This Is My Holy Grail War [35]
Yet none of that mattered as much as the revelation of the relationship between Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka, skillfully unearthed by Kenneth's manipulative words.
"Merely an assistant for Archer's side, is it?" Sitting in the back of a sleek black car, Kiritsugu Emiya lit a cigarette, his expression unreadable.
The battle between the Servants failed to hold his interest. What truly intrigued him was the connection between Assassin and Saber.
From the beginning, Assassin had appeared openly on the battlefield. In other words, not once had this Servant fought in her true domain: the art of assassination.
What a waste. An egregious waste. A shameful waste.
Why was an Assassin being placed in plain sight to clash head-on with the Knight classes?
What piqued Kiritsugu's curiosity further, however, was the suggestion of a deep bond between Assassin and Saber.
Thus, he hadn't stopped Saber from rescuing Assassin. Not that he could have stopped her if he'd wanted to. On the contrary, he now found himself interested in this Servant.
A cooperative, obedient Servant capable of carrying out assassination missions? Kiritsugu wouldn't hesitate to trade Saber for such a tool if the opportunity arose.
And now, he'd uncovered another piece of information: Kirei had used a Command Spell to force Assassin into a suicide mission. This implied a complete fracture between the two—a servant severed from her Master.
On the battlefield, Saber had managed to shield Assassin, but Kenneth wasted no time delivering a biting taunt.
He mocked Saber's chivalry, deriding her as a so-called "King of Knights" who interfered in a fair duel.
Faced with a two-on-one scenario, Lancer had no chance of victory. Just as Kenneth prepared to issue a retreat command, a new element disrupted the balance.
From the shadows emerged Berserker.
Berserker's arrival carried a peculiar hesitation, though his fixation on Assassin remained palpable. Soon, that hesitation evaporated, and his gaze locked onto Assassin once again, radiating undeniable hostility.
"What do you think you're doing, Berserker?" Saber demanded, her voice sharp as she positioned herself protectively in front of Assassin, shielding her like a mother hen guarding her chick.
The battlefield shifted once more, evolving into a two-on-two standoff. However, Assassin's condition remained dire.
The Command Spell that had bound her to Kirei's will had dissipated, its energy completely spent alongside her own. She was running on fumes, her magical reserves drained to the point where even standing felt like a monumental effort.
In her daze, Assassin caught a fleeting image of Berserker lunging toward her, only to be forced back by Saber's desperate defense.
Slowly, painfully, Kirei's magical energy began to trickle back into her body. But it was like a single drop of water in a parched desert—not enough to quench her thirst, only enough to exacerbate her suffering.
"Lancer, hold off Saber. Assist Berserker in killing Assassin!" Kenneth commanded, prompting Lancer to rejoin the fray.
As Saber was locked in combat with Lancer, Assassin found herself staring into Berserker's blood-red eyes. In them, she saw the visage of death itself.
Though Saber was widely regarded as the strongest class in the Holy Grail War, even she couldn't withstand the onslaught of two Servants for long.
What could she possibly do now?
Even disguised as Lancelot and receiving Saber's aid, Assassin couldn't find a way to survive.
The relentless pressure of the Holy Grail War threatened to crush her completely. If she wanted to live, she had no choice but to run.
Yes, there was still a slim chance to escape.
If Saber could continue to hold off Berserker and Lancer, she might be able to slip into the labyrinthine alleys of Fuyuki City. By mimicking Lancer's earlier evasive maneuvers, she might just evade pursuit.
Saber could certainly hold off one of the two, and Berserker's obsession with her would prevent him from pursuing Saber instead.
It might work. But if I don't try, I'll definitely die.
Resolving herself, Assassin turned and began to retreat. She didn't break into a full sprint, conserving what little energy she had left. Every ounce of mana was a step closer to survival.
---
"Maiya, can you track Assassin's movements from your position?" Kiritsugu's voice crackled through the communicator.
"I'll try," Maiya Hisau replied from her vantage point on a rooftop, raising a pair of binoculars.
In the stillness of the night, finding a rapidly moving target was both simple and difficult. The stillness highlighted movement, but the binoculars' narrow field of view made locking onto Assassin's figure challenging.
Sweeping her gaze across the cityscape, Maiya found not Assassin, but something—or someone—else entirely.
It was a woman, her eyes fixed intently on the battlefield with an almost feverish intensity. She stood in plain sight, seemingly oblivious to the danger around her. Even if Assassin passed right by her, she wouldn't notice.
The woman was Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, Kenneth's fiancée. She had left the safety of the workshop behind to watch Lancer fight with her own eyes.
Rely on a familiar's vision? No. Sola needed to witness Lancer's elegant movements in person.
Watching Lancer duel with Assassin left Sola's cheeks flushed. The knight's graceful footwork enthralled her, captivated her...
So absorbed was she that she failed to recognize the peril she had placed herself in.
"I've found another target..." Maiya murmured after a brief pause. Once certain of her discovery, she contacted Kiritsugu.
"What target?" Kiritsugu demanded.
"I've found someone important to Lancer's Master..."
Before the Holy Grail War had begun, Kiritsugu had meticulously gathered intelligence on the other Masters. He already knew who Kenneth's fiancée was—there was no hiding her identity from him.
"Understood," Kiritsugu replied.
He stubbed out his cigarette and opened the car door. Abandoning the battlefield entirely, he shifted his focus to Kenneth's fiancée.
---
Reader, your presence signifies commitment.
To walk this path is to contribute to the pursuit of eternity.
Should you wish to further fortify our resolve, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each action contributes to the unyielding foundation of our creation. Together, we etch a mark that transcends the fleeting nature of time.
For those who aspire to push the limits further, offering one 'Burger' will unlock an additional 5 chapters: [ko-fi.com/wisetl]. Specify which story your donation pertains to; this offer applies exclusively to stories available on Scribble Hub.
— Raiden Shogun