"Hmm... Isn't the answer obvious?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm Eternal King. I can see through everything. How could a mere illusion deceive my eyes?"
Of course, that was a lie. His All Seeing Eyes ability was useless now, disabled by the Black Grail. And knowing so much was clearly because he had read the wiki.
Knowing the character details as a transmigrator - this had been Shirou's so-called "protagonist halo" or "cheat" all this while. He was a transmigrator who knew some details about the characters of this world, but Hinako didn't know this.
She only knew one thing - Shirou had somehow seen right through her true identity.
This left Hinako feeling annoyed, anxious...and on some deep level she didn't even notice, a trace of panic.
"Bring it out. Relying on that flimsy illusion of yours to show off in front of this king will only get you killed. Reveal your true form."
Normally, Hinako would have already exploded at those words. But seeing Kiara observing them from the entrance, she managed to keep her temper in check.
"It seems you're unwilling to reveal yourself. No matter - since you dared charge past my men to confront this king, perishing by my hand is the only just outcome."
Shirou used Gawain's record, summoning Excalibur Galatine. His entire body began radiating the brilliance of the sun.
Here it comes!
Hinako tensed, on high alert.
"Wai-, wait a moment, Mr. Assassin!" Kiara hurried out from the cavern.
"Oh?" He stopped his attack and glanced at her.
Hinako turned to her as well, her slender brows furrowing. "What are you doing? I told you not to come in here!" she said sharply.
"Just this once, I cannot obey Hinako senpai."
Hinako was stunned.
This...this human...!
What does she think she's doing!?
Kiara turned to face Shirou slightly. "Mr. Assassin, do you remember me? I'm Kiara, the one you saved back in Romania. You told me happiness isn't imagined but forged step-by-step through our own efforts. To me, you are a light - so there's no way you could have fallen into darkness or become the guardian of this place. Please, don't keep guarding this connection point. Mr. Assassin. Come with me."
Kiara slowly extended her hand toward him.
After confirming Shirou was the guardian here, she had resolved to bring him along when she left -
To escape this connection point together and return to Chaldea.
That way, the previous regrets would be mended.
Teacher too...
Would surely be happy.
In response to her words, he was... utterly perplexed. "???"
And he wasn't the only confused one. Hinako stared at the girl, gritting her teeth in immense irritation.
"Get out of here this instant, you novice!" she yelled. "Right now! Move it!"
That blasted Morgan...what kind of troublesome nonsense has she saddled me with!?
Facing Hinako's scolding, Kiara was also baffled. "???"
Shirou's expression turned icy cold. Without hesitation, he swung Excalibur Galatine, sending searing rays of sunlight blasting towards Kiara like blades.
Kiara's eyes went wide.
⊙▽⊙
Faced with his sudden attack, she was stunned speechless. Then―
She threw her arms over her head with a shriek and fled screaming, "Wahhh! Wahhh!"
"You stupid novice!"
Hinako cursed to herself. She charged at Shirou like a comet, unleashing a fierce kick at his face.
His eyes flickered briefly. In response, he drew a scabbard and summoned a defensive bounded field.
Hinako's kick landed squarely on the scabbard. Despite her tremendous power, she couldn't even budge Avalon's impenetrable defense.
When her momentum died, he dismissed Avalon and struck with Excalibur. A thunderous boom sent Hinako crashing heavily into the stone wall, burying her in rubble.
"Hina...Hinako senpai!" Kiara clenched her fists, staring at him. "You can't be Assassin. He'd never do something like this!"
Looking down indifferently from above, he asked, "How can you be so sure, Kiara?"
Hearing this, she was stunned.
"The one in Romania was me. The one standing before you now is also me. What do my past actions have to do with my desire to kill you both now?"
He gazed at her with cold eyes. "Clinging to naive perceptions of the past, believing an ally cannot become an enemy - such foolishness will bring you only death and regret on the battlefield."
Sneering, he materialized Rhongomyniad in his grip.
They had gone too far. Just because he was the final boss, they assumed victory would be easy and tried to skip straight to the boss room to defeat him right away. They were clearly underestimating him.
And most importantly...such naivety deserved punishment.
Shirou had a soft spot for innocent souls - their purity and sincerity was a balm against the deceit and betrayal he often faced. Perhaps at times they seemed silly, but their genuine care stood apart from most who only calculated potential gain.
However, retaining such innocence on the battlefield was unacceptable!
As the "good" half of Beast III, Kiara's thoughts were dangerously pure, her personality disarmingly innocent.
Shirou stared at her coldly, the starlight flickering along Rhongomyniad's length as terrifying energy brewed within. Then with a murderous snap, he swung the holy lance at the defenseless girl.
"The lance that shines to the end of the world - Rhongomyniad!"
Kiara saw only an endless barrage bursting from the weapon before her and cried out.
"No... Don't ah——!"
Her body emitted a faint golden glow, blooming into endless white hands that grasped at the searing light.
Hmm... Interesting. It was the Beast's skill, Ten Thousand Colored Leisure Stagnation. Kiara could already tap into Beast III's powers it seemed. She had grown indeed. Shirou was slightly surprised.
As the white hands met the starlight, space itself shuddered.
Then [Ten Thousand Colored Leisure Stagnation] converged, forming [All the World's Desire] - a vortex that sucked in the searing starlight.
Shirou raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised she could use that Noble Phantasm. Had Beast given her access to it? Or had she seized it against the Beast's will?
Most importantly, would this thing cause Kiara to transform into Beast III?
He furrowed his brows tightly.
When facing a Beast, one couldn't be too cautious. To even have a chance at victory against such an entity, he would need to use a suicidal attack even if he had to destroy his Saint Graph in the process.
Just as he had done when destroying Beast III.
"Crack crack crack——"
Hinako pushed away some rubble, looking at the confrontation between Kiara and Shirou with some surprise.
That newbie... wasn't human either?
The doubt crossed Hinako's mind because such power clearly exceeded human limitations.
She had to be something more to use it—something high-ranking and non-human.
But now wasn't the time to think about it.
As Hinako watched Shirou staring intently at Kiara, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
To be struck so painfully was unforgivable!
She was petty like that.
Also, under such circumstances, making a small move probably wouldn't be noticed, right?
"The Grieving Song of the Shijie of Cursed Blood!"
Hinako pressed her hand to the ground, carefully unleashing her ability - [The Grieving Song of the Shijie of Cursed Blood]. From a Heroic Spirit's perspective, it could be considered a Noble Phantasm. By abandoning her flesh and letting energy run rampant beyond its limits, overloading her current body until it became a makeshift bomb, detonating, then reconstructing a new body for herself with enough energy - a mad technique. It was essentially a suicide bombing attack that only someone of Hinako's nature could accomplish.
Her body emanated a thick, bloody aura. Curses and weakening debuffs brewed within before seeping into the ground through the leylines. The aura rapidly entered and flowed beneath Shirou's feet.
"Hm?"
Noticing something amiss below, he glanced down. Bloody aura spread out, suffusing the surroundings like a poisonous fog. Then, several blood-drenched hands gripped his ankles, carrying cursing energies.
"It's over, Berserker!" Hinako stood up, fiercely clenching her fist.
The bloody aura around him shimmered with explosive energy before exploding outwards.
"Boom boom boom boom!"
Shockwaves rocked the skies.
The starlight bombarding Kiara disappeared.
"It's... it's over?" Kiara breathed a sigh of relief. Still, being attacked by Mr. Assassin who retained his memories made her heartbroken.
Wah...Mr. Assassin!
o(╥_╥)o