'Future?' Haru froze, caught off guard. 'What does that mean?'
[Most worlds are built on core elements: time, space, energy, matter, and spirit,] the StarGate replied. [These can be used as currency for exchanges with me. 'Future' is a branch of time, so it's fair game too.]
'Is that different from trading my lifespan?'
[Your lifespan stays intact. I only take your 'future possibilities,' not the time itself.]
Even with two lives behind him, Haru struggled to wrap his head around it.
'Give me an example.'
[Take this: Possibility one: Haru trains hard in kendo, enters national tournaments, wins a championship, and lives as a swordsman. Possibility two: Haru injures his wrist soon, loses his knack for kendo, dives into studies, gets into a top university, and becomes a star employee at a global company. Possibility three: Haru, driven by justice, becomes a police officer who fights evil, marries his childhood friend Kamizuki Rias after a stellar career, and lives happily ever after]
[If you make the trade, none of those paths happen. Your future shifts to something else. The more possibilities you give up, the stronger the power you gain. But since these aren't solid things, the exchange rate is low. You won't get enough back to make up for it, so I don't recommend it.]
Haru took a deep breath. So, he'd be handing over the possible course of his life? But it's better than those systems which power mc just for mc to become a resource for their creators.
In his last life, his path was a flat line; living plainly, dying plainly, no twists or turns. This time, he had the freedom to choose, to chase endless possibilities and see wonders. But if he paid with his "future," his life would flatten out again, trudging toward a dull end.
After a long silence, the StarGate spoke. [Have you decided?]
'Yeah… I've made up my mind.' Haru gently ran his fingers through Rias's soft, fluffy hair. 'I'll pay with my 'future.'
[How much?]
'How much do I have?'
"…"
The StarGate paused, then answered, [In ten years, 2,132 possibilities. Anything beyond that or deeper predictions is past my limits. I can only map out 2,132 futures within a decade.]
'That's it?' Haru frowned. 'I thought it'd be a massive number.'
[I'm not all-powerful;just a tool. Calculating every future? That's omniscience, and I don't have that.]
Haru smiled faintly. 'Fair enough. Over two thousand… Take them all.'
[Warning: After the exchange, you can't use my 'world travel' function for ten years. You'll be stuck, unable to choose your path freely.]
'Over two thousand possibilities… That'd be one heck of a life' Haru thought. 'Too bad I won't get to live it. Guess I would be as they called fateless.'
He let out a quiet breath and said, "I want an amazing life..… but without family and friends, even the best life feels empty. I'd rather lose 'possibilities' than face loneliness." To him, the Kamizuki couple weren't just neighbors, they were family, each one a treasure he'd guard with everything he had.
Ordinary people might not get it, but Haru had his own way of measuring value. Once you've had nothing, you'll do anything to keep what matters.
"Besides…" He glanced at the sleeping Rias. "This girl is a pain when she cries." His tone was teasing, but his eyes were soft.
[Calculation starting…data backup...locking future…ten-year term…cutting preset events…]
[Cutting complete. Total segments: 2,121. Remaining 'future possibilities': 11.]
[Note the restrictions:
No world travel via the StarGate for ten years.No learning magecraft or mystery-related skills for ten years.No new combat techniques besides kendo for ten years.]
[Follow these, and your future stays limited to '11.' Break them, and your life veers into the unknown.]
In the dark, Haru felt something slip away; not blood or bone, but something deeper, like… his soul? No, 'his destiny.' His fate shrank from a sprawling web to a handful of tracks, all leading to the same place.
But he didn't regret it.
The StarGate's voice returned, this time with what he'd gained; power born from trading two thousand futures.
[1. First-generation magus bloodline, attribute unknown, starting with 21 magic circuits.
2. Basic magecraft: Reinforcement.
3. Kendo realm: First Strike]
(Focus your mind, channel it into the blade, swing freely without hesitation, maybe even touch the void. As they say, one thought reaches the divine.
Note: The ban on mystery-related skills starts after the exchange.)]
Heat flared inside him, like molten wires threading through his spine. Red pathways surged, clearing blockages as raw magical energy pulsed within.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Haru looked at his right hand. With a thought, red lines glowed; magic circuits, like circuits on a board, flickered to life.
'These are… my magic circuits.' He wiped sweat from his brow.
In the Type-Moon world, magic splits into two kinds.
First, the everyday stuff; fireballs, ice arrows–impressive, but science could mimic it. That's "magecraft," practiced by magi.
Then there's the rare stuff; things no amount of time or money can touch, like crossing parallel worlds. That's "magic," wielded by magicians, the world's top fighters.
Magic circuits are the "organs" that refine magical energy for magecraft; nerve-like structures, eerie when you think about it. They're passed down through bloodlines; better parents mean better circuits. Only those with them can become magi, and some families fade when the circuits dry up.
First-generation magi, born with circuits out of nowhere, usually don't get many. Take Emiya Shirou from the original story had 27 circuits, a jackpot that'd have families fighting to claim him. Haru's 21 put him in a solid spot, even if he couldn't match ancient magus clans.
'Reinforcement magecraft…'
It's simple: boost an object's traits. A sword gets sharper, tougher. On a body…
"Whoa!" Haru's arms felt alive, strength coursing through them like never before. Red patterns lit up his shoulders, forearms, wrists—magical energy flowed, power begging to burst free.
In his past life, sickness left his muscles weak. In this one, he was still a kid, not yet grown. This was his first taste of real strength.
Time was ticking—the Kamizuki couple's danger grew every second. No chance to test "First Strike." Haru changed quietly and grabbed a bamboo sword.
It could only bruise, but it felt right in his hands, better than a kitchen knife.
"…Haru…" Rias mumbled in her sleep.
'Talking in her dreams again.' Haru smiled, but her next words stopped him cold.
"Auntie… Haru didn't eat his green peppers…"
'She's ratting me out even in her sleep!'
'StarGate, can I take it back?'
[Sorry, no refunds.]
"…"
He was kidding….mostly. Once Haru chose, he stuck to it.
"Daddy… Mommy…" Rias murmured.
Haru took a steadying breath, shut the door softly, and stepped into the night.
"Uncle, Auntie… you're not dying on me!"