Nothing mattered anymore, other than the beam of annihilation coming to eradicate mankind's only hope.
The three Maidens still needed a moment.
However, that moment would never present itself because Gorgon's Noble Phantasm was petrifying even time itself.
This was no mere Noble Phantasm, but an Authority.
Pandemonium Cetus: Forced Seal - Pandemonic Temple was a Noble Phantasm that Gorgon could unleash by renouncing her last vestiges as a Goddess.
Everything solid that the beam touched—from the stony towers to magical beasts, from Grimoire's Characters to the thousands of Blades—got liquefied instantly.
In the same moment — all that liquid was petrified to stone with a zero percent chance of ever returning to normal!
Even the most powerful Heroic Servants like Enkidu and Gilgamesh wouldn't be able to come out unscathed from this attack, its sheer might surpassing that of Ea's Enuma Elish.
There was no doubt that if it hit Saber, Rider, and Ruler… they would be erased out of existence, without getting a chance to materialize their sacrifice.
Not to mention, the attack's speed was so fast that it gave no chance to put up a defense.
Kai could perhaps surpass its speed—for a tenth of a moment—but then what? He neither had the strength to block it nor a way to survive it. If the attack landed on either him or Black, then… even Death itself wouldn't be able to save them.
They needed a chance.
The Commander of the Vanguard had done his part.
So, it was time for someone else to hold the baton now.
A bloody, all-destructive ROAR ruptured the entire Reality Marble as Gorgon's Noble Phantasm traced a straight line toward the Masters and Servants.
Time had already paused in the eyes of everyone — doom breathing down their necks.
However, there was one man on this battlefield who could go beyond Pandemonium Cetus' speed.
One man… who already had one leg over the side of no return.
Noble Phantasm —
Assassin let out a breath, his body already losing its material form.
The stagnated time ceased to exist for him. Even the black-purple-white beam of death slowed down in his vision, advancing frame by frame.
— Chronos Rose!
The only thing that had been keeping Assassin on the battlefield was his innate ability of Independent Action. He could keep himself materialized in the world, despite having no Master, for days. It was just like Archer and Medea, who also possessed the same ability.
However, there was one caveat to this ability.
Independent Action didn't mean that Assassin could gain more Mana. So, even if he could keep himself from vanishing for a few days, he couldn't prevent it from happening altogether.
In Medea's case, if Black hadn't intervened, making a pact with her, then she would have disappeared as well.
Assassin had already lost the Mana Rin had been supplying to him.
To not affect Rin's battle with Sakura, Medea had used her Noble Phantasm on Assassin, making him her Servant. Then, he had used both his Noble Phantasms to end Rider Alter, but had failed.
Later, because Medea herself couldn't take Mana from her Master, she had broken the momentary pact she had created with him.
As if that wasn't a blow enough, Assassin had used both his Noble Phantasms again to injure Kirei Kotomine, who was getting direct assistance from the corrupt Greater Grail.
Two back-to-back uses of two Noble Phantasms…
The only reason Assassin could think of himself remaining on this battlefield was not just because he was lucky, but… he was needed to serve a greater purpose.
And the moment to accomplish that purpose had finally arrived.
As if time didn't hinder him anymore, Assassin appeared in front of a pale-faced Shirou Emiya and smiled.
"… You have grown, Shirou," Assassin said gently. "In just a few days, I have seen you outgrow the man whom you admire so much… A flawed man. I hope you will keep improving. Do not fight for justice only, Shirou. Create your own ideals. Create your own path. Create your own… myth. Let's hope… I never get to see you again. Goodbye… Son."
A tear trickled down Shirou's cheek as if he could perceive Assassin in this time node.
Taking a deep breath and looking at Archer with regret, Assassin turned around.
Step by step, he walked toward Gorgon, whose eyes were following his pace but were powerless to do anything, despite her monstrous strength.
A dagger appeared in Assassin's right hand.
As he crossed half the distance, he sensed Berserker hiding himself within a Room made of stones. How Berserker prevented himself from getting liquefied and petrified, when even he wouldn't have survived if he had been this close to Gorgon, Assassin didn't know.
But Berserker and his Master, Black, were different.
Something about them was unnatural, hideous, and… perverse.
Still, Assassin had confirmed that neither of the two was against mankind. So, as the Counter Guardian summoned by Counter Force, he truly had nothing to say to them.
Walking past the strange Room, Assassin finally appeared in front of Gorgon.
Suddenly, he felt one more gaze upon him — the same gaze he had been feeling for the last few days. It was like the entire world was looking at him.
"… Will Shirou be safe?" Assassin asked, not knowing to whom he was addressing.
[Don't know…] An old voice answered, sounding curious and amazed. [… Would you like to stay around and watch?]
Would he? Assassin asked himself, shocked.
Then, he just laughed. "Haha… No. Thank you for the offer."
With one step, Assassin blurred, reappearing right in front of Gorgon's head, her petrifying gaze frozen in time as she looked at him.
Noble Phantasm —
Becoming blue motes of light, Assassin lifted his dagger and slammed it deep between Gorgon's eyes.
A crack ran through Gorgon's face, shattering the monstrous beam of death like glass.
— Phantasm Punishment!
Smiling, Assassin looked over his shoulder to have one last look…
… but before his eyes could reflect Shirou's small figure, he ceased to exist.
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