Chapter 8 - Breaking point

  alwaysunqualified

  Smack

  A sword crashes down upon my head, sending my face plunging into the dirt. My mouth is immediately filled with the gritty, unpleasant taste of earth.

  I'm unscathed, courtesy of a protection spell cast by one of the instructors.

  Opposite me stands Sakura, thoroughly kicking my ass despite being under the influence of a weakening spell that has rendered her both slower and weaker than myself.

  “Come on brother, you got distracted,” she chides.

  ‘Of course I'm getting fucking distracted! That fucking goddess couldn't listen to my one request and had to drag the twins into this.’ I scream to myself.

  [+1 Anna Affection point]

  [+1 Emma Affection point]

  "Don't just lie there; we don't have all day!" The voice cutting through my haze belonged to one of our instructors, a woman named Livia. She oversaw our spear training and was currently supervising our sparring session. To put it mildly, she was a hard ass.

  Despite my reluctance to, I forced myself up. The thought of practicing spear thrusts for ten hours was even less appealing.

  It all seemed like fun and games when I was merely a spectator, but actually participating was a different story. I now held Angelica and Sakura in much higher esteem for enduring this without a single compint.

  Maybe people in this world are just built differently.

  With a grunt, I pulled myself to my feet and adopted a ready stance. Sakura, ever the aggressor, charged at me, her shield up to guard her front. I aimed a stab at her legs, but just as the spear tip was about to make contact, she performed a nimble half-cartwheel, keeping her shield oriented towards me.

  A moment ter, her shield crashed into my face, followed quickly by the pommel of her sword striking my head. Once again, I found myself sprawling on the ground.

  [+1 Anna Affection points.]

  [+1 Emma Affection points]

  Adding to my frustration was the fact that each time I found myself hitting the ground, the twins would award me an Affection point, providing a constant tally of my failures.

  In my next attempt, I sought refuge behind my shield, tentatively jabbing at her with my spear. She deftly knocked aside my spear with her shield, then used her leg to lift my shield, exposing me before delivering a swift kick to my chin.

  And just like that, I was once again acquainted with the taste of dirt.

  [+1 Anna Affection points.]

  [+1 Emma Affection points.]

  No matter my efforts, I couldn't nd a single hit on her. I fared slightly better against the other students, but it was clear I was scraping the bottom of the barrel. Even kids half my size were beating me in combat. The instructors' looks of disappointment only added salt to the wound, especially given that both my sisters excelled at the top of their css, and my twin, who also started this year, was the strongest among us. The instructors even had to bring in tier 1 students to provide her with a challenge.

  "Look at the little prince, so sheltered he can't even fight," taunted a boy from the sidelines.

  "Hey, don't worry about your sisters, I'll marry them all for you," jeered another.

  As if the boys weren't bad enough, the whispers of the girls were just as demoralizing. They talked about my ck of skill, doubting I'd ever advance beyond tier 1. I could see their Affection points plummeting into the negatives.

  I've truly had enough. I yearn for my real home, not this fantastical one. I long to see my parents, to py games with my little brother, and to listen to my younger sister excitedly share tales of her budding love life. She had just entered her first romantic retionship, and I hadn't even had the chance to meet the bastard.

  Despite the passage of time, everything still feels incredibly surreal to me, almost as if I could awaken any moment now in my own bed, ready to share a ugh with my school friends about the bizarre dream I experienced. Yet, the searing pain in my muscles serves as the most tangible proof I've had since arriving here that this is all very real, and the possibility of never returning home weighs on me more heavily than all the rest combined.

  "Shut up," Sakura yells, noticing me sprawled on the ground. Her expression is one of confusion; she's genuinely trying to assist me. With each attack, she varies her approach, offering me a wealth of experience in facing different types of attacks and then advising me on how to recognize and defend against them.

  Sakura is inherently kind, always looking out for those around her; mocking someone for their weaknesses is something she would not do. Yet, just like back home, the other kids here can be merciless and judgmental.

  A loud cnging interrupts the taunting. Turning my head, I see the instructor with her shield up, preventing Yuno from attacking the jeering boys.

  "Let's not escate things," the instructor interjects. Yuno scans the boys one by one, then dismisses them with a gnce, choosing instead to lie down beside me. Sakura, realizing I was done, joins us on the ground.

  Miki gently lifts my head and pces it in her p, soothingly stroking my hair, while allowing the twins to py with it too. They all stay by my side, until it's time to leave.

  [Date End.]

  [Achievement unlocked - Worst date ever - Lose more than 1000 Affection on a date. Able to reset a date for free once a year. ]

  [Achievement unlocked - Keep it in the family - Complete the set - All Family gain a 25% leveling speed for skill and overall level after tier 1.]

  [Achievement unlocked - loved by loli’s - Don’t you want to just give them headpats - all loli’s gain 10% Affection gains - those who are questionable only gain half.]

  [Unlocked traits - lol

  [Cards - Anna, Emma]

  I just quickly close all the menus. I'm in no mood for this.