And so, legions of masked figures clad in black robes charged at Saber and the others one after another.
Although this was all part of the act Shirou and Hassan of the Hundred Faces had arranged beforehand, it would mean nothing if it was not convincing enough to fool Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine.
Besides, Shirou had said before: Assassin-sama just needs to go all out.
That brat really is looking down on me, isn't he?
Feeling inexplicably irritated, Hassan of the Hundred Faces decided to take it out on Saber and Irisviel.
Meanwhile, Saber pressed her lips tight, facing the enemy as if confronting a great threat.
Seven or eight enemies, even a dozen, would have been manageable. But surrounded by nearly a hundred Servants, even the battle-hardened Saber felt at a loss, unsure where to start.
At that moment, the one who gave her a push from behind was the very person she was meant to protect.
"By my Command Spell."
"Irisviel!?"
The silver-haired Homunculus's resolute voice rang out from behind Saber, echoing through the nighttime parking lot.
At that moment, intricate red markings appeared across the exposed skin of her face, neck, and the back of her hand, clear proof that a Command Spell had been activated.
"Saber! Protect me and Shirou with everything you have!"
In the next instant, the area where they stood suddenly filled with countless sparkling stars rising from the concrete ground, all of them rapidly gathering around Saber's invisible sword.
The [Invisible Air Barrier] that concealed it from sight, along with the protective [Avalon], had long since been released.
The dazzling starlight clung to the golden holy sword, causing the blade to extend further and further.
In the end, the holy sword in Saber's hand became an enormous golden blade of light nearly three meters long.
Without the slightest hesitation, Artoria poured Mana into both arms and swung the lengthened Excalibur forward, instantly sweeping away several of the approaching Hassans.
[I'm impressed you came up with something like this...]
While wielding the extended sword of light and cutting down large numbers of Hassans as easily as mowing grass, Saber spoke to her Master through telepathy with a pleased smile.
By temporarily altering Excalibur's nature through a Command Spell, she was trading vitality for a wider attack range.
What had seemed troublesome just moments ago suddenly became far easier for Saber. The defensive web formed by her sword strikes was airtight, and even the Assassin, famed for their speed and numbers, could not get close at all.
Then Irisviel replied, [No, actually, Shirou was the one who told me about this...]
[Shirou?]
Saber froze for a moment. Could it be that Shirou had already predicted Hassan of the Hundred Faces would attack them?
That was why he had come up with this strategy, even taking into account the possibility that he himself might not be able to fight.
How incredible... Saber thought in sincere admiration.
Although Saber had gained a weapon capable of holding Hassan of the Hundred Faces at bay through Irisviel's Command Spell, the Assassin were not mindless fodder who would simply stand there and let themselves be cut down.
Though the overlong blade threw them into confusion for a moment, the well-trained Assassin quickly regained their composure.
They stopped rushing in all at once and instead attacked from every direction in groups of three.
Before the battle, Kirei Kotomine had already ordered them to achieve victory at any cost through a Command Spell, so the concept of fear did not exist in the Assassin's minds. Naturally, they would not shrink back in the face of the King of Knights' overwhelming valor.
Before long, some Assassin began breaking through Saber's defensive perimeter.
Their seamless coordination and swift, nimble movements made them as elusive as specters.
Then, one black figure slipped past Saber's strike, closed in on the King of Knights, and sprang upward using her shoulder as a foothold.
Saber recognized her at once. She was the female Assassin who had spoken with her earlier.
The purple-haired Assassin changed direction in midair and swept toward Irisviel like a gust of night wind.
I'll leave a little scar on that pretty face of yours, Hassan of the Hundred Faces thought maliciously.
But just then.
A violent impact came from the side. Caught completely off guard, Hassan of the Hundred Faces barely managed to block with her dagger, yet she was still sent flying more than ten meters away.
"Are you all right, Irisviel-sama!"
Once Irisviel saw who had stepped in front of her, shock spread across her face.
"Sella, and Leysritt...?"
The two Homunculus maids, each wielding a long-handled giant axe, appeared in the nighttime parking lot.
They filled the gap behind Saber that she had no time to cover and swung their weapons, enhanced with weight spells, driving back the rushing Hassans in the blink of an eye.
Against Hassan of the Hundred Faces, who had divided herself to the utmost, even Sella and Leysritt were capable of joining the battle.
As Irisviel's guards before Saber had been summoned, the two of them lacked talent as Magus, but they had undergone a series of magical modifications.
Those enhancements were the product of the Einzbern family's accumulated experience over two hundred years of Holy Grail Wars, enough to let them adapt even to low-intensity Servant combat.
Leysritt in particular, as a failed Lesser Grail, possessed monstrous strength that surpassed even most Heroic Spirits.
Seeing the two of them, Irisviel was both shocked and delighted.
"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to have gone back already?"
Earlier that evening, Sella and Leysritt had come from the castle to Shinto to take back the things Irisviel had bought that afternoon.
They should have already been on their way back to the castle by now, so why were they here?
Leysritt silently turned her expressionless gaze toward the red-haired boy in her mistress's arms.
Sella explained, "Shirou-kun told us not to go back just yet. He said Irisviel-sama might be in danger tonight."
Irisviel immediately understood.
So that was it!
She happily hugged the child in her arms tighter.
Honestly... you're even ordering around my maids now, and you still say you're not my child!?
"And Shirou-san also asked me to pass along a message."
While swinging her giant axe and blowing away the charging Hassans, Sella lowered her voice and spoke to her mistress behind her.
"Shirou-san said it's fine to use the third Command Spell tonight.
Let Tokiomi Tohsaka believe you've used up all your Command Spells."
"...Understood!"
Since it was Shirou's instruction, Irisviel did not hesitate in the slightest.
She clenched her right hand, and deep crimson markings once again surfaced across her skin.
"By the Command Spell."
"Saber! Wipe out every last one of them in a single blow!"
A fierce torrent of magical energy swept through the parking lot.
Answering her Master's command, the Holy Sword in the King of Knights' hand blazed with a radiance brighter than broad daylight.
"So this is what you meant by giving me a particularly grand death scene? You really spared no expense."
Hassan of the Hundred Faces pressed a hand to the wound in her abdomen and looked up at the golden pillar of light surging into the sky before letting out a faint, rueful smile.
"I'm definitely coming back to complain to you about this later. Just you wait... Shirou."
The King of Knights cried out.
In the girl's hand, the supreme Holy Sword of the Star released its True Name.
"Excalibur!!!"
In the next instant, dozens of Hassan of the Hundred Faces were swallowed by the dazzling torrent of light and vanished completely.
...
…
In the underground workshop of the Tohsaka Family in Miyama Town, Tokiomi Tohsaka fell into a long silence after witnessing the light of Saber's Holy Sword through his clairvoyance Magecraft.
He had known from the start that Saber's Holy Sword could not possibly be weak, but he had never imagined it would possess that kind of power.
Judging from the magical energy reaction just now, if Saber got serious, wiping out a Sea Demon in a single strike would be no problem at all.
In the face of that flood of light, even the thousand Noble Phantasms hoarded by the King would mean nothing.
To reliably hit Saber, Gilgamesh would have to use that sword.
This was information bought with Assassin's sacrifice.
Although they had failed to achieve the ideal outcome of killing Shirou Amamiya or Irisviel, learning the details of Saber's Noble Phantasm was already enough. They had even forced Irisviel to spend two Command Spells.
By any measure, that was a profit.
And yet, after confirming through Kirei Kotomine that Assassin's Spirit Origin had been completely destroyed, Tokiomi Tohsaka still could not help feeling a trace of regret.
Perhaps he should not have thrown Assassin away as a disposable pawn. They had clearly still had many uses.
Rather than confronting Shirou and Saber head-on, those two monsters with overwhelming firepower, covert action might have been the better strategy.
Why... had I acted on impulse and sent the entire Assassin force out to die?
Looking back on it now, his actions tonight had been far too reckless. Completely unlike the Tohsaka Family's usual style.
Ever since entering the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi Tohsaka had felt himself growing more irritable with each passing day.
"No. There is no point regretting it now..."
Tokiomi shook his head and warned himself not to lose his composure.
The situation was not so hopeless yet.
If Risei Kotomine's intelligence was correct, the Einzbern family had already used up all three of their Command Spells.
As for Shirou Amamiya, everything about him was still shrouded in mystery for now.
But one thing was certain. Right after fighting the King of Heroes tonight, he had collapsed from complete exhaustion.
Faker... might not be as frightening as he had imagined.
And more importantly, he now possessed a way to control Rider.
The cause of it all went back to the night before last.
Kirei Kotomine had suddenly sent a report saying he had finally identified the location of Rider's base.
Since Rider constantly tore across Fuyuki City's night sky in his chariot, there was no way for the Assassins to track him from the ground.
Naturally, familiars like birds or bats could not keep up with his speed either.
Several days had already passed since the Holy Grail War began, yet they still had not located the workshop of a third-rate Magus like Waver Velvet. Frankly, it was disgraceful.
However, on the night before last, Kirei Kotomine finally pinpointed his hideout. It turned out he had been hiding inside the home of an entirely unrelated family.
Rider's Master had used suggestion Magecraft on two elderly foreigners, making them believe he was their grandson.
He had even dragged uninvolved civilians into this. After hearing the report, Tokiomi Tohsaka was left speechless.
But Kirei Kotomine then pointed out that the elderly couple might still be useful to their side.
Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately understood what his disciple meant and frowned.
"You mean to seize those two old people and use them as hostages? Kirei, do you really think Rider's Magus would abandon the Holy Grail War for the sake of two elderly people he only met by chance?"
"No, I do not believe Rider's Master would go that far either."
Kirei Kotomine said, "But using them to provoke a war between Rider's faction and Saber's faction would be enough."
Nothing was more tempting than letting Saber and Rider fight each other while he reaped the benefits.
But...
The plan his disciple had offered plunged the Magus into deep conflict.
To drag innocent civilians into this for the sake of victory... that was not the Tohsaka way.
His sense of duty as a modern noble, and his creed as the head of the Tohsaka Family, would not allow him to commit such a despicable act.
So Tokiomi Tohsaka did not approve Kirei Kotomine's plan.
But neither did he oppose it.
In other words, he tacitly allowed it.
"Remember this. Under no circumstances are the two elders to be harmed."
That was what Tokiomi Tohsaka said.
…
…
"What's wrong, Rider?"
The moment he returned home, Rider sensed that something was off.
The red-haired giant looked around the living room suspiciously, then told his Master to go find the owners of the house, the Mackenzie couple.
Of course, no matter how loudly Waver shouted for Grandpa and Grandma through the house, no one answered.
Earlier that day, a man dressed like a priest had knocked on the door of the elderly couple living alone.
Using the excuse that the church was handing out eggs, along with a little suggestion Magecraft, he had taken the Mackenzies away.
When Rider and Waver returned, the house was empty. The only thing waiting for them was a note left on the table.
[If you want the two elders back, come to the Einzbern Forest.]
"Damn it! Shinji, you bastard!"
Waver tore the note to pieces in fury.
"It wasn't enough for you to trick me and Professor Kayneth. You actually went and kidnapped my grandparents too…
No, even if they're not my real grandparents, how dare you! Bastard! Unforgivable!"
Tears shimmered in the Clock Tower Boy's eyes as he shouted at the top of his lungs and stomped hard on the floor.
Meanwhile, Rider stared at the scraps scattered across the ground, deep in thought.
"Boy... do you really think this was done by that red-haired brat and Saber?"
How could a man who had once conquered half the world be fooled by such a clumsy trick? At a glance, he could tell someone else had taken the Mackenzie couple away.
"Huh..."
Waver blinked blankly.
"N. No, it wasn't?"
"Of course not... but never mind."
The King of Conquerors smiled as if he had already let it go.
"A fight is a fight, no matter who it's against. Makes no difference, does it?"
Waver was speechless.
"That is absolutely not how this works! You're seriously going to storm their base before we even know what's going on?"
"Hahaha, relax, relax."
The giant gave the boy a heavy slap on the back with his huge hand, nearly knocking him right off the sofa.
The King of Conquerors narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know what den of thieves they crawled out of, but they dared lay hands on people close to me…
Don't think this ends here. I'm not letting this go so easily."
…
…
By the time Shirou and the others returned to the castle on the outskirts, it was already eleven at night.
Saber had built up a fair amount of fatigue from the two battles tonight, plus the release of her Holy Sword, so it wasn't long before she went straight back to her room.
Irisviel brought Shirou to the guest room. Just as she said goodnight and was about to leave.
"Irisviel, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
The red-haired boy poked his head out from under the covers and asked.
"?"
Irisviel blinked in confusion, then covered her mouth as though she had suddenly realized something.
"Shirou... you already know?"
The red-haired boy nodded, showing that he already knew the truth that Irisviel was the Lesser Grail.
Since Shirou knew far too many hidden details that no one else was aware of, Irisviel was not especially surprised.
She only murmured, "So that's how it is."
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired tonight... Shirou, thank you for worrying about me."
No, no, no. I'm not worried about you.
Shirou thought to himself: I'm worried about whether Assassin has entered your body.
Tonight, all of Hassan of the Hundred Faces had been wiped out.
Not quite.
Little Hassan was still alive, staying at an inn somewhere in Miyama Town.
Because Hassan of the Hundred Faces had been excessively protective, even Assassin's Master, Kirei Kotomine, did not know she existed.
Because she was an ignorant and powerless existence, Little Hassan did not even consume Mana. She could keep going just by eating snacks.
And more than that, according to Assassin, Little Hassan's way of existing was extremely unusual.
She was an individual who could maintain her manifestation independently even if every other Hassan was killed.
As long as Little Hassan herself was not killed, she could go on living forever.
Even if Assassin, Hassan of the Hundred Faces, was judged dead, it would not affect the continued existence of this "worthless" individual.
By now, the Command Spell on Kirei Kotomine's hand had probably vanished completely.
His supply of magical energy to Assassin should have ended as well, but that still did not stop Little Hassan from remaining alive.
Next, Shirou would form a contract as a Master with the stray Servant Little Hassan, then use a Command Spell on her.
If he did that, he could bring back the Assassin who died tonight.
Don't get the wrong idea. A mere Command Spell obviously could not accomplish "resurrection of the dead." That was a miracle equal to, or even beyond, the Five True Magics.
However...
If all he wanted was to restore one personality that had disappeared from a Servant, a Command Spell could still manage something that minor.
Assassin had not vanished. She had simply moved from Kirei Kotomine's side to his.
Now only one problem remained.
Shirou's Command Spell had already been altered by Lady Avalon into a "Dead Count Shapeshifter" that could only be used on himself and had a single effect.
So where exactly was he supposed to find a free, fresh Command Spell?
"..."
Shirou looked toward the human-shaped Command Spell launcher standing beside the bed.
"Irisviel."
"What is it, Shirou?"
The red-haired boy blinked his wide eyes and murmured in a childlike voice:
"Tonight... can I sleep with Iri?"