Chapter 3

Tanya cracked her head as she was sitting with Alex.

"So, it is better for us to cooperate." Tanya had crossed her arms as she looked at Alex.

They both had told each other a little bit about their worlds. The fact that they both were reincarnated and Alex came from a universe far more advanced than the present one. Tanya came from a much more primitive planet. Both of them had dropped hints about their more than extra powers. 

It was a mutual sharing of resources between them.

"So, the plan is set." There was a grin on Tanya's face.

"Yes, it is." Alex smiled. A katana was placed in front of him.

"We will establish our own company. One in which we will publish books." Tanya started.

"And make out own supply of patents and equipment. Advancing this galaxy and enriching ourselves at the same time." Alex continued.

Tanya nodded. A sickly smile formed on her face. "Gaining us absolute control of our own inventions." 

"Ensuring that they are used as we want them to be used." Alex extended his hand to Tanya.

"To live comfortably." Tanya clasped his hand.

"To live freely, away from the whims of destiny." Alex shook her hand.

Their alliance had been a fruitful one. The adults had stopped paying that much attention to them. They both began to share their work and plan their future. Tanya, who had been a salaryman once and a general next. She knew about the nature of the business world. She could be as cutthroat as anyone else. Alex was a natural empath, owning to his force abilities. He commanded the heart of people and would present a good head. Tanya, one who prioritized logic above all else, would take care of the accounting and the planning for their firm. And so began the origin of a company that would not be so long-lived, all due to circumstances beyond their control. Fate is, after, a fickle master. Both were unaware of the impending doom approaching them and what they must become to counter it.

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"We did make an agreement, but we still need credits." Tanya was drinking some orange juice. Her looks concentrated on her personal terminal. "I would rather publish myself instead of outsourcing. This could be a massive source of revenue, and I refuse to let any other publishing company fuck it up." She took a large sip. "Who knows what they will do for a little bit of censorship or to make it more acceptable."

Alex nodded. "I may have a plan for that."

Tanya was interested now. "Oh, do tell."

"I have been practicing with the swords." Alex pointed towards the two katanas around his waist. "I could win a few tournaments to get us a little startup money."

"Are you any good?" Tanya asked him.

"There was a point that I could deflect bullets back." Alex laughed. "That could make us the required startup money." There was a slight pause as Alex continued. "We could also do some strategic betting to make some money."

"That may actually work." Tanya began to earnestly think. "But the System Alliance has no sword fighting competitions anymore. At least, they don't have that much prestige."

There was a smile on his face. "But Thessia does. There is a tournament being held on the citadel. I just need a little bit of starting capital to enter."

Tanya sighed. "So to even make that much credit, we need credits. Yare Yare."

Alex also shrugged helplessly. The preliminaries also commanded a premium price. There was also the cost of getting to the citadel.

"We can ask the old Matron. Most she can say is no." Tanya, after spending some time thinking, said out loud.

Alex looked her straight in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

Tanya answered resolutely. "What choice do we have?"

"That was what I was afraid of." Alex rubbed his temple.

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The Matron was doing some paperwork in her office. Things had been progressing well. Their orphanage had been receiving various donations, and they were well stocked for the moment. The only problem was the fact that she needed to do something. Show the children part of the world. A type of annual field trip.

She also could not waste any resources as well. They were literally located on the edge of Alliance space.

The door in front of her opened, and she saw both Alex and Tanya enter.

Her pet projects.

She smiled at both of them. Her Aces.

"What do you brats want now?"

She felt pity that Tanya still looked like a little child. On the other hand, Alex had picked up height and was about 5 ft 11. 

"So, what do you want. You never visit me unless you want something." A sharp look was given to both of them.

Tanya used her omnitool to display a holographic advertisement in front of her. 

"A tournament. Preliminaries held in the citadel." The Matron closed her eyes. "Hmm."

She stared at the pair of teenagers in front of her. "And what do you want with this."

"We lack the funds to take place in this tournament," Alex explained. "We were hoping that you would front the cost in exchange for an amount of the award."

"Cheeky brats." The Matron laughed. "Do you already think that you have won?"

"Yes." Tanya put on a facade and looked at her earnestly. "You should see him."

Surprised by the answer, the Matron crossed her arms and began to think. She only meant to tease the brats but did not expect such an answer from the girl. Maybe she could use this. She had seen the boy's sword use, and it was a thing of beauty. The boy may have a good chance of doing well in the tournament. She could use this to get donations. She will have nothing to worry about as long as the boy does well.

"All right, brats. We can go." The Matron smiled. She could also take the other children on an excursion to the citadel. 

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 Alex was present near the garden. Leaves fell around him as flashes of steel passed through the air. Each of the leaves splits neatly into two.

His Katana found itself back in his sheath. As more of the leaves fell, Alex unsheathed his sword and struck again. The leaves split into two. Alex repeated this practice again and again. The force tells him the different locations of the falling leaves.

He closed his eyes and felt the force around him. The children laughing around him. Alex was at peace, and he became one with the force. He felt everything in detail, the world painted around him with his eyes closed. A few more leaves fell, and his sword flashed. 

Alex opened his eyes. He felt that he was ready. He would need to be careful. The first thing he would need to do would be to ensure that he is underestimated in the beginning. 

Using the force, Alex pushed out gently. The leaves around him blew in one direction. Alex increased the force as the tree bent little by little. Alex stopped looking at his hand as lightning crackled around it.

The force Alex had practiced in secrecy. 

"Big brother." A voice yelled out. 

Alex stopped the flow of force lightning and turned around.

A few of the children ran towards him. Alex had helped tutor a few of the other children. He also read the intentions of the people who came to adopt them. Any ill intent would result in him hacking into and exposing their records.

A few children rushed at him as they piled on him.

"Stop, stop. I will play with you, so stop."

"Yayyyy." Bright eyes looked happily at him.

"But first, who did not do their homework."

Timidly, a few hands went up.

"Well, we can have some fun. Then we will study." There was a smile on Alex's face as the children cheered.

"Luke, Anna, Max, Gwyne. " He said the children's name as he looked happily at them.

Most of them were barely twelve years old. The force hummed around him as he played with the children.

"So, when are we going to the citadel."

 Alex paused. "Excuse me."

"We are going on a trip to cheer for you." One of the children smiled as they began to shout. "Big brother, hooray. Big Brother, hooray."

Alex's face turned red as he stared at every one of them. He began to think of an escape. "Let's go see big sister Tanya. I am sure that she has drawn something else."

"Naruto. Who wants to see what Naruto does next?"

There was silence, and then there was a stampede. As the children ran, they grabbed Alex, who was dragged alongside them.

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 Tanya was sipping some tea. 'Curse you, Being X. Why won't you let me grow? His curse still follows me to this new life.' She was using body reinforcement magic to augment her strength. Her durability. The formulas displayed in front of her as she could just recall and activate them from her memory. Normal magic had no effect on her mental well-being. That was a relief to her. She would not be completely helpless. She had an angry glare on her face as she squeezed the cup, and it shattered. At least, Tanya should have been reincarnated as a male. That would have been acceptable to her. Tanya sighed as she took a cloth and began cleaning her hand.

A shield had formed around her hand, preventing direct contact between her skin and the piping-hot tea.

Tanya paused. She felt something was amiss.

Tanya enhanced her senses and heard the pitter-patter of footsteps accompanied by laughter. The door, they were nearly upon her. As soon as she started writing novels and drawing mangas, she first tested them out on the children here, and the response was marvelous.

The problem was that the children had not stopped bothering her after that. The door opened, and she was surrounded.

"Big sister. We want to see what you drew next."

"Is Naruto going to be okay?"

"What is Icha Icha?"

"Can I become the pirate king?"

"I want to eat a devil fruit."

She saw that the children had dragged in Alex as well. Tanya smiled. It was always nice to see him miserable. "Brats, shut up. If you quiet down, I will show you the next volume."

The children became quiet and sat down in a circle as a giant hologram was displayed in front of her. The next volume of one piece was displayed to them. The one in which they face Enel. The Skypiea Arc.

The staff also joined the children in watching the story fold. 

(After the children went to bed.)

"So, apparently. There is going to be a trip to the citadel." Alex approached Tanya. "Everyone is going, and they are going to cheer for me."

Tanya turned to him. "That seems to be you problem." She shrugged. "At least we can start establishing our company soon."

Tanya had a grin. "I gathered some money. I will bet on you. So don't lose at all costs." She clasped his shoulder as she left, leaving Tanya alone.

Internally, Tanya was laughing. The embarrassment he would face would be legendary, and she would witness his suffering. 

"Hahahahahah," Tanya laughed. "She was so close to getting the easy-going life she wanted."