[h2]Assassin[/h2]

The fact that Rider's shield didn't yield wasn't exactly unexpected. The flurry of stabs she had put into it were both an attempt to force him back, for him to give way, as much as they were an attempt to see what he would do in the face of her attack. And his own strategy seemed to be to hold fast at all costs. Given the shield was quite sturdy, this wasn't something Assassin didn't expect. It was giving him an ample defense from her assault, which meant that a head-on attack wasn't the best option. This also gave her a bit of a hint at his own level of skill. Not that she doubted it in the first place, given the girl samurai's own pride in her capabilities, but it seemed clear now that when it came to personal skill with a blade, Rider was inferior. Given his class it wasn't altogether surprising, Riders weren't summoned for their personal abilities but rather for their Noble Phantasms.

Drawing back once more, Assassin narrowed her silvery eyes and made for another, much stronger strike. This would be her last forward attack, one designed to make him think she was committing to her assault... at least, until he suddenly twisted and used his shield to deflect her blow! For a split second, she was put off balance...!

But when Rider's counterattack came, Assassin was already gone. It wasn't as if she had simply dodged. No, it was almost as if she had teleported away, but Assassin had no such capabilities. The air whipped around her as she simply [i]moved[/i], seeming to reappear roughly a meter out of the range of Rider's scimitar.

Shukuchi. The skill allowing for the capability of 'seemingly instant movement'. A mere step below true teleportation.

Assassin leaped and flipped forward with speed stunning even to the eyes of a Servant, her katana flashing downwards towards her foe with the momentum of her rapid descent behind it!

[@King Cosmos]