Shirou spoke while drinking hot cocoa.
Loli Hassan sat beside him, completely absorbed in the late-night Magical Girl anime.
As for Hundred-Faced Hassan, her back was pressed tightly against the wall, and an aura of hostility and resistance still radiated from her entire body.
"Don't get the wrong idea. The only ones willing to become your companions are 'me' and that child. None of the other 'mes' will accept you."
Unlike the previous eighteen generations of Old Man of the Mountain, Hundred-Faced Hassan had never undergone any physical modification. One could say there had never been any need for it.
Her Noble Phantasm, Delusional Illusions (Zabaniya)—
It was an ability formed by splitting her own soul into countless pieces.
Each soul possessed independent thoughts and a distinct personality, for a total of eighty-eight people.
With this ability, Hundred-Faced Hassan had used the knowledge and abilities of eighty-eight people during her lifetime to bewitch enemies by various means, break through defensive networks, and hunt down targets in ways no one could have imagined.
Since there was no mechanism by which a higher-ranked "main body" created lower-ranked "clones," every Hundred-Faced Hassan was an equal existence.
If one of the split individuals died, that individual would not return to the whole of Assassin, but would simply vanish.
This also meant that among the eighty-eight Hundred-Faced Hassans, none possessed absolute authority.
That included the purple-haired woman before him. She had merely taken on the role of collective leader based on her abilities and personality.
She could not completely control the other dozens of "mes," which was why she said that only she and that child were willing to cooperate with Shirou.
On the other hand, because the individual selves could not communicate mentally or exchange information directly, the Hassans spread throughout Fuyuki City had no idea that she was speaking with the enemy's Master.
After hearing the explanation, Shirou said thoughtfully, "So it's what they call dissociative identity disorder..."
"What?"
Seeing Hundred-Faced Hassan's bewildered expression, Shirou explained what multiple personalities were.
"I see. So this is actually an illness..." Hundred-Faced Hassan murmured blankly.
The mystery that had troubled her for so long had been solved, and she suddenly felt much more relaxed.
"No, calling it an illness depends on the person. I don't think this counts as being sick.
"On the contrary, Assassin has an incredibly powerful mind, far beyond that of an ordinary person."
Hundred-Faced Hassan neither accepted nor rejected Shirou's praise. Instead, she turned to look at Loli Hassan in the room.
"Who is this child?" Shirou asked.
Hundred-Faced Hassan explained, "She is a 'me' created to withstand torture... A weak, powerless personality that knows nothing."
"I see. If she doesn't know anything, then there's no need to worry about her leaking information if she's captured by the enemy.
"And then you gave her the appearance of a little girl... That's rather twisted."
Delusional Illusions (Zabaniya) was a Noble Phantasm formed by elevating Hundred-Faced Hassan's life to its ultimate form.
During her lifetime, she had not possessed the power to create clones. She had merely been an exceptionally talented assassin with countless personalities.
Therefore, if she could switch herself to a personality that knew nothing when captured by the enemy, it would indeed be extremely useful.
However, after becoming a Servant, Hundred-Faced Hassan gained the ability to freely divide herself into physical bodies, making Loli Hassan completely meaningless.
She could do nothing. Not only could she not conceal her tracks, she could not even take care of herself, and thus became a burden to the team.
Shirou nodded. "Don't worry. I won't let her encounter any danger."
"Whatever," Hundred-Faced Hassan snorted.
One reason she had accepted Shirou's invitation was that she truly refused to remain in her current situation. Another was Loli Hassan's attitude—
When Hundred-Faced Hassan entered the room, Shirou had asked, "Has Mr. Assassin returned?"
The little girl, who should have kept silent at all costs, had readily admitted it.
Although they had only spent a few hours together, Shirou had clearly already gained Loli Hassan's trust.
"Then, next..."
Shirou turned to Hundred-Faced Hassan. "Please tell me everything you know, Assassin.
"What kind of person is your Master, Kirei Kotomine?
"What exactly is his relationship with Tokiomi Tohsaka?"
The red-haired boy paused.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Fuyuki Church is also on your side, right?"
At this point, no matter what astonishing thing Shirou said, Hundred-Faced Hassan would no longer be surprised.
Hundred-Faced Hassan revealed everything about the Tohsaka Family's secrets.
Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka had only appeared to go their separate ways.
Kirei Kotomine and his father, Risei, had both become members of the Tohsaka faction three years ago.
"That's shameless beyond belief! Tokiomi Tohsaka looks like such an upright gentleman, but who would have thought he'd be so dishonorable behind the scenes!" Shirou said indignantly.
Hundred-Faced Hassan said, "The Tohsaka Family not only controls the best Spiritual Land in Fuyuki City, but even the supposedly neutral overseer is one of their people.
"Of course, my Master is nothing more than his puppet."
Hundred-Faced Hassan understood perfectly that, to the Tohsaka faction, both she and Kirei Kotomine were merely pawns.
Assassin could never become the final victor.
Zayd's sacrifice had not been in vain. It could be exchanged for greater, longer-term benefits?
That was true, but the benefits belonged to Tokiomi Tohsaka—not Assassin!
The person who had made Hundred-Faced Hassan see the light and finally understand this most obvious truth was Shirou Amamiya.
At the same time, she had finally understood that her Master was an unremarkable man with no desire for the Holy Grail whatsoever, merely drifting along with the tide.
"What is Kirei Kotomine like?" Shirou asked.
Hundred-Faced Hassan answered honestly, "He may be extremely capable, but he lacks passion. He's practically a walking corpse. In this Holy Grail War, the ones truly worth watching are Tokiomi Tohsaka and Risei Kotomine."
She then explained the circumstances of the other Masters and Servants to Shirou, telling him everything she had learned from her investigations over the past several days.
For example, Lancer's Master.
One of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower, Kaineth Archbold, had come to Japan with his fiancée to participate in the Holy Grail War.
The female assassin sighed and said self-deprecatingly, "You should understand now, right? You're fighting enemies of just how terrifying a caliber."
The Twelve Lords... Were they really that impressive?
Shirou had no idea. Makiri had not yet had the chance to teach him about them, so he could only nod along. "Yes. Fortunately, I got Assassin."
"..."
The cheeks beneath Hundred-Faced Hassan's mask warmed slightly. "That's enough flattery."
"It isn't flattery. That's what I genuinely think." Shirou spoke with a serious expression.
"...Enough."
Hundred-Faced Hassan brushed back her long hair and turned her face away as she continued, "But the greatest enemy is still Tohsaka.
"If Tokiomi Tohsaka were merely cheating within the rules, that would be one thing.
"More importantly, they also possess Archer—the golden Heroic Spirit who appeared tonight.
"His true name is King of Heroes Gilgamesh, the demigod king who once ruled over Mesopotamia during the Age of Gods.
"He was both a hero who accomplished countless great deeds and achievements, and a tyrant whose selfishness and recklessness brought about the destruction of his country.
"It is said that during his lifetime, he collected all the treasures in the world. His treasury stored every weapon and treasure created by mankind, all of which became the prototypes of the Noble Phantasms used by heroes in later generations."
As she said this, the woman clenched her trembling fist.
"When Zayd was killed, I was there, observing the surroundings from close by.
"That Archer... You only need one look to understand...
"That man is invincible. There is no Heroic Spirit in this world capable of defeating him.
"As an Archer-class Servant manifested in this Holy Grail War, he can fight with an endless number of Noble Phantasms. No matter what kind of Servant they are, none can compare to him.
"Unfortunately, just as that man said, before him we are nothing but filthy mongrels."
"His name is King of Heroes Gilgamesh, the tyrant from the Age of Gods who possesses infinite Noble Phantasms and eyes that can see the future..."
The proud figure of the golden archer surfaced in Shirou's mind. He nodded deeply and said, "Yes, he really is abnormal. There's absolutely no Heroic Spirit capable of defeating him. It wouldn't even be strange for him to take on the other six Servants alone.
"But there's no need to worry. I'll take responsibility for making him leave the stage."
"—"
The hotel room fell utterly silent.
After a long while, Hundred-Faced Hassan finally uttered a dumbfounded, "Huh?"
"So I'll personally deal with Archer."
Shirou spoke with an expression that did not look remotely like a joke. "Since there's no Heroic Spirit capable of defeating him, I'll defeat him as someone who isn't a Heroic Spirit.
"Now, on to the next topic. Assassin, tell me some other inside information."
Hundred-Faced Hassan stared at him, dumbstruck. Does this kid even understand the situation?
That monster can't be defeated even by Heroic Spirits. How exactly are you planning to defeat him?
The boy's words were so absurd that they could only make people laugh.
But why was it...
As Hundred-Faced Hassan studied Shirou's expression, she felt that the boy was not spouting nonsense. He seemed to possess some basis for his certainty.
What exactly am I expecting? How foolish...
Hundred-Faced Hassan gave a bitter little smile. "I've already told you this much. Isn't it your turn now?
"Boy, who is your Servant? What class is she? You can at least tell me that, right?"
Shirou hesitated before answering, "That... I can't say."
"..."
The female assassin froze.
She stood there in a daze, then suddenly punched the hotel wall.
"...I actually thought you would trust me. I really am an idiot."
"No, it's not like that. I do trust you, Assassin."
Shirou explained innocently, "I genuinely don't know my Servant's exact class or what kind of parameters she possesses.
"I only know that she claims to be a Servant from the Extra faction."
"What?"
Hundred-Faced Hassan was about to retort, but then she remembered the recent conversation between the Kotomotines and asked in astonishment, "Are you the Master of that mysterious Servant who cannot be detected?"
"Mysterious Servant?"
Hundred-Faced Hassan nodded and began explaining the Spiritron Dresser, a magical device possessed by the Holy Church that could observe a Servant's parameters.
"So there really is such a thing..."
"Yes. Tokiomi Tohsaka is searching everywhere for information about you. Thanks to you, 'we' are practically worked to death right now."
Before you continue