The Mandate of Khaos: Carefree Days (ch. 2)

It was almost unsettling how easily one could slip into a routine and lose sight of their surroundings.

Days melted into weeks, and before long, our first year of high school would commence without much change happening.

I had spent considerable time contemplating that devil's motives for aiding us. Ajuka Beelzebub hardly seemed the type to extend a helping hand to a couple of kids simply out of kindness, or so I gathered. Of course, my knowledge of this world was limited at best.

Did the Counter Force exist? Were the Infinite and the Dream locked in eternal conflict over the Dimensional Gap? Did Akasha exist? The Root? The Holy Grail War? Sakura seemed utterly bewildered when I broached these subjects, but then again, I had no way of knowing the extent of Zouken's teachings, or Tohsaka's for that matter—a subject I had no intention of touching with a ten-foot pole. I was happy with Sakura, Sakura was (hopefully) happy with me, and I had no desire to introduce any variables that might disrupt that.

Regardless, we now resided in an apartment near Kuoh Academy, which couldn't have been cheap. But, considering Ajuka had likely appropriated the Manor and all sorts of other assets belonging to Zouken, the cost of this apartment was probably negligible in comparison.

However, I had no means of contacting him, nor did I particularly wish to.

That thing scared me.

“Shinji-nii-san, food’s ready!”

For example, my ID bore a completely different surname now. A bastardization of his original one. Why had he done that? What intentions did he have for us? I didn't know, and I almost preferred it that way.

“Thanks Sakura, I’ll be coming soon.”

In terms of Powers… as I said, not much change had happened.

I had fought off a rabid dog when it attempted to attack Sakura and me, earning a Bronze ticket that rewarded me with this piece of literal trash:

[Droplet]

|Trash Ability|

Allows you to conjure small streams of water that drip down from your fingers. Barely enough to wash your hands.

I had reached the top one thousand (locally) in Counter Strike (turns out, being able to crank the volume to the max and possess eyes that never tired from the monitor light was quite the advantage), and it gave me a Bronze Skill Ticket.

[Novice Management]

|Common Skill|

You are a novice at managing things. You know how to schedule your day, distribute your tasks, and attention to spend your time better. You would make a decent secretary.

It allowed me to manage my time more efficiently, which, in turn, allowed me more time to play games, which, in turn, allowed me to reach the top one thousand (locally) in Chess. …I’ll never understand why Devils liked this game so much, it fucking sucks.

It was undeniably complex, and I developed a grudging respect for those whose minds could calculate entire plays in advance and visualize the board within their own heads. It was impressive, but (in my opinion) it demanded innate abilities I simply wasn’t born with.

It was interesting and had potential, but it simply wasn't for me. Just like the fucking Skill it gave me—

[Intermediate Item Construction]

|Rare Skill|

You know how to make decent magical and enchanted items, if you know fire magic, you can turn a regular sword into a sword that can light itself on fire on command. If you have the ability Invisibility, you can probably make a cloak that suppresses your presence.

Amazing stuff, really. Except for the teeny-tiny, little fact THAT I HAVE NO MAGIC!

“Nii-san, are you raging at people online again? You know that’s not healthy for you. I swear I’ve seen another white hair on your head today that wasn’t there before!”

No, my dear sister, I’m afraid your brother is raging at something far more cruel and irritating than merely a stranger online having the wrong opinion.

“Honk!”

Indeed, it was a far more terrible thing.

“Honk! Honk!”

Something that had brought hundreds of nerds to financial ruin. Something that—

“Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooonk! Honk! Hooonk!”

“I SWEAR TO GOD, YOU FUCKING GOLDEN-ASSED PRICK, I WILL HAVE YOU FOR DINNER IF YOU DON’T SHUT THE HELL UP!”

If it were up to me, Ms. Goldeggs (Sakura was the one who chose the name) would be confined to the Familiar storage every second of the day, except for the minute it took her to shit out that golden egg.

But noooooo—‘How could you even think of something like that, nii-san?’, ‘Think of how poor Ms. Goldeggs must feel, nii-san!’, ‘Look at her, she’s about to cry, nii-san!’.

“Honk one more time, bitch, I dare you.”

She looked at me. I swear to God that bitch looked at me—

“Honk!”

—and honked before quickly pitter-pattering away from my room—

“You get back here, you bird wannabe. I'm gonna teach you how your tale ends, you motherfu—”

—and straight to behind Sakura’s skirt.

“Nii-san!” The way she said it, with slight disapproval and disappointment, was enough to immediately deflate my anger.

‘I’ll choke the shit out of you once we’re alone,’ I mouthed to the goose, and Sakura simply rolled her eyes. She turned and began placing the food onto the table, and the moment she was out of sight, the goose turned one of her wings up to me, and smirked.

No…

“Sakura! That son of a bitch is flipping me off! Look at her, Sakura! Look at that dirty fucking geese bitch!”

In hindsight, I really loved those mindless, idyllic days the most.

Even Ms. Goldeggs, who, no matter how many times she woke me with her infernal honking, seemed to know that all would be forgiven, for the one simple act she had committed against her beloved caretaker for me.

Feat: Acquired a pair of Makiri Sakura’s used panties.

Reward: Bronze Item Ticket.

[Falcon's Eye]

|Common Item|

Xiaolin Showdown - A Shen Gong Wu monocle that grants its wearer super sight, allowing them to see through objects, see in the dark and see far.

That single action had earned that irritating goose a dozen "Forgive me for being an annoying motherfucker" passes, renewed every time I had the fortune of viewing Sakura's huge tits as she bathed, thanks to that Eye.

I had no doubt Ms. Goldeggs would end up dead one of these days due to annoying the wrong Yakuza member, but I’d make sure to avenge her death once that happened.

…after I got a decent Ability or two under my belt, that is.

- - -

M.O.K.

- - -

“We have to make a good impression nii-san! First impressions last you know? There are studies that say that nothing ever truly wipes a bad first impression away!”

Sakura’s hands messed with my tie, and I blushed as I looked down at her—or more precisely, the cleavage her own unbuttoned uniform was showing.

That girl really was too carefree.

Still, I suppose this is better than how she had been before this entire debacle.

“Something wrong, Shinji-nii-san?”

My eyes shot to the ceiling so fast you could almost hear the sound barrier breaking.

“Ah—…hm? No, no, nothing’s wrong, no.”

She sighed, as if disappointed, and I apologized to her inside my head.

Forgive your brother for being so useless, Sakura! He has made sure to have his computer mine enough bitcoin to last us both a lifetime though!

If the world doesn’t go to shit in the next two or three years that is.

The walk towards the school is peaceful. I grab Sakura’s hand as we walk, something neither of us comments on, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

As I step foot onto the school grounds, I ponder momentarily if entering high school is important enough to count for a Feat. I don’t need to think long, but I am surprised nonetheless.

After all, the border of the notification is Gold.

Feat: Entered high school on the same year as the little sisters of Maou Leviathan, and Maou Lucifer.

Reward: Gold Trait Ticket.

I swear I’ll never speak bad of devils again, I swear to God—no, Lucifer—that I shall never badmouth (inside the confines of my mind) Ajuka Beelzebub again for almost making me piss myself in front of Sakura. Please, please, please, please—

[Bad Boy/girl Charm]

|Uncommon Trait|

You have that raw bad boy/girl edge, you are an object of affection for emo's and edgy people. Rudeness may come across as cool more often.

…Devils can all go to hell. And stay there.

Ajuka go fuck yourself.