Loyalty.
This was Hassan's driving force ever since his summoning. He has been an accomplished, influential man in his life, the master of the mountain who took countless lives and thus inevitably drowned himself in sin. There was no rest for him after death, for his soul was summoned to fight in a battle taking place in the far future. He became a servant to a man who wished to end the cycle that tormented his city for generations and rid it of the darkness that plagued the land. A noble goal, the one he fought for with great vigor and dedication, using Assassin as his sword. As Hassan leaped from one building to another across the shadowy streets of Fuyuki, he wondered if this was his chance at redemption. To save thousands of lives after taking just as many…
One way or another, Hassan had to fulfill Shirou's order. Darkness stirred deep in the forest outside Fuyuki, a large cloud colored in a grotesque mixture of crimson and dark violet. This was his destination, the throne where Angela von Einzbern resided. With her death, with a swift strike of a blade to her back, will the calamity be averted. Hassan made his way to the wilderness, preparing himself to deal with this blow of salvation.
Hassan snuck into Einzbern's castle under the guise of the night, leaping from one tree to another until he eventually could find a way into one of the windows. The closer Hassan got, the more corruption he felt in his veins. This presence was as unmistakable as it was mortifying. Assassin felt Angra Mainyu festering around him, gradually rotting his essence from within. If this power was to be unleashed, not a single servant would be able to hold it back. It was only natural that Emiya wanted to stop this from happening.
Hassan was well aware that Archer and Rider would be patrolling those halls, but to his surprise, the castle was rather empty. Assassin couldn't see either servant, and no one tried to attack him. While this was a reason for concern, he couldn't switch his focus. Assassin was here for Angela, and he would claim his prize.
At last, Hassan set his eyes upon her. The white-haired magus standing before the large crystal formed behind the castle, the source of Angra Mainyu's dark power. This was the pure manifestation of evil that made Hassan feel fear emerge in his heart. And now this power coursed through Angela, as well, granting her might beyond any mortal limits.
Hassan couldn't help but doubt himself. All that was left was to emerge from the shadow and kill her as quickly as possible, but it was a great risk. Her perception and strength were equal to that of a servant. In a way, Angela has become this 'Avenger' herself. But Assassin knew that hesitating was useless. Shirou was well aware of the suicidal nature of this task, but his master had been a staunch protector of the innocents. If Angela was allowed to continue even for a few hours, she could unleash a wave of darkness that would take countless lives. It was all or nothing. The fate of Fuyuki depended on Assassin's strike. His blade was infused with mana. It was time.
Hassan leaped forth, ready to pierce Angela's back. However, it only took half a second before he was looking her directly in the eyes.
…
Hector could not believe he was doing this.
At long last, he mustered enough courage to reach out for freedom. All the pain and shame that he had to endure, the humiliation from Angela made him doubt his worth and instead blindly follow the deranged magus's orders. He would never submit to her again…He was his own mad who made a choice to stand with the Coalition and oppose Angra Mainyu, a single moment of betrayal that gave him hope for the future.
They escaped very quickly before either Angela or Archer could notice. Hector commanded Iskandar to create a flying chariot, after all the two of them took into the skies and rode towards El-Melloi's residence. Hector felt his heartbeat increase as the two approached their former enemies' hideout, he couldn't expect a warm welcome. Iskandar, on the other hand, looked like a picture of joy.
"Bwahaha, finally, the scent of freedom!" Rider spoke with pride. "Can you believe it? I'm feeling just like I did riding into a glorious battle during my ruler days! You've made the right choice, boy! This was exactly what I waited for, the true spirit of approaching battle…Whatever fiends Angela sends towards us, I swear on my life that I shall expunge every single one of them!" It was a joy to see Rider so enthusiastic, but Hector had no choice but to contain this excitement.
"Don't forget to be careful. We won't be among friends there."
"Truly? I thought both you and that Sakura girl had a soft spot for each other." He said confidently, making Hector blush.
"We might not run into her; there's six of them there…And most probably wouldn't be happy to see us."
"If that's so, I will make sure that there will be another epic battle in the history books after this day!"
"We're there to talk, not fight! How many times do I have to repeat that?"
"I jest, boy." Iskandar laughed. "This is your choice and your course of action; I would never dare spoil it."
"Thank you, Rider…"
"Seems like we're getting close!"
Here it was, the lone estate on the outskirts of Fuyuki. Hector took a deep breath, thinking back to the recent battle when he nearly killed Rin Tohsaka…Hector prayed she survived the wound he inflicted.
Eventually, the two of them landed at the main gate. Hector desperately looked around in an attempt to spot at least one member of the Coalition, but his surroundings were surprisingly silent as if the entire estate got abandoned…Or they were hiding and waiting for the enemy to land right into a trap.
Mere moments after this horrifying thought emerged in Hector's mind, the golden light gleamed all around him. Caster's majestic aura engulfed Hector and Rider, draining the mana that fueled Iskandar's chariot, leaving the two of them weakened and trapped. As expected, Hector soon heard Gilgamesh's proud voice.
"Really, are you truly willing to fall this low, King of Conquerors?" Gilgamesh chuckled as he emerged through the front door. Rin Tohsaka followed him, still limping after the grievous wounds Hector had inflicted. "A frontal assault at the heart of your opponent's stronghold…No, it cannot be that simple. Where is the catch? Where is Lancer hiding? Or perhaps we should ask your young master?"
"I come here on my master's behest," Iskandar said with confidence in his tone, putting his trust in Hector. "He should speak on my behalf."
Hector felt shovers spreading through his body as Gilgamesh turned his crimson eyes towards him.
"Finally going to act like a leader, I take it?" Gilgamesh smiled. "Well, I know someone who'd love to have a word with you." He said that before looking at Rin, she hadn't even tried to hide the anger in her eyes as she looked at Hector.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here after what you did," Rin said spitefully. "I still can't walk properly after you assaulted us."
"I'm sorry, Rin…" Hector took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I caused you such pain, but I promise this won't happen again! I have no desire to harm any of you. I don't come here at Angela's behest, I am not following her anymore, I…"
"And why should we believe you? You being too cowardly to kill doesn't mean you have it in you to betray her."
"I'm not a coward!" Hector clenched his fist. He couldn't help but react with sudden fury. "Listen, we don't have much time! Can you call Sakura? We'll…"
"What is going on here?" Emiya's commanding voice interrupted Hector. Three mages entered the fray, Shirou, El-Melloi, and Sakura. Now, everyone but the Assassin was here, but Hector wouldn't be surprised if he was watching from the shadows, biding his moment for the strike. Understandably, everyone was cautious, and they didn't hurry to release Hector from his golden prison. The young man took a deep breath; they had good reason not to trust him…It was up to him to prove that his intentions were noble.
"Iskandar?" Lord El-Melloi spoke in quiet disbelief as he laid his eyes on his idol, now trapped and weakened by the King of Heroes.
"Hector, is that you?" Sakura walked forward and spoke cautiously, yet she couldn't hide the rising joy in her eyes and smile. "Why did you come here?"
"Sakura, wait, don't get close!" Rin interrupted. "We don't know what he is planning."
"He isn't planning anything! Didn't you see enough? Hector refused to kill you when he had the perfect chance. He is not a bad person!"
"I understand you don't want to trust me…And for good reason!" Hector spoke up, attracting everyone's attention. "But I swear on my life, on everything that I still have, that I am not tricking you! There's no one here besides Iskandar and me, though I know that Angela sent the corrupted Lancer after you!"
"And why are you telling us this?" Shirou asked.
"Because…Because I can't follow her anymore." Hector admitted. "I tried to deny her evil and how much death and destruction she would willingly cause, all because I thought I was indebted to her, that if not for her, I would have no one left, nowhere to go, but now I realized that it doesn't matter!" Hector shouted as a few tears fell down his eyes. "Even if I have nowhere to go, I can't be a part of Angela's plan…She wants to unleash the power of Angra Mainyu upon Fuyuki as a sacrifice for her god. Even if this fusion somehow works out and she and Angela make a pact with Angra Mainyu, thousands will die, and if I take part in that, I was never worth saving in the first place! I've come to you because your group is the only people who can stop this process, and I want to help. I want to fight by your side."
"To fight side by side with the lesser king, a tempting offer…" Gilgamesh admitted. "But it's not the one that inspires trust. I remember how much of a loyal lapdog you truly are. Whenever you had doubts, a few words from your master were more than enough to make you return to her and beg for her to allow you back into the fold." This demeaning statement made Iskandar speak up.
"You do not know what you are talking about, King of Heroes. Need I remind you that Hector could have killed Lord El-Melloi after we defeated Berserker? He chose not to do it, even when Angela demanded that he obey. I walked this path with Hector, and I know how much he has grown…He is no longer Angela's slave; he is a man of his own, and I will fight by his side for this reason alone." He remained confident in his words, making Hector swell with pride.
"Rider is not the only one who can speak for Hector," Sakura interjected. "I was the first one to fight him. I had to look into his eyes and hear him say that he was going to kill me…But even then, I saw that he was not a monster. He had many chances to take my life away, yet he wouldn't, and the same for El-Melloi and Rin. Yes, he wanted to help Angela because of her saving him all those years ago, but he never wanted to kill! Shirou, you have to understand…There was a time when I came to your house because I had to spy for Zouken and lied to you about it; I gave my servant to Shinji and allowed him to take lives…But I changed. I don't answer to them anymore. Now Hector has found the courage to forge his own path, so please, give him this chance like you gave it to me!" Sakura spoke passionately, making everyone at the estate remain silent for a few moments, overtaken by their thoughts. Hector couldn't believe that she stood up for him in such a confident and unapologetic fashion, yet he quickly realized he should not be surprised…She always reached out to him, no matter how much he pushed her away. If only he could have realized earlier that meeting Sakura Kuzuki was among the most fortunate blessings in his life.
"Thank you…" He spoke quietly.
"You're welcome." Sakura smiled. "You refused to kill my sister despite knowing that Angela might punish you for it, I just repaid in kind."
"No… You've done so much more." Hector said with pride.
"But has he proven himself?" Rin remained skeptical.
"I will if you give me the chance." Hector said. "And I am ready to share information. Angela killed Marianne and transformed Lancer into a corrupted servant who she controls, I told you he's coming right here."
"Too bad we already knew all of this," Gilgamesh said dismissively.
"W-what? Oh…Of course, you must have sent the Assassin." Hector realized. "Did you call him back? We'll need all the servants available when Lancer comes here."
"No, he is not here," Shirou responded coldly as Gilgamesh gradually removed the golden aura around Hector and Rider.
"Where is he, then?"
"I sent him to eliminate Angela and end this war before it can take more lives."
"W-what?" Hector could feel his heartache. He was willing to go against Angela, but the thought of her death never occurred to him. "No, you don't understand! With Angra Mainyu's power, she is stronger than just a mage! She can fight servants, and if your Assassin gets spotted…"
Before Hector could finish, the sound of heavy metal steps echoed in his ears. Someone was approaching the estate's gate, and he was well aware of the fiend's identity.
"He is here…"
A loud explosion followed.
…
Shirou Emiya made a mistake.
The moment Angela sensed Assassin hiding in the shadows, ready to strike her down despite his doubts and fears, she knew that her opponent made a grievous mistake, and this thought made butterflies fly in her stomach. By the time she turned around and looked at the Assassin, she couldn't help but allow a sardonic grin to creep up on her face.
The Assassin never reached his target.
A devastating ray of Angra Mainyu's energy emerged in Angela's hand, creating a huge rift between herself and the enemy servant. He was frozen mid-air, staring at the mighty magus that he desperately wanted to reach. Hassan's fingers twitched in a futile attempt to break through and reach Angela, a pathetic sight.
"I wonder…" She said, looking over the powerless servant. "Why would your master do something so foolish and self-defeating? Let me guess…He fears for the people, does he? You were spying and told him all about Angra Mainyu and what it can do to those who stand in his way. So he decided to take his chance, thought it would be worth trying to stop me before I free the Avenger. Am I right? What a naive fool…I pity you; no servant deserves such a careless master, but I am more than willing to console you!"
Angela broke the rift, pushing Hassan away with a mighty shockwave. The Assassin tried to stand up and attack her again, but he was immediately interrupted by Archer's blades that emerged from both sides and blocked his path. Angela's servant kept his word, always rushing to defend her. The Assassin was trapped and doomed to perish. Looking at him desperately struggling for freedom, Angela saw Hassan as a mere gnat who overestimated his abilities. There was a certain charm in crushing imbeciles like him, and it would send a perfect message to Emiya…But why kill when she could do so much more?
"Angra Mainyu!" Angela screamed and raised her arm. "Accept this offering of flesh and magic, and let it mark your birth!"
The next moment flashed in the woman's mind in a matter of milliseconds, yet it was etched in her memory, overshadowing Angela's conscience in its entirety.
"M…" A mere sound spoke inside her mind in unison with a thousand distorted voices that could not be identified by age, race, or gender…She was not sure whether the creature that spoke was even human. "M-mother…"
"Angra Mainyu?" A thought echoed in Angela's mind, sounding as if she said it out loud.
"Please…Free…Me…I want to see…To take this world…"
"You will have the entire world, curse-bearer, the world, and so much more…"
"I want to…Burn them…All…"
"I only need your power."
She got what she wanted. The heart of darkness in Angela's hand was unstoppable. She became the perfect vessel of Angra Mainyu's spite and evil, Hassan could only watch in terror as a dozen of dark claws pierced his entire body, scorching his limbs dragging him into the abyss of the dark crystal.
Angela didn't need more than a single spell to unmake Assassin's body and soul.
