Hachiman smiled and shook his head.
With that many people going to catch Raphiel, barring any accidents, it should be a done deal. There was no way Raphiel would actually make a move against Gabriel and the others.
That said, once they really caught Raphiel, how to punish her and make her the "entertainment" herself… that was still a headache.
While Rurikawa Tsubaki was talking with Hachiman, at the dining table, Momo and Nana, the two pink-haired girls, had flushed faces, their slender black tails held taut.
They looked up at Hachiman, who was only a few steps away, and at Tohsaka Touka, who was held in his arms and unable to move. Their eyes were filled with shock.
'Isn't this going way too far?'
They had already noticed there were a lot of girls around Hachiman.
But what they never expected was that it wasn't just a matter of "a lot."
Their older sister had gone out in the middle of the night with people to handle things, yet their brother-in-law was here having fun with other girls?
Momo and Nana wanted to condemn Hachiman as a scumbag who had let their sister down, but their mouths were sealed and they couldn't say a word.
Even as they watched Tohsaka Touka receive life energy to enhance her magical girl strength, an indescribable longing surged within them.
It was as if every part of their bodies craved that life energy. The instinct to make up for genetic deficiencies and achieve evolution and sublimation couldn't be suppressed. Without realizing it, both of them stared at Hachiman.
However, the most shocking sight was still Tohsaka Rin lying beside them.
Because Tohsaka Touka was her sister.
What she hadn't expected even more was that Tohsaka Sakura was right there, watching her sister suffer.
Then the feeling she experienced earlier on Hachiman's bed… could that have been Touka.
"Rin, don't be in a hurry. I'll help you experience what it's like."
Tohsaka Sakura noticed Rin's gaze and smiled faintly.
"Mmm? Mm! Mm! Mm!"
Seeing Sakura's little devil-like smile, Rin's eyes widened. But lying on the table, she couldn't move at all, and couldn't even speak.
She could only watch helplessly as her "good" little sister pushed Hachiman, who was only a few steps away, along with Tohsaka Touka, closer and closer to her.
Drip! Drip! Drip!
Sakura?
How could she do this?
Lying on her back on the table, her limbs almost completely immobile, Tohsaka Rin stared in disbelief at Tohsaka Sakura, who showed no regard for sisterly bonds and stood behind Hachiman, hugging their sister Touka together with him. She wondered if she was dreaming.
With her head hanging off the edge of the table without support, maintaining that posture was extremely difficult. Rin couldn't help but roll her eyes.
But that wasn't the point. The point was that Touka wasn't stopping Sakura? She was even going along with her?
What had happened to Touka?
"Mm…"
Feeling Rin's intense gaze fixed on her, Tohsaka Touka, whose long, straight legs were intertwined with Hachiman's arm, covered her flushed, burning face tightly with both hands, not daring to lower her head and meet Rin's eyes.
She had to protect the Tohsaka family. She had to protect Sakura and Rin. For that, sacrificing herself was fine.
That was how it was supposed to be. Whether it was fulfilling the engagement with the Takamine family at the beginning, or now joining the Service Club to receive Hachiman's help.
'But now… now…'
Looking at Rin lying on the table with the two pink-haired girls, and at the young ladies around them, including Rurikawa Tsubaki and Yukinoshita Haruno, watching the three sisters, Touka's face grew even hotter. She suddenly shut her eyes, and the tension in her entire body melted away.
'I'm sorry, Rin. I couldn't protect you.'
"Mmm… guh…"
Unable to speak, Rin watched as Touka's tears overflowed uncontrollably, crystal-clear drops spilling out. Embarrassed, Touka covered her face, unable to face her.
Rin couldn't help glaring at Sakura, who was peeking out from behind Hachiman.
This had to be Sakura's doing.
Back at the aquarium, she had already sensed a subtle atmosphere between Touka and Hachiman.
And she had actually been happy about Yukinoshita Haruno trying to bring them together. After all, Touka seemed to have some feelings for him, unlike that fiancé from the Takamine family, where there was no affection at all.
Plus, Hachiman was Komachi's brother and Yukino's club president. There was nothing to criticize. If it worked out, Touka would be happy and wouldn't have to worry about the family anymore.
But wanting to see Touka and Hachiman together was one thing. Hachiman being involved with Sakura, and her, was something else entirely.
There was no way Touka would use her and Sakura as bargaining chips to curry favor and revive the family.
Thinking back to how Sakura had tied her up in Hachiman's room earlier tonight and tormented her, now she and Touka were in this embarrassing situation, facing each other like this. There was only one possibility.
"Rin, don't look at me like that. I know you don't like me and think I'm targeting you, but what about Sister?"
Seeing Rin still glaring at her, Sakura squeezed forward from behind Hachiman and calmly cut off Rin's silent accusations.
"Do you think Sister is being forced too?"
"We're sisters. Sister likes Father, I like Father, so there's no way you're any different."
"You're grown up now, Rin. You can help Sister and help Mom share the burden."
"…"
Touka, trembling in Hachiman's arms, said nothing. Even after hearing Sakura's words, she didn't refute them, lost in her thoughts. That almost made Rin think this was some kind of bullying.
At this moment, of the pair of shared-sensation bracelets, only one was on Touka's wrist. The other was in Sakura's hand.
Sakura had originally wanted to wear it too, but considering that she might end up in an even worse state than Touka, she only wore the shared-sensation collar instead. That way, she could stop it at any time and avoid her legs going weak.
Still, even though Touka didn't refute Sakura, Rin couldn't help rolling her eyes again at Sakura's attempt to drag her down with them.
Wasn't this obvious?
How could they not like "Father"?
Yes, that's right. It wasn't just Sakura who had been sad about not having a father. Touka and she herself had both longed deeply for a reliable father to support the family.
But why didn't Sakura say that their mother liked "Father" too?
Because that kind of "like" wasn't the same as this kind.
The "father" their mother liked wasn't the same "father" Sakura was talking about.
The "father" Sakura liked wasn't their mother's husband. Hachiman wasn't their mother's husband.
If Hachiman and Touka got together, but Sakura insisted on calling him "Father," then what were she and their mother supposed to call him?
Rin was full of frustration, strongly condemning Sakura's reckless behavior.
But as she kept thinking, even she became a bit confused.
'It is all Sakura's fault! Suddenly going crazy and randomly calling someone "Father"!'
No matter how much she liked Hachiman, she couldn't just call him that Especially when he had that kind of relationship with Touka.
Though… she didn't think Sakura would just randomly call someone "Father." Otherwise, why wait until now?
Maybe Sakura really was sick, mistaking Hachiman for the father from their childhood. Based on Shion's impression of him, someone willing to help the helpless and give her a place to belong, he did have that dependable, head-of-the-family feeling.
Otherwise, given that he was only a little older than them, there was no way she would mistake him for their father.
But tying her up like this… that already proved Sakura's condition was serious.
"Rin, you probably don't know yet, but Touka is already a magical girl."
Seeing Rin still doubting, Sakura thought for a moment and continued.
"Not the role-playing kind. A real magical girl like in children's anime."
"Father has the ability to awaken our magical girl talent."
"The magical girl idol trio in class are actually real magical girls. Shion is one too. In fact, most of the human girls in this club have already undergone Father's training and become magical girls."
"If you want to help Sister share the burden and protect our family, then accept Father's training like us and become a magical girl."
Rin was wary of her and wouldn't easily believe her. But what about for Touka? For their mother?
"?"
Hearing Sakura spouting what sounded like nonsense again to drag her in, Rin almost rolled her eyes once more. Her gaze fixed on Touka, who was dressed in ornate clothing and only a short distance away.
Under normal transformation, Touka would hold a magic wand, wear long boots, and be dressed in a princess-style outfit. Since she practiced kendo, the wand could even turn into a katana.
But now wasn't a time for fighting, so she hadn't brought out a weapon.
And after coming all the way from the main living room to the family restaurant, her dress, which wrapped around her proud, full figure, was already messy. Even the boots on her long, straight, fair legs were slightly stained.
To Rin, it did look somewhat like a magical girl… but she had assumed Touka was just cosplaying to satisfy some of Hachiman's preferences.
Though she found it a bit embarrassing and thought they were going a bit too far in private, she hadn't suspected anything.
She never expected… it was actually real.
Listening to the constant clinking of chains and ringing of bells, Rin stared at Touka's legs in boots hanging weakly beside her head. Her gaze moved upward, landing on the magical girl dress whose crooked ribbon couldn't hide her delicate collarbone, exposing her long, pale neck and even leaving an opening at the chest.
'Is this really something a magical girl would wear?'
'Why does it look like…'
Although this kind of lie would be easy to expose, Sakura probably wouldn't go that far just to trick her. But Sakura had already reverted to her childhood mischievous self, so lying didn't seem that strange either.
"Rin… you'll know whether the magical girl thing is true after you undergo the awakening ritual. But right now, the point is whether you like Father. Are you still going to deny it?"
Seeing that Rin, whose mouth was blocked, seemed to be wavering, Sakura let out a breath. She put the silver shared-sensation bracelet onto Rin and activated it, then turned on her own collar as well.
"If you really didn't acknowledge Father, why would you only blame me instead of blaming the one bullying Touka and you, Father himself?"
"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. These silver bracelets don't just let you feel each other, they can also share what you're experiencing with others. Anyone wearing a black collar can feel it, just like when you were in Father's room."
"No matter how much you pretend, I, Touka, and everyone else around can feel it. So denying it is useless."
"Rin, admit it. You like Father just like Touka does."
After saying that, Sakura pushed Hachiman, who was holding Touka's legs, toward Rin.
Let him personally test whether Rin's resolve was really that firm.
"Sakura?"
Touka hadn't expected Sakura to not only humiliate her in front of Rin, but also expose her feelings completely.
"…"
Rin's vision went dark as Touka and Hachiman blocked her view.
Feeling Touka's soft yet intense inner emotions, Rin's face grew hot with embarrassment, and she felt a bit lost.
Touka's feelings clearly weren't just simple affection. Judging by her state, she had probably fallen deeply already.
But did she herself really like Hachiman?
Was it the same kind of "like" as their mother? Or like Touka's? Or Sakura's strange version?
Silently experiencing the vivid sensations from the silver bracelet, unable to call out even if she wanted to, Rin stared at Touka and Hachiman, unsure what roles they were even playing anymore. Without realizing it, she slowly parted her lips.
"That's amazing…"
Watching as Rin was actually persuaded by Sakura, Rurikawa Tsubaki, who was observing from the side, swallowed and felt a quiet sense of admiration.
From an outsider's perspective, Rin only seemed to have a slight fondness for Hachiman. But Sakura had framed it as love and guided her step by step to accept it.
Of course, she couldn't be completely sure.
But if it were her, she wouldn't dare interfere so rashly. She would need a long time to analyze things before letting them decide for themselves.
Still, she knew that no matter what, Rin would eventually fall for Hachiman. He was simply too captivating. On top of that, he was excellent in every way. It was hard to imagine any girl not liking him.
"Touka…"
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