Under what circumstances can Assassin bring the greatest value?
Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine had already given the standard answer to that question.
When everyone thinks he is already dead.
Only when everyone believes Assassin is gone and lets down their guard can the Master truly make use of an assassin to do the shadow work that must be done in broad daylight.
By the same logic, how could Shirou and Hassan of the Hundred Faces, who had secretly formed an alliance behind the Tohsaka Family's back, maximize their own benefit?
The answer was to make Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine believe Assassin was dead.
In other words, they needed to stage a fake death for the Tohsaka side to see.
That was the plan Shirou and Hassan of the Hundred Faces came up with.
A fake death would free them from the Tohsaka Family's control while also hiding the fact that Assassin still existed, all without anyone noticing. It was the perfect plan, killing two birds with one stone.
But things were not as simple as they looked.
The first problem was how to kill off all of Assassin's nearly hundred Spirit Origins in one go.
At a time like this, Hassan of the Hundred Faces' ability actually became a burden instead.
"What, are you sick of me already?" Big Sis Assassin rolled her eyes.
"I never said that." Shirou quickly tried to smooth things over.
After thinking it through, Shirou ultimately decided to use himself as bait.
He would publicly reveal that he already knew about the Tohsaka Family's secret dealings.
He would make Tokiomi Tohsaka realize that he was the seventh enemy Tokiomi had regarded as a major threat, while also showing him his mysterious power.
That alone still was not enough. He also had to create a situation where Archer could no longer enter battle again.
Only after all those conditions were met could Tokiomi Tohsaka be cornered into gambling everything on deploying every Assassin at once.
Tonight, Shirou had achieved that goal perfectly.
The stage was set.
All he had to do now was deliberately act weak in public.
That way, once Tokiomi Tohsaka was driven into a corner, he would surely send Assassin after Shirou and Irisviel.
When that happened, Big Sis Assassin and the others would willingly throw themselves to Saber and put on a tragic fake-death performance.
However, a new problem emerged.
An ordinary fake death would never fool them, because Kirei Kotomine was Assassin's Master.
A Master who supplied a Servant with magical energy would naturally know better than anyone whether that Servant was alive or dead.
If it were Archer, who possessed the cheat-like skill [Independent Action], then a fake death that could deceive even the Master might have been possible. He could even continue existing for a while without a Magus's supply of magical energy. But that was clearly beyond Hassan of the Hundred Faces' abilities.
So there was only one way to make even the Master believe it.
Assassin could not fake death. Assassin had to truly die.
...
...
"Kirei, how long would it take to gather all the Assassins?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question from the other end of the line, Kirei Kotomine paused for a moment.
In a teacherly tone, Tokiomi Tohsaka added, "Kirei, at a time like this, taking the initiative and attacking may also be an option."
At this point in the Holy Grail War, only three enemy Servants remained.
Saber was a perfect Servant, fully worthy of being called the strongest, but Tokiomi Tohsaka believed that if the King of Heroes drew the sword hidden in the deepest part of his treasury, there was no way he could lose to the wielder of the Sword of Promised Victory.
Rider was just as troublesome an enemy as Saber, but Tokiomi Tohsaka had already found his weakness, and earlier that day he had sent Kirei Kotomine to deal with it.
It was obviously a despicable act, one completely unworthy of the Tohsaka Family's style. But if it meant fulfilling his long-cherished wish, Tokiomi Tohsaka was willing to become a stain on his family line.
The greatest threat was still Shirou Amamiya.
Unlike the King of Knights and the King of Conquerors, whose True Names had already been exposed, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not even know what Shirou Amamiya really was.
Now that Shirou was exhausted from fighting Archer, this was the perfect chance to bring him down.
Not only that, Saber's Master was also there. Killing either Shirou Amamiya or her would already be a huge gain.
And even if he failed to kill either of them, he could at least force the King of Knights to use up one of her Noble Phantasms.
Kirei Kotomine instantly understood his teacher's intent and said,
"It will take about ten minutes to assemble all the Assassins on site."
"Good. Give the order. This is a major gamble, but fortunately, we have nothing to lose."
To Tokiomi Tohsaka, Assassin was merely a means of helping Gilgamesh obtain the Holy Grail, a disposable tool to be cast aside after use. His disciple Kirei had no objection to that way of thinking.
Having made up his mind, Tokiomi Tohsaka relaxed back into his chair and crossed his legs once more.
He picked up the teapot beside him, refilled his cup, and savored the fragrance of the black tea as he waited for the results of his ruthless strategy.
...
...
Irisviel and Saber arrived at the parking lot.
Although it was only a little past eight, they both silently decided to call it a night after glancing at the unconscious Shirou.
"This is awful. Master is already this weak, and Shirou's Servant still has no intention of showing up?"
Saber said indignantly. Irisviel tilted her head.
"I actually think Shirou and his Servant might share... some kind of trust that we just can't understand.
It's only a feeling, though. Nothing as amazing as Saber's [Instinct]."
Hearing her Master say that, Artoria fell silent.
"Saber, you can drive us back today."
When they reached her beloved car, Irisviel made the rare suggestion that Saber take the wheel.
Of course, her real aim was the red-haired boy in Saber's arms.
Seeing her Master open her arms, Artoria smiled softly and pulled Shirou even closer.
"No, Irisviel, you should drive. You're much better at handling a car."
"Ugh..."
Irisviel bit her lip resentfully. She really should not have shown off her driving skills in front of Saber.
She genuinely believed she was a better driver than Saber, even with Saber's A-rank [Riding] skill.
Half an hour had passed since the battle with Gilgamesh, and Shirou's condition seemed to have improved somewhat.
It looked like he had simply overdrawn his Mana and had not suffered any actual injuries.
Seeing that, both Irisviel and Saber felt much more at ease.
Master and Servant were chatting and laughing together, but in the very next instant, Saber's expression suddenly changed.
Very soon, Irisviel also sensed that something in the atmosphere around them had turned wrong.
They could see no shapes and hear no sounds, yet the thick layers of killing intent made the air against their skin feel several degrees colder.
"..."
The two looked at each other and nodded in silent understanding.
Under the moonlight, pale skull masks appeared one after another around the parking lot, like flowers blooming in the dark.
In an instant, multiple figures wrapped in black robes surrounded Irisviel and Saber from all sides.
Assassin...
Both of them were briefly taken aback.
Shirou had already told them about the secret dealings between Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine, so they naturally knew that Assassin was still active.
The Assassin in this Holy Grail War was not just the one defeated in the Tohsaka Family courtyard on the first day. There were many Assassins taking part.
That fact alone was already bizarre, but the number standing before them now could only be called abnormal.
Though they all wore masks and black robes, their builds varied greatly. There were huge, towering men, thin and wiry figures, people as small as children, and women with graceful, shapely bodies.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces.
Saber recalled the name Shirou had mentioned, along with the details attached to it.
An assassin who, while alive, had nearly a hundred different minds housed inside a single vessel, and after death, upon ascending to the Throne of Heroes, became a Servant with nearly a hundred souls.
For some reason, Saber suddenly thought of her older sister.
She shook her head, cast off the stray thought, and formed her silver armor with Mana.
Incidentally, Shirou had never told them that Assassin had already formed an alliance with him, so from Saber's point of view, this was an attack aimed at taking all three of their lives.
"So Tokiomi Tohsaka has no intention of letting us leave peacefully tonight."
Irisviel muttered that bitterly.
On the other side, even Artoria, who had not shed a single drop of sweat during her battle with the King of Heroes, bit down on her lip at how dire the situation had become.
If this were merely a fight against Assassin, Saber did not believe she would lose, whether there were a hundred of them or a thousand.
But Irisviel was right beside her now, and Shirou was unconscious.
Assassin might be weak, but they were killers who could close in on a target without a sound, and there were simply too many of them.
This situation was nothing like when they faced the sea demon swarm.
Even if Saber could stop several Assassins with a single swing, if even one slipped through, it could deal a fatal blow to Irisviel or Shirou.
Unlike Saber, whose face had turned grim, every Assassin beneath those masks was grinning.
Just moments ago, their Master, Kirei Kotomine, had used a Command Spell on them.
The order contained in it was [Win, no matter the sacrifice], which in plain terms meant ordering them to die.
But Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka probably did not know this.
Tonight, Assassin had come to the battlefield prepared to die from the very beginning.
Among the eighty-six Hassans present, some, like Big Sis Hundred Faces, were wholeheartedly devoted to Shirou, but many still had their doubts.
Was it really right to trust that boy so completely?
Most of the Hundred Faces still had misgivings, but the order Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine gave tonight made them fully realize that they were nothing more than expendable pawns.
They no longer had any expectations of their original Masters.
The Assassins chose to march calmly toward death, entrusting their final hope to the red-haired boy and [that child].
Even so, a performance still had to be put on.
And seeing a peerless Heroic Spirit like Saber break out in a cold sweat was especially entertaining for the Assassins.
Since they had already decided to die, then of course they ought to die in a good mood.
At that moment, a purple-haired female assassin stepped out from the crowd.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces said, "Saber, hand over the brat you're holding. Do that, and I'll spare your Master's life."
"In your dreams!"
Saber handed Shirou over to Irisviel, raised her wind-wrapped sword, and coldly refused Assassin's demand.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces pressed on.
"Why?
If you keep that brat around, he'll only become your enemy sooner or later.
Why not let me be the villain and kill him for you?
He won't even know he was betrayed by his allies. If he dies peacefully in his sleep, maybe that would be kinder."
"I said stop dreaming. I won't hand Shirou over to you, and besides..."
A trace of pride appeared on Saber's dignified face.
"Unlike an alliance like yours, formed for nothing but profit.
Shirou and I came together because we share the same convictions. There is no way we would ever betray each other."
The moment she said that, a surging killing intent erupted from Hassan of the Hundred Faces' slender body.
"That sounds nice, but you and your Master just want to use that brat's power too.
I know better than anyone how hypocritical a knight like you can be beneath that righteous facade."
At that moment, a giant question mark seemed to pop up over Shirou's head as he lay there pretending to sleep against Irisviel's chest.
...Huh?
Big Sis Assassin?
Why is this not following the script at all?
Why are you arguing so much with Saber? Tokiomi Tohsaka is going to get suspicious!
And... why does it feel like there's so much gunpowder in this conversation?
At the same time, a giant question mark seemed to pop up over Saber's head too.
Artoria had no idea why Assassin hated her so much, but as a dragon her [Instinct]...
No.
As a woman, her intuition made her instinctively reject this purple-haired female assassin as well.
"Tch... what a pain."
Hassan of the Hundred Faces glared at Saber with open hostility.
"As expected of the legendary King of Knights. Truly admirable.
You're not only good at keeping your knights in line, you're pretty skilled at winning over men too... all with that pure and flawless pretty face of yours."
The purple-haired female assassin sneered.
"But tell me, has it ever occurred to you...
that maybe you think you and that brat understand each other, heart to heart... when that's really just your own wishful thinking?"
Saber frowned.
"Assassin, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"...Cough, cough! Cough cough cough!"
Shirou suddenly started coughing violently.
Are you two going to fight or not?!
Hassan of the Hundred Faces got the message. Taking the boy's coughing as the signal, dozens of black shadows lunged at Saber and the Master behind her.