Fate: Holy Grail

[3rd POV]

As the Invisible Air fully activated, Assassin sensed a terrifying image!

He envisioned many winds that moved around like a meat grinder, and he was the meat. Assassin saw himself being completely shredded, even reduced to blood and mist!

The feeling was so vivid that she had already tasted the pain in advance.

In such a short amount of time, she had come to rely on her Mind's Eye, but it didn't tell him how to escape this deadly situation.

After analyzing the current situation, over ten possible scenarios flashed in Assassin's mind in the blink of an eye, but none of them were useful!

Death was inevitable, but that was when Assassin recalled the rules.

As long as he could kill one of the Servants, he could survive… right?

Since Kirei summoned her, Assassin had been moving in that direction. 

Assassin prepared herself with that resolve in mind. Just as she was about to make a full charge, a gentle female voice interrupted her.

"Saber?"

The voice of Irisviel startled Saber, causing her to pause just before unleashing the Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King. 

She turned toward Irisviel with confusion in her eyes.

"Where's Kiritsugu?!" 

Saber looked around frantically but only saw Irisviel emerging from the bushes. 

There was no sign of her Master, Kiritsugu Emiya.

"Kiritsugu?" 

Saber's words confused Irisviel even more, "Saber, you silently left me behind, and now you're blaming Kiritsugu? What about your promise to be my knight?"

"You... you have to let me explain, Iris," 

Saber said in a daze, "It's because of Kiritsugu…"

Kiritsugu Emiya had silently protected Irisviel from the shadows, watching her chase after Saber. 

However, Kiritsugu did not reveal himself at any point. He had no intention of exposing his presence.

This is exactly what made things worse between him and Saber, making it impossible to fix.

"Are you going to continue fighting, Saber?" 

At that moment, Assassin quickly interjected.

"Yes." 

Saber nodded, signaling her determination, "There's no reason to stop fighting."

"And what about your Master? Saber, if this continues, can you guarantee her safety?" 

Assassin was well aware that Irisviel wasn't Saber's Master, but he deliberately phrased it this way.

"Mm…" 

Saber immediately positioned herself protectively in front of Irisviel as though guarding a vulnerable child. 

"What do you mean?!"

Assassin is an assassin—a killer. In the Holy Grail War, it would be entirely normal for a killer who isn't suited for direct combat to target a Master.

"Don't get me wrong."

Assassin had no intention of disrupting Irisviel's identity as the small Holy Grail. 

"I mean, let today's battle end here."

Assassin couldn't freely run away because of the Command Spell and planned to persuade Saber directly.

"Are you trying to run, Assassin?" 

Assassin, exposed in plain sight, presented an opportunity. Saber wouldn't let this chance slip so easily.

"Do you think you can kill me so easily?" 

He had to fight the urge to panic even though his back was already sweaty.

"I admit you're strong." 

Saber said, "but not invincible."

"In fact, during our battle, I've already figured out your swordsmanship!" 

Assassin casually lied.

'How is that possible?!'

Saber thought, shocked.

"It is my honor to meet a master like you in this era." 

Saber was skeptical, "However, the sharpness of the sword is not determined by the technique."

"Your swordsmanship is strange, almost like it's a technique for predicting the future." 

Assassin continued, speaking without a hint of hesitation, "I can feel it—you're fighting by following your instincts, aren't you?"

'This is a true master!'

Saber's pupils contracted sharply, clearly shaken by his move!

"Yes." 

Saber nodded, "I have a precognitive ability..." 

She only said half the word, essentially admitting it. Since Assassin had already figured it out, there was no longer a need to hide it.

"I've already seen through your swordsmanship, and you won't be able to defeat me in a short amount of time." 

Assassin lied smoothly.

"However, I won't ambush your Master because that would go against the principle of a knight." 

He changed the conversation towards chivalry, trying to disguise himself as a noble knight.

"So, I propose a fair, face-to-face duel with you, but… with your Master present, you would likely be held back, right?"

Before convincing Saber, Assassin couldn't let her realize something was wrong. 

After all, Assassin didn't possess magical power, and her endurance was a lowly E rank.

"Isn't it the duty of a knight to protect their Master?"

Sabre was momentarily stunned by Assassin's question. 

After all, she had already experienced Assassin's skill in their encounter. Saber wasn't afraid of battle, but she feared Irisviel being harmed.

While Saber weighed the pros and cons, Assassin quickly added, "Can you guarantee that no one else will attack her while you're fighting me?"

"No." 

Saber replied honestly with his swordplay still fresh in her mind.

"Then let's end this battle here." 

Assassin said, "After all, this isn't a fair fight. My Master is not here, and you have to protect your Master from ambush while fighting me."

"I didn't expect this… I thought you were a ruthless assassin… who would do anything to achieve your goals." 

She said, looking genuinely remorseful, "I judged you unfairly. I apologize."

"However, this Holy Grail War continues..." 

She added, "I look forward to our next battle!"

The moment Saber finished speaking, Assassin let out a sigh of relief.

"Huh... Next time we meet, let's have an exhilarating battle!"

Assassin said.

"Agreed! It is my lifelong honor to meet a knight like you in this era." 

She replied with a warm smile. 

"Your swordsmanship may seem chaotic, but I can't seem to catch even a glimpse of your clothes. I must be lacking in skill."

"I'm just a weakling, not worth being compared to you." 

He sighed and continued, "Ah~ It would be great if your Master was my Master."

'If my Master were Kiritsugu Emiya, the situation would be much better, right? At least... no matter how weak I am, he would stop at nothing to secure victory.'

Assassin thought secretly.

"If you are a weakling, then I must be utterly ashamed of myself right now." 

Saber said. 

The conversation between her and Assassin had none of the bloodshed from the battlefield. Instead, it felt more like a conversation between two friends.

'If you had a different Master, then you'd be Saber, right? Did you already forget how to use a sword because of your class?' 

Before leaving, Saber turned around and glanced at Assassin who had taken on her own appearance, clearly misunderstanding Assassin's words.

To be continued...