章 1031: 45
044 - Grudge match
Emiya Haku
I stare down at my chosen opponent, as the two groups break up into smaller, individual matches. Tohsaka Rin, Second Owner of Fuyuki, Founder Family Master, Talented Magus, Average One, Potential True Magician Apprentice, School Idol, Beautiful Face, Ugly Attitude, Barely Ahead of Bankruptcy. Some of those titles aren't as important as others.
"Well then, Haku-san." She taunts, taking a step closer with a confident smirk in her face and body language all over the place. "It appears I'll be your dance partner tonight."
She's nervous, this is her first magus fight. Sure, she's fought in the War before, but that was against Shinji. She has no real experience fighting. Her studies are predominantly theoretical and her applied magecraft practice has always been academical. Guided by her position as a family head, directed towards earning prestige and maintained her name.
She has never so much as sparred with another magus. Whether that's out of pride or fear of revealing her mysteries, I neither know nor care about.
"Please, don't be afraid of telling me if I'm too rough." I shoot back, magic circuits thrumming with power right underneath my skin as I step forwards too. "I would hate not being gentle enough during our first time.."
And sure, she at least knows her martial arts, but good luck trying to leverage that against me. Tohsaka is so outgunned in this fight it's not even funny. I'd like to say I don't need to give my all to beat her, but that's a good attitude to actually let her win. And I'd rather eat glass than let her win.
"Tsk. I'll show you gentle!" She growls as she points at me with a finger gun, taking her other hand to the elbow to brace for the recoil. "[Gandr!]"
She has the gall of firing a single bullet, as if that would be enough to take me out of the fight. I don't even bother verbalizing, swatting the bullet-like curse away with a [Projected] nameless tessen. I arch an eyebrow at her as I dismiss the weapon again, smugly taking in the dumbfounded expression in her face.
That's right, she's never seen me practice magecraft before. Did she just assume I was a burden planning to ride Nii-san's coattails through the war?
"Why you–!" Her expression turns stormy, all the smugness and fake confidence forgotten the moment something refuses to go her way. "[Gandr!][Gandr!][Gandr!][Gandr!][Gandr!]"
A veritable rain of curses fly at me like machine gun fire as I break into a run, abusing my physical [Reinforcement] to dodge the assault as I encircle her, slowly closing the distance while forcing her to spin around to keep me in her line of sight. Maybe she truly thought that I would be useless.
This girl!
Arrogant, conceited, self-entitled. Thinking that merely working hard is an excuse not to work harder, believing that talent alone puts her above unsightly acts. The rose-tinted world of a natural-born winner.
Under the guise of teaching, she stole a fortune from Nii-san, while barely managing to keep herself solvent even with such an underserved rainfall. All the while refusing to recognize his worth.
Even after knowing him for years, she remains distant and cold. Stubbornly refusing to accept the truth and making nii-san chase after her as if she's too good for him.
"This is all you can do, Tohsaka-san? Maybe I should tie a leg to my back?" I speak out again to distract myself from my mounting frustration. "This dance is going to be awfully short otherwise."
"I'll show you–"
We'll never know what she'll show me, because the moment she starts talking I abruptly change course, charging straight at her as I [Project] a named artifact for the first time in the fight.
"[Linken Sphere]"
I could have waded my way through the rapid-fire curses, counting on my reinforcement and (sheer spite) mental strength to weather the harm, but… why would I do that when I could turn her own attack against her?
The purple-black spheres hit the magic-reflecting barrier that's suddenly popped around me, bouncing back against the caster from far too close to react. Tohsaka barely has time to widen her eyes in shock before she's thrown back with a pained yelp.
"Ack!"
As she lands painfully on her back, I hold back my follow up to wait for her next move. Loathe as I am to admit it, Tohsaka's [Gandr] curse is powerful and she's taken a good handful of them at point blank range. She might not strictly be a glass cannon, but she certainly can dish more than she can take.
"Is that all?" I don't try to hide my disappointment. This is a rare chance to vent stress directly on the source, after all.
"You… Wish!" She grunts with gritted teeth, slowly getting up from the ground. There's a burst of prana and something that I guess is the [Gandr] counter-curse bathes her battered form in green light. "Bring it on, bitch!"
She looks like a mess. Clothes torn exposing bruised flesh, posture slouched, heavy breath and a wince of pain barely kept away from her face. And yet… a hand slowly raises towards me, weakly making the universals 'come at me' sign. She can't believe she still can win this, but she still taunts me to go at her, to continue a conflict that has no damned point in the first place!
I'm not one to talk about stubbornness, but this attitude of hers is something I cannot stomach. Even worse than how she treats Nii-sama, it's how she treats herself. An idiotic girl who puts pride before happiness is an existence I simply cannot bear. I hate that attitude so very much… She gets on my last nerve.
Having a good idea what she's scheming, I step into the trap anyway.
She grins once I walk into striking distance, slouch magically gone as the glowing lines indicating extreme reinforcement pop all through her legs to swing at me. This must be that famed [Reinforced Kenpo] her family designed to get an edge over traditional magus.
In my heart of hearts, I can appreciate the quality of the blow. It starts on the feet, flowing upwards from the earth and getting stronger as it's channeled all through her body until it lashes out from the palms of her hands. Textbook perfect chinese martial arts. A purely mundane fighter can cause astonishing damage with a blow like this, nevermind Tohsaka's [Reinforcement].
But it serves no purpose if it cannot connect with the opponent. It's a bit of a shame that I've trained specifically to counter that style. Before she even knows she's missed, I'm already preparing my own strike, deciding at the last minute to [Project] something to reinforce the blow, just to make a point.
"[Ultramar Power Fist]"
This time, Tohsaka flies in a very satisfying arc, and it takes her a good minute to get her bearings after the landing to stand from the crater in the ground.
"That's… All you have?"
But of course she gets up again. I know this girl is capable of recognizing superior opponents and making tactical retreats when necessary. It just seems like she somehow can't bring herself to put me in that category.
And all for what? To save face, to appease her pride? We aren't enemies, we have never been enemies! She declared herself our opponent all on her own and spat on Nii-san's generous offers of alliance. In doing so she lost the battle before it could even begin more handily than she would've by putting her head in a meat grinder. Truly, I can't stand this girl's attitude.
But I don't hate her. I pity her.
Because I know what she desires, what she dreams of doing every night, when there's nobody around to keep a façade around and she can be true to herself and… fantasize. I know because kin calls to kin and we both want the same.
To never be capable of acting on your own desires, to need to be dragged all the way towards your own happiness… How can I do anything but pity Tohsaka? That's why I'm doing her a favor and making her submit. She wants it anyway, she's just too stubborn to admit it.
Oh, looks like Tohsaka is finally ready to continue. And she's even pulled out her gems! Finally taking me seriously, are we?
I shake my head sadly, going through my mental library of weapons and artifacts of fantasy, real only in Nii-san's stories and the dreams he filled the gaping hole in my heart with. The others haven't finished their fights yet, so I need to entertain Toshaka a bit more before dealing the final blow.
But I have to be careful not to go too far. I'm a bit emotional right now, it won't do to accidentally kill this bitch… Oh! My eyes lighten up as an idea comes to mind, my slight frown turning into a warm smile as I decide on a weapon and start walking towards Tohsaka.
Yes, I pity Tohsaka more than I hate her. That doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy this.
It's going to be cathartic.
"[Amiti, Sword of Mercy]"
Tohsaka Rin
As I watch Emiya Haku's cruel smile sharpen as she steps towards me with glowing eyes, I have to bite down the urge to take a step back, or maybe run away from my life. I've made a mistake.
I have made a mistake, and I don't mean the clusterfuck with Assassin. Nobody could've predicted that.
But Emiya Haku being this dangerous in combat? Renforcement on the level of keeping up with bullets? Combat-ready projections? Martial arts? Completely flew under my radar, and that's on me. Who would've known the talentless sister without formal training was capable of pushing me this hard?
The plan was for me to swiftly take out the hedge-magus so I could assist Illya if Emiya-kun proved too powerful for her to handle alone. Not… this! What has Emiya-kun been feeding this monster?
I haven't felt this outmatched in my life. There's no two ways about it, she has wiped the floor with me. Again and again she'll take me down, waiting for me to get back up while taunting me. First with words but, as I'm put down again and again, she stops bothering with words. Her eyes are mocking enough.
So far, I've managed to stand back up every time, but it takes me longer and longer to summon the strength to stand up, to summon the will to fight. I eye the obviously legendary sword in the girl's hands, which radiates power on par with a Noble Phantasm.
She called it, [Amiti, Sword of Mercy]. A functional-looking European sword adorned only with golden horn-like handguards appears in the girl's hands. An aura of calm and warmth emanates from the blade in direct opposition with Haku's own disposition.
It's obvious what the purpose of the blade is. No matter how fiercely I'm struck, no matter where or how deep it cuts, I have yet to die. I feel like a giant, walking bruise and every nerve of my body is crying under the abuse, but I haven't even taken permanent injuries. This girl is mocking me!
I grit my teeth, trying to summon all pride and frustration into a glare to push past the pain and restart the fight. Or rather, that was my intention... When I try to take a step forward, my feet refuse to budge.
… Eh?
What's… going on?
I'm still breathing, I can still stand, the opponent is in front of me. Why am I not… fighting?
My glare relaxes as incomprehension fills me. Haku is right there, in front of me. I just need to raise my fists, take a step forward and… And be pommeled in the face. Or sliced from shoulder to waist. Or stabbed in the gut.
A shiver goes down my spine. I can't do it.
I'm… out of willpower.
"This whole thing was an elaborate bait, wasn't it?" (A dear) An infuriating voice beside me draws my attention away from my opponent with a shudder. "You were hoping to lure Caster into the open and take the chance to… do something."
I turn my head to the side, numbly taking in the scene in front of me. Archer stands frozen with her bow still in her hands, somehow paralyzed in spite of her high [Magic Resistance]. Illya is on her knees with her arms behind her head and bright red cheeks. Staring at the ground with a petulant expression.
Rider seems to be leisurely sitting on a tree branch, looking no worse for wear except by having lost her blindfold at some point and Emiya-kun himself is standing near us, an amused expression in his (handsome) handsome face.
Only Berserker and Assassin seem to be still fighting. Then again, their fight can only end with one of them dying and that's an unacceptable result for Emiya-kun. That's exactly what we were... counting... on.
They figured it out.
"... You are too damn sharp for your own damn good, Emiya-kun." I grumble out tiredly, a wave of exhaustion washing over me as the will to fight abandons me for real. "It seems I made two mistakes. In my defense, it's easy to take Emiya-kun for a fool."
"I learnt from the best." I'm too tired to blush (too badly) at the direct compliment delivered with a (handsome) (dumb) handsome smile.
"..."
"You know, at this point I doubt you'll accept the offer, but you still can surr–"
"Emiya-kun." I cut him off before he can make an offer I might not find it in me to refuse.
"Yes, Tohsaka-sensei?"
Taking my time to carefully compose exactly the kind of smile I want to give him, I raise my eyes to stare into his. "Kindly go fuck yourself with a red-hot iron poker."
"Sheesh, graceful losers, are we?"
"I'm too tired for this bullshit." I retort with a tired sigh. Just standing straight is taking everything I have. "Will you let us retreat or are you going to kill us?"
"Well, on the one hand, I'm not really into that whole 'happily killing off friends and family for power' thing that Magus Society seems to have a hard-on for. And you already said you aren't interested in joining my growing harem of strong and beautiful women with enough power to shake up the world..." My mouth fills with the taste of blood when I bite down my lip to hold back the temptation. "On the other hand, we can't very well let you two go unpunished after pulling this shit on us."
"Spare me the theatrics, Emiya-kun. Whatever you're going to do, you already decided long ago."
"Spoil my fun, will you? Sure, we'll let you go…" A smile slowly creeps into his face. It's not the sort of smile that (makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.) I find reassuring. "After you've gone through something harmless but adequately mortifying to show your remorse."
"I don't like that smile, Emiya-kun."
"I know! You'll be assisting Sakura with dinner. I'm sure she'll be delighted to have you around."
"That… doesn't sound that bad?" Illya interjects hopefully, before catching herself and resuming her mulish expression. "I… I mean. It's not like I want to have dinner with you guys or anything! But I was expecting something worse."
"That's what scares me the most." I shake my head in disappointment at Illya's reaction, I thought she knew what we were up against tonight, but obviously my stories about her siblings haven't sunk in. "You really don't know Emiya-kun at all, Einzbern."
I don't know how, I don't know why. But I only need to see Emiya-kun's giddy smile to know this is going to be (exciting) mortifying.
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