April 15th,
Very early morning, around 5 a.m. The sky was still dark as Judai stood deep in a forest outside of town, far enough that no one would stumble upon him. He rubbed his eyes, still heavy with sleep.
'My Sacred Gear should have come with a warning,' he thought. 'Summoned monsters are real beings. I got lucky with Trump Witch and Sensei, well, Sensei did threaten me at first. But it could have been so much worse.'
He sighed, acknowledging his own recklessness. "Sensei was right. I am reckless."
The Duel Disk materialized on his left arm. He drew five cards: Sparkman, Shining Abyss, Trump Witch, Catoblepas, and Cabrera Stone.
"Alright, Sparkman. Please be rational," Judai muttered, placing the card onto the Monster Zone.
A tall, armored hero clad in blue and gold appeared, electricity crackling along his form. Elemental Hero Sparkman had arrived.
Sparkman looked at Judai, then at his own hands, flexing his fingers. "You must be the Duelist who summoned me."
Judai swallowed nervously, bracing for potential hostility.
"Relax, kid. I'm not going to hurt you," Sparkman said with a low chuckle. "I'm just surprised. Bringing my full form to your world… Duelists here must be incredibly powerful."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm pretty much the only Duelist here."
"Really? That explains the unusual circumstances," Sparkman mused. "If you've summoned me, you must need help. So, what do you require?"
"You… don't mind?"
"Of course not. I am a Hero. Helping those in need is what I do."
"Then, could you help me control the other beings I need to summon?" Judai asked. He couldn't ask Endymion for this, the mage would lecture him for days.
"Sure," Sparkman agreed, crossing his arms and taking a protective stance beside Judai.
With that support, Judai summoned Shining Abyss.
The massive, ethereal being materialized before them, floating silently. It dwarfed both Judai and Sparkman, but showed no hostility, it simply waited.
"That's… new," Judai said, surprised.
Even Sparkman seemed taken aback by its passive demeanor. "It awaits your command."
"Shining Abyss, I'll summon you for help when it's time," Judai said.
The being gave a slow, acknowledging nod before Judai returned it to the deck.
"Next one, Sparkman. Be ready, I'm not sure about this one."
Sparkman shifted into a defensive stance, electricity gathering in his palms.
Judai summoned Catoblepas, Familiar of The Evil Eye.
A monstrous, long-necked bull with spiked armor and two massive crimson horns appeared. A single, glowing red eye blazed between them. True to Judai's fear, it immediately charged, aiming to gore him.
But Sparkman was faster. He surged forward, seized the beast's horns, and slammed it forcefully to the ground. The impact rattled the trees.
Once pinned, the beast's furious thrashing subsided, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
Judai stepped closer, channeling a wave of authoritative Maryoku. "Listen to me. Obey my orders."
The Catoblepas' single eye fixed on him, then it lowered its head in a gesture of submission.
"Sparkman, I think you can let it go now."
"Alright," Sparkman said, releasing his grip but remaining watchful. He was impressed by the commanding presence Judai had just displayed.
Judai unsummoned the beast and turned to the next card: Cabrera Stone. He placed it on the Disk.
A simple, ancient-looking stone slab materialized, covered in faded carvings.
"You can summon relics, too?" Sparkman asked, intrigued.
"I guess so," Judai said, a little disappointed. 'What was I expecting, summoning a stone?'
"I'm taking this one out of the deck," he muttered, removing the card.
He drew again, replacing it. The next card was Link Streamer. Sparkman watched as Judai examined it, ready for whatever came next.
He proceeded to summon Link Streamer. A sleek, mechanical machine appeared before them, humming softly. Like Shining Abyss, it simply hovered, awaiting a command.
"Alright," Judai said, relieved. He unsummoned it and drew the next card: Danger! Chupacabra!
"Sparkman, get ready."
"I'm always ready," Sparkman replied, clenching a fist as electricity danced across his knuckles.
Judai placed the card. A reptilian monster with razor-sharp teeth, claws, and a back lined with jagged spikes materialized. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Judai, and it lunged instantly, shooting out a grotesque tongue that ended in its own snapping maw.
But Sparkman was faster. He seized the tongue mid-air, channeling a surge of lightning through it. The Chupacabra convulsed and collapsed to its knees, stunned.
"Thanks for that, Sparkman," Judai breathed out.
"No problem."
Judai approached the subdued beast, which still glared at him with undisguised hostility. He didn't flinch. Instead, he did the same thing he'd done with Catoblepas, he released a concentrated wave of authoritative Maryoku, imposing his will upon it.
The Chupacabra's snarls faded. Its posture slumped, then straightened into a semblance of obedience.
"Good," Judai said, cautiously patting its spiked head before unsummoning it.
"Thank you again, Sparkman."
"Anytime."
"Can I ask you for one more thing?" Judai ventured, an idea forming in his mind.
"What is it?"
. . . .
Judai was now in class, fighting back yawns after his early morning experiments with Sparkman. He was exhausted and unsatisfied, having failed in his attempt.
'I thought fusing with Sparkman would work, but I forgot to read Trump Witch's effect,' he sighed, displeased with the results.
The morning classes dragged on as usual. When the lunch bell finally rang, Judai headed straight for the cafeteria and bought his usual cheap hotdog. He found an empty table and sat down, alone, until Rias and Akeno appeared, each holding a homemade bento box. They stood facing each other with a silent, competitive tension hanging in the air.
Akeno was the first to break the standoff, her smile sweet but edged with intent. "Judai-kun, I accidentally made too much food today. I was hoping you could help me finish it. Would you like some?"
"Sure," Judai said without hesitation. Free food was free food.
Then Rias stepped forward, her expression softening. "I noticed you always eat hotdogs, so I made you a proper lunch. If you'd like it."
"I'd love to," Judai replied, accepting her offer as well.
A subtle, triumphant smirk flashed across Rias's face as she glanced at Akeno. Akeno simply maintained her smile, though the edges of it tightened with mild annoyance.
They sat on either side of him. Then, to Judai's surprise, Akeno lifted a piece of food with her chopsticks and held it out to him. "Ahh~"
Judai accepted his fate with a calm resignation, remembering a quote from his past life. He leaned in and took the bite.
'Some people die of thirst, others drown in it.' He smiled inwardly. He never imagined being in this kind of situation.
Not to be outdone, Rias followed suit, offering him a bite from her own bento. Judai accepted that one, too.
All around them, the cafeteria fell silent. Every male student in sight stared in stunned disbelief, unable to process the scene unfolding before them.