This story is set roughly seven years ago.
Archer was once a kind, idealistic boy with red hair and amber eyes named Shirou Emiya. He was on a team with Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Matou. Rin has black hair in twin-tails and wears a red sweater, short skirt, and thigh high socks. Sakura has purple hair and wears a brown vest, white shirt, and black skirt. Sakura's step-brother Shinji used to be on the team, but he got expelled for forging papers. One day the three of them were sent on a mission to investigate smoke coming from a far off town. Leading them was Mordred's father, Professor Arthur Pendragon, but since he had been turned into a girl, she called herself Arturia. She wears a blue dress with armor.
They arrive to find the town in ruins with no sign of the people. They find a large crater full of Grimm. Arturia judges that they fell in and can't get out, but are digging for something. Shirou finds pools of black sludge everywhere. They seem to be the pools the Grimm spawn from, but they aren't doing anything. Arturia says to search for any survivors, then they will call in the special operations team to exterminate the Grimm in the crater and quarantine the area. Shirou sees what seems to be a man in distress, but it turns out to be a humanoid Grimm that attacks him. The others come and are shocked to see the Grimm, as a humanoid variety had never been seen before. Arturia tells them to kill it.
Shirou summons his swords Kanshou and Bakuya, Sakura summons her U-headed spear Trishula, Rin readies her energy blasts, and Arturia uses her invisible sword. The Grimm pulls two jagged blades out of its own arms. They clash, but the Grimm is able to endure getting impaled by Trishula and sends them all flying. Suddenly, one of the black pools comes to life and attempts to engulf Sakura and Arturia. Arturia knocks Sakura away, but is engulfed and trapped. Shirou's left arm gets slashed, then Rin gets knocked unconscious and knocked near the crater, about to fall in. Sakura fights the Grimm by herself, and Shirou is paralyzed by indecision, unable to pick who to help first. Sakura yells at him to save Rin, so he runs up and grabs her arm right before she falls. Suddenly, the Grimm knocks Sakura into the crater as well. Shirou grabs her hand as well, but with his arm injured, he cannot pull both of them up. Seeing that if nothing is done soon, they will all die, Sakura says his name and gives one final smile and lets go of his hand. He screams in anguish as she falls in and is torn to pieces, but finally pulls Rin to solid ground.
The humanoid Grimm attempts to attack them, but Arturia suddenly breaks free of the pool. The Grimm transforms into a Beowolf and attacks her, but she parries its attacks. She says it does not deserve to see her true weapon, but she might as well. Her golden sword becomes visible, then she calls its name, "Excalibur!" She fires a massive golden beam from her sword that obliterates the Grimm and most of the landscape.
She turns to find Shirou mourning Sakura and wondering what he is going to tell Rin when she wakes up. She tells him not to blame himself, but he, anguished by Sakura's final words, tells her not to call him Shirou anymore.
