Because this was ready early. I suppose I'll do as much as possible while I'm motivated.
Sorry, Noel. No screentime for you this time, Assassin stole it all.
I'm kind of unsure if I wrote Assassin according to canon or not. He doesn't have that many scenes. Oh well, at least he has 80 personalities in canon so even if I screwed up I can just pretend it was intentional.
With a brilliant light, Archer’s power struck the crane that Assassin had been standing on, reducing it to melted metal.
Kiritsugu, who had averted his eyes at the last moment, took a second to confirm Assassin’s disappearance before completing the bipod.
It would be good if Assassin had died just now, but even if he had merely been wounded it would be enough. Now that Archer’s range had been revealed, it was likely that the enemy Master would decide to retreat.
Before that happened…
With practiced precision, Kiritsugu compensated for the distance and pressed the modified Walter’s trigger.
The bullet flew toward its target with unwavering precision, only to be intercepted at the last moment. A strange shell rose from the Magus’ feet.
Though he could not see details through the heat detector, the fact that his target was kneeling instead of laying down told Kiritsugu that the defense had at least been partially successful.
Without wasting time on excessive amazement, he readjusted his aim and pressed the trigger again.As expected, the shell reformed itself, but this time there was no reaction from the enemy Master.
“…An adaptive defense?”
Before he could attempt a third shot to confirm his suspicions, a much larger heat signature appeared, indicating that Lancer had come to his Master’s defense.
“Tsk.”
That was it, then. He had hoped that Archer would distract the other Servant, but it was too much to expect that he would ignore a threat to his Master. If he fired again, Lancer would simply intercept the bullet and then follow its path to Kiritsugu. Much like for Assassin, the Magus Killer had no means to bypass the defense of the twin-spear wielding Servant.
“Maya, we’re retreating.”
As he gathered his equipment, he reviewed the possible Masters. The odd shell did not fit with Tohsaka Tokiomi’s element of “fire”. Kotomine Kirei, a former Executor, would never have allowed himself to be caught like this. By all account, the Mato Master was a failure who could not inherit the family’s crest.
Someone who could defend against a bullet in this way could not be called a failure and it was unlikely that an accomplished Magus would have both wanted and managed to keep his involvement silent.
That left only Lord El-Melloi.
If conventional weapons were insufficient against this prodigy from the Clock Tower, Kiritsugu would have to face him as a Magus.
---------------------------------------------
“Assassin was eliminated, then?”
The voice of Tohsaka Tokiomi emanated from the strange device that was positioned on the table.Without the use of modern technology, it was developped from the Tohsaka family’s magecraft. Granted to his student for the course of the war, it ensured undetectable communication to Tokiomi and his ally.
“Yes. It is unfortunate but he did not see his assailant in time.”
The disinterested voice that answered was that of Tokiomi’s student and accomplice, Kotomine Kirei. For a man who had lost his Servant mere seconds ago, he showed nothing that could be called regret.
“However, he did manage to see the weapon.” His voice betraying nothing of the quiet tension that he felt, the Executor turned Magus continued without the need for encouragements. “A strange prana construct with several jewels in the center was floating above him.”
“An unconventional weapon for an Archer. Perhaps she was a Magus in her life?” Tokiomi reflected. As he was also observing the scene through his Servant’s eyes, he had witnessed the rising prana in the enemy Servant before the attack was unleashed. “Unfortunately, this does not bring any particular legend to my mind.”
“I have never heard of such a hero myself.”
“Then let us wait and see. I will contact you again when they have dispersed.”
With those words, Tokiomi put an end to the conversation.
But Kirei was not left alone. Silent and obedient, several shadows gathered in the corners of the room.
“Assassin. Do not let him out of your sight.”
With a bow, Servant Assassin left.
This was not the same man who had been standing on the crane, but rather a veiled woman.
It was impossible for more than one Servant to be summoned for each class, yet each of those shadowy figures were clearly Servant Assassin.
And their new mission was not one that Tohsaka Tokiomi had ordered. Rather, it was a decision made from information that Kirei had not shared with his teacher.
The last thing that Assassin had glimpsed was not Archer’s weapon alone. From the corner of his eyes, Kirei had seen another figure hiding nearby.
Unclenching his fists, the man who had no wish allowed himself to feel hope. He could still find his answer in this war.
---------------------------------------------
Calm, even strides echoed softly on the wooden floor, elegantly fitting in with the noise that the nightlife of Fuyuki City emitted constantly.
In truth, the owner of those footsteps deliberately produced that noise. Had he moved naturally, there would have been no noise at all. For the man was a Servant, a shadow among shadows, who had stepped unnoticed among crowds and close friends alike to slay his targets.
But to arrive unannounced would have been impolite toward the important ‘guest’ that had appropriated the empty house that had been rented by Tohsaka Tokiomi.
Assassin did not care about that person’s feelings but, for the sake of continuing their cooperation, it was a necessary act.
After all, that person was the key that would lead them to victory in this war.
Before entering the central room, he paused a moment to be certain that none of his true thoughts could be betrayed by his body language. That person would not be fooled into trusting him even for a moment, but it was always better to do everything in one’s power to be inoffensive when dealing with people who were used to being in power.
When he crossed the door, the pressure that fell upon him would have been enough to bring an ordinary man to his knee. This ordinary living room carried the full autority of a throne room.
And the source of that solemnity was the king sitting before him. Having forgone the use of her armor, Saber looked like an ordinary girl. Soft blond hair and beautiful young features ensured that anyone who happened to walk into this house unaware and saw her with her eyes closed while encased in the stylish dress that Tokiomi had arranged for her might have been fooled into thinking that they had stepped inside a fairy tale.
Assassin, who could feel the full pressure of her presence, thought that such people would be nothing less than the greatest of fools. This was no damsel in distress, and wicked witches had best stay clear.
“Assassin.” With practiced neutrality, the Heroic Spirit of the Sword opened her eyes. “You bring news?”
The shadow answered her acknowledgement of his presence with a bow.
“Yes, revised orders from our Masters.”
“I have only one Master.” Though the reply was carefully controlled, the warning was clear. “You may serve Kotomine Kirei, but I follow only Tohsaka Tokiomi.”
Truly, heroes that had attained glory could get angry over the most technical details. Kirei served Tokiomi directly. Assassin took his orders from Kirei and relayed Tokiomi’s orders to Saber. For Saber to place herself over Kirei was absurd in his eyes.
Had this been an ordinary occasion, Assassin might have expressed his disagreement. However, to attempt this tonight would be to invite swift retribution from Saber; Rider’s thoughtless actions had already trampled upon her pride one too many times. Pushing her any further risked endangering the mission.
“…My apologies. After reviewing the situation, master Tohsaka requests that you put your disagreement with Rider aside for now and focus on completing your battle with Lancer.”
The wood armrest cracked ominously as Saber’s hands clenched around them.
“What?! I won’t object to ending my duel with Lancer, but to ask me to ignore Rider’s slights….” With a sigh, the Servant of the Sword forcibly relaxed her posture. “Assassin, you were present when my Master made this decision. Explain his reasoning.”
After a slight hesitation, the man nodded his agreement.
“Thanks to our cooperation, my Master and master Tohsaka were able to assess the abilities of Archer, Lancer and Rider. With the addition of ourselves, only Caster and Berserker remains missing.”
A small smile graced the king’s lips.
“They continue to elude you, then?”
With an offended snort, Assassin shook his head.
“Please do not make light of our talent. You may be the strongest, Servant of the sword, but in scouting abilities we are without equals. Simply, Berserker has not assumed corporeal form since his Master has left the Mato household. As such, it has been impossible for Master Kirei to assess his capabilities.” A moment of hesitation served as a tribute to his annoyance. “I cannot deny that Caster has proved difficult to find.”
“There’s no need to worry about Caster. When he emerges, I will deal with him.” With a wave of her hand, the girl dismissed the subject. It is doubtful that she would appreciate the fact that Rider had done a similar gesture earlier that night. “Tokiomi’s decision?”
“Taking into account our current knowledge, the two greatest concerns are Archer and Rider as neither has shown their Noble Phantasms. However, judging from Archer’s weak personality, it is unlikely that she possesses a significant trump card. Rider, however, is a source of worry. Master Tohsaka judges that since he was willing to freely divulge his name and parade upon his chariot, it is likely that he possesses a secret of exceptional power…”
“…And so Tokiomi wants me to avoid him until he has revealed it.” Saber’s tone left no doubt as to how distasteful this conclusion was for her. “My Master is excessively prudent.”
With a sigh, the blond-haired king rose to her feet. “Cowardly though his methods may be, I have decided to follow Tokiomi’s lead in this war. I will acknowledge his order and allow Rider’s insults to go unpunished for a time while I focus on finishing my battle with Diarmuid.”
Once more, Assassin bowed.
“A most gracious decision, King of Knights.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, the Heroic Spirit of the Sword turned away, stopping at the door to the kitchen. “Tell this to Tokiomi: I have retreated before Rider because he commanded me to be careful. I will obey him again and avoid pursuing Rider until my score with Diarmuid is settled. However, if Rider interferes with my battle one more time, I will teach him the price of tracking mud on a knight’s honor.”
Taking the dismissal for what it was, Assassin vanished.
Truly, the King of Knights Arturia was a troublesome existence. Too prideful to allow herself to stray from the path of honor, this Saber was possibly the most incompatible ally for Assassin, who preferred to deal with Masters from the shadows. The solution had been provided by Tokiomi; the one path that a knight could walk together with one who walked the shadows. Assassin, who should have been taking care of the Masters, had been degraded to a messenger and an observer. Saber could never have accepted that he deal with the Master while she faced the Servants, but she could not object if his role was limited to keeping tabs on the movements of enemy Masters.
And so it was that Saber was let free to walk in the city and act as she judged best while he acted as Tokiomi’s messenger and insured that she was not taken by surprise. The only flaw In the plan was that to allow Saber to face the other Servants and their Masters alone, it was required to be certain that there was no one who could defeat her in a direct confrontation.
That was the aim of tonight’s actions. Assassin had detected Lancer as he searched for a challenge and had pointed Saber in his direction. As expected, the battle between the two had attracted the others. Rider’s enthusiasm had been unforeseen, but Tokiomi’s orders that Saber not face more than one Servant had successfully contained her reaction.
Even better, the identities of both Lancer and Rider had been revealed over a single night. It was unfortunate that Saber’s true name was revealed in the same battle, but it was hardly an irreplaceable loss. To begin with the King of Knights gained very little from secrecy, since her abilities were mostly focused on direct combat.
During the night, Saber had proven that she held the advantage against Lancer even when he had used his Noble Phantasms. Since Caster was by nature handicapped against her, the only possible threats that remained were Berserker and the possibility of an unknown trump card that could tip the scale against Arturia. As long as those factors could be avoided, Saber’s superiority over the other Servants would remain unchallenged.
This suited Assassin fine. Thanks to the sacrifice of the other Assassin, he had confirmed that Archer travelled without her Master. Thus, when Saber had defeated Lancer, Rider, Caster and Berserker, he would strike with the others that were on guard duty at the Tohsaka residence and slay Tokiomi before he could activate a Command Seal. No matter how powerful Saber was, without a source of prana she would disappear within the hour.
And then Archer’s Master, unaware of these events, would fall to the shadows that he thought himself so clever to cling to.
Because of his personal loyalty to Tokiomi, Master Kirei was unaware of the final steps of the plan. Assassin knew all too well that sometimes the exact methods had to be kept hidden from the employer, to ensure that the mission was a success. Once he was presented with the Holy Grail, Kotomine Kirei would understand that his teacher’s death had been necessary.
With a quiet laugh, the Heroic Spirit of the shadows returned to his station.
If there's anyone whose viewpoint you'd like to see in the next chapter, I'm open to suggestions.
Originally Posted by YeOfLittleFaith
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