By the time Ryuichi came to his senses, he was already standing at the front of the classroom.
"This is the new transfer student who'll be joining our class starting today. Now then, please introduce yourself to everyone."
Beside him stood a bald, heavyset teacher; before him sat rows of curious students.Ryuichi blinked in mild confusion.
Just moments ago, he'd been on a city street, pulling a little girl out of the way of an oncoming car.He vaguely remembered the screech of tires—then a warm, blinding light engulfing him.
And now… he was here.
The curious stares from the students below made him wonder.Was this… heaven?
He'd saved that little girl, after all.Ascending to heaven afterward didn't sound so strange, did it?
"I was kinda hoping I'd at least get to see an angel," he murmured under his breath, scanning the room.
The words slipped out half-jokingly, half in dazed disbelief. The shock of realizing he was dead left his thoughts tangled and heavy.
The teacher and the class all froze for a beat before someone burst out laughing.
"What's that supposed to mean? Dude, you still half-asleep or something?"
Laughter rippled through the room. Ryuichi sighed softly and gathered his wits.
Whatever this was, his mind was still intact.Whether this was reincarnation, resurrection, or something else entirely… he couldn't say.Not that he had much prior experience with dying, anyway.
Well—whatever the case, he was here now. Might as well go along with it.
He straightened, put on a perfectly practiced smile, and said,
"My name's Ryuichi. Nice to meet you all."
A plain, ordinary self-introduction.Utterly, painfully plain.
The class collectively lost interest almost instantly.
So much for first impressions.
A few girls seemed to admire his looks, but the rest quickly turned away, unimpressed.
"Alright then, Ryuichi, you can take the empty seat by the window in the back,"
the teacher said casually, adjusting his glasses and picking up a piece of chalk.
"Now, everyone, open your textbooks to page fifty-two…"
Still wearing his polite smile, Ryuichi walked to the back and sat down.As soon as he did, the faint smile vanished, replaced by quiet detachment.
He slid his bag under the desk, then checked his pockets.
Phone.Student ID.Two keys.A few bills and coins.
He examined the currency—unfamiliar notes and coins marked "1350."Didn't look like yen, but the value felt similar. So… maybe he really was in Japan—or some version of it.
He flipped his phone around and used the black screen as a mirror.The reflection staring back was his own.
Still the same face. Still damn good-looking.
Good. At least that hadn't changed.
He unlocked the phone. The home screen showed a photo of him riding a bicycle, beaming with an unnaturally cheerful grin.
Ryuichi frowned.Yeah, no. I don't smile like that.
He shook his head and quickly changed the wallpaper.
His student ID read: Kuoh Academy, Second Year, Class 1.There was even a home address. The two keys now made sense.
So this body's identity was established.If he had to guess, his soul had transferred into another version of himself in a different world.
So life really does start over after death, huh…
He stared off into space for a few seconds, then sighed, pushing away the jumble of thoughts.
Things could've turned out far worse.Getting a second chance at all was something to be grateful for.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed two girls looking straight at him.He turned his head slightly, pretending not to notice—but their eyes met.
One had long, flowing crimson hair and clear, intelligent eyes.Her beauty carried a cool, mature allure—almost hypnotic, the kind of presence that lingered in the mind even after you looked away.
Beside her sat another girl with silky black hair tied in a high ponytail.Her soft smile radiated warmth and calmness.
She might not have been as striking as the redhead, but she was still breathtaking in her own right—and, if anything, even more voluptuous.
Each of them possessed a different kind of perfection.
Their eyes met for just two seconds before Ryuichi turned back to face the board.Pretty girls, he thought absently.Probably just curious about the new transfer student.
He had no idea that Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima had been watching his every move since the moment he entered.
Both had sensed it—the immense power sleeping deep within him.Power so vast that even devils like them felt a chill of awe.
A Sacred Gear… it has to be.
Rias and Akeno exchanged a brief, meaningful glance, then looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
The rest of the school day passed uneventfully.
Later, Ryuichi stopped by the security office, claiming his bicycle had gone missing.Through the surveillance feed, he located it easily and rode home—to the house that belonged to this world's Ryuichi.
He unlocked the door. A slightly messy room greeted him.
His eyes immediately caught the small household altar on the wall.Two framed photos of a middle-aged couple rested there.
During a conversation with a teacher earlier, he'd learned that this world's version of his parents had died in a truck accident.
Damn trucks, he thought grimly.Always trucks.He made a mental note to hold that grudge.
Expressionless, he walked to the bedroom.Simple décor. A computer on the desk.And a trash can full of crumpled tissues.
He raised an eyebrow.
Booting up the computer confirmed his suspicions: over a hundred "study materials" were tucked away in a hidden folder.
He clicked a few out of morbid curiosity—titles like Academy Freeze, The Lonely Widow, Convenience Store Owner, Guard Corps Chronicles…
He grimaced.So the previous me was a hardcore otaku with… particular tastes.
He shut down the computer, cleaned up a little, then started working out.After building up a sweat, he showered and flopped back onto the bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
School had been quiet today.A few guys had come to chat, some girls had tried to strike up conversation, but he'd handled them all with a polite smile and minimal effort.
Whether it was school or society, people were the same everywhere—it was all about atmosphere.Ryuichi didn't care for that sort of social dance.
Still, standing out too much was troublesome.Isolation led to rejection, and rejection led to problems.
So he'd learned the art of polite distance—close enough to blend in, far enough to stay uninvolved.
A simple, balanced life.That was good enough.
At least, that's what he thought—
—until two days later, when he suddenly got himself a girlfriend.
To be precise, a girl he'd never met before suddenly confessed to him.
From her words, it was clear that even his previous self hadn't known her.
Her name was Yuma Amano—a sweet, innocent-looking high-school girl with big, shining eyes and a shy, adorable demeanor.
That afternoon, under the orange glow of the setting sun, she stood before him on the bridge, fidgeting nervously.
"U-Um… my name is Yuma Amano. I… I saw you yesterday in front of the school, and since then I just… I was wondering if you'd… maybe… try going out with me?"
Her voice trembled as she spoke, cheeks flushed pink. She couldn't even meet his gaze.
Ryuichi was dumbfounded.
Seriously? After everything that's happened… someone's actually confessing to me?
Just what the hell was going on—?
Could it be that Heaven was truly moved by his sacrifice, and sent down an angel to be his girlfriend?
Ryuichi chuckled inwardly at the thought. But no—he wasn't buying it.
According to Yuma Amano's story, she'd fallen for him at first sight and had gathered her courage to confess.
…Yeah, right. "Love at first sight"? "Please go out with me"? What a load of crap.More like please sleep with me—at least that would sound more believable.
Pure love in this world?He didn't believe in such a thing.
Ryuichi's expression stayed perfectly polite, but inside he was cold and alert.
Being confessed to by a gorgeous high-school girl he'd never met before? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
The only logical conclusion was that she wanted something from him. And he intended to find out what.
After all, he didn't exactly have much left—just an empty house of nearly three hundred square meters and forty million yen in compensation from his parents' fatal accident.
She couldn't possibly be after him, could she?
If that were the case, she didn't need to beat around the bush—he could lie down and make things simple!
With that cynical thought in mind, Ryuichi decided to play along and accepted Yuma Amano's confession with a convincingly surprised smile.
And just like that, they became a couple.
"So… tomorrow's our day off. Ryuichi, would you like to go shopping with me?"
Yuma's eyes sparkled with hope and a hint of girlish pleading.
Ryuichi gave her a gentle smile.
"Sure. Let's meet tomorrow—don't be late."
"Mm-hm!!"
Yuma's face lit up with pure joy.
"Take care on your way home."
Still smiling, Ryuichi reached out and lightly ruffled her hair, his expression tender enough to make any girl's heart skip a beat.
Her cheeks flushed pink as she nodded shyly, turning to leave—but every few steps she glanced back at him, the picture of a lovestruck schoolgirl reluctant to part.
Ryuichi stood there smiling softly until her figure vanished from sight. Then the smile faded, replaced by his usual blank composure.
He stood silently, replaying Yuma's words and actions in his mind, but nothing seemed out of place.
After a moment's thought, he gave up on trying to read more into it.His eyes flicked toward the direction she'd gone, a faintly amused curve to his lips.
Fine then… let's see what kind of game you're playing.
The moment Ryuichi left, a petite girl with short white hair appeared from the shadows.She watched the direction he'd gone, then took out her phone and dialed. The name displayed on the screen read Rias Gremory – President.
"Hello, Koneko. Any findings?" Rias's calm voice came through the receiver.
"As you predicted, President—the Fallen Angel is preparing to make her move," said Toujou Koneko quietly.
"Good work. Come back."
Koneko nodded, ending the call. Yet she couldn't shake off a lingering unease as she recalled Ryuichi's unsettlingly composed demeanor.
There's something… kind of scary about him, she thought.
The next morning.
Ryuichi got up early, washed up, and dressed neatly for his "date."
As he passed through the living room toward the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked back to the coffee table.He picked up the fruit knife lying there and slipped it into his pocket.
Maybe carrying a knife to a date with a high-school girl seemed extreme—but what truly didn't make sense was a beautiful stranger confessing to him out of nowhere.
That was the real absurdity.
So he figured it was probably one of three things: a scam, a setup, or some kind of school bullying prank.
They'd lead him somewhere quiet, and then a group would jump out and demand money—or worse.
Ryuichi admitted to himself that he might be a little paranoid.
Still, she was just a high-schooler. Even if trouble came, it probably involved some delinquent acquaintances at most.
And if—if—Yuma Amano was truly a pure, innocent girl who genuinely wanted a sweet, youthful romance…
Then he'd make sure to treat her kindly afterward.
Mouth set in a thin line, Ryuichi mounted his bicycle and pedaled toward the meeting spot.
From a distance, he could already see Yuma's slender figure waiting by the roadside, her posture graceful in the morning light.
He rolled to a stop in front of her, putting on an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Yuma. I'm late."
(On purpose.)
"It's fine! I just got here too," Yuma said cheerfully, looping her arm around his with a bright smile. "Let's go!"
"Heh, alright."
Ryuichi smiled back, soft and warm, as their "date" began.
They wandered through the shopping district together, browsing shops, picking out clothes for each other, and even snapping a few photo-booth stickers.
Ryuichi bought her a small present—a cute hairband—and later they shared dessert at a nearby café.
They chatted and laughed the whole time, looking for all the world like an affectionate young couple.
To anyone watching, it was a picture-perfect date.
Time slipped by quickly. Evening fell, the sky deepening to crimson.
Hand in hand, they strolled away from the busy streets and into a quiet park nearby.
When they reached the empty plaza around the fountain, Yuma suddenly walked a few steps ahead, then turned to face him.
"Ryuichi, since this is our first date… can I ask you for one thing?"
She clasped her hands behind her back, standing there with a sweet, innocent smile.
"Of course," Ryuichi said smoothly—though his right hand slipped into his pocket, fingertips brushing the handle of the fruit knife.
Yuma's lips curved again—but this time, her smile twisted.
"Then… could you die for me?"
Ryuichi froze. The pleasant mask on his face vanished instantly as he took two sharp steps back, his voice hardening.
"What… did you just say?"
Yuma's tone dropped into a chilling sneer, her playful demeanor gone. She leaned closer, repeating slowly,
"I said—can you please die for me?"
The words had barely left her mouth when her form began to change.
Her clothes dissolved into shimmering light, leaving Ryuichi momentarily stunned by the sudden flash of bare skin—then dark, tight-fitting garments wrapped around her body, and a pair of jet-black wings burst from her back!
A sphere of light formed in her hand, crackling violently before shaping itself into a gleaming spear of thunder. Lightning danced along its shaft, humming with deadly power.
Watching Yuma Amano transform before his eyes—from sweet high-school girl to winged, otherworldly being—Ryuichi was struck speechless.
He glanced between the black wings, the crackling spear, and the fruit knife in his pocket.
His mind screamed one thought—
What the actual hell!?
Where was the normal, cute girlfriend from five minutes ago!?
What kind of insane world had he landed in!?