In The Core of the Jewel
Author's Note: Based on the Unlimited Blade Works Route
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Original Game: Fate/Stay Night
Original Concept: Type-moon
Written by: wrathie
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Do you believe in Magic? Not the fancy tricks with smokes and mirrors. It is bargaining with the devil, contracts of blood and the threat of being killed in any moment.
Yes, Magic is dangerous, if you do not practice well, you might die.
That's why, I will have to kill you for learning that I am a magus.
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No, I'm just kidding, but yes, I am a magus, I'm not a magician like those RPG games you nerds play at home. I dabble with them for real. If it was only that easy in real life, magic I mean.
First of all, let me explain to you the difference between Sorcery and Magic.
Sorcery is things that one can do, it is the power of miracles. As one famous alchemist said, it is the 'Sixth element' of the world.
Things that one can achieve beyond modern science are what we call Sorcery. There are only 5 sorcerers in the world and I'm not one of them.
Sorcery is things that one cannot achieve regardless of time or effort. But with magic, it is possible to achieve them with time and effort invested in it. They are mysterious yes, they baffle the mind, yes. BUT, they are achievable.
Magic is the stuff that one can do within the realm of modern science. In a way, we are a branch of scientists, working by ourselves in our own research to expand magic.
That is what we call a magus.
And I, Tohsaka Rin, is a magus.
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Oh right, like I said, if you tell this to anyone, you will die by my hands. Magic is something that isn't recognized in the world, if it is, we wouldn't be bound by so many laws and need to hide our powers.
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I sat cradling a pendant in my hands. It is the heirloom from my father, the head of the Tohsaka family and a very accomplished magus.
This pendant is the accumulation of ten years of my magical energy, isn't that amazing?
Well it would be if it is not empty right now…
Well the Tohsaka family is a family renown to be able to transfer magical energy from oneself to another but especially to jewels.
Why jewels? Jewels is one of the easiest medium to transfer magical energy into, I think it is because it is the easiest to convey one's thoughts and souls to one?
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Well men always say that Jewels are a woman's best friend and I am not about to disagree with them. However, that's why I'm always needlessly broke.
Do you know how expensive this Jewel is? If I try to auction it the Mage's Association, I think I will be able to buy 3-4 Houses with it.
Not like I would in the first place, with this I can win the Holy Grail War!
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Oh, you don't know what is the Holy Grail War?
Let me explain it the easiest way I can then.
It is a war, where Seven People fight to determine the Strongest between them.
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"Rin, what are you doing…"
Suddenly a voice called out to me and I turned, distracted to look at the one who had called out to me. It was a tall man dressed in red and black with ivory white hair and a tanned complexion.
He looked like a red knight, the red long coat complementing well with his black suit. Well that would be true if he wasn't wearing a pink frilly apron on top of all of that.
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"Rin, answer me, Rin."
He reached for me, about to touch my head when I jumped out of my seat and stared at him.
"A-archer?"
"Yes, Rin, I am Archer."
He rolled his eyes as he looked at me, obviously hoping that I would continue and I stared at him before I found my tongue again.
"Archer, what are /you/ doing dressed up like that?"
"What does it look like, I am cooking dinner. What are /you/ doing spacing out like that."
He retorted and I admit that even though he looked silly, he looked kind of fitting in it. W-wait, what am I thinking?
"I AM-"
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I cut short as I realized I had no explanation and that smirk that he gave me showed that he knew he was right and I turned red.
"Ah, so that's it. My Master is just lazing about while her faithful Servant is doing his duty by providing and caring for her. Ah, I think that without help, Master would surely be elimi-"
Before he could finish, I struck him in the face with a Gandr shot that made him topple and fall to the ground. I had surely surprised him there but with him there was the sound of breaking porcelain and I gasped.
He was holding a cup of tea for me and I.. I just attacked him!
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"A-archer! Archer!"
I went towards him, face deep with concern and I prodded his lifeless body. I know he wouldn't die just like that, Servants are strong, they are heroic spirits after all and I went easy on him. The Gandr that I fired is like a curse. If it hits a normal human, they would get sick for around 2-3 days. Gandr weakens the body to disease but not permanently.
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As you would have suspected by now, Archer here is not Human. He's a heroic spirit, a hero that I've summoned due to the Holy Grail War to help me defeat the other Masters.
But this, this hero is now motionless! Did I kill him by accident? Oh god, am I the first Master to kill her Servant?
"ARCHER, ARCHER!"
I went down and crawled over him, slapping his face repeatedly to rouse him when suddenly.
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"Heh"
He burst out laughing and I immediately jumped off him, face redder than ever and like a cherry. It was like my cheeks were burning from the inside and I immediately raised my hands to fire another Gandr shot at him.
"I'm sorry, Rin, I'm sorry! Don't fire that at me!"
He protested, grabbing my hands and lowering it while I scowled at him. I was upset at him for tricking me but I am still embarrassed at him putting so much effort to get me some tea.
"A-ah I have to apologize too… I shouldn't have hit you like that… and I should have been doing my duty as a ma-"
He cut me off with a laugh, petting my head and getting up.
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"Rin is Rin, that's how my master should be, tough and feisty. If you are not, I know there is something wrong."
His words stung and I raised my voice at him.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're so deep in thought, I thought you were worried about something, so I…"
He stopped mid way before laughing again and standing up.
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"Dinner is almost ready, I'll clean this up, so… go and change, Rin."
He turned his back at me before leaving, leaving me flabbergasted and confused. I don't get him, I just don't!
But, that's the relationship between me and him, I guess… Not a bad thing, nor a good one. But something that I wouldn't want to change…
I made that selfish wish to myself as I prayed…
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Archer is my servant, one of the seven classes of the Servant System in the Holy Grail War.
Saber, Archer, Rider, Assassin, Caster, Lancer and Berserker.
As one would expect, Archer is a class that is specialized in shooting and is renowned for being independent…
That is probably why he is able to treat me, his Master this way.
After all, a Master is able to control their servants with a Command Seal, the proof of a Master and we Masters give prana, magical energy to them for them to survive in this world.
Servants need to eat too, prana is their food and only we Masters or Magus can provide that.
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But, Archer himself is an eyesore, not willing to fully follow my orders. That's why I had to waste a Command Seal in making him follow my orders.
Since then he is a little more obedient to me…
Just a little.
Yes, that idiot sitting in front of me and watching me eat what he had prepared. He's surprisingly good with Japanese dishes. It is a simple dish of rice with grilled fish and miso soup…
Curses, I didn't expect him to be good at making food, what he made… it's very delicious with such simple ingredients.
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"Ah, do you not like the taste?"
He asked and I looked up, seeing his normally smirking face replaced with one of anticipation and I looked away from him, hiding the smile on my face.
"Mm mm.."
I didn't answer him directly but I think he was hurt by that as he turned silent, muttering to himself about how the ingredients, the seasoning as I kept eating and chewing on the food.
It is good, not that I would ever tell him that.
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Like I said, I am one of the Seven Masters in the Holy Grail War and my goal is to defeat all of them and be the one to get the Holy Grail of Fuyuki City.
Yes, the winner will get the Holy Grail, the artifact that is omnipotent and is able to grant any wish that I wish on it.
However, I don't really have any wish that I can wish for that I can't achieve with my own strength… But I will still participate it in, I will as I have taken part, I will do my best to win.
Archer himself seemed surprised by that but he laughed and accepted his fate to being my Servant for the Grail war.
It had been a few days after I had summoned him and it had been a whirlwind of activity.
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Firstly, having a bout with Lancer where Archer showed his capability to fight for me well.
Honestly without Archer's assistance I would have died easily…
But he still killed Emiya-kun… and I, I well wasted that Pendant that my father gave me to revive him. Archer would kill me if he knew that.. but he was the one who returned the Pendant to me. Hopefully he would not realize that though.
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Secondly, knowing that Emiya-kun, Emiya Shirou was a Master as well and the Master of Saber, the strongest Servant in the Grail War.
I don't feel jealous, no I don't… But to think that third-rated Master is the Master of Saber! Argh, it just makes me blood boil.
I did what I can to help him with his war, bringing him to my mentor, Kotomine Kirei and letting him do the talking.
That was all I am going to teach him and I had to report to him anyway! Its not like, it's not like I do… well.. I don't!
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Lastly, fighting with Berserker as well. To think that Eiznbern would be able to summon Hercules and turn him into Berserker… I hate to admit it but that girl is of a different Class altogether…
Oh right, Each Servant has their own identity and their own power, their Noble Phantasm.
Oh wait, you do not know what is a Noble Phantasm? It is erm… erm… their finishing move!
Hercules is a half-god, do you know how powerful that translate to?
And to make it worst, I have no idea what hero Archer is.
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"Well, it's probably due to the fact that I was summoned in such a rough way that I can't remember who I am."
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He told that to me… ARGH I HATE HIM!
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But somehow he managed to hit Berserker by sacrificing his Noble Phantasm… and Berserker was still standing after that A+ Ranked Blast. If he wasn't a monster, there is no other way to describe him. Archer's sacrifice was for nothing, but why do I feel that he did not even care if he sacrificed that weapon for nothing.
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There must be something in his past to enable him to do that…
But there is something that I feel was odd about him when he fired that arrow.
"…"
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"Rin?"
"Ah, Archer… is there something wrong?"
"There is someone coming…"
"!"
I tensed up, was someone going for a direct assault? That is suicidal and I signaled for Archer to stand ready.
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.."It's… Kirei?"
I paused, this was a surprise. That Fake Priest never leaves the Church…
He is the mediator of the Holy Grail war and the guardian for fallen Masters… oh right, and my guardian after my father died.
But he has never paid a visit to me before, I wonder what is the occasion.
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"Archer?"
"… There is something odd."
Archer looks at the approaching figure and suddenly charged at him without warning, a pair of twin swords in his hand.
"Archer!"
I called out to him to stop and to my surprise he does so as Kirie did not even flinch at his assault as he raised his hands up in the air.
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"Archer, what are you doing!"
"He has a servant with him, Rin."
Archer declared so positively and even I took a step back, jumping back and raising my hands in reply.
"… Kirei?"
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"Put your hands down, Rin… I am here merely to report that, Lancer's Master is unfortunately, eliminated."
The dark haired priest in front of me smiled. There is something odd about him, the way he smiles seem to make my hair stand…
"Lancer? So is that Lancer with you?"
I look in the distance and indeed there was the Blue Knight behind him, sullenly looking at me and Archer, his trademark red lance nowhere to be seen.
"He will disappear in a few hours, I am here just to inform you that, Rin."
It sounds suspicious, he could have just called me, why is he bringing him here for?
"Archer…"
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I look at him and Archer understood, jumping between Kirei and Lancer and to my utmost surprise, Lancer didn't react. He seemed only tensed and was gnashing his teeth about, glaring at Kirei as he approached me.
"There is no reason to be afraid Rin, I am here for a simple reason."
I raised an eyebrow as he approached, not once lowering my hand as it pointed at Lancer. He was dangerous, that spear… it radiated death the last time I met him, there is no reason for me to trust him.
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"it is about your father."
"Eh? My father? Did you find out something about him?"
My father was killed in the previous Grail War, to say that I do not wish to find out about him was a lie and I looked at him expectantly.
"Yes, I found out who killed him and how."
"You did? Tell me more Kirei."
I was surprisingly calm and mad at the same time. Whoever killed him was someone I can't forgive even if it is part of the Grail War… I wish to know just how he died. But I hope that he at least died peacefully.
"Yes. He died like this"
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I felt something hot and red splash onto me and I looked at him in shock. There was a dagger stabbed into my stomach and I as I looked at it stupidly, I could hear Archer's cry of shock and out of the corner of my eye Lancer looking at me with a pained expression, trying to say something.
He… he is being suppressed by a Command Seal?
"RIN!"
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It was like I was in slow motion, Kirei's smile turn colder and deadly as he spoke calmly.
"Betrayed by one he trusted… like father, like daughter, Rin."
He smiled coldly as he pulled the dagger out of my stomach as I dropped down to the ground, seeing Archer rush towards me when I feel pain strike me again, this time on my right hand.
"A-ah!"
M-my command seal!
In one swift motion, he severed my right hand while I looked on stupidly. K-kirei that bastard!
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"RIN!"
I hear Archer's Voice again and he was beside me, only too late as Kirei held my severed hand in his hand, his triumphant gaze looking down at me while I just hung on to Archer.
"Now Archer. Kill your master."
I heard his cry, shivering with anticipation and I closed my eyes, knowing that without the Seal, I am unable to control him.
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"Y-you!"
Then another voice, one that was different from Archer's but with the same anger as a Crimson Red Lance struck his left hand and in a sickening lurch, tore it straight off.
He turned back to look at him in rage but he was quicker than him, dashing towards me and Archer.
"A-archer!"
I called to him weakly as he looked down at him, the usual piercing and sarcastic look gone and he seemed to be making a very big decision in his heart.
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I am no longer his Master, I might be dying soon. The blood, I'm losing too much blood.
Then he dropped me as the speeding blue blur advanced towards us and he muttered to me softly.
"I'm sorry, Rin… I wasn't enough, to be your knight."
He said mournfully and as Lancer passed, spoke something that I couldn't here in my fading consciousness.
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"Tsk, Ojou-chan! Oi, Ojou-chan! Hang in there, Ojou-chan! You're a tough one, don't die on me!"
The blue clothed knight spoke to me roughly as he plucked me from the ground and sped away, leaving me looking at the fading sight of Archer and Kotomine, clutching his severed hand with a pained look.
"S-shut up"
I spoke in reflex and he grinned despite the dire straits while bounding from building to building, away from Archer, my Archer… and that bastard Kotomine!
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