Manager, give me a membership card too!

Looking at the blue-haired kelp-headed boy in front of him who suddenly erupted for some unknown reason, with a crazy expression on his face, Fujimaru Shirou struggled a few times but found that he could not break free. He could only cast a pleading look at his two teammates next to him.

Despite his vast theoretical knowledge and utterly inept practical experience, Pietro, who possessed brute strength honed in the system space, was completely helpless in the face of the sudden situation. Meanwhile, Donnie, the black-haired youth beside him, after carefully observing the blue-haired kelp-headed boy's condition for a few seconds, sighed with a complex expression, flashed behind him, and struck the boy on the back of the neck with his palm like a knife.

'Thump!'

The blue-haired spiky boy, who had been acting crazy, stiffened and slowly collapsed onto the cold ground of the subway platform.

Shirou's surname wasn't mentioned in the original work, but the surname Fujimaru is a joke, you all know what I mean (oo). The sword-making is also a joke.

Chapter 237 The Courage That Cannot Be Mentioned

Chapter 237 The Courage That Cannot Be Mentioned

Shinji Matou had a boring and terrifying childhood. The source of his childhood trauma was the 'monster' named Zouken Matou, the head of the Matou family and his nominal grandfather.

Please forgive him for using the word 'monster' to describe his relative, because young Shinji could not find any other more suitable adjective to describe that man.

Dark, damp, eerie, cruel.

That withered old man, as emaciated as a corpse, was the nightmare of the entire Matou family, constantly watching over the other members with covetous eyes. Even their own mother, that gentle and kind woman, disappeared from their lives after being forced into the forbidden basement by that monster, never to be seen again.

When he was young, Shinji Matou once broke the rules and sneaked into the basement because he missed his mother. He wanted to find his mother, but instead of finding her, he encountered the most terrifying experience of his life.

It was an insect, a huge insect, an ugly, slimy creature with six terrifying compound eyes, countless blade-like legs, and disgusting slime flowing all over its body, a horrible monster that seemed to have stepped out of the most terrifying dream of mankind.

escape!

This was the first and only thought in Shinji Matou's mind when he saw the giant insect.

Terrified, the boy scrambled out of the damp and terrifying basement on all fours. In his final moments, he instinctively glanced at the spot where the giant worm had been, only to be surprised to find that the horrifying insect hadn't chased after him as he'd expected. Instead, it stood quietly, silently watching the boy's receding figure.

Shinji Matou didn't know why the giant insect hadn't harmed him, but that didn't stop him from mentally designating the area where the basement was located as a forbidden zone, his own forbidden zone, and he never went near it again after that.

Time passed quickly after that day, and Shinji Matou's life seemed to return to normal. Although the Matou family seemed somewhat lifeless under the rule of the monster known as "Grandpa," and servants would mysteriously disappear every now and then, Shinji Matou, as the sole heir of the family, lived a relatively peaceful life.

But this peace was soon shattered. A girl named Matou Sakura appeared in Matou Shinji's life, and in his grandfather's words, the child named Sakura would be his little sister from now on.

I have a younger sister?

The novel experience of having a new family member seemed to change Shinji Matou's peaceful life. Sakura Matou, though somewhat timid and shy, yet gentle and kind in her interactions, evoked a strange feeling in Shinji. This feeling was so familiar, so comforting, as if he had experienced it before. What was this feeling?

The boy racked his brains but couldn't recall where he had experienced a similar feeling before. However, this did not stop him from liking his new sister and considering her an important member of his family.

Everything is moving in a positive direction. The number of servants in the house has stopped decreasing inexplicably, and the relationship between myself and my new sister is growing closer. My uncle, who is very kind to me, is also returning to Fuyuki from out of town soon. Even my grandfather, who always has a stern face, has shown a rare kind smile.

If things continue like this, maybe my life will gradually get better?

The boy once imagined it this way, and looked forward to it this way, until that day, that familiar day, that day that seemed so familiar.

With a smile on his face, Grandpa knocked on his door and took away his younger sister, Matou Sakura, who was playing with him, saying he was going to give Sakura some special training. However, when he saw Sakura again the next day, Sakura had changed.

She had gradually accepted that her younger sister was becoming distant again, and her expression became numb, stiff, and lifeless, making her look like any other member of the family, no longer the gentle and lively person she once was.

Shinji Matou didn't know why his sister had become like this, but he didn't want to lose this precious family member. So the next day, when his grandfather took Sakura away from his sister's room again, Shinji Matou tiptoed after him, wanting to see what his grandfather had done to his sister.

Then, Shinji Matou's expression gradually became strange. The road in front of him was so familiar; he had wandered around this area countless times, but he no longer had the courage to walk to its end.

This is the road leading to the basement!

Realizing this fact, Shinji Matou's once nimble hands and feet gradually stiffened, and his frail body began to tremble uncontrollably. However, the boy, still clinging to a sliver of hope, mustered his strength and dragged his stone-like body closely behind his sister, praying that their destination was not that hellish place.

Unfortunately, there's a pattern in this world. The more you fear something, the more you resist it from happening, the more likely it is to happen, perhaps even right before your eyes.

Looking at the eerie door not far from him, Shinji Matou's entire body broke out in goosebumps, and his legs, which had long since given way, collapsed to the ground. He was drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled out of the water.

The grandfather and sister, who were standing at the door leading to the basement, did not immediately enter the dark passage. Instead, they stood there straight in front of the door, as if waiting for something, hoping for something that was almost impossible to appear.

One minute, three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes.

Time ticked by, and Shinji Matou stared blankly at the two people standing in the doorway. His trembling right hand slowly rose and fell, but he couldn't bring himself to extend it.

A sound was stuck in his throat. He wanted to shout, but in the end, he couldn't utter anything, leaving only a gurgling sound that no one else could hear.

Finally, after several more minutes, the old man standing in front of the iron gate seemed to have grown tired of the boring wait. After letting out a contemptuous laugh, he roughly pulled the girl beside him and disappeared into the endless darkness leading to the basement.

With a loud bang as the iron gate slammed shut, Shinji Matou collapsed onto the cold ground as if all his strength had been drained. His eyes were fixed on the now firmly closed gate, filled with endless regret and despair.

He saw it! He saw it! He saw the look in his sister's eyes as she turned back to him just before entering the basement. There was no pain, no sorrow, no hope that she could save him. Only numbness, a deathly numbness.

Once again, he failed. He was cowardly. He couldn't save anyone. Never before had he despised himself as much as he did today. But what tormented him most was recognizing the look in his sister's eyes—a look he had seen before.

Just recently, in that terrifying basement, he had seen similar eyes; he had met those same desperate and numb gazes before.

That insect, that enormous insect. It was the look in the eyes of someone who had endured a despair unimaginable hell. And before his sister, only one person had entered the basement...

Upon realizing that terrifying possibility, Shinji Matou's mouth gaped open, and he howled in agony. But no sound came out; only a low whimper escaped his throat, leaving behind only a thin, blue-haired boy, silently screaming on the cold floor, venting the endless fear and...

resentment

............................

"Captain, didn't you go too far and kill this blue-haired kid? Why hasn't he woken up yet?"

"How dare you slander someone out of thin air? I calculated precisely and struck him on the back of the neck with the perfect angle and force, knocking him unconscious while ensuring he wasn't harmed. Don't worry, he'll wake up soon."

“But it’s been almost ten minutes and he’s still unconscious. This can’t go on. We still have a mission to carry out.”

"Captain, Pietro, look! His eyelids seem to be moving. Is he about to wake up?"

"Huh?! It really is!"

The slightly noisy sounds jolted Shinji Matou out of his heavy memories. He slowly opened his slightly dry and swollen eyes and looked at the three unfamiliar men in front of him with a bit of confusion.

A handsome young man with black hair, a flamboyant white boy with dyed blond hair, and a seemingly very composed Asian boy with orange hair who looked at him with a hint of worry in his eyes.

What's wrong with me? Why does my head hurt so much? My neck hurts, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, my butt hurts, and there's no part of my body that doesn't hurt?

Slowly waking from his coma, Shinji Matou looked at the three strangers he had never seen before with a bewildered expression, wondering why he was there.

Just moments ago, he was engrossed in playing the newly released Devil May Cry 4 in his room, but for some reason, his uncle, Matou Kariya, suddenly dragged him out and made him participate in some kind of reincarnation space. He also said that his current lifestyle was too decadent, that he was no different from a useless person if he continued like this, and that he had to make a change.

Only in this way will he be qualified to inherit the Matou family's business empire and become one of the top conglomerate leaders in Japan today.

But he didn't want that kind of meaningless money and wealth. For Shinji Matou, video games, serialized manga, and novels were the driving force and meaning of his life. Business planning, knowledge and secrets of the magic world—these things were less alluring to this eldest son of the Matou family than a platinum trophy.

Unfortunately, Matou Kariya, who had evolved from a skinny photographer into a strong, muscular man, had no intention of listening to any of his nephew's explanations or protests. He simply grabbed the unfortunate fellow and threw him into the slowly opening blue and white spatial door as if he were just a weight he used for training, not the only heir of his family.

Survival of the fittest. If his nephew couldn't return alive from what he considered a simple cycle of reincarnation, then so be it—he could die there. He would prepare a new wife for his brother and raise a true man for the Matou family as their new heir.

Recalling his uncle Kariya Matou's serious "sentencing" before he "flew into" the portal, Shinji Matou, who had looked bewildered just a second ago, suddenly opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.

Then, he covered his forehead and lay back down on the ground. Pietro, who had gotten too close out of curiosity, did the same thing as Matou Shinji. Now, the young boy, who had dyed his hair blonde at such a young age, was rubbing his high nose bridge in annoyance, looking at the blue-haired seaweed-headed boy who had successfully 'ambushed' him with a look of frustration in his eyes.

Five minutes later, Shinji Matou, his head sprayed with Umbrella's special healing agent, sat dejectedly on a chair on the subway platform. Beside him were Donnie, a black-haired youth, Pietro, who had dyed his blond hair, and Shirou Fujimaru, who always maintained a gentle smile.

"Alright, now that everyone is almost ready, I, as the leader of this operation, will say a few words."

Robert Downey Jr., the only adult among them, glanced at the three young boys beside him with a headache, his heart filled with mixed feelings. But since he was already there, he would fulfill his responsibility, leading this seemingly unreliable team to complete their mission and successfully leave this world.

"As newcomers in your first reincarnation, the three of you are undoubtedly very lucky to have encountered such a rare rescue mission. This kind of mission not only allows you to request remote support from Chaldea, but also eliminates concerns about interference from the local World Government. It's incredibly convenient and effortless; you only need to focus on carrying out the mission and don't have to worry about anything else. Secondly..."

"I have a question!" Just as Donnie was pulling out a small black stick from somewhere and explaining the key points to note before the mission to the other three young men present, Pietro, looking excited, raised his hand high, looking like a student answering a question in class.

Donnie's hand froze on the small black stick, and the words he wanted to say were swallowed back down his throat. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with helplessness:

"Pietro, is there a problem?"

"Captain, I just want to ask, what exactly is a 'rescue mission'?"

"What's a rescue mission?" Hearing this question, Donnie glanced at the other two clueless youngsters who looked at him with obvious agreement, as if to say, "I want to know too!" He sighed and rubbed his temples, a headache forming. Don't these guys even read the newbie handbook before coming on a mission? What are their guardians doing?

But despite the headache, as the team leader, he still needed to answer the questions from his teammates.

"The so-called 'rescue mission' is when our Chaldea organization, which is responsible for ensuring the survival of humanity, accidentally discovers some worlds or planets that are in apocalyptic crisis during our spacetime exploration and need our Chaldea to provide emergency rescue. In this case, Chaldea will send many mission teams to various regions of the relevant world to establish bases, rescue the local civilians affected by the disaster, and help the local people get through the crisis."

"Our mission this time is to find a suitable location to build a shelter, and then search for survivors as much as possible around the shelter."

"Of course, given that this is your first mission and you are all newbies who know nothing, there is already another experienced team carrying out a rescue mission in our area. We are just providing support from the sidelines and offering any help that may be needed. The main purpose is to let you familiarize yourselves with the atmosphere of the Reincarnation Space and prepare for the next official mission."

"Oh, I see. I understand completely now. I never imagined I, Pietro, would one day become a hero who saves others. How cool!"

Looking at Pietro, who was waving his hands and grinning foolishly in front of him, Donnie had a lot of complaints stuck in his throat and didn't know where to start. He could only silently comfort himself that these were all underage kids, and his job was to guide, help and educate them.

Just as Donnie, having regained his composure, was about to say something more, Pietro, who was excitedly preparing for a big adventure, suddenly changed his expression and turned to ask:

"Captain, didn't you just say that the world is in the midst of an apocalyptic crisis? What kind of apocalyptic crisis is it?"

"What kind of apocalyptic crisis?"

Upon hearing this, the black-haired youth, Donnie, felt a stirring in his heart and spoke in a low voice:

"Why don't you go and see for yourselves?"

I glanced at the plot of The Last of Us Part II, and it's a disappointing sequel.

Chapter 238 City of Death

Chapter 238 City of Death

"Our Chaldea organization, which is responsible for ensuring the survival of human civilization, is to safeguard the smooth development of all known human civilizations and prevent them from becoming extinct for any reason. Of course, our protection is not without reason or bottom line. When we encounter a new civilization, Chaldea will assess its status, level of civilization, and direction of development."

"We will only help those worlds that have gone astray, fallen into internal strife, or encountered crises. If the worlds and civilizations we encounter are developing normally, Chaldea will not intervene but will remain hidden in the shadows, silently observing their development. At most, we will provide some support when their technology encounters bottlenecks."

"Cooooool! It seems like Chaldea is a bit like one of those dark organizations that hide behind the scenes. They keep quiet most of the time, observing others' performance, then suddenly appear at crucial moments to pull off a big attack, and then quickly disappear without a trace. Isn't that exactly how those dark organizations operate?"

Donnie, who was leading three young boys toward the subway station exit, stumbled upon hearing this and nearly fell on the turnstile at the subway entrance, almost ruining his handsome face.

This kid really needs a guardian to teach him a lesson. Does this sound reasonable? No way, after we get back from this mission, I'm going to ask Luo Xia for guardianship of this guy and give this brat a good talking to.

Donnie, with a sigh of resignation, stepped over the now-defunct ticket gate and headed towards the subway entrance. The three boys obediently followed behind Donnie, crossing the gate together and keeping pace with their leader.

As they walked, Donnie explained Chaldea's way of doing things and the precautions for the Reincarnation Space to the three young boys, explaining things they should have known before entering. Although the three boys behind him had different expressions, they all listened attentively, firmly memorizing what Donnie said.

However, unlike Pietro, who acts impulsively and recklessly, Fujimaru Shirou, who is naturally more composed, focuses on something else entirely.

"Captain Donnie, you said that Chaldea is an organization that maintains world order behind the scenes, only appearing when the human race needs it. So how exactly does Chaldea determine whether humans in other worlds need our help?"

The orange-haired boy in the middle of the group voiced his doubts. After noticing that Donnie, the team leader, had noticed him, he nodded and continued:

"Under my master's guidance, I've witnessed several different worlds. Although they're all called Earth, their civilizations and ways of doing things have subtle differences. As self-proclaimed guardians, how can we determine whether the people in those worlds need our help or see us as invaders?"

Donnie glanced at the orange-haired boy, Fujimaru Shirou, whose face was serious and earnest, with some surprise, and unconsciously held him in higher regard. Compared to the other two young boys who still carried some youthful spirit, this boy named Fujimaru Shirou might not have the physical attributes or special abilities of the other two, but his maturity and composure were unmatched by the other two, hitting the nail on the head in a single sentence.

While Rorschach's own logic isn't exactly righteous or noble, he's not exactly a villain either. Chaldea, led by Rorschach, naturally follows his style, possessing its own set of logic and rules; it's not the kind of organization that acts recklessly on a whim.

While the idea of ​​a lone hero is appealing, it depends on the situation. Take, for example, the numerous spy movies, superhero movies, and even various commercial popcorn movies that Rorschach watched in his previous life. Watching them, you could immerse yourself in the protagonist and enjoy the thrill of being invincible, capable of anything, and decisive in killing without hesitation.

However, if you adopt the perspective of an ordinary person in the movie, you will absolutely loathe those 'protagonists'.

Putting aside everything else, let's just talk about a character who is almost a household name, the legendary secret agent in the film industry, 007 James Bond.

This MI6 agent spent his life carrying out various missions assigned by his superiors, fighting on the territories of other sovereign states without their knowledge, destroying countless vehicles and houses, and injuring no fewer than four figures of innocent civilians.

After completing his mission, this agent left with his Bond girl, looking incredibly dashing, but leaving behind a huge mess for those bewildered sovereign nations.

Similar scenes abound in various movies: high-speed car chases are thrilling, city gunfights are exhilarating, and buildings explode one after another, grabbing attention and adrenaline. But when movies become reality and stories become true, it's definitely not something to be amused by the civilians who are accidentally injured or the police and firefighters who sacrifice their lives in vain.

That's why, after Rorschach met Tony Stark, he always hoped that the latter would act discreetly, silencing everything and doing his utmost to avoid any incidents that might harm innocent people. Perhaps this wasn't cool enough, glamorous enough, or attention-grabbing enough. But for the civilians who escaped unscathed, it was a decision that could affect their entire lives.

If something can be solved with money, then solve it with money; if something can be solved with power, then solve it with power. If neither money nor power can solve the problem, then for such stubborn resisters who refuse to listen to reason or force, Rorschach will naturally teach them the consequences of not following the rules of the game.

Adhering to this philosophy, Rorschach and Tony have silently resolved many incidents that could have escalated into violent clashes, nipping all the potential disasters in the bud and even guiding them in a positive direction.

For example, the genius mechanic Ivan Vanko, who is expected to cause trouble for Tony this year, is currently doing semi-vacational research work at one of Tony's research bases in the Hawaiian Islands, on the condition that the young master promises to take care of his father with the best medical resources. He also occasionally helps out with some missions and is living a very happy life.

Of course, this deal was made without the other party's father's knowledge. But it's a pretty good ending for everyone, isn't it?

For example, a certain seven-times-advanced doctor who gained a lot of weight after being exposed to gamma rays is now living with his girlfriend in a secret base of the Uruk Corporation in South America. Although they are under some supervision, they don't have to worry about their safety.

Rorschach, who had obtained information about Nick Fury's whereabouts after the Coulson incident, went to meet with the former tank of the Avengers almost immediately. After a series of friendly and harmonious exchanges, he successfully recruited him to serve as the research director and also obtained a portion of the super soldier serum contaminated with gamma rays.

In addition, there were other companies and organizations like AIM Pioneer Technologies and Hammer Industries that were always trying to cause trouble. Now they have all been swallowed up by Stark Industries, which is affiliated with the Uruk Consortium, and have become subsidiaries that obediently provide new technologies. They can no longer cause any trouble.

Rorschach and Tony did many similar things. Characters like Sandman and Vulture, who wouldn't cause trouble as long as they were well-off, were all hired by Stark Industries. Those with talent were given suitable jobs with full benefits, ensuring they could enjoy life happily every day and not cause any trouble. Those without talent were all assigned to the security departments of Stark Industries and the Uruk Corporation, earning several times their colleagues' salaries and spending their days drinking tea and reading newspapers—wouldn't that be wonderful?

Tony Stark has everything these days, except money; you could say he's so rich he's practically broke. Any problem that can be solved with money isn't really a problem.

As for someone like Kingpin, who is not satisfied with a small amount of money and power, and whose personality is cruel, ruthless, and capricious, Rorschach also has his own solutions.

Killing him is out of the question. He controls over 90% of the American underworld and has subordinates and secret bases all over the world. Kingpin's death would throw the entire United States into chaos. This is why many government agencies, including S.H.I.E.L.D., have criminal records of him but haven't been able to arrest him.

To some extent, Kingpin stabilized the dark side of America, greatly reducing crime and civilian casualties. He has become a kind of dark order, to the point that even the US government actively protects his life.

However, not dying doesn't mean not being able to fight. Rorschach assigned this underworld tycoon a new job: serving as a human punching bag in the system space. With the system's miraculous ability to restore someone to their original state or even fully replenish their stamina even when they were on their last breath, Kingpin, the powerful figure who stirred up the dark side of the world, experienced the darkest two weeks of his life.