Twisted metal and shattered glass covered the scene. From the engine of the ill-fated bus, lying at the bottom of a ravine, the first flames began to rise.
Inside, a young man struggled to breathe, trapped between the mangled remains of what once had been a seat.
His name was Daniel, an ordinary boy on his way to a card tournament in another city. What should have been a routine trip had turned into a tragedy.
Mechanical failure, driver error, or a defect in the road? Daniel didn't know. The only certain thing was that he had woken up in the middle of chaos, just as everything began to spin.
The groans and cries of pain around him sent shivers through his body, filling him with fear and sadness. And yet, in a way, he was lucky: he felt no pain. Or rather, he felt nothing at all. His hands and feet refused to respond, no matter how much he tried. He suspected his spine was damaged, or that his pain receptors had simply stopped working after reaching their limit.
He had never been brave. He clearly remembered how, when he once broke a finger playing basketball, he cried like a child. Yet, in the face of death, he felt no anguish. Instead, an unexpected calm surrounded him—a clarity that allowed his whole childhood to pass before his eyes as if in a parade.
Reliving those moments, both good and bad, confirmed the inevitable: he was dying.
Perhaps if he hadn't traveled, if he had been delayed, or if he had taken another bus, none of this would have happened. But there was no room for regret. At the very least, he could enjoy this "movie" based on his life.
Then, something intruded on his memories.
Before his eyes appeared a strange, translucent blue screen, glowing with letters floating in the air:
> [Congratulations, you have won the multiversal random lottery c199637e. The prize will be decided shortly… drawing… Prize obtained: "transport"… error… severe damage to user vitality detected… analyzing solution… drawing new prize in category "life"… prize obtained: "reincarnation."]
Daniel blinked in disbelief. Where had that come from? Perhaps it was a memory from some video game. Thinking of games, the only real regret he felt was not being able to reach the tournament. He had made plans with his friends and had carefully prepared a deck.
> [Drawing bonus… due to user suggestion, category "game" has been selected… prizes obtained: "cards," "anime," and "tournament"… calculating result… DING… you have obtained "Duel System." Please enjoy your reward ~]
Daniel watched the screen as the light in his eyes slowly dimmed. His ragged breathing came to a halt. His mind gradually sank into darkness.
---
Kuoh City, in a modest two-story house with a garden.
A young girl with white hair carefully studied the cards in her hand. Her expressionless face made it difficult to guess her mood, but a faint gleam in her eyes revealed that she had drawn a strong play. Across from her, a young man watched with interest while savoring spoonfuls of chocolate mousse.
The girl, Koneko Toujou, finally made her move.
—"I sacrifice Madolche Hootcake (ATK/1500 DEF/1000) to summon Madolche Puddingcess (ATK/1000 DEF/1000). I'll use her to attack you directly."
The little owl on the card vanished, and in its place appeared a princess made of pudding.
Daniel couldn't help but smile at his opponent's odd strategy. Sacrificing a monster with 1500 attack points to summon one with only 1000 seemed reckless. Perhaps Koneko had considered Puddingcess's effect, which granted her 800 extra attack points if no monsters were in the graveyard—but by sacrificing one, that condition was no longer met.
Daniel shook his head. He wasn't going to criticize or mock her; after all, he had been the one who pressured her into playing, and she was still new to the game.
—"I activate my trap card: Magic Cylinder. Your attack is reflected back at you."
Koneko watched her life points plummet, and, despite herself, pouted slightly.
—"I've never seen that card before. You're cheating. Humph!"
The cards on the table stopped projecting monsters and traps, returning to simple cardboard pieces.
Daniel smiled, stood up from the sofa, and spoke casually:
—"Don't be mad. Want some dessert?"
Koneko, sitting on the opposite sofa, didn't reply. But the subtle change in her expression at the mention of dessert spoke louder than words.
As he walked toward the kitchen, Daniel glanced around.
Who would have thought that what that strange screen had said would come true? He remembered dying clearly, yet when he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a park, completely unscathed.
Contrary to what he imagined reincarnation would be like, he hadn't woken up as a baby but as a sixteen-year-old—the same age he had been before he died. The prize granted by that mysterious screen turned out to be more complete than expected: besides fluency in the language, it had given him a legal identity, a house, and even a pension from non-existent parents in this world.
Adapting hadn't been easy, even with such advantages. But after a month of effort, he had managed to blend into his new life successfully.
He returned carrying a plate.
—"Here you go, tiramisu. Want me to make some tea?"
Daniel placed the dessert in front of Koneko, who was still shuffling through the cards on the table. She quickly grabbed the glass and began eating with visible delight, ignoring Daniel entirely.
He didn't take it personally. He sat back down across from her and simply watched her eat. Seeing someone enjoy his desserts was gratifying—and when it was Koneko, so delicate and lovely, the satisfaction doubled.
For Daniel, priorities in life were clear: play cards, make desserts, and admire beautiful girls.
And in that moment—watching a beautiful girl he had just played cards with devour a dessert he himself had prepared—his happiness felt threefold.
Daniel thought that accepting that strange pamphlet in the plaza just a month ago had been one of the smartest decisions he had ever made.
Thanks to it, he had met Koneko.
And as he watched her eat so sweetly, he couldn't help but wonder:
Who would imagine that this adorable girl was, in reality, a demon?
Koneko finished her dessert; the way she stared at the empty glass made it clear she wanted more. Daniel, though satisfied and proud to see her enjoy it so much, decided not to give her another serving. He turned his gaze toward the window, where the starry sky reflected in his eyes. It was already late, and although Koneko had explained that demons were more active at night and didn't tire easily, he was still human and had to attend classes the next day.
—"That's all for today, Toujou-chan. Thanks for coming to play with me."
Koneko slowly rose from the sofa. Her eyes lingered a moment on the empty glass, then on the half-finished mousse Daniel had left, before she reluctantly moved toward an open space in the room and activated a magic circle.
—"See you tomorrow, Toujou-chan. Don't forget your homework," Daniel said, waving as he bid her farewell.
—"I won't let you copy. That's not part of the contract," the small white-haired girl retorted.
Daniel clicked his tongue in frustration. He couldn't help it—this world was different from his old one. While subjects like math or physics were similar, the differences in history and geography were enormous. Trying to understand the chronology of a country that had never existed in his previous world was an academic nightmare.
A flash of red light filled the room, and in an instant, Koneko was gone. Daniel was always left impressed by the way she departed. It reminded him that he no longer lived in an ordinary world—here, magic and supernatural beings were real.
And in a way, that comforted him. He wasn't normal anymore either.
As he climbed the stairs in silence to get ready for bed, he waved his hand, and the cards left on the table vanished in the blink of an eye.