Dream of The Beginning

"Ahh! That damn slut! How dare she?!!" 

*Incensed, angry kicking noise happening in the scene* 

Rin Tohsaka was kicking the table legs with so much force it was cracked.

Archer was yawning, he sat lazily on the sofa. As he looked at his Master, a familiar, yet also distant memories seemed to flash in his mind. She was really similar to her…

"She has escaped. It's the truth, just admit it already, Rin. No matter what the reasons were, it already happened."

"You're one to talk, Archer! If you were not distracted by Rider, Grrr!! I would have finished her Master properly!" 

"…" No excuse. Archer had rather an awkward look as he remembered how he was almost seduced by Rider last night. 

It could not be helped. This Rider Servant was totally different from what he imagined. She was even more deadly than Medusa in terms of temptation, as she knew really well how to charm men and made them hers. 

Archer feels that he is totally not a pervert or lewd person, rather, he prefers calling himself as men of culture who admires the beauty. 

Last night, what he did was merely admiring Rider's charm as they fought. It should not be a big deal, right? He could just finish her off next time they met. 

After all, he was also waiting for another person to join in this Holy Grail War before he got serious. To him, all that happened before that would merely be amusement and warm-up, not something worth mentioning. 

But, it was just like what he expected, this was an entirely different reality. That fact made him wonder just who 'he' summoned this time… it felt quite exciting, honestly. 

"Argh! That damned pair of sluts! They really like to get on my nerves! I'll fuck them up next time we meet, so don't mess it up again, Archer!!" 

"Yeah! Don't worry, it won't happen twice." Archer nodded furtively. 

Archer then silently turned his sight to a certain direction. 

'Run. Feel the despair. You won't escape for long, Kanade. This may be a boring hunt, but do try your best to survive. Otherwise...' He was staring coldly on that direction as a sneer gradually emerged on his face. 

"What's it? You seem to have something else to say, Archer." 

Rin turned toward Archer after she sensed his unusual silence. 

Archer had already returned to his calm look when Rin turned to him. He lightly replied, "Well, it may come off as an excuse, but hear me out, Rin. 

"Rider used her skills against me. It's a deadly move if her target is male. You'd understand just how potent it was if you're men. That is just how she is." 

"...it sounds like you know her a lot, Archer." 

Rin was narrowing her eyes. She was looking at Archer with suspicion. 

"En. I already know her true name from our fight last time. Did you think I was merely flirting with her?" 

"Did you not?" She shot him a contemptuous look in return. 

"Can't blame me alright. You're also at fault here, you know. If you properly perform the Mana transfer with me, I wouldn't be easily bewitched by other women. Especially by a fiery, passionate woman like Rider." 

Rin Tohsaka had tick marks appearing on her head. She was fuming inside after she heard him. 

Mana transfer? What a joke! There are other ways to transfer mana to you, yet you ask for that kind of method? 

Ask yourself, don't you only want to lay your hand on me?!! Don't ever dream about it! As if I'd let you do that again!! 

"So. Who. Is. That. Rider,... Archer?" Rin was gritting her teeth tightly as she enunciated her words with force. 

She's holding back her anger. Definitely! 

"Woah... you're scaring me, Rin. It's just a joke, not a dick, why take it so hard?" 

"ARCHER!!!" 

Unable to stomach his repeated provocations, like an incensed leopard, Rin pounced on Archer as she went on to scratch him wildly, trying to make a mess out of him with her exploding anger. 

"Oh, fuck's sake! It's really just a joke, Rin!!" 

Few minutes later… 

Archer laid sprawling on the floor with defeated look on his face. Rin Tohsaka was sitting on top of him, declaring her victory over that scoundrel of a Servant. 

"I give up... you're really something, Rin. If you keep being this rough, you'd have no men to like you." Archer said, as he thought silently, 'Though, that's fine with me.' 

"Now, care to tell me just who that slutty Servant is?" 

"Ah, fine... She's Queen Medb. The Queen of Connacht in Ulster Cycle of Celtic mythology." 

"...I see. So, it's her." 

Archer, seeing that Rin was slightly distracted... he immediately went for the offensive, not giving her any chance to react.

He held her tightly on his arms as he sat straight up, he took on her thin lips with full force, savoring them thoroughly at that instant. 

'This guy..?!' 

Rin could feel her body softened fast, and her joints felt like they were loosened up just by that short time since he sought out her lips. It did not help her that his other hand also roamed her body, caressing her lightly with a mix of gentleness and force. It was as if he knew so well about women's weak spots. 

'Ahnn! Hahh! ...this guy must be a womanizer in his past! Hnn…!' 

As time went on, with their deep and passionate embrace, she felt her resistance was quickly disappearing.

'He's good,… But!' 

"Ouch! Why the bite, Rin?" 

Archer pulled out his tongue from hers. He was looking at the trickle of blood dripping from her lips as he frowned. 

"I won't let it go like what you want, scoundrel!" 

Archer turned silent. He looked quite distressed as he scratched his hair. 

"...you should have just said it properly earlier. If you really don't want to do it, then I won't force the issue, Rin." Archer sighed a little. He gently held her face as he murmured some chant. 

What the heck… He's so into it before, but now he became soft like this?? This is kind of… unexpected. 

Rin felt like Archer had changed into a different person. He was quite gentle and caring to her at that moment. 

Archer's hand glowed with pale green color as he applied healing on her injured lips. It only took few seconds before her injury was restored like before, as if she had not injured herself until she bled previously. 

"You even know magecraft too?" Seeing what Archer just did, Rin looked at him with some amazement. 

"Well, it's indeed something along those lines. Just don't hurt yourself needlessly later, Rin." 

This guy... Hehh~ It seems interesting to tease him like this some time. 

Rin was feeling playful as she looked at Archer. 

"Hey, where are you going? Are you going to really end it just like this?" 

"Huh? What do you mean, Rin? Didn't you just say–" 

"I only said I wouldn't let you do as you please! But now, it's my turn. 

"Let me warn you, I am quite pissed off right now, so I won't let you off easily if you don't do it properly, scoundrel!" 

'This girl...' 

As if she was a cat who had gotten her prey, to his surprise, she was grinning mischievously as she held him down. 

Due to the excessively graphic materials... what happened at the Tohsaka mansion within these next few hours was omitted–

~~

Inside a certain house in the middle of foreign district.

Rider looked at her Master who was bandaging her own right hand. There seemed to a patch of darkened blood on it which she tried to keep under wraps.

"You sure you don't know that Servant, Kanade?"

"IF I ever know him before, do you think I would not recognize him? I am pretty sure I have not seen him before this."

"Then that's strange~ Although he tried real hard to hide it, I feel like he somehow has some bad blood with you. Seeing that he even left such a nasty 'gift' on you…"

Rider spoke while looking at the wound on Kanade's right hand. 

Despite having been treated with healing magecraft, ointment, drugs, and also bandaged tightly; there was still some blood which kept flowing from the wound. 

It was like there was a curse that did not allow her wound to heal despite everything they had done. 

If she kept losing her blood like this... Rider felt that Kanade wouldn't even survive the day. 

It was merely a thin graze actually. But this wound was caused by Archer's strange weapon; in which the form resembled a long needle or a really thin spear. When she looked at that strange weapon, Rider felt she was quite familiar with it somehow. As if she had once seen something similar to that weapon in the past.

'But that Archer isn't that man, so that weapon should also not be that cursed spear.'

Rider had that much confidence at least. She believed that Archer was not the man she deeply desired in her previous life. That Servant Archer was not Cú Chulainn – that hero of Ulster which kept refusing her for all her life... 

"..." 

Kanade was quietly contemplating about it as well. 

Remembering their battle last time, even Kanade could feel that Archer's hostility to her was quite... deep. 

Yet. Ironically, she didn't have any recollection on how she managed to offend someone like him. 

She felt that he also intentionally let her escape last time. 

Perhaps, he did that so she could savor the feeling of dying slowly. Just like what was happening to her right now. 

...that feeling of agonized despair that one would feel when they knew they are going to die, yet unable to do anything to prevent it. 

Kanade was smiling. There was no sign of her being bothered over her blood loss, nor worrying about her eventual death at the hand of that mysterious man. 

Hah... He's quite to my liking. That Archer. 

But, he'd too naive if he thought this is enough to kill me! 

Her eyes turned cold. She had steeled her heart. As she raised her left hand, a colorful glow appeared on that hand, forming a shape of transparent sword. 

"You…" Rider frowned. She seemed to understand what Kanade was about to do. 

Swoosh! *Noise of flesh severed happening on the scene* 

Without much words, Kanade had cut off her wounded hand! 

"Archer's weapon is likely a cursed weapon that rejects any healing to the wound it has inflicted. And quite a potent one at that." She stated calmly. Her severed hand was lying cold on the floor, as more blood dyed the wooden floor red. 

"Even if you cut off your hand, will it– huh?!" 

"You thought I was going to lose my hand just like that? Hehe~ I bet even that Archer would not expect I can just regrow my hand back as it is even if they're severed." 

The place of Kanade's right hand which was supposed to be empty after Kanade severed her own hand had already been filled with a new right hand, one without any blemish or wound on it. 

"Regeneration?" Rider was quite amazed seeing that. Stars seemed to fill her eyes as she went to touch Kanade's right hand, as if ascertaining whether it was real or merely an illusion. 

"Sort of." Kanade responded lightly. Even if it was toward Rider, there was still something Kanade would not reveal no matter what. 

"Che~ what a cheapskate." 

Kanade merely smiled when she saw Rider was pouting. 

All this time, what Kanade wanted was merely to live her life to the fullest, and having fun while at it. Even if she ended up dying in the end, that was not a problem as long as she had her fill of enjoyment. 

After all, to her, being alive or dead was not so different. 

Ever since 'it' had granted her power and knowledge far beyond her comprehension, she already realized that her life was not entirely her own. 

She could not deny that she had been given a chance many others would have dreamt about, But, 'It' had also taken something precious from her as the compensation in return. 

'Mortal. 'twas a fair contract. Remember, if you ever try to breach our agreement…' 

Its words from back then was still ringing clearly in her mind. 

A terrible end would await her in case she ever attempted to breach her promise with 'it'. 

However, even now, everything that she had done was merely her attempt trying to regain what had been taken from her. Even if she knew it was a vain wish, like a mirage that would burst apart at the slightest touch– is there anything wrong with her trying to pursue it? 

That was her choice. 

"The night sure is beautiful…" 

I wonder, if I wait long enough… would I also see the time when brilliance of the 'sun' would tear apart my 'night'? 

She was smiling. And so as she looked up to the night sky, she prayed. For a chance from Heaven to realize her forlorn wish. 

. . . 

Warmth of the morning light rushed inside into the garage as a slender hand pried open its rustic door. 

Inside the old garage, a young man in his messy clothes was sleeping soundly on top of the mat. Beside him were some parts of electronic appliances which looked like in need of some repair. 

It was apparent that the young man was overslept when he tried to fix those broken appliances. 

"Senpai." 

A gentle voice roused him from his sleep. As he opened his eyes, the beautiful face of his junior greeted him with a kind smile. 

"Good morning." 

"Ah… Sakura, good morning." 

Seeing her smile, that young man felt his spirit was lifted, he felt that today would be a good day like usual.