Hassan of the Serenity

That's Why I'm Going to Die Here, as Myself

Serenity: Welcome back, Master.

Serenity: Good job on your assignment on the minute Singularity. I'm glad to see you have returned safely.

Serenity: I'm sorry that I'm the one greeting you today. Mash was on standby until the very last minute...

Serenity: But then a staff member came by and wanted to speak with her about Sheba.

Serenity: And so I have come to greet you instead. I'm sorry if I have disappointed you.


Fujimaru 1: Thanks for your greeting, Hassan.

Serenity: Yes. Welcome back.


Fujimaru 2: I'm not disappointed.

Serenity: Thank you...


Serenity: Will you be returning to My Room? Oh, but if you would like to eat...

Serenity: I've already notified the kitchen. Mr. Emiya, Miss Cat, Miss Boudica, and Miss Raikou...

Serenity: ...are all surely anticipating your arrival. What would you like to do?


Fujimaru 1: Yeah, I am a little hungry.

Serenity: Understood. Strength that's been depleted must be restored.

Serenity: Then this way, please. I shall accompany you to the cafeteria.


Fujimaru 2: Maybe head to the cafeteria after I rest a bit.


Serenity: Ah. You must be exhausted. I will notify the kitchen that you will arrive later.

Serenity: Then I will accompany you to My Room.

Serenity: ...Um, I mean...I didn't mean to make it sound like that...

Serenity: I've recently come to reflect on my past actions... The fact that I would sneak into your bed without permission is, well...

Serenity: Miss Raikou told me that such a thing is...indecent. She was wearing a swimsuit when she told me...

Serenity: Of course, I always knew that to be the case in the back of my mind, and I always meant to behave appropriately, as I was raised...

Serenity: But I could not help myself, and that's why I... multiple times... Oh, yes...multiple times...

Serenity: I bothered you so many times... I will be careful from now on.


Fujimaru 1: You don't have to be so formal about it...


Fujimaru 2: All things in moderation. Moderation.


Serenity: ...But if you say that, I might...

Serenity: No... No! Decency is important! We wouldn't want people sneaking into others' beds without permission!

Serenity: Moderation! I will cultivate self-restraint!

Serenity: Master.

Serenity: Chaldea is a strange place. I may not be in any position to say so because I've not traveled the world to learn much about various places...

Serenity: But that's how I feel... Many heroes from different times and parts of the world exist here together...

Serenity: Heroes of the past. Heroic Spirits. Servants.

Serenity: Dead beings, whose purpose isn't to live correctly in the present age...


Fujimaru 1: Um, well...


Fujimaru 2: Aren't they...incarnated temporarily?


Serenity: No.

Serenity: Oh, I mean... Well, I'm not sure how to say this... I suppose that is one way to describe things.

Serenity: We retain our form using our Spirit Origins to stay in Chaldea, and we live like humans.

Serenity: I do not know the details of its system, but this is all thanks to the immense amount of magical energy that is supplied by Chaldea.

Serenity: Perhaps a mage, even a Caster-class Servant...

Serenity: ...would be able to better put into words what I am trying to describe...

Serenity: But I can say this much: this body of mine is made possible through the power of ether.

Serenity: Blood courses through me, and I have a heart and brain. But at the same time, I have a Spirit Core.

Serenity: So unlike you, I am not a being with a proper body.

Serenity: A true incarnation...in other words, to gain existence as a complete living being would likely require the power of a wish-granting vessel like a Holy Grail.

Serenity: But...

Serenity: If I...could possibly...

Serenity: !!!

Arash: Oops.

Arash: Not looking where you were going, huh? Walking distracted isn't a good idea, Miss Serenity.

Arash: Yo, Master. You're safe. How did that last Rayshift go for you?


Fujimaru 1: I'm back, Arash.


Fujimaru 2: Back home safe and sound!


Arash: Haha. Glad to hear it. You've got a nice color to your face too. Oh and you as well, Miss Serenity.

Serenity: ...

Arash: Heh.

Serenity: ...B-but, it can't be!

Arash: Hm?

Serenity: My apologies, Archer Arash. I will take my leave now, Master.


Fujimaru 1: Huh? Hassan?


Fujimaru 2: What's wrong?


Serenity: I'm sorry. I...um...I...

Serenity: ...I'm terribly...sorry. Now's not...no...no...

Serenity: I cannot...no matter what...

Arash: Huh. She went as far as dissipating into thin air. I didn't mean to cause her so much distress.


Fujimaru 1: I wonder what happened...

Arash: Oh, yeah. Well...you know...


Fujimaru 2: Do you have any idea, Arash?

Arash: Sorry. It's probably best if I don't say anything. I think she should tell you personally.


Arash: It's quite the pickle. All you can really do is to brace for it.

Arash: To us Servants, the Master is our foundation. No matter how much magical energy Chaldea supplies...

Arash: And no matter what anchors us for manifestation...a Servant's existence rests on the Master.

Arash: Well, we're not really humans, but that's another story. There's no use lecturing you on that.

Arash: ...Just act naturally. I beg you.


Fujimaru 1: I don't really get it, but...


Fujimaru 2: I'll just try not to get flustered.


Arash: That's the spirit. That's our Master!

--SECTION BREAK--:

Narration: ...In regards to the strange behavior of the Assassin, Hassan of the Serenity.

Narration: Our first witness is Archer, Arash.

Narration: It appears the two of them ran into each other in the hallway.

Narration: Note that she was unable to properly respond to the sudden encounter, as she was focused only on Master.

Narration: ...and as a result, she made skin-to-skin contact with Arash.

Narration: As you all know, the poisonous toxins that course through her body reach a wide range. They can even penetrate special garments made from magical energy.

Narration: While not always fatal, a Servant touching her body will be affected by her poison.

Narration: Paralysis and dizziness are common effects.

Narration: Arash Kamangir, however, is highly resistant to poison. So, he seems to be fine even after this contact.

Narration: But it was around that time when Hassan of the Serenity began to exhibit other strange behavior.

Narration: Second witness: Mash Kyrielight. Third witness: Chaldea Staff J. Doe (name withheld).

Narration: There are multiple witness reports of the subject standing in front of Master's My Room, doing nothing but bowing her head.

Narration: And not just once or twice. Over the past few days, there have been at least five witnesses who have all given similar reports.

Narration: She is clearly disturbed, which must be what is driving her behavior. She is obviously in psychological pain.

Narration: ...The reason is clear.

Narration: She has finally come to realize that there are individuals other than Master to whom her touch is not fatal.

Narration: It was just a matter of time.

Narration: After contact with Arash, it appears she is trying to remain calm...at least around Master.

Narration: But swift action must be taken, or there is a possibility that this could affect her and our activities in our Rayshifting missions.

Narration: 《This concludes the report by Paracelsus.》

--SECTION BREAK--:

Serenity: ...

Serenity: I sense multiple entities with hostile intent. It appears we are surrounded, Master.

Serenity: ...Whether we choose to break through or flee, it appears a fight is inevitable.


Fujimaru 1: It's okay, just stay calm.


Fujimaru 2: Let's just do things as usual.


Serenity: Yes. I await your orders.

Serenity: ...This may only be the simulator, but I will behave as if it were a matter of life and death. Whatever my Master commands...I will do!

--BATTLE--:

Serenity: ...

Serenity: ...I'm sorry, Master.

Serenity: You went out of your way to invite me to join you in the simulator, yet...I was of no help.

Serenity: I didn't expect so many enemies. If I only managed to break through even the slightest...


Fujimaru 1: Well, it seemed like a successive battle program.


Fujimaru 2: It's not your fault, Hassan.


Serenity: ...

Serenity: Thank you, Master. You are always so kind... Our Master...

Serenity: But I...I'm really...

Serenity: Even though I am one of your Servants...though this should never happen...I just...

Serenity: I cannot act...the way I should...

Mash: Welcome back, Senpai! Serenity!

Serenity: ...I'm sorry. Please take care of Master.

Mash: Oh, Serenity...?


Fujimaru 1: She didn't even say “I'm back”...


Fujimaru 2: She just left...


Mash: Yes...

--SECTION BREAK--:

Paracelsus: Good work in the simulator, Hassan of the Serenity.

Paracelsus: I figured whatever was bothering you would have gone away once you accompanied Master into battle.

Paracelsus: Yet you immediately ran back to your own room... This is very serious.

Serenity: ...

Serenity: ...I thought I locked my door.

Paracelsus: You forget that I am a mage.

Paracelsus: ...And a physician as well.

Serenity: Servants have no need for physicians. I ask that you leave.

Paracelsus: ...First, a little parable for you.

Serenity: I don't...

Paracelsus: It's also a sort of fairy tale. Once upon a time, there was a poisonous girl.

Serenity: ...

Paracelsus: The poisonous girl killed many people. As the name suggests, the girl's veins ran black with poison.

Paracelsus: The girl was searching...for someone who would not die from her touch, who would smile back at her.

Paracelsus: For someone whom she could lean against...just like she'd seen so many people doing.

Paracelsus: The girl was searching...for love.

Paracelsus: The first one, a man, ended in failure. He died. He spoke sweet nothings to her, but then died as soon as the two kissed.

Paracelsus: But then...the second one...was a young girl.

Paracelsus: One so very powerful that she managed to touch the poisonous girl's skin as if it were nothing...

Paracelsus: ...and then smile.

Serenity: ...Is that...story true?

Paracelsus: Like I said, it's a parable. Though, of course, there are elements of truth.

Paracelsus: So the poisonous girl thought to herself, “Ah, this maiden is the one. The one I've desired, the one I've been searching for all this time.”

Paracelsus: She was thrilled. She worked herself into a fervor.

Paracelsus: The poisonous girl accepted the powerful girl as her master, and entered her service. She killed many, and collected many souls...

Serenity: ...A soul eater?

Paracelsus: Who knows? That may have been the case. Either way, the poisonous girl killed and killed and killed.

Paracelsus: And then she met a young man.

Paracelsus: He was a kind young man. He possessed a noble soul, and he was even concerned with the poisonous girl's safety when she showed herself in battle.

Paracelsus: Even though...he was destined to die by the girl's hands.

Paracelsus: The girl killed the young man...kissing him with her poisoned lips.

Paracelsus: She did so without mercy, even though she felt only kindness from him.

Paracelsus: And so, the girl continued to work under her powerful master, killing more and more.

Paracelsus: Then one day, the poisonous girl received a gift from a man.

Paracelsus: It was the kind man, animated as one of the living dead by some kind of magecraft.

Serenity: ...A gift...

Paracelsus: The man said to her, “O poisonous girl. You don't care who the person is, as long as they don't die, right?”

Paracelsus: “You only serve your master because your touch does not kill her, not because you love her.”

Paracelsus: “Then this living corpse should satisfy you.”

Serenity: ...

Serenity: ...And what did she say?

Paracelsus: Who knows?

Serenity: Which did the girl love...? The girl, or the young man's corpse?

Paracelsus: I cannot say. The story's ending is the poisonous girl's alone. It is not for you to know.

Paracelsus: At the very least, the girl went into a long slumber, carrying the story's conclusion with her. And she was never to wake up again. Ever.

Serenity: ...Caster Paracelsus.

Paracelsus: Yes?

Serenity: What you are trying to tell me is that my hesitation...this turmoil within me...is...

Serenity: ...not...love...

Paracelsus: I cannot say. I wonder, do you even know what love is?

Serenity: I...

Paracelsus: Hassan of the Serenity.

Paracelsus: Sometimes, getting lost and hesitating is a good thing. That makes it a story all your own.

Paracelsus: You stand before us as a Spirit Origin. Your manifestation in Chaldea is all your own.

Paracelsus: Memories and thoughts do not linger. Just like with humans. If a Heroic Spirit dies, its Spirit Origin simply ends there.

Paracelsus: That's why, Hassan-i Sabbah...should you chose to cling to the reservations that plague your heart...

Paracelsus: ...and continue along your journey with that sentiment...

Paracelsus: I will not stop you. Nor will I tell you that you are wrong.

Serenity: ...!!!

Serenity: ...Then... I... I...

Serenity: Paracelsus, oh, Paracelsus. There's just one thing I must tell Master–

Paracelsus: Then go on. I will not stop you.

Serenity: Thank you, Caster Paracelsus.

Paracelsus: I wish you luck.

Arash: I didn't mean to eavesdrop.

Arash: But I couldn't help but watch. You chose your words...very carefully...

Arash: Memories don't remain, huh?

Paracelsus: I did not wish to lie, so I was, as you say, very careful in my choice of words.

Paracelsus: Hassan of the Serenity. Her Spirit Origin is somewhat different than ours. Even if SHE were to be summoned once again...

Paracelsus: Those records would never be carried over from the Throne.

Paracelsus: Only when she gains love, that is.

Paracelsus: The Hassan of the Serenity who fell in love will never be summoned again. That Hassan shall sleep for eternity, and carry those emotions with her.

Paracelsus: Even if she were summoned using the Holy Grail or through a special magecraft ritual, the checks and balances system should make it so that a different her with a different Spirit Origin would manifest.

Arash: ...Yeah, the one we have now is a great example.

Paracelsus: Yes. She's a completely different person. Different than the girl we know from that distant Holy Grail War in a faraway past.

Arash: Even we're different. Circumstances and their outcomes may differ slightly, but I understand that is the way it is for all Servants.

Paracelsus: Indeed. Just a SLIGHT difference. Heh. And...that should ring true the next time we are summoned as well.

Paracelsus: If it wasn't for the Singularity or the exception that is the Chaldea summoning ritual, fragments of our memories carrying over should not be possible, either.

Arash: What a pain in the ass.

Paracelsus: Yes. For you and me, both.

--SECTION BREAK--:

Serenity: Master!

Serenity: ...U-um...I...I...


Fujimaru 1: You've come back.


Fujimaru 2: It's okay. Take your time.


Serenity: Y-yes...

Serenity: ...Breathe in...breathe out... Calm down...focus...I...

Serenity: I can do this. I've decided that I'll talk. Inhale...exhale...

Serenity: Master. First of all, I apologize for my mishap in battle earlier.

Serenity: I am fine now. I decided I will be fine from now on. Um...


Fujimaru 1: Okay.


Fujimaru 2: Tell me, Hassan-i Sabbah.


Serenity: I will tell you the truth. I have learned that there are others who my touch does not kill. I mean, apart from you, Master.

Serenity: And so...

Serenity: I was hesitant. I wavered.

Serenity: I thought I was determined...that I wouldn't mind even if the First One's evening bell tolled for me...

Serenity: But then I became confused... I panicked, I wandered, and my mind was all a mess...

Serenity: Someone who doesn't die from touching me. Someone who doesn't die from embracing me...

Serenity: The role was so easily filled...the hero Arash was absolutely unfazed even after I touched him!

Serenity: I heard he was strong against toxins, according to his lore and characteristics. But...I never thought that was actually true...

Serenity: The moment I witnessed it for myself...I...I... It felt like my chest was about to burst...

Serenity: And then I couldn't look at you in the eye...

Serenity: ...I...I...


Fujimaru 1: (Nods)


Serenity: No...no, you do not understand, Master.

Serenity: It was true that I hesitated. I'm still confused. But...but I want to think that it's fine...

Serenity: I was the one who decided to be with you. That feeling will never change.

Serenity: After hearing Paracelsus's story, I began to realize...that if this Spirit Origin that is me...does not stay forever...

Serenity: I will no longer avoid the truth. This Spirit Origin shall begin and end here. There is no me beyond that.

Serenity: That's why I'll be fine. I'm fine now. I won't flee...from anybody.

Serenity: ...And not even from my own heart.


Fujimaru 1: Okay. Got it.

Serenity: Yes.


Fujimaru 2: What do you mean?


Serenity: I will stay by your side. That is what I have decided. That's why...th-th-this is a confession.

Serenity: I am unsure whether this feeling is love or not...

Serenity: No! I will try my best! I'm sure I am going to keep agonizing over this, but I'm sure I will eventually come to a conclusion.

Serenity: That's why, until that time...

Serenity: Please...I would like you, Master, to resist any love or affections from anyone who comes your way...

Serenity: And wait...for me... I would...appreciate that...

Serenity: ...Would you be able to forgive me for thinking and wishing this?


Fujimaru 1: I, uh...


Serenity: Thank you very much, Master. I'm going to keep trying my best.

Serenity: I will eventually come to a conclusion. Even before Kiyohime whisks you away.

E:Kiyohime (Ambush): Did you call for me, my dear Anchin!?

Serenity: Eh...uh...um...seriously? Presence Concealment?

Kiyohime: Oh, no. I just slithered my way over here like usual! You just didn't hear me because you were so wound up!

Kiyohime: By the way...what in the world was that all about!? That sounded like some sort of confession...like a bittersweet and tender-sounding confession!

Kiyohime: I-I will not allow such behavior to happen while I'M around! So, I WILL BURN YOU!

Kiyohime: Ah! She's dissipating!

Kiyohime: Hold it right there! I actually didn't hear a word you said...I only SENSED something was going on...so tell me EVERYTHING!


Fujimaru 1: I'm not sure what happened...


Fujimaru 2: This...this can only end badly...


Fou: Fou fooou!