"Archer?" The Primarch raised an eyebrow, his entire demeanor showing his attitude toward this fact.
"Archer." Rin, trying to maintain composure, repeated the answer once again. Fulgrim, upon learning who he had been summoned as, would not relent in his attempts to understand the reason for such an assignment. All the while destroying the few remaining scraps of patience left in the summoner.
After the first acquaintance, master and servant moved to the kitchen, where the girl began recounting details about the war. This was greatly hindered by the sarcastic comments from her vis-à-vis. However, things progressed, and finally the topic of classes was touched upon. The seven servants represented heroes of the past, many of whom could possess various skills. The Grail was not capable of creating a vessel of sufficient stability to contain the full power of the spirit, so it acted by circumvention.
Each summoned one took on a specific role, depending on the vessel. Fulgrim had been assigned the Archer class, or Knight of the Bow. It specialized in ranged attacks and visual reconnaissance. This was what raised questions for the man, as he had never been a fan of such things, preferring to strike the enemy in the front ranks, for only thus could one truly inspire the warriors following you.
"So, do you have any guesses as to how I became an arrow enthusiast?" The Phoenician sipped tea brewed by the hospitable hostess. Speaking of which, she had not liked at all that her efforts went unappreciated. For a mere moment, at the first sip, his smile faltered slightly, and he stared at the colored water in the cup for a couple of seconds. Judging by his gaze, that was the only way to call this tea. And yet Rin was extremely picky about this beverage, so she had considerable confidence in her skill.
"...Only one possibility..." Fulgrim slightly moved the part of the service in his hand, as if graciously allowing her to voice her thoughts. And with such a look that she very much wanted to repeat the French experience in dealing with insolent nobles. Though where to get a guillotine, Rin did not know. Nevertheless, she continued her initial thought, ignoring the temptation to realize her recent fantasies. "Of all the classes available to you at the moment of summoning, only Archer was possible. Saber can only appear last, and it seems it couldn't be summoned today..." She uttered the last part with barely concealed bitterness. She had so hoped to get the strongest class, and instead got Archer, who did not even know what he would be capable of.
The servant had stated as much. "How should I know what this chalice endowed me with? I only know not to hope for much. One can already draw that conclusion from my current appearance." It was unclear what the servant disliked about his appearance, but that was not important. What was important was that Rin had apparently summoned the weakest servant in this war. Even if in truth he was a mighty hero, he did not know his Noble Phantasm, and thus infinitely inferior to the others. Unable to restrain her bitterness, the unfortunate girl dropped her head on the cold table, and faint lamentations rolled across its surface.
The Primarch deigned not to notice his summoner's behavior. At that moment, a far more important question concerned him. The tea was gone. It was a minor trouble, especially considering the skills of the one who had brewed it—or rather, the lack thereof. But during a long conversation, some drink was necessary. Silently rising, the man headed toward the stove, beside which stood the kettle. The simplest mechanisms caused no difficulties, even without the knowledge transmitted by the Grail. And so, a few minutes later, the girl simply lying forgotten on the table in oblivion caught an unimaginable aroma. Light floral notes pleasantly teased the sense of smell, awakening the desire not only to inhale the scent but to taste its source. Cautiously raising her eyes, Rin saw the same scene. Fulgrim was drinking tea. However, a full cup stood before her, and the great tea lover could not resist. Carefully blowing on the burgundy beverage, she took a sip.
*"Alright, he's not entirely useless."* Rin graciously stopped considering Fulgrim the worst servant. For a few seconds, until she saw clear signs of enjoyment from tea-drinking on his face. The girl's eye twitched. He had nearly grimaced at her tea, but savored his own. And the next few minutes passed in silence, broken only by the sound of Rin drinking tea. Fulgrim managed to drink it absolutely soundlessly. *"There's nothing to reproach him for, but I so want to punch him in the eye."*
"Am I wrong if I say you're not very lucky?" The platinum-haired one smiled a bit wider than usual, clearly showing his amusement. Normally he was not so sarcastic, but the girl needed to be punished for daring to consider herself his master. Fulgrim had already realized she was young and inexperienced, so he was not angry. However, every action has consequences.
"Shut up! You're certainly not one to talk; you don't even know your abilities!" The Primarch prudently lifted the porcelain teapot above the table; he did not want to allow even the slightest chance of losing a drop of the precious drink from the shaking furniture.
"My abilities are known to me; I don't know those gifted by the Grail."
"By the way..." Rin pointedly jabbed her finger at the Primarch's face. He, of course, remained impassive. "...I don't know the first ones either. I've never heard of a hero with your name. Maybe you'll explain why?" Stern gaze...
"Heh-heh, your look might work, at best, on your peers." ...proved useless. "I don't think I want to share my biography." Fulgrim rose from the chair and began clearing the dishes, saying these words. "I assume the summoning took a lot out of you. You should rest."
Rin tried for several more minutes to get the servant's attention, but he completely ignored her. Sighing heavily, she headed to her room, muttering curses at the summoned one's head along the way. When the Primarch finally heard the steady breathing of the sleeping person from the second floor, an unexpected metamorphosis occurred with him. Had Tohsaka seen it, she would have been stunned. The man's eternal smile... vanished. Without making a sound with his steps, he glided out like a shadow. And, slowly sitting on a bench in the garden, found himself under the clear moonlight. Its gleams made the Primarch's hair shimmer in all shades of silver. Such a magical sight was marred by one single fact. Life had left his face.
Immediately after the summoning, Fulgrim's memory had not been entirely clear, so his behavior did not differ from the usual, but with each minute it became sharper. At a certain point, he could no longer continue the pretense, so he hastened to end the conversation. The pitiful remnants of former pride would not allow him to show weakness before Rin. The silent figure, unmoving, gazed at the stars. Those among which he once bore the light of Truth into the darkness of ignorance. The shining purple of his eyes had died, his face turned into a waxen mask. The stream of thoughts halted its flow, and only occasionally did faint flashes arise in it. Always the same ones. In such a state, the Emperor's son, who had lost the right to be called that, remained until dawn. And his mind was pierced by pain from eternally repeating words. Those he had spoken in the distant past.
*"We are His Children."*
The slightest movement of memory caused excruciating agony.
*"Let us make it so that everyone who looks upon us knows it."*
The last picture of the past, the last memory, was the severed head of his most beloved brother.
*"We will fail his expectations only if we have shortcomings."*
With each word, Fulgrim understood better who he had become. Traitor. Brother-slayer.
*"So let us justify his hopes!"*
He had become a ghost of former perfection.
Early in the morning, the young witch tossed and turned in bed. Her body barely obeyed control, as if the last of its strength had fled. Even for her usual morning state, this was unusual. Her still-unawakened consciousness sluggishly noted that the summoning had consumed far more strength than it should have. According to her father's tales, the ritual's aftermath was slight weakness that would pass after rest, but the current situation refuted that fact. *"Could his summoning be that costly?"* Tohsaka could not understand how an unknown hero could be so voracious. Even now, the energy drain was at the very edge of permissible, and this for a hereditary magus. What it would be like during active actions was terrifying to imagine. Nevertheless, this indicated that Fulgrim was at least a B-rank servant. It was hard to say more precisely without knowing his legend.
A couple of minutes later, Rin found the strength to leave the tender embrace of blanket and pillow. Yesterday she had not found the desire to change before bed, so she was in the same state as before. With the caveat of burst capillaries, pallor, disheveled appearance, and a mood on the level of "I'll kill everyone and be alone." If her servant acted on her nerves today as well, self-control would definitely not suffice. In her current state, spending one of the three Command Seals would be an acceptable price for silence. However, it was worth avoiding, as even a simple statement of the fact that Fulgrim must serve the witch had caused no small anger. Shuffling like a stale zombie, the girl emerged from the bathroom. It was a bit better, but only a bit. Shuffling to the kitchen, she again caught the mind-blowing aroma of tea, this time with hints of mint.
Sitting at the table, Rin took the already waiting cup in her hands. Before her, in the same seat, sat the Primarch. He was reading one of the books from the estate's library, the one that did not hold magical knowledge. Pages flew at incredible speed, his eyes kept pace, and from the man's appearance it was clear he was not even straining at such a pace. *"World history. Looks like someone got interested in this era."* And so it was, though there was nothing surprising about it. Turning the last page—though he had opened the book just a couple of minutes ago—Fulgrim shifted his gaze to Rin. And to her surprise, she no longer wanted to wipe that irritating smile off his face. Had he decided not to annoy her today?
"Something's changed in you... new hairstyle?" A little more and the vessel in Rin's hands would crack; only at the last moment did she stop, not wanting to spill the only pleasant part of this morning. Her eye twitched violently, almost convulsing in death throes. "Oh, fine." The Primarch shook his head slightly with closed eyes. "I don't even feel like teasing you anymore. Instead, maybe tell me your plans for today?"
"...Reconnaissance..." Words barely escaped her throat, and her voice was hoarse. If Tohsaka had thoughts of going to school, she now discarded them without doubt. It seemed she would have to sacrifice perfect attendance. "The city will become the battlefield, and you need to know it as best as possible. So get ready." She said, but her legs gave way, and the attempt to stand failed. "...In an hour..." Her eyes noticed the tremor in her hands that threatened to spill the tea on the table. There was no strength in them, unless it was the desire to wring her servant's neck, at least. "...or two." Her only response was a slightly wider smile.
Fuyuki is a relatively large city with two districts—Miyama and Shinto. The first is filled with old buildings, Japanese in the northern part and European in the southern. Rin's house was on the southern city outskirts, so the path led northwest, toward the school and Ryudō Temple. The girl was glad she had delayed their departure, or unwanted questions might have arisen; after all, she had "caught a cold." That's what they would think at school. And also, her companion would not stop creating problems.
"Maybe you'll finally switch to spiritual form?" Fulgrim had already shown he was capable of it but refused to do so and had not even explained why, simply refusing. As for this current attempt to persuade him, he did not even react, continuing to survey the surroundings. The few passersby kept turning back to look at the extraordinarily handsome foreigner. Rin acknowledged his appearance had no flaws, but his character... Well, naive fools had no idea how their fantasies differed from reality. Finally, passing the school, they stopped before the wide staircase to the temple. It ascended hundreds of steps, ending in a sizable structure. This was Ryudō Temple, one of the city's main attractions. Quite old, it was used for prayers and offerings to spirits. Mostly on holidays, though. Also, it seemed to Fulgrim that the space here was more... dense. However, he did not voice his thoughts; if he could sense it, the magus certainly could.
And the inspection continued. Having circled Miyama, the pair proceeded to Shinto. This was already a more modern city with high-rises. There, Fulgrim's appearance became an even bigger headache, as the population density exceeded that of the other side of Fuyuki. Of all the places the pair visited, the church on the hill was most memorable. Though neither servant nor master wished to approach it.
"Den of prejudices." A light distaste was clearly traceable in his voice, and a shadow of disgust crept over his face. "I hope you didn't come here to pray?"
"Don't like such places?" Rin shared the man's opinion, at least regarding this church. Because it housed one who irritated her far more than Fulgrim.
"One could say that." The Primarch had often seen what fanatical faith could turn a person into. That was why the Imperial Truths taught people that religion was poison to civilization.
"Don't worry, we won't go in; you just need to survey the city, after all."
Time flew quickly, and so, after sunset, Rin decided to add the final chord to their "mission" at the city's tallest building. Night darkness could not overcome the light of numerous fires; they extended the day for residents already hurrying home after the workday. Living rivers flowed along the roads, creating the sight of some organism.
"Well, an excellent place to wrap up for today." The girl stood on the edge of the roof, risking creating the impression of a suicide, as few would think otherwise seeing her. But she was not worried about it; after all, the height was considerable, and an ordinary person could not make out anything, especially against the dark sky. The summoned one stood nearby, also admiring the views. The architecture differed from what he was accustomed to. The Imperium preferred monumental structures that would stand for thousands of years, while what sprawled before the Primarch would last only a couple of centuries.
Vision, unlike other bodily parameters, did not yield to what it had been in life and allowed distinguishing the finest details from hundreds of meters away. The city plan, already formed in his mind, was supplemented with details invisible from ground level. Now, maneuvering in case of pursuit or retreat would be far simpler. Though how strong the opponents would be was unknown; these were heroes of ancient legends, so they would not be weak—best to stay cautious. Not that the war particularly interested Fulgrim, but his active nature would not allow sitting idle, nor would the enemy. The image of the city, turned into a volumetric projection, lay under lowered lids. The Primarch's mind was capable of unimaginable calculations and processing vast volumes of information; reading a hefty tome in a couple of minutes was but a small part of its capabilities.
Having finished his business, the man noticed the summoner's strange gaze. It was fixed straight down, at one point. Accounting for the angle, Fulgrim understood whom Rin was looking at. A red-haired boy her age. A simple acquaintance, one might think, but he was looking back. Raising his head and face upward, the only one among hundreds of passersby.
"You know him?" The question, dispelling the silence, caught Rin off guard.
"W-what? Who are you even talking about?" And how her eyes darted, and her movements gained uncharacteristic twitchiness.
"About the red-haired youth who's looking at you right now."
"Don't be ridiculous; it's too high up here."
"Seems no one told him that. His gaze doesn't move and is fixed exactly on you." Rin measured Fulgrim with a look and was forced into thought. Human vision could not clearly distinguish an image at such a distance. "Maybe he's a psyker, like you?" The girl frowned even more, as the thought had occurred to her too. However, she decided simply to observe him closer tomorrow at school. She was used to the end of the... Well, she would have to spend time observing this fool. Reaching a decision, Rin shifted her gaze from the departing Emiya to her servant.
"What's a psyker?" The term the Primarch used was unfamiliar.
"A human capable of affecting reality by drawing power from the Immaterium."
"First I've heard of it, and magi operate completely differently." In truth, the principle was indeed similar, but for some reason Rin disliked the word. As if something unpleasant lurked behind it.
"But the essence is the same; both can be called sorcerers."
"...You're the sorcerer." And again, her only response was a slightly wider smile.
Night gave way to morning, and the Tohsaka heiress was already finishing preparations to head to school. This time, waking up had gone as usual—that is, with great difficulty, but without rising from the dead. Already putting on her shoes, the girl saw who would accompany her. And she wanted to strangle him again. In one hand he held a bag stuffed full of books, and in the other a lounge chair. *"Where the hell did you get that?!"* The inner scream threatening to burst out was drowned by the answer to the unasked question.
"Obviously, you won't want me accompanying you to classes, and obviously, I won't shift into a spiritual form. That's the compromise." Rin no longer wanted to see or hear anything, so she silently turned around and headed to Homurahara. Behind her, at a sufficiently respectful distance, the Primarch followed. Fortunately, he wasn't against changing clothes, so he sported a snow-white shirt and pants.
On the way, many young men and women looked curiously at the unusual man, but his impassive demeanor stopped them from asking questions, though a few young ladies tried to approach and introduce themselves, only to be rebuffed with a couple of words. Strangely, they left with some satisfied look on their faces. Tohsaka didn't want to know what exactly her Servant had said to them, to avoid it. At the moment, nothing was hindering it, as the body wasn't in a magically active state, so hearing was normal.
Already during classes, Rin clearly sensed the Servant's presence at a short distance from the academy. He had settled on the roof of one large house. Lying down, he was changing one book binding for another at an unimaginable speed. Such adaptability surpassed ordinary people, and it was unlikely many non-ordinary people could compete. Thus the hours flew by. Lunch break time approached, and at that moment, the young magus noticed the approach of her headache. Fulgrim, with an impassive look, was striding through the corridors, causing a real commotion. Rin immediately broke into a run and left the roof where she had wanted to enjoy some peace. Not to be.
Reaching her destination, Rin realized she hadn't prevented the worst. The teacher was already talking to the man. Teacher Fujimura, very kind, yet demanding at the same time.
"Excuse me, but outsiders are forbidden from being on school grounds. Could you explain the reason for your visit?" Clusters of students hid behind corners and classroom doors to satisfy their curiosity. The man who had been asked the question flashed a dazzling smile, from which even the young woman wasn't immune. After all, every Primarch possessed considerable charisma that endeared people to him. Well, almost all. Angron had somewhat different methods.
"I apologize for the tactless intrusion. Allow me to introduce myself—my name is Fulgrim. I am the cousin of one of your students, and I've come to visit her." Saying this, he placed a hand on his chest and performed a small but very elegant bow. Such manners were unfamiliar to everyone present. Taiga hesitated again; with her temperament, she wasn't used to communicating this way.
"Uh—cough, cough. May I ask which student is your niece?" The young people thought they hadn't listened in vain. The Tiger Teacher speaking so formally was a rarity.
"Rin Tohsaka. I arrived late in the evening, and we didn't get to talk properly." Such natural sorrow appeared on his face—it was indescribable. A vein bulged on the "niece's" forehead. "And I've missed her so much; it's been nine whole years. She was such a charming little girl."
"What?!"
"Tohsaka's uncle?!"
"I want one too!"
The last was shouted by one of the senior girls, the only one bold enough to say it aloud.
"So, may I ask where she is now?" the man said with his smile.
"Y-yes, of course."
"Please accept my gratitude, and by the way, you haven't introduced yourself." Fujimura, hearing this, began fidgeting with her short chestnut curls; she wasn't used to being embarrassed, and the students weren't used to seeing her that way.
"I am Taiga Fujimura. Very pleased to meet you." The young woman extended her hand for a handshake, and it was reciprocated, but not as she expected. Gently taking her palm, the Phoenician kissed it, barely brushing his lips against the soft skin.
"As am I." And then Rin took the stage. Pretending well that she was glad to see him, the girl approached her Servant. She would have done it right away, but the lie created by Fulgrim required some preparation. Moral preparation.
"Uncle, what are you doing here?" After years of practice, her acting skills had reached considerable heights. Everyone really believed the man before her was her relative. "God, couldn't you wait until I got back? We'll have plenty of time to talk, so why the rush?" She barely managed to keep a straight face when the Primarch's hand rested on her head and began gently stroking it.
"I've missed you so much that I couldn't wait to see my sweet niece."
"What the hell are you doing here?" the girl asked, whispering and hissing at once.
"I'm out of books," the man quietly replied. "Where's the library here?"
"Oh, Uncle Fulgrim, I'm so glad, but you can't be at school for that reason. Please go home; I'll be back soon." *Get the hell out of here, damn you!*
"Sorry, but I can't wait that long." *Not a chance.*
While the "relatives" communicated with a single glance and laughed cheerfully with sincere smiles, already half the school was watching them, and in the front row stood Fujimura. She couldn't hear the whisper, so in her eyes, the relationship between these two was simply wonderful. And so, as a caring teacher and guardian of a boy the same age as Rin, she couldn't refuse a small exception. Besides, Fulgrim had made the impression of a polite and decent man. Taiga stepped a bit closer and cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself.
"I think, in this situation, I can allow you to stay here since you missed your niece so much. It's lunch break now, so you have time to talk, and afterward, you can wait until classes end."
"Really? Then accept my gratitude once more, Miss Fujimura." The gentleman's pleasant voice enveloped the souls of all listeners, and they were already ready to agree to almost anything, with Taiga practically melting. Everything went according to plan. "Let's not waste time, Rin. With your permission, we'll take our leave." To confirm his words, the man took his "niece" by the hand and led her further down the corridor. "So, where's the library?" He received only a sorrowful sigh in response.
***
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