Taiga looked at the preteen. He was once again reading a book. He also had a pen and paper at his side, apparently taking down notes about the contents of the book. He was totally absorbed in the quest of learning and not paying attention to her unsubtle observation of him. Shirou was the Fujimura's adopted sibling. Taiga has enjoyed a good relationship with both Emiya's. When Taiga had first met Kiritsugu through her grandfather Raiga, she could only be described as being enamored by the elder Emiya. As a teenager currently at the age of seventeen, she had retained her crush on him as well as her admiration for Kiritsugu's suave and mature looks. Though she supposed that her feelings had never went much beyond that. She still bore affection for the elder Emiya but through further interactions with him had struck up a close friendship.

She was greatly disheartened by the fact that the elder Emiya had always thought of and treated her fondly as a little sister but she had gotten over it for a while now. Besides, based on his trips abroad, he must already have someone in his heart. Taiga felt that she could accept that. Beyond friendship, the elder Emiya had served a role to tutor her in English. She was currently studying in her second year at the Homurahara Academy and was on a self-chosen quest to improve her communication skills. Due to this, on her visits to the Emiya residence, Kiritsugu had deemed fit to only speak to her in English. Through this, her aptitude in the language had grown to a standard which had satisfied her.

Through her relationship with Kiritsugu, there also came with Shirou Emiya as a package. When Taiga had first met Kiritsugu through her grandfather, he had just moved into Fuyuki. Shirou was already just adopted by him for several weeks at that point. She had learned that Shirou was a victim orphaned by the great fire that had occurred in the Shinto district of Fuyuki and had apparently lost his memories due to the trauma of the incident. Due to this, she had been able to obtain a front row seat as a witness to how Shirou Emiya had gained his bearings in the strange new world he had been forced into. Taiga, sympathizing with Shirou's unfortunate fate in life, had adopted him as her little brother shortly after. She had tried her best to be a sister to him with her cheerful outlook on life by trying to drive him out of his shell. He was rather withdrawn and broody while not being deliberately so and Taiga had tried to change that mindset by always being her cheerful and exuberant self around him. She had not enjoyed much success thus far.

Taiga had witnessed Shirou's growth for a few years, he had not changed much during the years after the fire. He was still rather withdrawn and socially inept but had picked up the obsession with learning through the years. Taiga had theorized that the younger Emiya's fascination with books and motivation to learn everything was due to his lack of options. Shirou was a ten-year-old boy with only three years of memories and in the three years of experiences that he had undergone, he had not had social interaction with any individuals of his age. He must have been so unknowingly bored and exhausted. Even Taiga's relatively young age had not counted towards this. Like it or not, even Taiga would personally admit that she had some rather 'unique' quirks.

As a student currently, and with education keeping her preoccupied for most of the week, she had not been able to help ratify the situation of her adopted brother's inexperience and lack of social contact. She had only been able to come over a day every week and the only reason she was able to find the time was because she would be able to get several meals at the Emiya Residence. Her main objectives through the visits to the Emiya Residence was to spent more time socializing with the Emiya pair as well as spar with them as practice in Kendo. Shirou had been getting rather annoyingly skilled at Kendo ever since he had taken up the hobby. He had been able to match up with her too well for a boy of almost a decade younger. Ever since Shirou had been able to match her, Kiritsugu had bowed out of the practices and had given Shirou the role of sparring with her.

Taiga looked once again at the younger Emiya with a scrutinizing eye and decided that it was time he started to assist her with her Kendo practice today. A child a decade old should not be spending all his time around books, Taiga thought.

"Ne Shirou! Spar with Big Sister Fujimura!"

"Do we have to do this now? I have something to do right now."

"Yes of course we have to spar right now! What could be more important than your dear and beautiful elder sister?"

Shirou gave a sigh and placed his book down, following Taiga's steps in walking to the dojo. His steps were slow and dragged out. He was reluctant but he nevertheless had agreed to indulge Taiga's request. He had been taken away from studying a book on magecraft.

The past few days, he had been going over to the Tohsaka Mansion for lessons with Rin. She had been teaching him the basic foundations of mainstream magecraft. His 'homework' was to read and analyse a book on the flowing and transferring of power, an aspect of magecraft used by the Tohsaka's. It had been an interesting read but Shirou had found out that he was getting confused in several aspects. Even though he generally picked most things up quickly, he was having a bit of trouble regarding the book of elements that Rin had requested him to study. Elements were aspects of magecraft that governed the very structure of the earth. Beyond the basic elemental traits of an element, they also represented the governing of abstract substances that made up the structure of the world. Heat represented entropy and thermodynamics while water represented the flow of all forms of energy on earth. Well, it was always good to gain some practice in Kendo after the exhaustion of comprehending deeper aspects of Thaumaturgy…

It was another tie caused by Taiga asking for a break. Through the weeks ever since Shirou had gained a large improvement in swordplay, Taiga had been struggling to gain a victory or avoid a defeat. What it came down to every instance was the fact that Taiga had seven years more on him. While Taiga had little more room to grow, she did still enjoy a massive height advantage over her younger counterpart. Taiga however was a prideful individual. She had always believed that she was one of the best in Kendo in the country. She would not win purely through a physical advantage against a child especially when the physical advantage would become null in the future. As such, she had called a break to today's sparring session. Besides, she still had a mission to accomplish. While Shirou went off to have a shower, she went up to the elder Emiya for a suggestion.

"Ne, Kiritsugu, don't you think Shirou should get out more and socialize?"

"Not really, I don't see the issue. Is there an issue?"

Taiga sighed. She knew the elder Emiya was a more introverted individual but to think it would be this bad.

"Kiritsugu, Shirou doesn't have any friends or acquaintances of the same age and he doesn't go to school yet. Don't you think you should prod him into socializing and finding some friends? It might be a big help for him."

Kiritsugu nodded his head. While he had not exactly comprehended what Taiga was saying, he could understand the basic concept of social interaction. While he had spent his childhood on the run with his father due to his sealing designation by the clocktower, he had once had a chance to make a dear friend…

Aside from the depressing memories threatening to resurface, he recalled that one of his friends that had assisted him in settling in Fuyuki had a son of the same age as Shirou. He believed that it could be beneficial to introduce them. He had something to request of him anyway. He would ask his son to accompany him to a hike to his friend's place of habitation. While he tried to be his best as a father, he was afraid that he had missed this aspect of his son's development. As far as he knew, his son knew no individuals of his age group and it was better to introduce him to one. He only hoped that this would correct what stunting of Shirou's social development that had been caused…

Rin Tohsaka was walking to the church. It was this part of the month again. The dreaded period where she had to be in vicinity of the priest of Fuyuki. This was a similar visit to one she had undergone two weeks ago. On the outside, nothing had changed. The same pious girl was just on another one of her bimonthly visits to the church as a part of her connection with god. On contrary, much had changed since her previous visit to the church.

The Tohsaka bloodline was one that had always resided in the land of Japan. It was not a traditional Magus family that had immigrated from Europe. Instead, for the majority of the history of the Tohsaka, magic had not existed beyond miracles of god and rumors. It was not an incident that had led her ancestor, Nagato Tohsaka into discovering magic and bringing magecraft into the tradition of the family but rather it could be said that Magic found them. A rather troublesome Magic at that.

It was the second magician, Zeltrech that had inducted the Tohsaka's into the moonlit world. During a journey, her ancestor Nagato had helped picked up a hotel bill for an individual that had lacked the currency of the land, helping to avert a troublesome situation. As an act of gratitude, Zeltrech, noticing the presence of magical circuits on her ancestor had taken up Nagato as a student of sorts in the art of Magecraft. While Zeltrech was a True Magician rather than simply a mage, he was first simply a Magus that had mastered and discovered the second magic through the path to the Root.

There were five Magics currently in existence. Magic, or Sorcery is the pinnacle of mystery that surpasses any current magecraft or science. Mysteries are concepts. A Mystery is made out of everything and anything that could exist within reality. A mystery always traces its sources to the Root. A metaphysical location outside of time that is a catalogue of all information of the past, current and future. An archive of the theoretical and the proven. A foundation of all possibilities and all events from infinite realities. It is everything and yet nothing at the same time. To achieve the pinnacle of all mysteries is to reach the location in which all mysteries could exist, in which all truths are given, in which one recognizes all realities for what they are. It is a path to the root.

To reach or have a path directly to the Root, distinguishes a Magus or Magician from anything other existence. Such individuals are known as True Magicians. True Magicians are individuals that have reached or have a path of reaching the Root without entering it. In order to obtain a true Magic, a Magus must create or enter a path to the Root. Zeltrech, the second Magician was the second individual to become a true magician by creating a means to reach the Root. He had acquired the Magic after the creation of a new Magic as a method of reaching the Root through his own personal research. Due to this, as soon as he obtained the status of a True Magician, he had already mastered the use of the second Magic. This mastery and ownership of the second Magic had allowed him to defeat Brunestud of the Crimson moon, the king of the Vampires and a Primordial Being of the Universe.

As a Magus who had become a True Magician through his own quest to the Root, he would be one of the best candidates to have as an introduction into the world of Magi. That was not true however, for he was a unique character. He is a troublesome figure within the world of Magi and can be said to have corrupted the Tohsaka's and led them astray. After leaving her family alone after helping to set up the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, he had left a troublesome object as well as blueprints as a mission for the Tohsaka's. Rin fully believed that she would be the individual to complete the mission.

Throughout the recent history of the Tohsaka's, ever since gaining the knowledge and ability to perform magecraft, the only single goal was to reach the Root, to find the truth of the universe. Due to this, being a member of Christianity was less of a personal faith but rather a traditional role being undertaken. It was only recently that the church had interfered as administrators of the Holy Grail War that the ties with the church were renewed. Through her father's pragmatism, the Tohsaka have struck up a friendship with the local church of Fuyuki and the then head priest Risei Kotomine. As a result of this, the close ties of the Tohsaka to the church were more political in nature than anything. Due to her father's tutorship of Kirei Kotomine, there was a responsibility from both parties to maintain the alliance.

Much has changed within the two weeks since her last visit to the church. What was the biggest change was how guarded Rin was against her guardian, Kirei Kotomine. What Shirou had done, was provide a valid suspicion upon Kirei kotomine through circumstantial but plausible evidence. The biggest thing was that it raised the caution on Rin side of what extent was the vileness of the priest. What had been revealed was beyond the worst that Rin had thought of him.

Her opinion aside, this had highlighted the possibility as to the extent of the depths of depravity that the priest could sink into. She had assured and made a commitment to herself that she would get to the bottom of the situation. And she would. But there were many precautions that she had to take. The fake priest was an astute individual. As sly as she thought she could be, there was no doubt in her mind that the he would catch on as soon as a suspicion was raised by her. There was no telling what could happen then. What she had to do was to be profoundly subtle and not go prodding directly and asking questions for that would be a massive folly. Unfortunately, such an approach while wise and pragmatic was also liable to take a long time.

She opened the doors to the church. She wondered if it was a sign or subconscious showing of his depravity by not having the doors opened permanently. Shouldn't a priest have a responsibility to accept and welcome as well as offer assistance to all individuals under the banner of God? Was this a hidden message about the nature of the priest that she had not deciphered yet?

The church was located in at the other side of the city from the Tohsaka Mansion. It is located in the Shinto district. It took about an hour to travel from her residence to the church. The church was not an old relic of the past. As old as religious buildings went, it was only constructed before the Second World War. The Church was a constructed before the beginnings of church involvement in the Holy Grail War. It was due to the Chaos caused by the evocation of the Holy Grail within the church in the second Holy Grail War that had motivated the church to send a representative to Fuyuki.

The building that was the church was of an average size of such an establishment and was fairly mundane. There was nothing to denote anything special about this church. It has pews, an altar and a courtyard as well as living space for the residents. The lessons that Rin had were conducted within the study room behind the main area of the church. As always, Kirei would be waiting for her there. He had dispensed with the basic duties of a host to await her at the entrance long ago. Rin sighed as she walked towards the study room. This was another dreaded session of her education in magecraft. The only relief is that it would be over in a few years when she would master everything that the fake priest possessed knowledge of…

"Oh? Your strikes are weak. How do you expect to fulfill your family's ambition through such amateurish attacks?"

The priest shakes his head while looking down, he then continues. "If only your father could see you now, what would he think?" A sadistic smile appears on Kirei's visage upon the twitch that has developed in Rin.

"Why would I care? As long as I am able to obtain the Holy Grail and reach the Root, I would have already done much better… he shouldn't have died so easily after all, and to unknown causes at that." Rin said this while trying to be nonchalant, observing Kirei for any signs that arose suspicion.

She was currently in the final stages of a spar with Kirei. Part of their lessons was that he would teach her Baqiquan. She had not learnt the lethal version that Kirei had mastered in order gain to ability of a first-class Executor. When she had requested that he teach her that version when she was younger, he had rejected her with the justification being that she had the wrong physique for it and not enough explosive power to use its potential.

Kirei was silent for a while, his was not looking directly at Rin, unable to see her expression. It was a blessing for she was not certain she had been subtle enough. It appeared that he had not expected this answer from her and that he was hoping for a more emotional and reactive answer. He took a while to reply to Rin. This pause before his answer and his answer itself only served to enhance her suspicions.

"Indeed… It was truly a tragedy that my mentor had fallen prey to an enemy master. I wished I could have done more but I had already lost my servant by then and was in the church for refuge."

Kirei had revealed nothing she did not already know. It was truly typical for the fake priest to provide an evasive answer like this. It confirmed what she had already expected, her quest to discover the truth of the fourth Holy Grail War would not be straightforward…

Shirou was currently walking beside his father on the way to an acquaintance of Kiritsugu. It had been a while since Shirou had been out in Fuyuki with his father. Ever since he had learned to cook at the acceptable level, it was far more convenient to dine at home and there was no need for them to travel outside. They were both similar people in a way. They were not thrifty individuals and there was never a need nor desires to head out for purchases beyond the necessary and those instances were few and far between. Whatever clothing or home appliances that had needed to be purchased were things Shirou had bought alone with Kiritsugu's funds. It was out of the blue that Kritsugu had requested Shirou accompany him to hike to visit an acquaintance. Shirou was glad to spend more time with his father but this was rather out of character. He knew that his father had contacts in Fuyuki but for what had Kiritsugu felt the need of to request Shirou to accompany him?

They had been walking for a while now. On their journey so far, they had to pass through the Fuyuki shopping district. Fuyuki was a relatively small city with the Miyama District where more traditional housing was based and the Shinto District where businesses and more modern housing is based. Fuyuki being a smaller city, it had only contained one major shopping district located within the Miyama portion of the city. Shirou was familiar with the shopping district. As the cook of the household. It was his duty to purchase ingredients in order to make meals. This was where he went multiple times a month, regularly. The frequency of his visits to the shopping districts had a slight variation due to what he was preparing to cook in that particular week. Often, he had to make more frequent trips within a month due to having to obtain fresher ingredients. On other times, he would make less frequent trips with less perishable ingredients. Due to his familiarity with this part of the district, it was easy to deduce where they were heading to. They were on the way to Mount Enzo.

The nation of Japan was made out of many islands and had many mountain ranges of differing sizes. With the majority of the country containing rocky and mountain terrain, it would be impossible to build a city without containing or neighboring a mountain range. Fuyuki was no exception to this. Mount Enzo being a mountain as suggested by its name, was taller than a hill. It was still a smaller mountain however but with steep slopes. There was only one thing of note about the mountain and it was the Ryuudou Temple.

The Ryuudou Temple is a mountainside temple on Mount Enzo owned and ran by the Ryuudou family. It is a true Buddhist temple with monks and built with traditional Japanese architecture. It also had a mountainside lake behind the temple. Shirou was puzzled by this journey. Kiritsugu was not a religious individual nor did he even adhere to a religious creed. Neither was Shirou a religious individual. Whoever Kiritsugu had led Shirou here to visit must live in the temple itself.

It was quite a hike up the temple. There were two entrances to the temple, the back gate leading to a path bypassing the mountainside lake as well as the main entrance which was an imposing gate. The rest of the building was flanked completely by tall trees around the mountain. As of the time of their arrival, the gate to the mountain was wide open. Shirou could see figures in simplistic robes walking around the temple.

The temple did not have many buildings but rather a large courtyard leading to the entrance hall. Neither the entrance hall nor the building was overly grand. It was made out of single-story buildings with traditional Japanese architecture. There was a bigger main building in the front, a corridor leading to a back area with a few smaller buildings for the individuals residing in the temple. The temple was flanked by all sides with walls several meters tall.

Kiritsugu led Shirou towards a figure waving at them. The figure had was a middle-aged man with very short black hair in black robes. He was of the same height as Kiritsugu but with a friendly and kindly appearance. He had a slight stubble with a cheerful expression.

"Ah Kiritsugu, it has been a while, who is this young lad with you? Is this your son?"

"Yes." Kiritsugu affirmed. "Shirou, this is Sachi Ryuudou, the high priest of the Ryuudou temple. We have been acquainted for a while now. While I go with Sachi here to discuss something, why don't you look around the temple?"

"Right, young Shirou can be fine to wander around as much as he wants. Let me call my son Issei, to show him around. He has been cooped up in this temple too much recently, some contact with the outside world would be good." Sachi Ryuudou smiled at Shirou before he turned backwards and shouted at the direction of the temple.

"Issei, come out here, we have guests that need to be shown around!"

A figure ran out of the temple halls. He was a boy of the same age of Shirou. Like his father, he too had black hair. However, unlike his father, he was of a skinner physique compared to his father's more muscular physique and he had thick glasses on, denoting his poor eyesight.

"Yes father? Is there something you need help with?" The figure questioned.

"Issei, this is Shirou Emiya, the son of my friend Kiritsugu here, would you please show him around?" With the instructions given Sachi Ryuudou led Kiritsugu into a room at the back of the main hall of the temple.

"Issei Ryuudou, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance" Issei raised his palm towards Shirou, angling for a handshake.

"Shirou Emiya. Nice to meet you too." Shirou grabbed the opened palm and shook his hand.

With the basic pleasantries met, Issei gestured Shirou to follow him and proceeded to give Shirou a tour of the temple premises.

Meanwhile, Kiritsugu was having a conversation with associate, Sachi Ryuudou.

"Kiritsugu, what brings you here today? It must be something important for you to make the journey up the mountain, what would necessitate you to come here in person instead of talking over the phone?"

"Sachi, you have been a great friend and help to me ever since I have settled in Fuyuki, you and Raiga both." As Kiritsugu mentioned the named of Raiga Fujimura, a slight twitch appeared on Sachi's expression but he nonetheless listened on, curious as to Kiritsugu's message.

"I'm afraid I have not come here to deliver good news, I have come here to request a favor. I hope you would agree on account of our friendship. It has been a while now, but I have discovered that my health is slowly declining and I have been getting weaker as days pass. I don't think I have much long left, a year or two at the most… As you know, my son is an orphan from the Fuyuki fire several years back, the effects are still apparent to this day, I hope you could help look out for him after I am no longer able to, Raiga has also promised to do what he can."

"Er, kiritsugu this is very sudden. Are you sure there's nothing to be done about your condition? Isn't medicine advanced nowadays? Of course, I will help look out for your son but should you be this pessimistic?"

"Don't be too worried, Sachi, there is nothing to be done for me. My only responsibility now is to prepare for the eventuality."

Sachi Ryuudou still looked downcast, saddened by the news. He raised his head and looked at Kiritsugu with a determined expression.

"Yes! You can count of me Kiritsugu, as your friend and high priest of the Ryuudou temple, I can do no less then that. Besides, I can't let that bastard Raiga upstage me! Rest assured, I will look out for your son no matter what happens!"

It had been a productive trip for both the pair of father and son. Shirou had been introduced to Issei Ryuudou. Issei is the youngest child of the Ryuudou temple. Aside from his father and the monks in the temple, Issei also had a brother named Reikan Ryuudou who was not in at the moment but whom he viewed as a role model. Issei had a direct and serious personality even at the same age as Shirou.

While Shirou felt that his maturity was as a direct result of growing up after the fire rather than out of his own inner nature, their mutual maturity at their ages had allowed them to strike up a quick friendship. While none of their characters were extremely extroverted, Shirou felt that Issei was a good and reliable individual while Issei felt that Shirou was a good person at heart too. Issei shared his aspirations of becoming a Buddhist monk in the future and carrying on the family tradition of running the temple while Shirou was uncharacteristically open and had shared his emptiness in life and professed an admiration for Issei having obtained a target in life. He had also professed his worries to Issei about his father's declining health while Issei with the lack of any good ideas had just advised Shirou to perform his role as a son to the very best.

They had parted ways after a promise to remain friends. Issei had suggested that they would be able to resume their friendship in a years' time when they entered into the Japanese education system at the stage of Junior High.

It had been a productive journey for Kiritsugu as well. While he had been prodded by Taiga that it was a good idea for Shirou to have greater social interactions with individuals of his age group, that was not his main agenda for arriving here.

He had been feeling weaker for a while now and he had already deduced the cause as a curse due to contact with the tainted Holy Grail during the fourth Holy Grail War. It had been a strong curse and with Kiritsugu's minimal aptitude as a Magus compared to as a spellcaster, there was nothing much he could do to counteract its effects.

The only things he had left after giving up his goal as a hero of justice after the disastrous end of the fourth Holy Grail War was his children. He had already tried his best to retrieve Illya and would continue until he died but the realistic and colder parts of him had already been resigned to a single conclusion of failure. The only thing he could do now was try his best for his son, Shirou. While he was still in shape for working, and that Shirou would have ample funds to live in the future, he had still been worried for Shirou.

Due to this worry, he had taken several measures to help ensure his son's condition after his death. Without any requests from him, he was already assured that Taiga would look out for Shirou after his demise, she had already adopted him as her brother in all but name. He had also made sure to extract promises from both Raiga Fujimura and Sachi Ryuudou, his only associates in Fuyuki to help look out for Shirou after he could not.

In his discussion with Sachi, he had made sure to drop the name of Raiga Fujimura when requesting help. The two had a tumultuous relationship and a fierce rivalry. While knowing his friend would have agreed any way, he had made sure to ensure a positive result by prodding at his fierce rivalry with Raiga.

Upon conclusion of their discussion, Kiritsugu was reassured to see that Shirou had apparently struck up a friendship with Issei Ryuudou. That was one of his worries off his back. He hoped that what he had done today would be able to help his son after his death. He had many regrettable incidents in his unlucky years of existence and he hoped that with such a disastrous record that there would be no more regrettable incidents…

Authors Notes:

This chapter starts out from a POV from Taiga Fujimura, her existence is not forgotten and while she plays an important role in Shirou's life, she is currently in high school and does not have a lot of time for Shirou at the moment. She still plays a role as adoptive sister but is only more involved post the death of kiritsugu.

We see what she thinks of both the Emiya's as well as how she sees Shirou through his growing up after the fire. We see that while she has a decent bond with Shirou, he is still not normal as a boy of a decade old. We sees her theories as on why this is so and she eventually settles on the fact that Shirou doesn't have social contact with children of his age which is true but also not his main problem.

She drags Shirou off to spar with her while he is currently working on 'homework'. Basically this is Rin demanding Shirou to study while she teaches him magecraft. What he is currently studying is the flowing and transferring of power. As Shirou is bound by a Geis, he cannot reveal details of Tohsaka Magecraft. Due to this, Rin has a very crafty agenda in teaching him to transfer power. Unknown to Shirou, she wants to use him as a battery to transfer magical energy into more jewels.

Shirou is also currently studying elements. Elements are basically substances that shape up the textures in the reality marble of the world.

Interestingly, Shirou's element in my story is 'Concepts' a fact that neither Rin nor him will ever be able to find out due to the 'concepts' option not existing in any of the ways to divine and discover the elemental affinity of a Magus.

Taiga prods Kiritsugu after the spar to get him to correct Shirou's problem from her viewpoint. Kiritsugu agrees.

Back to Rin. This is her first lesson with Kirei post her initial interaction with Shirou. She reminisces about the Church's ties to her family and how the long history of Tohsaka's being Christians have been affected by their introduction to Zeltrech and Magecraft.

A lot of lore and deeper insight as to the lore of my version of the story is given here. Its a rehashing of what we know from canon but greatly expanded with my personal theories that don't break canon lore. Basically, the most important thing to note here is that Magic and True Magic, is the pinnacle of mystery. Mysteries are a silver of power all types that come from the Root. The Root is a repository of everything. Everything can and has been represented by a concept. It is literally impossible to exist without at least a meaning or concept of existence. Even nothingness is literally a concept. Thus, Mysteries are Concepts. At least with regards to magic.

Before, I mentioned that Elements are substances that shape up the textures in the reality marble of the world. Shirou's element of 'concepts' is an exception. Concepts don't govern things within the world, but rather things from a location outside of the world otherwise also known as the Root. Shirou's element governs the Root. Origins are also connected to the Root. Shirou is an incarnation. With his Origin and element being 'concepts'. Both his Origin and Element are connected and governing the root. For those of you that have noticed, I have modified the description of the story. Make of that what you will. This is my Chekhov's gun in this story. The Chekhov's gun has a bullet loaded and it has been cocked.

Rin enters the church and has her lessons with Kirei, part of the lessons is sparring. Kirei mentions her father and Rin does her best to run with the opportunity and find out more. Due to this, she grits her teeth and gives out an atypical answer to what she would normally give. Kirei gives an evasive reply and Rin is reminded that life takes effort to accomplish anything worthwhile.

Kiritsugu and Shirou travel to the Ryuudou temple. Kiritsugu has two agendas, to help Shirou with social interaction and to arrange for things after his death. Kiritsugu feels his mortality here as well as the reality that he can't get Illya back. This is part of his quest to do right by Shirou. We see his love and concern for Shirou here.

Issei Ryuudou is introduced to Shirou. They strike up a quick friendship due to both of them being serious people and their mature outlook in life. Contrary to Shirou's relationship with Rin. This is a natural friendship without any strings attached which is why Shirou is okay with being more open with Issei. Both Kiritsugu and Shirou's bond echoes out here with Kiritsugu being worried for Shirou and making arrangements after his death and Shirou being worried about Kiritsugu and making a deal with Rin to obtain knowledge to hopefully help Kiritsugu. Their father and Son bond is part of the reason as to why Shirou is so determined to find a way to cure him. Instead of being a Hero of Justice, this is my Shirou's obsession.