Main Story: Chapter 1: The Story of the NTR-ed Hero

--I hate NTR genre.

Netorare. Also more known as just NTR.

It is mainly used in works in which the woman who is in love with the male protagonist is taken away by another man.

In many cases, the female - the heroine, ends up becoming attached to the other man.

It is also simply called cheating.

Although it is not a very popular genre, it has a certain loyal readership.

Apparently, the immoral aspect is what makes it appealing.

I first learned the word "NTR" when I was in my first year of high school.

Luckily, or perhaps due to my ability, I passed the high school entrance exam.

I studied very hard, and I remember being quite happy that my efforts were rewarded.

At that time, my brother gave me a game to celebrate.

It was what they call an erotic game, and naturally, minors were not allowed to play it.

That said, I'm a man too, and I'm interested in erotic manga and games.

Above all, I felt something akin to a thrill at being able to watch something 18+, so I played the game I was given.

My brother gave me a few games that were actually really fun.

Don't underestimate it just because it's an erotic game.

School-life, isekai, sci-fi, Japanese-style legends.

There are many different genres and it's quite deep.

One thing they all have in common is that they feature cute girls.

I was part of the fan of that game.

And then comes, a NTR game.

The game was a type that is said to be a hidden genre among NTR games.

You wouldn't know it was a NTR story from the packaging or synopsis.

To make matters worse, the game was so well-made that it was later called a masterpiece in the NTR community.

I had no way of knowing that, so I played the game right away.

I started playing and quickly became addicted to the game.

So it's a game that can be said to be a masterpiece, even if it's just a twist.

The world view is a typical sword and magic fantasy, where humans and demons are at war.

The main character is a brave young man who is strong and kind, yet has a down-to-earth spirit.

I guess you could say it's made in a way that makes it easy to empathize with the characters.

Strangely enough, I was able to empathize with the protagonist's feelings.

And of course the must-have girl in erotic games.

There are three heroines, and all of them are cute.

Love gradually blossoms in the midst of battle.

Bonds with friends.

A development that will get you excited and nervous.

And the love that is born.

Love that grows.

It's a bit of a cliché, but I thought it was really funny.

It was really...interesting...

As the story progressed towards the second half, it began to take on an ominous atmosphere.

A sense of discomfort towards the heroine.　

A minor misunderstanding.

It's a detail that you can't see unless you look carefully.

Naturally, both I and the young protagonist believe in the heroine.

I thought that story-wise, we had simply entered a valley.

I was a high school student at the time, so I watched a fair amount of manga and anime.

This kind of flow is a misunderstanding or a small conflict.

This is how new bonds are formed.

...If only this game wasn't a NTR game.

To cut to the chase, the heroine cheated.

Their cheating partner is the demon king... basically the final boss in an RPG.

This varies slightly depending on the route, but it's roughly the same.

The strong bond, the feelings they shared, the love that grew little by little...everything.

It falls apart.

The heroines, who had said they loved the protagonist, gives in to pleasure and starts verbally abusing him.

The protagonist still tries to believe, but he is unable to reach the heroines who has completely fallen.

The sheer despair shocked me more than the protagonist at the time.

To be honest, I didn't understand what was going on.

After all, it was a fairly long game, and it's been over a long period of time since the hero and heroine became close and ended up together.

There is a bond there that is stronger than anything else and will never be broken.

However, the actual scene shown is the heroine being NTR-ed and the hero ultimately dies.

And by the heroine's hand.

No matter how you look at it, that's a bit too much.

Up until now, the protagonist has worked hard, done good deeds, and done the right thing.

Why does such a protagonist have to be treated like this?

...Is this what they call a bad ending?

Although it was a small number, I immediately thought so after playing erotic games.

In erotic games, the routes branch depending on the choices you make.

In some games, choosing the wrong option can lead to a bad ending.

This game is probably that type of game.

--I was naive to think that.

I'll say it again: this game is known as a god-tier game in the NTR community.　

This game does not have an ending where the protagonist has a happy ending.

In every heroine's route, the protagonist has the heroine stolen from him.

And it will come to a brutal end.

The harem route is especially bad.

This route is unlocked once you have cleared the game with all three heroines, and it's a typical route in which you end up in a romantic relationship with all three of them.

However, of course, the heroines are NTR-ed in this harem route as well.

He has been trying for a long time to defeat the Demon King for the sake of peace, but the Demon King has stolen all of his heroines.

And so, in the end, the protagonist is publicly executed.

By the hands of the heroines.

The next story to be released is from the heroine's perspective.

How will she fall in love with the protagonist and how will she fall for him?

Such a story is told in a sensible manner.

And it links to the protagonist's story.

Of course, the heroines have their reasons too.

Because it is a masterpiece about NTR, the psychological descriptions of the story are written in great detail.

That's why there's a sense of despair, according to online reviews.

From my perspective, you are just bitches, how dare you mess with me!

When I completed the entire game, I was so overwhelmed.

The shock was too great.

At the very least, it was shocking enough to have a strong impact on my life going forward.

After playing that game, I became slightly distrustful of people.

Of course, I have no intention of confusing games with reality.

However, deep down, I began to feel that I couldn't trust other people.

Incidentally, I also suffered from depression.

It was probably too much of a shock for a high school student.

I was so mentally damaged that I had to see a counselor for a while.

My brother apologized and I forgave him.

It's also because I empathized too much.

However, I hear that time heals these types of traumas.

Gory images and other such things are often so shocking that they become traumatic.

However, human tend to forget such traumas over time and develop a tolerance to them.

I think I understand that it's through these experiences that one becomes an adult.

However...several years have passed since then.

Even now that I'm a college student, the memory of that game still lingers.

How many times have I dreamed about this?

The despair the protagonist felt, his hatred towards the heroine, and his murderous intent towards the demon king who steals his lover.

That feeling just won't go away.

In order to distract myself from the swirling feeling in my chest, I focused on exercise and studying.

As a result, I was able to go on to a decent university and I also gained some physical strength.

But then, all of a sudden, I remember it.　

Even though it's just a game, I can't forget about it.

Why do I have to live with these feelings?

--That's what I was thinking at the time.

"You Tsuyama Bastard!"

On my way home from university, a stranger approached me with an angry look on his face, shouting a name I didn't recognize.

Who is Tsuyama? My name is...

The moment I tried to make such an excuse--

"……Eh?"

A sharp pain rose from my chest.

Desperately directing his flickering vision towards his chest, he saw metal piercing it and red liquid spreading out.

Too red vermilion.

The bright red turns black...yes, blood.

I saw it in the game.

Well, blood is a common expression in fiction, but the game I'm talking about is that game.

The images and direction depicted up until the moment the protagonist dies.

It was a very similar scene to that bloody scene.

"Kahaha..."

A second sharp pain erupted from my stomach, interrupting my unrealistic thoughts.

It was pulled out with great force and then stabbed again.

The second time, an unpleasant clanging sound reverberated inside my body.

Was it the sound of hitting bone?

"Ugh..."

Third, fourth, fifth.

Perhaps after being stabbed so many times, the nerves that sense pain have become numb, and an indescribable silence descends.

In that situation, I felt like it was something that didn't concern me.

...The man stabbing me must have a lot of grudge.

"Serves you right! This is my grudge against you for taking Momoka-chan away from me!"

The man's face was distorted as he said this.

I had no recollection of the woman's name, but for some reason I could empathize with his expression.

I'm sure I'll die.

I had been stabbed so many times, it would be strange if I didn't die.

When I think about what happens after I die, I feel as scared as anyone else.

But before I died, I was sure of one thing.

I'm sure the protagonist of that game felt the same way as this man...

But let me just say one thing.

You've got the wrong person!

"Your soul is cracked."

Strangely enough, even though I was supposed to be dead...I heard a voice.

My vision is still unstable and it's dark and I can't see very well.

I must have lost consciousness, but when I woke up, this was it.

Perhaps this is the afterlife.

So this person is God?

"Are you perhaps, a God?"

I cautiously spoke to him using polite language that I don't normally use.

The man replied as if it was obvious.

"Well, what do you think? Think about it however you like."

So that means he is like gods?

He doesn't call himself that, but that's probably what it is.

For some reason, I could understand it intuitively.

"Simply put, your soul is cracked. If you don't take immediate action, it will be destroyed."

"Crack?"

"Let's compare it to what you would call a serious illness."

"How can I cure it?"

"Well... it's a different story if the cause is clearly known, but in most cases, it will be cured if you are reincarnated in a favorable environment."

The talk just flowing through reincarnation.

Suddenly, I became religious.

Or maybe it's starting to seem like a chuunibyou.

In other words, will it be cured if I am reincarnated and live a new life?

"Do you have any requests? I can grant your wishes to a certain extent."

He said he will grant wishes.

There's a standard way to make wishes like this.

Famous claims include eternal life, becoming a billionaire, resurrecting the dead, increasing wishes, and becoming popular with the opposite sex.

But...

"God, what exactly can I wish for?"

"Don't use such a formal words, just speak normally. It will cause a small wound in your soul."

"...I can't do that to someone who is my superior."

Even if I'm told to speak informally, there's no way I can do that honestly.

That's just the way I am.

"...I understand. Now, I'll say the same thing, but do you have any idea why your soul is cracked?"

"Isn't it just the shock of my death? I was killed due to a mistaken idea that I had no idea about..."

"...No, it's not. I think it was something more fundamental, a decisive event in your life."

I think of a persistent problem in shaping my personality.

That's probably correct.

"Um... maybe--"

I tell him what I think might happen to be the crack appears in my soul.

Maybe it's because of that game.

I think it's just a game... but when I say it out loud, I can objectively see how abnormal I am.

Even though I was killed by mistake, I don't harbor any resentment or bitterness towards the person who killed me.

And yet, I'm always worried about the main character of that game.

One of countless games, the protagonist who shouldn't exist in the world.

I can't forget such an insignificant person.

I honestly told him everything that was on my mind. I was confessing to God.

"I see... I understand the situation. That's certainly correct."

"Well... it's strange, isn't it? Getting sick because of a game character."

Even God would be shocked if I said something like this.

I'm shocked at myself, so I'm sure other people would think I'm weird if they heard me say it.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think so, but that's the concept of a soul. Even a being like me can only manage and guide them, so there's no need to worry about it."

I was comforted.

I don't really understand, but that's what God seems to do.

Maybe it's something like a doctor.

"So, what is your wish?"

"I want the protagonist of that game... Trust to have a happy ending. I wanna see that happen for a little while."

It's a shame that the protagonist...no, Trust, who worked so hard, didn't get rewarded.　

At the very least, I'll be satisfied with the fact that if such a future exists.

...Ah. I accidentally stopped using honorific language.

As I was thinking about how to justify my mistake, God said:

"...Does that mean using any means necessary?"

"Huh? Y-yes."

"To be honest, it's going to be quite a hardship for you, but is that okay?"

Hardship? How far is that hardship?

I wondered if I should ask for a detailed explanation... but no, there was no need for that.

Even if he is just game characters, I want him to be happy.

In that case, I think it's best to nod without thinking.

"Yes"

"You'll need to be prepared for that, you know? Are you still okay with that?"

"Of course!"

"I'll ask again. It's not an easy thing to do. Even if it means contorting yourself, is it really necessary?"

"Yes!"

God asks again and again.

So I nodded repeatedly.

Because my mind had already been made up.

I don't know why I feel this way.

If there is a reason, it might be because I empathized too much with Trust.

It can't be helped, since I really wanted to help him.

I couldn't deny this feeling.

"I understand. Then I will go through with the procedure."

"Th-Thank you!"

God said this to me after I lost count of how many times I had been asked the same question.

I felt a strange sense of satisfaction.　

That's it. All that's left now is to play that game on the PC.

It's like a fan disc with a happy ending that was never released.

"Please do your best. I wish you happiness."

"Eh, what?"

"I hope that someone like you, who wishes for things other than yourself, never comes to a place like this again."

As soon as he said that, my consciousness started to fade again.

I feel dizzy.

But there is something like determination.

To catch a glimpse of Trust's happiness...

Author's Note:

The author does not dislike NTR.

However, there is no NTR in this story.