The next morning, Tokyo was already a furnace of noise and light, the air thick with heat, ambition, and secrets.
At Nobita's house, Reo sat quietly at the kitchen table, sipping green tea, pretending to listen to his mother scolding him about his messy room.
He only half-heard her — his mind was razor-focused on last night's encounter.
The Sun Coil.
They were far bigger than he initially thought.
And if they had noticed him, then it meant others soon would.
His window for building power, influence, and a shield for himself was narrowing fast.
But the universe — whether by fate or by twisted irony — was about to throw him a curveball he hadn't anticipated.
---
A Knock at the Door
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
Tamako Nobi — Nobita's mother — wiped her hands on her apron and called over her shoulder.
"Nobita! Go answer the door!"
With a sigh, Reo stood up and walked toward the entrance, his mind already calculating a dozen possibilities: a salesman, a neighbor, maybe even a hidden agent from Sun Coil.
He wasn't expecting her.
When he opened the door, the world seemed to momentarily slow down.
There, standing on the threshold like a scene from a dream, was a girl about his age — maybe a little older.
Long black hair, styled casually but perfectly.
Piercing violet eyes, bright with mischief and something sharper.
A simple white dress, modest but elegant, catching the morning breeze just enough to make her look unreal.
She smiled.
A smile that could topple empires.
"Hi," she said casually. "You must be Nobita."
Reo's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
This was no coincidence.
No random visitor.
She was here for him.
---
The Actress Revealed
Before he could answer, Tamako peeked around him and gasped.
"Oh my goodness! You're— you're—!"
Arisa laughed lightly, bowing respectfully.
"Arisa Kisaragi. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Nobi."
Even the way she bowed was graceful, polished — yet somehow genuine.
Tamako looked like she was about to faint from excitement.
"A-a superstar! In my house!"
Reo, meanwhile, felt an icy knot tighten in his chest.
He recognized her immediately.
Arisa Kisaragi.
A phenomenon.
The youngest rising actress Japan had seen in decades.
Glamorous, brilliant, talented beyond her years.
The kind of person who would normally never cross paths with the likes of "Nobita Nobi."
Which made her appearance all the more suspicious.
"I… didn't know we had an appointment," Reo said smoothly, his voice perfectly even.
Arisa's smile grew a fraction sharper — almost like she appreciated his caution.
"No appointment," she said breezily. "I just thought it was time we met. You've been causing quite the stir lately."
Tamako, still practically vibrating with excitement, clapped her hands.
"You two talk! I'll go make snacks! Don't mind me!"
And with that, she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Reo and Arisa alone.
The trap was set.
And they both knew it.
---
Mind Games Begin
Reo stepped aside politely.
"Come in."
Arisa entered the house with an easy confidence that belied her age, her eyes flicking around casually — but Reo caught it.
She was scanning everything.
Measuring him.
Testing him.
They moved to the living room, and for a moment, an awkward, loaded silence hung between them.
Arisa broke it first, flopping onto the couch without waiting for permission.
"You're different from the rumors," she said bluntly, studying him. "I expected a nervous wreck. A loser."
Reo tilted his head slightly.
"Disappointed?"
Arisa laughed.
A low, rich sound — not fake, not girlish — but something deeper.
"No," she said. "Intrigued."
Her eyes gleamed as she leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
"I'm good at spotting monsters hiding under bedsheets," she said softly.
"And you, Nobita Nobi, are not who you pretend to be."
---
Unveiling
For a heartbeat, Reo said nothing.
Then, slowly, he smiled — a genuine smile this time.
"You're not wrong," he said.
Arisa's breath caught for just a second.
She hadn't expected him to admit it so easily.
"I'm not here to blackmail you," she said, regaining her composure.
"I'm here to offer you something."
Reo leaned back, eyes half-lidded.
"Go on."
Arisa's voice dropped lower, almost conspiratorial.
"You're aiming for something, aren't you?" she said.
"Power. Wealth. Freedom."
He said nothing, but the faintest flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes was all she needed.
"I want in," she said simply.
Her honesty stunned even Reo for a moment.
"You want to use me," he said, voice flat.
Arisa shrugged.
"Better than pretending. You'll need allies. People with influence. Public masks you can trust."
"And you're offering to be my mask?" he asked.
"No," she said, smiling again — this time with genuine excitement.
"I'm offering to be your knife."
---
An Alliance Forged
The air between them crackled.
Two predators.
Two storms.
Two futures intertwining.
Reo considered it.
Hard.
In his previous life, trust had been a currency rarer than gold.
And this girl — this rising star — was dangerous.
But also… necessary.
And perhaps, in her own way, as trapped by this broken world as he was.
He extended his hand.
"Partners," he said simply.
Arisa's smile turned almost feral as she shook it firmly.
"Partners."
And just like that, the first alliance of Reo's new empire was born — in a modest living room, under the watchful gaze of Doraemon (who had been silently recording everything from the shadows).
---
Meanwhile: Darkness Watches
Across the city, in a sealed boardroom atop one of Tokyo's tallest skyscrapers, the Sun Coil's top agents watched the handshake on a giant screen.
The serpent-masked figure leaned forward, fingers steepled.
"Let them dance," he murmured.
The others shifted uncomfortably.
"Should we intervene?" one asked.
The serpent-mask chuckled.
"No."
He tapped a single finger against the glass table.
"When gods fall," he whispered, "they always think they've become kings first."
And outside, the storm clouds continued to gather.
Because Reo's game had only just begun.
And the world wasn't ready for it.
---