Erika stomped ahead, arms crossed, her golden hair bouncing with each step as she stubbornly refused to even look at Akira.
Akira, still in his fluffy white puppy form, trotted beside her, trying his best to appear as cute and apologetic as possible. "Come on, Erikaaa, it was just a joke," he whined telepathically. "You're not seriously going to stay mad, right?"
Erika huffed, turning her nose up. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"HAHAHAHA, you have to admit, that was funny," Iori said, still laughing.
"You are not helping, Iori," Akira grumbled. He had even explained why he turned into a dog now, yet Erika was still mad about the prank. "This is entirely your fault, Akira," she huffed, refusing to let it go.
"Well, it couldn't be helped". Clearly, his current methods weren't working. That meant it was time for his ultimate move, the one technique that had never failed him. "It's time to use my secret technique that I haven't used in a while," Akira thought to himself as he put his plan into action.
He started running in circles around Erika's feet before suddenly jumping into her arms. Instinctively, she caught him. That was when he deployed his ultimate technique, 'Puppy-Eyes Persuasion'.
"I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" Akira asked, looking up at Erika with his biggest, most pitiful eyes, appearing as cute as possible.
"S-So cuteee…" Erika stammered. Even she wasn't immune. This was a powerful technique when Akira used it in his human form, but in his puppy form, it was an ability the world had never seen before. It directly and completely defeated Erika.
"So, will you forgive me?" Akira asked once more, his secret technique still in full effect.
"Sigh… Fine. You do this all the time anyway," Erika muttered, her voice softer than before. After all this time, she knew her friend well.
Akira grinned. "Hehe, I knew you would!"
But just as he was about to celebrate his victory, Erika squeezed him tighter.
Then tighter.
And then TIGHTER.
"E-Erika…?!" Akira yelped, his fluffy body getting squished. "W-Wait, you already forgave me, right?! Put me down! Y-You can stop now…!"
But Erika didn't stop.
If anything, she hugged him even tighter, her arms like an inescapable vice grip.
A mischievous smile crept onto her lips. "Nope. This is entirely your fault."
Akira's tiny paws wiggled helplessly. "H-Hey! T-Too tight! MERCY! MERCY! IORI, SAVE ME!"
Iori, watching the entire scene, burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA! You did this to yourself. Don't worry, Akira. I believe you will survive this," he said, giving him a thumbs-up.
Erika smirked, hugging Akira like a child refusing to let go of their favorite plushie. "You're too cute, Akira. So now, you must suffer the consequences."
Akira kicked his little paws in protest. "I CAN'T BREATHE…!"
Erika just grinned and hugged him even tighter.
On that day, Akira learned a lesson: never use Puppy-Eyes Persuasion in his puppy form. It worked too well.
After barely escaping Erika's Hug of Doom, the trio finally arrived at the Tokyo Anime Fair.
The moment they stepped inside, Akira's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Towering posters of anime characters covered the walls, cosplayers walked around in elaborate costumes, and the air was filled with music, cheers, and the sound of arcade machines beeping in the distance.
But for Akira, this wasn't just about fun.
This was a mission.
A LIMITED-EDITION MERCHANDISE RAID.
Akira, still in his tiny white puppy form, stood proudly atop Erika's shoulders like a commander issuing orders.
"Alright, soldiers. This is what we trained for," Akira said telepathically. "Our goal is simple: WE BUY EVERYTHING."
Erika rolled her eyes. "I don't remember training for this."
Iori smirked. "We didn't. But he probably did."
"Shhh! Don't ruin the moment." Akira lifted his paw and pointed ahead. "CHARGE!!"
And so, the war began.
It was brutal.
Everyone around them was an enemy.
The lines for the shops stretched as far as the eye could see, and every person there had the same goal: buy everything before it sold out.
The hardcore fans had been camping outside long before Akira even arrived. It almost seemed hopeless.
But Akira had a plan.
Jumping into Erika's arms, he looked up at her with his cutest, most innocent expression.
"Erika, listen. You're a cute girl. I'm a cute dog. Together? We're an unstoppable force."
Erika frowned. "I don't like where this is going."
Akira continued, "Just walk past the line… really slowly. Looking kinda lost. Maybe pout a little. And let me handle the rest."
Iori smirked. "Ohhh, this is evil. I like it."
"Just trust me," Akira said, flicking his fluffy tail.
Erika sighed, holding him like a plushie. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
She stepped forward.
She didn't shove, didn't push, she just slowly walked.
Her golden hair swayed in the light, her blue eyes shimmering. She held a tiny, fluffy white puppy with huge, soulful purple eyes in her arms.
Akira looked extra small. Extra adorable. Extra pathetic.
And then.
He whined.
Just once.
A soft, pitiful, heart-crushing "kyun~"
Immediately, people turned.
"Wait…who's that?"
"Look at that puppy!!"
"OMG. HE'S SO CUTE."
The hardcore anime fans, men, women, adults, and teens, hesitated.
Even the toughest, most dedicated otaku, those who had camped overnight, moved aside.
"Dude, let them through."
"Yeah, yeah, a cute girl and a cute dog? We can't block that."
"Respect."
Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the line split.
Erika, still stunned, walked straight to the front.
Akira smirked (internally, of course). "Cuteness is the ultimate power, and I am the cutest creature in the world."
Erika sighed. "…I hate you sometimes."
Akira wagged his tail, unfazed, and laughed in victory. "HAHAHA! This war is mine."
They used this tactic every time.
And it worked.
Every. Single. Time.
Just like that.
They secured their limited-edition merchandise, and the war was won.