Beta read by Shigiya, FabledLife and Paragon of Awesomeness.
Second part of chapter 26
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{Break}
(A few days later)
"You're leaving so early?"
The days passed quickly, with the weekend approaching fast. With no school or homework left, Rito was more than happy to spend his day in the living room, playing some games he hadn't touched in a month. Yet before he could even get started, he spotted his red-headed brother near the doorway, dressed in fashionable clothes their mother kept sending after all of her fashion events. Near him was a small plastic bag with something inside, he couldn't see what it was.
This made him wonder what was going on, as it was unusual for him to venture out like this.
"It's nothing, just going to handle some affairs and then I'll be back before evening. Take care of Celine for me, and make sure she doesn't break into my shed again for the tenth time!"
With that said,, the younger brother couldn't help but chuckle. Given their little plant guest, now basically his brother's adopted daughter as jokingly mentioned by Mikan, Celine apparently had a rather strange fascination with the shed.
Always walking over to that place and attempting to get inside in any way possible, she once even accidentally broke the handle with a multitude of vines bursting from the ground. Spending as much time inside as she used to on the porch, going so far as to even take a nap inside whenever Shirou worked on some of his hobbies or projects for a couple of hours.
This happened so often that his brother actually handcrafted her a small bed and placed it inside the shed, clearing out some of his stuff to make space for it.
It looked very out of place among all the blacksmithing and forging equipment, as it had little to no stains or soot anywhere on its sheets. It was pristinely clean, while Celine would sleep comfortably or just sit there and watch him work for the rest of the day.
"You've been going out a lot lately. Even Mikan noticed it, and so did Lala. Is it another one of those fiancée candidates who is about to cause trouble?"
"Thankfully, no, so far I haven't been targeted by any of those individuals. It's just someone I'm helping out with some things."
That answer left his head slightly confused. "A friend from school?"
"I guess you could say that."
"What a strange way to answer that question,"
This honestly left him with more questions than answers. Though before he could say anything, the man left, the sound of the doors closing reaching his ears.
"Don't think he'll be back by noon. Mikan's probably taking a nap right now, I'll just reheat some of the leftovers from yesterday for lunch today." It was better not to disturb her for such a small thing. They had plenty of food saved up now due to the increasing number of people living in the house, so much so that they now had another fridge modified with Lala's technology that could store ten times its volume without any issues. With that in mind, he shrugged and went back to focus on his game.
Or so he hoped to do.
"Suspicious..."
"Woah, wha—!" The unexpected voice came out of nowhere, startling the brown-haired boy and nearly making him drop his portable console. Holding his head due to the dull pain, he resisted the urge to curse before looking to see who was speaking.
"M-Momo, Nana" The twins were now dressed in regular clothing, both wearing the same design but with different colors. Nana had on a pink hoodie and white shorts, while Momo wore a red hoodie with black shorts. However, for the latter, the front part was a bit too tight for obvious reasons.
"W-What do you mean by suspicious?" He asked Momo, wondering just what was so suspicious about his brother going out outside now of all times.
"I'm talking about Emiya! Surely you must have noticed how he's been going out these past few days with the same old excuse—to handle some things, affairs, and so on. He's never said anything like that before. Don't you find that suspicious?" Momo said, standing there with her arms crossed and looking at him.
"Not really. It's not that unusual for him to venture outside and be vague about things. Besides, you've only been here for like, what, a week? You wouldn't know that he does this rather often."
"Wrong! I had observed his pattern for about a month before we even met him! Whenever he uses that kind of excuse to go out, it always happens in the evening. He just walks around town, goes to the farmer's market, and does some window shopping. And during those times, he wears his regular clothes instead of dressing nicely."
"... That sounds like you're stalking him," something he was pretty certain the very person they stalked wouldn't be happy about such a piece of news. "He could have just easily gone to meet some friends. It's the weekend, so it's perfectly normal."
"Friends? Even that is debatable. I'm pretty certain he does not hang out with Yui, Risa, Saki, or Rin during such occasions — and those are his only friends at school! He always does so at school. For someone like him to do so now of all times, that certainly raises a lot of questions. But I don't believe he's hanging out with any of them."
"Hah… so, who do you think is going on then?"
This wasn't an issue in his opinion. Clearly, these two were overthinking such a mundane aspect into something completely dramatic without much reason. He would have been worried if it were Mikan who went outside, for she was still very young and both of the Yuki brothers were not comfortable having her step outside alone for long. Sometimes they called neighbors or store owners they were friends with to ask if they had seen their sister visit them and keep tabs. But that was a completely different situation.
"Seriously, I understand you trust him, but you are far too naive for your own good. This is not good; you shouldn't just go with the flow without questioning anything." Momo grabbed his shoulders and shook him back and forth. "Since you're not understanding what I'm trying to say, I'll say it straight up: I believe Emiya is going on a date with someone!"
"A-a what!? It came out of nowhere, an idea or an activity he had never previously imagined his brother doing. Given his complete lack of interest concerning anything romantic, along with seeing his interactions with Risa and how he always kept it under check. 'That can't be true, the very last person I'd believe going on a date is him of all people.'
Rather than answering his question, Momo just sighed. "I didn't want to do this because I don't have the full context, but it's the only way I can show you that something is afoot." Grabbing her phone, she showed him a picture that made Rito's heart skip a beat.
"T-This is…"
At first, jr was a simple picture of the garden, with lush flowers in the background — until Momo started to zoom in. An action that caused him to see a clear view of the shed where his brother liked to spend time. But what caught his eye was through the shed's windows, inside, a certain blue-haired girl leaned against the table, her face crimson red, seemingly having said something to his brother, who had a shocked expression.
"S-Sairenji?"
Momo nodded her head, "I was just going downstairs to grab a cup of water and saw that the door to the porch was left open. I got curious, and then I heard talking coming from the shed. I couldn't see what was going on, so I used my phone to get a better view and found this. And guess what, it's after this that he suddenly started going out in nice clothes early in the morning multiple times a week. This is suspicious!"
It was indeed odd!
"N-N-No, that couldn't be!" Despite his mind screaming at him that the chances of what he feared were nearly zero, his heart unfortunately continued to beat faster and faster. He knew his brother had no interest in Haruna, having said so multiple times when encouraging him to talk to the girl.
"You honestly think that Emiya is cheating when he's with Onee-sama?" Even Nana was caught off guard by the picture, her face showing shock similar to Rito's. "It can't be, he's not that kind of person!"
Right… she was right!
"And Haruna is not that kind of girl as well!" So he said, yet Rito had to remember one single detail: his brother certainly did not have any interest in the girl, as far as he knew, but he wasn't certain of the opposite. Whether or not Sairenji held any feelings for his brother was not something he could answer confidently. 'What if, what if she saw him as something more than a friend this entire time?'
The more he thought about this idea, the more he could recall other moments between those two. From an outsider's perspective, they were clearly perfect for each other with how they interacted at school—friendly, trading jokes, and sharing hobbies. Haruna, known to be rather shy, was seen multiple times speaking with him so comfortably, without anything holding her back.
"And I would like to believe both of you and think that's the case, but can we be hundred percent certain? If you're both sure, then I have nothing to worry about, and I'll forget about this." She shrugged, preparing to delete the picture until Rito grabbed her hand.
"There has to be an explanation!" An awkward expression flushed his face before he let go and gulped. "We can always make sure it's just a misunderstanding, you know..."
"Check for ourselves who he's going out to meet," Nana finished his sentence, standing up with a determined huff. "I refuse to believe he's going after other women when our sister is engaged to him. He's not that kind of person, and I will prove his innocence."
Momo raised an eyebrow with a knowing look. "My, my. So eager to prove his innocence, or are you just hoping he doesn't get taken by a second girl who isn't you?"
"Momo!"
"That's what it looks like you're thinking!"
The two continue to quarrel with one another, one side purposefully teasing the other who goes completely red and even starts to incoherently speak her sentences. All the while Rito started brainstorming any kind of excuse or scenario or what could have happened that night which led to Haruna showing such a face which into his eyes deferred from the time he would accidentally fall on her and she would punch him.
"Alright, let's stop this right now and see for ourselves if this is truly the case. We have some spying to do!" Momo announced loudly, an idea to which neither Rito nor Nana voiced any objections.
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"Oi, Where do you think you're touching!?"
"S-sorry! It's just very cramped in here and I couldn't see where my hand—"
"Shut up before I break your face!"
"Both of you, quiet down! He will spot us if you're any louder!"
Now, in the bustling city of Sainan, within a narrow alleyway with scant room to maneuver, three figures cautiously used the shadows to conceal themselves from public view. All three wore masks, sunglasses, and large cloaks. While these garments were initially meant to help them blend in, they now made them conspicuous among the ordinary pedestrians strolling along the streets, some casting curious glances their way as they passed by.
A few mothers even warily pulled their children away whilst contemplating calling the police.
"Are you sure he won't spot us?" Nana asked Momo, her foot pressing against Rito's face and pinning him against the wall as she attempted to keep him as far away from her as possible. Buttoning up her cloak, having felt his hands somehow manage to creep inside. And he dared to say he wasn't doing so intentionally! "Didn't he fight our father and THE Golden Darkness? Surely he must have enhanced senses!"
"I don't think so; he's still human. I think," Momo answered, being the one in front, carefully eyeing the walking figure of Emiya. The latter had his hands inside his pocket as he made his way through the city. "He is human right… Anyway! See? He just passed his favorite bookstore where he buys all those cookbooks, and the farmers market is on the other side of the city! He's going somewhere else. Besides, you don't have to worry about him finding us; I've brought a few items to ensure that does not happen."
She opened her cloak to proudly present a multitude of gadgets she quietly borrowed from her sister's room, some of which Nana recognized. "It won't help us in any way!"
"Don't worry about it. If we do a good job and stay quiet, we won't need to use them. Now, shut up, and let's go."
For the past half an hour, they kept pace and made sure to stay at least a couple of dozen meters behind the man. Whenever he stopped or even showed signs of wanting to turn around, they would find the nearest alleyway or store before rushing inside to hide. Thankfully, it was clear that he wasn't aware of their presence and was just curiously browsing some of the items on display.
"Strange. This is the business district with no interesting restaurants or shops around. What would he want to do here?" Momo commented, getting more and more suspicious. Having long since memorized a clear map of Sainan, she knew this area only held offices, banks, and such, an area where there was nothing to do, really.
"See? I told you he wouldn't be cheating on our sister," Nana said, letting out a huge sigh of relief, coupled with a large smile blooming on her face. "He's probably here to sort out some work-related stuff."
"I'm pretty sure Emiya Is not a white-collar worker."
"You never know; he is a workaholic, according to his sister."
"That still does not make sense! And he's still a student!"
"Wait, he stopped!" This time it was Rito who shouted, seeing his brother stop in front of a large office building. Retrieving his phone before dialing a number and talking to someone, ending the call before taking a seat on the stairs, visibly waiting for someone.
"I don't think Haruna would be here of all plac—huh!?" His words got stuck in his mouth with the following scene, pure shock, and disbelief presenting themselves on everyone's faces as, in the next moment, a woman rushed out of the building and instantly hugged him without hesitation. The blue hair made Rito visibly panic, while the fact that there was actually a woman who looked suspiciously familiar struck the two twins with shock.
"No way, he's actually cheating on our sister!?" Nana fumed with anger and a hint of sadness in her tone. A second later, pure anger filled her eyes as she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to go over there. "Piece of shit, I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
"Wait!" Fortunately enough, Momo stopped her in time and pulled her back into the alleyway. "We need to observe before trying anything drastic. It could just be an overly affectionate friend for all we know!"
The girl in question who was hugging Emiya let him go after he gently pushed her away, laughing at his expression and even taking multiple pictures of his face, much to the latter's dismay. They continued to speak to each other for the better part of a handful of minutes before handing her a small box of some sort from his bag.
"He's proposing as well!?"
"That does not look like a ring box... A necklace? Oh, she's leaving!" Before more speculations could be made, the woman happily snatched the item from his palm, giving him a quick little kiss on the cheek before walking away. The gang quickly rushed deeper into the alleyway as the woman approached their direction, cheerfully humming a song and passing by without noticing them.
"Weird, what just happened over there... Did you recognize her?" Momo asked Rito, the dumbfounded teen now coming to his senses as he clearly saw the woman was not Haruna.
"N-No... I don't know who she is."
"Quick, we must follow him, he's walking away!"
The group continued what they were doing previously, sneaking behind without letting themselves be discovered and slowly following the redhead boy to another strange location. "The library? Well, I can see him coming here from time to time; he does like to read after all."
Unlike the previous location, this didn't set off any alarm bells in their heads. Yet, strangely enough, they suddenly went completely still as Emiya did the same routine as before: grabbing his phone and making a call before leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for someone. Rito's mouth hung open as he saw another figure hastily walk out of the library and head straight for his brother, though this one didn't go for a hug. It was a girl he instantly recognized, unlike the last one.
"Kujou Rin!?"
A girl who rarely spoke but her mere presence made many of the boys shudder with fear, especially those from the kendo club who held an equal amount of fear and admiration despite having gotten destroyed multiple times during a match! Now, the same scary girl wore a flowery dress that completely shattered the image of Rin in his mind, talking to her brother with a complicated expression on her face. 'What the hell is going on here?'
Unlike last time, Emiya did not give her some kind of strange box or anything of that sort. Rather, it was Rin who bowed and extended her arms, giving him a small plastic bag whose contents they could not see once more.
One he accepted with some hesitation, but before he could even say anything, the girl bowed again and walked away, not even stopping after he tried to call her, her sudden action catching them off guard and making their attempts to hide even messier than before.
"Oh no, careful!" In his haste, Rito accidentally pushed Momo, causing her to stagger to the ground, with Nana barely able to act as a cushion, leading to a dozen of the contents and inventions within Momo's coats sprawled across the ground. Funnily enough, none of them activated or exploded onto their faces.
"Wow, I guess our sister was really serious when she said she wanted to prove herself."
"Careful with those, you never know…"
"We'll talk about this later, quick, he's going to disappear if you don't follow him!" Momo said, noticing the man once again walking away. She hastily gathered everything on the ground and stuffed them into her coat. The group's sprawling and struggling to keep up without garnering dozens of weird stares from the passing pedestrians.
"Ah, he disappeared!" Unfortunately, their little incident seemed to have given Emiya enough time to disappear for a brief moment. The trio walked up a small bridge crossing the road, using the height advantage searched everywhere for him, fortunately catching a red hair near a coffee store.
"Don't tell me he's going to meet another girl," Nana whispered, getting tired of this little excursion they were having. "I swear I'm going to punch him in the face when he gets back home."
"Hehehehe, I knew there was something special about him," Momo said, having a completely different reaction, one of admiration and even awe.
"Huh… wait, is that…"
The sudden change in her tone made Nana and Rito curious. Both of them looked towards the direction of the store and noticed a third girl suddenly walk out to meet him. This one did not seem to be a student, from what Rito could tell. She had light green hair and a cute face that he would have remembered if he had seen her before. She was wearing something similar to Rin though with a different pattern, also, this girl wasn't as shy, as she instantly linked her arm with his before snapping a picture of both of them in a matter of seconds.
"What is Run doing with him?"
"Good question."
Strangely enough, it was clear that the sisters were familiar with this person. Before he could even ask who she was, both started to panic as they looked in the opposite direction and noted something alarming.
"Oh no, it's Lala and Mikan!" All three of them noticed the jovial princess crossing the overpass accompanied by a sleepy Mikan who visibly just woke up.
"Oh no, if they see us here, they'll notice Emiya cheating! They'll be heartbroken!" Nana whispered harshly.
"We don't even know what's going on with him and those girls yet!" Rito tried to defend his brother, only getting two glares from the twins.
"And you think she will care as soon as she sees him and that other one locking arms like that? We can't risk this! We have to leave." Both Nana and Momo's wings popped out, and they floated away, leaving Rito behind who started to panic.
"Wait, what about me? Take me with you!"
"No way," Nana instantly denied his request, while Momo hastily tried to find something inside her coat. "Don't worry, Rito, I've got you covered. I think I have one of my sister's inventions that will temporarily change your appearance to a random person or make you invisible. It's a 50-50 chance, either way, it's good."
"Then why don't you just use that on all three of us rather than flying away!?"
"It only has enough battery for one use!"
What a surprisingly convenient yet faulty invention!
"Where is it… why can't I find it!?" Unfortunately, seconds passed and Momo remained empty-handed while Lala and Mikan drew nearer. Reaching her limit, Nana's cool broke first as she snatched one of the many devices held within Momo's grasp and aimed it straight for Rito.
"W-wait! Read the label you idiot!"
"We don't have time for that! And you said they're all safe!"
Rito suddenly had a sense of dread watching the pistol in Momo's hand start to light up, creating far too much noise for something that would only just change physical appearance rather than shoot a hole straight through his chest. Instinctively, he backed away, his face going pure white as, for a brief moment, he saw Nana pull the trigger.
"Wah!" The ground beneath his feet gave way. No, he felt like stepping onto something slippery and slimy, instantly losing his footing and just barely managing to evade the beam of light by pure chance. Yet, rather than being relieved, both sisters went pale as the beam continued its path, aiming straight at Run. A beam Emiya managed to spot at the very last second and pushed the girl away at the very last moment, leaving himself completely open.
"—!"
Rather than just changing his appearance or making him invisible, the moment it reached him, a powerful explosion ensued, rocking the very overpass where both Lala and Mikan were — both catching sight of the light.
"What!?"
This was not the reaction the twins were expecting. Both sisters and Rito, who had regained his footing, did not waste time and instantly rushed towards the smoke-filled area. Nana, especially panicking, beads of sweat trailing down her forehead at her own action made because of pure panic.
"Emiya!"
"Nii-san! Are you okay!?"
"Ah… What did I shoot!?" Nana exclaimed, with Momo snatching the weapon straight out of her hands and reading the label carefully. Her eyes widened until they turned into small dots.
"You used the wrong gadget, this is… this… aaaaah, we're dead… he's going to kill us…"
"Huh!?"
As for Rito, he did not stop and without wasting a second jumped inside the smoke, his eyes stinging and lungs burning from inhaling it, calling out his brother's name.
"Cough! A-an attack?"
"Eurgh… I feel weird…"
Two people coughing could be heard from within the smoke.
"—!?"
As Rito made his way to ensure his brother was fine, he suddenly went completely still. The first thing his eyes caught was a large waterfall of glossy red hair with strands of white filling his vision along with a voice that sounded more feminine than anything close to his brother's.
What the hell did Nana shoot!?
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.