Harlan Flint leaned back at Galehaven Comics, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he eyed the new titles: Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! and Yu-Gi-Oh.
The first, Chuunibyou, stirred a nostalgic chuckle—everyone had their phase of youthful delusions, spouting grand lines like "The world's wrong, not me!" or "Bow, mortals, to this dark angel!"
Looking back as an adult, those antics brought a mix of cringe and fondness, a rite of passage he'd long outgrown.
In the comic, Rikka Takanotsume embodied that chuunibyou spirit, her "Evil King's True Eye" and cries of "Burst reality! Banish this world!" practically leaping off the page.
Her over-the-top flair outshone even Harlan's own past flair, a hilarious contrast to his current grounded self.
Yet beneath the comedy, Rikka's fragile heart hid a deeper tale—her father's death drove her to see him in a parallel realm, her "True Eye" a desperate bridge to that loss.
Yuta Togashi, her reluctant partner in delusion, offered solace, turning her quirks into a bittersweet bond that tugged at Harlan's chest.
"If Fischl ever reads this, Mondstadt's 'Prinzessin der Verurteilung' might trade her raven for an Evil King's eyepatch," he mused, picturing the clash with a smirk.
The second draw, Yu-Gi-Oh, hit a different chord—a card-driven epic tracing back five thousand years to ancient fate-weaving rites.
Muto Yugi's Millennium Puzzle unleashed Dark Games, where duels of light and shadow crowned him Duel King alongside his alter, Atem.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, and Millennium artifacts pulsed with power, a spectacle Harlan knew would hook Mondstadt's thrill-seekers.
"These should reel in the crowds—Wendy's got fresh fuel for his ballads," he thought, stretching as the sun dipped low outside.
He shelved the new comics, their covers bright against the wood, then hung a "Closed" sign on the door with a satisfied nod.
Today's tally rolled through his mind—two customers that morning, four by afternoon, six total, netting 600,000 Mora in a single day.
As word of Galehaven Comics spread, more would come, swelling his coffers and inching him toward the system's thirty-guest goal.
The system pinged, its panel glowing with a prompt: "Business closed—draw a reward from existing comics."
Harlan's pulse quickened, a grin breaking free. "Finally—my turn to taste this magic."
Watching Lumine, Barbara, and the rest claim prizes had stoked his own itch to roll the dice.
Five comics now lined his shelves: One Piece: East Sea Saga, Cardcaptor Sakura's Magic, Digimon: First Frontier, Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!, and Yu-Gi-Oh.
Most brimmed with power—Devil Fruits, Clow Cards, Digimon—while Chuunibyou leaned lighter, a daily romp with less combat punch.
Harlan craved something direct, a boost to his own strength, not reliant on external tools like cards or creatures.
He couldn't stay holed up in the shop forever, and as its fame grew, prying eyes—Fatui especially—might turn hostile.
Jean's crew played fair, but today's clash with Anastasia hinted at trouble brewing beyond his control.
"I need raw power—something to stand on my own," he decided, eyeing One Piece for its Devil Fruits and Haki.
"System, draw from One Piece: East Sea Saga," he commanded, his voice steady as anticipation coiled in his gut.
The system whirred, its response flashing: "Drawing Reward—Garp's Armament Haki."
Harlan's breath caught as the details unfurled: a mastery of attack and defense, hardening the body to strike and shield with devastating force.
At its peak, this Haki could shatter foes from within, a gift honed by Navy hero Garp—capable of earth-splitting blows even in untrained hands.
"Not bad—my luck's holding strong," he said, a satisfied grin spreading as he savored the prize.
Among Haki's kings, Shanks ruled Conqueror's, his aura rending skies; Katakuri owned Observation, peering into futures; Garp claimed Armament, fists forging legend.
Garp's legacy gleamed—Iron Fist who crushed Rocks with Roger, hounded the Pirate King, and felled titans like Marco and Badgers with bare-knuckled might.
A single punch could topple a 500-million-Beri giant, a testament to decades of refining this armored prowess.
For Harlan, defenseless beyond the shop's walls, this blend of offense and resilience fit like a glove.
The system's light flared, sinking Garp's Armament Haki into him, a steel-clad power now his to wield.
***
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