Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 886 - : A Reminder from Shiki Ryougi

"Huh?"

That single question came from all three of them at once, each wondering the same thing: What was this little girl up to now?

Shinji and Sakura were more reserved in their response since they'd known Mana since she was still just an embryo, literally. They had known her for that long.

But Aoko Mitsuzuri's voice was the loudest, as she was genuinely a little scared of the kid. Mana always had a trick up her sleeve, especially with that insistent Little Mom title she used for her—wait, did she call her that again?

"I've told you before, stop calling me Little Mom."

"You and my mom look so much alike! Why can't I just call you that?"

Mana whined.

"Otherwise, I'll have to call you Mitsuzuri Oba-san."

"Oba-san?"

Mitsuzuri's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"If it's between Little Mom and Oba-san, I'd much rather you call me Oba-san."

But even Mitsuzuri's compromise was completely ignored, and Mana waved her hand dismissively, clearly impatient.

"We'll talk about that later! First, you need to compete with my future master."

"Compete? In what?"

Sakura ruffled Mana's hair affectionately. Mana had become used to this kind of gesture, having been patted on the head by Shinji so many times in her life.

"Archery," Mina said, pointing at the targets at the far end of the range. "My future master just said he's better at archery than you."

"Oh, really? He said that?"

Mitsuzuri's eyebrows raised, her competitive spirit flaring.

"Yup! You're not going to deny it, are you, future master?"

Mana grinned mischievously as if to say, "If you deny it, I'll lose respect for you and won't become your student."

Shinji, who saw through Mana's little game, found himself both amused and a bit exasperated.

"There's nothing to deny."

"Wow, you just said that," Mitsuzuri muttered, laughing softly.

"It's the truth," Shinji said, tapping Mana lightly on the forehead and nodding in acknowledgment.

"Then let's compete?"

Since ancient times, literature has had no top, but in martial arts, there is no second place.

In literature, there's no ultimate best, which is why scholars often clash. In martial arts, there's always a number one, which is why warriors always strive to surpass one another.

Mitsuzuri, being from a martial arts family, couldn't back down from a challenge from a peer.

"There's no need for that."

Shinji, also a martial artist, didn't feel it was worth competing with Mitsuzuri.

"Are you afraid?"

Mitsuzuri teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Think of it as me being afraid, sure."

Shinji sighed.

Upon hearing this, both Mitsuzuri and Mana looked disappointed.

"I can't believe the famous genius of the school is just all talk," Mitsuzuri scoffed.

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"Boasting, boasting, shame, shame," Mana chimed in, making faces at him.

"Brother—"

Sakura was about to speak when Shinji interrupted her.

"Let them say whatever they want. I don't care."

"Still talking big, huh? You've killed my mood for practice. Well, I'll leave the cleanup to you, Sakura."

Mitsuzuri, disappointed, put down her bow and headed toward the changing room.

"Brother, why didn't you want to compete with Mitsuzuri-senpai?"

Sakura asked softly.

"Because there's no point. What's the use of beating an ordinary person like Mitsuzuri?"

Shinji responded.

"That's..."

"Hmph, still boasting!"

Mana crossed her arms, turning her head away.

"You're just scared, future master. You're embarrassing. I don't want you as my master anymore."

"Don't be so quick to decide, Mana. You'll know soon enough if I was boasting."

As Shinji spoke, he picked up the bow Mitsuzuri had tossed aside, plucking the string lightly as he listened.

"Not bad. A little old, but a decent bow. Probably expensive—no wonder Issei doesn't like her."

"Did you change your mind, future master? Are you going to compete with Little Mom now? I'll go get her!"

Mana eagerly moved to call Mitsuzuri back, but Shinji stopped her.

"I already said there's no need for that. Just watch. One arrow is all it takes."

With that, Shinji nocked an arrow onto the bowstring. Unlike Mitsuzuri and Sakura, who were fully immersed in their archery with precise form, Shinji's posture seemed casual, careless even. He didn't bother changing into an archery uniform or following the traditional steps. At first, Mina thought he wasn't serious at all.

But when the arrow left the bow and hit the target, her opinion changed entirely.

Shinji hadn't been boasting. His arrow didn't just hit the target—it split the arrow that Mitsuzuri had previously shot, right down the middle. Even with no knowledge of archery, Mina could see how difficult it was. Her future master was far more skilled than Little Mom.

After shooting, Shinji imitated the famous Yusuf Dikec pose.

"Wow, amazing!"

Mana's mouth dropped open in awe.

In contrast, Sakura had believed in her brother from the start.

"I knew it. My brother is the best."

Shinji handed the bow back to Sakura and gently called out, "Mana."

"Yes, future master?"

Mana's attitude shifted, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Do you want to learn?"

"Yes, yes!"

"I'll teach you everything, not just archery. But before we start, you need to remember something. You were born into the Ryougi family, which makes you special. There's no need to compare yourself to ordinary people. That'll only make you ordinary. No matter how fast a butterfly flies, it can never keep up with a bird. Your Little Mom is strong, yes, but she's an ordinary person. She's the butterfly, not the bird. It's as simple as that."

Mana thought for a moment before nodding earnestly.

"Got it. I should aim to be like my mom, Uncle Shiki, or Aunt Akiha, not like my dad or Little Mom."

"Smart kid," Shinji said, pleased.

"Come on, let's go find your mom. Sakura, you—"

"I'll finish up here and call you," Sakura said sweetly.

"I'll wait for your call."

Shinji waved goodbye and, taking Mana's hand, left the archery range.

Sakura, watching them leave, clenched her fists with determination. "Alright, I've got to do my best too. I can't make Brother and Sister Shiki wait too long."

In reality, there was no need for Sakura to hurry, as Shinji's meeting with Shiki had already concluded before she left the archery range.

As Shinji and Mana exited the school, a car from the Ryougi family pulled up.

Shiki was in the back seat, as usual, dressed in her kimono, regardless of the season.

Shinji handed Mana over to Shiki and greeted her, "Shiki, long time no see. Are you free tonight? Why not come over to my place?"

"No, I still have some things to take care of. I have to visit a few more cities tonight."

"In such a rush?"

"It's a commission from Tokyo. The schedule's tight, so I can't delay."

She was referring to the Japanese government's secretive agency, which often requested help from the Ryougi family, the oldest exorcist clan still in existence.

"A government job? Need any help?"

Shinji offered. There wasn't much that the Matou family couldn't handle in the area.

"No, this one's mostly an investigation. I can handle it—but there's something I wanted to warn you about."

Since marrying Mikiya and especially after Mana was born, Shiki's cold demeanor had softened considerably, showing more humanity.

"What is it?"

"During my investigation, I noticed a rise in strange entities in this area. Their intentions are unclear, so you should be cautious."

"Strange entities? What kind?"

Shinji initially wasn't too concerned—after all, he was now one of the most powerful figures in the mystical world. Few local threats could cause him trouble. However, Shiki's next words made his face darken.

"Vampires."