Upon returning, Light, with his newly acquired mastery in the art of cooking, set about preparing a truly remarkable meal. He made a delicate tuna sashimi, fresh and translucent, carefully laid on a bed of rice lightly seasoned with vinegar. Besides it was a warm, aromatic miso soup, with soft tofu chunks and floating wakame seaweed, releasing an inviting aroma that filled the air.
Lala, with the first bite, her eyes sparkled. "This is incredible, Light! I've never tasted something so delicious!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.
Zastin, who appeared unexpectedly and still wearing his imposing armor, also didn't hesitate to sample the dish. With a serious expression, yet touched with a hint of nostalgia, he remarked, "It's interesting to see Lala eat something so warm and homemade. As a princess, she rarely had the opportunity to savor meals like this."
Himari, after tasting a piece of the sashimi, couldn't hide her delight. "Light, this is divine. It's a blend of flavors and textures I've never felt before!"
Light, with a soft and genuine smile illuminating his face, replied, "I'm glad you all enjoyed it." He briefly glanced at Zastin, but his expression remained unchanged, as if the warrior's sudden appearance was expected.
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
The next morning, as the sun cast its first rays over the city, Light entered a vibrant toy store. The establishment was filled with colorful wonders: from tiny ring-shaped water guns, ideal for childish pranks, to imposing water guns that promised genuine aquatic battles on hot summer days.
But he didn't stop there. Light also picked out a plastic mallet with a red head and yellow handle that stood at 50cm tall, and a peculiar rubber Rooster Chicken, which when squeezed, emitted a comical sound and stood 38cm tall.
Seeing the cart full of toys, Lala, her eyes shining with curiosity, leaned in and asked, "Light, why all these different toys?"
Himari, also intrigued by Light's sudden passion for toys, added, "Really, young master, what's the purpose of all this?"
With a bright smile that illuminated his face even more, Light revealed, "It's for a surprise. It's going to be really fun. But you'll have to be patient and wait to find out."
Lala, unable to contain her excitement, used her sweetest tone, her voice tinged with charm and allure, pleaded, "Please, Light, tell me now, please~"
For a moment, Light's eyes showed hesitation, but he stood firm. Gently touching her nose, he teased, "Not yet. It'll be a surprise; you'll see later."
Lala, somewhat frustrated with the response, grumbled and began to kick the air in an adorable display of impatience.
After they left, loaded with bags, Light waited until they were in a place with no one around, then placed the bags of toys into his [Inner World].
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
At school, the monotonous rhythm of the morning classes had already consumed two sessions. Students whispered among themselves, exchanging information and laughing at shared jokes.
Amidst the hustle, Issei Hyoudou, who today sported a feminine appearance and looked particularly more worn out than usual, rose with some hesitancy. His face was a bit pale. "I need to go to the bathroom," he murmured, his eyes avoiding direct contact.
Current Issei Hyoudou managed to increase his Fortune to 500.
Light, sitting a few desks behind, watched him carefully. Although his thoughts hid malevolent intentions, his expression remained pristine, serene as the surface of a calm lake.
Suddenly, a silent notification burst into his consciousness.
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
[The Fortune Plundering Card was used successfully. 500 Fortune Points and 2,500 Destiny Points were obtained]
[Fortune points from the Chosen by Fortune, Issei Hyoudou, were collected. The Kill-Drop rule has been activated!]
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
Light's heart raced. In response to this information, a cold, calculating smile slowly formed on his face.
"Boooom!"
A loud sound echoed. It was as if a meteorite had fallen on the school.
Before the classroom murmur could distract him, the system's indifferent metallic voice, along with a string of messages, unfurled before Light, almost as if they were written in the air.
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
[You have achieved the task of eliminating the Fortune's Chosen, Issei Hyoudou. As a reward, you received 2,000 Fortune Valor Points and 10,000 Destiny Points.]
[Processing all accumulated bonuses...]
[The kill-drop rule has been activated, fully depleting the Fortune Points of the Fortune's Chosen. As a result, you acquired an additional Celestial Treasure Chest.]
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
The students' whispers filled the room, but Light's eyes were fixed on the notifications.
The circulating rumor was that upon leaving the room, Issei Hyoudou was tragically struck by a spacecraft. The young man's fate was sealed in a cruel and ironic instant.
With a carefully neutral expression, Light joined his classmates in the hurried exit. The conversations were tense, a buzz of bewilderment and concern permeating the air. Even knowing what had happened, he was the image of surprise, adeptly adapting to the role of a student shocked by the unexpected event.
The order to head to the courtyard came from the Student Council President, an authoritative figure who always stood firm in times of crisis. Her tone, although calm, revealed the moment's gravity.
Arriving at the courtyard, students were met with an unusual sight. The area, usually filled with lively conversations and laughter during breaks, was now silent and somber. The wind swayed the trees, creating a soft rustling of leaves, the only audible distraction amid the oppressive silence.
Light, maintaining his demeanor of ignorance, observed everything around him attentively.
Amid the schoolyard's chaos, an idea germinated in Light's mind. He knew exactly what needed to be done to maximize the situation. He swiftly delved into the interface of his System Warehouse, extracting an invaluable object: the [System Reward Calculation Multiplication Card]. This moment was crucial to amplify his rewards.
With determination, he mentally activated the card, his wish silently resonating through space.
And, almost immediately, golden words floated before him:
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
[System Reward Calculation Multiplication Card successfully activated! Congratulations, Host! Your rewards have just been quadrupled.]
[Reprocessing your current merits...]
[Completion of processing reveals a significant increase: 8,000 Fortune Valor Points and a staggering 40,000 Destiny Points are now in your possession!]
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
The wave of contentment that flooded him remained carefully hidden behind that mask of serenity, as Light continued immersed in his own calculations and strategies.
There was a need to see what awaited him in that precious Celestial Treasure Chest. With an assertive thought, he commanded the chest to open.
A golden splendor illuminated the space around him, and the majestic golden chest materialized before his eyes, opening with a thunderous sound. Though this sight was splendid, only Light was aware of the spectacle taking place. Everyone else remained oblivious to such a phenomenon.
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
[Outstanding, Host! Your fortune truly knows no bounds! You have obtained: [Fortune Looter Card] x3, [System Reward Calculation Multiplication Card] x3, and [Sacred Gear, Longinus - Boosted Gear] 1x!]
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
A subtle eyebrow arch revealed Light's mix of surprise and satisfaction. In his hands was, astonishingly, the notorious Boosted Gear, the same artifact associated with Issei Hyoudou. Analyzing it, Light noticed the absence of the dragon Ddraig, a detail that to him was a disguised blessing. The last thing he would desire would be to have a mind-probing entity while using such an artifact.
The situation seemed to perfectly describe obtaining the "best of both worlds."
But regarding the matter of using the Longinus - Boosted Gear, knowing that everyone would associate it with Issei, Light pondered. There were possibilities to explore: perhaps an evolution, a fusion with his own Sacred Gear, or simple modifications. The options were vast, and he knew he could afford to contemplate them later.
Amidst the unfolding chaos, Light allowed himself to delve deep into the most intimate corridors of his thoughts, questioning the enigmas of fate and everyone's role in the tapestry of the narrative.
{Did Issei Hyoudou truly meet his tragic end? Could it be possible for a protagonist, central in essence, to face such an abrupt fate? Might it be that by blocking his chance to steal luck from the heroines, combined with the gender transformation, he was robbed of his own fortune, leading to such an ill-fated ending? Upon reflection, I realize that many protagonists indeed start as unlucky souls. The tide of their luck only turns when they cross paths with heroines. From then on, these women become victims of misfortune, while the protagonists reap the benefits.}
His introspection was like that of a philosopher trying to decipher hidden patterns in chaos.
{Looking closer, countless heroines lead peaceful, uneventful lives. However, the moment they align with a protagonist's fate, they become magnets for misfortune, constantly finding themselves in precarious situations. And, ironically, it's always the protagonist who appears in the nick of time for the rescue. But what kind of salvation is this, which occurs after they have already been subjected to so many dangers, abuses, and dilemmas? Ironically, in my past life, I also watched an anime about myself. And even being at the center of my own plot, many saw me as the antagonist, or even an anti-hero. Is this the thin line that separates me from conventional protagonists? Does this peculiarity allow me to hear the voices echoing from their hearts? I still have so many uncertainties...}
In these thoughts, Light silently nourished the wish that, with such insight, heroines would choose to stay away from protagonists. After all, who would want to be pulled into a whirlwind of misfortune and risky circumstances? As for him, he wanted to consider himself apart from this category, claiming he didn't really fit the role of a Protagonist.
With just a thought, the Attribute Panel appeared.
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
Character: Light Yagami
Aura: Destined Heavenly Villain, Aura of Harmonization
Identity: Student, Reincarnated Devil, Heir of the Amakawa Family
Physique: Ultimate-Class Devil
Power: Ultimate-Class Devil
Personal Dimension: [Inner World]
Techniques: [Abyssal Eyes], [Hell Dragon's Breath], [Call of the Shadows], [Leap of the Shadows]
Mystical Abilities: [Hypocrite Persuasion (Passive)], [Purple Lightning], [Sacred Gear - Shield of Aurora], [Star-Crossing Light]
Fate Value: 54,253
Fortune Value: 11,505
Shop System: Open
Warehouse: [Script Alteration Card] 1x, [Fortune Plundering Card] 7x, [Plot Thief Card] x1, [System Reward Calculation Multiplication Card] x6, [Sacred Gear, Longinus - Boosted Gear] 1x
━━━━ ≪?￢ﾉﾫ ━━━━
The current overview of his resources was dazzling. Although he could ascend to the level of a Super Devil by converting his Fortune Points into Fate Points, the magnitude of what he already possessed was, in itself, astonishing.
However, there was something captivating about the wealth of his Fortune, a silent promise of future blessings. Moreover, Light was determined to better himself on his own merits, conserving his resources. He believed that, upon reaching a critical point in his evolution, the points would be more valuably used.
Decidedly, he closed all the system's floating interfaces. He joined the other students, awaiting the resolution of the chaotic scenario. Although the school building had suffered damages, it miraculously stood. No student, except for Issei, was harmed.
As for the spaceship... After delivering its devastating attack, the spaceship quickly retreated, leaving behind a trail of destruction and the lifeless body of Issei Hyoudou, tragically crushed by its overwhelming force.
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