A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

"That means we can rest assured."

Kirei sat down on the chair his father gave him and let out a long sigh. then--

"——Just in case, we still can't neglect our vigilance. Let's arrange someone here."

Kirei ordered someone in a cold tone. Certainly not to his father. Father Li Zheng, who was standing next to him, did not show any surprise at his son's strange speech.

"——So, who are the people guarding here?"

"Yes, that's right down there."

Kirei seemed to be asking the question to the air, but a response came from him. It's a woman's voice. From the shadows in the corner of the room, a woman in black emerged like a shadow.

Neither Kirei nor Risei even moved their eyebrows at the sudden appearance of this woman - it was as if they already knew the woman in black was there.

Chazi's petite body was wrapped in a dark robe, with a skull mask on his face. This outfit looks exactly like that of the assassin hero Hassan Sabha.

"Judging from the difference in spiritual power, there are at least four types of familiars that existed at the scene where Assassin was killed. In other words, at least four Masters saw the scene at that time."

"Um...is there more than one person?"

Kirei narrowed his eyes as if thinking, then turned to ask his father beside him.

"Father, the 'Spiritual Weapon Plate' is not wrong, is it? All seven Servants have appeared in this world, right?"

"Ah, it's not wrong. Just the day before yesterday, the last heroic spirit 'Caster' was summoned. Although the real name was not revealed as before, all the Servants in this Holy Grail War should have been summoned. Appeared."

"That's it..."

For Kirei, he hoped that tonight's meeting would be able to find all the other five people.

"So, judging from the current situation, for all the Masters participating in this Holy Grail War, monitoring the residence of the Yusan family is the best choice, right?"

The girl wearing a skull mask standing nearby—probably Hassan Sabah, interjected.

"If they don't even have that little preparation, they must be completely unprepared for us Assassin. The result is the same."

"Um."

As Master, if Kotomine Kirei loses his Servant, the Command Seal in his hand should disappear. But now on the back of his hand...\\nThe three holy marks are still there clearly.

In other words... Assassin's Servant has not been eliminated yet. Could it be that the woman wearing a skull mask who is next to Kotomine and his son now is the real Hassan Sabha?

"Do you feel sorry for that man's death?"

The masked woman who heard Kotomine's question replied indifferently.

"That Zaid, as a member of our Hassan family, is nothing but a useless person. Losing him will not have much impact on us as a whole. But -"

"But what?"

"Although it doesn't have a big impact, a loss is a loss. It's like a person missing a finger. I don't want to think that his sacrifice is meaningless."

Although the woman's tone was very respectful, Kirei could still hear the great dissatisfaction in her heart revealed in her words. Of course it cannot be ignored.

"It's definitely not meaningless. Because of the sacrifice of this finger, you can now completely deceive other Masters. Now everyone will think that Assassin has finally been eliminated. This is for those who use hiding as their main tactic. Isn’t this a good advantage for you?”

"Yes, just as you said."

The woman in black lowered her head deeply and said.

Behind the enemies who thought Assassin had been eliminated and took it lightly, this time the real Shadow Hero became a threat no one could have imagined. Who would have thought that this man, who had fled to the church as a defeated magician, now actually owned the Servant, Assassin.

Even in an extraordinary event like the Holy Grail War, the occurrence of this kind of thing is very unexpected.

It is true that the name Hassan Sabha does not refer to a single heroic spirit. Hassan means "the old man of the mountains", which is the etymology of assassins. He was once used as the name of the leader of the assassin group in the Middle East from generation to generation. In other words, there have been many heroic spirits named Hassan in history. Of course, it is not surprising that there is a female Hassan.

But as a major principle of the Holy Grail War, there can only be one summoned Servant, Assassin. Although in theory, it is possible to obtain more than two Servants by competing with other Masters for control, controlling two Assassins at the same time violates the principles of the Holy Grail War.

"No matter what, the war has begun."

The old priest's majestic voice was full of unshakable expectations for victory.

"The fourth Holy Grail War has finally begun. This old bone of mine... I can finally see the miracle with my own eyes this time."

Kirei just stared silently at a corner of the dark priest's room, as if his father's enthusiasm could not move him at all.

············

The new capital of Fuyuki City——

This residential area to the east of the Mino River was originally a new town built by developing wilderness during a period of high growth. Although it was not planned as a historical mountain town at the time, Fuyuki City was facing a large-scale redevelopment effort as the government and citizens planned to use the state-owned railway ruins to build a modern commercial street.

Although 40% of the buildings that will become commercial streets are still unfinished, the park and shopping mall in front of the station are about to open. The new city to be built will appear clean and pale, gorgeous but without personality. The city government has also gradually moved to the new capital, and steel bars, glass and paint have also been combined into various modern buildings. The urban functions of this mountainous city are gradually being forced to change.

Because it's the afternoon of a holiday, there are a lot of people on the street today. The ruthless temperature of the north wind is like the indifferent attitude between people. Emiya Kiritsugu looked inconspicuous in such a crowd, submerged in the crowd like a transparent existence.

His T-shirt and jacket looked a bit old, and he didn't have any luggage with him. He walked leisurely, and no one would think he was a foreigner. After entering the country, he arrived at the new capital of Fuyuki City on foot. And precisely because Japan, which he had not seen for a long time, was his birthplace, he easily got used to the environment here.

Just now, he couldn't help but buy a pack of cigarettes from the vending machine. He looked at the cigarette box and his mood became complicated.

It has been nine years since I quit smoking. Partly because he couldn't buy the good cigarettes he was used to smoking in the distant Einzbern.\\nAnd partly because he didn't want his wife and daughter to worry about him anymore. And because all he could think about was the upcoming battle. The moment Kiritsugu stood firm on the Fuyuki platform, he stuffed the coins into the vending machine out of habit.

After sorting out his mood and buying a disposable lighter from a convenience store on the roadside, he opened the box of cigarettes. The white filter tip dazzled him for a moment.

I put a cigarette into my mouth, lit it, and quit smoking for nearly ten years. But these actions are now done in one go. Quietly inhaling the calming aroma, the taste is as familiar and intimate as if you had just tasted it yesterday.

"..."

Feeling the complex and real state of mind brought about by the smoke, Kiritsugu began to re-examine the various scenes around him.

Although he came here secretly to conduct reconnaissance three years ago, compared with then, Fuyuki City today has completely changed. Although changes are to be expected. But the degree of change far exceeded my imagination. It seems that I need to reconfirm the nearby geographical environment.

Kiritsugu is not very good at changes in regional divisions. He thought about countermeasures and arrived at his destination, a hotel.

Only the lobby and front desk of this hotel are decent.\\nAt best, it is a cheap hotel equivalent to a business hotel. From travelers with their families to men and women having one-night stands, the guests here are of all kinds. And because of this, this has become the best place to hide your identity.

Kiritsugu walked through the hall calmly and took the elevator to the seventh floor. Three days ago, his loyal subordinates should have been waiting in Room 703.

The relationship between him and Kuu Maiya may be called "master and apprentice" in the terms of the magician world.

Kiritsugu himself had never regarded magic as the object of his pursuit.\\n He only learned magic as a "method" for fighting, so there was never a concept of master and apprentice in his mind. Kiritsugu simply taught Maiya the "combat methods" he knew, and this was only because Maiya herself was an integral part of his "methods". At that time, no one knew where the Holy Grail was, and people were constantly fighting desperate battles to realize the dream they knew was impossible.

Therefore, the relationship between Kiritsugu and Maiya even predates Irisviel. Even his wife didn't know the other side of him that was riddled with bloodshed, but Maiya, who had fought with him, knew it clearly.

He knocked on the door of Room 703 with the agreed code rhythm, and the door opened immediately as if waiting for his arrival. There were no unnecessary greetings with the people in the room. They only exchanged glances and ended the moment of meeting again. Kiritsugu walked into the house silently and closed the door.

Kiritsugu also had frequent contact with Maiya. Since Kiritsugu retired from the front line, she has been traveling abroad in preparation for the Holy Grail War according to his instructions. She has also gone to Einzbern several times to discuss relevant matters with him.

Although Maiya is a beauty with good facial features, she never wears makeup. Her slender eyes often give people a cold feeling. Although her silky black hair may have fascinated many men, as long as she has a sharp look, any man will give up the idea of ​​getting close to her.

Unknowingly, the two have been working together for more than ten years. Although she was just a little girl when we first met her, once her childish appearance was peeled away, her innate sharpness began to be revealed.

Working with such a beauty, most people would probably feel exhausted due to excessive pressure, but Kiritsugu was just the opposite. Maiya was always able to make correct and unchangeable judgments based on the situation at the time. Kiritsugu was by her side, but he was never ashamed of his despicability, nor did he hate her coldness. Perhaps, this is also "peace of mind" in a sense.

"Last night, there was action at the Tohsaka Residence."

Maiya went straight to the point as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Video recording has been made, please confirm. In addition, all equipment has arrived."

"Okay. Report the situation first."

Maiya nodded.\\nPicked up the TV's remote control and pressed the switch.

In the magic taught by Kiritsugu, Maiya showed extraordinary ability in controlling low-level familiars. Because of this, Kiritsugu often entrusts her with detective and investigation tasks.

Maiya's most proud familiar is a bat, but unlike other magicians, her bat's abdomen is equipped with an ultra-small CCD camera. Of course, this is Kiritsugu's idea. Since magicians mostly use illusions, camouflage, or suggestions to confuse others, few people would think of defending against electronic devices. Video recording can be used as powerful evidence in the future. Apart from the disadvantage of making the familiar move cumbersome, using a camera is a very effective method.

On the 13-inch screen, part of the Tohsaka mansion last night was recorded from beginning to end. Although it is not clear enough, it is enough to make people understand what is going on. I saw a Servant wearing a skull mask helplessly being eliminated by the Golden Servant. Kiritsugu confirmed the fact without even moving an eyebrow.

The assassin's rank mark is clearly visible on the white mask worn by the defeated Servant.

"What do you think of this start?"

"It seems perfect."

Maiya immediately answered Kiritsugu's question.

"The time between when the assassin began to materialize and when Tohsaka's Servant attacked was too short. It can only be considered that it has been in a standby state. If it is because the intruder in the spiritual form has been detected for a long time, it is easy to understand. But after all, the assassin has the ability to interrupt the breath, so it’s hard to imagine... I think Tohsaka already knew in advance that there would be an invasion."

Kiritsugu nodded. As expected of the subordinates he taught, his thoughts were exactly the same as his own.

"If you think about it this way, it's incredible. Since Tohsaka had time to wait for the enemy to come to his door, why didn't he use this time to go out and attack him directly? Instead, he deliberately revealed his Servant."

The Tohsaka family has experienced the second and third Holy Grail battles, and its owner must be familiar with various theories of war. Therefore, it is impossible for him not to know that his home base, Tohsaka Mansion, is being monitored by others.

However, Tokiomi Tosaka sent the Servant without hesitation. From the average person's perspective, this is definitely a bad idea.

The so-called Holy Grail War is a duel between heroic warriors who were famous on the battlefield in the past. In most cases, what the heroes inherit contains some information about tactical essentials, strengths and weaknesses, and so on. In other words, the heroic spirits have exposed their skills and weaknesses from the very beginning.

"Because of this, in Servant battles, the true identity of the heroic spirit must be adhered to, so when calling the heroic spirit, never call it by its real name, but use its rank."