Fate/Magus Path

21 Assassin and Avenger

The rustling of footsteps, heavy breathing, and the crackling of flames filled the air...

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha..."

From the port area to Central Park, dark figures sped through the shadows of the night.

"Ah!!!"

Amidst the gasping for breath, a sudden, piercing scream rang out, signaling the death of yet another clone. The rest of the shadows fled even faster.

'Damn it, that guy is still chasing me!'

This thought echoed in every shadow's mind.

There's no escape, no way to shake him off.

The one pursuing them was terrifyingly relentless. Despite their large numbers, they couldn't break free from his hunt. Even when they scattered in different directions, that figure would catch up and kill them one by one with terrifying speed. There was no chance to put distance between them before being hunted down. But why? Why couldn't they even hide from him with A-rank Presence Concealment?!

There was some confusion, but far more fear. When Assassin's prideful concealment proved useless, a sense of helplessness welled up from the depths of their hearts, leaving their limbs cold. The precision and lethality they once prided themselves on had already been lost in the panic of their flight.

Upon closer inspection, these fleeing shadows differed in height, build, and even gender.

Their only common trait was the night-suited tight clothing that blended seamlessly into the darkness, and the distinctive, eerie white bone masks they wore, marking their origin.

Assassin - Hassan of the Cursed Arm.

Those who bore this mask were undoubtedly members of the Hassan, and the only role they were suited for was that of Assassin, the legendary origin of all Assassins.

As expected, they were all different facets of a single Assassin - Hundred-Faced Hassan.

Each shadow represented one of Hassan's numerous personalities. Some specialized in assassination, survival, or even daily life skills. Together, these diverse personas made up the whole, one hundred but also one.

During her lifetime, Hundred-Faced Hassan split her mind into over a hundred personalities for assassination, allowing her to adapt to any situation and complete her mission. As a Servant, these personalities could now manifest independently, allowing her to truly become a hundred.

According to tonight's plan, one of the weakest clones was supposed to infiltrate the Tohsaka residence, sacrificing itself as a display for all the Masters to see. The goal was to make everyone believe Assassin had been eliminated, allowing her Master to hide in the shadows and form an alliance with Archer's Master, turning the tide in their favor.

But...

After hearing the plan, the arrogant King's eyes flashed with anger. Ignoring the alliance, he easily killed the clone sent to inform him, then vanished into spirit form.

And so, the perfect performance ended before it could even begin.

Though the pointless loss of a clone annoyed Hundred-Faced Hassan, this was the duty of a Servant. After reporting the situation to her Master, she diligently resumed her role in the Holy Grail War.

They were then ordered to gather intel in the port area, observe the powers and characteristics of each Servant, and, if possible, identify and kill their hidden Masters.

At first, everything was going smoothly. The Servants engaged in battle didn't seem to notice their presence, and they were able to observe the Servants' extraordinary powers and specialties.