"A catalyst. Yes, that would be quite useful for you," El-Melloi II considered. "Unfortunately, I only have one catalyst, and I will not part with it," he said.
"Would you be able to acquire one?" Rin asked.
He shook his head. "The Department of Modern Magic suffers from a lack of funding at present. I cannot justify spending our budget on a youth who isn't even a student of the Clock Tower."
"I see," she said. Her brows pinched together. No luck. A catalyst wasn't a must, but having the possibility of choice would eliminate a major source of variability. Were there other locations with catalysts in London? Perhaps a history museum, or an antiquarian's collection…
"But," he continued, snapping out of her contemplation. "I can direct you to someone who can."
Rin smiled. "Thank you, Lord El-Melloi II. That would help me immensely."
"Are there any Servants you are searching for in particular?" he inquired.
Before, she would have answered "any Saber" without a second thought. Servants were said to live for battle, so all Rin needed was the strongest class.
Both her father's journal and El-Melloi II's teachings had enlightened her: Servants of the past were just as capricious as the people of today. Her father had died even with Gilgamesh, the strongest of them all.
Power was not enough. She couldn't blindly trust that a Servant would obey her. She needed loyalty, unlike her father's Archer. A Servant who would lay their life down for her. But she didn't want an evil or chaotic Servant like that monstrous Caster.
Rin recalled the one positive thing her father had written about his opponents.
Honorable and loyal, Saber is a paragon of virtue. She is skilled in all areas of combat and has a powerful Noble Phantasm. Likely the second-strongest Servant.
In the end, her answer to the question would not change; it would only be refined.
"The Saber servant, King Arthur," Rin affirmed, steady as slate.
The air became very still.
Gray hunched towards her, clutching Rin's sleeve. Her fingers strained the fabric.
"No. Not him," Gray begged, her expression distraught. "Please, Rin. Anyone but him."
"I-why?" Rin pulled away from the girl.
Gray's voice shook. "B-becau-"
"Because I despise her," Lord El-Melloi II interrupted, his tone dull. "It seems you know much of the previous war, Miss Tohsaka. King Arthur is an excellent choice as a Servant. However, if you deign to summon her, you will lose my support."
Gray threw an imploring look towards her.
"I'll…think about it," Rin said, taken aback. She had forgotten that El-Melloi II would have likely fought against King Arthur in the past. "It's unlikely that I'll even find a surviving relic from Camelot, let alone obtain one. In all honesty, I probably won't be able to summon her."
"That's good." There was a tremendous weight of relief in Gray's voice. "Oh, um…not that I don't want you to summon a good Servant, it's just…"
El-Melloi II didn't react, but he seemed more relaxed, like a rope that had gone slack. "Very well."
He led her to another wing of the Clock Tower on a different floor. Gray trailed behind them.
"The Department of Summoning is subordinate to the Department of Spiritual Evocation," he explained. "It is headed by Lord Rocco Belfeban. He knows of the Grail War, and holds some interest in it, unlike most magi of the Clock Tower."
They stopped in front of an office door. El-Melloi II knocked twice.
"Come in," a muffled voice rasped.
He opened the door and held it open for Rin and Gray.
"Lord Belfeban," he said, as they entered.
"Lord El-Melloi II. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Belfeban responded.
Lord Rocco Belfeban looked ancient, even for magus standards. Stooped over his desk, he had something of a gray bob cut with bangs. He wore round, tinted glasses that left half his face obscured. Combined with the creases and wrinkles carved into his skin, Rin could only think of him as a shady old man.
"I am here to introduce you to Miss Rin Tohsaka, hailing from Japan. She is here for a historical artifact," El-Melloi II said.
"You mean a catalyst," Belfeban said without preamble. "Are you participating in the Grail War after all?"
El-Melloi II frowned. "I am not here for myself."
"Truly?" Belfeban raised an eyebrow. "Then allow me to speak with Miss Tohsaka in private."
El-Melloi II nodded, before exiting the room, Gray by his side.
Belfeban turned towards Rin. He smiled, showing his discolored teeth. "The man obsessed with the Grail War yet unable to participate in it comes to me, requesting a catalyst. Are you his ticket to the battlefield?"
Rin saw no use in deception. "I am not, Lord Belfeban. As a Master chosen by the Grail, I am searching for a catalyst for myself."
"I suppose you have come to the right place, Miss Tohsaka," he said. "They say you could find anything here, buried in my office, simply waiting to be found."
He gestured around the room, signaling for her to look. Part of his office was similar to El-Melloi II's. There were rolled-up papers, stacked books, boxes, furniture, as well as a chalkboard with a magic circle and other notes written on it. But the rest felt almost alien. An agglomeration of glass jars was arrayed across different bookshelves' rows. Each held preserved parts of creatures. Rin spotted snakes, lizards, bugs, and crustaceans among the creatures she recognized. But other jars displayed organs and body parts, like claws, skin, brains, lungs, and heart, and she couldn't guess where half of them had originated from.
Thankfully, they didn't smell. Whatever magecraft was embedded into those jars was working well.
"It's impressive, Lord Belfeban," she said truthfully.
Belfeban gave a noncommittal shrug. "You are not the first magus who needed me for such a purpose, and I doubt you will be the last. Sadly, much of our heroes have been lost to the sands of time. I cannot give you a bloodstained linden leaf or a piece of your favorite king's cloak."
"I don't need a catalyst as rare as that. All I'm searching for is a relic from Camelot." If he didn't have it, Rin would have to wade through his collection for a different choice.
Belfeban narrowed his eyes, then reached into his desk and set down a bundle of red cloth. Carefully unraveling it, he revealed a chunk of stone larger than his palm. Part of the surface was smooth polished, with several fading symbols engraved into it. The rest of it was jagged like the side of a cliff.
"The Round Table," she recognized. Hope soared within her. King Arthur was within her reach.
Belfeban grinned. "It's your lucky day. We recently retrieved this from an excavation site up north. Ten million pounds and it is yours."
Rin inhaled deeply. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but ten million was an impossible sum. "Could we discuss an alternative agreement?"
He gave her a sharp look. "Well, why should I give this to you?"
Rin rifled through her options. She didn't have any valuables or Mystic Codes that she could exchange for it. She could pledge to win the war for the Association, but there were already two other representatives vying for The Grail. The old man didn't seem to care about winning either.
"Servants are the pinnacle of familiar magecraft," Rin said at last. "Provide me a catalyst, and in turn, I will provide research unlike any you've seen before."
"A decent answer," he responded. "But I am not interested in Servants. If I was, I would have sought the previous Masters."
Right. Rin pursed her lips, thinking. "Servants are recorded from the annals of human history. They exist outside of time, and have powers greater than any modern magus."
"I understand what a Ghost Liner is," he said disapprovingly. His gaze seemed to pierce right through her. "I have dealt with demons and treated with angels. I have summoned creatures from realms you could only dare to imagine. Why, then, must I be so concerned with a mere human spirit?"
What made a Servant special was their strength, but a Lord of the Clock Tower wouldn't care about strength. What he wants is knowledge, she concluded.
Rin took a deep breath, readying herself. "Heroes from the past have information lost to the sands of time," she started, using his own words. "By bringing them to the present, we can learn about the miracles from the past to supplant our present magecraft. We can study Phantasmal Species from a firsthand source, and perhaps even summon one using a Servant's abilities. Dragons, hydras, griffins, mantacores, and pegasi are a small step away."
Belfeban gave her a long, appraising look. "Now that," he chuckled, "is a very good answer. However, your argument is entirely unconnected with this," he said, rapping his knuckles against the stone fragment. "Which Knight of the Round Table was a magus?"
None of them. Rin formed a frustrated fist, unable to respond, which was an answer in itself.
"That is what I expected," he sighed. He began wrapping the shard back in cloth. "There are other catalysts that I would be more inclined to offer."
But those catalysts would be for Casters rather than Sabers. Rin would only accept the strongest class.
"My target is the Round Table. Is there anything I can offer you?" she questioned, desperation seeping in.
"If you had anything I needed, we would not be having this conversation."
After a few more minutes of futile bargaining, Rin left Belfeban's office with the urge to pull her own hair out.
Storming away, she almost missed the girl in the hood standing along the edge of the hallway.
"Um…Rin?" Gray said, snapping Rin out of her frustration.
Rin stopped. "What are you doing here?"
"Master wanted to offer you housing for your stay, but he was busy, so I volunteered to tell you in his place," she said.
"I appreciate the offer, but I already booked a hotel in the area."
"Are you sure? The dorms are close by, and I think it would be free."
Free. One of Rin's favorite words. "I haven't paid for my hotel yet. I guess I can check it out," she said, masking her enthusiasm under nonchalance.
Gray bobbed her head. "Right this way."
They left the Clock Tower and traveled through campus. It was silent, as Gray didn't say a word, and Rin didn't have anything to talk about with her. They eventually entered a building called the Norwich Student Dormitory.
Gray navigated through different rooms and stairwells, until they made it into a hallway full of rooms. She stopped in front of a nondescript door.
"This is my dorm room," Gray said. She brought out a key and unlocked the door.
For an institute dedicated towards the advancement of magecraft, the Clock Tower's dorms were as mundane as a normal university's dorms. A wooden bunk bed stood in the corner of Gray's room. The upper innerspring mattress was covered in a glossy polyester, completely bare. It wasn't even half the width of Rin's bed back at home. Below, a silver fitted sheet enveloped the bottom mattress, with a black comforter, woolen blanket, and a white pillow piled on top. Really sticking to the color palette. The sheets were neatly arranged, layer-by-layer, promising a restful sleep. Rin could never find the patience to make her bed everyday, but Gray did seem to be the meticulous type.
A dark brown wardrobe sat opposite the bunk bed, but it was barren except for a few lone garments. The rest of the room was furnished by a pair of wooden desks and drawers. A small television sat on top of one of the drawers. The walls were plain, white, and untouched.
Rin wasn't disappointed by the accommodations, but she certainly wasn't impressed. Still, free was free.
"Are you sure I should sleep here?" she asked one last time. "I can find another room, or go to a hotel. It wouldn't be much of a hassle,"
Gray shook her head. "It's alright. I live in a double by myself, so it's more convenient like this."
"She finally got a roommate!" A rambunctious, oddly metallic voice screamed from Gray's cloak. "That girl was figuring out what to say for so long!"
"Add!" Gray squeaked. She opened her cloak to lift a small, gilded birdcage. Inside it was a moving patterned box with a face. Rin stared at it.
"You should have heard her! She was practicing her lines and everything! God, it was hilarious!" The box started chortling, and the mouth expanded and shrank beyond the bounds of the box, almost like a cartoon character.
It might have been the weirdest thing Rin had laid her eyes on.
"What in the world?" she muttered.
Gray shook the birdcage into the air, and the box started bouncing around the bars. Its laughter transformed into pained shrieks.
"So…this is Add," Gray said, eyes glued to the floor. "He's a Mystic Code, and he's…um, my friend."
There would have been a moment of quietude, if not for the screaming. "Nice to meet you?" Rin said, unsure of how to respond.
The box might have gurgled a "thanks" in between wails, but Rin wasn't too certain.
Gray eventually tucked Add back under her cloak, then left the room and returned with bedding. Together, they set up Rin's bed on the upper bunk.
After brushing her teeth, Rin climbed to her bed and lay down. The weight of the day slowly settled in, and fatigue began to nip at her consciousness. 9 p.m. in London is 5 a.m. in Japan, she thought dazedly. Her sleep schedule would be ruined once she went home.
Gray set Add on a drawer then turned the lights off. Rin heard the faint rustling of sheets being moved and the creak of a mattress. She wondered if Gray took off her cloak when she slept.
She was drifting off to sleep when Gray suddenly spoke.
"Did you get the catalyst you wanted?" she asked.
Rin rolled on her bed. "I didn't. Lord Belfeban had some interesting samples, but the price was too steep."
If the room wasn't so silent, Rin would have missed the barely audible sigh of relief from below her.
Rin sat in the front row of the lecture hall, listening to El-Melloi II reprimand an enthusiastic student about all of his various shortcomings. To her left was Gray, who sat in the furthest corner of the seats.
"Can anyone explain how Flat ruined his Bounded Field before he even began?" El-Melloi II posed to the class, irritation clear.
Rin hand shot up, but Luvia answered first.
"Flat substituted rock salt with pyrite. Though they have similar qualities, being from the Earth, pyrite also has an element of Fire. If he tried to construct a Bounded Field with pyrite, the mana would have lit aflame and thus combusted," she announced.
"Exactly," El-Melloi II agreed. "In fact, when you mix pyrite and nitric acid, you create poison gas." He glared at Flat. "Now do you understand?"
"Yes, professor," the boy said, deflated.
El-Melloi II sighed, then waved him to his seat.
Once his back was turned to the class, Luvia gave Rin a thumbs-down. "As we all expected, you're too slow, Rin Tohsaka."
Rin felt her eyebrow twitch.
A trio of Gandr shot towards her, whistling through the open gym. Rin ducked under the first, leapt over the second, then kicked off a nearby pillar to avoid the third. Rocketing, her fists flew forth, targeting Luvia's core.
Luvia deflected each of her strikes with only her arms. As a grappler, Luvia's upper body was as sturdy as a brick wall, but Bajiquan wasn't limited to fists.
Pushing her Reinforcement to the limit, Rin closed the gap between them. Her elbow swung to her opponent's chest. In such close proximity, Luvia had to step back, unable to block in time. The moment she did, Rin's leg swept beneath her, knocking her off balance for a single breath. A vulnerability.
Palm met flesh, and Luvia soared through the air.
Rin vaulted upwards, shattering the stone beneath her. Airborne, Rin ascended until she was right above Luvia, then raised her fists like a guillotine, a finishing move. But Luvia twisted mid-air, evading her strike by a fraction of an inch. Before Rin could recover, Luvia grabbed her wrists and spun her around, once, twice, tossing her into the wall.
Dizzied, Rin quickly oriented herself and positioned her legs before she hit the wall. Coiled like a spring, Rin torpedoed back to the floor. Luvia crossed her arms together, taking Rin's dive head-on. Luvia's shoes scuffed the ground as she slid back.
Luvia's guard held fast, however, and she grabbed Rin's wrist, yanking her into the floor. Her body slammed into the ground, and pain sprouted across her body. Growling, Rin bounced back as fast as she could, throwing an uppercut straight into Luvia's stomach. This time, it connected, and Rin followed up with quick jabs to the shoulder and chest, sending Luvia straight into a pillar. The stone cracked, and clouds of dust rolled outward, obscuring her opponent from view.
Before Rin could react, arms wrapped around her torso, and suddenly she was off the ground. The world went upside down, and her head slammed into the stone with a great crack.
Wrenching herself free, Rin kipped up and began her assault once more.
"Rin…Are you okay?" Gray asked, voice tinged with concern.
"I'm fine," Rin grumbled, sitting on a bench in the changing room.
"Are you su-"
"I'm fine!" Her body ached in several places, and her head was still ringing from when it fractured the floor. She could feel bruises beginning to form. "Where did Lord El-Melloi II go?"
"He said he had no interest in squabbling, so he left."
Rin sighed. El-Melloi II was a busy man. "Well then, who do you think won?"
"It's hard to say. You and Luvia looked evenly matched," Gray said neutrally.
"I think it was quite clear. You saw how I slammed her head, neck, and stomach, right?"
"Yes, but she suplexed you…"
"All luck." Rin put on her most polite smile. She suppressed a wince. Why did it hurt to smile? "Clearly she was just lucky."
"Sure…" Gray muttered. She handed Rin a box of adhesive bandages.
Rin thanked her, then began applying them all around her skin.
"I don't get why you had to fight her…again," Gray said.
Rin pouted. "She started it."
Luvia had insulted her skills in front of the entire classroom of Lord El-Melloi II. Rin couldn't take that lying down.
"But it always ends the same way," she said. "With you…"
"What." Rin glared at her.
"Never mind…" she trailed off. "Oh, um, speaking of Luvia, she asked me to give this to you."
Gray held out a small box, wide as her hand.
Rin made a noise of disgust. "Just throw it out. It's probably some stupid prank."
"But Luvia's leaving today."
"Hmm." Rin considered it. Luvia wasn't the type to leave without seeing the results of her work. She loved to rub salt in the wound and taunt Rin with that stupid laugh of hers. "Fine. Give it here."
Rin took the box, opened it, peered inside, then closed it. "Gray," she said slowly. "Has Luvia left yet?"
"I think she's going right now, actually."
Rin had left before Gray could finish her sentence. She dashed through the Clock Tower, but Luvia was nowhere to be found. She wasn't in the classroom, or near El-Melloi II's office. Rin ran towards Norwich, the only other place she could think of.
Inside the building, several men were moving boxes and bags out of a dorm floor. She found Luvia overseeing them. She was covered in small, tiny bandages.
"Luvia!" Rin huffed, recovering from her exertion.
"Rin Tohsaka. Such a shame that I have to see you again today."
Rin ignored her jab. "Why did you give me this?" she demanded, holding up the box she had been given. Inside of it was a chunk of the Round Table, straight from Belfeban's office. "And how the hell did you know?"
"A Tohsaka comes to the Clock Tower all the way from Japan right as the Fifth Holy Grail war is about to begin, to visit the only professor who had survived the previous war. Even a blind monkey could put it together," Luvia said, waving a hand.
Rin flushed, embarrassed at how obvious her movements were. "Fine. So I'm competing for the Grail. But how did you know about the catalyst?"
Luvia gave her a shrewd look. "Unlike you, I have ears all around the Clock Tower. How do you think Lord El-Melloi II found out about the other Masters?"
"Then…why?" Rin couldn't understand. Ten million pounds. "I can't pay you back."
"I know of your intimacy with poverty, but the Edelfelts have never known the word," she scoffed. "Remember when we first met? I wasn't lying when I said I respected your talent. Consider it an investment for the future."
Rin was thrown off guard. "Thank you, Luvia," she said. It felt foreign on her tongue; she had never expected to use those words in the same sentence.
Luvia patted her on the shoulder, before walking outside the building. "Goodbye, Rin Tohsaka. I wish you luck. You'll need it for the battle to come."
She rolled her eyes. "Bye, Luvia," Rin said, as something resembling a smile formed on her lips.
Soon after, Rin informed El-Melloi II that she had obtained a catalyst, and they made plans to summon her Servant the day before she left.
The rest of her stay fell into routine. She would be woken up by a hapless Gray, and they would attend El-Melloi II's class. His lectures were basic, so Rin didn't learn much from them, but they were so clear and easy to grasp that she could understand his appeal as a professor. Then, she would receive some personal lessons from El-Melloi II in his office. Somehow, he had a deep understanding of her capabilities, and she learned of different ways of improving her magecraft. Stoic as he was, Rin couldn't fathom a better teacher. After that, she would study, train, then go to Gray's dorm for sleep. Rinse and repeat.
It was the fifth day of her trip when she found Gray sitting in their room watching TV, entranced. An animation was playing on the screen. Gray had a small smile on her face. The moment Rin entered the dorm, Gray jumped, fumbling with the remote and shutting the TV off.
"H-hi Rin," she said quickly, staring at her feet. "You're back early today."
"I finished up my studies for the day," Rin said offhandedly. "Gray, what were you watching?"
"...Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yes."
Rin felt the sudden, irresistible urge to tease her. "Really? Because I saw what looked like a children's cartoon on the TV."
"No you didn't!" Gray said, full of panic.
"There was a cute little dog dressed up like a knight, standing on two legs…"
Gray's face turned crimson. It was the most color Rin had ever seen on her face. "You were imagining it!"
Add laughed. "She saw everything, kiddo. Might as well just admit it."
Gray let out an undignified squawk, and Rin fought down a smile. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Gray."
"It's embarrassing…" she mumbled, clutching her blanket.
This girl is adorable. Rin sat beside her. "Why don't we watch it together?" she coaxed.
"R-really?" she asked.
"Really," Rin promised. She patted Gray on the back.
Hesitantly, Gray turned the TV on, and the cartoon was playing once again. The dog-knight defeated the villain and protected the princess with delightful fanfare. Rin definitely wasn't in the target audience, but it was cute all the same.
"I can see why you like this," Rin said, once the credits started rolling. "It's quite nice."
"Right?" Gray's eyes were full of stars. "The premise is basic, but there's a lot of heart put into every episode."
Rin nodded. "I like the dog-knight. He's my favorite character."
"Me too! He's also a chef! I also like the princess as well. She's really sweet. Oh, I think you would like the wizard. He wasn't in this episode, but he's super cool." Rin had never heard Gray speak so much.
"How often do you watch the show?" Rin asked, once she was done rambling.
"...Every day," she admitted, a little embarrassed. "...If you liked it, d-do you want to watch it again with me tomorrow?"
"I'd be happy to." Rin smiled. It would be nice to have a break from working all day, and she liked the cartoon too.
Gray turned away, tugging her hood over her face, as far as it could stretch.
"Gray? Are you okay?" Rin asked.
"Hah! She's just happy!" Add exclaimed. "Our little Gray finally made a friend other than me!"
"Add!" Gray squeaked. "Be quiet!"
Add guffawed. "Don't be ashamed, girl! Be prou-"
With one hand, Gray grabbed onto Add's birdcage. She used the other to enclose it with a black cloth. With a mad vehemence, Gray shook the birdcage, wrist swinging wildly. A combination of pained screams and the clangs of metal on metal resounded through the room, and Add was left inarticulate.
In the process, however, Gray released her hood, allowing Rin to see her bright pink cheeks and embarrassed, glowing smile that she fought to keep hidden.
A few days had passed since then. Kirei had given her a call from overseas, informing her four Servants had been summoned, none of which had been Saber. Rin would have to summon her own Servant soon, and she wanted El-Melloi II's guidance for the ritual.
Night had fallen. Sitting on her bed, Rin traced a finger over the fragment of the Round Table, feeling the prick of every broken edge and sharp point into her fingertip.
"Lights out?" Gray asked. Rin gave a small grunt, and the room was shrouded in darkness.
Tomorrow afternoon. Then, it would all begin. Crawling into bed, there was one last thing Rin wanted to confirm.
"Gray, is there a reason why you dislike King Arthur?" she asked, after a few minutes had passed. "You don't have to tell me if you aren't comfortable, but…"
There was a fleeting hush. Rin hoped she didn't scare the girl away.
"It's alright. Several people in the Clock Tower already know," Gray finally said. "In a way, I am King Arthur…"
Gray chronicled her story with a pensive tranquility. She explained how she was born in a rural village. She had lived an ordinary childhood until almost ten years ago, when her body transformed into Arthur Pendragon's image. From that day, she was destined to become the flesh of King Arthur, an idol of worship from five years old. It had only been a few months since El-Melloi II had taken her under his tutelage, and she had stayed with him ever since.
"So El-Melloi II teaches you, and you help him with investigations in return," Rin said.
"Yes. He's also trying to find a way to fix me."
"But he hasn't made any progress on that."
"Not yet," she admitted. "It's an ancient magecraft."
Rin chewed her lip. She hated to voice the thought, but Gray never seemed to consider it. "What if he can't find a solution? What will you do then?"
Gray paused. "I don't know," she said, sounding small and lost.
"That's fine," Rin gently assured. "You have a long road ahead of you. I just think it's important to consider what you want to do in the future."
Gray took several short, shallow breaths. "What I want? I just want to be me!" she choked. The words spilled from her like blood from a wound. "Every day I look in the mirror and see someone else. I can't tell which memories are mine, and which are hers anymore," she wept. "I miss having friends. I miss my mom."
Rin felt a great pang in her chest.
"It'll be okay," she said awkwardly. She didn't have much experience comforting people. Rin would have hugged her, or held her hand, but she barely knew Gray. "I'm sure you'll find a cure one day."
"I hope so," she whispered.
Their conversation lapsed into silence.
"King Arthur was summoned in the previous war," Rin said, a few minutes later. The reverberations of the War stretched farther than she could have expected. "If she was summoned again…"
"I would disappear," Gray murmured. "The Once and Future King would take my place."
"Which is why you didn't want me to find a catalyst for her."
"Yeah."
Add knocked on his cage. "Just so you know, Gray, no matter what happens, you'll always be the same silly brat to me. Now go to bed, kid."
"Thanks, Add." Gray sniffled. "Good night, Rin."
"Good night, Gray."
Before she fell asleep, Rin dug the shard of the Round Table into her own palm as hard as she could, until she drew blood.
Rin crouched down in an empty lecture hall, carefully shaping a magic circle onto the floor. Every symbol and sign had to be perfect. Half my gems were melted for this. El-Melloi II and Gray stood nearby, watching over her.
In Japan, she would have started at 6 p.m., aiming to finish at exactly 2 in the morning, the peak of her magical energy. Accounting for time zone differences, she chose 10 a.m. in London for the beginning.
"Does it look good?" she asked.
El-Melloi II nodded. "Well done."
Satisfied, she unwrapped her catalyst and placed it on the podium.
"Which relic is this?" he asked, frowning.
"This," Rin said plainly, "is a piece of the Round Table."
The world froze.
"What?" Gray whispered, pale as snow. "You're lying, right? Tell me you're lying."
"I'm not. I acquired this piece thanks to Luvia and Lord Belfeban," Rin replied. She was perfectly still, in total control. Her chest felt hollow and cold.
Gray's eyes widened, pooling with hurt and betrayal. "Rin, why?" Her voice quivered like a flower in the wind.
"King Arthur provides me with the greatest chance of victory," she said, tasting every word as they cut through her throat. My life, or hers. She had dwelled on it all night. "The Round Table does not solely include King Arthur. Lancelot, Gawain, Percival… the chance I summon her is miniscule at best."
"But there's a chance nonetheless," El-Melloi II spat. Angry lines formed along his face, and his mouth had become hard and thin. "You truly are a magus, Miss Tohsaka."
"To willingly choose an inferior Servant is the same as putting one foot in the grave," Rin said. She acted as if she didn't have a care in the world, even as her knuckles turned white.
"Rin…" Gray lamented. "Please don't do this."
El-Melloi pointed to the door. "It's best you leave, Gray. Your body can act as a catalyst during the summoning. Go at least a hundred meters away. Return after it is complete."
Gray trembled for a moment, gnashing her teeth together. She took one last look at Rin before running away.
My life, or hers.
"Will you be leaving too, Lord El-Melloi II?" At this point, Rin didn't need his help.
"No. I said I would guide you. I shall see it through," he said.
"Then I'll begin." Rin stepped to the edge of the circle, and thrust her arm forward. She steadied it with the other. She began the chant.
"Bare and silver and iron.
Stone for foundation and the Grand Duke of contracts.
My great master Shveinorg for the ancestor.
A wall for the descending winds.
The four gates shall close and come out the crown.
Let the three-forked road to the kingdom cycle."
Failure was not an option. With utmost will, she continued the incantation. Gusts born from the circle blew her hair back and forth. Distantly, she was aware of El-Melloi II watching with concern.
"Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose.
Five times for each repetition.
Just destroy the enclosed time."
Rin visualized a knife stabbing into her heart. Like the flick of a switch, her Magic Circuits came to life. The ritual blossomed, and mana filled her from every pore, viscous. It traveled through her veins like a centipede with fangs, shredding her apart. Sweat poured down her skin as Rin melted from the inside out. She steeled her soul. From this point on, she was nothing more than a conduit for magical energy. Her senses were being overwhelmed, and Rin lost herself to the pain.
Hours passed, as mana was refined within her body, over and over again into its purest form. Thirty seconds till 6 p.m. Her goal was accomplished. The magical energy was perfectly contained, flawless and full. She was ready.
Magical energy erupted from her like lava from a volcano. It poured directly into the circle, a void that absorbed all. Strands of glimmering, red mana shone like sparks of a flame.
"I announce.
Thy body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword.
Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, then answer my call."
A thousand connections were forged, broken, and forged once more.
Rin's vision shut down. Her eyes failed her. In their place, she thought of King Arthur, the greatest Saber. But she could only picture Gray instead. Not him, Gray pleaded. Anyone but him. Rin clenched her teeth. If she summoned King Arthur… I would disappear. Gray sniffled.
Damnit. Rin swore inwardly. Damnit!
"Make an oath here.
I am the one who shall become the virtue of all afterworld."
Virtue, she scoffed. How could she ever become virtuous? Rin pressed onward.
"I am the one who shall lay out the evil of all afterworld.
Thou art Seven Heavens clad in the Three Great Words.
Emerge from the ring of control, guardian of balance…!"
Magical energy swirled and stirred into a wild storm. A pillar of light arose from the circle, brighter than the sun. Her mind flickered to the past ten days with Gray. Not him, Gray pleaded. Anyone but him.
The light exploded before her, and the ritual came to an end.
Rin panted, swallowing deep, cool breaths of air. Perfect, she knew. Everything was immaculate. As her sight returned, scarlet mana churned and billowed like a bloody mist around the border of the circle. Within the bounds, her Servant stood, postured straight and true.
Before Rin was a knight armored in shining steel. There wasn't a hint of exposed skin. The knight's head was veiled by a massive horned helmet, with thin slits for eyeholes. Giant pauldrons protruded into the air. Wider were the shield-like plates that jutted over the knight's legs. The rest of the knight was protected by thin steel slabs all along the body, fused and layered a dozen times over, forming thick, stratified protection, yet unimpeded mobility. Crimson lines, markings, and symbols punctuated the knight's armor. Between the knight's gauntlets was a beautiful sword, silver and red. The only thing that wasn't steel was the carmine cloth that flitted between the knight's legs.
The sheer amount of mana that radiated from the Servant was unlike anything Rin had experienced before. Absolutely outrageous. Awed, she couldn't help but pump her fist.
"You've done it, Rin," El-Melloi II breathed. His lips turned up into a small, relieved smile, as if he was freed from a terrible burden. "Gray will be pleased with this development. I will be back."
He left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.
Lifting the sword, the knight rested it on their shoulder. The knight turned to Rin.
"So, you're my master, yeah?" the knight said.
Rin proudly displayed her Command Seals. "I am."
"Heh. Congratulations, Master. You just won the war. The strongest Servant has responded to your call." The knight performed a mock bow. "I'll demolish all of our enemies with a single slash."
Cocky. Rin didn't mind, as long as the knight could prove their words. "Excellent. Now, could you tell me who you are?"
"Huh?" The knight intoned. "Don't you already know?"
Rin's brow furrowed. "No, I don't."
The knight stepped forward. "Of course you know. I heard you calling for me. Is it this damn helmet again? My name is M-"
The door opened. Fast as lightning, the knight charged, tackling the girl who had just entered. Gray tumbled to the floor. The knight's sword fluttered down a silver flash, stopping just a hair's breadth before her throat.
"Why do you have his face?" The knight said, rough and grim. "You're no king."
"I-I'm not King Arthur," she stammered. Her skin had become ashen, her eyes wide with shock. "I'm just Gray!"
"Gray. A weakling doesn't deserve his visage." The knight's helmet fell away into chunks of metal, and proud, verdant eyes stared down at her, noble as a lion.
"For I alone am worthy of the crown."
A/N: For consistency, this chapter's incantation was taken from the original VN translation. Personally, my favorite has to be from Fate/Zero's English dub: "I hereby swear, that I shall be all that is good in the world\That I shall defeat, all evil in the world..." ‹3
Hopefully the next chapter comes out quicker, but my schedule continues to be packed.