As school finally ended, Rin barely restrained herself from running toward her home. Taking the situation into consideration, it was a miracle that she had managed to maintain her image as a perfect student throughout the day; only the knowledge that the time she looked forward to wouldn't come any faster had kept her in class.

All the preparations had been made; with the relic she had received from Kotomine yesterday, she could finally execute the summoning tonight.

In theory the relic wasn't necessary, with the power of the Holy Grail that she would be allowed to access, there was no doubt that a Heroic Spirit would answer her call. Combined with her excellent qualifications, she was confident that she would have summoned the strongest Servant even with no other factors in play; it was Kotomine who had insisted that she wait.

"I will not have my student embarrass herself before the war has even begun. Victory or defeat is up to you, but it is my duty to prepare you as well as I can."

Somehow, he had managed to say it with a straight face, and she hadn't been able to decline his help as a result.

Having walked quickly in her anticipation of the night's events, she arrived at her home much earlier than usual. Stopping at the door, she took a deep breath.

Winning the Holy Grail, for all that it was a great task was only a formality; as the Second Owner of Fuyuki, she wouldn't lose to any outsiders. The cause of her nervousness was the man waiting behind that door.

Ten years ago, a tragedy had forced her father to distance himself from the world she lived in. Technically she saw him almost every day, and she couldn't claim that he paid no attention to her.

However, those interactions between father and daughter lacked the feelings of complicity that her earlier memories contained. The one time she had attempted to recover that link, the expression on his face had been such that even her ten year old self had fallen silent.

The tragedy that had ruined her father's life had occurred in the same battle that she about to enter, and because of that she wouldn't fail. No matter what, she would succeed.

Having steadied herself, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"I'm home."

As if on cue, Tohsaka Tokiomi emerged from the study, briefcase in hand. As impeccably dressed as he had ever been, he was the perfect picture of a businessman about to leave for work.

"Right on time, I have finished arranging affairs, and am now ready to go join your mother."

The respectful tone of his voice wasn't one that a father took to talk to his daughter, but rather one of an employee reporting the completion of his task.

Ever since that day, it was the tone that he had used whenever he handled the family affairs that Rin was still too young to take over in the eyes of the law.

"Thank you, father."

According to the ritual that they had developed, she bowed slightly. Before she could rise again, he startled her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Rin, today is the day that you have been preparing yourself for."

"Ah." At a loss for words, she felt tears coming to her eyes from the warmth in his voice. "Y-yes, father."

"The burden that my inadequacy forced on your shoulders is a heavy one, and I worried that you were too young at the time." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shook her head in denial in place of the words that wouldn't come out. "However, my worries were empty ones. If it is you, then the dream passed down from our ancestors will be realized."

Had his voice cracked? No, she must have imagined it; her father was always collected. When she lifted her eyes to confirm it, he stepped past her, allowed her to see nothing but his back.

"I'll succeed!" Turning toward him, she threw away her hesitation. "I'll definitely win, father."

A sound that wasn't quite a chuckle came from him.

"A long time ago, your mother wished me good luck." Stepping through the door that she had left open, he made no attempt to turn back toward her. "Rin, you do not need luck."

After ten years, those were the only words that her father left for her as he walked away, his departing figure blurred to her eyes.

It was only when she was certain that he was gone that she allowed herself to cry.