22 Return (1/2)

In the afternoon, at Emiya household. The voice of Tohsaka and Emiya could be heard as two people suddenly appeared by teleportation near them.

”Tohsaka, like I said before, just let me do it. Why are you insisting it? hah, now we need to clean this mess first. Looks like we need to postpone our dinner later.” Emiya was sighing softly as he saw the mess Tohsaka created by using an electrical home appliance.

”Who..who said that I can't do it?! I am just not used to that electronic thing, Shirou...” Tohsaka upturned her eyes to him meekly as she said worriedly.

”Hais, it is fine, you can be adjusted to it slowly. There is me accompanying you after all, Tohsaka.” Shirou gently patted Tohsaka's head as he looked gently at her.

”Mm, yes, Shirou...” Tohsaka, sensed his gentle side was flared, looked up to him with hopeful eyes while her lips puckered slightly, as though invited him to do something. She slowly closed her eyes as her heartbeat pumped faster. Her face was reddening lightly as her lips started to close on his.

”Tohsaka...” Emiya, seeing her actions, was a bit shy. But then, he suppressed his shyness as his feeling for her bursted out. He started to respond to her as he moved his lips slowly, closer to hers. He could see her eyelashes were trembling as he was closer to her face. When their lips were about to meet, a familiar voice suddenly sounded so close to them, startling them to an awkward pause.

”Ehem, am I disturbing something interesting here??” Rafi was smiling evilly while Saber was blushing after seeing what happened between Emiya and Tohsaka.

””Wha...!! Rafi! Saber!””

”Nice to meet you again Emiya-san, Tohsaka-san. Sorry for disturbing you, I and Saber will be going first.”

””Wait, wait. It is a misunderstanding, Rafi-san, Saber !!””Both of them explained hurriedly to Saber and Rafi after they saw their strange gazes at them.

”No worries, we don't see anything bad right, Saber.” Rafi was smiling cheekily as he spoke.

”Right. There is nothing wrong, Rin, Shirou. You are only loving each other aren't you.” Saber nodded profusely as she was blushing. Although her eyes was still exuding embarrassment upon seeing them.

”Only a two people that want to ki...bughh” his speech was interrupted as Tohsaka hurriedly punched his abdomen when she heard Sakura and Illyasviel were coming to the living room.

”Can you just shut up first, Rafi-san!”

”Ugh, fine, Tohsaka-san. Sakura..., Illya-chan...”

*plak*

”””Wha...!!””” The others were shocked as they saw Sakura slapped Rafi while her tears were flowing lightly.

”...I am sorry, Sakura.” Rafi was shocked when Sakura slapped him suddenly, but after he saw her crying face, he understood how worried she was. He apoloized gently to her as he took her to his embrace.

”Nn. don't you know how worried I am after knowing you are not coming back, Rafi?”

”Mm. I know, that's why I am sorry, Sakura.”

”Not only me, Illya-san was greatly worried too, Rafi.”

”Mm...it is okay, Sakura. He is fine now, after all.” Illyasviel was startled when Sakura spoke of her to Rafi. As she was not ready to know how he felt to her, she shrugged slightly as she replied to evade his attention.

”...I am sorry for making you worry, Illya-chan. Thank you for believing me, Berserker has told me all.” Rafi looked gently to her, as he realized he misunderstood her feelings to him all these times. He thought she was only felt gratitude to him, but it looked like there was more than that.

”Nn...” Illyasviel nodded as she was shy after sensed his gaze to her seemed different than before.

”Wait, Rafi-san, why are your eyes different again? Actually, how many mystic eyes you have, huh? And your air seem different now, like a bit more evil and...noble?? Right, Shirou?”

”Mn, right, Tohsaka. Hmm, maybe like how the air around Gilgamesh isn't it.”

”Hmm, yes, it is more likes it.” Tohsaka nodded as she remembered how much of an annoyance he was.

””Right.”” Sakura and Illyasviel looked at each other before they nodded together.

”Master aura feels like that narcissistic man.” Berserker suddenly appeared, shocked both Emiya and Tohsaka as she added.

”Berserker?!! How can you are still here?!” Tohsaka exclaimed upon seeing Berserker sudden appearance.

”Fu fu fu, Rin is just a second-rate magus after all. Berserker has been with us all along, but you didn't notice anything at all. I am ashamed knowing you, Rin.” Illyasviel was back to her composure as she teased Tohsaka as usual.

”You...you..you little brat!”

”Little brat?!! Looks like we need to settle it once for all, Rin.”

”That's my thought too, little witch!”

”Stop it Rin, Illyasviel, we are friends aren't we. There is no need to scrupple over little things like that. Come on, tell them, Rafi.” Artoria said like an elder to them. Then she looked at Rafi to support her with a knowing gaze.

”Ehh, Saber, you are also looking a bit different now. Hmm, is there something happened between you and Rafi?? Illyasviel, cease fire first.”

”Mn, ok. They are really suspicious after all.”

”...nothing...” Artoria was silence, and replied weakly as the others stared at her. She blushed when she remembered what happened that time.

”””That's it. There is something happened after all. Can it be?? You and Rafi are...?!”””

”Wha..wha..nothing like that, Rin!”

”Is it? But, why are you blushing hard, Saber?”

”He..he said...he would not allow me to leave his side...for all of our lifetimes.” Artoria was blushing as she spoke, revealed a shocking thing to them.

”You...you are really a womanizer, Rafi-san. I really can't entrust Sakura to you!”

”Calm down, onee-san. We can talk it later okay. I believe Rafi will give me a really good explanation for it, right Rafi?”

”Yes..yes, of course, Sakura.”

”Now, please tell us what happened after you were swallowed by the Grail's remnant, Rafi.”

”So, it was like this...”

Thus Rafi told them what happened after he was inside the Greater Grail. His conversation with Angra Mainyu and Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. He also told them that to come out from there, he need to purify the Grail from the pollution of Avenger with Justeaze's help. He emphasized in her help as he didn't want them to know he could single-handedly absorbed the Mana inside the Grail without anyone's help. It was a bit incredulous, and he didn't to be seen as a strange and rare creature. Because of him absorbed the pollution, some of its evil aura latched deeply around him.