Embedded Files
Rin Tohsaka look at the house in front of her coldly
A flutter of cloth. A cassock came into view. The man in Church outfit smiled fondly beside her. Despite his priestly aura, Kotomine Kirei's eyes were cold. Hungry for action
"What do we have here?" His voice ooze of excitement "You meant to tell me the Magus Killer himself has been hiding in this city for the last ten years? Why, Rin, your lack of insight astound me"
"Shut up, Kotomine" She grit through her teeth. Rin's eyes focused on the entrance, flicking from corner to corner to ascertain any threats
For the hideout of a dangerous criminal she had expected more magical reinforcement. But maybe that was his plan all along--To hide in plain sight
It matters not. She'd found him now, and she would kill him
Three pieces of jewels rolled out from her hand. In a smooth motion Rin threw them at the entrance. The stones detonated upon impact, sending a shockwave that blast open the door
Kirei rushed in first. He kick the remant of the shattered doorway, a line of Black Keys primed and ready to be thrown into the dark corridor. His eyes widened as the darkness in the house lit up
Numerous portals illuminated the wall of glimmering blades waiting for him
The next moment they shot off. The hissing of metal filled the space. Kirei planted his feet on the wall and bounced off them, his inhumane reaction time the only thing saving him from death
The Black Keys were thrown as a counter. They bounced off as three more swords fly through the air, shooting them down with equal amount of precision. A sharp sound rang out between them as Kirei landed and deflected the projectile
Small, slow footstep reached his ears. From the dark, a blonde child stepped forward, whose dominant expression is a smirk on his face.
"I'd have to ask you to stop here, priest. "
"Well, my King, I would never--"
"You lied to me about chicken drumstick. For that reason, I have decided there's no longer a reason for me to keep you alive" Gil's face was not just calm
It was completely devoid of emotion. For a moment, the figure before him overlapped with the Servant Archer of the Fourth Holy Grail war
Before Kirei could reply, Rin walked out from behind him. The first thing that greeted her is the standoff between them. He has to admit, it sure is bizarre
RIn look at Gilgamesh, then at Kirei
"Who is this little shit?" She jab a finger at him "Actually, no, he's probably a weakling anyway. Just take care of him. I'll find Emiya"
WIth that said she walk past an offended-looking Gilgamesh and enter deeper into the house
"...Did she just call me a weakling?"
Kirei, for his part, is impressed
___________
'Do you like marbles, son?'
Kiritusgu's voice came back from that day as Shirou sat quietly in the kitchen.
He caress the wooden handle of the firearm in his hand. A Thompson Contender whose handle was crafted from Rosewood, decorated with reinforced steel and customized with added stability, geared toward rifle bullets
This weapon has been used by his father to kill countless other Magus. It was one of the last gifts handed to him. The night after it was given away, Kiritsugu died. He regret not asking why he has left it to him
Was it because Kiritsugu let him inherit the same dream? Instead of giving it away, the man has entrusted it to him. Shirou was forced to reevaluate the meaning behind that action.
What does it mean to be a hero of justice, if following the same path as his father would only result in failure?
"There you are, Emiya-kun"
Rin's cold voice caused him to look up. The Tohsaka girl stood before him at the kitchen door, rubies clutched in hand, ready to be thrown
"Since something urgent came up, I'll skip the chit chat" She took a step forward "We can do this the painless way or the not-so-painless way. Tell me where Sakura is"
The distance between them was scant a few meters. Shirou could work with that
They all have their own way of attacking, after all
"Sakura is in safe hands" That is all he could tell her. Rin's eyes narrowed in that moment, and Shirou Emiya moved. His spine tingled with Mana. He kicked the table between them just as she throw the gems at him
An explosion rang out which was shielded by the upturned furniture. Shirou jump backward and raise the Thompson Contender toward where Rin is
A pull of the trigger and her brain would be spattered on that wall. All her bodily function would cease. Without a source of conflict, it would be peaceful.
Despite Shinji's insistence on following the plan, Shirou is starting to consider killing the girl in front of him
'Marble hurts me, Shirou. I don't want to be hurt by marble'
His father's last word rang through his mind. Shirou's arm trembled. Just thst one moment, halted in hesitation
He ultimately raise the gun upward and fired into the ceiling, where a pipe laid unnoticed. The bullet pierced through it
*Cough*
RIn stumble out from behind the table. Her ears picked up the sizzling sound that came from above her. She doesn't know what it is. Most likely some kind of gas. Did he intentionally hit that?
"Did you think you could knock me out with a gas leak?" She ask, incredulity lacing her voice
Shirou look at her. His eyes lowered
"You should really brush up on your chemistry skill"
The next moment, he take out a match stick and lit it on fire. Rin barely had time to set up a shield with her gem before the entire room exploded
____________
The car stopped on the pavement beside Sakura. A bald head full of wrinkle popped out as the ugly middle-aged man look at her, like a situation taken straight from one of those Japanese prank game show
"Hey" He greeted
"Who are you?" Sakura dropped her bag and got into a karate pose "I know Jiujitsu, Kungfu, Krav Maga, and I'm not afraid to use them on grounds of potential rape!"
"...Sakura. Did you not recognize your brother?" Wait, of course she can't. That's a stupid question
"Shinji?" Sakura's eyes widened "But you look ridiculous. What are you doing dressing like a naked middle-aged uncle here? Is that car stolen? You look like a deranged pervert"
"I believe the correct term would be Sigma male"
She stare as him like one would a piece of spoilt potato, making the Matou in disguise let out a long sigh. I figure it was one of the few thing I can never achieve in life: Be handsome
"Get in. We need to talk"
The girl easily complied. Once she is inside, I turned down the volume and started driving away. The cool breeze stroke past them as the car passed through the park's peaceful walkway. It was a quiet day in Fuyuki
After a while, I chose to speak
"I'm here to talk about Rin"
Recognition flashed across her eyes
"Oh, not this again" Sakura closed her eyes. She let out a sigh and look away "She told you to talk to me didn't she? Probably want us to reconcile like from her childhood, I bet"
"I came here of my own will after seeing how much of a bitch you've become"
Silence descended between us
"...What did you say?
"Oh, I'm saying you're acting unfair to everyone. It's not only Rin that is concerned. Apparently even I can feel the need to whoop your ass for what you're doing" I declared while leaning to take a look at her "Discipline is the bane of bad attitude, I say"
"You know nothing, nii-san" Sakura tried to push me away, which is a bit weird considering I'm a naked bald uncle who is also driving the car. I should have really taken into account how awkward this couuld be
Instead, I place a hand on her shoulder. The comfort of warmth calmed her down, yet like a persistent cat, her glare remain fixed on me
"Don't touch me" Sakura's hand tried to remove mine. It did not budge
"Look, I'm not asking much. I know what you've been through inside that house" I said, watching as her eyes widened "You have the right to be mad at your sister who basically live a better life than you, but I know you're not that kind of person. So spill the bean, why won't you talk to Rin?"
I could see the conflict in her eyes as Sakura struggled to come up with an answer. Several times I saw her eyeing the door, no doubt wanting to bolt from the car to escape
In the end, she let out a sigh
"I can't"
"You can't, or you won't?" I crossed my leg
"Why do you care so much?"
"The way I see it, you don't consider Rin as an enemy. In fact, it's quite the opposite. She's obviously someone you hold dear, so this contradiction puzzle me is all"
Rin is a family member. More than that, she is a kind girl hidden behind the veneer of a typical cold-hearted Magus. The fact that she would risk herself to rescue the children during the Fourth Grail War was enough. The Tohsaka love Sakura above all
Then why is it she felt compelled to push away one of the few people who actually care for her?
I have a simple theory regarding that
One does not simply push others from themselves unless they're afraid of getting hurt. It is common to see these type of symptons among people who suffer from long term abuse. Consequently, this can be inferred as a form of reactive trauma
You don't need a psychoanalysis degree to connect the dot between her experience from the Matou house with her current struggle
Judging from the expression on her face, my analysis hits the bullseye
"I don't think I can see her" She admitted quietly, turning away "Rin won't accept me. Not the same way you did"
"Obviously, because you should have tried that before, yeah?" Her silence is the telling sign "Yeah. I thought so. You don't want to give her a chance because you're afraid"
"I'm not afraid!"
"Perhaps so. I'm not here to argue. I'm here to help you. You know, like how a good brother should" I sighed "I should have done this a long time ago if I was a decent human being"
In the first place, I was the one who actively confront her about Zouken and the rape worm. It is only after some intensive pushing did her barrier broke. The girl suffered much from it
She suffer because of my hesitation to reach out a helping hand
"Sakura, I'm asking of you, give your sister a chance"
"Nii-san..."
"Please"
It did not occur to me how soft my voice has gotten. My eyes stayed focused on the road, not willing to look at my sister, or the face she is making
After all, begging is not something I'd do
"Blood is thicker than water" I found the words forced through my throat "Even if she is not here for you now, she is there from the beginning. Would you throw those memories away because of the trauma Zouken inflict on you?"
Sakura is silent, while I tried to reign my emotion in
It was a familiar circumstance. Maybe that's why I got so emotional
'And just when I thought I'd leave my past behind...'
This is proving to be too angsty. Let's switch track here and pretend you're a black-hearted jackass. That way it will be easier to deal with my emotional bullshit
"You don't know how precious siblings can be until you lose them. That is why, even if you are afraid of taking the first step, do it. Maybe that single chance is the last thing you''ll ever have. Refuse her, and you will lose everything you have left"
The car rolled to a stop. From afar, smoke could be seen rising in columns from the neighborhood. It is best we make a stop here to make sure they don't see me
I open the car door to let Sakura out. It was then I felt a soft sensation on my stomach. Sakura was hugging me with her small frame, trails of tear running down her cheek. Her body shivered
"I'm sorry, Shinji" Came the mufled voice. I wrapped my arms around her in return
"Save that for Rin. She's the one who deserve it"
She smiled. I smiled. It was a peaceful moment.
"Shinji? Is that Sakura inside with y-- OH MY GOD, THERE'S A PEDOPHILE HERE!"
Then someone just have to come and ruined it
_________
It took about five minutes here to convince Shirou I am not the second coming of Gilles de Rais, only after I have canceled the effect on my ugly bastard form
On the bright side, I am now sure this disguise is completely foolproof. If even the venerable future Archer could not see through my true nature, it is a win
"How's the situation at the house?"
"Kirei's incapacitated and Rin's gone. For now" He wince "I reckon she's going to try again"
"Then let her" I donned on my disguise for a second time, revealing a piggish grin "Everything is concluding exactly like my masterplan"
"Shirou! Fetch me my royal coat, you lowly servant"
The redhead rolled his eyes and threw me a heavy black overcoat. I draped it over my naked body. There was a click as Shirou handed over the Contender. Looking down in surprise, I whistled as I stare at the gun
"Dude, are you sure you want to give this away?"
"Keep it. It's not like I have any use for it anyway" He sigh "I have decided not to follow my father's past. Being a Hero of Justice means I would have to save everyone, not...whatever it is that he has done"
One day that dream will come back and bite him in the ass
But until that day comes, I'm not going to let Shirou despair. It is my job as his friend after all
I quietly look over the gun. There was a feeling of mystery in it. The gun has obviously been modified. It is surprisingly light weight for a wooden handle, and the barrel was wider, probably improved to house rifle rounds with greater penetration potential
'I can think of a few use for this in the Grail war'
I pocketed the thing in my coat and nodded toward the other two
"The play is at hand. Rin probably latched onto the trail you left behind without questioning it, I presume?" He nodded "Then her arrival is bound in a few minutes. Shirou, get into your position and pretend to be a side character in an NTR work!"
As Shirou scurried away, I turned to Sakura who look confused. It then occured to me I haven't briefed her of the situation yet
"What's going on?"
"Basically, we devise this plan for a chance to reconcile with your sister. I don't want to make the whole thing awkward between you, what's with family trouble and all, so I staged a kidnapping to draw her out. Isn't that wacky?"
She did not laugh
That's totally okay...maybe this is a horrible plan after all
____________
Rin tumbled out from the road. Her step were measured. Steady. Unbothered. And despite the scorched mark on her body and her torn outfit, the Tohsaka was very still within fighting capability
As she reached the end of her trail, there was only one person waiting for her
The coat, lightless as the night, breezed in the wind. The person dressed around. An overweight middle aged man who would, in normal circumstance, be counted as nothing more than a liability in combat. But she know better
After all, he was the one who rigged the house with reactive gas. She had escaped due to the convenient shielding unintentionally provided by Shirou, but Kirei has not been so lucky. The man was burnt to a crisp, having been caught in where the gas was most concentrated
The memory of his burnt corpse, withered beyond recognition flashed across her mind. For all of his superhuman ability, an explosion is still something that prove overkill to any non-Servant opponent. That's just how dangerous it is
The fact that it is Kiritsugu Emiya whom she is facing only now crossed her. This has steped beyond normal morality, beyond non-Magus combat. This is a remorseless killer--An unhinged dog that she as the guardian house of this land have to take down
The man moved. A step forward. She tensed as he turned to face her. Cold black eyes greeted sapphire ones
"So you have come, Rin Tohsaka. I see you care deeply about this sister of yours"
"Kiritsugu Emiya. I won't waste words. Where is my sister, and what did you do to Shirou?"
It does not take an iq of nine thousand to defer from their conversation that the redhead boy has nothing to do with the scheme. Her observation at school point to him being a reserved person with no desire to harm. Just the fact that he agreed to the kidnapping is enough ground of suspicion
So that left two conclusion: Either he is forced into doing it by his father, or she has been wrong. And Rin Tohsaka is rarely wrong
"Bravo, as expected of the child prodigy. My son is, indeed, influenced by a few hypnosis spell" He winked "All in a father's love, I tell you. That boy couldn't help himself if even the world's come to it"
"You fucker. What kind of father are you?!"
"The same as Tokiomi Tohsaka" His answer left her frozen "You know, the one who chose to abandon his second daughter because he does not have resources to groom her as the second heiress, in turn leaving her to suffer for years. In that respect you speak as if he and I were any different"
"And you speak as if he was your equal!" Fueled with a blinding sense of rage, Rin swept her hand to the side, revealing three red gems "Lousy father Tokiomi has been, at least he never commit the atrocity of the last Grail war"
She took a step forward, her foot sunk into the ground under the weight of her Reinforcement. Her muscle bulged up as Mana steadily fill them
"Ho, you're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're getting closer to me. Even if I am the Magus Killer who have killed more capable opponents than lousy brat like you?"
"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer"
"Oh ho, then come as close you like"
They stand toe to toe. An ugly bastard in the prime of his physical potential, and a young girl riped for the taking. In any other circumstance, the conceptual advantage would be overwhelming. The only result can only be rated 18+
That is to say, there will be a lot of blood and gore
"ORA"
Rin started first. A fist to the left. Shinji-sugu blocked it with his right hand. But it has been a feint!
With her other arm, she threw the gemstones at him. The three ornament exploded right at his outstretched arm as the Emi-Matou flinched and release his hold on her. Using the opportunity, her leg split the air as she leaped above and dropkicked on his head
But the Magus Killer has his own tactic. He is, afterall, a master tactician who is capable of self-maneuvering strategies at an impossible level. That is why he did not panic and rolled out of the way, clutching at his injured arm
The foot dropped on the ground, shattering the earth underneath it. Kirit-ji utter a curse under his breath as he opened distance between them. At the same time, he utilize his skill as a Gamer
[Pocket Valley]
Before Rin could close the distance, a dark space stretched underneath her. The girl instinctively jumped away from it, biding time for Shinji to dash toward her.
He manipulated several inventory hole to open around her, rendering her path of movement useless and force her into position. One by one, there is only now only a single path between them
[Inventory]
He recalled his personal weapon inventory and retrieve a baseball club. At the same time, Rin retrieve another batch of gems from her sleeve
"Verteidigen" She crushed the sapphire, letting it form a shimmering barrier around her. A defense type spell that counter any attack
"Angriff" A red shimmer spiked. An offense type that no doubt boost her strength
And the last one shone under the sunlight. An ember-colored stone grasped between her index and middle finger. Rin crushed it with a resolute expression
"Blitzkrieg"
Well, that sounds like a fuck no
Lightning exploded forward. I barely had time to react as the girl kicked the ground underneath her and disappared in a lightning flash. Moments later, a fist punched through the air toward my head
It is only through [Survival Instint] that I survived the initial impact, while [Pain Resistance] numbed the ringing in my ears from the following shockwave. I activated [Circuit Conversion] and try to call out my Mana
With my crippled circuits I would have no chance of casting Magecraft, but imitating Shirou help.
Mana thrumed through my vein in painful pulse. I grit my teeth and forcefully tore open the twenty or so low-quality circuits on my back. They ran like electrical signals up my arm, buzzing through my flesh with renewed vigor waiting to be unleashed
Congratulation, you have unlocked a temporary Mana flow
Duration: 1h 0m 0s
Skill: [Reinforcement] has been unlocked
Do you want to Reinfor--
I pumped Mana into my leg to the breaking point, unheeding of the danerous creaking from them. My foot shot up in an explosive burst of power toward Rin's face
"Get fucked, kid"
The kick itself was as powerful as a pistol round. The principle around it is moving my limb past the pain threshold while reinforcing with Mana and [Betrayer] which deal increased damage toward allies. The impact crashed through Rin's barrier and send her smashing through the wall, leaving behind a human-shaped hole
She shot out from the crater moments later. Her skin is charred and clothes torn, but the barrier has absorbed most of the damage. I met her head on, dodging past the impossibly fast blow with a combination of [Survival Instinct] and [Mind's Eye], before delivering another burst of uppercut to her chin
"Get fucked again, kid"
Rin become a baseball that bounced several times off the ground from the punch before rolling to a stop, where her form lay motionless against the soil. She coughed up blood and hastily made to retrieve another gem. I can't allow that
"Get triple fucked, kid"
I called open my inventory, combine them with the reserve from [Pocket Space] and [Enhanced Projectile] to start raining heavy duty bricks on Rin while she was down. There was several dozen thud before her twitching stopped
After a moment of waiting, it was confirmed that Rin is down for the count. She is a Magus versed in Reinforcement, so I'm going to assume that she is fine
I look over to the nearby bush
"What are you waiting for? Do your part"
Now that Rin is temporarily incapacitated, it is the perfect moment for my sister to make her entrance, preferably with a dramatic entrance full of tears and sob-worthy narrative told through the expoitation of children's cuteness
"RIN"
She did not disappoint. The girl hugged her sister in her lap, struggling to contain her overwhelming emotion even when I had assured her prior she is safe.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have avoid you" She buried her head inbetween Rin's chest as the older sister whisper sweet consolations to her "Please, don't leave me...I promise we'll be back together just like old time"
Yes, child. Make your performance as convincing as possible. Do not waste my effort here
You have better be bestie with Rin after all this shit
"Ey, Shirou. Isn't it time for you to end this?" As she console her unconscious sister, I looked behind me and whispered to my last ally
In a flash, the redhead appeared behind me with a deadpan face, as if waiting for my signal
"Thank god, I'm getting tired of your bullshit"
That hurts, is what I would like to say. However, Shirou's fist prove to hurt more as he proceed to act out the hero of justice role while pummeling the hell out of me. First by pushing me to the ground, then getting on my and repeatedly punching me in the face until it swell a deep red
I can't help but think he's a little bit more enthusiastic than normal
Nah. He's probably just acting out the part where the hero of justice is supposed to defeat me with his power of friendship and inner moral compass. In that sense, after witnessing Sakura's suffering he decided to confront the villain named Kiritsugu Emiya
This tie in with the thematic of surpassing his father's idealism in the Unlimited Blade Works route. A symbolis befitting that of a Nasuverse character. Thus, through sheer will Shirou Emiya break free of his hypnosis and confront his father
Thus, the villainous Kiritsugu Emiya is defeated by the rage of his offspring, is the story I'm gonna go with. And so far he's been acting out that role perfectly
....
Shirou please stop punching me. It's starting to hurt now
SHIROU NO
_____________
"Shinji, what happened to your face?"
Rin asked me with a horrified look the next day. Class has just ended, giving her and Sakura plenty of time to visit me. It is unfortunate, then, that my face is not in the most presentable of condition after yesterday's plan
The Tohsaka heiress is, understandably, confused as to how I got injured. It's not like I can tell her the perverted uncle she fought yesterday is the same boy sitting in front of her
"Don't worry about me" My eyes moved to Sakura "How was the two of you? Did the Magus Killer do anything that harmed you two?"
"He gave me a good beating" Rin laughed, before looking sideway "Manhandled me like a little kid. I should probablt train more so I can't lose in the future"
Please don't
I literally went through hell and back creating a few circuit nerve just to match you. The aftermath of using Circuit Conversion is a bitch to go through
If you are so dead set on becoming a monster, I'm afraid I'll have to flee this city
"Thankfully that Emiya guy jumped in and intervene in time" She look away "It is a close call, you know. Thankfully, Sakura is still safe and unharmed. It is a surprise to be honest"
"Yes. I'm glad she's still safe and sound" A smirk goes over my face "Moreover, it seems you two are now back to being sisters again"
The two girls looked at each other, before Sakura chuckled.
"Indeed, nii-san. Thank you"
Rin looked between the two of us with wide eyes. She won't suspect a thing though. The disguise I used was too perfect for the likes of her to detect
No one will ever know
A quest has been completed:
-- Fix the distance relationship between Rin and Sakura
Reward:
Your relationship with Rin and Sakura Tohsaka has been improved
Tohsaka's family Magecraft: [Jewel Formalcraft / Lesser Kaleido]
+40 points
A campaign task has been completed
Kill Kotomine Kirei
Reward:
+150 points
_______________
"So it has come to this"
He stood at his grave. There was no one but the boy in the cemetary. The newly erected grave was etched with a cross and a name under it
Kirei Kotomine. Deceased
"You die without ever getting an answer to your path. If you weren't such a fool, I would have spared the smallest modicum of pity for you"
Crimson eyes narrowed in annoyance.
The course of fate has been changed. Now his clairvoyance is as good as useless. Gilgamesh wonder if it was a good thing. He hsn't felt this excited in years.
His adult form is howling in laughter. He sees Shinji as a clown dancing on the edge of death. Gil won't allow that ego of his to harm his friend. Though the two of them are inherently different, their interest remain the same, which would result in a stalemate for now
Footstep closed in on him, stopping midway between Gil and the tomb. There is a moment of silence, before he turned around and greet the newcomer with a smile
"Hello. I've been waiting for you"
"Who are you?"
"Just an acquaintance of your father" He smiled "Unless you are not who I'm guessing you are, in which case it would be quite the embarrassment wouldn't it?"
Silver hair fluttered in the wind. Ember colored eyes narrowed at him. The same emotionless look filled with a sense of hidden malice
"Caren Hortesia, at your service"
The smile on his face only widen
So this will be the Church Supervisor for the next Holy Grail War
Not bad. Not bad at all
This is looking to be an interesting ordeal after all
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