I look down over a large Japanese house from my vantage point on the nearby rooftop. The place looked peaceful, well-maintained, with a hint of old-world craftsmanship in its design. The sliding doors, the clean lines, the quiet garden.
But it wasn't just any house. It was protected by a bounded field, Whoever lived here knew at least the basics of magecraft.
This was the Emiya household.
The place Sakura had been visiting so often lately.
I'd been told by my Master to keep an eye on her to make sure nothing too personal slipped out, nothing that could threaten our position before the war began.
From what I'd seen, Sakura wasn't dangerous. She came by every morning, helped cook breakfast, cleaned, and smiled.
The boy she visited, Emiya Shirou, was another story. I'd watched him spar with wooden swords in the yard and retreat into the shed to practice his magecraft. From what I could tell, he only knew reinforcement and it wasn't too strong.
Still, I couldn't ignore him. The Grail had a way of picking unpredictable Masters. Even a fool could end up being dangerous under the right conditions.
It wouldn't hurt to keep tabs on him.
But honestly, Shirou wasn't the one that caught my attention the most.
The person I was truly intrigued by was Rin Tohsaka.
I'd been trying to get closer to her for weeks now. Trying, and failing miserably. Every time I approached her, she'd glare at me like I was the most annoying thing in her world. Which, to be fair, I probably was.
Lately, I've been toning it down a little. Keeping my distance. Acting less like I was intentionally trying to get under her skin. Even I would hate someone like that if I were in her shoes.
Today I had to be careful. The Tohsaka mansion was protected by multiple layers of wards, some stronger than Emiya's. If I got too close, she'd sense me instantly. I didn't want her thinking she had some mysterious stalker watching her.
So, I kept my distance. Observed from the rooftops, from across streets, using my magic eye. Thank you kishirika. Having this eye really made life easier. It was perfect for watching from afar.
And right now, Rin Tohsaka was my main target of observation.
I'd been spying on her more than usual lately, mostly to gauge her skill level. I knew she'd summon a Servant soon, probably within days. If I could witness the ritual, I could report exactly what class and identity her Servant had. That information would be priceless for my Master.
But the process of waiting was… boring.
Most of the time, she just studied, tinkered with gemstones, or drank tea while complaining under her breath. From afar, she looked like a normal high school girl with too much pride.
The only entertainment I got out of it was watching her small habits the way she paced while thinking, how she muttered to herself, or the rare times she smiled when she thought no one was watching.
She really was a tsundere. And not just in behavior. Physically too. Small chest, big ego.
I chuckled to myself. "She'd kill me if she knew I thought that."
Days passed like that. Quietly, without much change. Until one evening, something finally happened.
Through my eye, I saw her descend into her basement. My focus sharpened immediately. She cleared a wide area, brushing aside dust and furniture, and soon I saw a glowing summoning circle etched into the floor.
So the time had come.
She began chanting, her voice steady, her posture firm. Wind stirred through the room, sweeping her hair around her shoulders. Jewels glowed bright red along the rim of the circle.
My eye followed every pulse of mana, tracking the energy's movement. The air was thick with power, nearly vibrating.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, I heard a loud crash from upstairs.
Rin's head snapped up. She cursed under her breath and ran out of view. I focused my sight, scanning through the upper floor until I saw him.
A man.
White hair, tanned skin, red coat. He sat calmly on knocked over book shelves, surrounded by the fading glow of residual mana. His expression was unreadable, confident, maybe even smug.
So that was her Servant.
For an introduction, that was definitely S-tier. I almost felt jealous.
I couldn't hear every word, but I could read their lips well enough. He was casual, even cocky. She was furious, hands on hips, eyebrows twitching. The two of them clashed instantly, their energies bouncing off each other like static.
And then, to my absolute disbelief, she used a command seal.
I actually gasped.
"That idiot…" I muttered, rubbing my temple. "She really just wasted one."
Her command had been way too vague, something like "Obey me completely" or "Don't defy me." The kind of thing that sounded cool out loud but meant absolutely nothing in practice.
For someone who prided herself on being a Tohsaka, that was a rookie mistake.
I leaned forward a little, trying to catch any mention of his name. If I could figure out who her Servant was, I'd have an advantage later. Unfortunately, he didn't mention it. His movements were too relaxed, like someone perfectly aware of how powerful he was.
Then I caught a word. "Archer."
So that was his class.
Not bad. I was somewhat of an archer myself, though he's one of the servant classes I mentally wrote down I could probably be one on one. Since arches don't fight close or use swords.
Watching them interact was almost entertaining.
Archer had this way of getting under her skin so effortlessly it was almost artistic. Every smug comment made her twitch, every smirk made her voice raise a pitch.
And when he teased her just enough to make her blush, I actually laughed.
"This guy's good," I said quietly. "If I wasn't technically her enemy, we'd probably be friends."
A/N: Short chapter because I've been trying find myself a job sorry i originally was going write this in Rin POV but I scraped it and wrote this short but it's Alr expect a longer chapter next time
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