. The school bell then rings, and Sakura leaves in high spirits, thanking Shirou for keeping her company.
After his work, and glimpsing Rin Tohsaka in Shinto, Shirou heads to the Matou household to check on Sakura. There, he unexpectedly meets Zouken Matou, Sakura's grandfather, for the first time. Zouken asks Shirou about the daughter of the Einzberns, but is shocked to find he is completely unaware of the Einzberns. Brushing it off, he treats Shirou warmly and asks him to remain friends with his grandchildren before leaving. Shirou notes that the sound of insects stopped as soon as Zouken left.
===Day 3===
Sakura is concerned to find that the bruise on Shirou's hand is getting worse. Telling Shirou that she cannot come and help until the day after, she asks him to stay home as much as possible, even skipping work if he must.
From here, the day proceeds as in the Fate route:
Shirou witnesses Archer and Lancer's battle at school, being hunted down and mortally wounded by Lancer. Saved by Rin and her jewel pendant, he returns home, only to be attacked by Lancer again.
Shirou summons Saber, who drives off Lancer. Saber attacks the arriving Archer and Rin, gravely wounding Archer and forcing Rin to use a Command Spell, but Shirou stops Saber from killing Rin.
Rin takes Shirou and Saber to Kirei Kotomine at Kotomine Church to learn the rules of the Holy Grail War, where Shirou agrees to participate as a Master to prevent a disaster from occurring.
On the way home from the church, they are attacked by Illyasviel von Einzbern and her Servant Berserker. Saber is outmatched and gravely injured, and Shirou takes a mortal blow from Berserker to defend Saber, after which Illya leaves in confusion.
Meanwhile, in the worm-filled basement of the Matou household, Zouken contemplates remaining as an observer in the Holy Grail War, but notes that the "experiment" he has created to help reach the Holy Grail is unexpectedly well suited for the current War. His experiment appears, resolving to restrict themselves to observation in the War to avoid conflict. Zouken allows it, but to subtly motivate his experiment, he quietly plants a seed of negativity, making a casual comment that Rin Tohsaka will probably emerge victorious. 
===Day 4===
Shirou dreams of his adoptive father, Kiritsugu's final moments, where he swore to take up his dream of becoming a Hero of Justice, admiring Kiritsugu for saving his life from a great fire ten years ago. 
Later, Shirou wakes up fully healed inside his home, learning that Rin had taken him home and cared for him through the night as he recovered. Rin reveals that Shirou had mysteriously healed on his own, and believes it is a power granted by Saber. With Archer wounded, and Shirou being a weak magus, Rin proposes an alliance with Shirou. However, recognising Illya's name from Zouken's question, Shirou is suddenly curious about Illya, and is unable to make a decision. Disappointed, Rin leaves, warning Shirou that they will be enemies when they next meet.
Shirou finds Saber, and they discuss the Holy Grail War further, with Saber explaining concepts that Rin and Kirei did not earlier, and warning Shirou of their imperfect connection limiting her abilities. Shirou mentions his curiosity of Illya, and Saber reveals she knows of the Einzbern family, and directs him to the Kotomine Church to learn more. Shirou is reluctant, distrustful of Kirei, and Saber agrees, revealing that Kirei was a Master in the last Holy Grail War, and the greatest enemy of Saber's previous Master - Kiritsugu Emiya, which shocks Shirou.
They return to the church to meet Kirei, also meeting a strange blonde-haired foreigner. Shirou asks Kirei about Kiritsugu, and Kirei explains:
Kiritsugu was a Master, hired by the Einzberns to bring them victory in the previous Hold Grail War, and to produce an eventual successor. A cold, pragmatic and emotionless magus, he had ruthlessly killed his opponents, of which only Kirei survived, to reach the final battle. However, at the last moment, he betrayed the Einzberns, denying the power of the Grail and destroying it, ending the war. Kiritsugu and Kirei considered each other natural enemies, and he sees Shirou as following the same child-like ideals as Kiritsugu (akin to an Anti-Hero).
Asking about the Einzberns, Kirei also explains to Shirou the origins of the Holy Grail War, formed by the three families of Einzbern, Tohsaka and Makiri to obtain the Holy Grail. For centuries, the Einzberns had sought the Holy Grail, using whatever methods necessary to obtain it, even seeking the help of an outside magus in Kiritsugu. However, after his betrayal, the Einzberns came to resent Kiritsugu, explaining Illya's apparent fixation on Shirou.
His resolve emboldened, Shirou leaves, and agrees to fight alongside Saber. Returning home, he introduces Saber to Taiga Fujimura and Sakura as an acquaintance of Kiritsugu, who reluctantly accept her stay. However, Sakura becomes strangely downcast upon learning that Rin had also visited the house.
At night, Shirou and Saber head out to patrol the town for Masters. Sensing an attack, they find Shinji Matou, and his Servant Rider, attacking an innocent woman for her mana in a park on Zouken's orders. A fight breaks out between them, which Rider quickly loses, mortally wounded. Unwilling to accept his loss, Shinji abuses Rider to continue fighting despite her inability to, an act that disgusts Saber. However, Zouken appears, destroying Shinji's Command Spell, a Book of the False Attendant, and calling him a failure to the Matou bloodline as Rider disappears. No longer a Master, Shinji flees as Zouken confronts Shirou and Saber. Zouken reveals that the Matous are a family of magi once called Makiri, with Zouken making Shinji a Master as his successor. He assures Shirou that Sakura is uninvolved, and that they have been eliminated from the War, before disappearing.
Shirou and Saber take the woman to Kirei for help, despite their distrust of him. Kirei encourages Shirou to win the War, trampling on the wishes of the other Masters. As they leave, Saber swears to never betray Shirou as they fight to end the War.
===Day 5===
The following morning, Shirou discovers a bruise on Sakura's cheek, realising Shinji had abused Sakura after being humiliated the night before, to his anger. At school, leaving Saber at home, Shirou encounters Rin, and begs her for advice on how to protect Sakura from Shinji and the Holy Grail War, explaining the events of the night before. Rin suggests he have Sakura stay at his house, letting slip that she knows Sakura. No longer interested in being enemies with Shirou, Rin also tells him that a Servant resides in the Ryuudou Temple, and is the cause of the recent coma incidents in the city.
At the shopping district, Shirou unexpectedly encounters Illya, who is glad to see Shirou alive, and only wishes to talk to him. Shirou forgives Illya for attacking him, and they bond. She leaves after Shirou brings up Kiritsugu, but they promise to meet again, with Illya admitting she knows Kiritsugu.
Returning home, Shirou and Taiga manage to allow Sakura to stay over at his house. Sakura seems to come down with a strange fever, and Shirou cares for her during the night. After Sakura sleeps, Saber and Shirou head out to investigate the Ryuudou Temple. Meanwhile, at the Temple, Servant Assassin is defeated by an unknown assailant, and his body used as a catalyst to summon the True Assassin. The True Assassin devours the false Assassin's body, before escaping into the night with the sound of insects.
When Shirou and Saber arrive at the Ryuudou Temple, they find it unusually quiet, the monks all strangely asleep. Investigating further, they find a shocked, bloody Caster standing over the corpse of her master Souichirou Kuzuki, her Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker drawn. Caster denies having killed her own Master, but attacks Saber in her madness without revealing their assailant. Saber finishes off the crazed Caster, and they leave to get Kirei's assistance tending to the innocent monks, but not before Shirou notices a strange presence watching them. Unknown to them, a mysterious shadow arrives after they leave, consuming Caster and Kuzuki's bodies. 
That night, Shirou has a strange dream of a red world, where Rin Tohsaka, with strange grey jewel-like eyes, has sex with him / drains his blood (Réalta Nua).
===Day 6===
Shirou has a nightmare of the Fuyuki fire. However, he sees further than he normally does, seeing his original parents, and the cause of the fire: a black sun, from which shadow poured onto the land.
Upon waking up, Shirou finds that he is unusually sick with an apparent cold, skipping school to recover. Sakura, now recovered, also stays home to take care of Shirou. They get closer, with Shirou beginning to accept that Sakura is becoming like family to him.
Despite being sick, Shirou sneaks out to go shopping and meet Illya again. They continue to talk and bond, with Illya showing Shirou the Einzbern Castle and her maids Sella and Leysritt by transferring his vision. Shirou promises to continue meeting Illya, to her delight.
Shirou returns home to find Saber and Sakura angered by his absence, and is made to train with Saber as punishment. Rin calls Shirou, also angered by Shirou's absence from school, and tells him to come to school tomorrow. Sakura is disheartened by Shirou's apparent elation while talking to Rin. Later, Shinji unexpectedly arrives at Shirou's house, striking Sakura for not returning home and staying away without his knowledge. Shirou is angered, but Sakura stops them coming to blows, promising to obey Shinji. Satisfied with her promise, Shinji leaves, allowing her to stay. 
Soon after, Sakura has another sudden fever. Deciding to forgo patrolling that night, Shirou stays the night to take care of Sakura. In the shed, Shirou and Sakura talk and bond over their pasts, her asking him an odd question about his opinion on being adopted. Sakura also asks if Shirou can forgive her if she becomes a bad person, and Shirou replies that he would not, and would punish her for doing so, to her relief. Shirou reminisces on the first time Sakura came to help after his injury a year and a half ago, and obstinately continued to return until he relented and finally gave her a key - the second gift from someone dear to Sakura. 
Lancer arrives on a scouting mission at the Ryuudou Temple to investigate, and encounters the True Assassin. They fight, with Lancer chasing True Assassin to the temple lake, holding the upper hand. However, Lancer is lured into an ambush, and is attacked by a mysterious Shadow hiding in the lake. Lancer attempts to escape, but is killed, his heart destroyed by True Assassin's Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya. The Shadow consumes Lancer while True Assassin consumes Lancer's heart.
===Day 7===
Shirou wakes, now fully recovered. Taiga informs them that club practice is cancelled due to an incident at school, resulting in over ten members of the track team being injured, supposedly due to fatigue. Shirou agrees to eat lunch with Sakura at the archery dojo, to her delight. 
Noticing several students absent, Shirou runs into Rin at lunch. Rin informs him that despite Caster's defeat, the coma incidents are continuing, worse than before. To complicate matters further, while investigating the Ryuudou Temple the day before with Archer, Rin spotted a shadow resembling Caster. Suspecting that something different and suspicious is occurring in this Holy Grail War compared to the previous Wars, Rin and Shirou make a truce, putting a hold to fighting other Masters until the matter with Caster is cleared. 
However, they realise too late that Shirou had already promised to have lunch with Sakura. When lunch ends, they regretfully apologize to a saddened Sakura. Rin directs Shirou to head to a Chinese restaurant after school before leaving. There, he finds Kirei, eating mapo tofu, who had wished to meet with him to discuss the strange circumstances of the current War.
Kirei informs Shirou that the True Assassin was present the night they defeated Caster, and openly reveals himself as the late Lancer's Master. In return, Shirou tells Kirei of the past events, and of Zouken's involvement, which interests the priest. Hateful of Zouken, Kirei explains that Zouken is in fact an old magus, hundreds of years old, who uses insects as familiars to transfigure his body and sucks blood to maintain his youth. However, in the present day, he is on the verge of death, unable to walk in open daylight.
Kirei believes that Zouken is the source of the abnormalities in the current War, and aims to suppress the damage caused as the War's supervisor. Shirou is distrustful, but Kirei assures him that, like Shirou, he has no wish, and would prefer if either Shirou or Rin obtained the Grail. 
At the Matou household, Shinji throws an unknown person into the Matou basement to the mercy of Zouken's worms. He threatens them to create another Command Spell, a Book of the False Attendant, in order to leave. They do so, and Rider reappears as Shinji's Servant, returning him to the War as a Master.
On the way home, Shirou meets Illya again, annoyed that he did not notice her and forgot their promise. Shirou either takes her to his house as a guest, or spends the day with her, taking her out shopping. Shirou sees that despite her outward happiness being with Shirou, Illya is still inwardly conflicted and pained by her mission to take vengeance on the Emiya family as a Master. Shirou realises that Illya is Kiritsugu's true daughter and his sister, but keeps this silent. Illya bids him farewell, reminding him that they will be enemies after nightfall.
Shirou returns home, finding Sakura asleep. She embraces Shirou while half-asleep, flustering him. After training with Saber, they make Sakura rest early, noting her apparent fatigue. 
Saber and Shirou head out on another patrol. Detecting a Servant, they head to the Fuyuki bridge, and encounter Rin and Archer facing off with Zouken. Zouken summons Caster, her corpse reanimated by his worms, to defend himself. Saber easily dispatches her, while Archer attacks Zouken, nearly killing him. However, before Archer can finish Zouken off, the mysterious Shadow appears, and Zouken flees in fear. The Shadow attacks Rin, but Shirou pushes her out of its path. Touching the Shadow's attack, Shirou suffers crippling visions of evil curses, passing out. He wakes seconds later to find the Shadow gone.
They determine that the Shadow is the cause of the coma incidents in the city, draining life from the civilians since Caster's death. Archer resolves to destroy the Shadow as a Counter Guardian, putting aside his personal grudge against Shirou. Shirou and Saber return home to find Sakura awake. Realising Shirou is injured, Sakura blames Saber, who regretfully apologizes to the sleeping Shirou for not being able to protect him.
Zouken attacks an innocent woman with his worms, devouring and assimilating her body to regain his own. True Assassin appears, revealing Zouken as his Master. Zouken reveals his wish to use the Grail's power to become truly immortal.
===Day 8===
Sakura apologizes to Shirou for lashing out at Saber. Viewing the news, they learn that thirty people are left in comas, from the location the Shadow was seen coming from. They resolve to put aside the Holy Grail War to destroy the Shadow, who is mercilessly and indiscriminately draining magical energy from civilians.
Shirou continues to see the effects of the Shadow on his everyday life: more students are absent, and Taiga is unable to visit, having to work overtime. Discussing strategy with Rin, Shirou agrees to patrol and search for the Shadow with Saber, while Rin investigates the Matou household for Zouken.
After school ends, Rin and Archer enter the Matou household. While Zouken is not present, they discover its basement - Zouken's "training room", a rotten breeding nest for his worms, intended to train the Matou successor through torture and violation, which greatly disgusts Rin. Leaving the basement, she confronts Shinji, berating him for his selfish and entitled desire to become a Master, making him inferior to Shirou. After leaving, Shinji resolves to kill Shirou as payback.
After night falls, Shirou and Saber decide to investigate the Ryuudou Temple further. However, they are attacked by True Assassin, and Saber separates Shirou from her to protect him. As Saber fights the True Assassin alone, Shirou is confronted by Zouken. As Saber and True Assassin fight, True Assassin exhausts his supply of Dirks. However, sensing a trap, Saber does not close in, and instead attacks True Assassin from afar by releasing Invisible Air. True Assassin counters it with Protection from Wind, and Saber is suddenly ensnared by the Shadow, having been lured into its territory as the true trap. True Assassin reveals his Cursed Arm, and attempts to use Zabaniya on Saber, but Saber severs his arm with the last of her energy. Apologizing to Shirou, Saber is consumed by the Shadow.
Shirou attempts to summon Saber, only for his Command Spell to disappear, revealing Saber's defeat. Enraged, Shirou tries to attack Zouken, only to be repelled by the True Assassin. Before the True Assassin can kill him, however, Rider unexpectedly appears and defends Shirou. Displaying an enhanced level of strength and ability that surprises Shirou, Rider easily defeats True Assassin, and both he and Zouken flee. When Shirou asks her about her motives, Rider only reveals that she was ordered to keep Shirou alive. Mourning the loss of Saber, Shirou thanks Rider before leaving for home.
He finds Sakura awake, waiting for him. She helps treat his injuries, and Shirou informs her that Saber has left. While saddened, Sakura is initially relieved, believing Shirou will no longer have to go out at night. However, Shirou corrects her, saying he will continue to do so more often, to her dismay. He resolves to continue the War, for his ideal and for Saber's sake. Alone in her room, Sakura begins to lust after Shirou, her fever unknowingly stirred by her feelings of hatred. She plans to find a way to prevent him going outside for his own protection.
Meanwhile, Kirei and his Servant, Gilgamesh, discuss the growing damage caused by the Shadow. Concerned that the Shadow's power will soon consume the entire city, Gilgamesh prepares to take independent action against it.
===Day 9===
The next morning, Sakura collapses from another sudden, intense fever while making breakfast. Shirou makes her reluctantly stay home to recover, while heading to school to inform Rin of the events at the temple. Rin deduces that Zouken needs them alive for an unknown purpose, and Shirou asks her assistance in defeating Zouken. She agrees, but Shirou refuses to give her his absolute obedience, satisfying Rin.
After school, Rin takes Shirou to the Tohsaka household to train him in magic. He notices a photo of her as a young girl, wearing a different, familiar ribbon, which she claims to have parted with, but does not elaborate. Rin prepares to train Shirou's Magic Circuit, but halts after learning Sakura is sick at Shirou's house. They hurry, but not before Rin reveals that Shirou's specialty is in Projection magic and not Reinforcement.
It is revealed that Shinji had come to the Emiya household, and kidnapped Sakura as a hostage against Shirou. He calls the house, telling Shirou to come to the school alone and without Saber, with Rider placing a bounded field over the school to ensure it. Shirou and Rin head to the school, with Shirou confronting Shinji alone while Rin waits in hiding for her opportunity.
Shinji, holding Sakura hostage, orders Rider to beat Shirou, and eventually to kill him. While Shirou endures her assault, Rider betrays Shinji and discreetly cooperates with Shirou, throwing him into Shinji to free Sakura. With Sakura freed, Rin arrives with Archer, mortally wounding Rider. Shinji tries to order Rider with his false Command Spell, but it suddenly burns away as Sakura cries out. Rider, fully healed, protects Sakura and rejects Shinji. Sakura is revealed as Rider's true Master, and the true successor of the Matou family.
Shinji attempts to convince Sakura to make him a Master again, to no avail. When she refuses to fight in his place, he flees, but not before shattering her earring, pouring a strange substance on Sakura. The substance causes her to lose control of herself, activating Rider's Blood Fort to consume magical energy indiscriminately. Archer moves to stop Sakura before she can cause any harm, but Rider is determined to protect her Master, and a fight breaks out. Unable to overpower each other, Rider chooses to use Cybele, her Mystic Eyes, revealing her identity as Medusa, and begins to petrify Archer and the others. Sakura's outburst begins to attack Rin, but Shirou defends her and is wounded. Seeing Shirou hurt, Sakura manages to take control long enough to direct her magic attacks onto herself, incapacitating her.
Shirou wakes at the Kotomine Church, where Kirei is attempting to heal Sakura. Rin reveals to Shirou that Sakura is in fact her younger sister, who was sent to the Matou family eleven years before to become the Matou successor, while Rin became Tohsaka's. Despite their connection, Rin is prepared to kill Sakura if she continues to be a threat. Kirei arrives, explaining that Zouken had implanted a Crest Worm into Sakura to control her, entangling with her Magic Circuits. When activated by Shinji's poison or by abandoning her duties as a Master, the Worm voraciously consumes Sakura's magical energy, eventually killing Sakura from the inside. Due to this, Sakura cannot be healed without a miracle, and is in danger of becoming a puppet for Zouken, sent on a rampage worse than Shinji's. Kirei prepares to perform surgery to attempt to remove the Crest Worm. Outside, he finds Archer, who presents him with a question: whether he wants to hold to his ideals to be a Hero of Justice, stopping one to save many, or to discard them, all to save one person.
While ruminating at a park, Shirou is torn between saving Sakura and his ideal: killing her to prevent her from causing harm to others. He is found again by Illya, unwilling to fight due to Shirou no longer being a Master. Seeing Shirou in distress, Illya vows to be Shirou's ally, telling him it is natural to want to protect the ones you love. Motivated by Illya's words, Shirou decides that he wants to protect Sakura, thanking Illya for helping him.
Sakura recalls the first day of the War, where she met with Zouken. Unwilling to fight, she wished to give Rider to Shinji and to remain passive. Zouken had allowed her, but lamented that Rin would most likely emerge the victor in a passing comment, with Sakura finding herself filled with jealousy towards her sister, a seed of negativity planted within her. She wakes in the church, with Kirei deliberately allowing her to overhear Rin and Shirou's decision. 
After they return to the church, Kirei reveals to Shirou and Rin that he had used his own Magic Crest to remove as much of the Worm as possible, but not all of it. She can live normally, but with the risk of becoming Zouken's at any time. Rin, adamant about killing Sakura before she causes any more harm, tries to visit Sakura, but Shirou stops her, determined to save Sakura. Before either can do anything further, they learn that Sakura has fled the church, and both pursue her. Before Shirou leaves, Kirei informs him only that Sakura has mere days to live, no matter what. Shirou leaves, searching the city, and eventually finds Sakura first. Sakura tries to drive Shirou away, blaming herself. She reveals that she is not a virgin, and has been sexually abused since young. Despite Sakura's guilt and regrets, Shirou embraces her regardless, vowing to become a Hero of Justice for Sakura's sake. 
Returning home together, they confront Rin, waiting at the Emiya household. Rin lets them go, but declares their temporary alliance annulled. Sakura surprisingly vows to fight back against her sister, and Rin warns Shirou to take responsibility for the consequences of his decision before leaving. That night, Sakura, requiring magical energy from Shirou, has sex with him/drinks his blood with his consent (Réalta Nua) to help sate her Crest Worm. After, Shirou has a dream of Sakura that devolves into an ominous nightmare of hot coal tar.
===Day 10===
Sakura and Rider are now living alongside Shirou at the Emiya residence. Aware that Sakura has days to live, Shirou resolves to have Sakura win the War and use the Holy Grail to save her. Despite Sakura's wishes, Shirou intends to continue fighting. He decides to try and ally with Illya, warning her of the abnormal events of the War and hopefully receive her and Berserker's help against Zouken. Shirou heads out alone, but Sakura orders Rider to discreetly follow and protect him.
In the forest, Shirou encounters Rin and Archer, there for the same purpose. However, upon reaching the castle, they discover that it is already under attack. Illya and Berserker flee the castle from the approaching Shadow, and are confronted by Zouken and True Assassin, who intends to take Illya, the Einzbern's Holy Grail, as part of his plan. Berserker fights against True Assassin, the Shadow, and a blackened Servant emerged from the Shadow. As they fight, Shirou realises that the Shadow resembles Sakura. Zouken leaves, trusting True Assassin to capture Illya. Despite being outmatched and engulfed by the Shadow, Berserker continues to fight, destroying his own body to free himself. He clashes a final time with the black Servant, who uses her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur Morgan, to finally defeat him. Berserker is devoured by the Shadow, and the black Servant is revealed to be Saber, now returned as Saber Alter.
Shirou rescues a distraught Illya, but is confronted by Saber Alter. Archer attempts to defend them, but is overpowered. Her duty complete, Saber Alter spares them, returning to the Shadow. However, True Assassin attacks, targeting Illya. The group runs away, while Archer fights True Assassin, beckoning Shirou to save Illya. Archer drives True Assassin away, resisting the Shadow due to his distorted nature. The Shadow suddenly attacks a returning Rin, but Archer takes the attack and defends her, and is mortally wounded. The Shadow, absorbing magical energy, suddenly and violently explodes in an attempt to kill the group. Shirou defends Illya, but his left arm is destroyed by the explosion. Rider arrives too late, but Archer prepares to transplant his left arm to Shirou to save his life at the cost of his own.
Sakura witnesses Shirou's injury through Rider, and is disgusted with herself for wishing for him to become injured. However, she is also relieved that he will no longer continue to endanger himself. Shirou awakens in the Kotomine Church, finding that Archer's left arm has been grafted to his body with Kirei's assistance, the two being unusually compatible. As an arm of a Heroic Spirit, it is unable to be handled by a human, and is covered by the Shroud of Martin to prevent it consuming Shirou. Shirou is warned that he will break down and die if he uses Archer's arm even once.
With the Holy Grail War a failure, Rin and Shirou decide to continue to fight and cooperate in order to stop Zouken, which Kirei allows. Illya decides to stay at Shirou's house, though reluctant due to Sakura's presence. Kirei leaves Shirou a final warning that fighting to save Sakura would mean his own eventual death. Needing a weapon against Zouken, Rin and Illya head to the Tohsaka household to open the keepsake of the Tohsaka family's mentor, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, intending to use the Emiya household as their base. 
At the church, Gilgamesh questions Kirei's decision to let Illya, the Holy Grail vessel, go free. Kirei states he has no interest in the Holy Grail, and recalls his past: a man who was born with a strong moral compass, yet only able to feel pleasure in evil, and the suffering of others. Conflicted, knowing his tendencies were morally wrong, he had unsuccessfully tried to find happiness in doing good, and sought an answer for his own defective existence. Kirei admits he is only interested in witnessing the outcome of the War, believing what is about to be born from the Holy Grail can finally answer his question. 
Shirou returns home to a concerned Sakura, followed soon after by Rin and Illya. Resentful, Sakura is opposed to their staying, but eventually relents. Both Sakura and Illya are unusually aversive of each other, confusing Shirou. Sakura heads to bed, but not before nearly collapsing again, and Shirou noticing she does not acknowledge Rin as her sister in front of her. Archer's arm still causing Shirou pain, he meets with Rider. She tells him that he is the only one that gives Sakura hope and happiness, and asks if he will always be on her side, no matter what. Shirou is unable to answer. 
Sakura apparently sees a nightmare, of herself mindlessly walking out into the city. She is assaulted by a group of men in Shinto, but she kills and consumes them, believing them to be bugs.
===Day 11 ===
Shirou is nearly overwhelmed by Archer's arm in his sleep, nearly taking off the Shroud, but is woken and saved by Illya. Illya explains that Archer's knowledge, Noble Phantasm, and his abilities of Projection are beginning to flow into Shirou, but continues to warn him to never remove the Shroud. Shirou asks Sakura to let Illya to stay after the War's end, despite Illya's resentment of Sakura, which Sakura allows.
Watching the news, the group hear of the slaughter of four people in Shinto, and Rin deduces it to be the work of the Shadow, now attacking indiscriminately. They decide to take a defensive strategy, with Rin and Shirou patrolling nightly while Sakura and Illya remain home. Sakura is opposed, but relents after Shirou reminds her that it is for her sake. Rin transplants part of her Magic Crest onto Shirou to help suppress Archer's arm.
At Shirou's urging, Sakura and Rin begin to acknowledge each other as sisters again, slowly beginning to bond. While Rin and Illya prepare their plan, Shirou spends more time with Sakura (and possibly Rider). At the Matou household, Shinji, increasingly unstable, swears to make Sakura pay for staying with Shirou. He remembers his past, finding Zouken's basement and discovering Sakura as the true Matou successor, coming to resent and abuse her because of it. 
Sakura notices that she is beginning to lose sensation in her body. Rin and Shirou head out to patrol at night, but not without Sakura resisting and wishing to come along, opposed to them spending time together. They investigate the scene of the murder, but find nothing, and head home discussing Sakura. In bed, Shirou slightly loosens the Shroud, and is almost consumed by Archer's arm before retying it. Sakura visits Shirou, and they have sex again/sleep together (Réalta Nua).
Sakura has another nightmare of the Shadow, murdering more people. She wakes to find her hands covered in blood, and is terrified at the sense of fun she felt during the nightmare.
===Day 12===
Shirou begins having sudden gaps in his memory, forgetting entire chunks of the day, hours seeming to pass instantly at times. They hear about another incident in the night, with hundreds of people and multiple buildings affected - and fourteen people missing. Rin and Illya explain their plan to Shirou - to use Archer's Noble Phantasm to project the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch as a weapon to match the enemy Servants. Shirou is ready to remove the Shroud, but Rin will not allow him, only loosening it to slowly gain Archer's experience and projecting onto a blueprint. Illya, aware of Shirou and Archer's true relationship, prepares her own plan without Rin's knowledge.
Rin leaves, coming into conflict with Sakura, who is concerned about their intentions for Shirou. She begins to resent Rin further, believing her to be taking Shirou from her. As Shirou trains with the Shroud loosened, he continues to gain Archer's knowledge at the cost of forgetting segments of time, skipping entire sections of the day.
He heads out shopping with Illya, spending time with her as she sings Die Lorelei. Shirou asks Illya to live with him after the War, but she laments that she has not long to live. She regretfully reveals that he can only save either herself or Sakura, but not both. She further explains that Rin's plan will fail due to her misunderstanding of Archer's magic: he will have to use Archer's arm to create the Jeweled Sword from scratch, dooming him to lose himself.
Sakura attempts to make dinner, but it becomes apparent that her condition is deteriorating, losing fine control of her body. Shirou makes her rest despite her objections before heading out to patrol with Rin, learning that he had already succeeded at projection, which he had forgotten. They enter the affected suburbs, and find them barren from the Shadow's rampage - the people living in them all erased without a trace, consumed for their mana. Horrified, Shirou internally suspects Sakura is connected, but refuses to accept it. Zouken and True Assassin watch them from afar. Zouken lets them go, intending to use Shirou to fulfill his plans.
Returning home, Shirou is torn, still wishing to protect Sakura despite her danger to others. Sakura visits him in the night, and they have sex/sleep together again (Réalta Nua).
Sakura suffers another "nightmare," where the Shadow continues to rampage in the night. However, she is suddenly confronted by Gilgamesh. Fearful of him, she recalls her chance encounter with him in the early days of the War, where he told her to kill herself before it was too late. She attempts to flee, but is cornered, and mutilated by Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms. Gilgamesh prepares to kill Sakura, but refusing to die, she suddenly consumes Gilgamesh with the Shadow before he can react - revealing her as the source and the true "master" of the Shadow.
===Day 13 ===
Shirou is conflicted by his ideals, being slowly forced to realise that Sakura is the source of the mass deaths in the city. They discover Sakura collapsed outside, having healed from great damage. Shirou learns that almost sixty people have gone missing the prior night, and is further torn between his ideal and his devotion to Sakura. Talking with Rin, she asserts that she will not hesitate to kill Sakura if she becomes a threat.
Rin reveals that she had also seen Shirou four years prior, practicing high jump alone. Sakura overhears this, and is distressed that Rin is taking a cherished memory away from her, hating her sister. Illya confronts Sakura, noticing the powerful soul she had consumed, making her power sufficient despite having only consumed four Servants. She tells Sakura that she cannot be saved, being the same as Illya, before leaving.
Shirou is suddenly confronted by True Assassin in his room, who informs him that Zouken wishes to talk alone. Shirou accepts, and heads to the Matou household, meeting with Zouken. Zouken reveals that Sakura is an artificial Holy Grail vessel, created by Zouken in imitation of the Einzbern's Holy Grail - Illya. By implanting shards of the destroyed Grail from the previous War into Sakura's body, Sakura was made a Grail vessel as Zouken's experiment, meant to be cultivated and used in a later War. However, due to the current War proving unexpectedly ideal, Zouken decided to go forward with his plans early.
Zouken reveals that he is not the master of the Shadow, merely using it to his advantage. However, he claims he is now unable to control it or Sakura due to its sudden growth. He explains that the Shadow is the contents of the Holy Grail that have leaked into the physical world, due to Sakura being an imperfect vessel and unable to completely shut the gate of the Grail. Given a body and driven wild by Sakura's unconscious emotions, it is indiscriminately consuming innocents to survive, becoming stronger by the day. Knowing that Shirou is the only one Sakura trusts, Zouken asks his help in stopping the Shadow: by killing Sakura, to prevent more people from dying if she is allowed to live.
Shirou is once again confronted with a critical decision: to hold to Kiritsugu's ideals, saving the lives of many by killing the person he loves, or to betray his ideals, saving his beloved while letting innocent people die. Unable to make a decision, he returns home. He asks Illya about the Einzbern Holy Grail, and she reveals that she is a homunculus, raised to be both the vessel of the Holy Grail and a Master - a container for the souls of the Heroic Spirits that die in the War, using their energy to fuel the Grail's purpose. The vessel will collect the souls of the seven Servants, sacrificing their human function as they do. Sakura, as a Black Grail, has consumed four of the Servants, leaving Illya with only Archer's soul.
Shirou decides to talk to Sakura casually for the final time, and asks her what she would like to do after the War. She expresses her wish to go see cherry blossoms in the spring with Shirou, and he promises to do so. As night falls, he makes his decision, and goes to mercifully kill Sakura in her sleep. However, Shirou cannot bring himself to kill her, and decides to fully betray his own ideals of becoming a Hero of Justice. Despite Sakura, now awake, wishing for Shirou to kill her to prevent further suffering, he refuses, swearing to protect her as her Hero of Justice.
Sakura, regretful and wishing to prevent more disaster, resolves to stop Zouken herself. She uses her last Command Spell, commanding Rider to protect Shirou no matter what.
===Day 14===
Shirou and Rin plan to project the Jeweled Sword and defeat Zouken when night comes. Realising that Kirei would know about Sakura's true condition, he hurries to the church to consult him. Rin finds Sakura gone, with Rider pretending to sleep in her place. With Rider ordered to not let Rin leave, all Rin can do is wait, and expect the worst. Meanwhile, Sakura returns to the Matou household to confront Zouken, but finds him gone. Realising too late she has fallen into a trap, she is confronted by Shinji.
At the church, Kirei reveals to Shirou that he had known that Sakura was a Black Grail created by Zouken. However, knowing this, he still saved her life, wishing to protect the darkness within her for his own motives. Kirei explains that Zouken had not told Shirou the whole truth: he reveals that the Holy Grail was corrupted by an outside force, tainting its contents. No longer a colorless wish-granting relic, it is filled with curses and can only grant wishes by destruction and slaughter - the true cause of the Fuyuki fire in the previous War. 
Kirei elaborates that the corruption was introduced to the Grail during the Third Holy Grail War, by an entity of evil summoned by the Einzberns. Trapped within the Holy Grail as a malevolent impurity, the entity waits to be born again from the corrupted Grail into the outside world, to wreak destruction upon humanity. Kiritsugu, having seen it living within the Grail, chose to cast aside his wish and destroy it to prevent its birth. It is this entity that is corrupting Sakura, trying to bring itself into the world by permeating her, something that would not have occurred with a complete Holy Grail. As long as Sakura retains her sanity, the Shadow will remain separate from her.
Kirei reveals his wish to have Sakura become the Holy Grail, and to allow the entity within to be born into the outside world. Aware that they are enemies, Shirou still thanks Kirei for saving Sakura's life. Kirei tells Shirou that defeating Zouken and using the power of the Holy Grail is the only way to save Sakura. While disappointed that Shirou had abandoned his ideals to protect Sakura, Kirei encourages him to save her, no matter what. Shirou returns home, but learns what has happened from Rin. He hurries to the Matou household, chasing after Sakura, only to find Shinji dead.
Flashbacks reveal that Shinji had attempted to rape Sakura, and blackmailed her into obeying him unquestioningly, threatening to reveal her past of sexual abuse at her brother's hands to Shirou. Distraught, Sakura finally gives in to her hatred, and the Shadow murders Shinji. Embracing her internal malice and insanity, and encouraged by a hidden Zouken, Sakura accepts the Shadow as part of herself, and leaves the house to find Rin and Illya.
The hidden Zouken taunts Shirou, revealing his plan was to have Shirou or Shinji bring Sakura to despair in order to merge with the Shadow. Shirou hurries home, realising Zouken intends to have Sakura take Illya to consume Archer's soul. Sakura, already attacking the house, overpowers and drains Rin's energy with her enhanced shadows while sending Saber Alter to capture Illya. Before she can kill Rin, Shirou arrives, attempting to appeal to Sakura, but fails. Sakura attacks Shirou, but he is defended by Rider, still acting on Sakura's last sane Command. Illya, however, agrees to come along with Sakura in exchange for her allowing the others to go free, on the condition that they be allowed to stop at the Einzbern Castle first to retrieve the Dress of Heaven required for the ritual. Sakura, Illya and Saber Alter leave, and Shirou passes out.
===Day 15===
Shirou wakes in the Kotomine Church, learning that Rider had taken him and Rin to Kirei's care, with Rin now recovering at her house. After Shirou explains what happened to Kirei, he starts out for the Einzbern castle alone to save Sakura and Illya. Unexpectedly, Kirei offers his assistance, wishing to ally temporarily in order to rescue Illya. With a common enemy in Zouken, Shirou reluctantly accepts his help.
Shirou and Kirei enter the Einzbern forest together, Shirou armed with one of Kirei's Black Keys. Kirei warns Shirou to concentrate on saving Illya, with them unable to do anything for Sakura without a force that can match her Shadow. They continue to discuss the Shadow's nature, and Shirou considers destroying the Shadow before it is born. Kirei refuses to allow him, his goal being to allow the ritual to finish, and for Sakura to birth the Shadow's true body into the world, blessing its birth and allowing hell to be unleashed onto the world. Despite their final motives being at cross purposes, Shirou and Kirei choose to trust each other, sharing a common goal of saving Illya and freeing Sakura from Zouken.
At the Einzbern Castle, while Illya prepares the Dress of Heaven, Sakura continues her painful transfiguration, devastating the castle in her outbursts. Zouken is ecstatic, wishing to let her continue to deteriorate. True Assassin is skeptical of Zouken's passive approach, but Zouken assures him that Illya will be able to grant his wish of becoming eternal. Suddenly, True Assassin detects intruders leaving the castle, and gives chase. Under Zouken's orders, Sakura releases Saber Alter and unleashes Berserker, now blackened and blinded, to pursue them.
At the same time, Kirei and Shirou reach and infiltrate the castle, finding Illya. Despite her objections, Shirou convinces her to return home, and they flee with her in tow, True Assassin and the black Berserker in hot pursuit. Initially carrying Illya, Kirei remains behind to fight True Assassin and Zouken, leaving Illya to Shirou. Kirei is overpowered by True Assassin, who uses Zabaniya to finish him off. Unexpectedly, however, Zabaniya has no effect on Kirei, revealing it to be a trap by Kirei. Kirei pins True Assassin with his Black Keys, and purifies Zouken's soul with a baptismal chant, completely destroying his body and seizing victory.
The blackened Berserker soon catches up to Shirou and Illya, and they are forced to defend themselves as they flee. Blinded, Berserker does not recognise Illya in his rage. Shirou is forced to use projection more and more, Archer's arm slowly beginning to consume his mind. Eventually, with no way to run, and out of options, Shirou decides to use Archer's arm, willing to accept the consequences to save Illya and Sakura, and as judgment for betraying his ideals. Despite Illya's pleading, Shirou confronts Berserker, and removes the Shroud of Martin, and his mind is quickly consumed by Archer's arm. He sees a vision of Archer standing ahead of him, as he is engulfed by the wind. However, his resolve emboldened, Shirou overcomes the wind on his mind and overtakes Archer, gaining control over the arm's power. 
Accessing Archer's Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou uses the arm to project Berserker's Noble Phantasm, Nine Lives. As Berserker attacks, Shirou executes Nine Lives Blade Works, destroying Berserker's body. Finally catching sight of Illya, Berserker hesitates before he can attack, allowing Shirou to deliver the final blow, killing Berserker. He is victorious, but at the cost of passing the point of no return. Saber Alter arrives, confronting them, but immediately leaves to answer Sakura's call for assistance.
Kirei reveals to True Assassin, one of the Hassan-i-Sabbah, that his heart is a black heart made from curses, granted to him by the Holy Grail's mud during the last War to resurrect him after his death at Kiritsugu's hands. As such, Zabaniya is unable to affect it, Kirei being aware of its effects from observing Lancer's defeat. True Assassin leaves, and Kirei recalls his wife: unable to bring himself to love her, she had committed suicide to prove that he did. Seeing that he cried at her death, she believed it to be true, but in actuality he had wished to kill her himself.
Kirei is confronted by Sakura, now merged with her Shadow to become Dark Sakura. Kirei admits he had kept Sakura alive to become the Master of the entity in the Grail, Avenger - Angra Mainyu. In response, Sakura uses her powers to destroy Kirei's black heart, but is stopped from killing him by Berserker's defeat, suffering pain from absorbing his soul. Kirei escapes, with only hours to live.
Arriving home, Shirou's mind begins to irreparably break down, forgetting events if he loses concentration, and Archer's Reality Marble begins to invade his body. He attempts to use Rin's pendant to keep his mind focused using pain. Illya explains the true nature and history of the Holy Grail War and the Grail system: the Greater Grail, a great magic circle built into the land of Fuyuki under the Ryuudou Temple, by the three founding families, that governs the Holy Grail War ritual - and the Lesser Grail, the vessel built to contain the souls of the seven Heroic Spirits, using them as fuel to activate the Greater Grail and open a hole to the Root. The War itself is only a front, with its true nature being a ritual to attain Heaven's Feel, the Third Magic. She explains the origins of the Servant within it, Avenger: the evil Anti-Hero Servant summoned by the Einzberns during the Third Holy Grail War - with the identity of Angra Mainyu, the devil of Zoroastrianism, waiting years within the Greater Grail to be born. Zouken made Sakura form a contract with Avenger, aiming to gain control of it by eventually taking over Sakura's body, and becoming immortal.
An image of Dark Sakura appears at the house, pleading them to take Shirou away before she consumes the town with Avenger. Rin promises to kill Sakura herself before Sakura's image disappears. Shirou is adamant about saving her life, and Rin relents, promising to not kill her as long as he tries to save her. Rin and Illya help him to prepare to project the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch, a weapon that can utilize the Second Magic to stand against Zouken. Unaware of Shirou's use of Archer's arm, Rin gives Shirou her Azoth Sword as a blueprint. However, Illya and Shirou decide to project it alone. Illya shows Shirou memories of the original creation of the Greater Grail by Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. Seeing Zelretch himself observing the ritual with his Jeweled Sword, Shirou uses Archer's arm to finally project the Jeweled Sword successfully, causing his mind to break down further.
Shortly after, Rider appears, and makes an attempt to kill Shirou; with her order not to harm Shirou and her mission to protect Sakura in conflict, she has decided to prioritize Sakura. Shirou, however, remembers her previous question to him, and gives her an answer - that he will protect Sakura til the very end. Reluctantly satisfied with his answer, Rider agrees to form an alliance with him as her temporary Master, and they form a strategy to defeat Saber Alter. Saying his goodbyes to Illya and his fading memories of spending time with Sakura, Shirou, Rin and Rider leave for the final battle.
===Day 16===
In the cavern of the Greater Grail, under the Ryuudou Temple, the ritual to materialize the Holy Grail has begun. True Assassin and Zouken, still alive in worm form, reunite in the Greater Grail with Sakura. Unable to supply magical energy, Zouken orders Sakura to form a contract with True Assassin. When she does not answer, he believes her mind has finally disappeared, and attempts to take her body. However, she suddenly wakes, and tiring of Zouken's abuses, betrays her grandfather. She consumes True Assassin, and rips out Zouken's core worm containing his soul, revealed to be hidden within her own body, and destroys it.
On the final night, Shirou, Rin and Rider find and enter the hidden cavern leading beneath the Ryuudou Temple. Inside, they are blocked by Saber Alter, who is guarding the path to the Greater Grail. Saber Alter only lets Rin pass at Sakura's request, and prepares to fight Shirou and Rider, who removes her blindfold to use her Mystic Eyes. Rin confronts Sakura, now consumed by Angra Mainyu, in the Greater Grail cavern. Rin draws the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch, and prepares to fight Sakura's army of Shadow Giants.
Rider and Saber Alter clash, with Rider slowly losing against Saber Alter's apparently inexhaustible power. Shirou prepares to use Archer's arm, losing his memories of Kiritsugu's last days in the process. Shirou either trusts Rider to hold her own, or projects Caladbolg II to aid her. Rider manages to create an opening, allowing her to retreat and execute their plan. Rider summons her Noble Phantasm, Bellerophon, and charges Saber Alter, who uses Excalibur Morgan to clash against it.
However, Shirou uses Archer's arm to project a four-petaled Rho Aias over Rider, protecting her from Excalibur Morgan as the two Noble Phantasms clash. Bellerophon manages to break through, and knocks down Saber Alter. Shirou runs to the fallen Saber, and kills her with the Azoth Sword. Knowing he has sacrificed a friend who had protected him in order to save the one he loves, he thanks her for saving him in the past as she disappears. He moves further into the cave, leaving the wounded Rider behind to heal.
Rin battles Sakura and her army of Shadow Giants using the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch. Using the Sword's endless energy, taken from parallel worlds using the Second Magic, Rin is able to continuously destroy the Shadow Giants Sakura summons. She slowly advances towards Sakura, with Sakura unable to outmatch the Jeweled Sword's output.
During the course of the battle, Sakura continuously curses Rin, telling her of the suffering she endured while everyone, even her own sister, turned a blind eye to her. She admits to being jealous of Rin, hateful that she had seen more success than herself, despite Sakura suffering more. Rin expresses indifference to Sakura's misery, enraging Sakura. Getting close, Rin detonates the Jeweled Sword to destroy all of Sakura's Shadows, and prepares to kill her. However, moments before she does, Rin hugs Sakura instead, unable to go through with killing her. Gravely wounded by Sakura's desperate counterattack, Rin admits she truly loves Sakura, and collapses.
Realizing that her weakness allowed her to be consumed by her own darkness and hurt the ones who truly loved her, Sakura loses control of her powers, cursing herself. Shirou arrives in the cavern, his body slowly being healed and filled with swords as Archer's Reality Marble invades him further. He finds Sakura, her sanity returned, unable to suppress her Shadows as she attempts to stop herself. 
Despite Sakura's pleas to run and let her die, and her Shadows lashing out at him without her control, Shirou approaches her, projects and stabs Sakura with Caster's Rule Breaker, severing Sakura's contract with the unborn Avenger, freeing her at last. However, the embryonic Avenger does not vanish, having already grown too large, and the cavern begins to collapse on itself. A recovered Rider appears, and escorts Rin and Sakura to safety at Shirou's request, as he prepares to destroy the Greater Grail with Excalibur to kill Avenger.
However, his way is barred by his final enemy: Kirei Kotomine, with mere minutes to live after the destruction of his heart. Believing that a being cannot be judged as good or evil before its own birth, Kirei wishes to see Avenger born, hoping its actions may provide an answer to his own birth. With his actions in the War all geared towards this end, Kirei intends to stop Shirou from destroying that which he has long desired to witness: a being of destruction that could validate his own existence. They admit that they are opposite extremes of each other, two sinners with no wishes for themselves, yet seeking to free themselves, one finding bliss in the happiness of others, and the other in their unhappiness.
The two men clash in a brutal fistfight to the death. Kirei holds the upper hand using his training in Bajiquan, but in return, injures himself with every strike due to Shirou's sword-covered body. Meanwhile, Zouken, still alive, barely clings to life as a mound of flesh, unwilling to die. He is met by Illya, wearing the Dress of Heaven. Speaking to him as Justeaze, she reminds Zouken of their original dream for the Holy Grail, which he had forgotten. Realizing his folly, Zouken accepts that he had lost his way, and willingly passes away. 
Kirei overpowers Shirou, and prepares to kill him by crushing his head. However, Shirou, recalling his goal and promise to Sakura, remembers what he is fighting for, and has a second wind, surprising Kirei. Shirou relentlessly attacks Kirei, but is beaten back again. Before Kirei can deliver the killing blow, he finally succumbs to the destruction of his heart, and declares Shirou to be the victor before dying.
With his final foe dead, Shirou faces the unborn Avenger, preparing to summon Excalibur to destroy the Greater Grail, at the cost of his remaining mind and life. 
===Normal End===
This ending occurs if either Shirou breaks his limit to use an extra projection to aid Rider in the fight with Saber Alter, fewer than 4 Illya affection points are obtained before the final battle, or the choice is made to project Excalibur after defeating Kirei. If at least one of the former two conditions are met, then Kirei is not encountered, and the Normal End occurs after freeing Sakura.
Shirou projects Excalibur and destroys Avenger and the Greater Grail, losing the last remnants of his mind as he dies. Sakura, grieving his absence, vows to wait for his return, in order to fulfill their promise to watch the cherry blossoms bloom together in the spring. She plants a flower every year at each promised day as a way to atone.
Years pass, and Sakura grows into an old woman, living in the Emiya household, still waiting faithfully. She tells stories of her youth to Rin's heir, who comes to help her tend to her flowers as her student. 
In the end, Sakura passes away, seeing a vision of Shirou waving to her on a familiar road covered with cherry blossoms.
===True End===
This ending occurs if at least 4 Illya affection points are obtained before the final battle, no extra projections are used during the Saber Alter fight, and the choice is made to find another way to stop Avenger. 
Shirou hesitates, wondering if there is another way. He eventually projects Excalibur, but before he can use it, he is stopped by Illya. Wanting Shirou to live, Illya thanks him and bids her brother goodbye, stating that an older sister should protect her younger brother. Despite Shirou's objections, Illya enters the centre of the Greater Grail and sacrifices herself to close the Grail for good.
Two years later, Rin returns to Fuyuki from London for her yearly homecoming. She visits the Emiya household, where Rider, Taiga, Sakura and Shirou are living peacefully. Rin recalls the aftermath of the Holy Grail War: Using an incomplete form of the Third Magic via the Dress of Heaven, Illya had materialized Shirou's soul into a container to save him, and he was found and rescued by Rider with Rin's pendant as a beacon. His soul was later implanted in a new body given by a famous puppet master (implied to be Touko Aozaki , a character from TYPE-MOON's earlier works Mahou Tsukai no Yoru and Kara no Kyoukai).
Rin underwent a trial at the London Clock Tower for the opening and sudden closing of a gate to the Root. However, Zelretch himself appeared, nullifying all charges against Rin and congratulating her for recreating the Jeweled Sword. Sakura was named the new supervisor of Fuyuki. Still having remnants of being a Lesser Grail, Sakura continues to accumulate a surplus of magical energy that she must periodically release (allowing her to maintain Rider).
Finally, Rin asks if Sakura is happy, to which she answers yes with a full smile. With spring just beginning, Shirou, Rin, Sakura and Rider head out to watch the cherry blossoms bloom.
==Bad Endings==
Heaven's Feel has the most bad ends out of the three routes (16 out of the total 40).
*Ocean Depths: On Day 7, if Shirou does not earn the required affection points for Sakura, he gets captured by the shadow and absorbed by the mud.
*Battle of the Holy Grail: On Day 8, if Shirou does not earn the required affection points for Illya, his body gets destroyed inside the Emiya Residence by Illya and his consciousness kept inside a doll.
*Die Together: On Day 8, if Shirou decides to attack Zouken, his weapon rots from Zouken. Shirou then stomps down on the bugs and tries to escape to the lake. As he tries to escape from the mud he realizes that his feet are missing due to stomping the bugs and finally gets eaten by the worms.
*Miserable Lone Force: On Day 9, if Shirou decides not to ask help from Tohsaka, he goes back to class and then home afterwards. After realizing that Sakura is gone, he is called by Shinji at his phone to come to school alone, not knowing that Saber is gone. Shirou hurriedly run to school to face Shinji. Since he cannot face a servant yet, he gets bound on the neck with Rider's chain and she snaps Shirou's neck.
*Geas: On Day 9, if Shirou decides to say Yes in giving Tohsaka total obedience, she implants a geas in him. This prevents him from stopping Tohsaka when she decides to kill Sakura inside the church.
*Stone Coffin: On Day 9, if Shirou decides to close his eyes and attack Rider, he gets petrified by looking at Rider's eyes in his imagination. His stone body falls and breaks into pieces.
*Superhero: On Day 9, if Shirou decides to not let go of his ideals as an Ally of Justice, he gains resolve to kill Sakura in order to save more lives that would be killed by the Shadow. Rin performs the execution as her "duty", while Shirou only waits. Kotomine and Illya believe that Shirou is just like Kiritsugu Emiya in his prime, and that Shirou will win the Holy Grail War without doubt. With a mind of steel, he will destroy the Holy Grail at any cost, killing every Master in his way, Rin and Illya included.
*Cursed Boundary Layer - Womb Realm Mandala: On Day 10, if Shirou decides to stay in the forest, he gets devoured by the darkness without realizing it.
*World Purge, Meltdown: On Day 10, if Shirou decides to bring back Tohsaka, he runs over to her but is too late as the shadow explodes and devours Shirou, Illya, Tohsaka and Archer.
*Horror Show: On Day 13, if Shirou does not accept Assassin's offer to meet with Zouken, he later gets stabbed by the Shadow's tentacle.
*Happy End: On Day 13, if Shirou decides to kill Sakura, he gets slashed by Rider when he tries to murder Sakura. This ending is unavoidable if Shirou decides to not use his left arm on Day 12 or if Shirou does not have the required affection points for Sakura.
*Dead Fin: On Day 15 if Shirou decides to not save Sakura and bring back Illya, he gives up the will to continue the Holy Grail War.
*Death Penalty: On Day 15, if Shirou refuses Kirei's assistance, he attempts to rescue Illya himself, but is found and killed by True Assassin.
*Sparks Liner High is bad ending thirty-eight. Unlike regular bad endings, it simply says "End." It follows Shirou and Rin after failing to form a partnership with Rider. Shirou is forced to engage Saber Alter alone while Rin proceeds on to face Sakura. They duel in close combat, and after digging deep into Archer's memories, Shirou manages to win with Kanshou and Bakuya's Triple-Linked Crane Wings. Although Saber is left too wounded to put up any resistance, the constant projections cause Shirou's mind to finally overload. Though still alive, his mind is no longer able to function, leaving Rin only ten minutes to deal with Sakura before Saber is fully healed. Saber does not care about the outcome of the battle, having lost what little will to live she had, and only displays a measure of pity for whoever lives, as the one who would bless them no longer exists in the world.
*Compassion: On Day 16, if Shirou decides to attack Saber prematurely, she easily counters his attack and he dies.
*Femme Fatale: On Day 16, if Shirou refrains from finishing off Saber, she escapes and helps Sakura to defeat Rin. Sakura absorbs Rin and subjects her consciousness to the tortures that Sakura herself suffered in her past. When Shirou confronts Sakura, she absorbs him as well.
==Anime original scenes==
===Fate/stay night - Heaven's Feel - I. Presage Flower ===
*An original scene depicting how Shirou and Taiga met Sakura for the first time is added.
*Several scenes with Saber and Illya from the visual novel are omitted.
*Saber sees Illya and Berserker while Shirou and Rin are in the church. Illya is disappointed Saber doesn't recognize her.
*Shirou, Saber, and Rin immediately encounter Illya and Berserker after leaving the Church, as opposed to in Miyama.
*Shirou, Saber, and Rin do not go to Shirou's house to heal his injuries from Berserker, instead resting him on a park bench.
*Shirou and Saber encounter Shinji and Rider after surviving their encounter with Illya and Berserker while on their way home.
*Shinji and Rider are encountered in an alleyway, as opposed to the park.
*The woman Rider is drinking blood from is Ayako Mitsuzuri.
*Shirou learns Kiritsugu's participation in the previous war from Saber and Kirei after bringing Ayako to the church.
*Shirou and Saber do not introduce themselves to each other until after he learned of Kiritsugu's participation in the previous war.
*Assassin is the first Servant to be devoured by the Shadow, as opposed to Caster.
*Caster is killed by True Assassin as opposed to Saber.
*Kuzuki is killed by True Assassin.
*Lancer encounters True Assassin in Shinto, as opposed to Ryuudou Temple. He fights him throughout the city before reaching Ryuudou Temple.
*Lancer tries to use Gáe Bolg on True Assassin.
*Shirou and Saber meeting Rin and Archer in the park is planned, as opposed to being a coincidence.
*The Shadow appears before Caster's corpse is killed by Saber.
*Caster's corpse is killed by Saber after the Shadow absorbed the massive fireball she launched.
*During her fight with True Assassin at Ryuudou Temple, Saber breaks the patio, and sinks into the lake, to avoid Zabaniya, as opposed to cutting his arm off.
*Saber supposedly chooses to let the Shadow consume her after countering Zabaniya, as opposed to being too exhausted to resist it any longer.
*Rider vanishes quickly after defeating True Assassin instead of discussing with Shirou why she saved him and asking to escort him home.
*Saber encounters Saber Alter in a dress inside a dreamscape.
===Fate/stay night - Heaven's Feel - II. Lost Butterfly===
*Several scenes with Rider and Illya from the visual novel are omitted.
*Shirou and Illya begin to bond in the park after Saber is consumed by the Shadow, as opposed to before.
*The interaction where Shirou and company tries to save Sakura is in the school's library instead of the hallway.
*The fight between Archer and Rider is noticeably shorter.
*Archer warns Shirou of the consequences of his choice after Shirou chooses to abandon his ideal to protect Sakura, as opposed to before.
*Berserker's fight with Saber Alter lasts significantly longer.
*Saber Alter leaves immediately after defeating Berserker, as opposed to after briefly fighting Archer when she tries to kill Shirou to take Illya.
*Archer utilizes Rho Aias during his battle against the Shadow.
*Rin explains the consequences of Archer's arm to Shirou at his house, as opposed to Kirei after the transplant.
*Rider's talk with Shirou about how she feels about Sakura is significantly shorter.
*Shirou meets Zouken in the greenhouse of the Matou Manor, as opposed to in the living room.
*Sakura sees the world as fairy tale-esque world where she's dressed in a ballgown, and she views the people she consumes while under the Shadow's influence as stuffed animal-like creatures.
*Sakura briefly sinks into the Shadow to regenerate herself after Gilgamesh eviscerates her.
*Gilgamesh tries to attack Sakura again after one of his legs is consumed.
*Shirou notices Sakura's shadow distort when he finds her collapsed at the entrance of his house after she returns home from consuming Gilgamesh the previous night.
*Shirou and Rin learn of the Shadow consuming forty people in town from a news report, as opposed to them learning of it during their patrol.
*A vision depicting a version of Shirou with white hair and yellow eyes beheading Sakura in a burning Fuyuki is seen when Zouken reveals the truth about Sakura and the Shadow.
*Sakura continues to pretend to sleep after Shirou decides not to kill in her sleep, as opposed to her trying to convince him to kill her. Thus their interaction with both each other and Rider is absent.
*Sakura orders Rider with her final command spell to protect Shirou the morning after in the front yard of the Emiya household and not at night in her bedroom during the encounter with Shirou and him choosing whether to kill her or not.
*Sakura sees Shadow Giants dancing around her after Shinji is killed.
*Sakura fully transforms into Dark Sakura after Shinji is killed.
===Fate/stay night - Heaven's Feel - III. Spring Song===
*
==References==
Category:Fate/stay night