Judai lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling before finally closing his eyes. He decided to rest, but curiosity pulled him to check his interface first.
He was surprised to find he now had 1,000 Gems.
'When did I get these?' he wondered, before remembering the chaotic encounter with Raynare. Technically, he'd won that "match" she had fled. The Sacred Gear must have registered it as a victory.
He navigated to the [Pack] section. Only one was currently available: the All Pack.
'I need more cards. I don't have time to grind for Gems slowly. Alright then… Heart of the Cards, guide me.'
He mentally confirmed the purchase of one pack.
'Please be good. Help me get stronger.'
The first card materialized in his vision:
[Danger! Chupacabra!] (Effect Monster)
'Let's go!!!' Judai felt a surge of excitement. A usable monster right off the bat was a great start. 'Okay, next card.'
The second card appeared:
[Elemental Hero Sparkman] (Normal Monster)
"Let's fucking go!!!" He couldn't contain himself, sitting bolt upright on the bed. "I have the power of heroes on my side!"
He took a deep breath, calming himself. He put his hands together in a brief, silent prayer for the next pull.
The third card was:
[Photon Veil] (Normal Spell)
"Fuck!" Judai shouted, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration. The card was nearly useless to him in his current state. "Don't get your hopes up," he muttered to himself. "There are still five cards left."
The fourth card appeared:
[Catoblepas, Familiar of The Evil Eye] (Effect Monster)
Judai stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… I don't know if I should be excited or not. The name suggests… something. I really should have studied card lore more. Fuck me, man. Is this good or not?" He shook his head. "Don't overthink it. Next."
The fifth card:
[Shining Abyss] (Normal Monster)
"A monster that employs both Light and Darkness…" Judai mused. "If this can teach me to wield those elements, it could be an amazing pull. Okay, next."
The sixth card:
[Link Streamer] (Effect Monster)
"Man, my hopes were way up," Judai sighed, disappointment creeping in. "Next."
The seventh card:
[Amulet Dragon] (Fusion Monster)
"Brother, I don't have the materials for this! This is a shit pull," he grumbled, annoyance flaring. "Last card… please be something good."
The final card materialized:
[Linkerbell] (Link Monster)
"Fuck! This is trash!" Enraged by his terrible luck, Judai lashed out, accidentally kicking the low floor table. A sharp pain shot through his toe. "Argh! What is with this shitty pull?!"
He slumped to the floor, cradling his throbbing foot. Once the pain subsided to a dull ache, he began the tedious task of sorting the new cards into his deck. He decided against testing any of them immediately, the last thing he needed was to accidentally summon something destructive inside his tiny apartment.
He integrated all the monster cards into his deck, leaving behind only one trap and two spells that were currently unusable.
. . . .
April 14th,
In the cafeteria, Rias and Judai were deep in conversation when Akeno glided over, a playful smile gracing her lips as she raised a hand to her mouth.
"Ara, ara~ It seems the two of you have reconciled. How cute," she teased, her eyes dancing between them. "The boyfriend and girlfriend are back together."
She deliberately sat not beside Rias, but right next to Judai, watching for Rias's reaction. Rias remained composed, though a flicker of annoyance crossed her eyes.
"Judai-kun, is it alright if I call you that?" Akeno asked, leaning in slightly to study his face.
"Go ahead," Judai said casually, taking another bite of his hotdog.
"What were you two talking about?" Akeno inquired, her tone light and curious.
"Manga. I went to a manga cafe recently and read through a ton of series," Judai explained, finishing his food.
"Oh? What kind did you read?" Akeno leaned even closer, her body nearly brushing against his side.
Judai remained outwardly impassive. He had a gut feeling about Akeno, if he reacted, she'd only escalate. 'Her Maryoku feels similar to Rias and that Fallen Angel… but it doesn't feel evil,' he observed internally. He kept his guard up, suspecting she might be a succubus or something similar.
Rias watched the interaction, her slight annoyance growing. This was supposed to be her time to talk with Judai.
Noticing Rias's irritation, Akeno's smile widened.
"I read all of Dragon Ball, a huge chunk of the 'Big Three,' and some other shonen and seinen stuff," Judai answered.
"What are the 'Big Three'?" Akeno asked, tilting her head.
"Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach."
"Hmm," Akeno hummed, her smile softening. "You're really cute when you talk about things you're passionate about."
The comment caught Judai off guard for a second. He forced himself to stay nonchalant, though Akeno noticed the brief flicker in his expression, which only made her smile more.
"Judai," Rias called, drawing his attention away.
"Yes, Rias?" He turned to her, grateful for the distraction.
"After school, if you'd like, you can come visit my club."
"I'll stop by if I have time," Judai said.
Just then, the bell rang. Judai stood up quickly. "I'll head to class first. See you both later."
"See you," Rias said.
"Bye, Judai-kun~" Akeno sang.
As he walked away, Judai scratched the back of his head and muttered under his breath, "What a thirsty woman."
Once he was out of earshot, Akeno turned to Rias, her voice dropping to a whisper. "So, he's the one with the Sacred Gear. Not one of the perverted trio."
"Yes."
"Aren't you going to invite him into the Peerage? He's quite handsome and… cute," Akeno prodded.
"I'd like to," Rias admitted, "but he already has a teacher. I don't know who they're affiliated with, and I'd rather not risk starting a conflict."
"A shame. I would have loved to have him as my junior," Akeno said with a playful sigh.
"Is it because he talks to me, or because he almost killed a Fallen Angel?" Rias asked, a knowing look in her eye.
Akeno's smile returned, full and knowing. "Both."