I eyed her, her breath coming in measured takes even when her skin belied the abuse she suffered at the hands of Taiga.
Her lips made a thin line and her eyes got a faraway look, not unlike mom's when she is trying to daisy-chain C-4.
-"You used another option when you were unable to perform with your gun."
Sasuke's coughs made me realize we weren't alone. I gave him the stinky eye while he unloaded some boxes of ammo on the stalls.
After he left, Rin continued.
-"If I can't handle the sword, what do you suggest? I refuse to be easy prey to some shapeshifted intruder that gets into-"
My hands rested on her shoulders, halting her tirade.
-"Don't be so hard on yourself."
To be frank, that WAS alarming, to have a mole under your own nose for months. The mere thought that whosoever was Snow had unlimited access to their home, even going as far as sleeping in the same bed as them, made my blood run cold. A hitherto unkown part of me wanted to be present when my parents spoke with the 'lil fella. After all, mum received for her birthday a new set of imported knives.
Aaaanyways.
Where were we?
Ah...guns, swords, and options.
I was shaken out of my reverie when Rin placed a hand over mine.
Her voice was steel and the raw emotion in her eyes made my heart skip a beat.
-"I will ask of you a vow, Emiya. Swear to me that if it comes to choose between my life and my sister's..."
Her hand clamped down on my own, burning with mana. My nose itched from the smell of magicks permeating the very air.
"... swear to me, that Sakura's life comes first. Always."
Alarms were blaring at full in my skull.
My dad was an awful magical teacher, but he made absolutely sure that I understood how a bad contract can mess you up.
He made me forswear ice cream for a year. The thrice-root-damned bastard even changed my bedroom's wallpaper to drive home the point.
I took a deep breath and carefully, ever so carefully, tried to remove my hand.
Rin would have none of that. Our skin was stuck, arcane sigils shining over our cojoined hands.
She looked at me with a self-satisfied smug smile. To add insult to injury, she winked at me.
I was furious and scared.
Furious because I allowed myself to get in this position. My parents would be disappointed in me. And that meant extra lessons.
A shudder shook me from the base of my spine.
NOPE! NOT HAPPENING! SHIROU DOESN'T LIKE SYRIA!
That strong imagery kicked the fear aside and made me remember one of dad's lessons.
If you are strong-armed into a contract, set the price high, sky-high. That way the other party chickens out.
An evil smile started carving a wide path into my features.
Sky-high? Root high.
If Rin Tohsaka was a Magus, a proper Magus, this was worse than asking to sacrifice her firstborn. Some mages are into that...
-"On the condition that you marry me and allow me permanent, complete, and unlimited access to all of Tohsaka's magical research."
The enormity of the price hit her like a truck.
Her eyes widened almost cartoonishly while her hand slacked.
I started to remove my hand...but in the middle of it, she dug her nails into my own, drawing blood.
-"Mote it be."
SYRIA NOOOOOOOOOO!
