....Silence.
That's all I could remember for a couple of moments. Silence - just peaceful, unrivaled and uninterrupted silence. Honestly, an ideal situation if you as me.
However, this silence wasn't very long, as I began to hear voices that sounded like they were calling out to me. I didn't quite understand what they were saying yet, as they sounded indecipherable and full blown — almost like I was isolated in a soundproof bubble or something.
The voices kept becoming louder and louder, and eventually began to cause me a minor headache.
Then - right before they got to an all time maximum loudness, I remember hearing a clear, male voice in my own head.
• | Transportation successful. | •
Huh? What does that even...
?: "Your excellence!"
A sudden shout woke me up, startling me lightly as I opened my eyes and looked around. I was not... Inside my room. My vision was still a bit blurry, however I could just about make out a long extravagant hall infront of me, with a couple of individuals gathered up around me with a bit of distance between us.
?: "Finally! His Excellence has awaken!"
The same female voice shouted, seemingly turning back to look at the other individuals with a smile.
'His Excellence? What does that mean..? Am I dreaming or something?'
I thought, before feeling a bit of a headache, which caused me to automatically lift my left arm up and grab my head, lowering it down in pain. I grunted lightly, which seemingly caused all those present in the room to worry.
?: "Your Excellence! Are you alright?"
I felt a sudden touch on my body, as the same female voice came a bit closer. My vision was still a bit blurry and I was still a bit shooken, my mind not exactly gathered together.
'Your Excellence... Your Excellence? Wait... Wait, wait, wait — What does that mean?'
I lifted my head back up, my vision finally clearing up and my headache going away. I could finally make out all the details of the place I was in. And without the blurry vision, I was taken back by the fact that I was in an absolutely extravagant hall, which large decorated pillars and a long red and black carpet which reached from me all the way to the halls giant doors on the other side of the hall.
Infront of me on the closer side, there were around 6 individuals, all down on their knees before me, at the end of what looked like a staircase leading up towards me. Next to me — the source of the earlier female voice, turned out to be a woman with bright red eyes and long, flowing black hair and a red coloured maid outfit.
She looked insanely cute as well...
?: "Your Excellence, is everything alright?"
.....Wait— I was being referred to as his Excellence... And by an incredibly cute maid nonetheless. But - why? I don't understand- this must be a dream or something.
I looked around, examining the area around me, before looking back at the maid, who was staring at me with a worried gaze.
"I'm....fine.."
Huh—!? Why is my voice so distorted and deep!? The hell-?!
The maid exhaled in relief, before smiling and moving back towards the other individuals who were here still kneeled down before me. Afterwards, she turned to face me and also kneeled down.
...Yeah, this had to be a dream. No way in hell was this real. I was still a bit confused about what was happening, however if it was a dream, that probably meant that I could easily just do whatever, since it seemed like all these individuals were waiting for me to do something.
Although, they all looked familiar.... I wonder.
"Uh — lift your heads..."
I stated, a bit unconfident in my statement. The individuals all nodded, before rising to their feet and looking at me, which definitely made me feel a bit like there was a ton of pressure on me.
....Alright, I did that - but what now? What do I say or do next? That one command or statement was not enough I feel...
Man, my head feels empty— ...Huh?
Right as I was about to grab my head with my arm, I noticed how it looked. It was a... Skeletal arm, with a golden and black ring on its middle finger.
.....Huh?.. is that - my hand? I flipped my arm around, examining it with confusion and little concern. It... Really was my hand... Alright - yeah, this 100% is a dream.
No way was this real right now.
?: "Your Excellence, is everything alright?"
The maid asked with confusion and concern in her voice. The other 6 individuals also looked towards me with great confusion and concern, which felt like it put a little bit of pressure on me.
...Let me just do a little test real quick.
I clenched my left hand into a fist - feeling the cold and rather rough texture of the bones, before simply pummeling myself in my face, shocking everyone present.
?: "Y-Your Excellence! What are you doing!?"
....I felt that.
That felt real — and it hurt a bit. This is not a dream, is it? But that would mean that all these individuals infront of me and the hall I am in right now... It all... It was real.
...Well shit — looks like I've become part of one of those isekai stories that people love. That's... A bit boring. If it is true - maybe it's one of those super realistic lucid or whatever dreams where everything feels so real it feels like reality.
The other individuals in this hall were all still very concerned, even slight shaking from what I had done earlier. I scratched my chin, before exhaling.
'This feels real, so it is possible for it to be real... But I shouldn't get too ahead of myself.'
I thought, before looking at the other individuals here once more, examining them all again, only a bit more closely. I mentioned that they had looked familiar to me earlier and that feeling hasn't left me yet. They look very familiar - like I've seen them somewhere before...
But — where?
I thought about it for a bit, with the individuals continuing to stare at me with great concern.
I swear I've seen them somewhere before in my life... But I am having a bit of trouble remembering where. ...Oh well, maybe that will come with time. Right now, I should probably try getting a bit of information from the present individuals about where I was right now.
I looked towards the maid, her immediately shivering from my gaze alone, before kneeling before me once again.
?: "You Excellence, please say what you wish from me."
I remained silent for a bit.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Then, I exhaled.
"I'm having a bit of trouble remembering some things, could you please remind me where we are right now?"
The maid and the other present individuals looked at me with great shock and confusion, almost like they weren't expecting me to request something like that, which was probably fair.
?: "Well... Your Excellence, we're at your castle in the Dark Lands."
Wait - Dark Lands?
That is very familiar to me... And I think I know why. I quickly hopped up from where I had been sitting this whole time, which when I threw a look back turned out to be a throne.
Afterwards, I looked back at the present individuals. If they will do anything I ask them to... Then perhaps I can ask for a mirror. I must confirm my suspicions right now.
"Bring me a mirror!"
I announced, causing the confusion to quickly dissipated as all the individuals present panicked a bit, before one of them - a beautiful woman, with short red hair and a pair of horns, which were tinted with grey tips, stepped forward, kneeling down with a mirror in her hands.
I stepped down towards her, making my way down the staircase, before taking the mirror from her.
"Thank you."
Now... Please tell me that I am wrong, please tell me that I am wrong... I slowly lifted the mirror up towards my face, a bit scared to look into it, before eventually getting a glance at my face in the mirror.
And as I had feared...
I looked like I had suspected to look. A Skull with a pair of bright red eyes with white pupils and a pair of long and bended horns, which had small cracks in them. No way...
This must not be happening - please tell me this isn't happening.
Was I seriously transported into that Otome game 'Battle for Hope & Love'?! What is going on?!
• • • • • •
- - - -
Summoned to Another World, but as the Final Boss
- - - -
• • • • • •
I was back on my throne, a bit deep inside my thoughts with a concerned expression on my face, which to the others present in the hall looked like I was angry about something and make them all shiver in slightly fear of me potentially being displeased or angry about something.
....So in short - I am inside of an Otome Games world that I played around a month ago. The game is called 'Battle for Hope & Love' an turn based, action otome game which was hyped up as hell up until its release. Everyone on the internet were talking about it at the time leading up to its release and how much it would revolutionise the very concept of an otome game.
However, when the game launched, it wasn't much of a market hit and didn't break any sale records. Infact, the sales were so unexpectedly low, that the developers had dropped the games price by an entire 65% only 2 weeks after its launch.
I nabbed it at that discounted price and played through it in under 48 hours - spending most of my time grinding fucking levels.
Why?
Because of the enemies in the game. Like I said before, it was a turn based otome game - with every fight in the game being a strategy turn based battle, where you had to decide on an action and pray to the RNG gods for a good roll on damage or healing. Honestly, the combat system wasn't all that fun.
It was all just basically an RNG mess.
But I still beat the game with 100% completion, completing every route in the game, beating every boss as well as unlocking all secrets and achievements. This includes beating the final boss of the games story mode, the Demon King of Sins, who may I say - may be the MOST unfair boss of all time.
The guy was level 190 in the game, while the maximum level the player could reach capped out at level 175 — which meant that there literally was a straight up massive power gap between the player and the final boss.
15 levels. 15 LEVELS!!
I spent an unreasonable amount of time grinding to max level and then had to redo the final fight well over 90 times or so before I finally beat the boss!
It was not a fun experience at all - if anything, it was fucking miserable to live through.
However... Why is all this important to mention right now? Well, you see... Usually when someone gets transported in an otome game, I've seen them become either the villainess of the game or the protagonist of the game, or in very unlucky cases, a background character.
However - what did I become? Well - possibly the most double edged option of all time. I became the games final boss — yup, the one and only, Demon King of Sins - Avis Virtiosa. Who by far, was the strongest enemy in the game - and the most powerful individual in the games lore, being feared throughout the land as a Tyrant.
Now, don't get me wrong - becoming an OP as hell final boss of an otome game who is the most powerful enemy in the entire game isn't what I dislike - I actually like it. However.... There is one teeny tiny problem.... Since this is most definitely the world of 'Battle of Hope & Love', that meant that the story is most likely going to play out the way it did in the game. Which means that... Well, my future is not looking very bright.
You see, at the end of 'Battle of Hope & Love' the final boss, Avis Virtiosa, suffers a pretty gruesome and terrible defeat, followed by a demise from the games Protagonist. This happens around the time of the Protagonists 4th year graduation, when the final act of the game starts.
During this act, the Demon King of Sins begins a full on raid onto the human kingdom where the protagonist resides - 'The Kingdom of Evelia'. In this raid, a war breaks out where thousands, if not, potentially over a million lives are claimed by the Demon King of Sins, before he faces off against the protagonist in a brutal battle, where he experiences an utter defeat at the hands of the Protagonist.
The final act is absolutely brutal and dark, showing off the evil nature of the Demon King of Sins.... However, it also causes a worldwide calamity to befall, as the death of the Demon King unleashes a grave storm all across the world, sending it into chaos.
This... I would like to avoid..... If possible.
I do NOT want to die, noir do I want to claim over a million lives in a war scenario... Also I don't want to throw the world into chaos with a great calamity caused by my death.
'I have to do whatever I can to prevent not only my death, but the final act of the game. That act begins with Great Darkness Dragon claiming the life of the kingdoms High Priest, which causes a black sun to appear in the sky... I must prevent THAT from happening in whatever way I can. If the black sun appears, then it is over.'
I thought, shedding a slight sweat. The other individuals in the hall with me still stared at me with great confusion and concern - clearly in distress at my utter silence and I suppose 'strange' behaviour from their point.
After all, they are most likely used to a fierce and ruthless tyrant who is untouchable. Wait... Untouchable... That's right - The Demon King of Sins is completely invincible to any attack and magic. The only weakness he has is the Sacred Blade of Hope, which the protagonist naturally claims and uses in the fight against him.
Depending at what point in the chronological timeline I have entered this world, the story of the game may or may not have begun already. The games story begins around the point of the protagonist entering the academy in the kingdoms capital and the final acts happens around 4 years after that.
I need to know what year it is right now...
I lifted up my head towards the other individuals in the hall before looking over to the maid who was kneeled down infront of me still.
I believe her name was Emily Sharden - Avis's personal caretaker as well as one of his most trusted subordinates.
"Emily, my memory is being a bit fuzzy - can you remind me what year it is right now?"
I asked boldly, leaning back into the throne I was sat in.
Emily: "Of course your Excellence. It is currently the year 1090 of the Silver Age."
1090 of the Silver Age...?
The games story takes place from 1103 till 1107 of the silver age, meaning that..
"The Protagonist hasn't been born yet then.."
I mumbled to myself. That means that the Sacred Blade of Hope has not been claimed yet and the prequel of the story is the current timeline of the world. The Prequel DLC took place around this time in the story and it mainly focused on expanding the lore of the Demon King of Sins as well as gave the players an exclusive option - a conquerable route involving the Demon King.
However, this route was seen as a dark one, seeing as at the end of it, the Protagonist and the Villain team up and take over the Kingdom of Evelia and become absolute monarchs in it.
As I remember, during this DLCs story, the Demon King of Sins was being set up as the tyrant that he was introduced as in the games main story.
That means...
I can start planning out a way to prevent the games main storys ending from playing out the way it does - over 17 years before it even happens.
Emily: "Your Excellence, if you don't mind... I have to inform you that your meeting with the 7 Gold Crowns is happening in just an hour. Your presence there is required."
Huh? Oh right — The meeting with the Gold Crowns... I had almost forgotten about that being the way the DLC story opens up with. I don't think it's a good idea to change the way the events play out just yet, considering that the protagonist hasn't been born yet, so I should better attend it.
I got up from my throne, before brushing off my clothes lightly and looking at the present individuals. All 7 of them were subordinates of the Demon King of Sins in the game, known as the
'7 Crimson Majin' - the closest and most powerful army force in the army that the Demon King has.
I'll remember their names later... Right now, off to the meeting.
"Emily, you're coming with me."
I stated, stepping down the staircase with the other 6 Crimson Majin moving out of my way and letting me pass by. Emily nodded lightly, before quickly catching up to me and following right behind me.
'I don't understand what is going on noir how I ended up in the world of an otome game I played... However, I know one thing.'
I clenched my right hand tightly into a fist, before lifting it infront of myself and exhaling lightly.
'I am NOT letting myself experience that terrible defeat noir letting the world fall into chaos in 17 years! I promise that!'
I thought, knocking the halls doors open and leaving through them - the eyes in my skull, glowing brightly with determination.
= Intermission . . . =
• Next Time •
[ (2.) Demon King attends a Meeting. ]