I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Having seen through the old man's intentions, Diarmuid had no choice but to retreat to ensure he had enough distance to unleash his full power. He wasn't going to be foolish enough to try and wrestle with the opponent while standing against the shield.

If Agility C is this fake, how far will Strength C go?

The old man of the mountain, who hadn't fought anyone in a long time, was now clearly intrigued; of course, to him it was more like playing with a young man.

He skillfully controlled his abilities to the same level as Diarmuid, enjoying the thrill of the battle.

"Yeah, just going straight for a big beheading is too boring. Fights with some fighting involved are much more interesting."

"Later, should we deliberately create an opening and let this kid hit us a few times, then pretend it hurts a lot?"

The old man in the mountain seems to have developed a playful spirit, just like any other elderly person, sometimes entering what's known as "old child mode." (This is the only explanation I can offer; I hope you all understand.)

Diarmuid could only barely hold on against the Mountain Elder's domineering offensive. He displayed all his knowledge and skills, actively thinking of various ways to try to reverse the tide of the battle, which was showing signs of defeat.

With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a dozen or so spear flourishes, thrusting out hundreds of spears at an incredibly fast speed. The sonic booms and explosions were deafening, like a series of intense blasts.

Countless afterimages of densely packed spearheads lingered in the air for a fraction of a second, but only one of them was real.

This extremely difficult spear technique also exists in the East, and it is called "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear".

Diarmuid saw the Mountain Elder deflect the great shield to the left and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

"I'm sorry, but the real blow isn't delivered there."

Diarmuid suddenly unleashed his magical power to its peak. The crimson spear in his hand trembled with the magical power and emitted a soft hum, with a crimson light flashing across the spearhead.

"Let me show you my ultimate technique! Noble Phantasm Unleashed, Pierce! Crimson Rose of Exorcism!!"

The spearman's agile figure darted out like a cheetah, covering the distance of just a few meters in less than a fraction of a second, the tip of his spear pointing directly at the old man's undefended chest.

At the same time, Kiritsugu Emiya, holding a gun, precisely seized the best opportunity for an assassination attack, because at this moment when the Servants were fighting most fiercely, they could not get away to protect their Master.

"Now's the time! Make your move!"

At a command, Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Kudo simultaneously pulled their fingers on the triggers of their guns.

The deadly bullet flew out of the muzzle, but due to the silencer, it did not make any noticeable sound.

Diarmuid's spear tip had already touched the Mountain Elder's chest. The opponent's greatsword and shield were too weak to mount an effective defense, and he couldn't even trade his life for the wound.

He won this battle!

"Ding--!"

With the sound of the spear clashing against the armor, Diarmuid's expression froze instantly.

"It's a physical entity!?"

"Ugh!"

The old man of the mountain grunted, then, without realizing it, raised his greatsword and slashed at Diarmuid, who had no way to dodge.

As the jet-black greatsword slashed through the air and was about to strike his neck, Diarmuid gave a bitter smile.

"Is this the end? My lord, please forgive my incompetence, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne..."

However, just as the greatsword was about to sever Diarmuid's head by a mere centimeter, a burst of dark blue-black ghost fire suddenly rose from beneath the Mountain Elder's feet.

In an instant, the old man of the mountain appeared beside Matou Sakura as if by teleportation, and swung his greatsword in his right hand to slash at the air to the side.

A bullet, perfectly split in two, fell at his feet and was then burned into nothingness by the Netherfire.

"Oh!"

The menacing giant shield was slammed into the ground, completely obscuring Matou Sakura's petite figure.

An overwhelming killing intent emanated from the Mountain Elder, freezing everyone present, whether in the open or in the shadows, in place. The Servants, fully armed, stood in front of their Masters as if facing a formidable enemy.

His eyes, burning with raging ghostly flames, looked in the direction from which the first bullet had come, piercing through the darkness to find the scoundrel who intended to take advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack.

"Boom—!"

The sound of evening bells echoed in the night sky above Fuyuki Wharf, allowing everyone to hear the final lingering notes that symbolized the end of their destiny.

"The divine decree has been issued! Then die!!"

Chapter Eighteen: Hand Over the Head!

"It seems we'll be able to harvest another head tonight."

The old man's deep voice revealed no emotion; his tone, as bland as plain water, made everyone who heard it instinctively tense up, as if their souls had been gripped.

After he finished speaking, he lifted the greatsword with one hand and disappeared from the spot with a burst of ghostly fire, leaving behind only his last words of advice.

"My contractor, wait here obediently for my return."

Hiding behind the giant shield, Matou Sakura nodded silently, then shrank back, perfectly concealing herself.

Having narrowly escaped death, Diarmuid was at a loss when he saw that the Old Man of the Mountain had disappeared. He stood frozen in place, holding his crimson spear in one hand, looking quite embarrassed.

"Lancer, stop for a moment."

Kenneth gave the order to the stunned Diarmuid aloud while crouching down and picking up a bullet from the top of the warehouse.

He pinched the bullet between his thumb and forefinger and examined it twice, even though he didn't know much about firearms.

However, based on the size and length of the bullet, Kenneth recognized it as ammunition specifically for sniper rifles.

"Hmph! I didn't expect there to be such a despicable person who planned to take advantage of the chaos and use underhanded means. It's a pity that my Mystic Code 'Moon Spirit Essence Liquid' has an automatic defense formula."

Kenneth's words revealed a hint of pride and smugness. At his feet, a ball of liquid mercury maintained its spherical shape, its interior constantly flowing and rotating.

This is a magical costume that Kenneth completed when he was in his twenties, and it is one of his favorite pieces from his many collections.

"Lancer, go find that rat that dared to ambush from the shadows. You don't need to worry about me for now."

Kenneth threw the first bullet in front of Dirumdo.

The sound of the bullet hitting the ground was extremely clear on the silent dock, making those watching around realize what had just happened.

Diarmuid, who had been given modern knowledge by the Holy Grail, immediately understood that not only the little girl, but also his lord had been assassinated.

anger.

An indescribable rage rose from Diarmuid's heart, hundreds of times more intense than when he fought the Old Man of the Mountain.

Not only because someone dared to interfere and sabotage the sacred duel between the two sides, but also because he felt guilty for not being able to protect his lord with all his might.

It was only at this moment that Diarmuid truly realized the power of the Old Man of the Mountain.

He was able to withdraw without hesitation at the most critical moment of the battle to protect his master, while he himself did not even realize that his master was being attacked.

This was incredibly embarrassing for him, a knight!

"Yes, my lord. On the honor of being the chief knight of the Fiona Knights, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne will not let you down this time!"

Diarmuid bent down and picked up the yellow pistol from the ground. Following Kenneth's instructions, he ran in the direction from which the first bullet had come, stirring up a fierce and biting gust of wind.

Although it seems a bit late to chase after the assassin now, it's no big deal in the face of his A+ level agility.

Kiritsugu Emiya was on the run, utterly astonished that his and Maiya's seemingly foolproof assassination attempt had failed completely.

It's understandable that Kenneth, as the Clock Tower's genius magician, wouldn't be so easy to kill, given that he's the leader of a major faction and faces numerous open and covert attacks on a daily basis.

But the little girl who seemed to have no ability to protect herself didn't die, which was somewhat unexpected for Kiritsugu Emiya.

What's going on with that Servant whose data panel is so bad it's unbearable to look at?

Not only can she withstand Lancer's Noble Phantasm head-on without any defense or injury, but she can also decisively retreat when she is about to decapitate the opponent, rushing back at almost teleportation speed to protect her Master.

Even Saber, whose stats are mostly A and who is hailed as the strongest class, isn't this powerful, right?

Although the killing intent that the old man of the mountain had just unleashed was not directed at Kiritsugu Emiya, he was still so shocked that he dropped the sniper rifle in his hand.

That pure, almost deathly killing intent sent chills down Kiritsugu Emiya's spine. He simply couldn't imagine how many people this Servant had personally killed.

Thousands?

Tens of thousands?

No, no, no, that's far too few. At most, they're butchers of the level of ancient fierce generals.

The killing intent of these heroes is at most brutal, capable of intimidating enemies, but it is far from reaching the level of deathly aura.

It seems that only the Grim Reaper, the legendary figure who walks through the underworld and is responsible for reaping souls, would have such an appearance.

For a moment, Kiritsugu Emiya felt a pang of regret. Just what kind of monster-level Servant had he and Maiya Kudo had personally provoked?

Having realized the operation had failed, Kiritsugu Emiya informed Maiya Kudo and then fled without hesitation, intending to first reunite with Saber and Irisviel.

In this Holy Grail War, only Servants can stand against Servants.

Kiritsugu Emiya felt that this was the first time he had missed Saber so much. At least this knight girl, who he considered to be so rigid in her thinking as to be incredibly stupid, would not hesitate to stand up for him as her Master.

Until death or victory.

To ensure his safety, Kiritsugu Emiya contacted Artoria using Command Spells.

Let her lead Irisviel toward where she is to shorten the time it takes to travel.

Although Diarmuid is not an Archer, he is still skilled in archery and horsemanship as a Grand Knight. Even without the Hawkeye buff, he still quickly locked onto Kiritsugu Emiya, who was fleeing in the darkness.

He leaped onto the top of a shipping container, aimed at Kiritsugu Emiya's back, and hurled his crimson spear. Then, he unleashed his ultimate speed to follow the spear.

On the other side, Kuon Mai wandered aimlessly among the container ships at the dock, trying to shake off any potential dangers following behind.

She concealed and altered the traces she left behind, and occasionally laid hidden traps with weapons such as bombs, in an attempt to slow down her pursuers.

Kuonma Miya didn't know if her own arrangements had worked, but nothing unusual happened until she broke free from the container group and was about to reach the designated location.

Kiritsugu Emiya clearly heard the shrill sound of the air being torn apart behind him. He didn't turn around to look, but instead buried his head and tried with all his might to make himself faster.

At the same time, Kiritsugu Emiya's Command Seal on the back of his right hand lit up red, indicating that he was ready to summon Saber to his side at any moment.

A crimson spear, trailing a long beam of magical light, descended from the sky like a meteor, about to pierce and pin Kiritsugu Emiya to the ground.

A petite figure darted out from the side path. The knight girl, wielding an invisible sword, slashed at the spear with all her might, sending it flying backward.

The magic that burst forth from the collision pressed down on the surrounding air, followed by the sound of guns and swords clashing, and then the sound of the air exploding.

The strong winds generated will shatter the ground beneath Artoria's feet, and the high-speed flying stones will riddle all the containers placed around the area with holes.

Diarmuid leaped forward, taking a single step to jump high into the air, catching his own crimson spear that had been knocked away with one hand.

Upon landing, the tips of his twin pistols were pointed directly at Artoria, who stood holding a sword. The aura of the Knight of the Spears had reached its peak, with killing intent brewing in his eyes and not a trace of a smile on his face.