My Fates Codex in the Nasuverse Chapter 27

This was absolutely not the effect of ordinary bullets.

After a moment of stunned silence, Webber hurriedly cast healing magecraft to mend Rider's injuries.

"R... Rider! Are you alright!" Webber, still just a student, began to cry, "You idiot! You big, stupid idiot!"

"What's the panic! I am a Servant; these injuries are less severe than the plagues I suffered during my campaigns!" Iskandar waved his hand, and the wound on his right arm healed at a visible rate. Wisps of black energy even seeped out, disappearing with residual resentment.

"It was a bullet enhanced with necromancy." Despite his momentary panic, Webber was, after all, a top student from the Clock Tower. He immediately recognized the source of the injury. "To break through your Magic Resistance, it seems at least two segments of incantations were added... Can you find the killer, Rider?"

"No, I am not skilled in tracking." Iskandar lowered his head, looking at Webber, who, despite tears in his eyes, seemed to have matured in an instant. He smiled and asked with a hint of appraisal, "So, what do we do next, Master?"

Webber, lost in thought, didn't register Rider's address. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed helplessly, "Although I hate to admit it, we should retreat, Rider."

Perhaps tempered by the brush with death, Webber frankly stated, "My presence will tie your hands, and a Rider who is held back by reservations cannot possibly charge across the battlefield."

As he spoke, the small Master's shoulders slumped a little. "I'm sorry, Rider. You must be very disappointed to have a Master like me."

A hearty laugh interrupted his self-pity. Webber felt his body lighten as Iskandar lifted him. Accompanied by the rumbling thunder in the distance, the Chariot of the King of Conquerors broke through the air, carrying them away into the distance.

"The King of Conquerors makes a temporary retreat. Esteemed Heroic Spirits, please continue to enjoy this wonderful night!"

Even in his early departure, the King of Conquerors remained as magnanimous as ever. The clash of blades in the warehouse district briefly paused, as if in farewell.

Then, the battle resumed.

"Target elimination failed. According to the original plan, we will transfer to Target Point Two."

Reporting in a low voice through a Bluetooth earpiece, the woman named Maiya Hisau, the other half of the magus killer Kiritsugu Emiya, expressionlessly disassembled her AUG and then moved away with small steps.

Yet, she couldn't help but recall the figure of the red-haired, burly man, and the enraged, lion-like eyes she had seen in that moment.

Heroic Spirits... Humans likely couldn't defeat them.

Maiya Hisau calmly reached this conclusion.

Only she and Kiritsugu knew what that burst of bullets fired earlier had proven.

The origin of it all traced back to the Winter's Castle a year ago. Maiya Hisau had been out gathering information during those days. When she returned, the young man named "Sakutsuki," who had defeated the Einzbern family single-handedly, was nowhere to be found.

But his impact remained. Through his exchange with the young man, Kiritsugu Emiya had realized how powerless his ordinary bullets, his famed weapons, were against true powerhouses.

Thus, without Irisviel's knowledge, Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau went out several times. Eventually, through an intermediary, they found a peculiar individual who was both a mercenary and a necromancer—Kairi Sisigou.

After spending nearly half of his fortune, Kiritsugu Emiya acquired a new Mystic Code, besides the "Origin Bullet"—magic bullets imbued with the resentment of the dead.

Judging by the injuries of that burly red-haired man, these bullets could indeed cause some trouble for Servants.

That was enough—after all, the task of defeating a Servant was not meant for the Master.

Just then, Maiya Hisau suddenly realized something, and her body stiffened.

"...Kiritsugu?"

Even now, the functioning Bluetooth earpiece remained silent.

Kiritsugu Emiya.

No response!

Above the building

"The sniping failed."

After his gunshots were blocked by blades, Kiritsugu Emiya knew that the plan to assassinate Rider's Master had failed.

After all, the essence of assassination was surprise. Once discovered, it could no longer be called assassination.

Hmph, surely no one would consider carrying a greatsword and cutting down anyone they saw as assassination, right? That would be laughable.

As for Maiya's subsequent attack, it was merely an experiment to confirm the effect of the magic bullets. If it could actually kill Rider's Master, that would be an unexpected bonus.

Disassembling his firearm at extreme speed, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression was cold as he prepared to withdraw from the scene before Rider could react.

A premonition, honed by life-and-death experiences, arose.

Ignoring the valuable parts, Kiritsugu Emiya threw aside what he held, activated his Magic Circuits, and cast the only specialized magecraft he knew at the fastest speed possible.

"Time Alter, Double Accel!"

The magecraft, which squeezed his body while maintaining combat capability, activated. His internal Reality Marble unfolded, propelling Kiritsugu Emiya backward in a near-Servant-like leap, dodging a flash of cold light that moved like flowing water.

His black trench coat, like a great bird with its wings spread, had its wings clipped and scattered in the wind.

"Hah... Hah..." The ruptured blood vessels from casting the magecraft caused Kiritsugu Emiya to taste blood with every breath. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the Shadow Heroic Spirit standing before him, slowly retracting its dagger.

"Assassin."

The being before him wore a skull mask and a coarse black robe. Who else could it be but the Assassin who had been killed in plain sight?

And now, the Servant, resurrected from death, raised its weapon of killing at him.

The killing intent from a Heroic Spirit, the resistance against his own death, the fear of the assassin who had died several times and revived just as many—if it were anyone else, they would surely collapse under this unbearable pressure?

However, Kiritsugu Emiya was not that kind of person. In combat, he would calmly analyze and process information like a machine, finding a way to defeat or kill his enemies.

It was precisely for this reason that when Assassin appeared for the third time, he immediately overturned his previous judgment and reached a conclusion:

"...I see. It wasn't that he escaped death in front of Tokiomi Tohsaka's mansion, but that he truly died twice, and is a Servant who exists in multiple forms?"

If Sakutsuki were present, he would surely smile and tell Kiritsugu papa:

"Congratulations, you got it right."

During the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Assassin summoned by Father Kirei Kotomine was named [Hassan of the Hundred Personas], and his sole Noble Phantasm, Delusional Illusion (Zabaniya), was the reason for his elusive nature.

Delusional Illusion (Zabaniya)

Rank: B+

Multiple souls exist within a single entity. By dispersing its soul, it can exist in the present world as multiple Heroic Spirits, splitting into up to 80 individuals, with the possibility of unconsciously expressing itself.

In simple terms, this is a skill that causes schizophrenia, allowing Hassan of the Hundred Personas to split into eighty individuals and disperse throughout Fuyuki City, monitoring the every move of other participants like human cameras. Furthermore, due to the Assassin class's inherent skill, Presence Concealment, Hassan of the Hundred Personas' surveillance is almost undetectable (Zhuge Liang: ?).

Setting aside combat power, Hassan of the Hundred Personas' functionality was crucial in the Holy Grail War, which was inherently focused on intelligence warfare. In the original story, the corrupted Kirei Kotomine, using the intelligence provided by Assassin, managed to seize the Lesser Grail Irisviel, alienate Rider and Saber, and drive Kariya Matou to madness within a mere few days, nearly winning the Holy Grail War.

Moreover, Assassin's so-called low combat power is only in comparison to Servants of other classes.

When facing ordinary magi, even the weakest Servant can easily tear them to shreds.

Just like now.

"Swish." A faint sound of rushing wind, and a common stone from the ground flew out, shattering the handgun Kiritsugu Emiya had just taken from his pocket.

The recoil from the gun cracked Kiritsugu's hand, but his expression remained unchanged. Instead, he used Time Alter to create distance and threw a grenade at Assassin.

"Mere mortal objects cannot harm me," Hassan of the Hundred Personas said dismissively, flicking a pebble and detonating the incoming grenade before it reached him.

However, Kiritsugu already knew that ordinary weapons couldn't harm Servants, so why would he be careless because of such a thing?

Did thrown objects only serve to cause damage?

The smoke from the explosion rose, briefly obscuring all sight on the rooftop. Before the smoke was blown away by the wind, Kiritsugu Emiya shook his tattered trench coat, throwing all the projectiles he had brought nearby to confuse Assassin's vision, then leaped forward, falling straight down.

The wind howled. When he was only tens of meters from the ground, Kiritsugu gritted his teeth and silently chanted in his heart:

"Time Alter, Triple Accel!"

The barrier within his body activated again, as if only "Kiritsugu Emiya's" actions on the timeline were sped up threefold. To onlookers, it would appear as if a figure fell from the sky and then vanished.

Even Heroic Spirits are human and would instinctively assume Kiritsugu Emiya had used magecraft to jump off the building and escape.

Who would have known that the window on the third floor had briefly opened and then closed, and that this renowned magus killer was already lying in a soundproofed secret room?

"Cough, cough, cough..." With barely audible coughs, Kiritsugu Emiya swallowed the blood that welled up in his mouth, endured the intense pain in his limbs, took out his first-aid kit, and began emergency treatment on himself.

The contingency plans he had laid out were certainly not limited to this. He had also left traces around the vicinity of the building earlier. If Assassin pursued these traces, they would ultimately lead nowhere.

The safest place is often the most dangerous place. This safe house was built by Kiritsugu Emiya with the help of Fuyuki City's yakuza, the Fujimura-gumi, and had almost no connection to him. Because of this, it was able to deceive Fuyuki City's guardians, the eyes and ears of the Matou Estate and the Tohsaka Estate.

After signaling Maiya and performing simple self-treatment, Kiritsugu Emiya closed his eyes, intending to recover some mental energy before making further plans.

But...

"Riiip."

The partition made of sound-absorbing cotton was torn open by a sharp blade. Assassin, holding a blade, entered the safe house and looked down at the man who had almost tricked him.

"If my Master hadn't warned me, I really would have been fooled by you, modern assassin, Kiritsugu Emiya."

So he was still discovered... Kiritsugu Emiya's lips curved into a bitter smile, feeling unwilling, but more so, confused.

Who had seen through his disguise?

But he had no time to ponder this now. Before he could even get up, Hassan of the Hundred Personas, dagger in hand, lunged towards Kiritsugu's chest:

"I will not kill you, but offer you to my Master, so prepare yourself!"

Is this the end... Kiritsugu Emiya's pupils widened slightly.

And at that moment, he saw the girl in strange ceremonial attire behind Assassin, and the crimson-red demonic spear she held in her hand.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

After a polite greeting, the Thorned Spear transformed into a red light, piercing Assassin's heart.

"Gae Bolg!!!"

Clearly, Assassin's action this time was Kirei Kotomine's own initiative. Out of interest for Kiritsugu Emiya, the "mapo priest" would absolutely do something like this.

Gae Bolg, the Noble Phantasm possessed by the Heroic Spirit Cu Chulainn (Doggo), is a demonic spear that reverses causality.

It reverses causality, with the "effect" of inevitably striking the heart determining the "cause" of swinging the spear. Since the outcome is already determined, any defense or evasion is meaningless. This effect is a form of curse (interference with fate).

Because the outcome of "piercing the opponent's heart" is already present when it is released, even defeating Lancer beforehand cannot change this result, thus the spear's trajectory cannot be canceled.

There are only four ways to counter this spear: 1. Destroy Lancer before he uses it, preventing him from having the chance to use it. 2. Possess a skill like Heracles's, which allows automatic revival after death. 3. Create a defensive barrier stronger than the spear's magic. 4. Possess great luck (at least Rank B) capable of reversing predetermined fate.

Although it's jokingly called the "spear that guarantees death," it depends on whom Doggo stabs: Artoria, who possesses strong luck, or the guardian Heroic Spirit Emiya... Which of them are easy to deal with?

But this time, at least, the demonic spear pierced flesh without obstruction, tearing Assassin's heart to shreds.

"Cas...ter." With a resentful whisper, another clone of Hassan of the Hundred Personas fell, scattering into spirit particles.

Kiritsugu Emiya also heard Assassin's final words. To this, even at the risk of enraging the girl, the heavily wounded magus killer bitterly whispered:

"A Caster using a spear... just like his Master, a freak. Well, I'm in no position to say that."

"Servant Assassin, neutralized." Miyu did not get angry about this. She calmly performed a flourish with her spear and then deactivated her armament, "Lancer, Uninclude."

The crimson, ill-omened spear transformed into a sapphire staff, and a Servant card fell, which Miyu collected.

Looking at Kiritsugu Emiya, a complex expression flashed in Miyu's eyes. She opened her mouth, but seeing her own attire, her small face flushed, and she turned and left.

Kiritsugu Papa: "???"

In the shadows, Caster killed Assassin once more. On the battlefield, Caster's monstrous Master was locked in a fierce struggle with Lancer.

"Ding!" Amidst the clear ringing of clashing blades and spears, both figures were sent flying backward. The moment he landed, Sakutsuki grabbed the white robe on his person and tossed it into the sky, while he himself gripped his twin blades, his arms trembling slightly.

Opposite him, Diarmuid's pupils contracted. He lowered his crimson and golden twin spears, twisted, and swung his arm!

Platinum and yellow-red hues intertwined as surging magical energy exploded. The two, who had closed the distance in an instant, each unleashed an attack. After a brief exchange, they pulled apart again. Diarmuid took a step back and thrust his long spear straight forward!

Treading several steps to the side, Sakutsuki advanced instead of retreating. His left hand, wielding the black blade Gan Jiang, grazed Gae Dearg like a dragonfly skimming water, propelling Sakutsuki to spin close to Diarmuid's body like a top.

For an ordinary Lancer, this distance would already be dangerous—however, besides "Gae Dearg," Diarmuid possessed another short spear!

The golden-yellow spear shaft cut through the air, its excessive radiance even turning it golden.

The spear tip pointed directly at Sakutsuki's neck. For Sakutsuki, who was not a Servant, this area was equally fatal!

"Your life is mine!"