I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

"Hear the tolling of the bell, as it reveals thy name."

A thick aura of murderous intent surged around the Einzbern castle. Beneath the pale moonlight, distorted black figures began to materialize from the very air surrounding the terrace.

One after another, pale skeletal masks emerged from the mist, silently watching the lone girl standing on the terrace, their gazes cold and lifeless.

Assassins.

The number of these twisted, eerie figures was far from normal—there were at least dozens. They wore pale skull masks and black cloaks, their physiques as varied as could be. Some were towering giants, others were frail and gaunt, resembling children or elders. They came in all shapes and sizes, each unique, yet bound together as one.

They were "Hassan of the Hundred Faces", the 19th leader of the Order of Assassins (Hashshashin) and inheritor of the title "Hassan-i-Sabbah". Unlike other Servants, these Assassins were not a single entity, but a collective, each member acting as a piece of the whole.

A cold wind blew through the barrier surrounding the castle, carrying with it the sound of death itself.

The Assassins, who had been lurking like shadows, now advanced fearlessly, their cold blades gleaming with poison under the moonlight. They stared at the girl on the terrace, a wicked grin spread across their faces as they prepared to strike.

"Victory at all costs, no matter the sacrifice."

At the Church, Kirei Kotomine raised his right hand, the red light of his Command Seals glowing fiercely, until one of them finally dimmed and disappeared.

The Assassins had no Magic Resistance; they could not resist the power of the Command Seal. Even so, having been relentlessly pursued by Kurumi, they now harbored their own desire for revenge.

They were confident that Avenger could only have a limited number of clones. The Assassins, full of malice, calculated their odds, believing this time they had the numbers. After all, nearly seventy of them were closing in on her.

Clang!

The Assassins froze at the sound. That familiar, nightmare-inducing sound of chains rattling.

A pair of guns—a short gun and a flintlock—slid into Kurumi's hands. Standing tall on the terrace, she gazed down at the horde of approaching Assassins, her voice dripping with a sinister amusement.

"Have you heard the sound of the bell?"

Click!

Accompanied by the ticking of an ornate clock, a golden, intricately designed clock face appeared behind her.

Zafkiel!

The Assassins faltered for a moment. Was this her Noble Phantasm? In that brief instant, some even imagined seeing their own heads severed by a massive sword.

She's bluffing! They rallied, anger rising within them as they surged forward again. One of the Assassins, a lanky figure with elongated arms, swung his deadly claws at Kurumi's face.

The black, claw-like hand was inches from her, the wind it stirred lifting the strands of her hair, revealing her cold, unfeeling, mechanical eye.

The Assassin grinned wickedly, already imagining the girl's head exploding under his blow. How careless of her—so naive for a little girl to be so distracted in the midst of battle.

Bang!

In the blink of an eye, Kurumi stepped aside and kicked the Assassin in the gut, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.

Sorry, but my legs are a bit long for that.

What... how is this possible!? The Assassin's thoughts raced. She had a C in agility, didn't she?

Sorry, that doesn't account for my gear.

Before he could process what had happened, Kurumi reappeared above him, her black and red energy flashing like a demonic aura. With another brutal kick, she stomped him into the ground, leaving a small crater in the earth.

Kurumi's boot crushed the pale skull mask beneath it, applying just enough pressure to crack the bone-like surface.

As the world went dark for the Assassin, his last thought was one of bewilderment.

It's... all black...

Kurumi stood, godlike, over the defeated Assassins. Raising her arm, the barrel of her gun aimed lazily at the next target.

"Who's next?"

The sound of rattling chains echoed in the hearts of the Assassins like a death knell. Even though the Command Seal's power was still driving them forward, urging them to attack, the terror was palpable.

Under the cold moonlight, Kurumi tilted her head, her wine-red eyes shimmering with deadly intent as she prepared to deliver the next volley of death.

Even inside the castle, the others could feel the ominous aura from the battle outside, along with the waves of bloodlust and hatred.

The confrontation between Assassins and Avenger was fierce.

"This... Is this your doing, Archer?" Rider glanced toward Gilgamesh.

"Hmph." Gilgamesh shrugged dismissively, his expression one of disdain. "Why would I care? I have no need to trouble myself with the thoughts of vermin." His crimson eyes betrayed a hint of displeasure, though.

Tokiomi... How dare you allow these filthy insects to disturb a feast in which I am participating.

On the terrace, blades clashed and bodies fell as Kurumi stood in the midst of the Assassin swarm, swinging her chain-whip and cutting down her enemies like a whirlwind.

Her gunblade sliced through Assassin after Assassin, their skeletal masks falling to the ground and being trampled into the dust. Kurumi was utterly dominating the battlefield, her gunblade leaving trails of severed limbs and shattered bones in its wake.

One small figure, concealed by the blood and chaos, slipped through the ranks and thrust a poison-coated dagger toward Kurumi's back.

Without even looking, Kurumi's left hand twitched, pulling her short gun back into her hand. She fired a single shot over her shoulder.

Bang!

The dried-up skull mask shattered into pieces as the Assassin collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Everything was under her control. Watching through the eyes of his Assassins, Kirei Kotomine frowned.

This wouldn't do. The Assassins were being slaughtered without forcing Avenger to even reveal her true abilities. Kurumi hadn't even needed to fully rely on her Noble Phantasm, and yet, she was still dominating the battle.

With a flick of his hand, Kirei issued a new order through the Command Seal.

—"Assassinate the Master."

Kirei switched tactics, expending yet another precious Command Seal. After all, Assassin was disposable, a mere pawn in the grand scheme.

At that command, the Assassins felt an immense weight lift off their shoulders. Finally, they no longer had to face this monster.

Quickly, they dispersed, slipping into the Einzbern castle in search of the Masters.

Nearly half of the Assassins still remained, scattering in all directions. Surely, Avenger, even with her clones, couldn't possibly catch them all.

And then... they saw the nightmare.

A black shadow rippled across the ground, faster than they could comprehend.

"Zafkiel!"

With Kurumi's voice, a dark red barrier surged outward, slowing the Assassins' movements to a crawl.

The Assassins whispered in terror as they felt their doom approach.

"She's a demon..."