Chapter 53: Grow Stronger, Sakura Matou!
"Sakura Matou: Is my future really bad? But I am very happy now."
In the Tohsaka residence, the black-haired Sakura Matou and her sister Rin Tohsaka were sitting on the living room sofa, looking at a picture book together. More than a week ago, a strange interface appeared in her mind. At first, she thought it was a hallucination and didn't pay much attention to it, nor did she mention it to her sister. But as time went by, the interface didn't disappear, forcing her to accept its existence.
Just now, the 'ding' sound rang in her mind again, so out of curiosity, she opened the interface. Watching the dialogue messages scrolling by, she couldn't help but press +1.
Sakura Matou, though only four years old this year, is exceptionally intelligent and quickly understood that this interface was a tool for communication and that she was now part of it.
When she heard that her future would be bad, Sakura was surprised. Her family, the Tohsaka, were very wealthy, her parents loved her, and her relationship with her sister Rin was very good. She couldn't imagine her future being miserable.
However, the gentle and kind Sakura didn't doubt Eriri's words, as there seemed to be no reason for her to lie to a four-year-old. Nonetheless, she felt a bit worried inside.
"Sakura, what's wrong? Isn't the picture book interesting?" Rin Tohsaka asked, looking up at her sister after finishing the current page, noticing a trace of worry on Sakura's face. She assumed Sakura didn't like the picture book.
Sakura glanced at Rin but didn't express her worries. "It's nothing, sister. The picture book is interesting, but I'm a bit tired and want to rest for a while."
"Really? Then let's go to sleep." Without suspecting anything, Rin put away the picture book and led Sakura back to their room.
Lying in bed and tightly holding her sister's hand, Sakura closed her eyes and opened the chat group interface in her mind again.
"Kashiwagi Eri: You're four now. In another year, your life will change dramatically, so if you want to change your future, you need to gain the power to alter everything."
"Arifureta (Group Leader): Yes, Sakura's future is too tragic, that old worm is too despicable."
"Flower Hashira: Eh? Is Sakura's future really tragic? Why isn't Arifureta posting the memory image this time?"
"Arifureta (Group Leader): It's indeed tragic, so I won't upload it to avoid giving Sakura a psychological shadow."
"Flower Hashira: Ah... why does it sound so terrifying..."
"Asuna: The way you say it scares me too!"
"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: It seems my original future was also quite tragic..."
"Arifureta (Group Leader): Your situation is much better than Sakura's."
"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: ..."
In a slightly old tavern, Arche, who was having a strategy meeting with the members of the 'Foresight' team, was a bit stunned by what Arifureta said.
From the memory images Arifureta uploaded, Arche knew her future fate was to be killed in the Underground Great Tomb, with her body parts used by monsters after death, which was already very miserable. But if Sakura's future was even more tragic than hers, it was unimaginable...
"Flower Hashira: Come to think of it, my original future was also being killed by demons, and Shinobu also died at the hands of the same demon, which was also very tragic."
"Asuna: I was also trapped in a game for several years."
"Arifureta (Group Leader): That's nothing, I was sealed for three hundred years."
"Kashiwagi Eri: Stop, stop. Why is everyone starting a tragedy competition... Speechless.jpg"
"Kashiwagi Eri: Where's Sakura? Why isn't she saying anything?"
"Arifureta (Group Leader): Do you think Sakura has taken us as liars..."
"Kashiwagi Eri: Oh, this..."
"Flower Hashira: ..."
"Asuna: ..."
"Sakura Matou: No, no, I believe what the sisters are saying. I was just a bit busy just now and didn't check the messages in time."
Returning to the chat group, Sakura Matou hadn't had the chance to read the previous messages. She saw Arifureta's message and hurriedly explained it in the group.
She had a good impression of Eriri and the others and didn't want them to misunderstand her over minor matters.
"Sakura Matou: Eriri sister, what should I do to change the future?"
"Kashiwagi Eri: As I said earlier, gain strong power, and then any problem can be easily solved."
"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Exactly, I'm currently working hard to save points and improve my strength to change that terrible future!"
"Flower Hashira: Same here. Besides dealing with the trouble of Upper Rank Two, there's also the more formidable Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Iron-Blooded Hot-Blooded Cold-Blooded Vampire: Kaka, as long as the power is strong enough, the world's affairs will move according to your will."
"Kashiwagi Eri: Shinobu is right. Strength is the greatest confidence."
"Sakura Matou: Power? Does Eriri sister mean I should become a magus?"
"Sakura Matou: Are the sisters also magi? My dad is a very powerful magus too."
"Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Magecraft? Is it a type of magic? I'm a sorceress, not a magus."
"Ashen Witch: Although I also use magic, my title is witch, neither sorceress nor magecraft."
"Kashiwagi Eri: Magic is a form of power, but the power I want you to gain is not magic. I'll visit your world in a while, and you'll know then."
"Sakura Matou: Eh? Come to our world? Eriri sister, aren't you from our world?"
"Kashiwagi Eri: No, we're all from different worlds and different universes. Smile.jpg"
"Sakura Matou: Wow, amazing!"
"Kashiwagi Eri: Hehe, amazing, right? Proud.jpg"
"Arifureta (Group Leader): Ahem, what's there to be proud of..."
"Archangel Gabriel: Envious, why do you have so many points to casually visit other worlds? I want to go to Asuna's world to play games too."
"Archangel Gabriel: Eriri, lend me some points. Pitiful.jpg"
"Kashiwagi Eri: I don't have points either. Points screenshot.jpg"
"Archangel Gabriel: Oh, this... Then how do you go to Sakura's world?"
"Kashiwagi Eri: I never said I'm going now. Who says visiting other worlds necessarily requires points? Laugh.jpg"