Chapter 1: A Tale of the Cuckolded Hero
——I hate the NTR genre. Â
NTR. Also called netorare. Â
Mainly used for works where another man steals the woman the male protagonist is romantically involved with. Â
In many cases, the heroine gets seduced by the other man. Â
You could just call it cheating. Â
It’s not a very popular genre, but it has a dedicated fanbase. Â
Apparently, the appeal lies in its immoral nature. Â
I first learned about NTR in my first year of high school. Â
Luckily—or maybe thanks to my own efforts—I passed my high school entrance exams. Â
I studied really hard, and I remember being genuinely happy that my efforts paid off. Â
Around that time, my older brother gave me some games as a congratulatory gift. Â
They were so-called eroge—adult games that minors obviously shouldn’t play. Â
But, well, I’m a guy too, so I was interested in dirty manga and games. Â
More than anything, I felt a thrill from knowing I was engaging with 18+ content, so I played the games he gave me. Â
There were several games, and honestly, they were really fun. Â
Don’t underestimate eroge. Â
School life, fantasy worlds, sci-fi, Japanese folklore—there were all kinds of genres, and they were surprisingly deep. Â
The common thread was that cute girls appeared in them. Â
And among those games was one— Â
An NTR game. Â
This one was the "hidden" type of NTR, where you couldn’t tell from the packaging or synopsis that it was NTR. Â
And, as luck would have it, this game was later hailed as a masterpiece in the NTR community, with incredibly high production value. Â
Of course, I had no way of knowing that, so I dove right in. Â
I started playing and quickly got absorbed. Â
I guess that’s why it was called a masterpiece. Â
The setting was your typical sword-and-sorcery fantasy world where humans and demons were at war. Â
The protagonist was a young hero—strong, kind, and down-to-earth. Â
You could say he was easy to empathize with. Â
Strangely enough, I found myself deeply relating to him. Â
And, of course, the girls—essential to any eroge. Â
Three heroines appeared, all of them cute. Â
Love blossoming amid battle. Â
Bonds between comrades. Â
Heartwarming, exciting developments. Â
And love finally realized. Â
Some might call it cliché, but I thought it was amazing. Â
It really was… amazing, but… Â
As the story reached its latter half, an unsettling atmosphere began to creep in. Â
A sense of unease toward the heroines. Â
Minor misunderstandings. Â
Lies so subtle you wouldn’t notice unless you were paying close attention. Â
Of course, both I and the protagonist trusted the heroines. Â
I thought it was just a narrative low point. Â
I was a high schooler, after all—I’d seen enough manga and anime to know that. Â
This kind of flow usually meant misunderstandings or minor conflicts. Â
Something that would lead to stronger bonds. Â
…If only this hadn’t been an NTR game. Â
To cut to the chase, the heroines were stolen. Â
The culprit was the Demon King—basically, the final boss of an RPG. Â
The details varied slightly depending on the route, but the outcome was the same. Â
The unshakable bonds, the love that had finally been realized, the affection that had grown little by little… everything. Â
It all crumbled away. Â
The heroines, who had claimed to love the protagonist, gave in to pleasure and hurled abuse at him. Â
The protagonist still tried to believe in them, but the fallen heroines were beyond reach. Â
The despair was so overwhelming that I, at the time, was more shocked than the protagonist. Â
Honestly, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Â
I mean, it was a pretty long game, and over that time, the protagonist and heroines had grown close and gotten together. Â
They had the strongest bonds imaginable—they shouldn’t have been breakable. Â
But what unfolded on-screen was the heroines being stolen, and the protagonist dying in the end. Â
And by the heroines’ hands, no less. Â
That’s just too much. Â
The protagonist had worked so hard, done so much good, always done the right thing. Â
Why did he have to suffer like this? Â
…Is this what they call a bad ending? Â
Having played a few eroge before, I immediately thought that. Â
Eroge branch based on choices. Â
Some games lead to tragic endings if you pick the wrong ones. Â
This must be one of those. Â
—That naive thought was my mistake. Â
Let me say it again: this game is hailed as a god-tier NTR game. Â
There is no happy ending for the protagonist in this game. Â
Every heroine’s route ends with the protagonist being cucked. Â
And meeting a miserable end. Â
The worst is the harem route. Â
Unlocked after clearing all three heroines’ routes, it’s exactly what it sounds like—the protagonist dates all three. Â
But, of course, even here, the heroines are stolen. Â
After fighting the Demon King for so long to bring peace, he steals them all. Â
And in the end, the protagonist is publicly executed. Â
By the heroines’ hands. Â
Next, you unlock the heroines’ perspectives. Â
How they fell in love with the protagonist, how they fell from grace. Â
The story oozes with depravity. Â
And then it links back to the protagonist’s story. Â
Of course, the heroines have their reasons too. Â
Being a god-tier NTR game, the psychological aspects are thoroughly explored. Â
That’s why, as online reviews said, the despair hits so hard. Â
To me, it was just: "Screw you, you bitches!" But… Â
When I finished the game, I was numb from the sheer shock. Â
It was too much. Â
At the very least, it was impactful enough to leave a lasting mark on my life. Â
After playing it, I developed mild trust issues. Â
Of course, I don’t confuse games with reality. Â
But deep down, I found myself unable to trust others. Â
On top of that, I fell into depression. Â
Guess it was too much for a high schooler. Â
I ended up seeing a counselor for a while—that’s how bad the mental damage was. Â
My brother apologized, and I forgave him. Â
It was partly my fault for getting too invested. Â
But I’ve heard that time heals these kinds of traumas. Â
Like with gore or extreme shock—trauma fades, and you build tolerance. Â
I know that going through these experiences is part of growing up. Â
But… years later. Â
Even now, as a college student, I can’t forget that game. Â
How many times has it haunted my dreams? Â
The protagonist’s despair, his hatred for the heroines, his murderous rage toward the Demon King. Â
Those feelings just won’t fade. Â
To distract myself from the turmoil in my chest, I threw myself into sports and studying. Â
Maybe because of that, I got into a decent college and built some stamina. Â
But sometimes, out of nowhere, I remember. Â
It’s just a stupid game, yet I can’t forget. Â
Why do I have to live with these feelings? Â
—That’s what I was thinking when it happened. Â
"You’re Tsuyama, right?!" Â
On my way home from college, a stranger yelled a name I didn’t know, his face twisted in anger as he approached. Â
Who’s Tsuyama? My name is… Â
As I tried to explain— Â
"...Huh?"Â Â
A sharp pain erupted from my chest. Â
Blinking hard, I looked down to see metal embedded in me, red spreading outward. Â
Too-red crimson. Â
Vivid scarlet turning black… Yeah, blood. Â
I’d seen it in games. Â
Well, blood’s a common trope, but I mean that game. Â
The art, the direction—up to the moment the protagonist died. Â
This was eerily similar. Â
"Ghk—" Â
A second stab to the gut cut through my dazed thoughts. Â
A forceful pull, then another thrust. Â
The second one made a sickening crunch inside me. Â
Must’ve hit bone. Â
"Ugh—" Â
Three, four, five times. Â
After enough stabs, the pain-numbing silence set in. Â
In that moment, I thought, detached:Â Â
…This guy must really hate me. Â
"Serves you right! This is for stealing Momoka!"Â Â
His face was twisted with rage. Â
I didn’t recognize the girl’s name, but somehow, I understood his expression. Â
I’m gonna die. Â
Stabbed this many times? It’d be weird if I didn’t. Â
Thinking about what comes after death scared me like anyone else. Â
But before dying, I realized one thing:Â Â
The protagonist from that game must’ve felt like this guy. Â
Still, let me say one thing:Â Â
Wrong person! Â
"Your soul is cracked."Â Â
Strangely, I heard a voice—despite being dead. Â
My vision was still blurry, everything dark. Â
I should’ve been unconscious, but here I was. Â
Maybe this is the afterlife. Â
So… is this person God? Â
"Are you… God?" Â
Timidly, I used honorifics I rarely spoke with. Â
The woman replied matter-of-factly. Â
"Well, what do you think? You’re free to believe what you like." Â
So… a godlike being? Â
She didn’t claim to be one, but that’s what it meant. Â
Somehow, I just knew. Â
"To be blunt, your soul is cracked. If we don’t act fast, it’ll vanish." Â
"Cracked?"Â Â
"In terms you’d understand, let’s call it a severe illness." Â
"How do I fix it?"Â Â
"Hmm… If the cause were clear, it’d be different, but usually, cycling through reincarnation in a blessed environment heals it." Â
Cycling through reincarnation. Â
This got religious real fast. Â
Or maybe just chuuni. Â
So… if I’m reborn and live a new life, it’ll heal? Â
"Do you have any requests? I can grant wishes to some extent."Â Â
She’d grant wishes, huh? Â
There are classic ones, right? Â
Eternal life, becoming a billionaire, resurrecting the dead, more wishes, being popular with the opposite sex… Â
But… Â
"God… What kind of wishes can you grant?" Â
"Drop the formal speech. It causes minor damage to your soul."Â Â
"…I-I can’t just talk casually to someone above me!" Â
Even if she told me to, I couldn’t just switch. Â
That’s just how I am. Â
"…Fine. Now, let me ask again: Do you have any idea what cracked your soul?" Â
"Couldn’t it be the shock of dying? I was killed by mistake, so…" Â
"…No. It’s more fundamental—an event that defined your life." Â
I thought of the issue that had shaped my personality. Â
That was probably it. Â
"Uh… Maybe this, but—" Â
I explained what I thought might’ve cracked my soul. Â
That game was likely the cause. Â
Even I thought, "It’s just a game…" but saying it out loud made me realize how messed up I was. Â
I was killed by mistake, yet I barely held a grudge. Â
Instead, I couldn’t stop thinking about that game’s protagonist. Â
One game among countless, a character who shouldn’t exist. Â
I couldn’t forget someone so insignificant. Â
Like confessing to a god, I laid bare my heart. Â
"I see… That makes sense. Yes, that’s undoubtedly it." Â
"Um… It’s weird, right? Getting sick over a game character." Â
Even God would find this ridiculous. Â
I found it ridiculous myself—anyone would think I’m weird. Â
"I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but souls are like that. Even beings like me can only manage and guide them. Don’t worry about it." Â
I was being comforted. Â
I didn’t fully get it, but God seemed to do this kind of work. Â
Maybe she’s like a doctor. Â
"Now, your wish?"Â Â
"I want that game’s protagonist… Trust, to have a happy ending. Just let me watch it for a bit." Â
That protagonist—no, Trust—worked so hard. It’s sad he got nothing. Â
Just knowing such a future exists would satisfy me. Â
…Ah. I slipped out of honorifics. Â
As I scrambled to explain, God spoke. Â
"…By any means necessary?" Â
"Huh? Y-Yes."Â Â
"Honestly, it’ll be quite difficult. Still okay?" Â
Difficult? How? Â
I considered asking for details… but no, I didn’t need them. Â
Even if it’s just a game character, I want him to be happy. Â
So there’s no need to think—just nod. Â
"Yes."Â Â
"It’ll require considerable resolve. Still okay?" Â
"Of course!"Â Â
"Let me ask again. It won’t be easy. Even if it means distorting yourself, is it necessary?" Â
"Yes!"Â Â
God asked over and over. Â
So I nodded over and over. Â
My mind was already made up. Â
I don’t know why I feel this way. Â
Maybe… I just empathized with Trust too much. Â
I couldn’t help but want to save him. Â
I couldn’t deny this feeling. Â
"Understood. Then I’ll proceed." Â
"Th-Thank you!"Â Â
After who-knows-how-many repetitions, God finally agreed. Â
Strangely, I felt satisfied. Â
It’s like… now I just have to play the game on PC. Â
Like an unreleased fan disc with a happy ending. Â
"Please do your best. I wish you happiness."Â Â
"Uh, huh?"Â Â
"I hope someone like you—who uses their wish for others—never comes here again." Â
As she spoke, my consciousness faded again. Â
I felt dizzy. Â
But I had something like resolve. Â
To see Trust’s happiness, even just a glimpse… Â
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