Judai grabbed his bag and headed for the front gate, but when he arrived, Rias was already there waiting for him.
"Did I make you wait too long?" he asked.
"Not at all. Let's go, I know a great shop where you can pick out some good manga," Rias said excitedly, already leading the way.
Judai smiled. Seeing someone so enthusiastic about manga was nice, and he certainly wasn't going to complain, he was looking forward to rereading series he felt he should already know.
As they walked toward the shop, Judai asked, "Who was that sitting next to you at lunch? Is she your friend?"
"Yes, she is. Her name is Himejima Akeno," Rias replied, then looked at him sideways. "What, are you interested in her? Am I not beautiful enough for you?" She put on a slightly sad expression.
"Well, it would be a lie to say I'm not interested," Judai admitted, taken aback. "But why are you acting like my girlfriend all of a sudden?" He hadn't expected her to be this playful with him so soon.
"Do you not like me acting like your girlfriend?" Rias asked, a mischievous grin on her face.
Judai shook his head, unsure how to respond. Her teasing and the way she wielded her beauty so effortlessly was genuinely flustering him.
Rias giggled at his reaction. Soon, they arrived at the shop.
"Here we are," she announced.
Inside, the two began browsing the shelves. Judai found himself drawn to familiar shonen titles, the covers sparked a vague sense of recognition.
Rias watched him curiously. "I thought you said you were a beginner?"
"I am. Can't I just pick based on the cover?" Judai replied.
"Yes, you can but you're picking a lot. Do you even have enough money?" Rias asked gently.
Judai opened his wallet. Inside were only a few bills, barely enough for one volume.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath.
Rias heard him and chuckled. "Don't worry, just pick what you want. I can buy them for you."
"Really? Are you that rich?"
"Yes, really. I am that rich," she said with a confident smile.
"Thanks, Rias."
"You're welcome."
In the end, Judai picked up the first volumes of Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, and Berserk. Rias added One Piece, Soul Eater, and Fairy Tail to the pile for him, then chose a couple of titles for herself.
She paid with her card, and they left the store. Judai carried a plastic bag brimming with manga, while Rias held just two volumes in her hand.
"Thank you again for buying all these," Judai said sincerely.
"It's nothing, really," Rias replied. "When you finish reading, tell me what you think, okay?"
"Alright."
As Judai turned to leave, a thought crossed his mind. 'She bought all these for me… I should at least treat her sometime. I should ask for her number.'
He hesitated for a moment, it had been a while since he'd asked a girl for her number, then turned back around, slightly nervous.
"Can… we exchange phone numbers?"
"Hmm? Are you nervous?" Rias noticed his hesitation, a playful smirk returning to her lips. "Sure, let's exchange."
After they swapped numbers, Rias said, "See you later. And remember to call me, okay?"
"Alright, I'll give you a call," Judai said, closing his eyes briefly before opening them with a smile. "See you later."
They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Judai smiled to himself as he walked home, checking the contents of his manga bag. The street was quiet, almost empty.
He accidentally bumped into someone very short. Looking down, he saw a small blonde girl with twin tails, dressed in a gothic black dress.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. My bad," Judai said, offering a hand to help her up.
"It's okay, I'm fine," she replied in a cute, high-pitched voice, taking his hand.
But as he helped her up, a sinister smirk spread across her face. Suddenly, a spear of pure light materialized in her hand and she drove it straight into his stomach.
Judai gasped, shock freezing him in place. He dropped to his knees, clutching the bleeding wound.
"Oops! My hand slipped," she mocked, her voice now dripping with malice. "Does that hurt? Are you crying already? Maybe next time you'll watch where you're going."
Tears did sting his eyes from pain, from fury, as a burning sensation spread from the wound. He gritted his teeth and glared up at her with raw anger.
He tried to force himself back up, but before he could move, she yanked the light-spear out. Blood splattered across the pavement, and Judai collapsed onto his back.
"Hahaha!" she laughed maniacally, crimson drops speckling her face. "Humans always have the most entertaining reactions. I love it. Maybe I'll find another one to play with next."
Black, feathered wings burst from her back, and with a powerful beat, she soared into the sky and vanished.
The moment she was gone, something materialized on Judai's left wrist, a circular, prototype-style Duel Disk, strapped to his arm. The deck slot was empty.
"Motherfucker," Judai choked out, his mind burning with rage. 'If I survive this… I'll skin you alive.'
As his fury peaked, the device on his wrist glowed faintly, a cruel, belated answer.
'Why did you appear too late?'
His vision began to darken. 'I don't want to die… not again.'
With his last strength, he fumbled for his phone with his right hand, his fingers slippery and uncoordinated. But his body was growing heavy, his vision tunneling. He couldn't even press the buttons.
'No… not again. Please, let me live. I just got my second chance.'
A tear traced a path through the blood and dirt on his cheek.
'I should've gotten stronger first before going out. What kind of luck is this? It's like pulling all trash packs in Master Duel.'
The edges of his sight darkened, the world dissolving into a deepening void.
'Life… is so unfair.'
His eyes slipped shut.
For the second time, Judai died.