Haruki Tanaka always believed himself to be special.
The existence of his superior parents and grandparents helped twist his young mind along this path with no hope for correction.
He watched his father and grandfather, who built their business in two generations.
His mother worked for the influential T-University as one of its senior lecturers. Her skills and knowledge in the dical field and also one of the top in the country.
Because of this, he believed himself to be the main hero, a common problem with children and young adults in the world.
'It only matters if it affects , because everyone around only serves to further my path.'
Haruki, however, felt his world shatter upon eting a certain girl.
Not only was she beautiful, but she was also the daughter of the largest companies in the global market.
Erika Tendo, the only daughter of the renowned Tendo Group.
A behemoth that controlled most of J-Kingdoms tal and electrical supplies both dostically and with a near monopoly on exports, they rose in a single year thanks to discovering and pioneering a new form of tal that could recharge electrical current using the beta rays from the sun.
Although the technology existed via solar panels, this material did the sa naturally and could store a thousand tis more than a normal battery or backup generator could and reduced the danger of fire and accidents significantly.
In a single year the company and father that Haruki worshipped beca the employee and subordinate of Erika's father.
That was the start of his fall into becoming what many might term in modern words as a 'simp' or 'beta male' due to his obsessive yet submissive affection towards the young princess.
Haruki both feared and adored the young Erika, thus with his mind warped and twisted by his main character syndro he sought to control and manipulate the surroundings.
Not to do anything bad, just to ensure she would never separate from him.
This plan worked for ten years.
Until Erika would et the man she would eventually fall in love with and forever part sides with Haruki.
***
In the dull, gloomy mirror of the arena, Haruki stood looking at himself. He had a pale face, bloodshot eyes and dark bags under his eyes.
His forr good looks, positive attitude and bright eyes long faded, now a dull brown, close to obsidian in hue. His hair is ssy and dry with poor care.
"Hey, Haruki." a soft voice called out.
The beautiful Fuuka Suzuhara is wearing a black and white kimono and midnight blue haori.
At her side, a beautiful blue sheathed Katana the sa colour as her haori dangled, with a second blade with the black of her kimono and slightly longer.
'Why did you betray , Erika? I loved you so much, and never left your side!'
"Haruki?"
'I never let anyone hurt you, got rid of the creepy stalkers and annoying n who approached you...'
"H-Haruki!"
Fuuka beca irritated and added mana to her voice, causing the mirror that Haruki seed obsessed with to shatter into pieces.
"E-Eh?! Oh... Fuuka, I see. What's the matter?" Haruki's voice lacked power or drive, causing Fuuka's brows to knit as she bit her lower lips and felt a sense of despair.
"The match, it's starting."
"What match?"
"Against Ryuji and Erika."
"..."
There was a mont of silence before Haruki's face twisted, and a small bottle filled with strange pills he swallowed before the match dropped from his palm.
Fuuka's pupils shrank when she noticed because she knew what they were but could only look away, her eyes closed tight and her lips bleeding from her bite.
"Haruki and Kenta... you're both fools... accepting that strange drug from that disgusting noble."
'That bastard... He defiled her, my goddess, my love... my sweet....sweet ERIKA!'
"I see."
Haruki's inner and outer voices seed to have beco twisted and distorted and no longer matched up.
However, despite this distortion, he ford a faint smile on his lips and walked towards the gate, where Anne, in a simple leather tunic, silver gauntlets and black pants, stood waiting.
Beside her was Kenta Suzuki, wearing a full black set of plate armour, and Yuki Ito, in a strange black robe with flashy patterns and a strange texture.
***
Because Alan and the king allowed Anne to fight with them, the hero's team couldn't bring other knights when she joined the battle.
However, if you were to base just physical prowess then Anne would be able to defeat her uncle by a slight margin.
Though she was only ranked fifth in the kingdom for sheer power, it seed to be a trait she gained instead of attaining the magical prowess of her little sister and becoming a witch.
The kingdom dubbed this side effect a sub-class of the witch.
Naming her a Hex knight.
****
"Hero, are you ready for battle?" Anne looked back with sharp eyes—her amber eye seed to shine silver. While her hair remained a light brown, fluttering in the wind.
"Ah, I will crush the monster who stole everything from . He is a blight to this world and in the na of Lumina I will slay him."
Haruki's eyes filled with more bloody lines, with creases of skin in the corner, making him look older. His lips cracked, but his magic began to flow from his body, growing even stronger.
"For Lumina!" Kenta also bellowed the sa side effects appearing as he looked significantly older and haggard despite his muscles and magic growing greatly.
"These two fools..."
Yuki's eyes seed to be filled with a watery glaze as he shook his head to the left, away from them and bit his teeth together.
His hands clutching his staff turning white from how hard he held the wooden stave.
Anne looked at the trio and shook her head. Of course, she understood what had happened. To survive the demon onslaught there weren't a small number of people who turned to extre odds to surpass the terrifying enemy with strength far higher than them.
'These stupid children, tricked by that damn church!'
***
"Now, everyone! The mont you have All~ be waiting for! It's ti for our heroes to clash with the bloodthirsty demon who loves nothing more than to indulge in murder, lust and chaos!"
'These damn nobles, corrupt and twisted. All they do is follow that goddess and her insane propaganda for a few coins!' Anne's eyes glared at the crowd and nobles in the high boxes.
Maki, one of the announcers for the arena, spread her arms as the gates opened; a loud symphony played in the background.
To the heroes, it sounded a little familiar, but to the people of Grigor, it caused them all to place their left hand across their chest and close their eyes.
It was the founding anthem of the nation that defeated the first Demon Queen.
A tale of loss, heroism and determination as the first king lost his wife, brother and son to the demons.
Yet he fought for seven long years and endured those who called him foolish.
He gave command of the people and his city to his daughter while he focused on battle.
A fight that lasted fifteen years.
Exhausted and without hope, Alandrus Grigor staggered ho, his eyes unable to leak tears, wounds and scars that covered most of his body. He and the troops who were victorious over a thousand years ago returned ho to find that their small village.
Beca a kingdom!
And the family that he lost was replaced with a new one, his grandchildren knowing his fight wasn't for nothing.
He pierced the city centre with his damaged sword and bellowed out.
"We have won! The battle is over, my beloved people!"
Then, under the warm eyes of his fellow Grigorians, he passed away, standing tall as if protecting them even in death.
They nad the song:
"An ode to our fallen king! He who brought the light."
***
"May we always rember our founders and the struggle they endured in the face of evil. Praise Grigor! Praise Lumina!" Maki's voice echoed, although cheerful, more solemn than usual.
"Praise Alandrus!"
"Praise Lumina!"
"For our glorious nation!"
"To Grigor!"
Maki's body hovered in the air while both sets of combatants stepped forward.
The girls with Ryuji all wore a black and red colour sche, either tunics and armour or beautiful dresses and light armour underneath and each of them wore a mask over their eyes and nose, a black half-mask with a slight difference in shape and their glowing eyes.
Ryuji wore a loose pair of Yoroi hakama 1and nothing else, revealing his muscular upper body covered in black, red, purple and pink markings that wrapped around the crystal.
The crystal itself beca a tattoo during his last transformation after fusing and replacing his heart.
Ryuji - a black wolf with red eyes
Liana - a black raven with purple eyes
Erika - a copy of Ryuji's with blue eyes
Yumiko - a white fox mask with red eyes
Sariel hid amongst the crowd, but hers was a bat mask with pink eyes.
"What an ominous group..."
"Maybe they are really demons?"
"Their leader is a monster for sure..."
"Lumina, protect us!"
"Now then, I shall introduce—"
"Wait!" Ryuji's deep and enchanting voice echoed through the entire arena causing everyone to gasp, so too scared to even speak back as he looked towards Maki.
The crowd didn't seem to be on the side of Ryuji—however, he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he pointed his huge axe towards Maki.
"My na, do not get it wrong."
"Y-Your na?!"
The lovely announcer looked terrified because all four won stood behind Ryuji, wielding their weapons behind him as if threatening her with their glowing eyes.
He then used magic to snatch the microphone from Maki, causing her to beco pale after a wave of darkness enveloped her body. At least, that was what she saw.
"Greetings, people of Grigor. I praise your high spirits and devotion to your forr king and ancestors. It pleases to see such a beautiful display, never forget your love for the kingdom and please enjoy today's battle."
His body hovered in the air before suddenly he grew taller. He sprouted beautiful raven wings and horns from the side of his glossy black mask that curled back towards the sky as if resisting the gods.
"I am the Bloody Tyrant, Asmodeus. A nightmare that has co to crush your hopes and to defeat the hero."
Asmodeus looked towards the VIP box, his gaze focused upon Alan and his brother.
Their eyes opened wide, and both of them knew it wasn't true, that sothing wasn't right, as he returned to the ground, flapping his wings.
Alan's eyes seed to overflow with tears as he mouthed his feelings to his dear friend:
'Stop!'
"You see that I can use my dark magic to trick even the hero into believing we were friends. Look back. The princess is now my plaything. Even the princess of the elven forest has beco my slave."
'Don't Do this!'
The mont Asmodeus spoke of the two, they hugged his body from behind kissed him and acted overly affectionate.
'Ryuji...'
"This DEMON!"
"PRINCESS LIANA?!"
His actions caused the entire arena to roar a booming thunder of voices and shouts, now filling the serene atmosphere as Asmodeus began to smile.
Asmodeus's smile revealed his huge mouth filled with sharp fangs, and a long tongue made him seem even more lustrous as his hands fondled and molested both the elven and human princess.
'RYUJI!'
Alan fell to his knees—he and Avandar knew they had failed to protect their hero and beloved family from the danger of the church.
Anne, however, didn't understand. She looked stunned with a pale face as she gripped her sword tight and looked at Asmodeus like he had killed her mother.
Alan and Asmodeus matched their gazes, one with his eyes hidden and the other with eyes pleading to the other.
'From this mont, I will remove your shackles, Alan!'
'Because now, I am your enemy!'
Yet, in Alan's heart, there was no such thing.
'I will never betray or forget you, my brother. Should you be on the brink of death or lost in desperation. I shall save you Ryuji... no, Asmodeus!'
Alan seed to have understood from the smile on the mainland bishop and church representatives' faces.
They all seed convinced and began to move to the VIP box they shunned the mont Asmodeus spoke.
Now, the filthy two-faced bastards were offering support against the monster in the north!
"YOU BASTARD!"
A violent scream, no more like the agonised wailing of a beast, echoed as Anne's body, like a lightning bolt striking a tree, attacked Asmodeus with her spear shining in golden light.
"RETURN LIANA!"
Before anyone could react, the arena exploded in a golden light as the pair clashed.
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