Chapter 11 - Fate

I couldn’t leave a dent against the monster, no matter what I did. There was no way for me to use my sniper, thanks to traumatising memory haunting my head. So I threw rocks at the ghoul. It was my only chance to deal with minor damage and prolong the inevitable death waiting for my soul. I wasn’t expecting anything, so the pebbles I hurled dealt no damage to the ghoul. When the Grim Reaper finally fought back, the ghoul swung his weapon and hit my right arm. I could still use my hand, but blood flowed from my shoulders and created a pool of blood beside my feet. I didn’t suffer any broken bones, but I wasn’t unscathed either.

“Fuck… if this continues, I will die.”

I gave up on everything before. However, I promised Hina to return home and pay the hospital bills. She was waiting for me. After ten years, Hina finally called me her brother. And I wanted nothing more but to hear that title again from her. And if I died now, how could I ever experience that ecstasy again?

I refused to surrender this unwinnable battle. Everyone has a weakness. It was just that I couldn’t find anything that I could use against this monster. But there was still one thing I had: the sniper that the system had gifted me. Even so, I couldn’t use it…

I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.

My hesitation haunted me like a revenant as the ghost itself, who wielded a scythe, hovered above me and struck its weapon against the ground. I dodged it for the umpteenth time. However, when the blade pierced the concrete floor, it sent violent shockwaves in every direction. And that force eventually led to me.

The blast was enough to throw me backward, leaving me vulnerable for the time being. It was the Grim Reaper’s chance to strike again. And that bastard did what I had expected it to do.

When I lost my balance, the ghoul immediately reverted its form and charged straight at me like a bull. I hopelessly used my sniper as a lever and jumped upward, forcing myself to fly in the air. My efforts were enough to keep my soul intact inside my body, but my skin suffered some injuries. The scythe managed to scrap my arms and legs, revealing the stark epidermis on my body. Everything was red. It was as if a novice painter had splashed crimson ink on my body and told everyone it was a work of art. And that artist was the ghoul that wanted me dead.

When I landed on the ground, I gritted my teeth at the pain radiating on my limbs. It was as if someone had poured boiling water on my fragile body and added some salt, extending the misery. Despite everything I had experienced, I didn’t retreat and glared at the hideous monster.

“Come on, Aoi. You just have to use the sniper…. Please, for the love of god! Just do it, you piece of shit!” I cursed myself for acting like a coward. And I still did.

In spite of countless words my mouth had spitted, my body never moved. My fingers became paralysed. I wanted to pull the trigger and end this madness as quickly as possible. However, my trembling mind was superior to anything else inside my body. Fear eventually took over, and I was left alone with nothing to defend myself but my whimpering body.

The ghoul saw through my endeavour and teased me. That Grim Reaper didn’t kill me just yet and played with its food. Instead of using the scythe, the ghost scratched me with its claws until I smacked my head against the ground. The assault continued forever. But the pain remained constant throughout my body, yelling at me to fight back.

The Grim Reaper even tried to mock me and gave me a fighting chance I never needed. It stared at me for a while and urged me to retort. But regardless of the opportunity given to me, my body still couldn’t do a thing. It regressed into a child I once was - hopeless and unable to do anything.

‘Maybe I was meant to die in the very beginning… I was just lucky, that’s all.’

Luck played a huge role in my life, and it was the only thing that kept me alive. I shouldn’t be living in this world. And yet, I continued and suffered the most. Even though I promised Hina to return to the hospital and pay for her parent’s bills, I couldn’t. Even though I told Midori I would be there in his time of need, I wasn’t. It was all just a blunt lie. And I didn’t know who the fuck killed my parents… I was an ignorant lad who knew nothing but crawl and move forward.

‘Move forward…”

Life wasn’t like something shown in the movies, series, or animes. This was reality. Despite getting my hands on a powerful system and a gift, I still couldn’t use it. If only someone had the will to utilise this power, maybe that person could save the world or save someone… Someone like me.

I wasn’t born special. I was just… nothing. And here I was, accepting my fate in the hands of the Grim Reaper. Ironic.

I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. It wasn’t something like those in the fairytales where I would awaken my power and defeat every single villain. Nothing can save me now besides death and its unsettling silence.

“I’m sorry, Midori… I’m sorry, Hina. For letting you down.”

However, the pain never came to me. After waiting for a few seconds, the scythe that the Grim Reaper had waved never hit me. It was as if something had stopped the attack or the ghoul had left my fore.

As I slowly opened my eyes, the Grim Reaper’s sight was still there in front of me. But there was one thing that set us apart. And it was the wall surrounding me that saved my life.

“What… Where did this come from?”

Just as I was about to swivel my head to the side, a voice reached out for me. It was a familiar sound that made this event possible. It gave me hope.

“R-RUN, BROTHER! I-I WILL HOLD THE MONSTER OFF!”

Little did I know Hina was with me this entire time as I fought against the ghoul. And when the situation turned south, my step-sister finally appeared and summoned a barricade. It only meant one thing. Hina had also awakened into an adventurer that could create walls that could protect anyone behind it. Hina could materialise these walls thanks to her unyielding will to protect me from this monster.

But despite her awakening, Hina didn’t change her appearance or use any tools in her arsenal. It was just her hands and the magical circles surrounding them. The arcanic runes that covered Hina’s palm had unfamiliar patterns compared to the golden hues created by the portals. It meant that her magic was something unique and didn’t rely on the portal’s mana.

And… I could also see Hina’s level and status by appraising it. Albeit it didn’t show everything, the system showed me what I needed to know about my step-sister.

[Name]: {Hina Amamiya}

[Species]: {Human}

[Occupation]: {None}

[Age]: {18 years old}

[Class]: {Tank Mage}

[Level 1] {Next Level-> 0/100 Experience}

[Stat points] - insufficient levels to view ally’s stat points.

— [Health] --- {100/100 [+1.0 Hp regeneration per minute]

— [Arcana] --- {500/500 [+10.0 Arc regeneration per minute}]

Hina was a tank mage. She could’ve been a summoner mage, but Hina could only materialise the ground rather than call out those magic circles. Despite showing the information about Hina and her abilities, my system and my low level limited me from viewing everything. Maybe if I could level up and defeat more monsters, I could upgrade my appraisal ability to something more.

“Hina! Why the hell did you come here!? You should be there beside your parents!”

“YOU IDIOT!” Hina cried, and cut my sentences off. “You told me you’d find a way to pay for my parent’s hospital bills… But not like this, Aoi… Not like this, brother.”

My answer was written on my face. I couldn’t return the gaze of my step-sister as I gawked at the ground, staring at the reflection from the pool of blood that belonged to me. Hina was right, and I was wrong. However, what choice did I have when I was faced with a ticking time bomb, trying to pay the bills within a week before the hospital could kick us out? This was my only answer. I needed to conquer this portal and return home with the treasure in my hands.

As we continued exchanging words, the walls that Hina summoned slowly crumbled. The Grim Reaper behind the barricade relentlessly tried smashing its weapon against the wall, hoping it could pierce a hole. If this continued and we did nothing about it, the monster would reach our area soon and eventually lead us to our demise.

“Aoi… please listen to me. You need to get out of here and save yourself… The portal is just right behind you. Leave me.”

Even though we wanted to escape, the portal had already trapped us inside. And even if Hina and I could try, this Grim Reaper would chase us down before we could reach the other side. The monster could even kill other civilians if it wanted to. But the portal itself mocked us as another notification alerted me and popped up a panel in front of my view. It came from the portal itself and was an updated one to boot.

[Since this is a Class-A portal, you are not eligible to exit the place and try again.]

There was no point in leaving this place. It was now or never. If we wanted to survive, we had to fight this Grim Reaper.

The scene repeated itself before me. But instead of Midori saving our lives, it was Hina who was the one who wished to be the decoy for me to run away. Just like what happened to my parents, I had the chance to escape the scenes without suffering any wounds or broken bones. However, it came with a price. And it was Hina’s life on the line.

If I wanted to make a change, now was the right time. I had a sniper that could defeat the Grim Reaper compared to those previous events. I only needed to try. I wasn’t the weak and cowardly child like when I was twelve years ago. This system could finally allow me to fight and save someone dear to me.

“Please, Aoi…. Let me die… If my parents woke up, you would be the first one they would find. I’m not as smart as you or gifted as you. I’m just… me. If someone needs to live, it should be you.”

While Hina uttered those words, the Grim Reaper had finally broken through the walls she had created. It would be a matter of time before the ghoul could kill her or me. And that was what the monster did. The Grim Reaper went straight in Hina’s direction, lifted its scythe, and activated a skill that it didn’t use before.

Hina will die…. Hina will die if I don’t do anything. Those were the thoughts running rampant inside my head.

“Go, brother…. Thank you… for everything... you’ve done for my family… and for me… Thank you.”

Those were the last words Hina said as she beamed at me with a smile. She accepted her fate and wept a river of tears while the Grim Reaper emerged behind my step-sister. Hina wouldn’t run away. That girl was willing to sacrifice herself to save her parents and me.

But I had enough of my cowardness. It was time to make a change… And it was time for me to wield this fucking gun of mine to save my sister.