This Is My Holy Grail War

"Truly remarkable skill," Rider said with a clap of his hands, but Assassin and Archer remained locked in a silent stare.

Assassin was tense. After all, she was standing before the strongest Servant in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the one destined to bring the conflict to an end in a single night—the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.

Archer, on the other hand, found himself intrigued by this nimble and resourceful woman who had eluded the onslaught of his treasures.

"I must admit," Archer began, completely ignoring Rider, "you, mongrel, are like... a blank sheet of pure white paper."

His piercing golden eyes bore into Assassin as he continued, "It has been so long since I last witnessed such an unblemished soul."

"An unusual soul, to be sure—almost as if something is missing from it," he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "But that only makes it all the more exquisite."

Yet, beneath Archer's faint smile, his [Gate of Babylon] roared to life once more. This time, the golden portals multiplied—sixteen treasures aimed at Assassin.

Assassin's heart raced, panic flickering across her face. She wasn't alone in her unease; far away, Archer's Master, Tokiomi Tohsaka, was equally unsettled.

From the start, Tokiomi had been reluctant to let Archer reveal the full extent of his Noble Phantasms. Now, not only had Archer unleashed them entirely, but he had also targeted their own supposed ally.

Kirei Kotomine, loyal to Tokiomi, had no objections. Assassin, though not yet sworn to their cause, was undoubtedly part of their faction.

Tokiomi's hand brushed over the Command Seals on the back of his hand. The red marks glowed faintly, pulsing as he debated using them to stop Archer. Yet hesitation stayed his hand—he didn't want to waste a Command Seal or risk damaging his relationship with the King of Heroes.

Let's see how this plays out, Tokiomi decided, though uncertainty gnawed at him. Using a Command Seal to force Archer's retreat might spark conflict.

After deliberating, Tokiomi instead issued an order to Kirei, instructing him to extract Assassin from the battlefield.

Assassin, can you make peace with Archer? Kirei asked.

It's Archer attacking me, not the other way around! Assassin shot back irritably. I'd love to make peace with him if he'd stop trying to kill me! She glanced warily at the golden ripples behind Archer, dread sinking into her chest.

"Conserve the Command Seals," Tokiomi instructed Kirei firmly. "Do not summon Assassin back unless absolutely necessary." Even now, Tokiomi maintained his composed elegance.

"I understand."

Kirei had only two Command Seals left. Using one now would leave him with just a single contingency. Worse, Tokiomi wasn't certain that summoning Assassin would even succeed, especially in the face of a king like Archer.

"Enough of this, Archer." Rider broke the tense silence as the treasures prepared to fire. "From your words earlier, you claim to be a king. Is this truly the extent of your magnanimity as a ruler?"

"Silence, cur!" Archer snapped, dismissing Rider with a wave of his hand. "A mongrel like you has no right to lecture this king!"

With that, Archer unleashed his treasures.

Rider, intending to intervene, found himself frozen in shock.

Sixteen Noble Phantasms rained down in an instant, devastating the already ruined library. The sheer scale of destruction was overwhelming, with over half the weapons ranking at A or higher. Archer's intent was unmistakable: to obliterate Assassin entirely.

But when the dust settled, Rider was stunned by what he saw.

Assassin was still standing.

The ground around her was a wasteland of craters and shattered earth, carved by the destructive force of Archer's attack. Yet, she had avoided every single treasure, emerging unscathed.

As long as there's a sliver of hope, I will survive.

"Fascinating… truly fascinating," Archer chuckled, genuine delight flickering in his voice. "Show me, mongrel—just how many of my treasures you can evade."

He raised his arm, and a golden tide surged behind him.

This time, thirty-two Noble Phantasms hovered in the air. Even the Berserker, Lancelot would have struggled against such a torrent. With a wild laugh, Archer unleashed the wave upon Assassin.

Caught in the torrent of treasures, Assassin was like a lone boat in a violent sea, tossed about by the tempest. Yet no matter how fierce the storm or how high the waves, she endured.

Unbeknownst to Assassin, Archer had never intended to kill her outright.

He had deliberately left small openings in his onslaught, curious to see how far her resilience could take her.

As he had expected, Assassin clung to that narrow thread of hope, navigating the storm of treasures and surviving against all odds.

But now, Archer prepared to escalate.

Sixty-four treasures emerged from the [Gate of Babylon], their radiant light as blinding as the sun.

This is it… I'm going to die.

The oppressive aura of the treasures made it hard for Assassin to breathe. Her body was exhausted, her strength nearly spent. Sweat soaked her back, and her delicate face bore signs of fatigue.

Just my luck. I should've put another point into Luck when I had the chance!

Archer poured his full power into the treasures, their golden brilliance almost unbearable. But just as he prepared to unleash them, he stopped abruptly, the glowing portals disappearing with a flick of his wrist.

"By the Command Seal, retreat, Archer," Tokiomi's voice broke the tension. "O king, your loyal servant humbly begs you to stand down."

"Using a servant's petty plea to restrain this king… You dare, Tokiomi?" Archer's fury burned hot. To be interrupted at the height of his excitement was intolerable, especially for a king who had never bowed to anyone.

"Assassin, you mongrel," Archer spat venomously as he turned to leave. "I will remember you."

Before departing entirely, he couldn't resist one final barb at Rider. "Hmph. I hope next time I encounter real heroes, not self-proclaimed kings."

Far away in his study, Tokiomi finally let out a long sigh of relief.

At least the King of Heroes' wrath has been quelled. An infighting among allies would only serve to benefit our enemies.

Tokiomi rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache brewing. He had begun to take Assassin seriously, but this battle elevated her status in his mind even further.

To endure such an overwhelming assault and still remain unyielding… By the end, Tokiomi even started to believe that Assassin might survive Archer's full power unleashed.

As expected, Kirei's acquisition of such a formidable Hassan must be a sign of divine favor. Surely, my victory is preordained! Tokiomi's confidence swelled, tipping into arrogance.

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T/N: BRTUHHH MINDS EYE AND INSTINCT IS SUCH A BROKEN COMBOO WITH A+ AGILITY??

wait just thinking about it... she's probably gonna be summoned in the fifth war... but will it be the same timeline or a different one?