Vita Magicis (HP SI-WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 25: Rin is a Badass

Standing across from Rin, I couldn’t help the amused smile tugging at my lips as I watched her expression shift. That signature look of fierce concentration overtook her face—eyebrows drawn, lips pressed into a thin line. Cute and deadly. A very Rin Tohsaka combo.

“Whenever you’re ready, Rin,” I called out, calm and unbothered, my stance loose, hands hanging idly at my sides.

Predictably, that only seemed to piss her off.

“…You’re not taking this seriously, are you?” she muttered, her voice laced with irritation.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” I tilted my head slightly, feigning innocence. “You said it yourself—you need someone strong, right?”

Her eye twitched. “Tsk. Enough talking.”

With a sharp breath, Rin slid into her fighting stance, her feet grounding into the dirt like she was bracing for a storm. A moment later, her limbs lit up with vibrant green lines—magic circuits igniting as she surged mana into her body.

Reinforcement. A foundational yet deadly technique in the right hands.

I felt the corner of my vision flicker. A notification appearing a moment later.

[Skill Acquired: Reinforcement]

I ignored it with ease. I had more important things to focus on.

Like the firestorm of a girl about to throw herself at me with a vengeance.

The air crackled with tension.

Rin didn’t wait for a countdown or a signal—she burst forward, a blur of motion as her Reinforcement-enhanced limbs closed the distance between us in a blink. She opened with a low sweep, her heel aiming to knock me off balance, followed by a sharp upward jab meant to rattle my brain.

I didn’t move.

The sweep came close—close enough to stir the bushes behind us—but I simply pivoted my foot, letting it glide past harmlessly. The follow-up palm strike? I leaned just enough for it to graze the fabric of my shirt without connecting.

Rin’s eyes narrowed.

“You dodged that… without using magecraft.”

I smiled, finally raising my hands slightly—still relaxed, not even a proper stance.

“I told you,” I said lightly. “I’m not your average mage.”

She grit her teeth and twisted her body mid-air, using the momentum to land behind me and launch a flurry of fast-paced strikes—aimed at my back, neck, and sides. Each one carried practiced precision. She was testing for openings. Trying to goad me into getting serious.

I gave her what she wanted… sort of.

This time, I blocked—with just one hand. My right arm blurred, fingers and forearm intercepting each strike with casual grace. A parry here. A deflection there. The sound of her hits slamming against my forearm echoed through the garden, mingling with the gusts of wind at each block, but my expression didn’t change.

“I’m actually learning a lot just from watching you,” I said mid-block, eyes gleaming. “You’ve really mastered Reinforcement, huh? Combined with your proficiency in close-quarters combat, it makes for a deadly combo.”

Rin froze mid-strike—caught off guard.

“H-how the hell—?”

A faint shimmer ran up my arms. The same glow. The same pattern.

“I hope you don’t mind me borrowing it.”

With a thought, I brought up my status screen and leveled up Reinforcement to Level 3. This was a sparring match, after all—any higher than that and I’d seriously hurt her.

Not that Rin noticed. She wasn’t paying attention to anything except the glowing green lines now dancing along my arms and legs—an exact mirror of her own.

Ilulu let out a resigned sigh from the sidelines. “There it is. Master’s ability to master anything just by seeing it once…”

Bella scoffed, arms crossed. “Tch. This is why no one should question Master’s worth. I told you, didn’t I? She wouldn’t last a second if he got serious.”

Rin took a step back, breathing lightly, her face a mix of frustration, awe… and maybe just a hint of excitement.

“Did you just…”

I grinned, shaking my hands out like I was warming up for real.

“Ready for round two?”

Rin didn’t answer my challenge with words.

Instead, she snapped her right arm up and fired a burst of crimson energy straight at my chest.

The spell crackled through the air, a high-speed curse bullet made of focused malice and prana. A single hit wouldn’t be lethal, but it would feel like getting punched by a sledgehammer—and weaken my body momentarily. To normal mages, it was a quick, effective stunner.

I didn’t move to dodge.

The Gandr hit me square in the chest—then fizzled.

Rin blinked. “W-What?”

I dusted off my shirt where it hit. “Nice try. The spell was fast, and your aim sharp.” I tilted my head. “It would’ve worked on someone else.”

A notification pinged in my peripheral vision again.

[Skill Acquired: Gandr]

The same dark-red energy shimmered at my fingertips as I raised a hand. I didn’t even need the chant—just the structure of the curse.

With a flick, I fired one off into the sky. It whistled past Rin’s head and detonated harmlessly above the treeline in a crimson flash.

Her jaw clenched. “You’re… copying my magecraft? Instantly?!”

“Just admiring your work,” I said with a faint smirk. “You really are a genius, you know that?”

Rin didn’t reply. Instead, she lunged again—but there was a subtle difference this time. Her movements weren’t just physical—she was layering prana into every step, amplifying her speed beyond what she’d used earlier.

A full-powered strike came aimed at my side, and for the first time, I brought up both arms to intercept it fully.

A loud crack split the air.

Shockwaves burst from the point of contact, rustling the trees and flattening the grass around us. Her punch was solid—focused, precise, and backed by years of training. A normal opponent would’ve gone flying.

I didn’t budge.

She stared up at me, eyes wide. I was still calm. Still breathing slow. No sweat. No signs of exertion.

“…You’re not even trying, are you?” she asked quietly.

I hesitated. Then I gave her a soft smile. “I didn’t want to end things too quickly. I respect you too much for that.”

Her lips parted slightly, and she took a slow step back. Her fists dropped to her sides.

“…You’ve been holding back since the start.”

“I wanted to see your full style,” I admitted, voice gentle. “You’re not just a brilliant magus—your instincts in a fight are razor-sharp. I meant what I said. I learned a lot.”

She looked at her hands for a second. “Even Gandr… you just saw it once…”

“Now I can cast it as well as you can,” I said simply. “But I’d still lose to you in finesse. You’ve had years of to hone your craft, after all.” ‘At least for now since it’s still at level 1.’

There was a long pause, broken only by the soft wind in the garden.

Ilulu clapped cheerfully from the side. “You were amazing, Rin-san! That last punch almost looked like it could move Master a bit!”

Bella, as smug as ever, smirked. “Key word: almost.”

Rin didn’t answer them. She simply looked up at me, her eyes calmer now, though still filled with heat.

“…I’ll get stronger,” she said, almost to herself. “One day, you won’t need to hold back.”

I smiled and nodded. “Looking forward to it.”

In my mind the image of Rin with Ishtar’s power came to mind, followed by many others including her magical girl transformation.

‘Yeah, Rin definitely had a lot of room to get stronger.’

The spar was over—but I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time she’d challenge me.

Not by a long shot.

=====

With the spar over, we made our way back inside Rin’s home and settled into her cozy sitting room.

“Haah… alright, I admit it,” Rin muttered with a reluctant sigh, her pride clearly wounded. “You’re strong.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Rin,” I said, offering her a reassuring smile. “You are strong. It’s just… at this point, anyone who wants to seriously hurt me would need to be on the level of a Servant.”

“…Are you insinuating that even against a Servant, you’d still win?” Rin asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she crossed her legs—unintentionally giving me a brief glimpse of her white panties.

White, I noted silently, then turned my attention back to her question.

“The thing is,” I began, leaning back in the chair, “with my current skill set, anyone who wants to beat me has to go all out from the very beginning. You saw it yourself—I can instantly learn techniques during battle, and that’s not limited to magecraft.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I mean I can instantly analyze and master magic, skills, and even gain titles on the fly. And on top of that, my body adapts to whatever’s used against me. Mind manipulation? Might catch me off guard the first time, but after a few seconds? I’d become resistant or even immune.”

Rin stared at me, blinking slowly. I continued.

“It’s the same for elemental magic, physical attacks, even more abstract stuff like space and time manipulation. One exposure, and I develop resistance. It’s part of the skillset I inherited—something akin to an Authority in this worlds terms.”

I saw the look on her face shift from disbelief… to existential dread.

“Oh—and when I say I can learn magic, I mean any magic,” I added casually. “Even the ones that are supposedly impossible to learn unless you meet extremely specific conditions.”

When I looked back at her, she was staring at me with an expression that could only be described as betrayal.

“That’s… That’s bullshit,” she muttered flatly. “Your ability is absolute bullshit.”

“Hahaha, you’re not wrong,” I said, scratching the back of my head sheepishly. “Sorry?”

Asako, who had remained silent during the entire spar, finally spoke, nodding toward Rin with a calm, composed look.

“Don’t be discouraged, Tohsaka-san. Master has an inhuman learning curve on top of being a natural prodigy in both magical and physical arts. It’s been months since he surpassed me using only the abilities I once prided myself on. The only reason I can still keep up with him now is because of the enhancements he granted me.”

“Same here,” Ilulu chimed in, giving Rin a bright, encouraging smile. “Before I met Master, I was just a bound elf, happy enough serving—but he gave me freedom, a new body, and powers I never thought I could have. I even evolved into a true Elf thanks to him.”

Bella, who had been quietly lounging with her arms crossed, spoke up next in her usual blunt tone.

“Master’s literally the reason I’m even alive right now,” she muttered, her eyes flicking to the side. “I’m a copy of the original… yet he still gave me purpose and strength far beyond what I was ever meant to have.”

Rin looked at each of them—then back at me—with wide eyes.

It wasn’t just about power or talent. It was the way they spoke of me. Reverently. Fondly. Like I had changed their lives entirely.

Her gaze lowered for a moment, thoughtful.

“You can grant powers to others…?” Rin asked, her voice quiet, uncertain. “Just what are you?”

‘So she didn’t know that either,’ I mused internally. ‘Seems the Company only told her the bare minimum—that she could summon someone strong enough to save her sister, if she was willing to sell her soul. Heh, you just keep proving it, Rin. Beneath that aloof, perfectionist shell is just a lonely girl who deeply cares for the people she loves.’

I flashed her a playful grin. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to find out together?”

She stared at me—eyes narrowing slightly, searching. Like she was trying to see past my words into something deeper.

Then, with a cute little huff, she turned her head away sharply, cheeks tinted pink. “Hmph.”

Classic Rin Tohsaka.

Coughing lightly into my hand, I drew everyone’s attention, my expression shifting into something far more serious.

“Now that you’ve seen a small taste of what I’m capable of,” I began, my voice calm but heavy, “It’s time I told you something… something far worse than Zouken.”

The shift in atmosphere was immediate.

Ilulu froze mid-motion, the strand of hair she’d been twirling slipping from her fingers. Asako’s posture straightened almost imperceptibly, but I caught it. Even Bella, who usually wore a mask of cool detachment, narrowed her eyes slightly, lips thinning.

Rin turned toward me again, her earlier fluster evaporated. Now she looked focused—wary. “What is it?”

I hesitated, just for a second. What I was about to say wouldn’t just fracture her trust in someone she’d known her whole life—it might shatter it entirely.

“Kirei Kotomine,” I began, locking eyes with her. “He’s been sacrificing children. Using them as fuel.”

Rin’s eyes widened. She didn’t speak. Couldn’t, not yet.

I continued, my voice colder now. “He’s been harvesting their lives. Their magical energy. All of it—poured into sustaining the existence of the Archer from the last Holy Grail War. Gilgamesh.”

“…Gilgamesh?” Rin finished hoarsely, her hands trembling in slight fear.

I nodded, then added the final blow. “And Kirei was the one who killed your father.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Ilulu clenched her fists, the soft sound of her nails digging into her palm the only noise.

Bella scoffed, though her tone held no amusement. “Disgusting. That’s so like humans… hiding behind dogma while feeding monsters.”

Asako, composed as ever, lowered her gaze. “So that’s why the mana readings around the church were fluctuating. I thought something felt off.”

I shot her a sidelong look. I hadn’t known she was checking the church. That was something we’d need to talk about—drawing attention to ourselves was dangerous. The last thing we needed was Gilgamesh turning his gaze this way. Even with all of us, I wasn’t confident we’d survive that encounter.

Rin finally found her voice, but it came out cracked and seething.

“That… that shitty priest!” she hissed, standing so abruptly that her chair scraped against the floor. Her pacing started immediately, muttered curses slipping under her breath like poison.

I let her vent. She needed to let it out—everything she’d believed, everything she was, had just taken a hit.

After a moment, I stood too. Walking over slowly, I gently reached for her hand.

She spun toward me, her glare sharp—but beneath the fury in her aqua eyes, there was something else. Raw hurt. A part of her was still that girl searching for her father’s approval, for a place where things made sense.

“Please… calm down and focus, Rin,” I said gently. “Someone’s suffering right now. Someone we can still save. We have to take this one step at a time.”

Her breathing slowed. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath… then gave a slow nod.

“Yeah… you’re right.”

I smiled, just a little, and gave her hand a comforting squeeze before stepping back and returning to my seat. She followed a moment later, visibly more composed.

“Alright,” I said, my voice steady again. “The reason I brought this up is because—hard as it is—we need to avoid a confrontation with Gilgamesh at all costs.”

I looked around at all of them.

“My abilities are still growing,” I admitted. “And if he finds us interesting… I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to protect you. Not against him.”

No one interrupted. The weight of reality settled around us like a storm cloud.

“The King of Heroes and King of Uruk,” Rin recited from memory, her voice steady, though a faint grimace tugged at her lips—one that didn’t quite mask the nervous glint in her eyes. “Yeah… If that shitty priest is in cahoots with someone like him, then I understand completely.”

“Exactly,” I nodded, relieved she was grasping the severity of the situation without needing more convincing. “But that’s enough about him for now. I only brought him up so you’d be aware—and so you know to avoid him at all costs.”

I glanced around briefly before adding, “We have something that can track him at all times. We’ll be relying on that to stay a step ahead.”

Of course, I was referring to my Bounty Tracker perk. It had already proven its worth multiple times—and just now, it reaffirmed its place as one of the most vital tools in my arsenal.

“Now—onto Sakura.”

At the mention of her sister’s name, Rin's entire demeanor shifted. She pushed down all her earlier rage and heartbreak behind a carefully constructed mask of calm, and her full attention snapped to me.

“I was thinking of kidnapping her,” I said without hesitation, my tone flat and deliberate. “Either before or after school tomorrow. Then I go after Zouken.”

Rin brought a hand up to her chin, mulling over the plan before giving me a nod. “That would be the best place to catch her off guard.”

I couldn’t help but smile. There was something almost absurdly amusing about how casually we were discussing kidnapping—and Rin was going along with it like we were talking about weekend plans.

‘That’s a magus for you.’

As Rin began explaining the routes Sakura usually took to and from school, I let my thoughts drift toward another girl who desperately needed saving—not too far from here.

A white-haired homunculus, created for one purpose: to be the vessel for the Holy Grail.

A girl who believed her father had abandoned her for another, who had nothing left to live for, who knew her time was limited… and who had her entire life predetermined by others.

A girl who, despite being sixteen, still looked like she was twelve—and who deserved more than the prison she’d been born into.

More than anything, she needed someone to reach out, to remind her she wasn’t alone.

‘Just wait a little longer, Illya. Once Sakura is safe… you’re next. I promise.’

=====

Illya’s POV

The moonlight filtered through the tall arched windows of Einzbern Castle, casting long, cold shadows across the stone walls of her room. Outside, the snow never stopped falling. Inside, everything was still—too still.

Illyasviel von Einzbern sat at the edge of her oversized canopy bed, legs swinging idly, bare feet not quite touching the floor. Her crimson eyes stared into the endless white beyond the glass, not really seeing anything.

Not anymore.

She hugged a plush toy—a white rabbit worn smooth from years of silent company. Her tiny fingers curled tightly around its neck.

“Just two more years,” she whispered, voice small in the cavernous silence.

Two more years, and she’d finally be allowed to leave this icy prison. Two more years, and she could enter the Fifth Holy Grail War. Travel to Fuyuki.

To kill the brother their father abandoned her for.

Her lips curled into a faint frown, bitter and fragile.

“You left me,” she whispered to no one. “You chose someone else.”

She had never seen his face—not even once. The image had never existed. All she had was the ache. That hollow ache of betrayal. The only constant. One her caretakers nurtured, fed, sharpened—until it became a blade.

A blade she would one day drive into his heart.

She had to. Revenge was the only thing keeping her going.

But even now, even here, thinking of the day she would finally meet him—make him pay—her chest still tightened unbearably. Like something precious had been stolen before she ever had a chance to hold it.

“Just wait, onii-chan.” Her voice cracked.

She closed her eyes and squeezed the rabbit tighter.

“Two more years. Then I’ll finally see the person Daddy chose instead of me.”