I didn’t expect to find a copy of the fifth volume of Reincarnated as the Captive Princess: The Villain Wants my Hand in Marriage. I planned on purchasing and I had enough money, still, I couldn’t help but open it and began reading it right there in the book shop. I had gotten hooked on Manga shortly after coming to earth. My favorites were shojo manga. The type with shy main characters. Those manga always featured handsome male leads. The type that would sweep you right off your feet and pamper you. In the real world, men were scary and thuggish. Mother even warned me to walk home alone because someone might try to attack me. I think that she was mainly worried for their sakes though, my magic was incredibly powerful and I wasn’t good at controlling it.

“Do you want to join the Manga Creation Club?” A Sudden voice behind me asked. I was so startled, I accidentally activated my magic, Impulse Fracture. It was only a tiny fraction of power released when I was startled but the ground shook and a jagged crack formed in the floor before snaking up a bookshelf. The bookshelf suddenly splintered apart and large fragments of it fell towards me raining down books and small pieces of wood. The man who had startled me suddenly moved over, pushing me onto the ground. The raining debris pelted off his back as he shielded me, each hit causing him to flinch. As the noise subsided and the dust settled, I finally got a clear look at his face. He had piercing red eyes framed by his black glasses and jet black hair. His face was well defined, and he appeared to be older than me. A thin trail of blood began to run down from his forehead, stemming from an unseen cut. “You okay?” he asked me as the blood began to trickle off his nose, falling in small droplets and landing on my cheek.

For some reason my mouth couldn’t form words, I stuttered for several seconds before simply nodding my head. He stood up and helped pull to my feet. Noticing the blood on my cheek, he wiped it off with his thumb. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to startle you.” I could feel myself tearing up as I replied. “No, It’s my fault you got hurt and, thank you for saving me. The shopkeeper came around the corner to check out the commotion. One of the bookshelves now lay in pieces and torn books littered the floor. “I apologize sir, It was an accident.” the red eyed man said as he smiled and pulled out a black credit card.,” and I’ll pay for all the repair and replacement costs.”

The shopkeeper's face grew red as he approached us. “Do you even know how much it will be. A kid like you can’t afford it, let me talk to your parents.” The man's smile slowly faded and his eyes narrowed. “I said, I would pay for everything, Money's no object” He pulled out a business card and slid it into the man's apron pocket. “Call the number once you have an estimate for the repair costs, we’ll also reimburse the merchandise and any lost business. And one more thing,” He said as he bent down and picked up the manga I had been reading earlier. “I’d like to purchase this.” He handed me the book after the two of us left the store and said to me, “I guess we got a bit sidetracked there but anyway, would you be interested in joining our club.

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt drawn to this boy. He was wearing the third year uniform which meant he must attend the academy. Something about him drew me in. He wasn’t like the other boys that shamelessly stared at my body. Their eyes were hungry and unfocused. His on the other hand were sharp, yet still kind. I didn’t know anything about the boy but I wanted to follow him, to find out more about him. He was different, and I needed to know why.

___

I walked out of the store, the demon girl following close behind me. Her massive chest threatened to burst out of her uniform and it took every ounce of willpower I had to maintain eye contact. “What’s your name?” I asked. “Lu- Lucy” She answered. The two of us began walking back to campus. “My friends and I are starting a new manga club, and we need one more member to make it official. You interested in joining?” I asked her. She nodded slightly. “Maybe, can I meet the other members first?” I agreed and the two of us headed back to the academy

Along the way, I tried to get to know her a bit better. “Are you a fan of those types of manga? I asked while gesturing towards the volume clutched tightly in her arms. “Yes.” She replied hesitantly, obviously embarrassed about her hobby. “That’s cool, there’s another girl in the club who’s into those same types of stories.” I said, trying to cheer her up. “Oh really she said,” perking up. “Another girl?” Her words hung in the air for several long and uncomfortable seconds. “A friend, she’s a friend and she’s the one who wanted to start the club.” I said rapidly, trying to clear the air. The two of us continued walking and reached the academy. I could see April and Serenity standing on the school's front steps alongside our homeroom teacher Miss Smith.

“Miss Smith volunteered to be our club advisor.” April said. "Yes," the teacher said, "I can show you to your clubroom and get you started on the paperwork. If we're quick about it, I can have your club officiated by the end of the day. I walked next to Miss Smith while the others followed behind us. Despite both Lucy and April appearing somewhat introverted, the two quickly hit it off and began discussing their favorite series'. Serenity meanwhile was just watching the two, likely soaking it all in. I turned around, deciding not to intrude on their conversation.

I looked at Miss Smith who was walking alongside me. "What made you decide to become our club advisor?" I asked. "I saw the flier today and asked April If she still needed an advisor for her new club." She replied excitedly. "Oh, then are you interested in manga." I asked. She turned away shyly, "no, I just really admired April's artwork." I was surprised she would volunteer for the position for such a frivolous reason. Of course, it was also possible that she was a fan of manga and was just lying because she was embarrassed. "Well regardless of why you decided to become our advisor, thank you."

We finally reached the wing of the school containing the clubrooms. Miss Smith stopped in front of one of the rooms and pulled a key out of her pocket. She unlocked the room and ushered us inside. The school's clubrooms were smaller than a standard classroom. There were two empty shelves against one wall and a longer table in the room's center. The windows opposite the door allowed for some natural light to enter and provided us with a nice view of the school's courtyard. I could even make out the maintenance shed where my identity had been discovered. Overall it felt quite quaint. The five of us took up seats around the table and Miss Smith handed April a club form.

“Once you fill out the form and sign your names, we can make it official. you can also apply for a club budget if you want but it’s up to the school council whether or not it will be approved.” Miss Smith said. I had little doubt that our request for a budget would get denied, after all, we had an inside man. Lia, the student council president. Eventually, the form made its way to me and I signed my name in pen. I had nearly written Judas but had caught myself and crossed out the J and U before writing my actual name. After the form had been filled out, Miss Smith left the room to take it down to the office.

“Hey April, this whole manga thing. Is it just a hobby or do you want to make a career out of it?” I asked. A look of determination filled her face as she said. “I want to publish a Manga. Something that everyone can read and buy. That’s my dream.” She certainly had the talent to make it, that was for sure. I had seen some of her drawings and they were incredible. “Do you mind, If I see your art?” Lucy asked. April reached into her bag and pulled out a sketchbook. She spent the next few minutes flipping through the pages and sharing some of her drawings with us. Even Serenity seemed interested and kept her eyes glued to the page. While we were all engrossed in looking at her drawings, the door suddenly swung open. Standing in the doorway with a scowl on her face was a demon girl I was none too pleased to meet. Angelica.

“Lucifuge.”

“Angie”

““What are you doing here””

Lucy and Angelica stared at each other wide eyed. “What did you do to my sister!” Angelica howled as she lunged at me. I tried to stand up but she reached me first and the chair I was in toppled back. She fell with me and landed on top of me, the two of us sprawled out on the floor. Lucy seemed mortified and April looked confused. Serenity meanwhile was still busy looking at the drawing in April's sketchbook. So much for being a bodyguard. I pushed the small demon girl of me and stood up. “You two are sisters?” I asked. There was definitely a resemblance considering they were both black haired demons. The major difference being in their personalities and, Ahem, assets.

“I’m so sorry!” Lucy cried as she grabbed hold of her older sister and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Angie, apologize to Alexander,” She said. The pint-sized demon struggling in her grip eventually calmed down and her rage-filled eyes softened. Lucy removed her hand from Angelica’s mouth allowing her to mumble sorry. Our teacher returned around this time and Angelica refused to leave until she had been made a club member. As we all left the clubroom in order to head back to our dorms, I couldn’t help but notice that Angelica was whispering something into Lucy’s ear, causing the young demon girl's face to grow red.

I doubted she would break our promise and reveal my identity. Unfortunately, no part of our promise stopped her from spreading disparaging rumors about me. Maybe I would have to amend our agreement? After Serenity and I returned to our dorm room, I decided to head to bed despite it still being rather early. I found myself feeling more tired these days, likely due to all the stress. As I closed my eyes, I wondered what the future would hold. Juggling my life as Judas, my life as Alexander, and dealing with the psycho demon girl who knew about both. Thankfully, those worries subsided as I drifted off to sleep.

___

A cloaked figure sat on the edge of a building, dangling their feet precariously over the rooftop. They yawned lazily as they watched the pedestrians far below, going about their lives, obliviously. The figure suddenly heard a flutter of wings as a falcon descended from the cloudy night sky and landed on the rooftop. The figure waited as the bird walked over to them, fluttering its wings. “For me?” the figure asked as they noticed a small cylinder tied to the falcon’s leg.

Car horns sounded in the distance as the cloaked individual retrieved the capsule from the falcon. Popping open the lid, they poured the contents of the capsule into the palm of their hand. Inside were two items, A photo of a black haired, red eyed boy with glasses, and a small purple pill. The figure quickly tucked the items into their pocket as they laughed. They tore their cloak off and tossed it into the wind, revealing a school uniform underneath. The falcon, having completed its task, took off into the night sky. “So. It’s time.”