"What a hassle!"
Watching the daggers he had thrown fail to inflict any damage, the masked shadow muttered irritably.
As an Assassin-class Servant, he was never suited for direct confrontations. Even an ordinary magus would have a fair chance against him in open combat.
Boom——!
A fierce, piercing gust exploded like a cannonball from the side, tearing the shattered ground apart with a deafening blast.
Clang!
A sharp sound of impact resonated through the air.
Fragments of stone hurled toward Hassan, who effortlessly deflected and shattered them. Chaotic currents swirled violently around him, seemingly bent on annihilating everything in their path—but this terrifying storm had no effect on the Assassin, who stood unperturbed amidst the tempest, eyes glinting dangerously.
[Protection from Wind]
Sweat dripped down Arthur's forehead. Specks of starlight already shimmered faintly across his form—soon, he would vanish from this battlefield.
With the Assassin's [Protection from Wind], Arthur's attack, [Strike Air], could never hope to harm him.
"At least, in my final moment—!"
Arthur endured the searing pain of his fading life, raising his golden sword. He stomped down hard, propelling himself toward Hassan in a flash.
Yet Hassan merely watched silently from within the roaring winds. At the moment Arthur's bullet-like charge was about to reach him, Hassan vanished without warning—apparently recalled by his Master's [Command Spell].
"Cough—!"
Arthur sank the golden sword into the earth, blood erupting uncontrollably from his chest and mouth.
"Saber!"
Shirou Emiya dashed to Arthur's side immediately, catching and supporting him, eyes filled with worry.
"Master… it seems I cannot win the Holy Grail for you."
Arthur shakily rose, wiping the blood from his lips, smiling faintly at Shirou.
"Saber—"
Shirou was at a loss for words. Even though injuries like these could be healed instantly by a single [Command Spell], Shirou had already used them all. He could only watch helplessly as Arthur vanished before him, powerless to do anything.
"There's no need for sorrow, Master. This is merely my departure—not death. To exit the stage honorably… though I might hold some regrets, to me, this is still a worthy ending."
Arthur's gentle smile widened slightly, as though suddenly recalling something. He drew the golden sword from the ground, placing it into Shirou's grasp.
A stream of azure magic flowed through Shirou's hand, infusing his body.
"Master, take this as my final gift. If it's you, I'm certain you can achieve it."
With those last words, Arthur vanished into golden starlight with a serene smile, dispersing into the sky. If not for the golden sword remaining in Shirou's hand, it would be as though he had never existed.
At the very instant Arthur disappeared from Shirou's sight, a shadow darker than night emerged silently behind him.
"[Zabaniya: Delusional Heartbeat]!"
A low voice whispered ominously.
A massive arm extended, swift and gentle as a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, aiming directly for Shirou Emiya's back.
Crash—!
Just before the hand reached Shirou, a sturdy flag intercepted it, carrying immense force that hurled the assailant backward.
"Ruler!?"
Hassan twisted mid-air, gracefully landing on the ground, fists tightly clenched in astonishment at Jeanne d'Arc's sudden appearance.
"Shirou Emiya has lost his qualifications as a Master in this Holy Grail War. Therefore, I, Ruler, grant him protection!"
Jeanne proclaimed loudly, her determined gaze fixed firmly on Hassan.
Shirou Emiya's Servant had departed, his [Command Spells] were exhausted. From every perspective, he had effectively ceased being a Master. Without a Servant or [Command Spells], Shirou Emiya was now merely an ordinary magus.
As Ruler, Jeanne possessed a role identical to that of the Holy Church: offering sanctuary to those who had lost their qualification as Masters.
Though Shirou had not explicitly requested protection, the situation spoke for itself.
It was as if Shirou, having lost his Servant, was being attacked while en route to seek refuge at the Church. According to rules, if a Master had not yet reached the Church, even if killed at its doorstep, it was permissible—the Church wouldn't intervene.
Yet Jeanne could not simply watch someone die like this. With Shirou's qualifications revoked, she had every right to offer him protection.
More importantly, the situation had long surpassed the bounds of the Holy Grail War alone.
Jeanne, as a Heroic Spirit, naturally possessed incredible speed. With mana provided by the Holy Grail, she had been sprinting at full strength and should have arrived shortly after Shirou Emiya. Yet she had only barely made it at the moment Arthur vanished. Aside from the unlikely scenario of becoming lost, there was only one logical conclusion—she had encountered unexpected interference.
Jeanne, rushing toward Arthur's location, had crossed paths with Shirou Kotomine, who was hastening toward his own Servant.
Perhaps the chaotic situation on the battlefield had caused complications, or perhaps the sudden disturbance within the Red Faction had agitated Shirou Kotomine. Neither Jeanne nor Shirou Kotomine had anticipated this meeting at such a critical moment.
At that instant, Jeanne understood clearly what anomaly had occurred within this Holy Grail War.
After their brief confrontation, Jeanne also recognized exactly why she had been summoned—her true mission.
To Jeanne, Shirou Emiya had not only aided her when she had been starving and faint but also possessed combat prowess nearly equivalent to a Servant's. With his assistance, she would have a far better chance of thwarting Shirou Kotomine's ambitions.
Whether from reason or emotion, Jeanne had no choice but to save him.
"Tsk!"
Seeing Jeanne defend Shirou Emiya so firmly, Hassan melted silently back into the shadows, vanishing once again.
Concealing his presence before Ruler was meaningless.
Unless one was the First Hassan himself, Ruler's unique skills would allow her to detect anyone attempting concealment.
Thus, Hassan decisively withdrew from the battlefield without hesitation.
---
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