"Congratulations on beating your first vampire, Chifuyu!"
"Thank you, thank you."
After returning from the warehouse and informing Kagura and Iris of their run-in, the former sprinkles Chifuyu with praises.
"You should've seen my Master's badassery! He was upside down in midair when he slashed the vampire's head clean off!"
"I-I'm glad you're okay."
"Hehe, thanks Iris. I'd let you guys continue to praise me, but I've got a report to write."
"Do I have to write it too?"
"Yes."
"Sigh."
Killing a vampire in under a month of being a Hunter is a big achievement these days. The next day when his report was approved, the cash came soon after. The base pay of 8k for exterminating a vamp, plus the bonuses of killing one that had lost his sanity along with doing so in under a month brought the total payout to 15k. There's also the money from their first Odd Job along with the bonus they got. Chifuyu has plans not to waste a single dime. For him, that means he'll be spending his money perfectly on anything worth it. On their next off day, Kagura drives him to an otaku mall in the district over 20 miles away. Iris tags along while Ariel is sleeping in his shadow. After a long drive, they arrive at the mall.
Entering the premises, Chifuyu takes a big inhale through his nose and a loud exhale out of his mouth.
"Ah, I feel at home here. It's been too long since I've surrounded myself with fellow otakus."
"Haha, Chifuyu's a nerd," Kagura throws out a jab while giggling.
"You say something?"
"Nope."
"Well then, we move."
An epic journey unfolds.
Chifuyu's first paycheck will be an investment to his first gaming PC. He's always been a console player, but he realizes that PCs are the go-to for the best gaming experience now. He's not one to brag except to those he's close to, but he was top 500 on a fighting game he poured his blood and sweat into during middle school, and he was diamond ranked in the couple of fps games he played which is in the top 10 percentile. He was quite the gamer along with Dakota, who had both a console and a PC. Browsing the game stores, there was an abundance of top-tier PCs to choose from. He opted for one that was around 2 grand, along with a gaming chair that would be shipped to Odd Jobs. Now it's time for a figure and manga haul.
"You getting anything, Iris?"
"M-maybe."
"Are you an otaku too, Iris?"
"Um... Well, I've watched some anime with Chifuyu."
"I converted her."
"Haha, is this some type of religion?"
"One might say so."
"Uh-huh..."
Iris hadn't watched anime before, but she was very excited to willingly get into it with Chifuyu while they were training. Her favorites are slice of life from the animation studio Shioani. They make her feel at peace of mind. The conversation continues as they browse the manga section.
A couple of guys next to them are talking about an anime that Chifuyu and Iris watched. It was a short series, only having 13 episodes. Nonetheless, it was an amazing one. On the first watch, Iris was confused about some parts of the story which made the whole show seem off. However, after receiving an explanation from Chifuyu, she had been enlightened. Even to the point where she shed a tear and thought of it as a cinematic masterpiece. The two boys are currently discussing how the show made no sense and that it was quote on quote: mid. Iris intends on clearing up the misunderstanding. Pulling out her reading glasses to look smart, she approaches them.
"Um, akshually(actually)..."
"Wow. Iris is talking to strangers on her own."
"I believe we have me to thank for that."
"Haha, is that so?"
Chifuyu continues browsing, while Kagura acts like she knows what she's looking at.
"Hey, this manga looks cool."
"Eh, it fell off."
"Fell off?"
"Means it was good until it wasn't. I really liked it for the majority of the story, but the final arc just turned into a dumpster fire."
"Sorry to hear that."
"I feel sorry just saying it. Anyway, if there's anything you should read, it's this."
"Woah, it's taking up 3 rows of this shelf. Over 100 volumes?! It must be good."
"Oh, you bet it is. I'll get you the first volume if you want."
"Sure, but you've already got a handful yourself."
"Heh."
Chifuyu is currently holding over 20 manga volumes, and he plans to get a lot more.
'Hey Ariel, could you come out? I need your help.'
Carrying all these volumes that is.
"Chifuyu, who is that?"
Kagura poses a curious question.
"That's.... the Otaku God!!"
"What?! In the flesh??"
Even Iris is surprised.
The Otaku God: A fellow with a big belly staggering over 6 feet tall with glasses that hide his eyes for no reason. He's watched every anime and read every manga, light novel, and visual novel there is. People say his taste is the equivalent of God's testament.
"Is he some kind of legend?"
"Yeah, you can tell just by looking at him... Gah!"
"H-His spiritual pressure is immense, my body can't move."
All 4 of them fall to their knees under the insurmountable presence of the Otaku God.
"Master, what do we do...?"
"There's nothing we can do. I never imagined I'd cross his path."
"How strong is this guy?"
"Strong enough to topple every single Vampire Lord! His power is so unbelievable, legends say he can put body pillows over five feet tall in left and right pockets."
"How is that even possible?"
"I don't know. All we can do is wait for this calamity to pass, and hope we don't die in the process."
As the God in human flesh passes by them, they pray to never be caught in his presence again.
"The world truly is vast."
Ariel gets out some wise-sounding words.
They ended up walking out of the manga store with a few big bags carrying 125 volumes in total, Iris got a few herself. They made a trip to the car and back so Chifuyu could get some figures as well. After a couple of trips back and forth, Chifuyu notices a sign on another manga store. This one in particular has magazines, art books, and other books on anime, manga, and light novels. The sign in question advertises a special volume signed by the author with the transcript of an exclusive interview and dozens of additional character illustrations fans would die for. Our boy was unaware of this, so he races to see if there's still any left.
"Sorry bud, we're sold out here."
"No..."
Chifuyu is devasted. Kagura walks up and pats him on the back. Seeing this, the owner decides to share some information he wouldn't usually do.
"Listen kid, you didn't hear this from me, but I know where there's still one copy in stock."
"For real?! Where?"
Leaning in, he whispers the location.
"At Gatari, in an underground mall downtown. The place is called Nine. It's a few miles away from here."
"Thanks, you're real for that."
"Don't mention it."
Exiting the store, Chifuyu pulls up the GPS on his phone.
"Hey Chifuyu."
"What's up Iris?"
"I um... I kinda want the volume too."
"Oh man, well that sucks."
Out of the few series that Iris is a fan of, this one is actually her favorite. In this situation, kinda means she absolutely wants the volume. Looking over at her, Chifuyu sees Iris is also pulling up the GPS. Their eyes then meet. They know exactly what the other is thinking and what must be done. Leaving the bags that they were holding, they take off like the wind. It's a race for the ages.