"(Groan)..."
Shirou stirs and gets up after Arturia saved his life by pushing him out of the way of Hassan-i-Sabbah. It happened so quickly that Arturia could have injured Shirou in the process, having barely any time to react. Thankfully, due to Avalon, any bruising or trauma Shirou could have received had been healed, but the holy sheath of Excalibur did little if not anything to dull the pain of Shirou's lingering headache.
"About time you came to, kid."
Shirou looks up and sees Archer confined in a cramped barrier with a still unconscious Rin, remembering that the Servant ended up trapped when he went to help her. His memory foggy, Shirou questions his older counterpart.
"Archer... what happened-?" Shirou gasped when he noticed the big gaping hole that led outside of the haunted house attraction they were in. "Saber! We have to help her!"
Expecting that response, Archer shrugged and pointed out to Shirou:
"Don't know if you've noticed but me and master are trapped in here."
Seeing Archer referring to the barrier he was inside of, kicking it for emphasis, Shirou was left questioning to him:
"You can't bust out of this, Archer?"
Archer shook his head.
"Even if I could, in this cramped forcefield, I don't want to risk injuring Rin any further by using a Noble Phantasm up this close."
Understanding Archer's fear of collateral damage, Shirou then concluded:
"Then I would need to get Arturia to use Rhongomyniad on it, just to be safe."
Just then from outside, they both heard a crash and felt the whole room shake. Archer then remarks distressingly:
"Somehow I doubt Assassin will give her the chance..."
Shirou grew worried for Arturia, who no doubt was locked in a heated battle with Hassan out in the fairgrounds, knowing Assassin's penchant for trickery and underhanded tactics meant Saber could find herself in serious trouble.
"Make sure Rin is okay," Shirou said to Archer before adding, "I'm going out there to help Saber!"
"Bad idea, kid," Archer was quick to refute. "Assassins defeat other Servants by taking out their Masters. You'll just be a liability to Saber. Hassan has no Master to protect, but Saber does... if you die, SHE dies..."
Shirou hesitated, understanding the truth in Archer's words. Despite Archer's disdain for Shirou's eagerness towards what he calls "fancy schoolboy heroics," Archer was being dead serious when he told Shirou that he may only end up burdening Saber in her fight with Assassin.
Then again, Arturia fell to Assassin last time because Shirou was not there to help her, he and Archer fending off Gilgamesh as Hassan lured Arturia into a trap set by Dark Sakura, turning her into Saber Alter. Shirou could not let that happen again... not simply because he was naively acting the hero, but Arturia meant too much to him for Shirou to just stand by helplessly.
"Me and Arturia are a team!" Shirou replied defiantly, showing his Command Seals. "I need to be there fighting with her!"
"Wait-!" Archer warns as Shirou turned to leave, running through the big hole in the wall to the outside. The Servant refrains from saying anything else as it became apparent that nothing would dissuade his younger naive self from getting in harm's way for Arturia's sake. Archer rolled his eyes at Shirou's resolve, while at the same time feeling a hint of admiration for the boy who, even after all that has happened to him, rushes head-first into danger just to help another. Instead, Archer just says to himself:
"Why do I still try at this point?"
_____
(CRASH!)
A food stand gets demolished as Arturia cleaves it with Rhongomyniad, just missing Hassan who glided away and threw spectral knives at her. Arturia deflects them away and chases after Assassin, leaving a trail of destruction across the fairgrounds as they cover ground at inhuman speed.
"Come back here, coward!" Arturia yelled out at her opponent, who was annoyingly staying just out of her reach. Hassan had no shame, stringing along Arturia and attacking her from afar. Seeing Hassan running on roller coaster track above and raining down more blades at her, Arturia pours mana into her legs, jumping forward and launching herself off a scrambler ride. She sails upwards at great speed, colliding with Hassan on the roller coaster and they fly off out of control, crashing into a merry-go-round.
Arturia rolls to her feet, but Hassan had already recovered by the time she swings Rhongomyniad at him. The Assassin evades like smoke, using his elongated arm to grab a broken carousel horse as he ducks under Arturia's lance, swinging his makeshift weapon which breaks against her on contact, sending her flying off her feet. Knocked down, Arturia rolls on to her back, holding out Rhongomyniad above her as Hassan jumps on top of her, attempting to stab her in the heart; his arm only held at bay thanks to her lance stopping his knife from piercing her bare chest. Arturia strains, pushing against Hassan's arm as he tried to overpower her, shocked by how much strength her opponent was exerting.
Which was an awful lot for a Servant without a Master...
The white skull-mask face of Hassan loomed closer as Arturia continued to struggle. If she could see his face, Arturia was sure that Hassan was sneering in delight.
"Thy was deprived the opportunity of ending your life, Saber," Hassan said to her. "The taste of your blood will be immaculate compared to those of my contracts."
"Contracts?!" Arturia retorted in disgust. "Those innocent people you've killed are mere contracts to you?!"
Arturia yells as she activates Mana Burst and throws Hassan forcibly to the side. He collides against a lamppost that bent from the impact, getting up and jumping away before Arturia dashes in and slices the air where Hassan was a split second ago, severing the lamppost before grabbing it with her free-hand and throwing it at Hassan, who leaped on top of a swinging ship to avoid it. Arturia catches her breath, growing frustrated as Hassan continually eluded her. Hassan looked down at her and summoning more spectral knives which flew in orbit around him.
"Petty morality is of no concern to an Assassin and his work," he said, his eerie voice remaining cold and composed. "Only fools deem faceless strangers innocent. Besides..."
Hassan crouches, prepared to burst in motion as Arturia readied herself. The Assassin then proceeded to taunt Saber with:
"Thou have no right to judge the nature of a born killer... when you've spilled blood plenty enough yourself... King of Knights."
Arturia was visibly shaken, wondering how on Earth Hassan deduced who she was. Her shock was quickly replaced with anger upon Hassan's audacity to call her a cold-blooded killer like him.
Her eyes glowing yellow, Arturia launches herself at him, poised to take Hassan's head off. Hassan evades again, leaping out of the way as Rhongomyniad comes down and destroys the supports holding up the attraction. Hassan lands against a nearby drop tower and turns to see Arturia closing in on him again, visibly angered.
"Don't you dare compare me to you!" she says before driving her lance where Hassan was situated. He dodges and proceeds to dash up the tower. Arturia gives chase, running up the drop tower after him as he sent his spectral blades down at her. Arturia deflects them away, resolutely stating:
"I take NO pleasure in ending the lives of my enemies! I fight to protect... against monsters like you!"
Channeling mana into her legs once again, Arturia jumps, closing in rapidly on Hassan as they near the top. Arturia reels back Rhongomyniad to drive through Hassan's heart, but the Assassin had other ideas. Turning back at her, Hassan dissolves into a plume of purple smoke just as Arturia was about to strike him. She passes through and immediately feels intense pain in her eyes, forcing Arturia to shut them. Blinded and disoriented, Arturia gasped as she felt her leg grabbed by Hassan, who swung her downwards, slamming her body against the side of the drop tower and leaving a sizeable dent. Arturia tumbles to Earth as Hassan's wraith-like form spirals down the tower after her, eventually kicking her halfway down so she is sent flying and crashes upon hitting the ground.
Leaving a crater in the pavement, Arturia winces in pain. Getting on her hands and knees, she tries opening her eyes, only for them to sting so badly that she was forced to shut them again. Whatever Hassan has hit her with had blinded the King of Knights, making her eyes feel like they were on fire whenever they were exposed to air. Arturia fell with her back on the ground, rolling and clutching her face in agony.
Trying to shake off the pain, Arturia was left a sitting duck as Hassan severed the base of the drop tower using the claw on his elongated arm. The metal tower crumbled and a section of it landed on Arturia, pinning her down. Trapped, Arturia was helpless as Hassan then loomed closer.
"Our basic nature is violence, Saber. Thy merely follow it while thou callously blind yourself with morals to justify it. The only difference is we assassins do not lie to ourselves."
Hassan was clearly taking his time, enjoying having Arturia trapped and at his mercy as he started channeling mana into his arm. Feeling power emanating off him confirmed a theory Arturia had deduced as she was fighting him, and how he was able to fight her off so thoroughly. Straining against the weight pressing on her, Arturia said to the Assassin:
"Those people you've killed... they were not just so you could get mana... were they? You've been acting under orders..."
Hassan stayed silent, but that was the affirmation Arturia needed, so she continued.
"The puppets, enchantments... this whole place is a trap to kill me and my friends... you couldn't have done all of this on your own... who have you made a pact with?"
Instead of answering her, Hassan merely held out his glowing hand and said:
"Zabaniya..."
Arturia screamed as fiery pain erupted in her chest. A bright, glowing mass appeared in Hassan's hand and pulsed in his grasp. Arturia struggles to breathe, as if she just had her heart removed from her body.
Because that was EXACTLY what Hassan was holding.
"Feel that?" Hassan proceeded to say to the slowly dying Saber. "Thy has felt this pain, teetering on the edge on nothing upon thy return. No contractor, no mana for sustenance. Every waking moment feeling like thou heart is slowly being crushed."
Hassan tightened his grip around Arturia's heart, making her tense and writhe in pain.
"Survival was paramount... the hearts of vagrants, living husks that won't be missed... staved off thy inevitable death one day at a time..."
Hassan relaxed his grip, and Arturia was left reeling. He was holding her life literally in his hands, only delaying his final judgement just so Arturia could suffer first.
"In those moments of solitude... thy felt with burning desire to eradicate those who came back same as I... those who caused my previous demise... Thou and Her master..."
Arturia was struggling to hang on to life, only staying one inch away from death due to her connection with Shirou, which she could feel slipping by the second...
"With only minimal sustenance... thy was weak," Hassan continued, holding Arturia's own beating heart against her ear, making her shiver. "Too weak to satiate this almost foreign desire... what thou call vengeance..."
Holding up Arturia's heart back to his face, seemingly to admire it in a morbid sense, Hassan then concluded.
"Until... thy was offered it..."
_____
Flashback:
Another day in the dark...
Starving... on death's door...
In the sewers beneath Fuyuki City, Hassan-i-Sabbah sits among a pile of corpses, all desecrated and hollowed of their vital organs... sources of mana that sustain Hassan's form. Even if none of them were mages... all living things contain residual mana.
But it was not enough... obtaining mana by killing people... took effort and mana on Hassan's part... hardly a net positive. Although he was kept alive... he was always hungry...
He had to pick his targets... people who if they were to suddenly disappear, no one would care... and he had to execute his killings perfectly... lest wasting precious mana...
What was more dire... Hassan could sense other Heroic Spirits... who would no doubt seek to eliminate him if they caught a whiff of his existence... especially Saber and her Master... the two Hassan had a great innate desire to kill...
But he was weak... his contractor... was not alive... Hassan was alone... without a master to bind himself to, Hassan could only stop himself from withering away let alone seek to kill those who caused his demise last he was alive...
Hassan remembers... only kept from killing Saber at the insistence of contractor's "granddaughter," a girl touched by shadow... and kept from killing her sister too, holding her as a hostage...
Hassan was hampered from his instinctual need to take a life... what he was born in life to do... it was his purpose... his calling...
When the time came to deal with the shadow girl's treacherous Servant; the one called "Rider," it would not be her to die... for it would be Hassan... outwitted and unsatiated...
Three times he failed to kill his prey... three marks to cross off...
Hassan brooded in his lair... rank with the odor of rotting corpses... hardly prey... like lambs in a pen... to be slaughtered. No enjoyment from prey that doesn't run or fight... no test of skill on Hassan's part...
He wanted big game...
But alas... Hassan had not the strength to hunt his desired targets... Hassan is no fool... Assassins not only know how to kill... but avoid being killed themselves-
-!
Hassan sensed a foreign presence... a lost lamb who wandered into his den... never did one come walking on his doorstep... these tunnels were usually not where people go into deliberately...
As much as the lack of effort involved left much to be desired... Hassan would be foolish to pass up a free meal in his state...
Presence Concealment would keep him hidden... catching his prey unawares-
The prey walks steady... with purpose... towards him. Almost like they are seeking Hassan...
Could it be? Contractor... Zouken?
The prey emerges... coming into Hassan's home... Hassan's instinct to kill and consume... was only held back by something he did not feel often...
Curiosity...
The intruder stops in the middle of the chamber... seemingly unperturbed by the aroma of death... Hassan observes...
They are not Zouken... this prey stands tall... dignified... holding a briefcase and wearing pretty attire... and conjuring a light in their other hand... illuminating the darkness.
A mage... Hassan observes... a powerful one at that... they would keep him fed for several days...
Then... this intruder addresses Hassan by name... could they see him? Impossible... not even mages can see past Presence Concealment...
The intruder continued to speak... declaring that they seek Hassan specifically... how does thou know about Hassan, he asks...
Intruder was informed about Hassan... Intruder has come seeking Hassan's service...
Service...?
"Special" service...
Thou means...?
Intruder calls Hassan by class...Servant Assassin... Intruder knows more than they let on...
They know Hassan is a killer...
Intruder has need for a killer...
Hassan's breed of killer...
For what...?
I have debts to collect... Same as you...
Intruder cannot possibly-
...
Intruder DOES...
Thy targets... Intruder's targets...?
Hassan is intrigued... Hassan leaves the shadows... appearing before the intruder... Intruder not intimidated by thy mask... the last thing Hassan's victims see...
What does thou want...?
For you to simply follow your nature... in exchange, just "scratch-off" those I deem nuisances... you will have all strength you need... and more... at my disposal.
You...? Become my contractor...?
Yes... I could use a Servant for... business purposes.
Intruder no stranger to killing... not even to mages... why need Hassan? What targets warrant thy abilities as a Servant?
Oh... I know a few pesky people... one of which is family... some of which you're already aquatinted with...
...
Namely?
Shirou Emiya... and Saber, Arturia Pendragon...
Thou know Saber's identity? Who art thou-?
Intruder does not answer... only offers...
Are you in... or not?
Hassan sees intruder holding out hand... a hand to take... no.
A hand to shake...
A binding contract... between a Master and Servant...
...
Hassan considers... either decline... rot here to feed on scraps, struggling to exist...
Or bind thy-self... to be commanded... but become strong... hunt once again...
The choice is clear... by Hassan's Cursed Arm does he take the intruder's hand...
Hassan feels a great amount of mana... surging... giving him life in immeasurable quantity... through his connection to this intruder...
Not intruder no more... Contractor...
Hassan sees Command Seals on Contractor's hand... the offer is final... the pact sealed.
Condition satisfied... Hassan... Servant Assassin... pleased and eager...
Now... Who does Contractor want killed first...?
_____
Flashback end:
Hassan continues standing over Arturia with her heart still in his grotesque hand, and chuckles at seeing Arturia's prolonged suffering. She could simply die instantly if Hassan were to crush the glowing heart in his grasp, but Arturia was dying already just with her heart removed from her body. Assassins usually do not waste any time securing a kill, but Hassan wanted to savor this.
"What is the saying, Saber? Payback is sweet? Thy am inclined to agree..."
Arturia was at death's door by this point, not even having the strength to speak let alone throw an insult in Assassin's way. She could distantly hear her heart in Hassan's hand beating ever slower.
If it stopped, Arturia was done for...
"I'll take thou crown as a trophy... then thy will move on to your master..."
Even with her eyes shut in pain from Hassan's toxin cloud, Arturia shed a tear at the thought of Hassan getting his hands on Shirou. Arturia had the heart to fight but it was physically impossible for her to. She felt the end coming...
As Arturia's heart slowed to the point where its glow was starting to dim, Hassan sneered beneath his white skull mask.
"Thy gift to you, Saber... I give you... oblivion-
(SPLAT!)
-!
Out of nowhere, a spiral sword came flying and severed Hassan's elongated arm at the wrist, dropping the hand that held Arturia's heart.
"ARGHHHHHHHH!" Hassan roared in pain as the heart flashed seemingly out of existence, and Arturia gasps for breath. Holding his arm that now had a bloody stump where his hand once was, Hassan turns and sees Shirou, having traced a bow and fired Caladbolg across a great distance with impeccable aim. Hassan becomes enraged, seeing Shirou hold up his hand as he chants:
"Servant Saber, by order of my Command Seal-"
Shirou does not get the chance to finish as Hassan flies right at him, feral and bloodthirsty.
"Uh oh..." Shirou lets out before hurriedly projecting Rho Aias. Before the shield was fully completed Hassan slams against the barrier, shattering it and sending Shirou flying backwards. Shirou slides across the ground before coming to a stop in front of a funhouse attraction. Getting up and seeing Hassan reeling from the collision, Shirou seized the chance to retreat inside. A furious Hassan recovers, seeing Shirou enter the funhouse and follows him... seeing red.
_____
One of Archer's swords shatters to sparkling dust after striking the barrier he and Rin were trapped in. Using projected swords was the most he can do in effort to free them without risk of hurting Rin, who was still drugged and depleted of mana.
"Tch-! What a pain..." Archer remarks in frustration after what felt like five minutes of wasted effort. The barrier remained stubbornly intact, powered by a rune. Rin stirs in her indisposed state.
"Archer..." she said weakly, prompting Archer to turn to her:
"Shh... try not to speak," he said sternly, but gently. "Save your strength..."
Rin tiredly shook her head while she was laying down in a daze.
"Mandra- Mandragora..."
"Excuse me?" Archer questioned.
"The potion... suppresses... circuits... need to purge... with mana..."
Archer deduced that Rin recognized the drug used on her. From what Rin was trying to tell him; it was indeed hampering her ability to use magecraft as well as sedate her. What Archer cannot imagine was why the perpetrator decided to drug her instead of outright killing her.
But thinking about it more, Archer figured maybe the person who did this to her wanted Rin to act as bait first. Was it to trap him and make Assassin have to fight one less Servant?
No, Archer thought. Assassins would not deliberately pick a fight with another Servant. Too squishy... One good hit would do them in... maybe...
Right... this trap had to be meant for Saber's master, Shirou. Then with both Masters trapped, Hassan can kill them both easily and take out him and Saber by proxy. It just so happened that this caught the WRONG Emiya...
A very elaborate trap to be sure... dealing with all puppets would have made us let our guard down. Which begs the question... did Hassan do all of this on his own? Or did he have help? Or worse... a Master of his own?
"We could be in deeper trouble than we realize," Archer contemplated out loud. "This was all planned well in advance. And they sure as hell spared no expense in setting all of this up."
Rin groaned, feeding Archer's worry.
"If Rin can use magecraft... could make breaking free of this barrier easier. Not with my luck..."
"Not so good, is it laddie?"
A familiar voice from out of Archer's vision caused him to be alert... and annoyed.
"Oh no..." Archer groaned out as Cu Chulainn, in his all-body blue battle attire came into view with a smirk that got under Archer's skin.
"Thought you'd be a bit more enthusiastic to be rescued," Cu remarked as he casually walked up to the barrier with his signature red spear, Gae Bolg resting on his shoulder. "Was on my way back late from work when priest-lass instructed me to keep tabs on you lads. Couldn't pin you guys down until I felt a mana disturbance from next few blocks over. Then you and Saber stood out like sore thumbs..."
"Must have happened when the kid lifted the bounded field," Archer said bitterly, knowing Cu was relishing seeing him trapped in a confined barrier.
"Imagine my surprise to see you here, having been trapped like an absolute moron," Cu added. "I thought MY luck was bad..."
"You said something about this being a rescue?" Archer retorted, wanting to be done with Cu's smug jabs at his expense.
"Wha...? You can't break yourself out of this? You may be a bastard who hates fun, but I never thought you were just all talk..."
Archer sighed before going on to explain.
"My Master is drugged... she can't use magecraft at the moment. Independent Action is sustaining me for now, but I can't try anything too strong in this tight space for risk of hurting her."
Cu raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"And you couldn't be bothered to offer her mana transfer-?"
"I VALUE my master's pride, FYI..." Archer was quick to interrupt before the blue Lancer could finish. He could have heard Rin groan again, this time with a hint of irritation.
Maybe she heard the dog...
"Anyways," Archer continued. "Saber is all alone fighting Assassin. He and some unknown accomplice have turned this amusement park into one big deathtrap."
Cu's face morphed into one of confusion.
"I didn't sense any other mages besides your lass and the red-haired laddie. Could have already made themselves scarce by now."
Cu then gazes up at the barrier, focusing on the symbol circling the perimeter.
"I have to admit, whoever made this is pretty good at making runes..."
Archer stares at Lancer curiously.
"What do you know about runecraft?"
"Only whatever I could be bothered to remember from my Teacher," Cu admitted. "Runes are a bit of a lost art nowadays. Whoever conjured this knows more than most..."
Lancer then adds cryptically:
"But it still isn't quite perfect..."
Cu casually brandished his spear, even doing a little spin between his fingers as Archer asks:
"How so?"
Cu smiled as he started "drawing" on the barrier using the bladed tip of his spear. Archer could tell that he was forming a very intricate rune like the one above their heads.
"Because they don't account for other forms of runes... namely those to disenchant amateurish ones like this... and those were lost with time."
Cu then chuckles as he almost completes a rune of his own.
"Time I've happened to have been around for..."
With one final stroke, Cu's rune flashed and caused the barrier and the rune projecting it to crack and-
(SHATTER!)
The barrier crumbles to shards. Now freed, Archer picks up Rin bridal-style while Cu stands there pleased with himself.
"Now is the part where you say, "thank you"."
"Don't mention it," Archer states evenly as he walks past Lancer with Rin in his arms, not bothering to meet Cu's eyes and leaving the Lancer surprised and offended.
"Hey, that's my line!"
_____
Arturia comes to, still trapped beneath the debris of a fallen drop tower ride, her strength gradually returning after regaining her heart. Moving her arms, she strains as she lifts a huge chunk of steel off herself. Arturia creates enough space for her to crawl out, pushing the debris away and rolling on to her hands and knees, taking breaths and eventually putting a hand over her chest, feeling the thumping of her heart. Arturia attempts to open her eyes, only to still encounter searing pain and forced them to shut again. It was clear that Hassan's toxin still handicapped her sight until she can somehow purge it.
Relying instead on her other senses, Arturia could hear commotion a significant distance away. While not able to feel Hassan's presence, she could instead feel through her connection to her Master as to how close by he was.
"Shirou...!" Arturia said worryingly. Shirou put himself in harm's way to save her life, now he was the one in danger. Despite Shirou's magecraft improved considerably along with his and Arturia's sparring sessions, it would delay Shirou's inevitable demise at the hands of Assassin.
Arturia had to get to him quickly, but without her sight, she only had a general idea of which way to go to rejoin Shirou. She gets up to her feet and stumbles her way towards the funhouse, knowing Hassan will not give Shirou the chance to directly call her.
"Hang on... I'm coming!"
_____
Shirou hurries inside the funhouse with Hassan hot on his tail, eventually coming to a hall of mirrors. Shirou shuts and bars the door behind him and bars it with a projected sword, backing away just as Hassan's undamaged arm bursts through, attempting to grab him. Shirou falls backwards after Assassin's claws barely grazed his face, and quickly getting back up bolts for the mirror maze, turning a corner just as Hassan breaks through and steps inside. Taking in his surroundings, Hassan cackles and taunts his fleeing victim.
"FEAR... thou is RANK with it! Thy will find you! Tear you apart, piece by piece...!"
Shirou could hear Hassan's crazed laughter echo throughout the hall of mirrors. Despite being on edge, Shirou needed to keep his wits about him. Walking as quietly as he can, Shirou advised himself against using a Command Seal, knowing it would make Hassan home in on him instantly before he could call Saber to his aid. He had to hope the many warped reflections surrounding him would disorient Hassan enough to give Shirou a chance to lose him-
Shirou froze when he turned a corner and saw Hassan looming over him, seeing him raise a fistful of blades forcing Shirou to shield himself helplessly-
(CRASH!)
Shirou gasped, realizing that Hassan had broken a mirror and believing THAT was him. Shirou took the chance to run back where he came and take a different path, hearing Assassin's insane laughter again.
Shirou ran for what felt like forever, finding himself lost in the hall of mirrors. Shirou stops and circles around at all the reflections unsure of which way to go... he internally panics as many reflections of Hassan gradually replaced Shirou's own.
"Thou can't escape ME...! Thy'll chase you to the ends of the EARTH...!"
Thinking quickly, Shirou hugs one of the walls, using the other mirrors to his advantage. If he can get Hassan to attack one of Shirou's reflections again, Shirou figured he could take a chance to nail with Durandal... if he can react quickly enough...
Meanwhile, Arturia found her way inside at the entry to the hall of mirrors. She knew that Shirou was close by, and if Arturia could find him then she would find Hassan.
But she still could not see, forced to feel around instead... Arturia did not even know what she stumbled into as she felt around, her fingers touching glass in the narrow passageways.
Mirrors?
Shirou dares not breath as he could tell Hassan was closing in on him. He watches the mirrors in front of him carefully, taking to account the angle and direction of which they were reflecting. He tenses as Hassan comes into view in the mirror. Readying himself, Shirou sidesteps, appearing in another mirror close to Hassan, who quickly turns and smashes it, taking Shirou's bait.
Now was his chance!
"Trace on!" Shirou chanted as Durandal appeared in his hands, stepping out and swinging at Hassan with his back turned, poised to strike his neck-
(GRAB)
-!
Hassan had blindly reached out and grabbed one of Shirou's wrists and stopping Durandal from hitting him. He laughed as he squeezed Shirou's arm, cracking it and making Shirou yell in pain. Hassan then lifted Shirou and threw him against a mirror, cracking as Shirou fell on the floor, The Sword of Roland disintegrating to dust after leaving his grasp.
"Only the cat can play Cat and Mouse little rat..."
Hearing the crash of a mirror, Arturia tensed.
Shirou! I need to do something!
With no other option, Arturia summoned Excalibur to her grasp. Still feeling like she was nowhere close enough to Shirou to help him, she could only hope this idea of hers will buy him some time as she channels mana into her sword and making it glow...
Shirou struggled to get up, but found his neck grabbed and lifted up off his feet. He gasps for air as Hassan squeezes the life out of him. Hassan cackles like a maniac behind his expressionless white mask. Shirou tries desperately to free himself...
With Excalibur glowing brighter, Arturia communicates to Shirou through their connection, hoping he will receive this in time.
Shirou! Close your eyes... NOW!
Still being choked to death, Shirou hears Arturia's words ring in his ears and he complies, shutting his eyes tightly. At the same moment, Arturia yells as she flashes Excalibur in the darkened maze, illuminating every mirror as light bounced off each with the brightness of the Sun, until every hallway was a blinding, burning white...
Unprepared, light engulfed Hassan as he was clutching Shirou with his one remaining hand, forced to let go as Excalibur's light burned his eyes through the slits of his mask. Shirou falls to the floor as Hassan clutched his "face" with his only hand, thrashing around blindly.
"Burns... IT BURNS!"
Hassan yelled in agony, and with his breath returned to him, Shirou flashes a Command Seal, still shutting his eyes from the light.
"By order of my Command Seal... Servant Saber... come to me!"
A seal glows and disappears from Shirou's hand. The air crackles with mana as instantly, Arturia appears in front of Shirou and knocks away Hassan, sending him flying down the corridor. The light disappears from the maze of mirrors, allowing Shirou to open his eyes and gaze upon his Servant.
As glad as Shirou was to see her, they were not out of danger just yet, as Hassan soon got back on his feet. More distressingly, Shirou could see that Arturia's eyes were closed, feeling something was wrong.
"Saber... your sight!"
Before Arturia could respond, Hassan projected spectral blades to send her way, yelling:
"I'LL SKIN YOU BOTH ALIVE!"
Arturia turned as Hassan then launched his blades at her and Shirou.
"Look out!" Shirou let out as the knives came flying towards them with extreme prejudice. Time slowed as Arturia's instincts kicked in. Unable to see, she inhaled as she lets go control of her body. One last conscious thought formed in Arturia's mind before she reacts.
Arturia... trust your tingle...
With one exhale... Arturia bursts into motion, instinct taking over completely as Arturia grabs Shirou, pulling him behind her and out of the way of the first volley of Hassan's blades before swapping Excal' out for Rhongomyniad, blindly batting away the next volley with pinpoint precision. Hassan sends out more, and Arturia deflects, dodging and weaving her way towards Assassin.
Seeing her quickly coming towards him, Hassan gives up aiming for Shirou to instead focus on Arturia, desperate to stop her from reaching him. More spectral blades came at Arturia, who without the aid of her eyes, deflected and avoided them all. Hassan panics as he summoned as many spectral blades as he could to send Arturia's way but does not get the chance as Arturia slams Rhongo' against the floor, launching debris at Hassan and disorientating him. Hassan recovers only to see a blazing Rhongomyniad coming down across his torso.
"Rhongo-"
Too close for him to dodge...
"-MYNIAD!"
(SLAM!)
Rhongo' makes contact, sending Hassan tumbling sideways like a ragdoll and crashing head-first across the floor with so much force that it sent shockwaves deep into the foundation.
Arturia stands still in a pose, panting as control returned to her. Shirou was speechless as silence filled the funhouse. He eventually got up (with some difficulty...) and made his way to her.
"Trace on," Shirou whispered as a golden sheath appeared in his hand; Avalon, healing his fractured arm as he came up beside Arturia. Shirou holds out the magical sheath for Arturia to grasp. She blindly reached for it, grasping it after her fingers felt for it. Arturia inhales sharply as the area around her eyelids glowed, purging Hassan's toxin. Arturia slowly opened her eyes painlessly to survey the carnage.
Arturia and Shirou see Hassan's mangled and bloodied body lying in the crater created after Saber hit him with Rhongomyniad. Hassan's mask was separated from his face, cracked and marred from the devastation.
Then... Hassan's body twitched... and he wheezed as if all the air was expelled from his lungs... which Shirou could guess were pulverized from Saber's attack. Seeing the Assassin's face writhing in pain almost made Shirou feel sorry that it had to end this way for him.
Almost...
Arturia however glared down at Hassan without a hint of remorse. He killed many innocents and tried to kill her Master and beloved. If murder was merely Hassan's nature as he claimed, then it was justice to see him put down like the rabid animal he was.
His days of administering death were done.
Hassan's body began to disintegrate into mana from the feet upwards... his injuries too extensive to sustain his form... Arturia and Shirou merely watched as before Hassan disappeared completely, the Assassin coughed out the last words he will speak... ever.
"Thy failed the job... Thy'll carry thou name to the grave... Con-...tractor..."
And Hassan was no more... his body disappeared as if he had never existed. Shirou stood staring at the crater in the floor where Hassan used to be, processing the Assassin's final words.
"Contractor..."
Unlike Shirou, Arturia understood immediately.
"As I suspected..." she muttered. "Hassan put up too much of a fight for a Servant with no Master. He was someone else's pawn... and they wanted us dead like he did."
Shirou turned to Arturia in surprise; the implication was not lost on him. Perhaps the figure who pushed off the balcony earlier may have indeed been Hassan's Master, but...
"A Master... Who would possibly-?"
(CREAK)
Shirou stops when he and Arturia look up and hear the whole funhouse start to crumble, weak from the carnage of two Servants fighting. Arturia says quickly:
"Let's think about that later. With me, Shirou!"
Arturia holds out her arm and holds Shirou against her protectively. Pouring mana into her legs, she charges through the wall of the funhouse, shielding Shirou from shrapnel and landing back outside in the fairgrounds; the two of them sliding across the ground as the building they were just in collapsed to rubble. The duo sat up and witnessed what was left of the attraction along with the other carnage scattered across the fairgrounds, with Shirou remarking:
"Guess we helped the demo' guys get back on schedule..."
"Indeed..." Arturia replied. Immediately after, she turned to Shirou and without warning kissed him on the lips. Although Shirou would return the gesture, after they broke away, he was left asking:
"What was THAT for?"
Arturia smiled as she replied:
"Saving my life..."
Shirou was taken back. There was a time Saber would have scolded him for putting her life ahead of his own, believing that as the selfless King that she was in legend that Arturia should be the one protecting everyone, especially her Master. Arturia was prepared to sacrifice herself to save others, but never before meeting Shirou that she thought that someone should do the same for her...
It was an affirmation how much Arturia meant to Shirou, and the catalyst for her eventually falling in love with him.
Ironically, it would still be Arturia saving Shirou's hide more times than he did for her, literally and figuratively; especially tonight... at least twice.
"Likewise," Shirou added. "But I still owe you..."
Arturia leans in again...
"Then allow me to collect..." she said huskily, and before Shirou could react, she locks her lips against his again, catching him off guard same as just a moment ago. This time, their exchange was more heated... at least from Arturia's end as she then climbed on top of Shirou. With her cape draping them and her voluptuous body hugging against Shirou, Arturia continued kissing him passionately, only briefly breaking away for air. It was a bit overwhelming to Shirou, who never had Arturia embrace him like this before. Despite his growing arousal, he tried speaking to her between kisses.
"Saber-" (smooch*) "we're-" (smooch*) "not in- "(smooch*) "the best-" (smooch*) "place for-" (smooch*) "this...-!"
Arturia continued, ignoring Shirou. In fact, it seemed as though she did not even hear him. Even with her weight on top him, Shirou squirms just enough to get out of reach of Arturia's mouth.
"Saber?" he repeats with concern, and notices Arturia's gaze rising to meet his, making Shirou catch a glimpse of the yellow sheen in her eyes-
"(Whistle...)"
Then the moment was ruined as Arturia and Shirou turn in surprise; Saber's eyes turning back emerald green. They blushed at the sight of Cu Chulainn standing there, looking at them with an amused expression. Archer was standing behind him carrying Rin, awkwardly silent.
"I didn't know you had such... ferocity, Saber," Lancer remarked. "Your Master is one lucky lad..."
Arturia got to her feet quicker than the human eye could register, and Shirou got up soon after, both deeply embarrassed. Cu was beside himself once again, looking at Arturia in her new outfit... specifically her exposed chest.
"By Lugh... THAT'S what you now fight in?! They sure ain't subtle with showing off those tracts of land-"
Arturia interrupts him by summoning Rhongomyniad in one hand and using her cape to cover her body, all the while blushing an even bolder shade of red.
"Speak anymore and you'll find yourself back in Miyama over the course of two seconds!" she threatened. Cu casually raised his hand in digression, unfazed if the smirk on his face was any indication. Archer glanced over at Shirou, raising an eyebrow at him while refraining from asking him anything as to the "compromising" position he and Arturia were in.
Shirou was partly thankful Rin was not paying attention to see what had just happened, but more concerningly... she was still unwell and barely conscious.
"Is Rin alright?" Shirou asked, hurrying up to Archer. Arturia, snapping out of her embarrassment, looks on with worry. Archer's face turned serious...
"Not really... we should get her back home. Whatever drug she was given suppressed her magic circuits. She's bound to have some remedy for that in her dad's workshop..."
Archer then turned to Saber.
"Is Assassin-?"
"Dead," Arturia finishes for him. "But this isn't the end. Hassan let slip that he had a Master..."
"Hmm... It seemed a bit obvious," Archer remarked contemplatively. "Assassin couldn't have made those death puppets, nor the bounded field."
"How did you two get out of there by the way?" Shirou asked his older self.
"Turns out this stray dog was taught a trick long ago," Archer replied, gesturing towards Cu Chulainn. "First time the mutt was good for something."
Lancer overheard and said abrasively:
"I'm standing right here you know, ungrateful bastard..."
Just then, a light flashed from Rin's pocket, and the group overheard a muffled voice.
"Kiddos! Kiddos come in!"
Shirou recognized as Wedge's voice.
"Biggs and Wedge..." Shirou said before reaching in Rin's pocket for her communication gem. Rin groaned and stirred in Archer's arms as Shirou spoke into the glowing gemstone. "Wedge, we're here!"
"About bloody time!" Biggs' irritated voice came through. "You blokes have been shakin' up the whole block! The rozzers are on their way, sirens and all! Me and Wedge are dippin' soon!"
"It's okay," Shirou replied. "Hassan has bit the dust, we're done here. Get yourselves clear of the site."
"Alright..." now Wedge's voice came out. "You watch yourselves now... you hear me Gohan-?"
"Since when are we being nice to 'em, Wedge?!" Biggs cut in. "Need I remind you we're supposed to be spying on them?!"
"Oh right, I forgot... sorry, Biggs."
"(Sigh) Just start the bloody car..."
The gem dims, leaving a slightly perplexed Shirou, who wondered where the Mage's Association found such "colorful" individuals. He supposed that Biggs and Wedge were not agents for nothing.
"Who the hell were they?" Cu asks, having overheard everything.
"It's a long story..." Arturia replies in an exasperated tone before turning her attention to Shirou. "You heard them... we should make our exit, Shirou."
"Right," Shirou affirms, and the group made their way out of what remained of the fairgrounds, heading back to the Tohsaka mansion with all haste before the Fuyuki authorities could arrive...
_____
Meanwhile on a nearby rooftop...
"Did you get rid of them?"
An elderly voice came out of the cellphone of a tall woman in an olive-green trench coat while sporting reddish brunette hair, overlooking the fairgrounds as the authorities arrived on scene. Her back was turned, hiding her face as she spoke in a bored, but professional tone.
"Regrettably, Assassin couldn't do the job. The youngsters and their Servants escaped with relative ease..."
"You failed... those miscreants who destroyed the Holy Grail stand as a humiliation to my family's legacy, yet they are still breathing! Is this what I'm paying you for?!"
The woman shifted her stance, keeping her cool whilst the person on the other end was giving her a hard time.
"YOU gave me false intel..." she said firmly. "You told me King Arthur was merely a Saber class Servant. But turns out she did not have just Excalibur, but also the sacred lance, Rhongomyniad."
"What?" the voice on the other end sounded shocked to hear that. "That can't be! She was summoned before, we KNOW she is a Saber... she shouldn't have access to that weapon!"
"Oh..." The woman said cheekily, now having the edge in words with her "client." "When you told me all the Servants of the Fifth Holy Grail War had returned due to the boy's wish, it seemed Saber's upgrades escaped your notice. It's no wonder that Assassin, even with my puppets and enchantments, never stood a chance."
Walking with one foot in front of the other along the edge of the building, the woman's heels clicked along the solid roof.
"You left me woefully unprepared by providing with me Hassan-i-Sabbah. At least I got some work out him first... those troublesome mages were getting nosy."
"You think I set you up to fail? When YOU are the one person in the WORLD who can take on this task? Fugitive or not?"
The woman let out a brief, dainty chuckle...
"This wouldn't be the first someone dared to double-cross me... mind if I tell you what happened to the last poor soul who did?"
There was silence on the line for but a moment. Eventually...
"(Sigh) Do you wish to walk away then? I will honor our pact to never reveal you were hired by me... It would be bad for me too if the Mage's Association found out that we did business."
Woman clicked her tongue as chose her next words carefully. When she did, she turned to walk back in the opposite direction in the same slow, dignified pace.
"There's something I want out of this besides the money and resources... I was promised that after completing the job that I would retain the contract with the Servant you directed me to. I have need for a Heroic Spirit to help me settle a score at home here in Japan..."
She let go of the cellphone in her hand, which instead of falling magically floated beside her ear as she walked, far enough to make out the caller's country of origin on screen: Germany.
"So..." the woman mused before continuing. "I'm afraid that unless you offer me all that is left of your broken family's assets, then I see no need to pursue this job that has costed me much already further."
Then she stopped in her tracks...
"Unless you know of another..."
There was a longer silence this time, but eventually the person on the other end replied, albeit hesitantly.
"I... have reason to believe that there is... if it's true, then he might be just the one you need..."
The woman smiles...
"I'm listening..." she said as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her coat, taking one out and creating a flame by snapping her fingers.
"The reward will be more than we agreed. I'll give you ANYTHING you want... and you can still acquire a Servant as promised."
The woman lights her cigarette and gently inhales on it...
"That's IF you can persuade him into forming a contract with you... and I STILL want the Emiya boy, the Tohsaka heir and their Servants eliminated."
She then takes the cigarette out of her mouth, holding it between her fingers as she exhales a steady stream of smoke before drawing a rune in midair with it.
"Just tell me how I can find him..." she says as the rune flashed, and a black briefcase inscribed all over with indistinct script materialized in her free hand. "And not to worry..."
The woman turns to depart, facing forwards and revealing her face; that of a fine lady in her late twenties and wearing glasses over her brown-colored eyes.
"I'm not called the Peerless Puppeteer just for my dolls..." This woman said as she removed her glasses with her hand still holding her cigarette, highlighting her sharp, intense gaze. "I can be very persuasive..."
The phone continued floating by her as the woman left the rooftop.
"Do not fail me again... Touko Aozaki."
TBC