Chapter 29: Assassin Attempts a Group Attack
Listening to Emiya Kiritsugu's dying words, Shirou couldn't help but frown.
Feeling somewhat strange, Shirou consulted the System and realized this was due to the 'Reboot' phenomena.
People occasionally catch fragmented memories of the 'previous life,' but they are too vague to connect with their present self.
Only at the moment before death do people fully recall everything.
Among these, Shirou is the exception among exceptions; because of the System, he remembers all the fragmented memories of his 'previous lives.'
"I see..." Shirou murmured with some emotion, looking at Emiya Kiritsugu's already cold corpse.
"No wonder a Magus cannot stand against a Servant. This power truly cannot be matched by a Magus."
Although there is the powerful rank of 'Grand' among Magi, which is comparable to a Heroic Spirit, such beings are few and far between globally. Therefore, a Magus who reaches the 'Brand' rank is already considered quite top-tier, such as Kayneth, one of the Twelve Lords, who holds this rank.
His thoughts fleeting, Shirou averted his gaze from the rapidly cooling corpse on the ground and turned to leave without hesitation.
Just then, as if sensing something, Shirou stopped after walking some distance.
The street was silent and empty in the dead of night, but if other Servants were present, they would see black shadows swiftly moving across the rooftops.
For Shirou, who possesses the ability 'Clairvoyance', noticing the presence of those black shadows was not difficult.
Seeing the black attire and white skull masks, Shirou immediately confirmed that the figures heading toward him were Assassins.
"But... is Assassin planning to deal with me head-on?"
Shirou thought, finding it somewhat comical, but quickly understood the reason.
To those in other factions, Shirou now appears to be merely a young man who uses magecraft. No one would consider that he possesses power comparable to a Heroic Spirit.
Therefore, this led everyone to make an incorrect judgment about Shirou.
Everyone assumes he is just a child. Even if surprised by Shirou's maturity compared to his peers, they wouldn't give him a second look.
Due to Shirou's unconcealed gaze, Assassin realized he had been exposed and immediately stopped hiding, manifesting his figure directly.
"Hmph! You figured out my position? Then why don't you just obediently accept death!"
While sneering, Assassin's figure, which had been standing on the eaves, suddenly vanished, appearing the next second behind Shirou and stabbing with his dagger.
Clang—!
There was no sensation of piercing. Only upon realizing this did Assassin notice that, in that brief flash of light, the young man had somehow already grasped a sword and blocked his dagger.
"I've always been on guard against backstabbing."
Shirou, who possessed the memories of countless resets, had peak human fighting experience and quality. Acquiring the power of a Heroic Spirit made him even more proficient at dealing with such attacks.
A slightly annoyed Shirou then forcefully deflected Assassin's dagger, and the black sword, 'Bakuya', in his other hand instantly sliced through Assassin's neck.
Assassin's figure immediately dissolved into black mist and vanished before Shirou's eyes.
"Tch... Hundred Faces, what a hassle."
Shirou was clearer than anyone about this Assassin's identity.
Hassan-i Sabbah (Hundred Faces) possesses the Noble Phantasm Zabaniya: Delusional Illusion.
This Noble Phantasm originated from his multiple personalities in life.
With multiple souls existing within a single entity, he can disperse his own soul and manifest in the current world as multiple Heroic Spirits, splitting into up to 80 individuals, with the possibility of unconsciously expressing his true self.
Because each personality manifests in a corresponding state, their appearances vary—male, female, young, old, tall, short, fat, or thin.
Since he is 'splitting' himself, no matter how many individuals he creates, the total amount of his abilities remains unchanged.
Thus, the more splits there are, the lower the ability of each individual, with only the innate skill 'Presence Concealment' remaining unaffected.
Judging from the one Shirou just eliminated, Assassin must have split into several dozen individuals already.
Otherwise, even with the element of underestimation, he wouldn't have been killed so easily by Shirou.
Thinking this, Shirou's gaze continued forward.
Since Assassin had already made a move, it was not impossible for this person to appear here.
Standing there was a man with short brown hair and brown eyes.
He wore black clerical robes, a cross necklace on his chest, and brown short boots.
His perpetually stern face and the three Command Spells on the back of his hand caused Shirou to slightly narrow his eyes.
"Kotomine Kirei..."
The progression of events was increasingly deviating from the original course. Although it was becoming unpredictable, Shirou did not feel much pressure.
It was the power he possessed and Karna's assistance that gave Shirou the confidence to calmly deal with these variables.
Facing Shirou's composed gaze, Kotomine Kirei spoke directly.
"You killed Emiya Kiritsugu?"
There was not much question in his tone; clearly, Assassin had already confirmed this fact.
Kotomine Kirei had secretly considered Emiya Kiritsugu his rival, but he never expected the man to die so quickly at the hands of a suddenly appearing young man.
This situation was rather unexpected.
Therefore, Kotomine Kirei was very curious to know what kind of capabilities this young man possessed.
"...Who are you?" Kotomine Kirei said, looking at Shirou.
Having this information, Kotomine Kirei believed the current situation was highly favorable to him.
No matter how excellent a Magus the opponent was, they could only die here with him and Assassin working together.
Following Kotomine Kirei's words, several clusters of black weapons began to appear around his body.
In the next moment, Assassins of different genders, heights, builds, and appearances manifested.
"Hey, hey~ You didn't think you'd already gotten rid of me, did you?" The Assassins surrounding Shirou let out sneering laughter.
"Haha, didn't expect this, did you! There's more than just one of us!"
If Kotomine Kirei knew that the Master of Lancer who killed one of Assassin's personalities and caused him mental trauma in the warehouse district was this very young man, one wonders what he would think.
However, Shirou, whose appearance was altered by prana, had no intention of revealing his identity to Kotomine Kirei. Instead, he stared at him and said.
"It will indeed be a bit troublesome, but if I take care of you, things will become much simpler."
"What did you say?" Kotomine Kirei was stunned when he heard Shirou's words. He then suddenly realized that the opponent intended to attack him, the Master of Assassin, first.
Kotomine Kirei's hand, branded with the Command Spell, immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out the weapon hidden inside.
The 'Black Key'!
To make them easier to carry, this Mystic Code, which resembled a 'Cross Sword,' typically only consisted of the hilt.
When used, a sharp blade could be instantly generated by injecting prana!
It could be used not only for close combat but also as a throwing weapon.
It was a very convenient weapon in fierce combat against an enemy.
Having drawn his 'Black Key', Kotomine Kirei's movements became much more practiced and confident. The blade, woven from prana, reflected a cold light under the moonlight, making Kotomine Kirei look exactly like a cold-blooded hunter at that moment.
Seeing Kotomine Kirei's combat posture, which resembled a fierce tiger springing to action, Shirou had no intention of wasting time.
A flash of silver-white blade light struck. Kotomine Kirei felt a sudden jolt in the blade of his 'Black Key', and his entire arm went numb.
Before he could even be surprised, a severe pain followed in his abdomen, and Kotomine Kirei's body flew backward like an arrow shot from a bowstring.
Bang—!
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