"And so then I suplexed him into the ground." Luvia finished her most recent of what had been a myriad number of tales that all ended with her putting someone through a full-arching German suplex. Rin had no idea how a single woman could end up in so many situations that could be successfully resolved with suplexes, but Luvia made it clear that it was possible.

The two young magi had been keeping each other company in their imprisonment by talking to each other telepathically. That said, their situation hadn't gotten any better. They were still tied up and blindfolded by the Fujimura Group and still lacked their jewels along with their tongues, and in Rin's case, she even lacked an arm.

The only solace was that Luvia's sister would be coming to save them at some point. For Rin, it was cold comfort since the only things she knew about Luvia's sister were that she was smart, cautious, shy, and more skilled in jewel magecraft than Luvia herself. There was nothing that guaranteed that they would be saved, but to be fair, nothing in life was certain so Rin knew she was being unreasonable in her expectations. Hoping that she and Luvia would be swiftly saved and would then meet up with Sakura who would be completely fine was a touch asinine.

But Rin was still anxious like she never had been before. Her sense of time was completely skewed to the point that you could tell her that she'd been tied up for a week already and she'd buy it without question. This was despite the fact that Rin hadn't yet felt the need to sleep so it probably hadn't even been twenty-four hours. Christ alive, lacking any stimulation beyond the feeling of her muscles cramping up and Luvia's chattering was going to make Rin go crazy like she just saw an Outer God. At least Rin could be thankful that she had someone to talk to at all. Speaking of Luvia.

"Rin Tohsaka, are you still there?"

"Yes, sorry. I zoned out there for a second. That was rude of me."

"Is something the matter, besides the obvious?"

"It's just the obvious. I'm worried about my sister and being stuck like this while not knowing if she's okay is really making me wanna snap."

"I understand your concerns, but we also need to keep cool heads if we're to get through this."

"I know, but it's easier said than done. You're lucky enough to know your sister is safe."

"You must be going through a hard time. I imagine I would be in a similar state if my sister's fate was also uncertain, but I'd still be acting irrationally in that case. There's nothing we can do at the moment other than stay calm, be ready for the unexpected, and have faith. What else can we do?"

Rin wanted to say, "we could try to escape." The issue was that doing so would be a supremely stupid idea considering that even a single wrong move would mean her death and maybe even Luvia's. If she were to try to escape, Rin would have to do it alone so Luvia's life wouldn't be put at risk. It would still be a horrible idea considering that the guards were so, well, on guard that they'd kill Rin if she so much as squirmed a bit. And all this wasn't even considering that Rin was convinced that she was incompetent and had nowhere near the skill necessary to successfully escape. She always choked when it came the most pivotal moments if she didn't have Sakura's support.

Escape was impossible. It just was. To attempt to run away would be an act born out of desperation that was tantamount to suicide.

Rin felt pathetic. If Caren were here to see Rin she'd be tickled pink.

"Rin Tohsaka, are you lost in your thoughts again?"

"Yes. Sorry, sorry." Rin's frustration at herself ballooned further upon realizing she couldn't pay attention for more than ten seconds.

"You truly are in a troubled mental state right now."

"You can say that again."

"We need to get your mind off of things."

"I've been trying to and it obviously hasn't been working."

"That's because I've been the one dominating the conversation. Rin Tohsaka, tell me about that martial arts style you use that you mix with magecraft. It was truly spectacular, I must admit."

Rin felt her body temperature rise at the kind words. "Thanks for the compliment."

"I'm merely speaking the truth."

"My style is a mix of various Chinese martial arts and a few other styles like MMA, Muay Thai, and Krav Maga. My purpose was to take the more esoteric aspects of traditional Chinese martial arts that tied to qi and other concepts linked to magecraft and modernize them with more practical martial arts techniques and principles. I wanted to make a style that could incorporate magecraft while still being effective as a martial art and that could adapt to any situation."

"That's a brilliant idea."

"Yeah, well it's only a brilliant idea. It still needs a lot of work and I doubt the ideal fighting style I'm striving to create is even feasible. I should have just stuck to traditional magecraft like my father. Our family gave up on martial arts for a reason."

"Do the Tohsakas have a history with martial arts?"

"The first head of our family, Nagato Tohsaka, originally wanted to reach The Root by achieving enlightenment through martial arts. He realized after a bit that it wasn't working and so he decided to walk the path of a magus. He still emphasized learning martial arts, but the practice petered out over time. I decided to give it a shot because I found myself in the care of someone who was also a skilled martial artist. Apparently I don't know how to learn from history since I made the same mistake the first head did."

"Your efforts have been far from a waste. I've never seen such a perfect blending of magecraft and physical combat."

"You really think that?"

"I do. I know a thing or two about martial arts so I know the difference between a dead end style and a burgeoning one full of potential. Yours is the latter, no question." Luvia's mental words were tinged with annoyance.

Was there really that much potential in Rin's martial arts? Luiva's words seemed far from an attempt at placating her. The Edelfelt was angry at the very insinuation that Rin's fighting style was sub-par. Part of it was definitely that she didn't like the implication that she almost lost to someone who was an incompetent, but there was definitely another part that was born out of a genuine respect for Rin. It was a comfort for Rin to know that she held a level of respect with a previous and potential future enemy.

"I guess I can say you're wrong if you speak, or I guess think, with that much passion. Your martial arts were also really impressive. Was it some kind of wrestling?"

"It's Lancashire-style, a martial art original to England." Luvia's mental words were full of haughtiness.

"Is it related to baritsu?"

"Baritsu is more striking focused in comparison, but some of the throws it incorporates are not all that dissimilar to Lancashire-style. Let me guess, you only know about Baritsu because Sherlock Holmes knew it?"

"That's right. Europe isn't really known for unarmed combat the same way Asia is."

"That's just because we don't advertise our martial arts the same way you easterners do, nor do we give an over-the-top name to every one of our techniques."

"Sounds like somebody's a little spiteful."

"Quiet, lest you wish for a second round of fisticuffs between us. I promise you, you'll not only lose again, but you won't even land a single blow."

"I doubt that, not that it matters. It's not like we could fight right now."

"If I really wished, not even a thousand thugs like the one's holding us could stop me from fighting you and proving the superiority of western martial arts. Can you not say the same?"

"Why haven't you escaped yet if you're so tough?"

"I simply feel comfortable right now. I've been running myself ragged as of late so I figured I'd use this as an excuse to catch up on my beauty sleep."

"But you aren't sleeping."

"And how do you know?"

"Because we're having a conversation right now."

"I might have just used Memory Partition to separate my consciousness so I could simultaneously speak with you using half my brain and rest with the other half."

"So you're an Atlas alchemist?"

"I might be."

"But are you?"

"…No." Rin had to suppress her desire to laugh to avoid a bullet to the head. "Listen! It's the duty of a proper maiden to be ready to trounce any foe in a battle of boasting!"

"Yeah, and that means just making stuff up? If you were really clever, you'd be able to come up with something true about yourself that's impressive, but I suppose you might not actually have anything about yourself that's all that amazing."

"Says the woman who lost to me naught but less than a day ago."

"At least I'm not a liar."

"I really will fight you."

"I don't believe you, because you're a liar."

Rin and Luvia continued to bite back and forth at each other, loving every second of it. The two of them were the type that liked a challenge, liked someone who they could contend with as rivals. Perhaps they could continue to be rivals after the end of the Holy Grail War, maybe even be more than rivals. Friends.

Rin wanted to be friends with Luvia. This was the first time Rin had ever wanted to actually be friends with someone before so it felt strange. She always actively avoided other people her age, and other people in general that weren't part of her family to be honest. Rin had become a bit of a recluse now that she thought about it.

It was because she always prioritized staying with Sakura. Remembering that made Rin feel guilty that she wanted to become friends with Luvia, because doing so would be shirking her duties in her eyes. Yet, recent events have implied that the overly rigid connection Rin and Sakura shared was becoming harmful, so perhaps lightening up and being more open with people besides Sakura would actually be beneficial for both of the Tohsaka sisters.

The snapping of an ethereal thread. Rin felt a bond she held with another stop existing. This wasn't the sisterly bond Rin held with Sakura or anything remotely of the sort. The connection that just severed was between Rin and her Servant. Saber wasn't Rin's Servant anymore, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Saber wasn't primarily Rin's Servant anymore. There now was someone who held more direct authority as Saber's Master. The only way Rin knew for such a thing to happen would be for someone to use a Book of False Attendant, and even then it would require Saber to consent to it.

Kirei could create Books of False Attendant. Was it possible he took control of Saber to try and help save Rin, or maybe he gave one to Sakura? Either way, he'd be shirking his duties as overseer if he intervened in any way. Would he do that? Probably not since he was so strict about following rules. In that case, it could be that an enemy Master took control of Saber, which would mean Saber chose to betray Rin and Sakura. If that was indeed the case, then Sakura was in even more danger. The hope that Saber was protecting Sakura now became worry that she might kill Sakura to get her out of the way or she may have taken Sakura hostage to try and push Kirei into telling her and her new Master the location of the Greater Grail or maybe something else.

This was an emergency. Rin had to escape and go help Sakura. But how could she? She had already gone over why trying to escape was an idiotic idea from all angles, but she had no other choice. She had to try for Sakura's sake. If there was even a one percent chance that Sakura was in danger, then Rin had an obligation to go and try to save her. Rin couldn't believe she was about to abandon the vow she made all those years ago. This showed she had to be even more rigid as to never waver again. Sakura was all that mattered and so Rin would risk all she had to make sure she never received so much as a scratch. The next question was how to actually escape considering that the yakuza were watching her like a hawk. There had to be something she could do to escape, or maybe there was something she still possessed that would give her the power to bust out.

The Command Spells. Rin didn't need them now that she couldn't function as a Master, so she could use them to escape. Kirei taught her about how she could channel the magical energy that made Command Spells to power up her own magecraft. She still had all three so she could use one for a big spell that would destroy the room and kill the nearby yakuza before they could react. Then she could break out of the ropes holding her, remove her blindfold, and book it for an exit. Actually, she would just use another Command Spell to power up another spell to bore a hole in the building to the outside. She might hit Luvia if she did that, but it would be a necessary sacrifice for Sakura's sake. Rin would save her last Command Spell for when and if she had to save Sakura. Even if a Servant got in her way, a Command Spell boosted attack would be able to hurt them enough that Rin would have time to grab Sakura and run. It wasn't a fool proof plan, but it was better than nothing and Rin had to go help Sakura as soon as possible.

It really was a good thing Rin hadn't used any of her Command Spells yet. It was thanks to Sakura stopping Rin from recklessly using one right after Saber was summoned.

Reckless. Just like Rin was about to be. She was about to try a dangerous plan that would sacrifice two of her Command Spells at least and would involve abandoning Luvia and maybe even killing her in the crossfire. The fact that Luvia could have died hadn't bothered Rin in the slightest until she took a moment to stop and think about it. That was how obsessive Rin had become about protecting Sakura from a bad situation that she had no proof was actually happening. The slightest implication that Sakura could be in danger and Rin was ready to fly off the handle. She really was very protective of Sakura, no, that was an understatement. Rin's obsession with her sister was to the point that she couldn't think with a clear mind as far as Sakura was concerned. Rin was willing to abandon everything for Sakura and though that may have sounded nice in an abstract sense, practically speaking it was really bad. This couldn't continue. Rin had to trust that Sakura was okay and be patient. Luvia's sister would save them and everything would be okay.

No more obsessing over Sakura. Rin could be concerned for her, that was perfectly natural, but she couldn't lose her composure over the littlest things. Sakura was smart, she was strong, she would be fine. It was time that Rin let Sakura grow up rather than treat her as the same traumatized child she was ten years ago. She had long since grown up.

That said, it was concerning that a Book of False Attendant was used to take control of Saber. Could it really have been Kirei? He was a stickler for the rules and didn't really love Rin or Sakura, so it was unlikely he'd help them. Maybe Sakura made it? She refused to learn any of the Matou magecraft so that was a near impossibility. Plus, she'd need Command Spells to do it. If it was an enemy Master, they probably would have just used some method of breaking Rin's contract with Saber completely rather than just try and work around it with a Book of False Attendant.

There was no use worrying since there was nothing Rin could do right now. The erstwhile Master just had to rest and wait for rescue to come.

After all the stress she just worked through, Rin was ready to take a nap to let her mind cool off for a bit. She considered telling Luvia about her loss of connection with Saber as a way of venting, but decided against it since it would be telling a potential future opponent about a new weakness of hers. Rin was willing to try connecting with others now and she wanted to befriend Luvia, but she also knew that she had to be cautious as long as the war was still on.

"Luvia, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me if anything happens."

"Fine. Rest well. I will keep watch."

"You can't see."

"Just go to sleep."

Rin did just that. In mere moments, the anxiety-addled mind of Rin Tohsaka gave way to the realm of dreams so it could recuperate and prepare for the trials to come.

Sakura would be okay. Rin would be okay. Everything would be okay. Rin just had to have hope and be patient.