First Encounter with Assassin / Want to Grab a Coffee?

The Servant named Mikaela looked rather young, but his beliefs were somewhat similar to Kiritsugu's.

The Holy Grail War was a war. They should do everything in their power to secure victory. For that purpose, he was willing to make himself into a weapon and let Emiya Kiritsugu command him.

"That's right."

Mikaela nodded and said quietly, "Assassination suits me better. If the mission is to protect someone else, it will undoubtedly greatly restrict my combat ability."

Emiya Kiritsugu fell silent. Naturally, he knew that Mikaela could be considered one of the weakest Heroic Spirits in direct combat. Although Mikaela's transformation ability was quite good, its drawbacks outweighed its benefits.

According to Mikaela himself, he could transform into anyone, even legendary heroes.

Not only could he perfectly inherit their appearance, but he could also inherit their strength, even replicating their Noble Phantasms. In other words...

Mikaela could transform into any Servant. Even King Arthur, whom he had not summoned, was someone Mikaela could become! On the surface, this ability was absurdly powerful.

As for magical energy, Emiya Kiritsugu supplied plenty of it, and Irisviel would Replenish Magic for him as well, so there was naturally no need to worry about consumption.

But the problem was that Mikaela had plainly stated that even if he transformed into those heroes and could use their Noble Phantasms, he did not possess their combat memories. That was clearly a fatal flaw.

Without those heroes' combat memories, what difference was there between that and giving a child a handgun?

The summoned Servants were powerful figures who had left their marks on history. They had fought countless battles and seen every kind of situation. If merely using Noble Phantasms could defeat them, then those heroes would be far too useless.

So for now, Mikaela had better conceal his ability to use the Noble Phantasms of various heroes as his ultimate trump card.

Transforming into someone else was fine. There were simply too many heroes in this world who could change their appearance. Emiya Kiritsugu had already thought of how to arrange Mikaela's "heroic identity." Sometimes, releasing a few false rumors could conceal Mikaela's true nature.

If they directly announced that the Servant he had summoned was merely an "ordinary person," the others' first reaction would definitely be disbelief. Instead, all attention would be focused on them.

It would be better to let them investigate and discover that the Servant he had summoned was "useless." Then, they would lower their guard.

"We still don't know the others' locations. Staying by Irisviel's side is undoubtedly your best option. My other companion and I will gather information on the other Masters. That will be the time to strike back."

Emiya Kiritsugu spoke slowly. During their conversation, they had arrived at the bedroom door. Inside, Irisviel was telling Illya a story.

"You gather information, and I'll move out afterward?" Understanding flashed through Mikaela's eyes. He seemed to grasp Emiya Kiritsugu's intentions.

"And once we know what the other Servants look like, you should be able to transform into them and then attack their Masters." Emiya Kiritsugu did not enter the room. He would be leaving by plane tonight.

He had already said a proper farewell to Illya that afternoon. Going in now would only make the atmosphere more sorrowful.

"I understand."

Mikaela nodded. Now that he knew Emiya Kiritsugu's general plan, he said nothing more. As long as the man was willing to trust his ability, then victory in this Holy Grail War would surely belong to them!

First Encounter with Assassin

"Time to set off."

In the morning, Mikaela remained in spirit form beside Irisviel. Unlike a certain King of Knights, he could not remain dematerialized, so the Einzbern family could only forge identification papers for him and have him accompany Irisviel and a maid onto the plane.

Now, Mikaela followed at Irisviel's side. Even aboard the plane, he remained extremely vigilant, watching the surroundings as though an enemy might emerge and attack at any moment.

Of course, that was impossible. Aside from Mikaela, most Servants had already arrived in Fuyuki City.

There were no incidents on the flight. They arrived safely at Fuyuki City Airport, and the moment they arrived, it meant they had officially entered the Holy Grail War.

"Aila-chan, we're here. Fuyuki City." Irisviel looked at Mikaela, whose expression was somewhat helpless, and covered her mouth as she laughed.

"Madam, if possible, please don't call me Aila-chan." Mikaela spoke helplessly. "The suffix '-chan' is mostly used for girls, isn't it? I'm a boy."

"Don't be shy~" Irisviel covered her mouth and giggled. Then she looked at the city and murmured, "So this is where Kiritsugu was born."

"Mm." Mikaela nodded slightly. At that moment, he wanted to call Emiya Kiritsugu and ask whether he had found any Masters. If he had found one, Mikaela could go assassinate them without hesitation.

Although he knew who the Masters of this Holy Grail War were, he had no idea where they were hiding. Aside from Tohno Shiro and Kayneth, who were relatively easy to locate, the others were impossible to find!

Take Ryunosuke, for example. You knew he was a serial killer, but where was he at this stage? How was Mikaela supposed to guess? Only after the Holy Grail War began could he transform into a loli or a young boy, wander the streets, and deliberately lure out that murderer.

Then there was Waver, the future overworked man known as Zhuge Liang incarnate. Although Mikaela knew Waver was staying with an elderly couple, there were far too many similar couples around Fuyuki City! Rather than search through them one by one, it would be better to wait for Waver to reveal himself and carry out an assassination.

As for Tohno Shiro and Kayneth... not to mention the powerful Heroic Spirits protecting them, just their so-called Magic Workshops and Magic Barriers gave Mikaela quite a headache.

He was not some proper Saber. Although, in his estimation, his transformation ability should barely allow him to fight a Heroic Spirit, the risks of battle were far too high, and there was a strong chance he could die.

Being summoned by Emiya Kiritsugu this time had clearly been an accident among accidents. Mikaela was not some famous undead being, and over the past few days, he had been thinking about it.

Emiya Kiritsugu had probably summoned him at the very instant of his death, before his soul had fallen into hell, when he was "coincidentally" called forth by Emiya Kiritsugu.

Would such a "coincidence" happen again? Mikaela did not know. So in order to "survive," he had to keep fighting! He had to win this Holy Grail War. Even if he did not win, it did not matter! As long as he could touch that thing...

Time passed second by second. Mikaela moved together with Irisviel, but he did not reveal his physical body and remained in spirit form the entire time. In this state, he could better reduce magical energy consumption.

In his previous life, he had consumed too much energy and could only use his life as the price to activate Gae Bulg.

He regretted it now, but there was nothing he could do. The situation had been too dangerous then, and his mind had instinctively made that decision. If anyone was to blame, it was only himself for being too arrogant.

Because of that, unless he encountered an enemy, he would remain in spirit form. Only after reaching a safe place would he reveal himself.

"Hmm?!"

Suddenly, Mikaela felt a chill, as though someone was watching him. He looked around and discovered a shadow observing the two of them from atop a tall building. However, when he turned his gaze toward it, the figure had already vanished.

Just as they said in JoJo, Stand users were drawn to one another. Servants were no exception.

As Mikaela accompanied Irisviel and prepared to stroll around, he had not expected that they had already been targeted by a Servant. And... that presence was likely Hassan of the Hundred Faces, the Assassin-class Servant!

"What's wrong, Aila-chan?"

Perhaps noticing that Mikaela in spirit form was acting strangely, Irisviel asked in confusion.

"An enemy has noticed us, and the sun is about to set."

Mikaela dispelled his spirit form and moved closer to Irisviel. A card appeared in his hand, guarding against a sudden attack.

After all, the opponent was Assassin, capable of easily carrying out all kinds of high-level assassinations. Though in the original story, Assassin had only gathered intelligence and never displayed his formidable assassination skills before being ruined by his own Master.

But he was still an Assassin bearing the name Hassan. No matter what, Mikaela had to be careful. And if possible... he did not want to fight a Servant immediately after getting off the plane.

What benefit was there in facing them head-on? Whether he could win was one matter! But even if he won, he probably would not gain much. So why not simply kill every Master behind them without leaving a single one alive!

That way, he would win the Holy Grail War.

"Is he going to fight us?" Irisviel immediately understood Mikaela's meaning and warily looked around.

"Probably not. He's likely observing us and has no intention of fighting." Mikaela glanced at Irisviel. If he were alone, he could still rely on his transformation ability to evade Assassin.

But with Irisviel beside him, he could not even run. If he fled, Irisviel would definitely be captured or killed by the enemy.

In the end, Mikaela and Irisviel pretended they had not discovered that Servant and slowly headed toward an unpopulated area. The other party seemed to understand something as well, using the tall buildings to continue monitoring them and waiting for nightfall.

"Assassin, continue observing Saber and the others. Do not act without authorization." A low voice sounded in Assassin's ears. The man named Kotomine Kirei was using Assassin's eyes to observe Mikaela and Irisviel.

"Yes." Assassin, Hassan of the Hundred Faces, slowly nodded. However, there was something strange in his eyes as he looked at Mikaela.

For some reason, he sensed a trace of fear from that "girl"... the fear called "death."

It was different from true death. It was the fear of "death" that came from having someone hold a blade against her throat.

An illusion? Hassan of the Hundred Faces did not rashly test the other party. Instead, he continued hiding in the shadows.

Going for Coffee?

"The other party's presence has disappeared." Mikaela continued walking with Irisviel, but he could no longer sense Assassin's gaze or presence.

"Did he leave?"

Irisviel seemed somewhat relieved. It appeared she was quite willing to trust Mikaela's words. If she were another Master, she would probably have used her own methods to determine whether enemies were nearby.

"No, we can't be sure yet. He also thinks he was exposed, so he hid himself."

Mikaela had never actually fought the other Servants, so he had no practical understanding of their strength. Anime was anime, and its portrayal could only show so much. Who knew what real combat would be like?

Besides... he only had one life, so he had to be careful! Careful! Even more careful!

If he could avoid fighting, then he would avoid fighting. If he could assassinate Masters, then he would assassinate Masters. He would never recklessly charge in. Even with an absolute advantage, he could not let down his guard.

"But it isn't dark yet, so I don't think he'll rashly attack." Mikaela looked at the crowds passing around them. Quite a few people had their eyes on Irisviel, because the woman before them was a true lady of nobility.

Although Irisviel wore what she considered commoner clothing, her beautiful figure and ethereal, fairy-like aura made her easily draw attention.

Mikaela, meanwhile, was in spirit form. Though he stayed close beside Irisviel without taking even a step away, no one noticed his existence except for that Assassin earlier.

As long as that person was not insane, he would not attack Irisviel with so many people around.

"Is that so?" Irisviel seemed to let out a sigh of relief, as she did not want to clash with an enemy under these circumstances either.

"Let's go."

Mikaela followed behind Irisviel with a calm expression as they arrived at the roadside. The black luxury sedan prepared by the Einzbern family was waiting there.

"Mm." Irisviel opened the car door and got in.

The black luxury sedan slowly started moving toward their predetermined destination. Mikaela dispelled his spirit form and sat in the back seat.

"Madam, the phone." As soon as he got in, Mikaela held out his hand toward Irisviel in a businesslike manner, asking for her phone.

On the way here, Mikaela had needed to remain in spirit form to stay close and protect Irisviel. If he carried the phone, it would have "automatically fallen," so Irisviel had kept it with her the whole time.

Now, he needed to report the situation to Emiya Kiritsugu. At the same time, Mikaela wanted to ask whether Kiritsugu needed "help," such as assassinating a Master.

"Aila-chan, you really aren't cute at all." Irisviel puffed out her cheeks, seemingly dissatisfied that he wanted to call her husband the moment he got into the car.

"Reporting intelligence comes first."

Mikaela maintained his businesslike attitude toward Irisviel's adorable act and did not yield in the slightest.

"Fine..." Irisviel ultimately obediently took out the phone and handed it to Mikaela. After all, she understood what was important.

"Mm." After taking the phone, Mikaela immediately called Emiya Kiritsugu. In fact... there was only one number in the contacts. There were no other phone numbers.

The call was quickly answered. Emiya Kiritsugu did not speak from the other end, merely waiting for the caller to speak first.

"It's me." Mikaela spoke as he looked behind them, as though gazing toward the place where Assassin had appeared earlier. He said calmly, "The madam and I have arrived safely in Fuyuki City, but we encountered something unpleasant immediately after arriving."

"What happened?" After apparently confirming that the caller was his own Servant, Emiya Kiritsugu asked calmly, "Did a battle break out, or did you encounter a Servant or Master?"

Although he had only spent a few days with Mikaela, Emiya Kiritsugu felt that he could trust this Servant. Mikaela's methods were extremely seasoned. He had some proficiency in both spear techniques and hand-to-hand combat, and after using other Heroic Spirits' "Noble Phantasms," he could easily kill many ordinary people.

Even magi probably had few who could defeat this young man.

So in Emiya Kiritsugu's view, aside from those three possibilities, there was basically nothing else in Fuyuki City that could be troublesome.

"The madam and I encountered Assassin."

"What?"

After Mikaela said those words, confusion entered Emiya Kiritsugu's voice. After thinking for a moment, he calmly asked, "Are you certain it was Assassin? He was defeated by Tohno Shiro's Servant last night."

"I'm certain it was Assassin. He hid himself very well. If I had not been constantly watching our surroundings and caught sight of him, then I probably would not have detected him either."

Mikaela was extremely wary of Assassin. Hassan of the Hundred Faces could split into many "individuals," and even before the Holy Grail War began, he had already planted numerous eyes throughout Fuyuki City.

Without knowing the plot in advance, no Servant would likely pay attention to the "bugs" around them.

But Mikaela was different. He would not be like Artoria and engage Diarmuid in some so-called knightly duel, so tonight, he would meet up with Emiya Kiritsugu together with Irisviel.

If tonight's battle did not happen, Emiya Kiritsugu would not discover Assassin's materialized form. That could put their side at a disadvantage.

So to be safe, Mikaela wanted to inform Emiya Kiritsugu of this intelligence, so he could watch his surroundings and avoid being ambushed by Assassin.

"I see." Emiya Kiritsugu considered the various pieces of intelligence and seemed to understand something. He continued, "Good work. Keep protecting Irisviel. We'll meet tonight and begin making plans."

With that, Emiya Kiritsugu hung up.

Mikaela handed the phone back to Irisviel and asked very seriously, "Madam, is there anywhere you want to go next?"

"Eh?" Irisviel froze. She had not expected Aila-chan, who had always been so "businesslike," to ask where she wanted to go.

It made this married woman, who had already borne a child, seem to blush a little. Had she been that obvious?

"Madam, you've been staring out the window the whole time. It was far too easy to guess." Mikaela had seen it clearly. From the moment he called Emiya Kiritsugu, Irisviel had kept looking out the window, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

"Then... if possible, how about getting a cup of coffee?"

Although Irisviel blushed after being exposed, she boldly made her request. She wanted to try what coffee outside was like.

"No problem." Mikaela nodded. It was a good opportunity to observe Fuyuki City as well. If an unexpected situation arose, he could use the streets and alleys to evade attacks from other Servants.

And if he happened to run into Ryunosuke along the way, that would be even better.

PS: "New author, new book. Please give me more recommendation votes, I'm begging you! They're free anyway."