The Active District.

  Out of the three districts making up this deranged and cursed town, the Active District was probably the only one where you could expect to be surrounded by family, friends and the joy of life.

  In fact, sometimes Akuma would wonder if the people were allergic to sitting still.

  Various stands filled the streets. Rainbows of bright lights illuminated the entire district—making one wonder if it was truly almost nighttime.

  Even if it weren’t a large-scale festival with totems and loud music, the people of the Active district would make sure something was going on in town. Today was no different. At this point, they might’ve been using a festival as an excuse to celebrate the mayor taking a shit today.

  “Hello, sir! Would you care to try our booth’s famous fried chicken?” greeted a rather cute, tan girl who was working for a nearby fried chicken booth.

  She then proceeded to go on a lengthy rant about how her booth’s chicken was supposedly “the best in the world” and how Akuma just had to try some. Her words were backed by the dozens of people standing outside the fried chicken stall, as well as the overwhelming scent of the sample she had brought to Akuma personally.

  Akuma simply waved her off, coldly stepping past her as he ensured his hood was covering his head properly. He did so in the same way a wanted criminal would as they blend into society.

  That veil was the only thing protecting him from them.

  “Sir, sir, you just have to try our–!” Another booth owner attempted to lure Akuma in.

  “Not interested."

  “You there, young–!”

  “No thank you.”

  “How about trying–”

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  If it wasn’t a game, then it was some concoction of meat and vegetables that he rather not trust. Not because of the weird taste—they usually tasted pretty good actually. It's just that the prices were always egregious.

  And thus, with his arms buried in his pockets, Akuma navigated the Active District with the elegance of a seasoned vet. He manoeuvred around the dancing people. He dodged flying objects. He even dodged unseen situations that would lead to the route of him saving someone—a kid looking for his mother, or a little girl who couldn’t win any of the prizes. He didn’t discriminate in his avoidance of others.

  The only thing on his mind was going home and getting some well earned rest. Maybe read some manga or watch a few episodes of his favorite anime before that. Yeah, that sounded nice.

  Childish, almost witch-like cackling could be heard from his side. The angel sounded like a kid laughing after watching someone fall victim to one of their elaborate pranks.

  “Huh? The hell are you laughing about?”

  A question he’d never get the answer to. One thing was for certain, if he was laughing like that, then that could only mean Akuma’s evening plans of taking it easy weren't going to be so… Well, easy. The angel had the power to see Akuma’s fate, so he and he alone knew what was in store for him.

  After a while of walking, Akuma realized that the ruckus had quieted down a bit. He had made it to the outskirts of the main plaza of the district, where only a few booth owners made shop.

  “You there, young man who insists on hiding his pretty little face!” An old and delicate voice called out to Akuma from his side.

  Another booth owner attempting to gain a new customer.

  Standing behind a decorated table a few feet to his left, Akuma saw an old lady running what he assumed was a merch shop of some kind and was motioning her hand for him to come closer. There was an almost delicate appearance to her—not enough to warrant worry or caution, but enough to make you want to indulge her. Like when a child hands you a doll in hopes that you’ll play with it and you figure, “why not?”

  He’d usually have ignored any attempt a booth owner would make to call him over, but for whatever reason, he decided to hear her out.

  “Y–You mean me?” Akuma asked, pointing a finger to himself.

  Of course, he already knew the answer to that question as there weren’t many others needlessly walking around the outskirts of the festivals.

  “Why yes, of course. Do you see any other handsome young boys?”

  The old lady shouldn’t have been able to see his face, but she could still apparently make out Akuma’s jawline and lower half. But was that really all she needed to know he was handsome?

  Best not to put too much thought into it. She'd have said that to anyone if it meant gaining their interest.

  Akuma contemplated it for a moment before ultimately deciding to approach the booth.

  The angel followed suit.

  Immediately after approaching the random old lady’s booth, Akuma noticed several items on the station table:

  At the front of the table, and by far the largest thing on her table, was a closed container type of contraption. There was a lever on the side of it that was connected to a clockwise disk at the back. Likely, the entire thing would spin if turned clockwise, mixing around whatever was inside it.

  Beside that was a large single sheet of paper that was taped to the desk. On it, you could find every winnable prize ranked from 1st to 3rd with a cute graphic for each of them.

  Lastly, was a clipboard with a paper that listed names, emails and phone numbers. He counted 30 rows—with 3 columns each that were separated by name, email and number. The paper was labelled “Sign-In” so Akuma more or less knew what it was for. Though, he was surprised to see that nearly every row was filled out. 24 of them, to be exact. Were these the reaped souls that came before him?

  There was also a stack of flyers at the corner of the table, but those hardly mattered to Akuma..

  “Oh, is this some kind of giveaway?”

  The question was more of a formality—he didn’t want to be rude by approaching the old lady’s booth without saying a word.

  “Why yes it is. This booth has a long list of potential prizes you can win, ranging from a cute keychain of that popular mascot all the kids are talking about, to two tickets at a hot springs resort.”

  “Did you say hot springs?! You mean I could win something like that here?”

  The old lady chuckled a bit. It was similar to how fishermen would react after a fish bit their bait. Now, it was time to reel it in.

  “You very well could. Two tickets to a famous resort! What better way to spend your time in the spring season? Quite enticing, yes?”

  “You’re telling me…” said Akuma while turning his attention to the list of prizes.

  Akuma read the taped sheet of paper beside the wheel carefully. After which, he summarised its contents and made a mental note of it all.

  Basically, it was a standard gacha roll. Participants would take turns spinning the sweepstake wheel. After which, a random coloured ball would shoot out its dispenser. The prize earned by the participant depended entirely on the color of said ball.

  A bronze ball would indicate 3rd place, which only won you the keychain of some popular panda mascot. Similarly, 2nd place pize—winnable with a silver ball—would earn you a large panda plushie. In a jarring twist of events, the gold ball, first place, would win you two tickets to a famous hot spring resort!

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  Of course, a plain-white colored ball meant that the participant would be awarded nothing.

  “…”

  It didn’t take a genius to know that something was fishy with this whole thing.

  With the exception of the first place prize—two tickets to a popular hot springs resort—everything was centered around a famous mascot. Pandota. It was like the prizes switched targeted audience mid list. A common bait and switch tactic.

  Then of course, there was the entry price.

  $15 dollars just to try and get a prize.

  Chances were, this was a scam booth. And if the old lady running it had set up this shop illegally, it explained why she wasn’t in the main plaza.

  “...”

  Akuma analyzed the entire booth.

  At the very least, he could see that the old lady had a few large stuffed pandas in the back, just like the prize list advertised. Same for the keychains. So, while he couldn’t confirm the validity of the first-place prize, nor how many balls were in the machine, there was no denying the other prizes were at least winnable.

  They appeared to be, anyway.

  “So…? What will it be, young man? Care to try your luck? Who knows, you could be the one to win the hot spring resort.”

  For a long moment, nothing but silence filled the air between them as Akuma thought it over.

  Akuma was familiar with the Pandota avatar. He’d seen it from time to time in the underground mall and a few online streams. He also happened to know someone absolutely obsessed with the thing. If she had seen this booth, it was very possible that she’d have sucked it dry of all its product. Money be damned.

  She’d be no different from a gift wrapped up beneath a christmas tree for the old lady running this booth.

  Akuma felt a little bad thinking of her that way. Given how nice she was, it hurt to write her off as that kind of idiot. But she really was that kind of idiot.

  Maybe he should win her a gift…

  “Sure, why not.”

  “Really?!” The old lady practically jumped out her booth as she exclaimed.

  “Yeah, I might as well, seeing as I came all the way here. Can’t let all that effort go to waste.”

  The old lady jumped around, flailing her arms in celebration. She looked as if she were dancing to the faint tune that could be heard echoing from the main plaza. Clearly, Akuma’s willingness to try her booth seemed to add a decade to the old lady’s life.

  “Excellent! Excellent! Ex-ell-ent!!”

  “...”

  A nervous bead of sweat trickled down Akuma’s cheek. To think someone so old could still move like that.

  “Well then, shall we begin?” the old lady’s voice was filled with enthusiasm. “Let’s see if you’re the lucky one to win the resort!”

  “I’ve got no complaints… Oh, but one thing. It’s not the resort I want,” Akuma moved his finger across the sheet of prizes, pointing towards one of them in particular. “It’s this one right here.”

  “…?”

  The old lady stared at Akuma with curious eyes.

  Akuma had the same careful air about him as someone picking out an earring at the jewelry store, or phone at an electronics store. An odd sight, but not one that really rattled the old lady. Maybe he was just the optimistic type.

  “Might I ask what reason you have for wanting that prize in particular, young man?” asked the old lady.

  “Reason?”

  “Well, it’s just, I can’t imagine a teenage boy like you would have any reason to want stuffed animals. I thought you were only spinning in hopes of winning the first place prize.”

  “Hmm… Yeah, I can see that.”

  “I could be wrong here, but it is that perhaps… you’re trying to win it for a lady friend?”

  “………………….”

  After a pause that nearly made the old lady retract her words, Akuma burst out in laughter. It sounded so boyish and plain that it only further emphasized the old lady’s point.

  “Is it really that obvious?” he asked playfully.

  “Of course it is! A pretty boy like you, I just know you’re popular with the ladies!”

  Akuma’s eyes narrowed behind the protection of his hood. He wondered if she’d still be saying that if she saw his face. Without realizing, he had expressed those thoughts with his mouth, but his voice was so low that the old lady hadn’t heard him anyways.

  “Anyways, let me get your money.”

  “Agh–!”

  Noticing that Akuma’s wallet was quite thick—at least in regard to other high school students—the old lady’s eyes opened wide. She didn’t miss the opportunity to pounce.

  “H–Hold on. Since you seem so confident, how about a special deal? Just because I can tell you really care about this girl. You give me 20 bucks, and I’ll let you spin twice. How’s that sound?”

  20 bucks for 2 spins.

  If he considered that the original price was $15, then for the price of 1 spin and a third, he’d be allowed two spins. That was actually a pretty good deal.

  “Hmm… Tempting, but I think I’m alright. I’ll only need one spin.”

  Once again, Akuma had an unnaturally confident air about him that didn’t belong in such a situation. This time, however, it sent a chill down the old lady’s spine. For a moment, she began to doubt her own scheme.

  Was it possible that Akuma could win? No, of course not.

  There was simply no way for such an outcome.

  After all, the game was rigged from the start. For you see, the old lady had taped not just the first-place prize, but second and third as well. She had taped those balls to the outermost wall of the interior frame. So, in essence, no matter how many times Akuma spun, it was impossible to win any of the prizes. He’d just be throwing his money away.

  The stuffed animals in the back were just there to give the illusion that it wasn’t rigged.

  “A–Are you sure?” The old lady stammered, her uneasiness dripping over each word. “This is a deal of a lifetime, you know?”

  “Yeah, I know. But it’d just be a waste of a deal. Like I said, I’ll only need one spin.”

  “…”

  The old lady was left speechless. This wasn’t just a ridiculous amount of confidence. It went beyond that.

  Pure conviction. The absoluteness of one’s belief that something will be. It was no different from how she trusted that if she were to jump, she’d surely fall back down. Or that if she were to fall off a 20 story building, she would die without question.

  Realizing that, the old lady collected Akuma’s entry fee of 15 dollars, grabbed the wheel’s rotating handle and then spun it clockwise a couple times. An old, clockwork kind of sound could be heard. You could tell the inside was spinning from the sound of a few dozen dense balls bouncing inside the frame.

  Until finally, a ball fell from the dispenser. And the color of the ball that fell was…

  “Would you look at that? Looks like lady luck is on my side today… Again.”

  “—?!”

  It was impossible.

  Statistics aside, every one of the colored balls had been firmly tapped to the wheel’s inner sides. It didn’t matter if Akuma spun 10 or 20 or even 30 times. It was designed specifically to prevent winning.

  So how? How could a silver ball have found its way out?

  The old lady’s jaw fell agape as her head slowly lifted to face Akuma.

  Was it possible that he knew about her scheme, and did something to prevent it? But how could that be? He hadn’t even touched the wheel. At the same time, it was obvious that he had to have cheated. Not only did he win an impossible roll, but he also got the exact prize he wanted. All on the very first try.

  Akuma cast his gaze down at his palm with an empty smile and muttered to himself.

  “Yep. It’s really a useless power, all things considered. This is about as much as I can accomplish in an ordinary world like this one…” Akuma turned his attention back to the old lady running the booth, speaking directly to her this time. “Well? Are you gonna give me my prize now? Or…?”

  “Huh? Oh, ah…”

  The old lady scrambled for Akuma’s prize. She had almost grabbed the wrong item before being corrected by Akuma. Her shocked expression remained even after handing off the stuffed animal.

  “Sweet. I just know Alice is gonna like this. Pandas might be the one thing that girl loves the most! I just hope she doesn’t already have one of these…”

  The angel cackled at Akuma’s declaration.

  “Aw crap, you’re right. There’s no way she doesn’t. Limited edition or not, that girl is something else… Wait, considering where I got this, I doubt it's even a limited edition…”

  Akuma slammed the booth table with a desperate determination.

  “Hey you, please tell me this thing is actually limited… That wasn’t a scam you made up to entice customers, right…?”

  She gave an expression that might as well have said, “yep, sure as hell is.”

  “Fuuuuuuuck!!!! What kind of shitty luck is this?! Dammit, dammit, dammit! I should’ve known. It was too good to be true, dammit!”

  “...”

  A forced and nervous laugh escaped the old lady.

  It was hard to believe that this was the same guy who had just done something impossible.

  “Y–You’re lady friend… She must be one lucky girl.”

  “Shut the hell up!”

  With one hand holding the Pandota plushie by the neck, Akuma extended his only free hand and pointed his index finger at the booth owner.

  “You gave me fake product! Now I’m confused as to what I should do! I should sue your ass! Better yet, I should kick your–!”

  Interrupting his somewhat warranted threat was a sudden but strong gust of wind.

  In any other situation, his heated expression might’ve gone unnoticed under the veil of his hoodie, making the exact level of his anger a guessing game. But the might of the breeze was enough to pull back Akuma’s hoodie in that short vulnerable moment.

  “!”

  The old lady recoiled instantly, as well as all nearby pedestrians. She took a step back, escaping to the confines of her booth. Her own eyes acted as if they were shivering in ice cold water. It was almost as if she had seen a…

  “…Demon.”