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To be honest, the prospect of a friend is a pain in the ass
"Hm. Still can't believe somebody give me ice cream for free"
"Well, that's what friends do, right?"
A blinding smile greeted me as I walked from school back to home. The blonde kid accompanying me may look like your average rich family child, but the truth is that he is not your typical rich kid
No, he is THE rich kid. The OG. The GOAT. Mansa Musa has nothing in front of this bitch
His name is Gilgamesh, the possessor of all treasures in the world. Calling him rich would be a bit redundant, seeing how even Bill Gates's net worth would be incomparable to him
Anyway, the dude's supposed to be thousands of years old king of Uruk. I reckon this didn't stop him from acting out his age when we're together
Now all I'll have to worry about is killing the evil priest, the evil Magus, the evil mango, and then I'm set for life
"Shinji. Is there something bothering you?"
My face turned ugly as innocent eyes gazed at me
Seeing the cute, beautiful gaze that could have been present in a virgin goddess, my cheeks involuntarily twitched in irritation
Where is the "Zasshu" douchebag that threatened to rape Saber? Did your parents accidentally switched you out with your brother at birth?
Am I talking to a different person right now? Faker, get out of my sight
I originally wanted to befriend him due to my own selfish gains, but after some careful considerations, I realized this may be the first friend I've made in this world. Thinking so, I could only huff in frustration
Can't help it. I'll be friends with him for now. For now...but I'll definitely betray him later
Next to him, Gilgamesh looks like he came to a conclusion of his own as he look curiously at the Matou boy out the corner of his eyes
'How curious'
Even when he is scowling, the King could not detect any hint of negative emotions on him.
A person's mood can be read by their body language and more telling signs like facial traits. However,
Shinji Matou's emotion are at most superficial. There were no actual like and dislike in him, even when he said it
Hatred and like. These two things are shallow as a pond. If emotions can be described by colors, the Matou's painting would be a clumsy attempt at imitating a human being
'What a twisted being'
His childish inevitabl curled into a smile
The Shanaqba Imuru could only reveal unclear visions every time he use it on him. Yet there's no telling what that boy will do in the future through that foggy clairvoyance of his
For the first time since the Fourth Grail War, the King think he finally find something interesting to observe
_______________
I have 150 points with meeting Gilgamesh. Following that encounter, in the next three months I was able to accumulate 110 points through the completion of daily tasks
The more points I gain, the harder the tasks become. At one point, just exercising and doing chores along disappared from the task list.
Now it's things like "Beat the shit out of someone older than you" or "Study advanced highschoool algebra" that is rewardable by the system's standard
The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed across the alleyway. The bully's body collapsed against the wall under the force of my bloodied fist
"Done!"
Closing the advanced mathematic book on my other hand, I let out a large yell
"Done!"
That's 15 points for today's task. I spent the first half of the day searching up famous delinquent kids in the neighborhood and find someone to beat up, the other half trying to understand math
It was hard. But I did it
Thus, the 260 points in my hand is now going to be spent to acquire some new skills. But a dillemma struck me as I opened up the shop window
'Should I buy a single high-level skill, or multiple low-level one?'
Staring at the digital window in front of me, I couldn't help but ask
The first time I bought Luck Up, I didn't got a chance to know about its effectiveness. If it were to boost my fortune, how much does it do so?
Compare to that, maybye Enhanced Projectile and Counterattack could be a better choice. One let me add in with [Personal Space], the other serve as an automated reflex that help me against faster opponents
I soon learn that these skills starts becoming more irrelevant the moment one step up the one hundred points scale
Auto Regeneration --100 points
Acceleration --100 points
Frostbite --120 points
Cleansing Flame --120 points
Slaughterer --130 points
And past the 200 points mark...
Madness Enhancement E -- 195 points
Presence Concealment E -- 200 points
Item Construction E -- 200 points
Riding E -- 200 points
Mind's Eyes E / True -- 210 points
Mind's Eyes E / False -- 220 points
Magic Resistance E -- 250 points
Battle Continuation E -- 250 points
I sucked in a deep breath
Well, it lets me directly purchase the abilities of Servants....
Goddamn. Yeah! Everyone knew Servants are op as fuck in the Nasuverse. To learn one of their skills is the equivalent to obtaining an endgame-level ability
I don't know how strong an E-rank skill is supposed to be compared to those powerhouse...
But if following the conventional TYPEMOON ranking, an E-rank value is supposedly 10 times that of peak human...so E-rank strength is as strong as ten people put together, and E-rank Agility is fast as ten times the maximum speed of human limit
E-rank skills basically make you ten times better than normal people...does the math count?
After thinking for some bit, I decided
"Maybe it's worth it?"
It's not every day you can buy different abilities to what basically amounts to superhero in this world. To pass out on this is to pass out on a great chance
So, I decided to buy one of the skills on. Swiping my finger, I closed down the 100-point skill window in favor of it's more luxurious brethren
"Madness Enhancement is out first. Hm, wouldn't want to lost control of myself"
"Item Construction is also out. I don't have access to magical resources, and not sure how powerful an E-rank item is either"
"Battle Continuation...honestly, I woud rather fake being dead than go out like a dumbass"
"Riding, heh...passed"
"Magic Resistance is fine and all, but the guys I'm fighting against aren't normal Magus"
In the end, several choices are left for me. I gaze at the skill, before pressing on the buy button
[Mind's Eyes (Fake) has been purchased]
[Mind's Eyes (Fake)]: You have a natural talent to foresee/sense and avoid danger on the basis of an innate 6th sense, intuition, or prescience. The accuracy of this instinct can be augmented by experience
In summary, this skill is the superior version of Archer's skill. It basically let the user predict danger and avoid them on the fly without thoughts
That means I can at least predict and partially avoid attack beyond my level of perception, guaranteeing a mean of escaping death
Yeah, baby, that's one death flag down!
I soon regain my calm and look at the remaining point
40 points. Coincidentally, the last purchase I have is at the same level as this one. Let's go back and see what I can buy
Counter attack -- 40 points
Enhanced Projectile -- 40 points
Beginner Curse Resistance -- 40 points
"Since I had just unlocked the [Personal Space] skill which specialize in ranged attack, let's go with something that can complement it this time"
[Enhanced Projectile] has been purchased
[Enhanced Projectile]: Your precision is increased. All throwing type items now automatically gain a basic homing function. +20% critical chance. +40% range
"Open, gate of not-Babylon!"
I cheerfully announced, then watched in giddiness as the space around me rippled. Knives emerged from the portals, ready to be launched at will
My finger pointed at a nearby swarm of goose, and yelled "Go!"
BOOM. A supersonic explosion rocked the park as the ground in front of me was split open from the kinetic force of the sharp projectile
three knives, launched with the force of a shotgun, blasted open the ground in frotn of me, forming a large crater to where I had pointed at before
The goose that is just standing there before has now been reduced to red paste on the ground
"..."'
"Shit. Do I get a karma reduction for killing animals?" I look around to see if anyone see that
Ultimately, I shrugged and turned around to go home. After a day wandering outside the street to level myself, it's time to go back and relax with my precious "family"
______________
"I'm home"
In the evening sunlight, the dark space of the Matou mansion was briefly lit up as the door opened, and Shinji Matou walked through it
Much as I wold like to deny it, the current relationship between me and Sakura is not great
It has been a long time since we both talked face to face. From that day at the school, she has been staying far away from me, and yet at the same time persistently observing me from afar
Worse still, she pretends not to hear me whenever I call her out, whether it be at school or at home. I'm clueless about what she is thinking
It has been a long time, yes, so I can't bear it anymore. Having a sister who's constantly ignoring you is somehow worse than one who constantly annoy you
Closing the door behind me, I look at the hallway in front of me
Normally I would enter into the kitchen. But knowing Sakura who is aware of my routine, she must be hiding somehwere I won't find her
So I discarded the path to the kitchen and the stairs leading up to my bedroom, instead taking a round trip to the garden behind our estate
The sound of someone watering the plants reached my ears, and soon the figure of my sister came ot view
"Sakura"
I said, with an overly serious tone
The purple-haired girl is obviously startled, as she turned around with an alarmed look, but I step to the side and block her escape
"W-what is it, Nii-san?"
For a moment, her voice trembled, but I must have misheard, because she said with the same emotionless voice I've always heard her speak
"Here" I hand her a knife, then another knife. After thinking for a second, I take out a batch of knife from my inventory and hand it to her
"Would you like to go outside and chill your brother?"
"...I don't understand"
"Oh come on. You claim to not understand, but look at how excited you are"
The girl trembled slightly as she averted her eyes. She look at the knife in her hand, back at the smirking Shinji, before a faint blush surfaced as she quickly look away again in embarrassment
"Your big bro understand, Sakura. You're curious about what I've been doing these past few days" He grinned "Grandpa's not home yet. How about we go outside and have some fun?"
Fun?
The word reveberated across the younger Matou's mind as she look in a daze toward her brother.
Fun is not a word she is familiar with. Fun is not something she'd have in a long time.
Perhaps the closest she'd get to experiencing it is when Zouken skip a day on their training because of Shinji walking her home late
Or when he'd buy her a snack after school. Or when she arrived home, only to see him having completed all her chore for her
Or when she look at him everyday, thinking if she really is deserving of someone like Shinji, who have came to care for a wretched thing like her
Meaningless gesture. He said. Unusual kindness. She thought
She followed his footstep, heedless of where they go, but simply indulge in the feeling of having her hand being led somewhere
The rapid pattering of footstep eventually stopped. Sakura blinked, looking out at the lush greeneries around them. The breath of wild life seem to welcome her in its entirety
"The backside of mount Enzo" Shinji said proudly, standing on the rock in front of her "Normally nobody go here save for some mountain climbers, but at this time of the year no one would dare venture past the dense forest and risk getting themselves lost"
Which mean it really is just the two of them
The beating in her heart become rapid. So much so that Sakura place a hand on her chest to calm down
"What will we be doing, Nii-san?"
"As I said, something fun. Have you ever tried throwing a knife before?"
She shook her head. The smile on his face widen
"Would you like to?"
Hesitance. A nod of her head. Shinij retreat to her side and pluck a single knfie from her arm. He level it to Sakura's eyes, allowing her to glance at the blade in detail
"First, we start with the stance. For you, a half-rotation at this distance should be enough"
_______________
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk
Each impact sent a shiver up her spine.
The euphoric sound, coupled with the presence of her brother by her side, Sakura felt at ease letting the knife flew out from her hand and into the target one by one
Despite her inner self telling not to do so, Sakura couldn't help but be fascinated by the way the metal sank into the soft trunk'
The hideous face of the old Zouken Matou. The cruel reality of her uncle. The disgusting squirming inside her that she had been ignoring for the longest of times
She imagined the problems in her life as the tree trunk. It'd be so satisfying to pierce, to slash, to cut all of that away, until
However, before the last knife can be launched, Shinji's hand close around her wrist, preventing the girl from expelling it
"That's enough for today" His tone is less grating, almost soft "You look tired. Sit down"
She stumbled back under his guide, plopping down onto the ground. Sakura look up to see Shinij sitting down beside her
At this distance, she could see the moon looming above, casting a shadow on his face. The unintentional effect make her brother look like an ugly prince
"Grandfather will be mad at us again" She quietly point out. He did not respond
In fact, this isn't the first time it happened. Shinji's absence usually is not a source of irritation for Zouken, but he would often lock the door and let her brother sleep outside as punishment
Until one day, Shinji brought home one of his friend at school.
For some reason, the blonde kid named Gil had seemingly terrified the Magus to no end, and their grandfather dare not to lock him outside from that day on
"Sakura"
He called her name
"You look very stressed these days. That's why I took you out here to relax" He pick up the knife from the ground "Sometime strenuous acts of entertainment can be served as stress reliever. At the same time, you look like you have something to tell me these past few weeks"
He notice
Of course he notice. She has been hiding from her brother's sight for as long as she could remember. Not out of shame nor disgust, nor even a sense of instinctive aversion
...But because she knows Zouken will catch on to it
"I did it, because I have to. Grandfather, he..." Sakura paused, gritting her teeth "...I'm sorry"
"It's okay. Just take your time"
Ironically enough, him saying it's okay just make Sakura feel harder to do so
She knew Zouken hated this kind of empathy.
Shinji's kindness is something she need, but not something he wants. it is because of that kindness that she found the will to enjoy life, to ignore the voice telling herself everyday to succumb to despair
And that frustrates Zouken greatly
Her progress become slower the more stable she become. Sakura know was only a matter of time until Zouken set his sight on the other heir. The useless heir
It was an act she's afraid would happen. Sakura doesn't care if it's her. But if it's her brother who is innocent, untainted by the Matou's darkness, she would not accept it
"I just can't stand losing you"
She wanted to tell him of the reason why he should stay away from her, to not worry about her
Because it is not the first time someone had done that for her
If she see him like that, if she see those blasted worms crawling underneath his skin as he boy could do nothing else but went insane with agonylike Kariya...
Shinji Matou would end up the same as his uncle, and she would lose hope in this world. So she tell him about the event of the Fourth Holy Grail War
She told him
"I don't care if you end up treating me like garbage. If it means you survive, that's fine"
Her arms dropped to her side, and the young girl look in despair at her brother
Under the moonlit night, the truth revealed, and the heart opened. His face is as blank as a piece of paper, looking at the crying girl before him
"...Sakura, come here..."
He quietly spread his arms. Sakura made to back away, but her body started trembling.
The forbidden temptation of those welcoming arms seemed as though they had erased away any sense of reservation she might have toward Shinji
With a choked sob, she rran straight at him and hug as tight as she can
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry...so sorry"
Shinji, I don't want to go back like before. If it is you who brought me happiness, I no longer need to delude myself like this, even if doing so will make it more painful to me
_______________
Standing under the moonlight, holding his crying sister in his arm as she is having a mental breakdown
Only one thought goes through my mind
Shit
Abort original intention regarding Canon is a must now. I shoulf think of a way to deal with this first. If not, Sakura's mental collapse is only a matter of time
And then, worst case scenario, Angra will be awakened and Japan will be fucked
Change of plan
Kill Matou Zouken before it's too late
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