The Mandate of Khaos: Shinji... Uchiha? (ch. 15)

I didn’t have much clue how it happened, but somehow, we all ended up spending the day together in the clubroom, simply killing time by watching some shows Rias had on hand. The impromptu marathon segued seamlessly into a sleepover. Sona had called Tsubaki, who had excitedly yelled out a single "Yes!" before coughing embarrassedly and saying she'd be there in a few minutes.

Now, I didn't know where Kiba and Gasper were, if they still existed, or why in the hell they'd been replaced by Maki Zenin and (a slightly older version of) fucking Miyu Edelfelt—Miyu Gremory? Guremori? Gah, I'd have to ask about that later—but at the end of the day… why would I care, really?

If my knowledge of this world hadn't already been rendered useless by not having read the original source material thoroughly, it was definitely obliterated the moment "Matou Zouken bullshitery" became my origin story.

And hey, Maki is incredibly hot so, you know, sucks to suck Kiba, but I won't mourn your disappearance much.

As the first rays of dawn painted the window, I slowly and carefully extricated myself from the tangle of bodies on the floor—quietly enjoying the sensation of my left hand brushing across Tsubaki's generous boob and my right gliding over Sona's surprisingly firm ass—and made my way towards the front entrance, where Sakura was sitting with a warm cup of milk.

"Want some?" She offered, tilting the cup invitingly. I accepted, taking a sip while sinking onto the wooden stairs beside her.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, not awkwardly, but simply enjoying each other’s company. Enjoying the knowledge that, should we turn around, an entire group of people waited to welcome us. It… hurt, a bit, to know that I was no longer Sakura’s sole person of interest. I held no delusions that I wasn't the most important, but it was… a complicated feeling. Power or no power, she wouldn't have gone to Rias Gremory for something like that if she didn't possess some amount of trust that the crimson haired devil would not abuse her position as King.

I’d fight her if it came down to it, of course. My love for Sakura was not in question, nor was my willingness to defend her. But whether I’d be successful… well, worst-case scenario, Serafall wants my babies, I guess? I can probably leverage that.

Sakura sighed beside me, lifting her head from my shoulder to look up at my face. "It was that exact kind of expression that I wanted you to stop making, you know, nii-san?"

I pursed my lips, instinctively defensive. "It's a dangerous world out there, Sakura."

She nodded, her gaze unwavering. "I know." A beat of silence. She laced her fingers through mine, her hand warm and firm. "That's why… I… I can be your—"

"No." The word came out sharper than I intended.

Her grip tightened on my hand. "Why?"

"I'm not," I gritted my teeth, battling the conflicting emotions churning inside me. "I'm not going to just hide behind you like a coward, Red Dragon Emperor or not. I still have my pride, gods damn it!"

Sakura looked down at the floor. "Is pride worth your life?" The question struck like a physical blow, stealing my breath. "I'm not… I'm not telling you to do nothing. But… you can rely on me, nii-san."

That is…

"You won't think I'm… lame, for it?" The words felt childish, pathetic, even as they tumbled out.

"There's no way I could ever think that of you, nii-san."

"To have to depend on you, my little sister…"

"There's nothing that would make me happier, nii-san."

"I'm not some Hero of Justice or anything like that. I'm just… I'm just me."

"And it is you that I love, nii-san."

I lowered my head to my palms. It… should be fine then, right?

I can just…

"N-nii-san?!"

Putting an arm below Sakura's legs and the other on her back, I lifted her into my arms, settling her comfortably on my lap. I then drew up the ticket I had received a few hours ago. Sakura, accustomed to the oddly focused look on my face when I was about to use my power, relaxed against my chest.

"So it did give you something…" she murmured, stroking my hair with gentle fingers.

"Were you expecting it?"

"A little bit," she admitted, and I sighed.

"Don't go doing stupid shit just to get me tickets, got it?"

She nodded, a small, genuine smile blooming on her face. "Don't worry, nii-san. I'll be as obedient as a guard dog!"

A… guard dog? I—I think I’ll just ignore that one for now.

"Right." Calling upon my latest notification, I looked upon it once again.

Feat: Through your direct action, Fate has changed. Issei Hyoudou, the holder of the mid-tier Longinus Boosted Gear has been killed by Sakura Asutaroto. With his death, the course of the entire world has irrevocably shifted.

Rewards: One Advantage Diamond Random Ticket

Two rolls on a Diamond Ticket. It was the highest tier I'd ever reached. I should be nervous, yet… the words Sakura had spoken earlier, however awkward and difficult they had been to hear, relaxed me.

The words spun, colors brighter than I had ever seen swirling around me—

[Binding Vow]

|Elite Ability|

JJK - Allows you to create binding vows, basically promises with reality itself. If a binding vow between two parties is broken, the breaker will suffer the penalty no matter how strong they are. You can also make self-binding vows, sacrificing things to make your energy output stronger such as being weaker at night in exchange for being stronger at day.

"So?" Sakura asked, her voice a soft murmur against my chest.

I simply shrugged, not particularly surprised at this point. "It's… supportive."

I still had one more in me, though. At worst, I’d get the Binding Vows, which wasn't bad. But this next one—

[Uchiha]

|Epic Trait|

Naruto - You are a member of the Uchiha Clan, granting you increased martial talent, energy reserves, fire affinity and a natural sharingan that does not take up an ability slot.

I could work with this one. Didn't Undeniable make my senses impossible to be hindered? I wonder if it works against eye fatigue from the Sharingan too…

Yes, I could definitely work with this one.

And its rarity was above the average of the ticket for once!

With that bit of good news, Sakura and I stood after a few more minutes basking in the rising sun. We turned to head back inside, only to be met with the sounds of a heated, one-sided negotiation.

"It's not happening!" Maki's voice, flat and final.

Opening the door to the room where we'd slept, we found Rias on her knees, pinching Maki's cheeks, clearly asking for something the Knight was intent on refusing. "Come on, Makimaki! As a favor, for me~?" Maki's eye twitched violently the longer Rias stretched her cheeks. The sheer ridiculousness made me snort.

It was a mistake.

"You!" Maki said, whirling around and pointing an accusatory finger directly at me.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" In three quick strides, she’d closed the distance between us, her face inches from mine. I was taller, but that didn't diminish her air of barely restrained menace. "What's all this bullshit I'm hearing about you needing used panties for your power?"

Slowly, I turned my head to face the picture of innocent bewilderment that was Rias Gremory. Sona, standing nearby, literally washed her hands of the matter—summoning a floating sphere of water, dipping her hands in, and drying them meticulously.

Gods damn it that girl was hilarious when she tried. Shame that what I needed out of her at this moment was not a comedy act though!

"Rias," I said, my voice flat. She beamed at me, as if proud of her part in my impending doom. "I hope both sides of your pillow are warm when you go to sleep tonight."

"But whhhyyyyyyyy??!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I was gone, for five minutes. Five minutes." Tsubaki repeated, as if that would aid her in understanding what was happening in front of her.

"Are you ready?" Her club president lifted a red tissue with the emblem of her clan. "Let's go over the terms of the wager one last time then."

"You should know by now, Tsubaki," her King answered, adjusting her glasses with her middle finger. "Five minutes might as well be an eternity in this place."

"Should Shinji Asutaroto be able to deliver a solid hit to Maki Guremori, or should she be forced to leave the delineated ring, he shall be entitled to her used panties," curiously, both of them appeared annoyed at Rias for that, Tsubaki noted. "Should such not occur after one hundred seconds, wherein Maki is not allowed to do anything besides defend and redirect attacks, and is not allowed to fly upwards, Shinji shall be forced to give back all the panties he has acquired until now."

Tsubaki looked at Sona. Now, she would be the first one to admit, beyond some vague words about the irregularity of his power, and knowing that it seemingly awarded Shinji when he met certain conditions, Tsubaki did not know much about it. She had never asked, and he had never offered to explain, and to be honest she did not really feel the need to know either.

She was almost sure though…

"Yes," Sona answered her doubt before she could voice it. "He does not need to keep the panties. Whatever it is that his power needed our… underwear for, it was satisfied when he acquired them. The fact Maki has to give hers to him in case she loses was something Rias tacked on as otherwise it wouldn't 'feel fair'."

Tsubaki almost could not believe her ears. "So, you're telling me, that the entire reason this battle is being fought… is not because Shinji wants to acquire more power by getting Maki-san's panties… but because he does not want to give up the pairs he already has?" Tsubaki adjusted her glasses with her middle finger. "Pervert."

"Lowly perverted senpai," The white haired girl chimed in from beside them, her small hand delving deep into a nearly empty snack bag. She pulled out a lone crisp and, noticing Tsubaki’s gaze, protectively hugged the bag closer. "Mine."

What made you think I was going to steal them?!

"Absolute pervert." Sona agreed with a sigh.

"Can you stop insulting me from the sidelines?!!" Shinji yelled out, turning to glare at them. "This is a matter of pride now!"

"Pride?" Sona asked, a hint of genuine amusement coloring her tone.

"Of course," Shinji nodded solemnly, retrieving a peculiar looking rapier from thin air. "I refuse to forfeit what has rightfully become mine."

"It's alright, nii-san!" Sakura yelled out from her spot on the sidelines, a pair of red and white pom-poms in her hands. "I'll just give you a new pair if you lose!"

"There's too much on the line for me to lose," he declared, his expression that of a fiercely nationalistic man ready to march to war for his homeland.

"Should…" Tsubaki asked, unsure of what to say. "Should we feel flattered?" Tsubaki was an attractive woman, she wasn't blind to that fact. But her history with the Shinra clan and subsequent unofficial excommunication had made forming connections, especially with peers of the same gender, difficult. As for the opposite gender? Sure, there had been boys interested in her at the various schools she'd attended, but they were normal humans, blissfully unaware of the supernatural world. Tsubaki simply couldn't see herself in a relationship with any of them.

Of course, none of them knew she was subtly pushing them away for their own protection. Instead, she'd been saddled with the reputation of the stereotypical Ice Queen who thought herself above everyone else. It didn't help that the other girls often felt threatened by her, offering no compassion or camaraderie.

That is to say, to have someone display such a vehement, almost fanatical interest in retaining the… article of clothing she had gifted him, well…

Sona appeared at a loss over how to answer her.

So, Tsubaki took a breath, looked at Shinji, and yelled out: "Sh-Shinji-kun!" He turned to face her. "M-me too…" He seemed confused. "D-don't worry! I-I too s-shall give you a new pair if you lose."

"…two pervert senpai?" She heard the younger girl mutter beside her, crunching her chip thoughtfully, but Tsubaki did not have it in her to care at the moment.

Shinji, ever so slowly, turned his gaze until it landed on her King.

"What are you looking at me for? I donated the first pair purely as a strategic investment in club security." Sona lied with practiced ease. "If you desire another, you'll have to demonstrate significantly greater effort." She crossed her arms, radiating regal indifference.

Tsubaki choked at the unexpected answer. Shit, why didn't I think of that?

"THAT'S NOT WHY I WAS LOOKING AT YOU WOMAN!!"

"…three pervert senpai?" Koneko offered, her monotone somehow amplifying the absurdity.

Rias Gremory raised her tissue high, swirling it from side to side like a flagman starting a street race.

"On your marks—go!"

Rias scampered backwards out of the way. The tissue fluttered to the floor.

The challenge began.

It took all of three seconds before Rias Gremory had to be physically restrained from interrupting it, her voice a shriek of pure, unadulterated glee and shock.

"SHINJI!" Rias shrieked, pointing a trembling finger towards the boy's suddenly red eyes. "Is that a motherfucking Sharingan?! I! WANT!! THAT!!!"