"Do I have to take off my shirt?"
Rin nodded. "Yes, you do." she said in a strict turn. "Besides, it isn't anything I haven't already seen. I did take a bath with you once when you were four. You used to be such a sweet kid, too." Haru felt a vein throb above his eyebrow, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. "Now then, keep your breathing steady. You'll be feeling a little jolt when I connect your Circuits with mine. It'll cause a bit of discomfort."
"Alright, alright..." Haru sighed as he removed his shirt. He tried his best to calm himself from the awkwardness of the situation. Didn't exactly help that his grandmother kept staring.
"Hm… You seem to have a similar build to Shirou when he was your age, but a bit on the lanky side though..."
Oh god. Please tell him this wasn't just some ploy for a chance at incest. As awesome as the idea sounded, it really creeped him out, considering Tohsaka Rin had to be in her sixties. Sure, she looked remarkably young for her age, and he had been a bit of a fan of certain titles involving older women, but there was a line that he preferred not to cross. Rin pressed her hand against his. He did as he was told and kept his breathing calm, but that was short lived when he gritted his teeth and hissed as a burning pain began to run through his body.
The hell?! He cried in his head, fighting back tears. It feels like someone's cutting off my skin, piece by piece!
Thankfully, the pain only lasted for a few seconds. It died down once Rin pulled her hand away from his back, leaving him partially breathless. "Can we...?" he pleaded, looking over his shoulder. "Maybe not do that again?"
"First time's always the most painful. You'll get used to it eventually." Rin waved a hand. "Anyway, consider me impressed, kiddo. I think you scored a bit."
"Really? What's my Element and Origin, then? Actually, while we're on the subject, what is this whole Element and Origin thing, anyway?"
"As I said before, an Element and Origin are the foundation in which you can utilize Magecraft. To start, an Element is the same thing as elemental affinity. Usually, they are based on the five basic elements: earth, wind, water, fire, and void, but there are Elements that are outside of this category, but we'll get to that later." Rin explained. "It defines what type of spells you would be most suited for. An example would be that if your element is fire, you could specialize in magecraft based on thermodynamics. Typically, a person only has one Elemental Affinity, but there are others who possess more than one, such as water AND wind, which make them suitable for liquid manipulation. Then there are those who have an affinity for all five elements; they are known as Average Ones."
"Average Ones?" Haru asked.
"Yes. Those who can manipulate all five elements are very rare and highly sought after by the Mage Association. I myself am an Average One." Rin informed him with a sly grin. "And so are you, apparently. I was half-expecting you to take after your grandfather and have 'Sword'. It was also why Shirou was such a sword nut, having the same Element and Origin. It also limited what kinds of magecraft he could use. As for your Origin... It's Domination ."
"D-Domination...? What does that mean? Wait, before that, what the heck is an Origin?!"
"You remember how Illya explained to you what the Root is, correct?" He nodded. "Good, because the Root and one's Origin are connected. An Origin is the starting point that defines one's existence and directs their actions. It is the driving force that comes from within the Root that has managed to stream out of the Source and take on material form.
"The form it can take on at times is that of a human being, and all humans match their actions to be in harmony with the driving force that originated them from the moment they enter into the world. These actions are more along the lines of an inherent compulsion that could be called a person's instinct rather than a conscious decision. If a person becomes awakened to their Origin, it becomes nearly impossible to stray from their Origin if it's even possible in the first place. It becomes an impulsive behavior one would follow as though it were an absolute order.
"So… it pretty much defines a person's character?"
"Essentially, yes. In terms of Magecraft, it describes precise details about a person while an Element defines their alignment. Since Shirou's Element and Origin were the same, he was an Incarnation, someone who is even rarer than an Average One. However, because of that, his magecraft options were limited. "
"Okay… but what about my Origin, Domination? What is that supposed to mean?"
"If I were to guess, it's probably because of Boosted Gear." Rin pointed to his arm. Haru blinked and looked at his hand. "Among the names Ddraig, the being sealed inside your arm went by, was the Red Dragon of Domination. Before he was killed and sealed within that Sacred Gear, it's said that he and his rival, Albion, stole the Biblical God's principles. Supremacy for Albion, and Domination for Ddraig. Domination refers to the power of subjugation, or to overwhelm others. It's why Boosted Gear increases the user's power."
So, because I've got this thing, my Origin's the same as the guy inside my Sacred Gear? the redhead thought in awe. "Sounds cool." Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait, so I'm an Average One like you and I've got Domination, what can I do?"
"That's what we're going to find out, my dear grandson." Rin smirked.
He did NOT like that smile.
"And for the record, Illya happens to know some healing magecraft, so you won't have to worry about getting killed."
"W-Wait, what?! Hold on, time out—!"
In the next second, a piercing scream rang throughout all of Fuyuki, yet no one paid it any mind. Not even Altera, who knew her Master was alright, if perhaps struggling.