Rain.
Cold, heavy, and relentless.
It soaked through Ryouma Kazuki's hoodie as he lay on the side of the street, blood mixing with the water. Tires screeched in the distance. A girl's voice echoed somewhere behind him.
"...I didn't think he'd actually jump in front of the truck. What an idiot."
That was the last thing he heard.
He didn't die a hero.
He died a fool.
---
"System initializing… Transfer complete."
Ryouma jolted upright, gasping. He wasn't on the street anymore. No blood. No rain. Just… darkness. Endless darkness.
> [You have been selected for Isekai Integration.]
[Body: Lucius Nachtveil – Demonblood Tyrant, LVL ???]
[Curse of the Villain: You are the final boss. All beings fear you. Love you. Hate you.]
[Survive the world that wants you erased.]
His heart pounded.
"Lucius... Nachtveil? That name…"
His eyes widened.
That was the final boss from Crimson Thrones: Love & Conquest, a cruel, unforgiving dating-sim RPG that Ryouma absolutely failed to beat. The villain who was doomed to be betrayed by every love interest, killed by the heroes, and erased from history.
The worst part?
Lucius wasn't a villain by choice.
He was made into one.
---
He looked at his reflection in a shattered obsidian mirror.
Silver hair. Crimson eyes. Sharp jawline. A body carved like it belonged on a demonic statue. He was half-naked, muscles pulsing with a faint red glow, dark runes burning across his chest.
This is insane.
He reached up, gripping his forehead as memories that weren't his surged through his skull—Lucius's pain, betrayal, rage… and something else.
A voice whispered from deep within his soul.
"Burn them all. Or be burned. There is no third path."
---
A soft, echoing laugh broke the silence.
He turned.
At the edge of the ruined throne room stood a girl.
Long white hair, skin as pale as snow, black armor clinging to every curve of her body. Crimson eyes stared with hunger. A black halo floated above her head.
"I see the Tyrant awakens at last," she purred. "Tell me, Lucius… do you still want revenge?"
Ryouma blinked. He recognized her.
Lilith Astrema.
The first love interest in the game.
A holy knight turned corrupted angel.
And one of the five women destined to betray him.
He smirked.
"No. I don't want revenge."
He stepped forward, the obsidian beneath his feet cracking.
"I want everything."
---
Lilith's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
"That tone… that gaze…" she muttered. "You're different."
He didn't reply.
Instead, he raised his hand—and the throne behind him shattered as dark wings erupted from his back.
> [Passive Unlocked: Sinful Aura]
[Effect: The more they hate you, the more they desire you.]
The corrupted angel took a step back, biting her lip.
"...This may be fun after all."