Chapter 37: Shin vs Ryu (part 2)
Note; My people, today I wrote a longer chapter since I have an appointment and I'm in a good mood, Kanpai, kanpai
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"If you want me to be quiet, prove it to me with actions, force me to be silent, stop doing silly things while fighting."
"Ahh!"
With Shin's shout, a large cannon appeared, but unlike before, this one was a combination of fire and thunder, making it much stronger.
BOOM!
A loud noise sounded as a huge bullet approached me. This time, I decided not to do anything since it wouldn't harm me either. When Shin saw that his power had gone out of control and I hadn't defended myself, he got scared because he had used up every last drop of energy. It was his strongest attack yet, and he couldn't stop it.
Everyone was scared as this battle had gotten out of control. Just as they were about to approach and stop it, they collided with an invisible wall that prevented them from crossing. I had personally set up that barrier because I didn't want them to get hurt accidentally during the fight.
But who would have thought Shin was so weak, at least in my eyes. For the rest of the world, he was already very strong for his age.
When the attack ended, a large hole could be seen in the ground, with a great depth and length. The bullet hadn't stopped until several kilometers back.
Amidst that chaos, only one spot remained untouched, as if nothing had happened, and that was where I was. Seeing that Shin was already tired, I approached him walking.
When I was one meter away, I looked at him and decided to act like a good older brother, so I thought it was necessary to guide him a little and show off a bit:
"Little brother, I want to ask you a question. Is there any reason why you fight?"
Shin didn't respond and simply stayed silent, lost in thought.
"What will you do in a dangerous situation? What will you do if someone you love is held hostage? What will you do if a loved one is about to be killed? If you get married one day, how will you protect your family with your limited strength? Do you need to see with your own eyes how cruel the world can be by watching a loved one being killed right in front of you?"
To appear more convincing and get into character, I started emitting a slightly oppressive aura, just enough to not hurt him much, making myself look angry and disappointed.
"Answer me, brother, because I remind you that power is very important in this world, and without strength, you won't be able to protect those you love..."
But just as I was about to continue, I heard the voice of Grandfather Merlin approaching.
"Ryu, that's enough. You can't go so far with your younger brother."
Upon hearing my grandfather's words, I realized I had gotten too deep into character. Perhaps I had gone a bit overboard, so I quickly dispelled my aura and erased all traces of it, as if it had never existed.
I could see that Shin was disheartened and saddened by my scolding, to which I could only sigh. But I couldn't say that what I said was wrong either, because this world isn't as good as it was portrayed in anime.
I looked at my grandfather and the people approaching, so I decided to give a few final words before going somewhere else to conclude my grand performance.
"Brother, remember this great advice: in the eyes of God and the world, only the strongest have the right to enforce their will." After delivering that profound quote from a certain Austrian painter from my previous world, I looked at my grandfather and spoke to him, "Grandfather, I'm going home to clear my head. Take care of Shin for a while."
"It seems that anyone who suddenly receives great talent and power ends up unknowingly reveling in their own arrogance. I hope Shin realizes this," I thought to myself as I walked away
"Wow, today I'm speaking profound truths. Am I maturing?" I quickly shook my head, as I can be anything but a mature person.
As I left, they gathered around Shin to support him.
"Shin, you shouldn't be too bothered by your brother. No one knows how tough these past five years have been for him. You should know that he's only worried about you," Grandfather Merlin tried to cheer him up.
"Grandfather, am I really that weak?" Shin asked.
"You really shouldn't worry about your strength. With a sword, you're much better than several people I know, not to mention when you use magic. All the attacks you made are far superior, at the level of a court mage like Seig, or even stronger," Uncle Dis said.
Everyone nodded at this realization, as this battle had truly opened their eyes.
"So why didn't Ryu even bother to dodge my attacks?" Shin asked, lacking enthusiasm. This was a hard blow that brought him back down to earth because, although he never thought he was the best, he always believed he was very good at what he did and took great pride in certain aspects of magic.
"Shin, you must understand that your circumstances are not the same. No one knows what your older brother had to go through or suffer to access this kind of strength. But there is a truth in all of this: only in desperate situations can a person grow and become stronger. So you can take his questions as an idea of what he experienced during this time..." Michel replied with great regret.
...
On the other hand, I was sitting on the couch at home, calmly enjoying a delicious orange juice while gently stroking Yuki's soft fur, unaware that the others were thinking that I had lived an extremely tragic life with many difficulties and losses in these five years.
[Ding, congratulations on defeating the protagonist in your practice battle. You are rewarded with the Conqueror's Haki.]
Upon hearing the system sound, I was delighted but also impressed by the reward, as the only thing I knew about it was that it came from the world of 'One Piece,' simply because I didn't have time to watch that anime in my previous life.
"System, tell me about this reward."
[Yes, host. The Conqueror's Haki, also known as King's Haki, is the rarest and most powerful form of Haki. It allows users to emit a shockwave around them, which can render unconscious or even control the will of those who lack sufficient willpower. Only a few people in the world of 'One Piece' are capable of using this type of Haki, and they are usually leaders or authority figures.]
As I read it, I realized how incredible it was. If I were to use this in battles, I would appear even cooler by winning with just my strong will. So, I decided that when I have time, I will start practicing it. In the meantime, I went back to thinking about my duel with Shin.
"Maybe I went a bit too far?" I thought, but before I could dwell on it further, I saw a portal appearing inside the house.
I stood up to greet them, but when they saw me, an awkward silence fell upon us. I tried to start a conversation, knowing that I had messed up, but for some reason, I felt like each of them was looking at me with pity.
Not understanding what was happening, I decided to ignore it and sat at the dining table, looking at Shin who was feeling a bit better.
"Shin, as you know, we're already 15 years old, so we should start thinking about the future. In my case, I'll be attending the advanced magical academy in the Kingdom of Earlshide. If you're not sure about what you want to do, I recommend coming with me. It would be good for your future as well."
When Shin heard me, he also started thinking about what he could do to make a living in the future.
"What? There must be something, right? If you go to a town or a city, Shin-kun, you could probably work as a demon hunter, an adventurer, or you can even create your own magical tools store with your enchantment magic. And there's also the option of meeting a beautiful girl, getting close to her, and letting her support you," Seig said.
"Only you would come up with an idea like that," Christina replied.
Both of them started looking at each other with hostility.
"A demon hunter? Is it really that easy to set up my own magical tools store? And can I actually get paid for subduing a demon? Although I understand what a magical tools store is, I probably can't set up a store right away, can I?"
Everyone looked at Shin strangely for a while, and I have to admit it was quite funny to see their reactions.
"Even though it's an impossible idea... Shin, are you telling me you've never been shopping before?" Michel asked.
"Ah, now that I think about it, apart from getting things from Tom-ojisan, I've never been shopping before. And because I have ojii-san, I've never had to exchange anything for money."
When we heard Shin's response, everyone was surprised, although I already knew something like this would happen, it still amused me, so I couldn't help but smile.
"Merlin... you..." Grandma Melinda was at a loss for words.
"Master Merlin, this is..." the merchant was also at a loss for words.
We all looked at the grandfather, and he simply smiled awkwardly and replied, "Ah, I forgot to teach him common sense."
"Come to think of it, apart from learning magic, he hasn't taught me anything else," Shin said.
"But, you see, he absorbed everything I taught him, and that's why I unintentionally wanted to see how far he could go," the grandfather tried to excuse himself again.
"Um, Mr. Dis, is it safe for the world if these two leave this mountain? Because if a battle like the one just happened occurs again, the kingdom would be in chaos," the merchant said.
Everyone agreed on that, and Grandma Melinda started pestering Grandfather Merlin again, claiming that he didn't teach us self-control.
"There shouldn't be any problem for them to go to the magical academy," Uncle Dis responded.
"Do you want to have them in your kingdom to use them as a means of protection in some war?" Grandfather Merlin asked seriously.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone