22 Return (2/2)

As in reality, because of Avenger's interference, Rafi needed to withstand those curses for a long time. In the end, he could purified it successfully and Avenger disappeared. Although the pollution could not reach his mind as it was protected by the Fantasy Seed, but it still affected his outer appearance, giving him an evil vibe to other's perception of him. He also told them that as a reward of purifying the Grail, Justeaze granted him a chance to realize one wish of him. He immediately chose to go back to the past, at the time when Saber almost dead, after the Battle of Camlann.

But, he didn't tell them that after Rafi and Artoria were back from the past, Rafi went to an abandoned mansion to save Bazett Fraga McRemitz. There he also met Caren Hortensia when she was about to nurse Bazett to health.

”Ehh, you can ask her about Third Magic, Rafi-san. You...you..!! ” Tohsaka was furious after hearing him, though she didn't blame him at all as she only regretted not being able to realize Third Magic to the world again.

Rafi then looked at Saber gently and she, sensed his gaze, was blushing slightly and didn't dare to meet his gaze. Rafi then told them what happened after he was sent back to the past.

(Flashback)

After Rafi arrived there, he found Artoria was still talking weakly to Bedivere. He quickly brought Artoria to his arms carefully as he retrieved a Blood Potion and made her drink all of it, because he was afraid to be too late for saving her. Fortunately, Artoria's pale skin were beginning to become rosy again as her vitality was restored after she drank all of the potion. Then she was coughing lightly as she opened her eyes slowly, faced him with a confused face.

”Have you woken up, my sleepy queen?” Rafi asked her gently as he looked at her confused face.

”Who...who is your queen. I am King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon...I..I am not your queen. Nn, Rafi??” She was ticked hearing someone call her a queen as it reminded her of a certain someone. She then was surprised when she saw it was really Rafi that said it to her.

”Mn. It is me, surprising right.”

”Nn. How...eh, this place is..., why are you here, Rafi?” She asked him as he puzzled seeing his appearance in her time, in a forest near Camlann's Hill.

”Don't you remember? I said I will not leave you alone. I am here to bring you to my side, Artoria, together for all of our lifetimes. Even if you don't want it now, I will bring you by force knowing you are a stubborn girl.” Rafi replied softly as he then looked at her firmly and smiled lovingly to her.

”Wha...who wants to be with you!! You..you..you are so forceful...”, Artoria was blushing when she heard Rafi would took her away by force. It was a first time for her to be desired as a woman by a man. Even if she was desired before, it was only because she, the king, was a profound and charismatic 'man' that inspired respect and fear to 'his' people.

Previously, she had discarded her identity as a woman for her kingdom. All her life, she was burdened by her feelings and responsibilities to the kingdom. Until even her marriage was only a political relation for the kingdom's prosperity. Even if her kingdom forsook her in the end, she still didn't blame them. She only thought it was her fault that led to her kingdom's downfall, and she wanted to rectify it by redoing the King's Selection.

It was only until her conversation with Rafi, and after she bore witness to heroic spirit Emiya's regret and his final acceptance, she began to accept her kingdom's fate as it was. Eventhough she still lamented at its fate, but she didn't regret her choice to be a king. Remembering her youthful days as she journeyed the kingdom, helping common people around, she felt glad of her choice in the past. Only, sometimes she wondered if she could lived like an ordinary girl of her age after she was freed from the Kingship. Though, as fate had it, she was freed by her Kingship when she was about to die.

Much to her surprise, she was suddenly saved from her approaching death. Her feelings at that moment were chaotic and jumbled. As her previous acceptance of life, new dreams that arose because of her times as Servant, and to be suddenly told that someone wanted her as a woman she originally was, she couldn't helped feeling her heart fluttered.

As she thought about how he even went back in time to reach her, and her current place as she was held in his arms, steams began to rise from her while she was blushing hard. Artoria hurriedly covered her face with her soft hands as she didn't want him to see her current face. When she was still absorbed in her thought, she heard a rustling sound from the surrounding. Curious as she was, she opened her hands a bit, and checked her surrounding. She noticed a phantasmal black-purplish hand was coming out from Rafi and held a muted person.

”That..that should be Bedivere shouldn't he, Rafi.” Artoria hurriedly stood up weakly. As she had only restored to health, her stamina hadn't really returned. When she was about to fall down, Rafi quickly supported her as he replied calmly to her.

”Yes, he is Bedivere. I am afraid he would disturb our moments so I hold him muted there, he he.” Rafi then released Bedivere from his bindings.

”Our..moments..” Artoria muttered absent-mindedly after hearing him.

”Ugh, my King. I am ashamed for my lack of skills. This strange man capture me quickly as I can't response to it.”

”It is nothing serious, Bedivere. He will not harm you. He is..hm..my acquaintance. Mm, though he is a bit of pervert.” Artoria suppressed her awkwardness as she replied calmly to Bedivere. Though, streaks of blush could still be seen on her graceful face.

”My King, now that you are restored to health, we can quickly quell the chaos of war. If...”

”It is enough, Bedivere! Her time as a King has ended.” Rafi interrupted Bedivere as he didn't want Artoria to be burdened as a King again.

”How can it be? No matter what happen...”

”That...is fine, Bedivere. I am supposed to be dead, it will cause more chaos if I return as a King.

Besides, if I really return to the kingdom, he will cause more havoc to the kingdom rather than me not returning, Bedivere.” Artoria smiled wryly as she looked at Rafi beside her.

”Ehh, you see me rather badly, Artoria. Besides, who says you can't return? It is not good for you to return as a King, it is better if you return as a free knight like your youthful days, Artoria.”

”Huh?! Do you think I am old, Rafi?!” Artoria, after had an awareness of her status as a girl, became more sensitive to a mention of her age. Although she looked like a 14-year old girl, but her true age was... Artoria grabbed his cloak rather strongly, even if she was looking weak, likely easy to fall before. Thus she started quibbled at him fiercely.

”Ugh, sorry Artoria. My meaning is...” both Rafi and Artoria were quibbling at each other as Bedivere watched them in astonishment.

In Bedivere's opinion, his King was a respectable person that always carried a noble and elegant air around her. No matter how tense and dire the situations, she was always calm and collected, like no problems were able to hinder her path. But after seeing the spectacle of her and that man quibbled, though in his vision was only a warm couple quibbling, he felt that his King originally was also a human, a young girl. He realized that all those times, that young girl's shoulder was entrusted too much responsibilities by her kingdom, even so far until she was betrayed by her own kingdom that she pledged herself to.

'Her smiles is a lot better now, rather than when she is the King. No wonder that man don't want her to become a King again. Is this the happiness that he wants to see on her? He even goes as far as using that strange potion to save her. That potion, is it an Elixir of Life that is rumored to even revive a died person?!', Bedivere thought in his heart after sensing the warmth spreading from that quibbling couple. Little that he knew the potion wasn't Elixir of Life like he thought. It was only because Artoria didn't truly die yet, Rafi was able to save her by using a Blood Potion on her.

Although Bedivere was still feeling complicated after realizing she wouldn't became his King again, he still felt respect over all the things she had done for the kingdom. Decided that her sacrifices were enough, he left silently after he blessed them a happy life in his heart.

At that moment, his King...was no more. Only...a young girl by a name of Artoria Pendragon, with her newfound happiness. Bedivere thus vowed to protect and to restore their kingdom to its previous glory. Even if she didn't become its ruler anymore, as he didn't want all her hardwork those years ago to end in ruins.

(Flashback End)

”That's what happened back then. Saber and I realized we were quibbling for a long time after Bedivere left. Even if she finally agreed to leave with me, she still laments at her kingdom's situation at that time. Thus, we decided to take a journey around for helping common people as victims of the wars. We spent three years there, even if we could do it faster using my teleportation, but she said it was fun to adventure again like in her youth. In the end, we got back as the Grail sent us back forcefully, and ended our adventure there abruptly.”

”That...even now I am still young. Looks, even Sakura and Berserker get it bigger there.” Saber said while feeling downcast as she looked down at her chest and compared it with Sakura's and the even larger of Berserker's.

”Ughh...” Tohsaka and Illyasviel agreed with Artoria as both of them also stole a look at Sakura's and Minamoto no Yorimitsu's.

””He he...”” Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Sakura were feeling somewhat proud after they saw Artoria's despondent looks. As they felt some envy to her for spending so much times alone with Rafi.

”But that black line on your forehead and...your white eyes, is that the wounds of battle, Rafi?” Sakura asked him worriedly after she looked closely on his forehead and his white eyes.

”These are not injuries, Sakura. It is just a mutation on my part after absorbing Mana inside the Grail. Don't worry, these are a good thing for me. The mutation happened when I was adventuring with Saber back then.” Rafi said, assured her about his Byakugan while he touched a black line on his forehead lightly.

Because he absorbed all those Mana, Rafi finally reached lv. 90 and elevated his Fantasy Seed to a budding tree with only two little leaves on it. Besides, he also received a million System Points as reward.

As he reached the necessary level, he finally unlocked his Rinne-Sharingan. That black line was how his Rinne-Sharingan looked like in its sealed state. After he unlocked Rinne-Sharingan, Rafi bought Hamura bloodline and integrated with it.

As he successfully merged Hamura bloodline with Hagoromo's, he was shocked as he saw his normal black eyes turned to Byakugan, and it couldn't be changed to his previous normal eyes. Even Artoria was shocked when she first saw his eyes as she thought it was a blindness caused by travelling in time.

After calming a somewhat panicked and guilty Artoria, Rafi checked all his skills related to Hagoromo's bloodline and he found a new skill, his bloodline changed and even his EMS and Rinnegan also mutated. Rafi got a new eye, Tenseigan, from Hamura's bloodline and his bloodline changed to Otsutsuki. His bloodline was looking more like a pure-blood Otsutsuki clan member, same with Kaguya, though with more dōjutsu than her.

As they chatted joyfully, the days passed quietly when they told each other experiences after a long separation. Thus, they decided to have dinner together when the sky was darkening, with Emiya and Rafi made their meal together. The others, beside Artoria, were shocked seeing Rafi knew how to cook. Rafi then explained how he must made their food all the times when he journeyed with Artoria, as she couldn't made food at all, much to Artoria's embarrassment. At the end of day, Rafi teleported with his girls to Matou mansion, as he left Emiya and Tohsaka alone in Emiya household.

... ...

”There are somethings I want to say to all of you. I don't know what will your reactions to this. But, I think of you all as someone I want to spend my times with. I think you all need to know about it, Sakura, Illya-chan, Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Artoria.” After somewhat resting a bit, Rafi suddenly said to the girls when they were together in the living room.