Tohsaka Rin slumped behind the door. It had been several hours since Akatsuki and the others returned, and she had been sitting there without moving an inch.
"At that time, why did I..."
Tohsaka Rin seemed to be asking herself, or perhaps an absent person in the room. Recalling the scene in the Great Cavern, regret flooded her heart like a tide.
"Damn it!"
Tohsaka Rin slammed her fist onto the ground. The force was not light, smashing a fist-sized hole into the wooden floor of the bedroom. Because she hadn't used magecraft to protect her fist, blood began to seep from her hand.
"What are you doing? You'll have to pay for breaking the floor of the Emiya Residence. Jewel Sorcery is expensive enough as it is. Are you planning to drop out of the Holy Grail War to work and pay off your debts?"
Akatsuki's voice suddenly came from within the room, making Tohsaka Rin immediately lift her head and stare at the source.
"You, you you you...!"
"Stop 'you-ing' me and tell me why you're blaming yourself."
Akatsuki lay on the bed, her hands behind her head, looking at Tohsaka Rin with confusion. Sometimes she felt that the sisters Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura were quite alike in some ways, such as keeping things bottled up inside.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'..."
After leaving Matou Sakura's room, Akatsuki caught Tohsaka Rin's scent while passing her room. The scent was so close she knew immediately that Tohsaka Rin was leaning against the door.
"You—where did you come from?!"
Akatsuki silently pointed to the nearby window, then at the door behind Tohsaka Rin, as if to say, "You're leaning against the door and blocking it, where else could I have come from?"
In fact, Akatsuki had once used brute force to break down a door. And then... well, there was no then. Back then, she hadn't controlled her strength well and sent her own young mistress to the hospital for several months. After the mistress was discharged, she replaced the wooden door with an iron one, but it was useless. A few months later, Akatsuki sent her to the hospital again.
Recalling the past, a smile played on Akatsuki's lips. She looked at Tohsaka Rin and asked, "What happened? This dejected look isn't the Tohsaka Rin I know."
Tohsaka Rin took a deep breath. After a moment's thought, she decided to tell Akatsuki her thoughts. For no other reason than she felt if she kept it in, Akatsuki would "educate" her until she was forced to speak anyway.
Rather than that, she might as well not resist from the start.
After listening, Akatsuki fell silent for a moment before suddenly laughing.
"So it was because of that. It's nothing. Anyone would be afraid when sensing something like that, especially a jewel-like beauty such as yourself."
Akatsuki shrugged.
"Akatsuki, just what is your past...?" Hearing Akatsuki's nonchalant tone, Tohsaka Rin couldn't help but ask the question she had always wanted to. She had heard Akatsuki say she was a newly born True Ancestor Royalty, yet Akatsuki's behavior was nothing like that of a newborn child.
Suddenly realizing her rudeness, Tohsaka Rin waved her hands frantically. "I don't necessarily need to know! Everyone has their own secrets, that's perfectly normal!"
Tohsaka Rin looked up at Akatsuki with some panic, only to realize that Akatsuki wasn't looking at her. To be precise, she was looking through her at someone else.
"You really are like the young mistress when she was a child. It's just that the young mistress grew up skewed later on, while you did not..." Akatsuki smiled at Tohsaka Rin. Perhaps because Tohsaka Rin's childhood experiences were similar to those of the person in her memories, or perhaps because both were entwined with a vast amount of causality, Akatsuki seemed to see an old friend who had long since departed.
Akatsuki reminisced about her old friend for a moment, then turned her gaze back to Tohsaka Rin. At this moment, Tohsaka Rin felt that Akatsuki was no longer looking through her at someone else, but was truly looking at her.
"In any case, it's not a bad thing that you feel fear toward the thing within me. If anything, it's a good thing. It means you've gained His acknowledgment. Relax."
"Him?"
Tohsaka Rin looked at Akatsuki suspiciously.
"Exactly. Although I'd love to tell you the answer, the moment that name is spoken, He will surely realize I'm still alive. If that happens, this would all be meaningless."
Looking at Akatsuki, who seemed to be talking to herself, Tohsaka Rin felt a bit worried. She wasn't sure what Akatsuki was talking about, but it was certain that even someone as strong as Akatsuki couldn't resist that "He."
"Anyway, don't overthink it. You didn't run away after sensing that aura, which is already a very good performance."
"Those with courage will go further. Perhaps through your efforts, you really can complete the Zelretch (Jewel Sword)."
Akatsuki stood up, walked over to Tohsaka Rin, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Focus on resolving the Holy Grail War first. Some things can wait until it's over."
Having said that, Akatsuki prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
"Hmm?"
"Who was that person?"
The corners of Akatsuki's mouth curled up. Looking at Tohsaka Rin, her eyes held a hint of surprise. "Are you jealous?"
"I am not! Why would I be jealous of someone I've never even met?! Just forget it!"
"It's late, get some sleep." Akatsuki waved and walked to the window. "By the way, in my eyes, you are yourself. I'm not chasing the phantom of the past in anyone. You can trust me one hundred percent on that."
With that, Akatsuki jumped out the window and left.
What? You're asking why she didn't use the front door and had to jump out the window?
Don't ask. The answer is that the door was blocked by Tohsaka Rin, and she couldn't get out!
Tohsaka Rin sat there dazed for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
"What was that..."
Tohsaka Rin got up and lay back on the bed. She couldn't help but think of the expression Akatsuki had when talking about that person. It was the purest expression, completely different from her usual vague and inscrutable one.
"Ugh..."
Wide awake, Tohsaka Rin covered her eyes with her arm and muttered to herself, "Then what about what you did to me and Sakura... was it just simply..."
Fuyuki Church.
"Rejoice, be glad."
Kirei Kotomine stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the rows of empty pews. An unfathomable smile played on his lips.
"Rejoice about what? Be glad about what?"
Gilgamesh sat on a pew with his arms spread wide. There was a hint of confusion in his ruby-like eyes.
"The Matou Family's Holy Grail has been destroyed, so what are you so happy about?! Hey, Kirei Kotomine, didn't you say you were going to help me?!"
Shinji Matou looked at the mysterious Kirei Kotomine and couldn't help but complain.
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