[Ding! Quest "Don't Die" Complete!]
[Reward: +5 SP. Total SP: 20. Comment: Running speed: coward-tier. Please improve.]
I didn't stop running until my lungs felt like they were about to file for divorce. I ducked behind a vending machine, wheezing.
"Status," I whispered, because apparently that's how these things work.
│ Perverted King System │
│ User: Kazuki Arata │
│ Level: 1 [Weakest Human] │
│ HP: 35/50 MP: 8/10 │
│ SP: 20 │
│ Sacred Gear: "Trickster's Hand" Lv.1 │
│ Ability: Steal one small object/1hr │
│ Cooldown: 00:00:00 Ready │
│ Harem Members: 0 │
>> New Quest: "Enrollment Arc"
>> Description: Survive your first day at Kuoh Academy without dying or getting expelled.
>> Reward: 30 SP, 1x Random Skill Gacha
>> Bonus Objective: Make one girl laugh. Reward: +10 SP
>> Failure: Instant death by Rias's brother. Not joking.
"Instant death by brother-in-law is crazy," I muttered. "This system has no chill."
I pulled out the school bag that was lying next to me. Guess this body was already a student here. Name tag said "Kazuki Arata, Class 2-B". Perfect. Now I just had to not die for 6 hours.
Kuoh Academy, 8:15 AM
Walking through the gates felt like entering a boss room. Every girl was gorgeous, every guy looked like a side character, and the air smelled like expensive perfume and incoming plot.
I slid into my seat in 2-B and kept my head down. Please no Rias. Please no Rias.
"Kazuki-kun?"
My soul left my body. I looked up slowly. Purple hair, twin-tails, glasses, and a chest that defied physics.
Akeno Himejima. Sitting right next to me. Smiling like she knew my browser history.
"Ara ara~ We meet again," she whispered, leaning in. "You run very fast for someone who 'tripped' so hard."
My face went nuclear. "T-that was gravity! Gravity is the real enemy!"
[Ding! Bonus Objective Complete: Make one girl laugh]
[Akeno Himejima: Affection +1. Reward: +10 SP. Total SP: 30]
She actually giggled. I'll take it.
Lunch Break - School Rooftop
I was hiding on the rooftop eating a convenience store onigiri when the door slammed open.
A blonde girl with twin-tails and green eyes stormed in, clutching a stack of flyers. She saw me, froze, then went full tomato mode.
"Kyaaa! P-pervert!" She chucked a flyer at my face.
I caught it on reflex. "Asia Argento..." I read the name on her student ID that fell out too. Wait.
[Ding! Trickster's Hand Activated Automatically!]
[Item Stolen: Asia Argento's Student ID]
[Comment: Smooth, criminal.]
I didn't even mean to! The Sacred Gear has a mind of its own!
Asia was tearing up. "G-give that back! I need it for the Occult Research Club application!"
Occult Research Club. Rias's peerage. Main cast. Plot central.
"Here, sorry!" I held it out. As she reached for it, a gust of wind blew and her skirt went up just enough to be illegal.
We both froze. My nose started tingling. Danger.
"I-I didn't see anything!" I shouted, which is exactly what someone who saw everything would say.
[Ding! New Emergency Quest: "Stray Devil Incoming"]
[Description: A stray devil detected 200m and closing. Protect Asia Argento.]
[Reward: 50 SP, Unlock "Basic Combat Arts"]
[Failure: You die. Asia dies. Bad end.]
The sky went dark. The temperature dropped. From the stairwell, something growled.
A humanoid monster with claws and red eyes crawled onto the roof. Stray Devil. The tutorial monster.
Asia screamed and fell back. I stood up on shaky legs. Level 1. 35 HP. Trash Sacred Gear. No chance.
"System! Give me something!"
[Shop Opened! You have 30 SP]
[Available: "Basic Punch" - 20 SP. "Coward's Escape" - 10 SP]
"Why are my only options punch or run?!"
The stray lunged at Asia. My body moved before my brain did. I jumped in front of her and used the only thing I had.
[Trickster's Hand Activated!] ****
I stole the stray devil's left eyeball.
It SCREECHED, clutching its face and stumbling back. It didn't expect to get pickpocketed mid-murder.
"PURCHASE BASIC PUNCH!" I yelled.
[-20 SP. Skill Learned: Basic Punch - Deal 5 damage. Scales with STR. Your STR is 3.]
I ran up and punched it in the knee with all my might.
[You dealt 5 damage. Stray Devil HP: 245/250]
It looked at me. I looked at it. We both realized how screwed I was.
That's when the rooftop door exploded. A red magic circle flared and Rias Gremory stepped out, her hair flowing, eyes glowing.
"So, you're the one who molested me this morning," she said coldly. "And now you're protecting a nun?"
"Ex-nun!" Asia corrected weakly from behind me.
Rias raised her hand. "Die, stray."
BOOM. The stray devil was vaporized in a beam of red destruction.
Silence. Then Rias turned to me. "You. Occult Research Club room. After school. Don't be late."
She left. Akeno peeked from behind her, winked at me, and mouthed 'Good luck~' before following.
[Ding! Quest "Enrollment Arc" Complete!]
[Quest "Stray Devil Incoming" Complete!]
[Total Rewards: +80 SP, Skill Unlocked: Basic Combat Arts]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2. HP+10, MP+5, All Stats +1]
[New SP Total: 90]
[Trickster's Hand Leveled Up! Cooldown: 45min. Can now steal 2 small items per day.]
I collapsed on the roof. Asia crawled over and timidly patted my head. "U-um, thank you for saving me, Kazuki-san."
[Asia Argento: Affection +5][Harem]
My day started with a face-to-boob collision and ended with me getting recruited by the main heroine.
This is fine. Everything is fine.
[End of Chapter 2]