Disclaimer:Fate is not my property; everything belongs to its respective creator. The only thing I own is the story of this fanfic.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of a War
The full moon illuminated the city of Fuyuki from above, bathing the empty streets in a pale, cold glow. On top of a hill, inside a house that had housed generations of magi, Rin Tōsaka prepared for what might be the most important moment of her life.
The Tōsaka mansion, an imposing structure of classical architecture, was immersed in deep silence. The air was filled with anticipation, broken only by the murmur of Rin's footsteps echoing down the hall. Each step sounded like an echo of the expectations weighing on her shoulders. With her heart pounding beneath the calm facade she displayed, she walked toward the basement with steely determination. She knew that as the heir to the Tōsaka family, she had to live up to expectations. The Holy Grail War had begun, and this time, she had no intention of failing.
Upon reaching the basement, the change in atmosphere was palpable. The ancient stone walls absorbed the little light that managed to penetrate, and the air grew heavier. A small oil lamp cast a warm, flickering light in the center of the room, illuminating the magical circle she had meticulously drawn hours earlier. Each arcane mark had been inscribed with precision, now glowing faintly under the lamp's glow.
Rin knelt by the circle, her fingers brushing the pendant that had been her father's legacy. It was an ancient talisman, meant to protect and guide its bearer. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady her breathing and focus. She had spent years preparing for this moment, studying relentlessly, perfecting her control over magic. Yet now, standing on the verge of summoning, a hint of doubt surfaced. "Was she truly ready?"
"No. This is no time for doubt," she told herself, opening her eyes with renewed determination. She knew success depended on her ability to remain steadfast. She didn't want to give that false priest more reason to mock her. She had to succeed, no matter the cost.
She stood up, her hands rising slowly as she began to recite the incantation she had practiced so many times. The atmosphere in the basement thickened with every word, every syllable spoken.
"Iron and silver as the base."
The words echoed in the room, charged with a power that seemed to make the walls vibrate. The magic circle reacted immediately, emitting a faint glow. Rin felt a surge of energy through the floor beneath her.
"Stones and the Archduke of Contracts as the foundation."
The air around Rin began to stir. Magical energy was beginning to accumulate, and the circle responded to the incantation with increasing intensity. There was no turning back now. Her voice remained firm and clear despite the growing pressure she felt.
"My master Schweinorg as the ancestor."
With each phrase, the circle's glow intensified. The arcane runes gleamed brightly, projecting luminous patterns that danced on the walls. The atmosphere in the room grew denser, almost as if the air itself was charged with magic.
"The cardinal gates close."
Rin raised her hands, feeling the mounting pressure around her. The heat from the magic concentrated in the circle was almost tangible, and the runes shone with a blinding intensity.
"Begin from the crown and follow the bifurcated path that leads to the kingdom."
The wind in the room intensified, swirling around her in a whirlwind. The magic was reaching its peak, and Rin could feel her own magical energy intertwining with the incantation's power.
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat it five times. But when each one is full, destroy it."
The magic circle now shone with a blinding light. Rin felt the energy coursing through her body, connecting with something beyond this world. The heat intensified, and the pressure in her chest grew stronger. Her magic circuits were pushed to their limit, and the incantation's intensity became almost unbearable.
"Ready. I command you, come to me. Your sword shall control my fate."
The final words of the mantra were charged with undeniable authority. The wind around her grew even stronger, and Rin could feel the presence of her Servant beginning to manifest. The magic circle shone with an overwhelming brilliance.
"By the rules of the Holy Grail, answer if you accept my will and reason."
A flash of light erupted from the circle, and a figure began to slowly materialize. Rin felt a surge of energy course through her body, her magic circuits glowing intensely, almost burning her. Each second felt like an eternity as the figure took form.
"I swear here that I will be all the good in the eternal world. That I will expose all the evil in the eternal world."
The circle blazed brightly, and despite the physical exhaustion creeping in, Rin maintained her firm stance. Everything was going according to plan, until...
"By the seven heavens that house three great words, come to me from the circle of balance. Protector of the Balance!"
With the last word of the incantation, the wind and light abruptly disappeared. The basement was left in overwhelming silence, and before her, there was no one. Rin blinked, incredulous, staring at the empty space. The circle was perfectly intact, the markings still glowing faintly. Had she failed? A knot of frustration formed in her chest. Impossible! She couldn't have failed the summoning. She had felt the presence of the Servant, so why wasn't it here?
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the upper floor. Rin immediately stood, her anger growing with every step as she rushed up the stairs. What on earth was happening?
Upon reaching the living room, she found a chaotic scene. The door had been torn from its hinges, the furniture was overturned and shattered. In the middle of the mess, a tall, muscular man, dressed in dark armor, brushed the dust off his scarlet cloak. An expression of irritation crossed his face as he surveyed the destruction around him.
"What a way to make a summoning," the man grumbled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just my luck."
Rin stood still for a moment, watching. The man's silver hair gleamed in the moonlight, his gray eyes seemed to coldly analyze the situation. The dark cloak he wore fluttered slightly around him, as if it had a life of its own. Despite being tattered and worn, the cloak exuded an unshakable determination, as if it symbolized his will to keep fighting despite adversity.
Was this her Servant? Rin tried to regain her composure, her mind trying to process the vision before her.
"Are you... my Servant?" she finally asked, her tone trying to stay calm but betraying a slight tremor of uncertainty.
The man glanced at her sideways, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
"That's what I'd like to know as well, young lady. Are you my Master?" he responded with a mix of curiosity and seriousness.
Rin clenched her fists, holding back her frustration. This was not going as expected. She had followed every step to the letter, practiced the summoning until exhaustion, ensuring there was no margin for error. Yet there he was, her Servant, questioning her, judging her as if she wasn't worthy of his loyalty.
She knew she couldn't afford to lose her composure. She was a Tōsaka, the proud heir of one of the three great mage families of Fuyuki. If she wanted to survive the Holy Grail War and win, she couldn't let her emotions get the best of her, much less her insecurity. She wasn't a mere child playing with magic; she was a master in training. Still, the words of her Servant had taken her by surprise, and his stern gaze had hit her harder than she wanted to admit.
"Here it is. This is the proof that I'm your Master, isn't it?" she said, showing her right palm. The command seals, bright red marks, stood out on her skin, gleaming with latent power that linked their fates.
The Servant observed her in silence for a moment that felt longer than it actually was. Then he let out a sigh, as if it were little more than a bothersome formality.
"If this doesn't make sense to you, try complaining to—" Rin was about to continue her outburst, frustrated by the Servant's apparent indifference to the situation, when he interrupted her with a firm but calm voice.
"What I want to know isn't whether you're my Master in theory... but whether you're worthy of my loyalty." The Servant's cold and calculating eyes locked onto hers, and Rin felt a slight pang of discomfort. Not because of the question itself, but because of the intensity with which he was evaluating her. It seemed as if he were seeing beyond the surface, trying to unravel her deepest thoughts.
Rin was surprised at herself when she noticed a faint blush on her cheeks. How could she be getting nervous in front of him? He was her Servant, and his loyalty should be unconditional. Yet, the presence of this man... it wasn't what she had imagined. He wasn't a simple magical tool. No. This Servant radiated an air of experience and personal judgment that unsettled her.
He continued speaking, his tone moderated but with a touch of severity.
"I know that as a Servant, I must follow your orders. My wishes don't matter; your commands are my priority. But," he paused briefly, as if weighing his words, "I don't like working blindly. I want to know your true purpose. If I'm to follow you into battle, I want a clear reason to do so. So, answer me honestly. Depending on your response, I'll decide how our relationship will proceed from here, Master."
Rin opened her mouth to reply, but the words stuck in her throat. She hadn't expected this. She had imagined that the summoning would end with her Servant ready to fight at her side, without questions, without hesitation. But now, with the weight of his gaze on her, and her own voice trembling beneath the surface of her composure, she realized that everything she had planned wasn't going as she wanted.
The air in the room seemed to grow thicker. The soft crackling of the oil lamp was barely audible, drowned out by the tension that had settled between them. For a moment, Rin felt like a child again, confronted by an expectation she wasn't sure she could meet.
Then, the Servant asked the question that had started it all.
"Why are you fighting in the Grail War?"
Rin blinked. The question hit her like a stone. Her reason for fighting? Well, that was obvious, wasn't it? As the heir of the Tōsaka, it was her duty to participate in the war. Her goal was to reach the Root, that abstract concept all magi sought as the pinnacle of knowledge and absolute power. That's what her father would have wanted. That's what she was supposed to say.
But she couldn't.
For some reason, she couldn't say those words. Her heart was pounding, but not from the excitement of reaching the Root. It never had, really. What motivated her, what truly drove her... was something simpler. Something more personal.
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. Then she spoke, her voice softer and more honest than she had planned.
"I just want to prove myself... and I guess I want to keep the Grail from falling into the wrong hands." The words came out more easily than she expected, and when she finished speaking, she felt a slight relief, as if an invisible burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
The Servant didn't respond immediately. He remained silent, his gray eyes fixed on hers. But something in his expression had changed. His gaze, once stern and cold, seemed to have softened slightly. His lips, curved in a thin line, showed a faint hint of understanding.
"Just to prove yourself?" he murmured, almost to himself. Then, he looked up again, this time with a more determined expression. "I suppose I'll accept you as my Master, for now. But remember, the hardest tests are yet to come. If you want to prove something, you'd better be ready for what's coming."
Rin looked at him, processing his words. The weight of the Grail War settled on her again, but this time, something was different. She had found a spark of acceptance in her Servant's eyes. And though there was still a long way to go, the first step had been taken.
"Don't underestimate me," Rin said, lifting her chin with pride. "I'm not one to back down easily."
The Servant let out a small smile, barely perceptible, before returning to his neutral expression. Then he crossed his arms over his chest, inclining his head slightly.
"We'll see, Master."
"I must offer an apology for my earlier attitude, Master." The Servant bowed his head solemnly, lowering his gaze. A gesture that, somehow, unsettled Rin. She hadn't expected such a formal apology from someone who exuded confidence in every word and gesture. Archer was the opposite of what she had anticipated.
Rin felt a slight discomfort. She wasn't used to receiving apologies, much less from someone who, in theory, was supposed to obey without question. "Why do I feel like this?" That small insecurity took her by surprise. Despite her impeccable composure and training, she was still a young woman with her own insecurities.
"There's no need for that," she murmured, trying to sound indifferent, but she couldn't stop a light blush from coloring her cheeks. "After all, we all make mistakes." Her words came out softer than she had planned, and that irritated her a bit. "I don't need to be so lenient," she thought.
"I appreciate your understanding," Archer replied with a slight smile, as if he had noticed Rin's discomfort but chose not to comment on it. It was strange. Despite his cold and distant attitude, there was something about Rin that reminded him of someone. "Who?" The thought crossed his mind like a flash, but he quickly pushed it aside.
After leaving the living room, which had been completely destroyed by the summoning, the two headed to Rin's room. The atmosphere was much calmer compared to the chaos they had left behind, but the tension still lingered in the air. Rin couldn't help but glance at her Servant from the corner of her eye, trying to understand him. "I can't afford to make more mistakes."
"I suppose you already know how important the command seals are, right?" Archer's voice broke the silence, pulling Rin out of her thoughts. His calm yet direct tone made her pay immediate attention.
"Yes, I know." Rin nodded, trying to appear more confident than she felt. She had studied command seals extensively, but now that she was in the Grail War, everything felt more... tangible. The weight of her decisions rested on her.
"Good. I won't bother you much with that, but I'll give you a piece of advice." Archer crossed his arms and continued: "Be very specific when you use them. A vague command won't be enough. You need to be clear. An order like 'appear by my side' or 'use all your power in the next attack' can make a difference."
Rin pondered the advice, realizing how crucial every detail was. She knew she only had three command seals, and each one was a vital resource. A poor use could doom her. "I can't afford any mistakes." She pressed her lips together slightly, determined not to fail.
"I understand. Thank you for the advice," she finally replied, with a slight nod. "But I have a question... What is your class?" Rin tried to hide the anxiety in her voice, but her eyes clearly revealed the expectation she felt.
Archer observed his young Master with a neutral expression. He knew what she expected to hear. "Everyone wants to summon a Saber," he thought. It didn't surprise him that his Master had that illusion. Saber was the most honorable and prestigious class in the Grail War.
"I am Archer, at your service," he finally said calmly and without hesitation. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed the disappointment on Rin's face. Her shoulders tensed, and a small sigh escaped her lips.
"Archer?" Rin felt a pang of disappointment. She had been sure she would summon a Saber, the class she had so desired. A noble warrior, invincible in combat, someone who could guarantee her victory. But instead, she had an Archer. Nothing is going as I expected. It was hard to hide her dismay.
"That's a shame," Rin said softly, almost to herself. Then, she looked up and, with a small ironic smile, added, "Although, to be honest, with that hood and long cloak, you look more like an Assassin."
Archer raised an eyebrow, amused by the comment, but said nothing. He knew Rin was disappointed, but he also knew that his class didn't determine his skill. He would prove it with actions, not words.
"I know it's not a flashy class, but I'll show you what I'm capable of," Archer responded, with his usual confidence. He crossed his arms, and his expression became more serious. Despite her initial disappointment, Rin couldn't help but smile. There was something about his attitude that gave her reassurance.
"I hope so, Archer," she replied, accepting the challenge implied in his words. "I can't underestimate him, even if he's not what I expected."
"Good." Archer nodded, satisfied with Rin's response. Then, his expression softened slightly. "You should rest, Master. Even if it doesn't seem like it, summoning a Servant is exhausting, both physically and mentally."
Rin looked at him, somewhat surprised by his concern. She hadn't expected that from someone so distant at first. "Is he really worried about me?" The thought unsettled her. This guy... changes his attitude like nothing.
"Alright, Archer," Rin replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "But I have a task for you before I rest," she said suddenly, her tone changing, which caught Archer's attention. It can't be that quick... can it?
"So quick?" he asked, clearly surprised, though he maintained his confident air. "I didn't expect you to move in the war so soon, but I'll follow your order." He crossed his arms with an arrogant smile, ready to receive some strategic instruction, but his Master pointed to a broom and dustpan, leaving him completely bewildered.
"I appreciate your commitment. Clean up the mess in the living room, please," Rin said with such ease that it seemed like she was asking for something insignificant.
Archer stood still for a moment, processing what he had just heard. Is this for real?
"Wait... Do you think this is what Servants are for?" he asked, clearly annoyed but unable to contain an ironic smile. What kind of Master did he end up with?
Rin, with a mischievous smile on her lips, responded: "You said you'd follow my orders, or... are you a liar, Archer?" The teasing tone in her voice was unmistakable.
Archer looked at the broom with resignation. He was tempted to protest, but in the end, swallowed his words. He couldn't afford to argue at that moment. "As you wish, Master," he replied with a hint of sarcasm, as he picked up the broom and dustpan. He left the room, visibly irritated but with a small, hidden smile. "Is she seriously making me clean?"
Rin watched him leave and then collapsed onto her bed with a sigh.
"*I didn't ask him his name..." she murmured to herself, frowning. "I'll figure it out tomorrow." She was exhausted. Despite everything, summoning a Servant was more demanding than she had anticipated.
That night, as fatigue slowly dragged her into sleep, Rin dreamt of a vast field covered in swords. Swords of all sizes and shapes, driven into the ground, stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was filled with a strange sense of nostalgia and loneliness. What does this mean? Though the dream was unsettling, she couldn't help but feel strangely drawn to that desolate landscape.
(-)
End of the chapter.
The summoning and interaction of this version of EMIYA and Rin have been shown, clearly not the same as the version we know. Rin didn't have to use a command spell. What awaits them in this Holy Grail War?
What did you think of the chapter?
With nothing more to say, have an excellent day.