Author notes:
thewookie1: thanks man. About the pace of the flashbacks, as you could see, I am an amateaur writer. I sincerely hope you guys can help me improve, so I thank in advance every feedback.
superpierce: Well, to answer you man, I have to say this. Gilgamesh will teach Shirou about Tracing. But he will go beyond that. Instead of skills that aren't his, he will fight this war with skills that belonged to another and where adapted to Shirou. In other words, Shirou instead of copying, will adapt. (Just a tiny little spoiler)
yann0406: You got it man.
Anon: Thanks man. I am also looking forward to writing this story.
In an old looking mansion, a pigtail student was getting ready for school. She wore a student uniform from the Homurahara high-school. Brown hair and blue eyes, with a beautiful face and a perfect body, she was Rin Tohsaka, the school beauty.
Everyone acknowledge her. From the kids at school, to the people on the street. She was a genius. But today, she doesn't feel like this. No, today she feel inferior to her long time rival.
One may ask, who could someone rival one like Rin Tohsaka. Well, you can only truly question that if you don't go to Homurahara academy. Because yesterday, something extraordinary happened.
Rin Tohsaka, the most intelligent student in the entire Fuyuki got ranked fourth.
Fourth. Not second, neither third, but fourth.
The truth is that, there are several people that Rin Tohsaka doesn't want to lose. Three of them actually. Her long time rival, Shirou Kotomine, the annoying student council president and one of the few who know about magic in the school, Issei Ryuudou, where the two who ranked second and third. There was also her little sister, Sakura von Einzber.
Good thing she doesn't study in the same year as I.
Rin thought to herself. Her father made a deal with the Einzbern in the last war. They would maintain an alliance with they're agent until the end of the war, so that he and Kirei doesn't need to fight the servant Saber until the final.
That bastard just wanted the fucking cup.
Rin knew it was the Tohsaka's sacred duty to win the Holy Grail. She knew that much. But even her knew that a father shouldn't sell her daughter. Something he did. And it annoyed her to no end.
Nevertheless, the main question remained. Why did the Einzbern wanted Sakura? She long knew of the abnormality that is Illyasviel von Einzbern. A homunculus that have 70% of her body made out of magic circuit, for crying out loud.
Why did they have to take her little sister? She knew that Sakura goes to her academy. Even being one of the Einzbern, those bastards at least let her have that. But still… why is that she is so different?
Not just her personality. Her physical appearence as well. The once brunette now is a pure albino.
Rin soon shook her head. It wouldn't matter now. She knew that, for a fact, she needed to help her sister. But now she need to focus on what is really important. The other person who surpassed her. The one who got first.
The genius of the Matou… Shinji Matou.
He was, perhaps, the best mage of Fuyuki. Someone who, even born crippled in magi terms, still succeeded to become a Mage.
Using the Matou magecraft, he changed his body to be able to channel the mana in the atmosphere. He managed to overcome the pain and find a way to transform half his body nerves in almost perfect magic circuits.
In other words, he actually created a method that completely change the ways of the magi families. The bad part of this is that, while he managed to become a mage, even with atrophied magic circuits, the process can only be done with the magecraft of the Matou's.
It was said that those who use this method would shorten their life span. Shinji however, managed to find a way to change that.
By burning his skin, he managed to create a bonded field that keeps taking the Mana in the air and transforming it in Od.
Of course, this looked painful, but she got to comment his efforts. No one would be able to do such thing. No one would be brave enough, that is.
The only reason that she could maintain the title of second owner was because of the Tohsaka name. If not, this duty would fall in the hands of the Matou when Shinji was 11. When he was reborned in Shinji, the mage.
Tohsaka soon got out of her trail of thought when she realized that she was in front of Homurahara.
"Hey Tohsaka, how are you doing in this fine evening?" Said the voice that she literally didn't need to hear right now. The voice of Shirou Kotomine.
"Hey there Shirou… how are you enjoying ranking second?" Tohsaka asked, with a hint of venom in her voice.
"Yeah, real boomer I couldn't rank first. Master Gilgamesh almost killed me for it. He even showed me a way to rank so high." Shirou said, smiling.
Now that is something interesting.
"Really? What did he teach?" Rin asked. Her eyes were pleading to know. Shirou however, wouldn't give her information so easily.
"Well, I can't really tell you. Master Gilgamesh was really clear about keeping his wisdom a secret."
Rin got angry beyond words. She then proceeded to huff, and turn around and go to school.
That impudent little… if he claims that he must guard secret of his lessons, then why did he told me that he have a method. I swear, each day he is more and more like that fake priest.
With that thought, Rin went to her classroom. Shirou decided to follow suit, but stopped for a second. Making a pained expression and holding his shoulders, he dismissed the pain as fast as he felt.
It was PE. Rin decided to use this class to grab a little of information from Shirou. And the best part is that the teacher decided that today she is going to give the class a little more… dangerous task.
It was a 100 meter dash. The one who ranked lower in time will have to clean the halls. One may ask who gave the teacher the authority to do that… well, being the granddaughter of the principal have it's perks.
Rin decided the best method of gaining information from Shirou. Hopefully this won't backfire against her.
Getting closer to Shirou, she soon made her move.
"Hey Shirou, how about a little bet? If I rank higher than you, you tell me how you managed to get in second in the overall tests."
"Sounds fun. But what do I win when I rank higher?"
"If you rank higher," Rin began, putting emphasis in the 'if' part, "I give you this."
Rin showed him her heart shaped pendant. This was the main jewel she had, and possibly the biggest mana reservoir in the region. If Shirou manages to get his hands in this, he may get an huge advantage in the war that is to come.
Kirei told him. The Holy Grail is acting weird as of now. The Holy Grail war will began fifty years sooner than what is scheduled. Kirei never lied to him. And Kirei told him that, if he continues his training with Gilgamesh, he may be chosen as one of the masters of this Grail war.
The advantages outweight the risks, I suppose.
Shirou though. He nodded, and Rin smiled. They soon got in the line. They're group consisting in Shirou, Rin, and a few other students, who just got between the quarrel of two dragons.
"In your marks." The teacher started the countdown. Everyone eyed the group of five. Issei and Shinji where looking suspiciously to Rin and Shirou.
Rin was no stupid. She knew that Shirou defeated her by a long margin when it came to physical aptitude. But when it came to magic, however…
"Ready, set…" The teacher continued. While everyone were chattering among one another, Rin smiled. Issei and Shinji looked at her like she was crazy.
Shirou, looking at this, couldn't held back his smirk. He soon activated his magic circuits with enough energy so that they don't become to shiny in his skin.
"Go" The teacher screamed.
As soon as those words entered Rin ears, she ran.
She was fast. Faster than anyone would imagine her to be. She couldn't hold back her smirk. However, she soon got serious when her rival passed her.
While that was happening, Issei was cursing the two of them for their recklessness, and Shinji was using an illusory spell, to make sure that no one saw what the two idiots were doing.
Rin gritted her teeth is frustration. Pouring more magical energy in her legs, She caught up with Shirou.
The boy, however, saw that. He smelled that. Shirou could smell magic from other people. He never knew how, but that made him a natural tracker. Tohsaka's magic smelled like a misture of a burning leaf, dirt and the water of the sea.
And he soon smelled the smell of putrid. The smell of Shinji's magic. He smiled. He now could go all out.
Pouring all the Od he could in his magic circuits, his speed increased drastically. Having his body condition on pair with an elite athlete, he doesn't need to use all his circuits capability to get on pair to a fully reinforced mage.
Tohsaka however, was no normal mage. So instead of one-forth of his circuits maximum capability, he needed to use everything. He needed to use all his 27 magic circuits with maximum capability.
But even so, he knew that his Od would ran out before Tohsaka's. So, instead of reinforcing his body continuously, he simply poured his Od when his feet was the closest to the ground. This allowed him to not ran out of energy and gain a huge impulse.
He got first with 2.21 seconds. Rin got second with 4.11. The others where too slow. Of course, they then needed to change the memories of the other contestants. The ones that Shinji didn't use illusion magecraft.
After the class, Rin gave Shirou the heart-shaped jewel. Shirou, of course, putted it in his school bag as fast and quiet as possible. He doesn't need some people teasing him. Not now, at least.
He was about to go to his next class, when he felt a tug in his clothes. Looking back, he saw Tohsaka looking at him with a somewhat curious expression.
"Who were you able to use reinforcement in such a way? The amount of training that you have to do to gain the control you just shown is not something you can gain by training just two weeks. Even if your teacher is the wise-king."
Shirou smiled. He turned back and continued to walk, but not without first tormenting Tohsaka a little.
"I simply trained harder than you. I guess that, with enough work, even an untalented mage such as I can surpass the genius Rin Tohsaka."
He continued to walk, not once looking back. Not once seeing the look of anger in Rin's face.
The day went uneventful after that. Shirou however, knew what was his next step to gain an advantage in the war that is to come. He already have one, now is time to gain the second.
He would go to the Fuyuki central park, the place where the last Holy Grail war ended, and grab something that was there… something very, very unique.
Yes, the thing Shirou needed to go there and take was no other than King Arthur's dark blade: Excalibur Morgan.