As always, thanks are due to my beta reader, Undying Soul98.
"Ahh," Rin sighed. "Your tea is delicious, Emiya."
"I'm glad you think so," replied Shirou, sitting down across from her, "but you still haven't answered the important question here. Why are you in my house?"
"Ah, very straightforward, I see. We'll skip the banter." She sipped her tea. "So, Emiya, given that you seem to know what magecraft is, I have to ask: how far did your training go? I wasn't even aware that your family were mages."
Shirou sighed. "To be honest, I'm a complete amateur. I've never progressed beyond the basics, and my father refused to give me proper instruction. He only showed me a few things because I wouldn't let it go."
Rin frowned. "What do you mean by basics?"
"Magic circuits and reinforcement. Actually, tonight was the first time I was able to reinforce something successfully. I've always failed before," said Shirou.
"You summoned a Servant, and you can't even use reinforcement reliably? How did you even do that?"
"Well, I was trying to use reinforcement at the time. I'm not sure what happened." He paused as an idea struck him. "Tohsaka, this may sound stupid...but are magic circuits meant to be reused?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course they are. What would be the point if you had to make a new circuit every time you..." Rin trailed off.
"I see," said Shirou. "I suppose I have a theory now. I panicked when Berserker attacked me and somehow activated all my previously crafted circuits, which drew up so much more power than I needed for the reinforcement that...I have no idea how it worked, after all."
"Of course you don't; you're uneducated trash, as far as magecraft is concerned. But the thing that you implied: you've forged a new circuit every time you tried to use magecraft?"
Shirou nodded.
"How many?"
Shirou gulped. "Every night since my father died five years ago."
Rin's jaw dropped. Shirou waited patiently, but she seemed to have frozen.
"Tohsaka? Are you all right?"
"You-you idiot! Do you realize how many times you almost killed yourself?"
"Of course. To practice magecraft is to walk with death, after all."
Rin opened her mouth, stopped to think, and closed it, choosing to glower at Shirou instead.
"Tohsaka, I know I'm...'uneducated trash,' but I won't give up magecraft. It matters too much to me. You can't dissuade me now that I've progressed for the first time since I started."
"That's just it, though!" she snapped. "If you keep following that path, you will kill yourself. Those bandages on your arms-those are self-inflicted wounds, aren't they? Let me see them."
Shirou shifted in his seat. "Saber told me I shouldn't move them."
"Fine, then I'll take them off." Rin pulled Shirou's left arm across the table, ignoring his wince, and began to unwrap it at the elbow. "The binding on the fingers is like a cast," she muttered, "but it should be safe to unwrap from this end." The bandage fell away from his arm, and Rin let out a gasp. "These are second-degree burns! And from mana overuse, too! I know what that looks like. So, you were somehow able to produce enough prana to complete the summoning ritual, at the cost of almost burning your arms off."
"It saved my life, though, and I didn't suffer any fatal injuries. That's enough for me."
"And you plan to continue, despite having probably destroyed every magic circuit you have in one reckless act of stupidity?"
"I don't see the issue. I'll just make more after I heal."
Rin collapsed backwards on the floor. "Emiya, Emiya, Emiya. What are we going to do with you? You're so dense."
Shirou frowned. "That's just unkind."
"Ugh. That's it, Emiya. You are hereby forbidden from exerting yourself for the remainder of this war, until I say you've recovered enough."
"Tohsaka-"
"No. You don't get a say in this. Besides, your Servant will agree with me."
"She's right, you know," said Saber.
"Gah!" Shirou swung his head around to find the Servant standing behind him. "When did you come back in?"
"Only just now. Archer has the watch well in hand, so I decided to return." Saber's expression turned stern. "The young lady's advice is sound. Even at full health, you would not be a front-line combatant, so the impediment is not as severe as you may have assumed. Regardless, holding to a defensive strategy is our best option right now."
Rin cleared her throat. "Well, if you want to have a good idea of the rules, then you should visit the Grail War's overseer. He's totally untrustworthy, but he can tell you the rules better than I can. Archer and I can escort you on your way to see him, so you won't have to worry about fighting."
"You don't have to do that for me, Tohsaka."
"Then you can owe me a favor. You already owe me for helping you drive off Berserker. This will make it official."
Shirou sighed. "All right. If Saber agrees to it, I'll go. What do you think, Saber?"
"I have one question first," said Saber. "Is the War's overseer bound to neutrality?"
"Supposedly, yes, but like as not, he'll sell you out to the other Masters if you let any information slip," Rin said. "He won't do anything this early in the War, though."
"Then, I will decide for myself when we meet him. Let's go, Master."
The three of them stepped outside through the wreckage where the front door used to be and walked down the road, Rin leading.
"We'll be heading to the church atop that hill," Rin said, turning to look over her shoulder. "The overseer's a fake priest, so nobody actually worships there. Don't let your guard down, even if it is a church."
Shirou nodded and continued walking. He glanced around. "Where's Archer?"
"Oh, I'm having him scout ahead. He's more useful at range, anyway."
Shirou shrugged and moved to catch up to her. "Thank you for doing this for me, Tohsaka. That cute, innocent honors student persona may be something of a lie, but I'm glad you're a kind person under it all."
Rin stumbled in her stride. "You idiot! I'm not doing this because I like you. You have a good Servant and I want to get you on my side for now, that's all. Don't come to conclusions on your own like that." She turned away, muttering, and Shirou smiled to himself.
Rin pushed open the door of the church, and Shirou followed her inside. The room was dimly lit, with moonlight coming through dirty windows. In the nave of the chamber, the silhouette of a tall man stood against an altar decorated with many flickering candles, but nothing else.
"Oi, Kirei. I found the seventh Master. He's an amateur who understands nothing, so do your duty and explain the rules to him." She tapped her foot impatiently, leaving an imprint in the dust on the floor.
The man turned and stepped down from the altar platform, bringing his face into view. A faint smile crossed his lips without reaching his eyes. "So this is the seventh Master. What is your name, boy?"
"Emiya. Emiya Shirou."
"Ho? I see. Well met, Emiya Shirou. I am Kotomine Kirei, the overseer and arbitrator of this contest. Rejoice, for the Grail has chosen you as a Master to fight for it in this, the Fifth Holy Grail War."
"Fifth?" blurted Shirou. "This has happened four times already?"
Kotomine smiled again, his lips tight and his eyes cold. "Indeed. The Holy Grail Was was first established nearly two hundred years ago by the three magus families of this land, the Tohsaka, the Einzbern, and the Matou. Four times has the Grail manifested; four times has it been denied its purpose. The First and Second Wars ended without a victor; in the Third, the Grail's vessel was destroyed by the meddling of the Einzbern; in the Fourth, the Grail was completed, but the War's victor was a coward and destroyed the Grail, rather than have it grant his wish. And so, ten years later, it falls to you, and to six other magi, to compete for the ultimate prize by wagering the ultimate price."
"My life, you mean."
"Quite so. Do you know the purpose of the Servants, Emiya Shirou? The Holy Grail is a spiritual chalice that cannot be grasped by any man. Thus, the Servants, heroic spirits of legend, are summoned to obtain it on behalf of their Masters. Yet the Grail will only appear when six of the seven have fallen. This is why there will be no victory without the death of your enemies."
Rin sighed. "What he means, Emiya, is that the best way to get rid of the Servants is to kill the Masters, since a Servant can't survive without a contract to anchor it. You don't have to, but it's the preferred option."
"It is the most efficient option," said Kotomine. "The Servants are physically superior to human beings in every way; it is very difficult to kill one, except with the aid of another."
Shirou grimaced. "But to use your Servant against other Servants directly means you're risking your chance to win."
Kotomine smiled again. "Correct. You are more intelligent than Rin would have me believe." Rin huffed, but said nothing. "In any case, there is more to be said. In the Holy Grail War, seven Servants are summoned into one each of seven classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin, with capabilities as their names suggest. As heroic spirits, each Servant is the embodiment of a legendary hero, and possesses the same skills and weaknesses."
"I'm sorry, but that's not what I came here to learn," said Shirou. "If I want to know about Servants, I can ask my own, or even Tohsaka. What is the purpose of the Holy Grail War?"
"The purpose of the Holy Grail, Emiya Shirou, is to obtain a miracle. But that is not what you seek to know, is it?"
"No. I want to know what sort of prize is worth outright murder. Four times, you said, people have fought and killed each other over a goal that no one reached. Why should I care about the Grail?"
Kotomine turned away, placing his hand on a dusty pew, and gazed at one of the windows through which moonlight streamed. "Do the lives of your fellow humans concern you?"
Shirou stared. "What?"
Kotomine's head snapped back to Shirou, an almost predatory gleam in his eyes. "At the end of the Fourth War," he said, his voice low, "there was a wish made upon the grail."
Shirou frowned. "You said it was destroyed by the final Master."
"Destroyed, yes...but not annihilated. Understand this, Emiya Shirou. The Holy Grail is bound to this land. It cannot be truly destroyed as long as this land remains. And when that Master chose to destroy the Grail's vessel...there was another, his last remaining rival. And the wreckage of the Grail was left to one whose heart was of death...and fire."
Shirou staggered. Flames danced before his eyes, accompanied by the horrible, sickening heat of his body burning alive. Fire and death all about him, his arms scorched to the bone-
-he was in the church, breathing heavily. The heat was gone, replaced by an equally horrible chill.
"The fire. The Grail caused the fire."
Rin stared at him, worry in her eyes. "Emiya? Are you...are you..."
Shirou gritted his teeth. "The fire."
Kotomine returned his gaze impassively, the predatory spark gone. "It is as you say. The Grail chooses its Masters...who can say if it may have chosen another like that one, or like the coward who destroyed it? Can you afford to take the chance that the victor may be insane, or selfish, or evil?"
"So you want me to be a Master," said Shirou. "Is that it? To satisfy myself that something like...that...won't happen again?"
"If you truly wish to remove yourself from the competition, I can relieve you of your Command Seals, as the War's overseer. But to accept or to divest yourself of responsibility, that is your decision."
Shirou let out a long breath, forcing himself to relax. He met Kotomine's gaze. "Fine. You're right. I can't accept the possibility that someone might use the Grail for evil. You've convinced me. But I'm not doing it for your sake."
Kotomine chuckled. "Now where did that idea come from? I am impartial; I merely regulate the War. I have no interest in what is done, as long as the necessary secrecy is maintained. This is a contest of magi, after all."
Shirou decided that he disliked the overseer very much. He turned to the entry doors. "Tohsaka, we're done here. I'm going home."
She sighed. "Can't be helped."
"Before you go, Rin." Kotomine's voice was tranquil but firm.
"What?" she snapped.
"It has come to my attention that a Caster Servant has been tampering with the leylines in the area of the docks. As First Owner, you have the right to be informed first about such things."
"Tampering? Are you sure it's not just a ritual tapping in for the extra range?"
"No. The structure of the leyline there has changed. This is certain."
"Tch. I'll look into it." She swept out after Shirou.
When they had exited, Saber materialized next to Shirou. "It seems that this fight has become personal for you, now."
Shirou nodded. "Yes. I wouldn't have backed out, not after giving you my promise, but this...it means something to me now. I can't just do nothing."
Rin regarded him curiously. "Emiya? Did something happen to you, that time?"
Flames flickered at the edges of his vision. "I don't want to talk about it."
Rin was silent as they walked down the hill. When they neared the residential district, she yawned and waved at him airily. "Well, I suppose this is goodbye for tonight. Make sure to change those bandages every few hours, and don't use either arm if you can help it."
"I don't know if I can avoid it," said Shirou. "Fuji-nee will expect me to have breakfast ready for her, like usual, and Sakura's staying home because of family matters..." He trailed off, then spun to Rin. "The Matou are a magus family, aren't they? The priest said they helped found the Grail War. Sakura's taking time off from school because someone in her family is a Master."
Rin rubber her forehead. "Well, obviously. If you father had bothered to educate you properly as a magus, you would know all that already." She glared at him. "You're not planning to go to school tomorrow, are you? You'd be a sitting duck, and those bandages will attract attention."
"My jacket will cover most of it, and the burns on my hands aren't that serious. It'll be worse if I don't go to school; Fuji-nee wouldn't let me hear the end of it. Anyway, what about you? You skipped yesterday."
"Hmph! Of course I'm attending. I have an image to maintain, after all."
Shirou sighed. "You're quite the hypocrite. Besides, nobody is going to act during the school day. If I need help, you'll be there. We do have an alliance as long as I owe you, right?"
Rin started. "Of-of course! You shouldn't expect to depend on me to everything for you, though."
"I don't plan to."
"Good! Then, I think that covers everything for now. Just remember to bring Saber with you to school for your own safety. We'll investigate the Caster by the docks tomorrow, too."
"What was that about, anyway?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow. It's late, and we'll attract attention if we stand here with two Servants. Goodbye, Shirou." She walked away.
"Uh, Tohsaka? What was that?"
Rin paused, but didn't turn around.
"You called me by my first name."
She turned her head and smiled at him. "What, can't I have a little familiarity with my partner?" She skipped down the street, leaving Shirou very perplexed.
What does that mean? And...was that the real Tohsaka, or the fake, cute one?
