Replies to my Reviews
drannakka: She won't be so reliant on negative feelings, but she will be taking pointers from her Senpai.
Blank12: When you're grieving over something you suffered through, would you be capable of acting rationally?
Chapter 17: Counsel? Council? Cabal?
'The world doesn't make sense anymore.'
This statement kept going through Rin Tohsaka's head, over and over and over like a mantra throughout the weekend and up till Monday morning.
Ever since her... meeting with Sakura, Rin had come undone. During the weekend, both her studies and magecraft had been impacted, her usual interest derailed in favor of repeating Sakura's words over in her impeccable memories.
"Do you know what being the Matou Heiress means, Tohsaka-san? Do you know what Zouken taught me to make me his perfect successor even though I came from another family?"
As a magus of the Tohsaka line, she had to show the highest form of elegance to all of her problems. Agonizing over an estranged sister was ridiculous.
"You don't have the excuse that Senpai does, Tohsaka-san. He never knew that my hair and eyes used to match yours, which should've been a blatant warning sign on it's own."
Rin shouldn't have had to feel the guilt and shame. She was just a year older than Sakura, and hadn't known any of the details before that damned Saturday.
"On paper, I'm still a Matou, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm just... Sakura nowadays."
Really, just as she herself said, there was little reason to connect herself with Sakura anymore. So why was she so heartbroken? Why had she cried herself to sleep that night?
"Don't be too harsh on each other. The both of you just experienced your perspective of everything you've known being irreversibly turned over. You need some time to cool off so let's all meet again after or during school on Monday."
It was shameful to admit, but Emiya's words had granted Rin a chance for closure. Not only had he explicitly stayed neutral, he'd also set up a second meeting between the sisters, which Rin was sure would've never happened without his help.
"You're too kind to people who don't deserve it, Senpai."
Maybe so.
But for the first time in many years, Rin was desperate. Rin wanted Sakura back in her life. Rin wanted to thank Emiya for not only creating that unbelievable chance, but also eliminating Zouken Matou.
As both a sister and the Second Owner, letting Emiya go unrewarded for all that was unacceptable.
*ding-dong*
The sound of the doorbell ringing broke Rin out of her out-of-control thoughts. Grateful for the distraction, however small, the girl went to open the door, hoping that it was more than just a package being delivered this early morning.
In a way, she got her wish.
"Good morning, Tohsaka-san." Shirou Emiya greeted coolly, his expression carved from marble. "I hope you don't mind me visiting. I happened to be in the area."
Rin hadn't known enough about him to judge him accurately. She'd thought she knew him, that she had him pretty much figured out, as Issei Ryuudou's kind, mellow, and slightly naïve friend, but that had clearly turned out to be another delusion.
There was no way a Magus, no matter how crappy or un-Magus-like, would ever be naïve or mellow.
Rin at least believed that his kind behavior was not a lie, even without Sakura's testimony and his actions for her sake, but it was most likely a layer that was part of what composed of 'Shirou Emiya'.
Similar to how her friendship with Ayako or her playful rivalry with Ryuudou were never something she had to fake.
But there was no use pondering about all of this when the literal man of the hour stood before her. There were many things she could've said to him at that moment. She could thank him, she could demand the reason for his presence, but what escaped her lips was:
"Why so serious?"
Emiya blinked as Rin forced down her blush. Damn Ayako for making her watch those 'Batman movies' with her.
(She studiously ignored that she'd finished the Dark Knight Trilogy on her own, even if Ayako slept off first during their sleepover before the second film ended).
There was a tiny twitch in Emiya's lips, which implied that he knew that reference and made Rin blush even harder.
"I mean, what's with that expression? You weren't like that back then at your home."
"I don't have to pretend anything in my own home." Shirou shrugged. "But this is the home of a magus other than me, not to mention the first I'm stepping into without malicious or violent intentions. I still know enough of decorum to behave properly."
"How thoughtful of you, Emiya-kun." Rin huffed with a frown, feeling irritated that he found it necessary to put up such an obvious front before her. "But after everything you've done, you shouldn't bother. You can act normally."
"If you're sure." Emiya said, before his stony façade fell away and he smiled his usual kind smile, which honestly looked a lot better and more normal on him than the previous, overly serious look. "Thank you, Tohsaka-san, I never was all that good at acting so coldly without a good reason."
'So this doesn't count as a good reason to you?' Rin shook her head. "You really are hopeless at this. Just come in already."
"Thank you." After stepping in and taking off his shoes, Shirou looked around with an appraising look in his eyes. "Nice place. It really reflects what I'd have expected of the Second Owner's home."
"Thanks. It's been with my family for generations." Rin answered. No matter how much he would compliment her home, it wouldn't influence her at all.
Not one bit.
Emiya followed her inside to the dining table, appearing neither nervous nor wary. Surely he was aware of the many wards and Bounded Fields over the mansion? Was this a casual show of arrogance and superior power that he was displaying after entering a territory in which Rin Tohsaka was at her strongest?
Then again, he'd done the same to Zouken Matou, albeit with actual malicious intentions...
"Why did you come here?" Rin asked after she'd poured him some tea.
"To assure you that Sakura wants to meet with you this afternoon." Emiya casually dropped the bomb after he took a sip of tea. "We're all gonna meet in the student council office during club hours. Issei's already making plans to have the student council finish earlier than usual today."
Rin froze, her jaw dropped in shock.
"Sakura feels awful about her words and actions during your previous conversation." Emiya explained. "She was fresh off... everything and years of pent up emotions started to flow out in a scenario where she realized nobody was going to punish her as usual for venting."
"V-Venting?" Rin choked. "That was venting?!
"In Sakura's defense, she had spent most of her life being tortured into a compliant puppet for Zouken's use." Emiya continued, his dull tone offset by the held back rage Rin could still see simmering in his eyes.
Rin herself felt similarly.
But...
"…Sakura wants to speak with me again?"
Emiya perked up at her question. "Yeah. After she calmed down, she fretted a lot about how despicable she was to have projected onto you and even told me that you would've had the least capability of doing anything. I myself was even a totally unexpected factor that worked out for the best."
'Sakura wants to see me again! She doesn't hate me!' Rin felt like the last two days hadn't happened at all, an unnoticed tension leaving her body as she sagged into her couch. "The council office during club hours, right?"
"Yes." Emiya assured her. "If that's okay for you."
"It is." Rin answered, before nervously looking away. "W-Will you be there?"
If there was someone who could effectively play peacekeeper just in case...
"I'll be there the entire time." Emiya promised. "We'll only leave the room if you and Sakura both want us to."
Rin frowned. "...'we'?"
"I'll explain later." Emiya waved away her question before standing up. "So, I guess I'll head to school now. See you there, Tohsaka."
"W-Wait!" Rin's hand moved and caught his wrist just as he almost reached the door. "What about you?"
Emiya blinked. "Eh?"
"I'm grateful for everything you've done for Sakura, but as the Second Owner, I want to grant you a reward for eliminating Zouken." Rin flipped her hair and tried to appear regal, even if she was just in her school uniform. "As long as it is something I can grant, I'll give it to you."
"You don't have to, Tohsaka." Emiya shook his head. "Really, it was my pleasure to kill that bastard."
A pleasure Rin wished she could have partaken in.
"Please, Emiya-kun..." Rin's lips twitched at how she sounded like she was begging. Father would be ashamed if he could see her now. "Let me do something for this... Is it money you want? Old grimoires filled with knowledge? A couple of personal favors from me?"
"...well, there is something I would want from you." Then Emiya turned around and approached Rin, making her step back until she was pressed up against the wall and he could lean over her.
Was... Was he giving her a kabedon?!
Rin was not ready for this.
Sure, Emiya was on her very short list of potential husbands (Rin didn't do boyfriends. Any guy she'd let that close must be for life.), but she was also very sure that Sakura liked him.
A lot.
As in Emiya was the only male she'd ever smiled at.
If Emiya was about to ask for something along those lines, Rin would have to gently but firmly divert-
"Could you please be patient with Sakura?"
Rin blinked, her eyes blank and her cheeks flushed. "Eh?"
"Sakura will probably still be unsettled later during our meeting." Emiya continued as if he didn't know the emotional rollercoaster he'd just set Rin into seconds before. "If Sakura says something that might offend you, could you please forgive her for it?"
Wha- What nonsense was this? Rin was the one who wanted to be forgiven! "I-If that's all you want, then I can gladly do so."
Emiya, the fucker, smiled. "Thank you, Tohsaka."
Rin felt faint now, and she still had school to deal with. "N-No problem."
"See you later, then." Emiya waved at her as he left.
Rin dutifully waved back before she closed the door and sunk down against it. Then she kicked out wildly, flailing her limbs in a very rare outburst of childishness. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!"
He just came in here like there was nothing wrong with it.
He just waltzed around in her home with zero apparent concern for himself, only coming to reassure her of something she desired.
He just took her offer (which hadn't been offered lightly) and used it for the sake of Sakura and her.
"Stupid..." Rin mumbled into her knees, her cheeks red. "As expected of my little sister, she's got good taste at least."
"Um, Fuji-nee?"
"Yes, Shirou?"
"You've always struck me as a dependable, if impulsive friend, sister-figure and teacher... and unbelievably, maybe my first crush, too."
"Aw, thanks- Wait, what was that last bit?"
"Really, it should be obvious, but I'm rather confused at the moment."
"About what?"
"Well..." Shirou Emiya sweatdropped as he looked down to the ropes binding him to his seat. "What the hell warranted me to this- Gah?!"
Rin, Sakura Matou, Issei Ryuudou and Shinji Matou winced simultaneously as Taiga Fujimura swiftly threw a marker at Shirou's forehead hard enough to nearly tilt him over.
Just as the time came, Rin had arrived at the council room just as she promised, only for all of the above to enter as well during the first ten minutes.
"Language!" Taiga huffed as she crossed her arms. "Who did you even learn to swear from?"
"You."
"Excuse me?!"
"You curse all the time!" Shirou shot back. "You're the person both Miyu and I learnt our first swearwords from in both Japanese and English!"
"Okay, Mr. Smart Guy, I'd like to know if my knowledgeable ward was ever going to tell me that he: (A) Murdered an abusive asshole of a grandfather ("She just swore again." Sakura muttered, "Don't call her out here." Shinji shushed her), (B) Destroyed a good chunk of Sakura-chan's house while doing so, or (C) Allowed her to live with you for as long as she wanted, especially if you consider how subsmissive she is to you!"
"I wouldn't make Sakura do anything!" Shirou snapped.
"Shirou, Shirou, Shirou." Taiga sighed in disappointment. "Even before you rescued Sakura-chan, as long as it wouldn't be something harmful, she'd probably given you even her virginity if you so much as hinted for it!"
Shirou and Sakura chose that moment to suspiciously cough and sputter in unison.
"...we should focus on why we're gathered here." Issei stated, very much willing to not pursue that earlier tidbit. "Tohsaka, while Fujimura-sensei and I have nothing more than the barest of information to have some context with, we're still just witnesses. Our presence won't have much effect in your conversation other than emotional support."
"Er, right, Kaichou."
"Also, I would just like to state how vindicated I am to finally learning that you were truly a witch all this ti-"
"Not the time, Ryuudou." Shinji sighed, his hand firmly above Issei's mouth. "Go ahead, Sakura."
"You too, Tohsaka." Shirou waved, the ropes doing little to hamper his movements.
"Before we start," Rin suddenly began, giving off a nervous smile. "I just want to say that circumstances aside, I'm glad we could talk like this again."
Sakura's eyes widened with emotion before she smiled back. "M-Me too, nee-san."
Now it was Rin's turn to get emotional. "R-Right."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
'Shit, nothing's improving.' Shinji frowned as he exchanged looks with a just as worried Shirou who still placed a finger against his lips. 'You still want to us to stay silent? Well, if Fujimura-sensei can do it...'
Indeed, Taiga had stayed completely silent, her usual demeanor absent as she worriedly watched her students use up ten straight minutes of wordless staring while they shifted around like they were about to launch into combat before backing down.
Was there anything that could be done?
Was there a third party wouldn't get rejected from interfering?
Once again, Shirou was the receipient of their inquiring gazes, which was replied with the same silent gesture again:
Stay silent and don't interfere unless they gesture to any of us.
"Erm, nee-san? What's your opinion of Argonaut?" Sakura suddenly asked out of the blue. Well of all conversation starters...
"He's a headache." Rin instantly replied. "Most of my classmates have differing ideas on what he is. Whether a cyborg, or a robot, or just some person with access to very advanced technology."
Shirou studiosly ignored the knowing looks sent at his direction.
"The worst thing is that I can't even disagree with those ideas." Rin continued, the tension in her shoulders lessening now that she was speaking of something that was clearly an icebreaker. "Argonaut can't be a magus because he doesn't act dramatic enough for it, has repeatedly shown none of the condescending attitude I would've expected from one as powerful as him and the fact that he's left no magical signatures behind. I sometimes check and find nothing."
Ignoring Shinji's looks again, Shirou's hackles raised slightly. He hadn't known that Rin had been checking around his areas. Good thing he rarely actuallyused magecraft as Argonaut. Zelretch's 'pranks' and missions often did well to push Shirou into a superhuman state, especially in that weird dimension with a floating archipalego. That dimension in which human limiters did not exist and had allowed Shirou to grow quite powerfully against it's many threats.
"Well, I admit that Argonaut did give me quite the headache, too." Sakura admitted with a little laugh. "But since he also gave Gra- Zouken a headache as well, I already liked him a lot."
Shirou blinked in surprise.
"Good. Any misfortune to that bastard is welcome." Rin nodded in agreement, before her expression turned pensive. "Sakura, about last time, I-I wanted to apologise."
It was as if a switch had been flipped.
The previously calm atmosphere vanished, and everyone else in the room tensed at the sudden change, keeping a sharp eye on both sisters to head off any possible confrontations.
Sakura remained still for a few seconds, clearly taken by surprise, while Rin leaned back, as if expecting some kind of outburst from the girl.
"I apologize too, Nee-san." No such outburst thankfully came as Sakura bowed her head to show her sincerity. "I shouldn't have behaved like I did. It was entirely inappropriate of me, and you didn't deserve any of it."
"Well, I probably deserved some of it." Rin made an attempt at a light tone and a smile. "I came into your home- Yes, I consider Emiya-kun's house to be the better option than the Matou mansion- and acted as a magus within his territory instead of giving proper concern about your welfare. I deserve to be scorned."
"So do I." Sakura replied dejectedly. "I said awful things about you, things that even Uncle Kariya wouldn't have approved of. As much as I'm grateful to Senpai for saving me, when I saw just after the fact, I was instantly struck with petty hatred at how it hadn't been my family member that had saved me."
"I know." Rin answered, her trembling hands steepled before her. "I've thought it over and over this last two days. What I could've done to help. How much I ignored your existence as my sister just because I'd been told to... I abandoned you for all these years and I can't make up for that with just an apology. And I wouldn't even have gotten this chance if not for Emiya-kun. So..."
Rin got up from her chair and walked around the tables until she was beside Sakura. When she reached, she went down on her knees and placed her forehead against the ground, fully submitting to the purplehaired girl. "Sakura, I am so sorry for abandoning you. I am sorry for ignoring you for all those years and looking away when you needed my help. I am sorry for letting you be abused by Zouken. I am sorry that I fell out against you after you finally managed to escape from him."
The girl took a deep breath and then finished her apology. "I am sorry that I was such a terrible Ane for so long."
Shinji's jaw thankfully wasn't the only one to have dropped from the sight of Rin Tohsaka's current state.
"...it's been years since I've felt comfortable referring to you as my family." Sakura began slowly, dazed and overwhelmed by Rin's words. "You've grown into someone different and I've done the same as well. But even so, that doesn't mean that we can't do everything from zero."
Rin perked up, cautiously hopeful. Around the sisters, the forgotten audience quietly tensed in anticipation.
"If you want to become sisters again with me, I... I won't refuse." Sakura's voice faded to a whisper as she knelt down before Rin and took her hands. "I never stopped loving you after all."
Rin's apology had been whole-heartedly accepted by Sakura.
It took every ounce of Shirou's selfcontrol to not tackle the sisters into a tight hug and swing them around in exuberance.
Taiga had no such selfcontrol, whooping them about after she'd leapt over the tables to reach them. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
It was a sign of how emotional they were that neither of them complained, with Rin laughing and crying simultaneously as she proceeded to hug Sakura even tighter than Taiga was. Sakura herself just beared it all with an indulging smile, her own unshed tears of happiness glimmering in her eyes as her arms widened to hug both of them to her.
"O-Okay, then. Sakura." Rin said after composing herself and sitting down after she'd pried herself free of Taiga's grip, trying to reclaim her image of a regal and noble school idol even if her wide smile refused to wane. "D-Do you have any terms, though? Anything I should know while we get to know each other again?"
"Ah, I guess so." Sakura nodded slowly, looking apologetic but unyielding nevertheless as she turned to regard Taiga as well. "First of all, I'm not moving from Senpai's home. Nobody can make me."
"I understand." Rin immediately answered in agreement.
Taiga however crossed her arms with a small frown. "You better not try anything with each other, though!"
While Shirou blushed and coughed, Sakura's face took a serious demeanor. "I will make no such promises. I've already tried to give Senpai hickeys but he heals too fast from them."
Shinji's forehead smacked into the table. "Goddamnit. I did not to know that."
"Urgh, Sakura Matou, please." Issei felt similar as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Taiga's eye twitched at Sakura's unrelenting gaze. "Fine, then. Do remember to use protection if you're going to go further than just kissing. Nobody in this room is ready to become a parent, okay?"
Shinji raised his head to look at her. "Doesn't that include you, Fujimura-sensei?"
Taiga nodded. "I know what I said."
'Well, at least she admits it.' Issei acqueised as he adjusted his glasses. "Anything else, Sakura?"
"I also won't be doing any magecraft for the foreseeable future." Sakura added after a few seconds of thought. "Just like Uncle Kariya, I'm done with all that."
"...very well." Rin agreed to as well. "I guess this also means that any business related with the Matou-"
"-should be directed towards me." Shinji finished.
"And lastly..." Sakura gave Shirou a quick glance and looked back when Shirou nodded. "Senpai's Argonaut. I thought you should know."
"...WHAT." Rin's head slowly creaked to Shirou, who waved at her causally.
Casually snapping off the ropes that had been restraining him, a bright light shone off Shirou before it disappeared to reveal him in his Argonaut getup.
"What the fuck?!" Rin shrieked.
"Exactly!" Issei suddenly exclaimed. "That was my exact same reaction!"
"Come on, guys." Argonaut whined before he transformed back into Shirou. "Now Tohsaka, I'm sure you have strong... opinions about my activities as a vigilante, but don't worry. I'm just a superhero for a hobby."
Taiga's eye twitched. "He takes down entire gangs for a hobby, he says."
Issei's eye twitched. "He runs into burning buildings for a hobby, he says."
Shinji's eye twitched. "He takes on bullet fire head-on for a hobby, he says."
Rin's mouth worked without making any sounds as she tried to vocalize the many, many words of choice she had for the utter anomaly before her. "A superhero... for a hobby...?"
"Yeah." Shirou nodded. "Lots of people have hobbies, ranging from mundane to eccentric to insane. I like to think of myself in the eccentric category."
"No, you're definitely insane." Shinji instantly protested. "You're just able to get away with it."
"Why did I ever give you that comic?" Taiga moaned as she palmed her face. "Why couldn't I have just laughed it off like Kiritsugu-san did?"
"Let me just get something straight first." Rin didn't quite shout, but she did command their attention. "Emiya-kun. How did you break into the Matou mansion? With all of his Bounded Fields and Wards, I'm sure you should've had some trouble killing Zouken."
"Actually, it was pretty simple for me." Shirou's casual answer was like a shotgun blast to Rin's psyche. "After having Sakura safely ridden of her Worms, I broke into the mansion and killed him. I didn't meet anything like a Bounded Field or Ward."
Rin tried not to soak in the rising vindication when both Sakura and Shinji turned to Shirou with puzzled looks. "Emiya-kun, that's impossible."
"I agree." Shinji spoke up. "Grandfather had a pretty nasty Bounded Field that you definitely should've noticed. I remember when it turned that burglar's blood into acid when she crossed it."
"Wait, what?" Sakura turned to Shinji in confusion. "There was another Bounded Field that did something other than causing intruders to start eating themselves?"
"Well, so much for sweet dreams tonight." Issei deadpanned.
"I gave up on those the night I caught Shirou with too many stab wounds that should've killed him." Taiga sighed as she leaned onto the table, her fingers gripping into her hair.
"Well, I didn't notice any of those." Shirou shrugged. "I was angry at Zouken, so I just started firing at everything between me and him until I reached him."
Shinji's jaw dropped. "Is that why there was such a huge hole boring through the house?!"
Sakura blinked several times. "Senpai, are you saying that rather than countering or neutralizing Grandfather's protections, you were just tearing through them all?"
"Exactly." Shirou nodded. "If there were any Bounded Fields, I certainly didn't notice them."
"Emiya-kun..." Rin's gaze turned blank. "Are you a monster?"
"Nee-san!" Sakura chided, albeit weakly. "Senpai isn't-"
"No, no, she's got a point." Shirou waved her off. "I'm actually quite proud to be referred to as a monster."
Issei's jaw dropped. "Why?"
"Listen up. There are three types of monsters in the world." Shirou raised up three fingers. "First is the common type, 'monster by appearance'. Then, there is the 'monster by personality'. Finally, we have the 'monster by ability'. I'm sure you all can see how I qualify under the third type."
"Yeah, I can see that." Shinji hummed. "You definitely classify as monstrous with how powerful you are, Emiya. But why are you proud to be seen as that?"
Shirou blinked at Shinji as if he'd asked something obvious. "Shinji, if you knew of my power and abilites and considered them monstrous, would you want to mess with me in any way?"
A wave of understanding suddenly filled the room. They all understood now. Shirou's definition of 'being monstrous' was to be recognized as an unstoppable figure. He'd been inspired by Zelretch's example. At how the vampire could act however he wished, but faced no reprucussions because he was much more powerful than many others combined.
When a man, or a beast, or an army came knocking, there were many approaches on how to deter or defeat them.
When a hurricane, or a tornado, or a thunderstorm came knocking, there were only two approaches.
Endure it or get out of it's way.
This was Shirou's personal belief on becoming a Hero of Justice. An unassailable force of nature that could not be stopped.
"Okay, from what I can conclude, Emiya-kun is a very poweful and moral magus... as unbelievable as that existence sounds." Rin muttered, to which Shinji nodded as she turned to the two non-magi with them. "So how do these two fit in our world?"
"Well, I am Emiya's best friend." Issei stated. "I didn't learn about magecraft until earlier today, but I at least knew of his activities as Argonaut almost right from the start."
"As for me, I already knew about the Moonlit World from when I was old enough to be trusted with secrets. I just didn't know how deep Kiritsugu and his kids were into it." Taiga shrugged, smirking at the stunned faces she got from Sakura, Shinji and Rin. "You guys suck at keeping your holy cup wars secret. The Fujimura Clan have known about magecraft for over a century now."
"I see." Rin's tone was curt, but the split-second glance in the direction of the Fujimura home estate gave away her nerves. "Anybody else I should know about?"
"Not outside this office." Shinji answered, which relieved her a bit. "Which brings me to my reason for being here. I want to form a Cabal between us."
Of all of them in the room, only Rin was the one to fully understand his words. "No. Our Cabal is already dissolved. We don't need to form another."
"What's a Cabal?" Shirou asked. "I'm guessing you two don't mean the standard type."
"The Cabal Tohsaka means refers to the one formed by our ancestors." Shinji explained. "What I want is for us to form a new Cabal with the currents Heads right here."
Shinji pointed at the respective Heads.
"Emiya." Shirou.
"Tohsaka." Rin.
"Matou." Himself.
"Ignoring the fact that I'm not eligible to become the Emiya Head, what do you want to form a Cabal for?" Shirou asked.
"For protection." Shinji answered. "I know for a fact that if I asked, you'd come to my aid if I was ever in trouble. But I want it to be a tangible fact to others."
Shirou ah'd in understanding, his tone light. "So you want to use me as a political shield."
"You're a political newbie with lots of battle power while Tohsaka and I are the near reverse of that." Shinji honestly stated, earning an affronted twitch from Rin. "Plus, barring the Einzberns, our family members each don't even go beyond two members. I know that you've got my back, but I want to be able to display legitimate proof of that if I ever decide on going to the Clocktower. You on the other hand would probably need political backing if you ever ran into a problem that couldn't be fixed by blasting it to bits."
Rin frowned as she thought it over. Frankly, Shinji had a very strong point. At the very moment, the Tohsaka Clan consisted... of just her. If something happened, her family line could easily go extinct...
What would her father think if she accepted this proposal? Well, Tokiomi Tohsaka may have agreed with the idea, but probably not the reason.
In the end, it all came down to the sole reason she hadn't spoken up yet.
How much of her pride was she willing to swallow?
"Well, I do like your idea, but again, I'm ineligible." Shirou pointed out. "Not only are Miyu and I adopted, my father has an actual biological child abroad."
"WHAT?!" Taiga slammed her hands onto the table in outrage. "Why am I just hearing about this?!"
From there on, their meeting devolved into a mash of arguments, statements, more reveals ("A Reality Marble?! Emiya, what the fuck?!") and in the end, Rin left the meeting with a tentative acceptance of the Cabal.
Shirou ended chosen as the Cabal Boss solely for the fact that the alliance wouldn't work without his presence.
While their names on paper would remain unchanged, Rin and Shinji would start referring to themselves as Rin Tohsaka Muramasa and Shinji Matou Muramasa respectively.
It helped that this was the true and very influential surname of their 'boss'.
In the end, Rin had chosen to do with the best she could with what she had.
And frankly, considering she'd gained back her sister, along with better political footing and a few more f-f-friends, Rin considered this to be a good day.
'The world doesn't make sense anymore.'
But now Rin was okay with that.
Rin was not okay with this.
After seeing Ayako just before she'd then went to the toilet, the door had banged open to allow in a frisky couple.
Normally, this wouldn't bother Rin. Homuhara had quite a few couples who'd 'get it on' at random and various spots in the school.
The reason why Rin was bothered by this particular couple?
"S-Sakura, this is the girls' toilet!" A harsh whisper came through Rin's stall door.
"It's club period, Senpai." Another familiar voice came through, sounding way huskier than Rin would've liked. "Not only will few people come here, you can just create a Bounded Field to keep them away. Unless, you want to stop..."
"..."
*shink!*
Rin flinched at the sound of a blade stabbing into a ceramic wall before easily fighting off the compulsion to ignore and leave immediately.
Once that was over with, Rin went back to mentally panicking.
'Emiya-kun, what the fuck?'
This was looking to be a recurring thing, isn't it?
Rin silently whined before becoming startled when the stall next to hers was kicked open then closed again. Next to her, she saw their shoes before Emiya's pants dropped and Sakura's legs were lifted up the ground.
"Ah~!"
*thunk*
*thunk*
*thunk*
Rin stared at her stall door, listening to the sounds of the shaking stall door which almost hid the wet squelching noises. Listening to them over and over again as she regretted not taking the earlier chance to run away the moment she heard them enter the toilet at all.
She wasn't sure of the exact details of what Shirou was doing with her sister. And she didn't want to know. Just having the general idea was enough.
Rin wasn't interested in knowing much about Sakura's sexlife, even if it seemed that Shirou gave her quite a good one.
Looks like Fujimura had been rightfully worried...
And now, Rin was stuck listening to the sounds that came over from the next door as Shirou was apparently holding up Sakura up against the door and slamming her hard against it, with her low-pitched moans showing her very strong enthusiasm with his actions.
Rin didn't know how long she'd sat there, utterly mortified (and the very tiniest bit impressed) at their long tryst while heat started to pool between her thighs. And she knew it was long.
Finally, they reached an end when Emiya had peaked for the third time and the couple had left after cleaning up themselves. The moment the toilet door closed and the Bounded Field vanished, Rin stumbled out of her stall, her face flushed and her thighs doing their absolute best not to rub against each other.
"That was... the worst."
"Again."
Kane Himuro winced as she glared at her teacher before raising up her tired hands again. With a mental twitch, five different orbs of fire floated into existence around her, a few flickering as a sign of her exhaustion.
"Being able to sustain multiple spells, even if the same type repeated, is a good sign of control. It's good that you've improved this much within just a few days of teaching you."
"Th-Thank you." Kane panted before a sign from her teacher allowed to dissipate the spells and rest. "Remind me again how you convinced my parents to just give you this empty garage."
"Now, now." 'Kuroyuri Muramasa' raised up her finger to place it against her lips, her amber eyes flickering emerald for an instant. "That's a secret."
Omake: Ritsuka and Argonaut's Grail War Act 2, Scene 2
Kiritsugu blinked at the pictures before him, still shaken at the future Caster had told them of.
Caster hadn't known of all the details, but what he'd given was damning enough.
By his time, Irisviel and Maiya didn't live beyond the Grail war. With Irisviel's condition, it was... expected but Maiya's had hit him like a suckerpunch.
The most damning was the absence of Illya in the early pictures. If she hadn't been with him after the war, Kiritsugu knew why.
Kiritsugu's wish had failed to be granted.
The proof of it was in the 'Emiya Family Picturebook' that Caster had Traced and offered to Irisviel. While the pictures showed a younger Caster (as a redhead apparently) and a younger girl together with him having a mixed look of peace and defeat. While Illya did show up in the pictures, none of team Saber had missed the fact that there was a long period in the 'timeline' between Kiritsugu's disappearance and Illya's appearance in the picturebook.
"Kiritsugu's dream failed... because of the Grail itself...?" Irisviel muttered in disbelief.
"No." Maiya spoke up. "He mentioned that it was because of the foreign entity within it. Caster defeated it in his time but at the moment-"
"-it's still in there, corrupting it to it's desires." Saber growled, her rage and despair still visible. Of all of them, Saber had been the one to take the news hardest. "That's why that Berserker was so abnormal, wasn't it? It was definitely a knight that knew me in life, with how he knelt before me before vanishing into his astral form, so different from our first encounter. Caster must've done something to lessen the effect of the {Mad Enhancement} as a gift of their alliance."
Saber forced herself to calm down before facing Kiritsugu. "Master, I apologize if I'm speaking out of turn, but I strongly believe that we should join in their alliance. If Berserker was one of my knights... If Caster truly has a plan to deal with this 'Angra Mainyu'... I cannot abide standing by without contributing!"
Irisviel looked at Kiritsugu who was still staring at the picturebook. "Saber-"
"I agree." Kiritsugu suddenly spoke up, sitting up to look Saber in the eye. "We will accept Kariya Matou and Ritsuka Fujimaru's offer for an alliance. I know you're surprised but this is a very ideal scenario. From what Caster told me about their wishes for the Grail, they aren't that different from my own wish. Matou himself doesn't even have a wish, only having entered to save his niece and has already done so. Ritsuka's wish can easily be accomplished with my own. I do not know of Berserker's wish, but Caster himself confirmed that other than changing up the timeline with his actions, he himself has no actual wish for the Grail. We'll need to change our plans accordingly."
"Change our plans?" Maiya blinked. "Does that mean...?"
"Caster, or rather Shirou Emiya, is my future son, even if adopted." Kiritsugu raised up his hand to look at it. "I don't know how we originally met, but there's no way that all of this won't affect our meeting again. So it's better that we go all the way. We'll join in the alliance, we'll eliminate Angra Mainyu from the Holy Grail... and then..."
Kiritsugu clenched his fist. "My wish will save the world."
KingVessel: *Nonchalant whistling* EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY! ...for now, at least. You know the kind of world these people live in. Leave a review!