Assassin (Fate/Crossover - Tifa Lockhart)

**Assassin** (バーサーカー, *Asashin*) is the servant of ??? in the ??? Holy Grail War.

"*People have many things pent up inside of themselves. So many things they can never forget. Strange, isn't it?*" - Tifa Lockhart

## Profile

### Identity

Assassin's true identity is **Tifa Lockhart**, a friend of Cloud Strife, and a member of the resistance group Avalanche.

Tifa grew up with Cloud in Nibelheim, but lost contact with him years ago. When she meets him again, she convinces him to join Avalanche to fight the Shinra Electric Power Company, whom she bears hatred for due to the destruction of their hometown. She supports Cloud as his comrade and helps him and his allies fight Sephiroth. Tifa is reserved and empathic, acting as a motherly figure towards her allies when providing encouragement and emotional support. She also serves as the voice of reason grounding them to think things through and do the right thing.

In contrast to her shy personality, Tifa has a vigorous combat style, fighting with her fists. Trained by Zangan, she uses martial arts skills to fight opponents up close, and equips knuckles as her weapons. In the original Final Fantasy VII, unlike other characters, her Limit abilities, each a different martial arts technique, are not selected from a list, rather, each ability can be used consecutively if the slots land on the "Yeah!" reel for the ability. Tifa has a similar role in Final Fantasy VII Remake as an agile close combat fighter making use of powerful techniques in battle, with a unique ability based on her Unbridled Strength chi level.

### Personality

Tifa is empathic, motherly, and reserved, both out of being observant and for being emotionally shy. Tifa identifies the feelings of others, offering sanctuary and protection for her teammates. While looking out for others, Tifa rarely discusses her own feelings: whenever she is asked, she will either express surprise, or quickly change the subject. Tifa prefers to consider all options and take in all information before acting, such as when she does not speak up about Cloud's confused past until she is certain of her own recollection of events. She also encourages others to practice restraint and think things through first. Tifa can and does fight to defend herself, often preferring to so as not to get others involved. While normally reserved, Tifa still shows aggression at times, particularly when interrogating Don Corneo and standing up to Scarlet. Tifa has low self-confidence and is self-critical of her faults, always pushing herself to do better.

Tifa is defined by her grief and loss throughout her life, manifesting in her conflicted nature, low self-esteem, and her reserved tendencies. As a child, she was more outgoing and extroverted, but the trauma of losing her mother at eight years old made her withdrawn at the time, and introverted later in life. As a teenager she lost her father and hometown in the Nibelheim incident, and as an adult experienced the fall of the Sector 7 plate. As a result, Tifa feels grief and anger towards both Shinra and Sephiroth, driving her desire for revenge. This, as well as her coping mechanism for pain being to withstand it rather than run from it, leads her to join Avalanche to get back at Shinra. While she acknowledges they have to be bold to make a change, she is ill at ease about the bombings and feels trapped, expressing guilt at many of their actions. Her conflicted nature allows her to resolve an argument between Cait Sith and Barret, able to understand both sides. Ultimately, when alone with Cloud to talk about her feelings of loss, she is overwhelmed and simply bursts into tears, showing her fragile emotional state which she tries to conceal.

As a supportive but troubled figure, Tifa shares mutual dependence with her friends. In her friendship with Barret, he depends on her as his moral compass, grounding him to do the right thing, whereas she depends on him to push her forward when she is indecisive. Tifa is protective of Aerith, while depending on her to remain optimistic and upbeat. The clearest example of her nature is with Cloud. Tifa depends on him as the only remnant of their hometown of Nibelheim following its destruction, and thus of her old identity. She is therefore protective of him, though this is mutual. Later, the two realize they were there for one another in times of need, but never knew it. Tifa's has implied romantic feelings for Cloud, growing jealous when seeing him grow close to Aerith, though her actions could also be interpreted as platonic. Aside from Cloud, Tifa shows little romantic interest in others, ignoring the advances of her three childhood friends, Johnny, Rude, and an Avalanche member who attempted to win her over with flowers.

Following the defeat of Sephiroth, Tifa attempts to put together a normal family, building a new bar and raising a family with Cloud, Barret, Marlene, and later Denzel. She tries to keep the family unit together when Cloud falls into depression, acting like a parental figure towards the children in her care, defending them in battle and supporting them emotionally. She appears hurt by Cloud's distantness, and in the Geostigma crisis, pushes him to take action and stop brooding over his past failures.

## Abilities

A miraculous style of martial arts born from the work Kaolan Zengan. A hybridized form of MMA of several styles but applied to eastern philosophy. It involves punches, kicks, elbows, knees, grapples and throws. Sometimes referred to the Yin Yang style, it is a perfect balance of the sum of the parts of what it's made of.

Zengan when he was still active taught the Turks only a fraction of his style for a mission but it proved more than enough for them to be capable hand to hand combatants.

If an heir did exist to his style the one most likely to be it is his student Tifa Lockhart. Tifa can already be considered a master of the martial arts that takes the philosophy of Shaolin kung fu and rigorous training but applying it to its umbrella style. While having many stances the martial arts encourages practitioners to find a mode of combat and philosophy that is best suited to them and supplementing their strong points with other techniques giving them a well rounded area but still excelling in their own. Tifa borrows heavily from the teachings of Bajiquan and Explosive style (炮拳; pàoquán): known as the king of the styles. This employs not only the knowledge of the Eight gates but the thought of this being the strongest art under the heavens. She fights directly with explosive speed and power which has been further enhanced by her strength. Tifa uses a stance similar to Muy Thai boxing which she found the most natural to her but still relies heavily on her jabs and hooks something muy thai doesn't emphasize. On top of that, moves seen in boxing, Vale Tudo, Jeet Kune Do, and of course Muy Thai with other trace styles. Attacks are direct and explosive, they're just as effective against blocking opponents as she uses techniques meant to cause the most damage possible. She has a preference to a linear attack style despite her agility and gracefulness all her attacks are considered knock out moves which often employ a combination strike meant to complete annihilate her opponent.

Her fast start up speed is what's most effective. Her speed would easily put her in the featherweight but her strikes surpass even a heavy weight fighter. With her years of training despite being just a mixed blood with no extraordinary abilities she rivals Cloud in combat ability putting her in the group of Avalanche heavy hitters. She is at her best against a singular enemy and relies on a fast approach and quick yet powerful attacks meant to debilitate entirely.

Operating purely on the martial arts her knowledge of the eight gates is applicable to only that. Using qi applicable from her years of training have allowed her to use powerful techniques such as 'Unbridled Strength' similar to the Heart of fire gate this involves breathing techniques and building up qi to unleash an attack of greater strength and precision than without.

### Techniques

* Beat Rush

Tifa runs at the enemy, before striking the enemy with a beatdown of punches, before ending it with an uppercut punch.

* Somersault

Tifa runs towards the enemy (doesn't do this if used after Beat Rush), before jumping while kicking her enemy with two simultaneous kicks, before landing on the ground.

* Water Kick

Strikes the enemy with a left or right roundhouse kick before kicking with a side kick, and a low kick.

* Meteodrive

Tifa jabs the enemy, before picking them up, jumping into the air, and then driving their body back into the ground.

* Dolphin Blow

Tifa kicks the enemy multiple times, before backing up a tiny bit, and doing a jumping uppercut kick, resembling a Dolphin flipping out of the water.

* Meteor Strike

Tifa jabs the opponent, and sweeps their leg, before grabbing them, jumping high into the air, before throwing the opponent back to the ground, creating a giant explosion on impact once they strike the ground.

### Class Skills

Independent Action (A Rank): With her experience in hand-to-hand combat and infiltration, Tifa can act independently and can go through a day without her master by her side.

Magic Resistance (C Rank): Can use different type of materia to resist certain spells and effects.

### Personal Skills

Mystic Eyes (Pure) (B Rank): Her Pure Eyes will show her the most optimal place to attack someone. Weather it be weakness of stance or position. While seemingly tough it only shows her where it is. And that can change accordingly to how the person reacts to her. Not to mention regardless of the weak spot if the person is still stronger than her by a significant margin it's effectiveness drops considerably.

Tiānxiān (A Rank): By use of her knowledge in Tiānxiān and repeated training for 20 years she has been able to enter a mental state called a “heart of clear water”. She is able to maintain a cool and collected heart, regardless of the situation. Even in the face of a hopeless situation she will remain calm Mental interference from charms and magecraft and even qi in nature are met with extremly high resistance.

This corresponds to 兌 Duì ☱ Lake/Marsh 澤 Zé gate fixing a clear mind and body. The bases of this technique is the Turks breathing techniques to focus the mind thorough that though the difference being Tifa has actually mastered the technique and reached an even higher level of understanding and applying it. Additionally after performing the breathing techniques her movements and attacks raise increasesing her evasion, accuracy, and chance to land critical strikes.

Iron Body (C Rank): Iron body or Iron shirt, is a form of hard style martial art exercise believed to help protect the human body from impacts in a fight. This is one of the 72 arts of the Shaolin Temple.Some martial arts are based on the belief that a correctly trained body can withstand more damage than one that is untrained. Iron Shirt is said to be a series of exercises using many post stances, herbs, qigong and body movements to cause the body's natural energy (qi) to reinforce its structural strength. Practitioners believe that directing energy to parts of the body can reinforce these parts of the body to take blows against them. In the Shaolin version of Iron Shirt, the practitioner would do things such as lying on a stump or supporting tablets of granite on the chest with the goal of toughening the body. Tifa had underwent similar exercises and belief with Zangan the training has increased her overall endurance and with qi training has granted her a level of resistance against qi based strikes to her internal body.

Chakra (D Rank): Chakra, in metaphysical tradition and other belief systems, are centers of Prāṇa, life force, or vital energy. Chakra correspond to vital points in the physical body i.e. major plexuses of arteries, veins and nerves. Texts and teachings present different numbers of chakra. By use of Neigong techniques another branch of breathing and concentration technique but with a different purpose. Neigong emphasises training the coordination of the individual's body with the breath, known as the harmonisation of the inner and outer energy (內外合一), creating a basis for a particular school's method of utilising power and technique.

One of the benefits of martial nei gung exercises is the relaxation of blood vessels, nerves, muscles and sinews to help the body move more freely. With the body moving freely and an excess of blood moving to a particular area with little or no effort, the practitioner can possibly develop many benefits. Nei Gung is not a philosophy, but a technique and an art of inner cultivation. There are intellectual guidelines to the practice of Nei Gung, but it is 'Inner Work' which means effort has to be put in to develop real, substantial and testable skills. This is not something that can be imagined or talked about, only from direct experience and hard effort can an understanding of Nei Gung develop. A true practitioner and teacher will take you on a journey growing your inner-world and showing you how to demonstrate the skills you are developing.

By use of 坎 Kǎn ☵ Water 水 Shuǐ The water triagram it mentions flowing the chi of nature around them into oneself. This is then converted into something similar to healing magecraft but qi based in nature. It isn't as almighty but it can heal internal injury and accelerate healing of external injuries to a limited degree. It can even dilute poisons and curses afflicting the body. Additionally Tifa can apply this to another with lesser effect by synchronizing breathing and physical contact.

Chi Trap (C Rank): Is the result of training with 巽 Xùn ☴ Wind 風 Fēng. The trigram represents the gentle and obedient, but also the ground, which is where the wind is felt and shows its power. The lines it consists of speak about it in their symbolic way. Two Yang (heavenly) lines above one Yin (earthly). The great powers from above affect everything on earth. As science has progressed, we have learned it is indeed the case, more so than anyone in antiquity could fathom. Towards this magnitude, what can we be but obedient? Still, the wind mainly expresses itself rather gently, not to mention its own invisible shape. So, it is in itself a symbol of the gentle. It's also obedient, in the way it usually rounds any object - except for when in rage. This is highly spiritual in nature. Neither being physical of Earth nor spiritual of Heaven. It follows the disciplines of Tao and the knowledge of a Tiānxiān to projectile out qi.

In most cases this would be nothing however it has reached a dominan that borrows its bases for the anti spirit trap. It takes an unusual, corporeal form. The range being where she let's it out usually right in front of her fist it causes a shock like interference for those who make contact with it. While the physical damage is low like a gandr shot, it's spiritual power is high. It attacks on that level disrupting internally it can cause a momentary disruption in others ot attack those who have high physical defense but more vulnerable to conceptual like attacks. In some cases resulting in an overwhelming sense of dread and shock flowing into those who are unlucky enough to get hit by. Against spirits and wraiths and other non corporeal beings it's effectiveness potent.

### Noble Phantasm

#### **True Strike**

True Strike is the final technique Zangan personally taught Tifa. It is simple in execution but delivers a strike with all her power in one close range strike. It requires balance, power, and awareness. It's a high risk high reward technique that has Tifa entering the targets range at such close proximity that either attacking with strikes would be weaker dramatically due to lack of range. This involves the bases of all her breathing techniques as well as physical training. She channels her physical and mental strength into a close range delivered at the enemy's weak spot and unleashes a devastating physical punch. Due to it's nature even if an opponent had a owerful physical defense or a way to distrupt the power of the attack even against the shaori or mitigation, it attacks internally as well as physically. The internal damage doing more than even the initial physical strike.

#### **Final Heaven**

A technique that she has yet to master. It is the succession technique earning the right to be called a master of the Way of the fist. It combines synchronization of mind body and soul with her breathing. Taking the elements of true strike it is an attack that is supposed to be the quintessential aspect of martial arts. While she has yet to reach mastery with it, it will eventually reach a state similar to the level of skill of Li Shuwen who makes the need for a second strike useless. As long as Tifa continues on her path of martial arts one day she might have the move reach sage level in execution. For now it utilizes her breathing techniques, incorporation of several punching techniques and complete devotion to striking. All her strength being concentrated into her fist she delivers a physical and chi concentrated strike which achieve such might that a flash is emitted responding to her use of Tiānxiān techniques. One debilitating powerful punch.

### Gallery

Ascensions

1st Ascension2nd Ascension3rd AscensionFinal AscensionTifa Lockhart's Servant Card
* Craft Essence

Bond CE: A Tower, a Promise
## References

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Tifa\_Lockhart

https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Tifa\_Lockhart

https://aminoapps.com/c/fate-stay-night-1/page/item/tifa/15DW\_KWFrIQdRPnLNK2vvwJBdoXP3beXR