Assassin and The Magus Killer

What kind of man was Emiya Kiritsugu?

Simple: a war dog and a walking saint.

He carried a grand yet childish dream; to become a hero of justice. More precisely, he aimed to use the Grail to bring peace to the entire world. It sounded absurd, maybe even laughable, but it wasn't shallow. Childish, yes, but not naive. He pursued it with a brutal resolve, every step stained with blood, yet he never considered turning back.

Efficient, decisive, cold; he moved like an efficient machine. He was like Kirei Kotomine, but also the complete opposite: where the priest's heart was a void, Kiritsugu's overflowed with feeling. If he could've been a heartless killer, his life might've been easier. But he wasn't.

So, pain was his reward.

Today, he'd lose someone dear again, taste the sting of grief, and bear it silently.

"It's a necessary sacrifice for peace," he told himself. "This way, everyone can find happiness."

"What a joke," Assassin sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. "You really think self-sacrifice buys peace? 'Saving humanity'; sounds noble, but you never thought about it…"

In a flash, Assassin became a blur, his dagger sinking into Kiritsugu's stomach. "Humans don't need your saving!" Assassin twisted the blade, carving a fist-sized hole in Kiritsugu's torso with a sickening crunch.

For most magi, this would've been the end. But Kiritsugu had Avalon, the ultimate shield, tied to Saber. It could mend any wound, even one this gruesome. He hadn't expected an ambush here, but he wasn't ready to give up.

Assassin might be a Servant, but he was just an Assassin-class; the weakest. With Avalon and his Origin Bullets, Kiritsugu still had a chance. He pressed a hidden button on his sleeve, and the bombs strapped to his waist erupted.

Boom, boom, boom…

Flames devoured the room, swallowing both of them. He'd spent half his life with explosives, but turning them on himself was new. The irony wasn't lost on him. Without those mini-bombs, he'd have no way to touch the Assassin.

As the smoke cleared, Kiritsugu lay nearly split in two, yet alive. His flesh and bones stitched back together at an alarming rate, the sight almost nauseating. Enduring the pain, he calculated his next move and his chances of winning. With death off the table, a suicide strike was his best shot.

Using ordinary tactics, he, a mere mortal, wouldn't be able to harm the Assassin. To get past the Assassin, he had to risk everything.

"Cold even to yourself," Assassin said, reappearing ten meters away. His clothes were scorched, but that was all. 

Yet the Assassin didn't advance. Maybe he figured if he couldn't kill Kiritsugu, there was no point. The usually ruthless killer paused, then spoke.

"Hey, you really think the Grail can grant your wish?"

Kiritsugu's voice stayed firm. "If it's the all-powerful grail they say it is, then yes."

"What's your wish?"

"To end all conflict in the world," he replied without hesitation.

"That's a fantasy!" Assassin laughed. "Humans are ugly at their core. They rip each other apart just to feel alive. One spark, and reason's gone; they're animals. You want to stop them from fighting? I am afraid you can only be able to do that by wiping them all out."

"I know it's impossible," Kiritsugu said, unshaken. "That's why I need the Grail. Only a miracle can make it happen."

"Why?!" Assassin's disbelief spilled out. "After cleaning up humanity's filth so many times, you still hope? You still think you're some savior?"

Kiritsugu met his gaze. "Yes, I believe it. But I'm no savior, just a war criminal. Even if they hang me for it, I won't stop."

Assassin went quiet, then erupted into wild laughter. "Idiots never learn, do they?"

Click.

Assassin raised his flintlock. At the same moment, Kiritsugu loaded an Origin Bullet, aiming back. Assassin was faster, but he waited for a heartbeat, letting Kiritsugu catch up. They fired together, neither dodging.

Maybe they both sensed that dodging meant losing something deeper than this fight. Like an old American duel, it was almost comical in this brutal Grail War, but it settled everything.

Bang!

Two shots struck two hearts at once.

Assassin swayed, chuckling, barely fazed. As for Kiritsugu, his veins bulged and his face twisted, but Avalon raced to heal him. This time, though, it wasn't just a wound. The bullet carried memories, voices; a glimpse of another Emiya Kiritsugu, from another world.

Cold, emotionless, a perfect killing machine. No hesitation, no doubt; just swift, precise elimination. That was the Magus Killer's way. In that world, he never met a gentle silver light, never found redemption. He lived as a tool, burned out, leaving only coldness and silence.

Even in death, he did not find peace. He became an agent, sent through time to erase humanity. 

Corpses piled up, a sight any Kiritsugu knew well.

But even hell should have an end.

Thud.

Kiritsugu collapsed to his knees, staring blankly at Assassin. "You… you're…"

"What a pathetic face…" Heroic Spirit Emiya reloaded, pressing the hot barrel to Kiritsugu's forehead.

He pulled off his hood and mask, revealing lifeless white hair and dark skin. Only his features still echoed "Emiya Kiritsugu."

"You must die here," he said. "If one shot won't do it? I'll fire more. If you are still alive after that? I'll cut you into a thousand pieces and see if you squirm like a worm."

Kiritsugu, dazed, murmured, "Yes… you've got the right. Killing me is yours… Is that why you joined the Grail War? To erase me?"

Heroic Spirit Emiya paused. "…So that's your guess."

"Makes sense. Knowing my true name, you'd think that. Who wouldn't seize a chance to fix a worthless life like mine?" He sneered. "But you're wrong about one thing. Regret drives a feeling to start over but I—"

"I've never regretted it!" He pulled the trigger. 

Kiritsugu dodged with his Innate Time Control.

"Triple Accel!"

The bullet missed his skull, striking his collarbone instead.

"I lost everything," Heroic Spirit Emiya said, kicking him down, "but I don't regret it."

Kiritsugu raised his gun to fight back but the Assassin slashed his wrist, and the weapon clattered away.

"You think I came here for you?" Heroic Spirit Emiya laughed. "Don't flatter yourself. I had no choice in this. My new goal's got nothing to do with you. Killing you's just a perk."

"Fix mistakes? Yes, I failed. Lost it all; ideals, family, first love, teacher, friends, all by my own hand. But I still don't think I was wrong."

His smile wavered, almost tearful. "My path was right. I just wasn't strong enough. Hero of justice? It's a curse. I gave up on it long ago… but still…"

His face wasn't fierce or proud, it was a mask, a shield to convince himself, "I'm right and I have no regrets." One crack, and sorrow would crush him, turning the killer to dust.

The sound of gunfire rang out again but this time it was Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet, fired in that fleeting weakness. 

But it was to no avail. Assassin's figure blurred and the bullet hit the air.

A ruthless counter followed and Kiritsugu's limbs snapped in an instant, leaving him helpless.

"You're dangerous… like me," Assassin said coldly. "But against me, you've got no chance."

Kiritsugu's mind raced for a delay. "Why… if not to kill me, then what's this all for?"

He didn't expect for the Assassin to stop because if it was him, he wouldn't. But the Assassin paused.

"Purpose…" Assassin lingered on the word. "Yeah, you and I, we need a goal, a plan."

"Our ultimate aim is to save others, right?"

He turned it back. "But what have we saved?"

"…What are you saying?" Kiritsugu snapped. "Someone, somewhere, must've been saved by my work!"

"By killing!" Assassin shot back. "If you have to kill one to save another then it's pointless. So you always save the side with more, because this is the only way to maximize the salvation of 'justice'. But you never considered—"

"You're not fit to judge!"

A dagger sank into Kiritsugu's elbow, freshly healed by Avalon. He'd tried to strike, but the Assassin saw it coming.

"I'll kill you," the Assassin said flatly. "Your death will bring salvation to someone."

"This time, it's not about killing a few to save many. It's about you sacrificing yourself. I've decided for you."

He pinned Kiritsugu and drew small knives, preparing to carve. "Your Origin is 'Severing and Binding.' Cutting's easy, but binding changes things forever. Your Origin makes things similar yet different."

His cold eyes scanned Kiritsugu. "If I take your bones, flesh, nerves, circuits; everything, I might extract your Origin. I'll use it to save someone. He's doomed to misery, not yet awakened, just teetering on the edge. I tried an Origin Bullet to steer him off that path, but it wasn't enough."

"A bullet's too weak compared to a full Origin. So I need you, Emiya Kiritsugu; me. Offer yourself, and he'll be saved."

"You're insane!" Even Kiritsugu flinched. "Why go this far? What's he to you?"

Then, in the glass above, he caught a shadow's reflection.

"Does there need to be a reason?" Heroic Spirit Emiya said. "He's not my lover or friend. I want to save him because…"

Kiritsugu's eyes sharpened. He tore his nailed hand free and a large amount of blood splashed on the Assassin's face.

"Are you still struggling?"

Assassin guarded his heart; his core. He wasn't worried; Kiritsugu was too weak to harm him.

Crash!

There was a sound of glass breaking overhead, and the next moment a searing pain tore through Assassin's back. A rough hand burst from his chest, clutching fragments of organs.

"What—"

Heroic Spirit Emiya turned, shock fading to acceptance. "So it's you… Ah, is that what they call 'karma?'"

"How's revenge taste, my Master, Father Kirei Kotomine?"

....

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