Just think that I should share something of Fate/Hollow Ataraxia famous bridge battle scene. Enjoy this translation of the scene.
Kinoko Nasu writing is insane, he likes to use complicated Japanese. Even I have some difficulties to understand the exact nuance of the meaning.
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Decisive battle
I stepped into the boundary of Miyamachou and Shinto.
I was reminded of words he had said to me once upon a time.
The Shinto area is my shooting range. All those who enter-
How many times have I been shot?
Once? Several times?
Whenever I cross this bridge,
You're an exception. I will shoot you between the eyes-
I had been defeated by you.
I will fight seriously
As a reenactment of the unfulfilled Heaven's Feel,
I will kill the two of you with everything I have.
The beating of my heart grew faster.
The blood that had been sleeping, the rusted circuits within me were turned on.
.....Sorry to keep you waiting, partner.
My preparations were all in place.
Starting from now, I am going to go kill you.....
The only other person on the bridge was Saber.
Tonight, there were no cars going on the roadway. The sound of the wind blowing from the sea did not reach my strained thoughts.
"....This brings back memories. Back then, I went just like this with Saber to the church, didn't I?"
"Yes. Shirou, who had still not understood what it meant to be a Master; I, who had not yet been your Servant; and Rin, who had still been our enemy.
Looking back on it again, we truly were an odd trio weren't we?"
We're laughing of the memories of that evening a half a year ago.
This as well is a fragment of precious days for me, but right now I can't afford to be distracted by it.
"But Saber, you were in a pretty sour mood.
I couldn't talk to you that much because that was the first time we met, but when we were going to the church, you were totally silent."
"Of course I would be in a sour mood. Now that it is over I can tell you, but my treatment was infuriating.
If you were going to disguise me, there ought to have been a better way of doing so."
Saber was picky when it came to disguise.
This was apparently an aftereffect of having used costly disguises again and again during the previous fight....the 4th Heaven's Feel.
She did mention that she had also been dressed up as a man in a black suit. From this, I could tell that Kiritsugu must have had a lot of trouble with Saber too, since she can't dematerialize.
"Hmph, it appears that you have something to say. Very well, let us settle this no......?"
"Saber, above you!"
Saber repelled the "bullet" that was fired from 4 kilometers away.
I started my circuits.
I forced reinforcement sorcery into my pupils.
"I can see you, Archer."
Eyes that shouldn't be able to meet, met.
The both of us became aware of an enemy that neither of us should be able to see.
The battle has begun. This night, I will cross this bridge....!
"Guh.......!? Shirou, what was that.....!?
No, how did you detect that before I had....!?"
"Not now, the next one's coming!
Not enough space here! Carry me up above, Saber!"
"U, up? By up, what do you mean, Shirou?"
"I mean the place that's higher and wider than where we are now.
Things are going my way. Looks like today's been booked for us."

"The roadway on top of the bridge...yes, the footing and field of vision ought to be secure here but...."
"Saber, incoming at 10 'o clock! See where's it coming from!"
-The second shot.
An interval of 20 seconds. The memory that just now scraped past my brain reported to me that three shots are left.
"I, I have located him.....!
I cannot tell what is happening precisely, but there is a sniper on the Center Building roof......!"
Didn't expect anything less from Saber.
We gained a lot by confirming his position through the last shot.
"What is the meaning of this!? That is....no, there is only one person that can do this!
Why is he targetting us? I cannot believe it. How can it be that Archer of all people would want to fight in this war!?"
"I don't know. All I know is that he's dead serious about fighting us.
....Right now, do you actually need to hear any other reason?"
"It is as you say, Shirou. I will pay for what my behavior later. Now is the time to intercept Archer..!"
-The third shot.
A grace period of two more shots.
Saber's knees will give out by the 5th one and I will die when the 6th one hits.
Those were the unchangeable results that had been drawn out from this tactic.
....Archer's sniping is increasing in power with each blast.
So he's filling them with more mana each time Saber deflects them.
The firing interval this time was 25 seconds. The next one will likely be 30 seconds.
These intervals are his weak points.
..After he fires, if we attack him before he charges the next round, the same fate as before can be avoided.
....But how?
The distance is a straight 4 kilometers away. Moving there through the roads will multiply the distance.
With Saber's Noble Phantasm we can put up a fight, but Excalibur's area of effect is too large.
There is the risk of sweeping down not only Center Bill, but even the surrounding buildings. And on top of that, we're dealing with Archer.
Knowing all of Saber's cards as much as he does, he must have a defense against Excalibur.
The effective strategy against an excellent sniper is to get close enough to him to engage in close-quarter combat.
It was impossible, however, to get close to him without him noticing.
If that is the case.....all that has to be done is to close the distance at high speed before the sniper responds.....!
"Saber!"
I stared at her strongly to convey my intentions.
If he has the eyes of a hawk, then the movement of my lips will give us away.
The fight will be decided in an instant. I can't let him discover what we will do.
"......It is possible. However, my mana will not be enough.
This may be rude, but even adding Shirou's mana to it, it will not...."
"There's enough. I've still got this on me."
The last command spell on my left arm.
"Shirou....! No, that is our last resort!
And even if I do succeed, who will protect you!?"
"I cannot agree to that idea. We should retreat and rework our approach...!"
"I'm going to have to say no. After all, we tried that once."
Saber can retreat by herself.
But with me here, both of us will be killed.
To pass this bridge, I've got to bet everything on this timing, on this moment.
I might be able to start over again from the beginning, but I can't start over again within this single day.
As a result, I will throw in everything that I had at this moment.
It wasn't important that I would lose a Command Spell.
What mattered was nothing other than the fact that I defeated him, even if it was just once.
-The fourth shot.
The limit to Saber's ability to satisfactorily deflect the shots had come.
"I'll back you up with the Command Spell. Saber, can you do it?"
There's no time. While this has been done before, this is still the best speed possible.
".....Good grief. You make decisions always so suddenly."
Saber released her stance.
The way she was standing was that of a carnivore storing energy.
"......Your orders, Master. After all, I am your sword."
Her blade became visible.
Cutting off the excess mana used for the sword, Saber poured all of herr mana into her own body.
"Time it for the next shot....! Fifteen seconds....!"
The firing hammers are being released one by one.
I had more to do than get the timing right.
I have two major problems.
It would be after the Command Spell was released that the true worth of Emiya Shirou would be questioned.
".....Command Spell, Trigger On."
10 seconds.
Command Spells allow for the temporary strengthening of Servants.
A powerful technique that converts that tremendous mana into energy for Servants.
Enough power to fill Saber's enormous circuit.
The Knight King that ruled all battle fields during the age of legends shall be reborn.

The order of the Command Spell was "Fly".
This wasn't metaphorical flight. Literally, Saber will "leap" from here to the roof of Center Building.
Saber had once fought Rider in the past.
A reenactment of that fight...no, if I limited movement to a straight line, then by raising the amount of mana for the leaping time, the distance covered will increase.
If all of the mana of the Command Spell is used just for "leaping", then it shouldn't be impossible to reduce this long distance to zero......!
"In accordance to the vow of the Holy Grail, I, the 7th Master, order thee."
5 seconds.
Opposing us is the nameless bowman.
The Epic Spirit of hardenned iron that uses traced Noble Phantasms as arrows.
The arrow edge being aimed for the definite strike is "Hrunting".
....Adjustment, plus 5 seconds.
The delay increased. The bow, drawn to its greatest extent, further increased in mana to combat Saber's mana burning.
That's why, the problem is the timing.
It was risky to launch her before or at the same time.
As Saber herself would become an arrow, if Saber leaps before Archer fires, Archer will aim at Saber.
Therefore, it had to be immediately after he fired.
A difference of 0.1 seconds from the point he fires is when we'll strike.
After firing his full-force shot and before he charges the next round,
No, immediately after he finishes releasing the arrow,
She will drive into him her sword directly....
Both of their mana roared.
A showdown between the two that seemingly shook the moon.
5. Still early.
3. My Command Spell felt it would come apart from nervousness.
1. The creaking of the string. His fingers decided his target.
Saber!
"Go, cut that sucker down...!!"

A flash that reduced the time to cross 4000 meters to nothing.
All of Archer's mana, the arrow that used the full force of the enchanted sword slided through the atmosphere, this time to decisively kill its target.
The name of the traced sword is "Hrunting".
An enchanted sword that will continue to aim to assail its target as long the sniper continues to aim, even it is deflected by Saber.
The result wouldn't change even if Saber blocks it.
No, the moment that Saber deflects is when the arrow roars, oriented towards the target.
As long as Saber expends her energy on defense, Archer's victory will remain unshakable.
Yes.
As long as she expends her energy on defense.
"......., !"
A moment that had not lasted even one second.
It was the scene of the moment that the fingers of the sniper had been flung from the arrow.
Saber disappeared from his target.
The bowman saw through his enemys' true goal. But it was too late.
The arrow had already been fired.
Who was it that had confirmed their victory?
Should there be a bowman that can shoot his mark several hundred meters away, he still follows an unhideable theory.
An arrow fired once cannot change its target.
Whatever arrows that guarantee a definite hit he may have, a bowman cannot resist this law.
Yet........it is by conquering that law that he is the Epic Spirit of the bow....!
"......!?"
The arrow is changing its path. No, it was a path that was from the start meant to strike two enemies.
That theory was sent back to us. A launched Saber had no means of dodging.
The arrow transformed into a demonic bullet and will shatter the Knight King.
An unhideable fate of death that none could avoid.
....Yet. It is by rising above that fate that she is the Epic Spirit of swords.....!

The crossing of light and light.
A tilting balance, as if it were passing.

The blue light went to the heavens as if singing of victory,
The red light plummeted to the abyss as if telling of defeat!

Accompanied by a shockwave, Saber is released.
The timing was perfect.
However.....this bridge isn't going to be penetrated with just a Command Spell.
With my eyes coated by winds so powerful to shake the handrails, I glare at the approaching bullet.
Time stops.
In a blank shorter than a second, blood charges in my veins.
1 second since I used the Command Spell.
No time to image.
No time needed to image.
What I had forgotten will be used all for this moment...!
", Hah......, hah."
My breath stops short from nervousness and fear.
My left hand is hot.
I can see my death zero seconds later.
"Trace......"
Like a tired dog, my tongue comes out and blows against the wind.
Physical information/Theory of sorcery coursing throughout.
Until formation, zero seconds. Until direct hit,
".........On.......!"

.......That spectacle......Archer had certainly witnessed.
An attack that forced even the power to breathe to terminate in his left arm.
The sparkling of the traced Noble Phantasm.
The tearing of rows of muscles.
Coupled with a fearless interception, that boy successfully defended against it miraculously.
In the matter of victory or defeat, the bowman still had the potential to win.
The boy's sword is broken, while the arrow of the bowman, despite being repulsed, still survived.
It will reverse its course and directly strike the boy in the brow.
.....Yes.
As long as the one who fired the arrow was still intact.

"....Less than 2 seconds from the 5th shot."
How stupid to not be able to ready my swords, before cocking the 6th arrow.
.....It seems that I may have reoriented myself towards my main occupation a little too much."
How ironic.
It had been this man's style to use tactics that weren't like that of an bowman.
The Servant, who preferred close-combat with his twin swords instead of his bow, couldn't respond to Saber's attack because he had returned to using his true method of warfare.
"It was a shot worthy of the name of Archer.
Had your Master been with you, this end would not have happened."
"....Ha, don't be ridiculous, Saber.
If THAT had been here, I couldn't have even had the chance to fight you."
He returned her praise with laughter.
The shape of lips wasn't one of conceipt, but one of honest companionship.
"Ch, I cannot hold my body together any longer. Do you have anything else to say Saber? It is the duty of the victor. If you have any questions, ask them."
There was the sound of dispersing sand.
There was no splattering of blood.
Servants, as long as they are still living, will shed blood.
But when that life is definitely severed, all that remains for them is to return to ash.
".....No, I have nothing to ask of you.
If if you felt the need to take arms, there is a just reason for it. I cannot take anything more from you."
Archer chuckled.
Should he take Saber's courtesy as kindness or cold-heartedness.
When in battle, the knight carried both of these meanings.
.....There had been a time when he felt that paradox, that self-destructive strength of the heart, was beautiful.
Wrong. That memory couldn't be lost even now.
Long ago, there had been a meeting.
A scene that probably not even lasted a second.
Yet.
Even should he fall into the depths of hell, he will recall that image vividly.

Hair luminated by the light of the moon.
.....If he shuts his eyes, even now that image will remain in his heart.
"I lose this time, it seems. I'll be the first to go, Saber.
Do your best at being fooled by me."
Scattering with scorn, Archer was destroyed, leaving behind the grudge of the defeated.
"........."
Saber sheathed her sword and weakly bit her lip.
Above her was the black moon.
It was almost as if poison would trickle from the cup-like outline.
I arrived one hour after Saber did.
I dragged my body, exhausted by that one attack, and reached the roof.
Saber looked up at the eye steadily.
Because of her tense expression, I couldn't bring myself to call out to her.

"....Shirou. You came to pick me up?"
There was no vitality in Saber's voice.
Archer isn't here....which meant she defeated him.
I couldn't see any wounds on Saber, but leaping that far must have been painful.
"Sorry for getting here late. Saber, are you all right?"
"I am unhurt. But Shirou, how are you? Your face is pale."
"......Doesn't feel like it, but you might be right.
I've been getting the chills just earlier. Body's probably weaker since I used up all my mana."
I'm going to have to admit that was reckless.
That time, I was so abnormally exhilarated that I couldn't think of the consequences.
"We should go home for now.
We can start patrolling Shinto from tomorrow. For now, Shirou's recovery must take precedence."
".......Yeah, you're right. Getting this beat up is going to make it impossible to do any more."
We left the roof.
"Shirou. Did we really do the right thing?"
"Yeah. If I had a choice between saying right or wrong, this is right."
No doubt about it.
Once again, I passed through another new deed.
The battle of the bridge ended for now.
Archer was defeated, the anomaly continued to prevail without change, and the night of the 4th day went on in idle slumber.
Completion is still a way to go, but for now I will take a rest.
Even if this wish will go unfulfilled for now.
If I keep going onwards, I will eventually see the end.
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Couple of side notes. Technically Saber doesn't have any circuits since her whole body actually functions as one huge circuit.
Also the flashback by Archer uses the exact same lines from the Fate Prologue.
(credits: Arai, 2005)
Hey Iskandar, are you the same dude who studied in SABS back 1989 Form 1? If you do, then it is been a while.
This post has been edited by Stormy001_M1A2: Apr 6 2006, 11:59 AM
Apr 6 2006, 11:38 AM
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