Einzbern Castle had originally possessed quite a few defensive barriers.
But after years of disrepair, with no one maintaining them, and after the destruction caused by Artoria and Alcides's battle, they might as well have been nonexistent.
Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka broke in with ease.
Of course, so did Cursed Arm Hassan. His infiltration was even easier and faster, allowing him to overtake them.
Thus, the two sides encountered each other early at the castle's only remaining barrier—outside Illya's room.
Then they simply stared at each other, and Cursed Arm Hassan was the first to act, opening with thrown daggers aimed at Shirou Emiya.
It was because of this brat that he had been brutally beaten by Medusa last time. As an Assassin, he held grudges.
Faced with the suddenly incoming daggers, the rookie Shirou Emiya did not even have time to react.
Fortunately, Rin Tohsaka acted. A Jewel Magecraft blast sent the daggers flying and saved Shirou Emiya.
Cursed Arm Hassan was not supposed to have arrived this quickly. After all, Arche was still lurking in the shadows.
He should have come only after Saber dealt with Berserker.
But Berserker had proved far stronger than expected. The old worm feared that delays might bring unforeseen changes, so he sent him early to seize the Lesser Grail.
That was how the two groups met ahead of time.
A fierce battle raged outside, and one raged inside as well.
With Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka as they were now, asking them to face a Heroic Spirit head-on was asking too much.
If they were their future selves, let alone one Cursed Arm Hassan, they could handle several more.
Moving like a phantom, Cursed Arm Hassan evaded Rin Tohsaka's magic bullets while still toying with Shirou Emiya.
In his eyes, the