Chapter 1: Where… am I?

"Ugh… ah…"

From the fog of drowsiness, my consciousness gradually awakens.

But I’m still in a dreamlike haze.

Come to think of it, I feel like I was talking to someone just a moment ago.

That was… definitely something…

But no matter how hard I try to recall it, my mind feels clouded, fuzzy, and I can’t bring the memory into focus.

Well, it’s probably just a dream.

I think that to myself, but maybe because I’d been clenching my fists so tightly, the palms of my hands are soaked with sweat. It feels a little uncomfortable.

Still, surprisingly, the bed I woke up in is incredibly comfortable. I take a moment to enjoy the softness of the large mattress beneath me.

…And then, I notice something strange.

Wait, hold on—me?

I was supposed to be in my apartment in Tokyo, sitting in front of my computer (fully customized from BIOS logo to case design and sound effects with characters from a certain gal game), playing an eroge.

Leaning back in my favorite, super-fluffy chair that I’ve loved since my college days.

And I was just about to reach the perfect scenario: undressing the main heroine.

As a rule, I never check walkthroughs, so reaching this tricky branching event had been a real challenge. It took a lot of effort and time.

The game in question? "Brutal Violation Princess" (Kichiku Ryoujoku Hime). A proper "gentleman’s" game meant strictly for adults.

Oh, and by the way, I’m a fully grown adult and a hardworking system engineer, so enjoying eroge as a gentleman doesn’t involve any shame whatsoever. Not even a bit.

For the wise readers’ sake, here’s a quick explanation: the player takes on the role of the Demon King and invades the human world.

The reason for invading isn’t really explained in the game, and I didn’t look it up either. When enjoying an eroge, there’s no need to sweat the small details. Can’t be helped. Surely the developers didn’t just skip thinking through the setting—probably.

As expected—or perhaps as is tradition—the first target is a castle or fortress that houses a beautiful, perfectly-proportioned princess. It’s an eroge, after all. Naturally.

This princess is the main heroine, Princess Sonia.

She’s a pale-skinned beauty with straight blonde hair, a childlike face, and large breasts. Supposedly, the most beautiful in the kingdom—or maybe the continent.

And the core concept of the game is to subject Princess Sonia to every kind of brutal violation. Simple, clear, and straightforward.

In short, it’s a “brutal eroge.”

Not exactly suitable for good kids—or bad kids either—but as a self-proclaimed eroge sommelier, I don’t discriminate. If it’s an eroge, I’ll play it. That’s the hallmark of a true gentleman-eroge connoisseur. Ta-da!

…Incidentally, one of the CGs depicting Princess Sonia after being thoroughly broken by the Demon King—showing the infamous “Ahegao double peace” face—is quite a striking image, even in recent years. It’s become a go-to meme image online for trolling on Twitter, Pixiv, certain SNS, and major boards. I’ve personally uploaded it countless times to tease strong opponents.

Now, as much as I indulge in these eroges, I am still, in reality, a perfectly ordinary adult.

So, a huge, fluffy bed like this definitely does not exist in my home. Absolutely impossible. At this size, it wouldn’t even fit in my tiny apartment.

My apartment is a very ordinary 1DK, about a twenty-minute walk from a station slightly west of central Tokyo. A six-mat room like mine can’t physically accommodate a bed this big.

Still, I rise from the bed, curious and bewildered.

Maybe I drank too much, passed out, and entered the wrong house. That seems reasonable. Perhaps I accidentally went to a friend’s place, fell asleep, and ended up spending the night.

But I can’t completely shake the feeling of having been in my own room just a while ago, playing a game. And I don’t know any friends who own such a luxurious bed, which makes me a bit suspicious.

…And then, as soon as I stand up, I notice something else.

Something is definitely off.

Looking around, I see the walls lined with luxurious decorations—porcelain vases and silver ornaments that I’ve only ever seen in TV specials about aristocratic estates or magazines.

Frames adorn the walls, and unknown portraits sit solemnly in their places.

The mirror on the wall has a gold-trimmed frame, with intricate carvings of plants and animals.

There’s no way any of my friends would have such a lavish room. That much I’m sure of.

…And here’s the most striking oddity: my perspective is noticeably lower than usual.

I stared at my own palm in a daze.

A small, delicate hand with slender, pale fingers. Clearly nothing like the hands I normally have.

"Wha—ah!"

I was so shocked that fear and confusion made me scream.

…But the voice that came out wasn’t my usual deep, masculine tone. It was a high-pitched female voice.

And unexpectedly, that high voice echoed throughout the room.

"Princess Sonia! What has happened?"

A young woman in a perfectly fitted maid uniform burst into the room.

Her sharp, beautiful eyes and sleek black hair made her strikingly attractive.

She had flung the door wide open with a loud clatter and ran in from outside, rushing to my side.

I stared at her like an idiot.

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"…Princess Sonia, you were the one who suddenly shouted so loudly. Has something unusual occurred?"

The maid peered at me with a puzzled expression.

"Ah, um—no. I just… had a strange dream and got startled… Uh, by the way, could I… have some water? …please?"

I hastily added the polite ending to my sentence. A split-second improvisation.

"? …Understood."

The maid hesitated for a moment with a questioning look, but obediently followed my request.

I remained frozen, scanning the room.

Then, my eyes met the figure in the mirror I had noticed earlier, propped against the wall.

"…Huh?"

There, a pale-skinned beauty with straight blonde hair. A youthful face with large breasts. She stared back at me with anxious eyes.

It was Princess Sonia—the exact figure I knew so well from the eroge.

"…My Lord Demon King. The preparations for the campaign are complete."

In the vast audience hall, a strikingly handsome man with black hair and black eyes, dressed entirely in black, sat upon the throne.

The throne itself was enormous, crafted from rough, black stone, radiating an ominous presence throughout the hall.

Seated there, the man known as the Demon King cast a piercing gaze at his subordinate, the “One-Eyed Giant Cyclops,” who bowed respectfully before him. The Demon King’s expression carried an air of bored disdain.

"…Hmm. And what of the envoy’s response?"

"They… have given no word, my lord. It appears they will not obey our orders."

"I see…"

Hearing the Cyclops’ report, the Demon King let out a faint sigh, clearly bored.

"Very well. Then there is no choice. As planned, we shall assault one of their fortresses. If I recall correctly, we already have a traitor inside, do we not?"

"Yes! With that individual’s guidance, the assault will be effortless."

"I see. Well, this time it is merely a show of force. Proceed as you wish."

"Understood."

The Cyclops lowered his head with proper respect.

"…Hmph. A dull matter, to be sure. But if what I’ve heard is true, that fortress houses a human of unparalleled beauty… Perhaps it will serve as a modest diversion."

In a tone tinged with boredom, the unnecessarily handsome Demon King muttered to himself, his words drifting into the empty hall.