'When did I make a move to become someone famous? Someone respected, feared and well-known in the entire world. The mob in front of me honors me as their god, raising their arms as they call out my name like a gospel. Several beautiful women surround my chair, while I am just sitting with crossed legs and waving my hand in a regal manner. I can see my citizens and loyalists shake from the honor of witnessing a simple greeting, but I can't recall the time when I started to become their leader. I just wanted to live as a businessman. Who the fuck are those people wearing black armbands with a red star? Is this what it feels like to be a dictator? I just wanted to lead a normal life... how the fuck did I end up in this chaotic dictatorial scenario? Why the fuck did I end up as the main character of a story? That dong is so loud and that stick is too long. I just wanted to become a mob character! This is fucking wrong!'
December 31, Present Year
11:44:25 PM
Fireworks exploded into an array of colors, lighting the night sky above Tokyo Tower, illuminating thousands of people who were celebrating the New Year's Eve below. Smiling women wearing colorful yukatas gossiped and laughed in the crowd. Everyone was all excited about the wonderful and glorious display, but there was Aljen Mura, a brown-skinned man, as an exception. He was not laughing but sulking. He watched the fireworks from a corner of Tokyo Park, with a bottle of cheap beer in his hand as tears ran down his cheeks. The moment the fireworks exploded, he took a sip and shouted some foul words.
He gazed at the sky and watched the beautiful scenery while sitting on his carpet under the cherry blossoms. He was the only person in the area. Hearing a lot of voices, his eyesight turned to the couples and friends on the bridge and loners like him on the riverbank.
He had drunk almost a dozen beers, yet he was still crying.
"Why? Why do I have to suffer like this?" he asked, taking another sip of beer. "For this entire year, I did the best I could to impress them and exceed their expectations. But… but… they chose that beautiful but annoying, sexy but stupid junior of mine. I stayed for almost ten years with small salary compared to others but she was only two years working there. Why?" he gulped the rest of his beer and then threw the empty can in the nearest trash bin. "Fuwii, what a beautiful scenery to end this career! I saved them from bankruptcy but this is what they paid for me. Screw them! I resign! I'm going back to my homeland. Fuck you, assholes!" He stood up, cracking open another beer and took a sip again. A river of tears poured out of his eyes. "But still I love you, my love! I love you, damn company! I always loved you so much!" he wiped his face.
"Why did you do this to me? I did my best for you! I became a successful manager of that fucking gaming industry. Is it because I'm not compatible with the job or my performance not their liking? That I'm just a native man who luckily accepted like the others? I waited for this time to get what I wanted the most, however, it was given to another person. " He pointed his index finger to the building, and clenched his fist with a dismayed gaze thereafter. "I gave you my entire life to save your ass, and then why? Why bitch? Why you didn't promote me as an equivalent reward for my service?" After he kicked out a can near his foot, his phone rang. "Hello, who is it?" His voice was almost inaudible as he answered the phone.
"Mr. Mura, where are you? The chief wanted to celebrate with you." his secretary said. And he replied with a cold response, "I'm celebrating. Fuwii, I'm going to celebrate the upcoming New Year alone."
"What? Sir, the boss wants you to ... to be here right away. They want to celebrate in Akihabara Branch Building with you. Also, Madam is searching for your whereabouts." she said.
"Are you celebrating the promotion of the new Chief and those bastards? Fuwii," he asked, looking in the direction of their company building. "Bitch..? Well, yeah, sir. So, sir, please come to-" he threw the cellphone before his secretary could finish. "Screw that! I don't want to become part of that bitch and company's party! I don't wanna. I quit! They are awful and cruel. They are using the poor-hearted person like me to pursue their dreams. I'm just a tool for their conquest to become successful in their career!" Suddenly his cellphone flew back for an unknown reason. Without meaning to, he caught the cell phone with one hand. "What the fuck? It returned!" he said, looking surprised as he caught it. Another call came through to his cellphone. He looked at who was calling, and when he read the name - Secretary- he hung up. "Screw you, bitches! Fuck off!" A third call came to his cell phone. He read the person's name of his junior - the newly appointed Chief - and hung up again. "I said, 'Fuck off,' you motherfuckers! Don't you guys dare call me! Oh God, please, "He turned his gaze with a broken-hearted face at the sky. "God, I don't want to live in this world anymore. Please send me somewhere away from them, like the game world I made during my first work. I don't want to be an ordinary employee of a company; I want to be a billionaire leading a lot of legal companies, with a million of workers under my leadership. I want to become a great person. God, please. If you're true about your miracles, give me a miracle!"
When his cell phone rang one more time, he was gonna throw it, however, when he read that the name that came up as unknown, he stopped. "What's this? Un… known? Who might this person be?" As the cell phone rang, he thought for a second before answering the call.
'Should I or should I not?' His thought.
He wanted to answer it, however, he felt he shouldn't.
'This might be my secretary and my junior.' He clenched his teeth, hold the phone tightly and clicked his tongue. His right pointing finger hovered over the answer button, ready to click and answer the call. However, whenever he recalled them, he was reluctant to answer it.
"Whatever. I should just answer it," he muttered while pressing the accept call button. When he put it near his left ear, an unknown voice talked to him. "Hello, who's this?"
"Good evening and happy New Year. Is this Mr.Mura, the gaming manager of a Koalajima Co. and the one who handled Metal Tear and Godmother series the most anticipated game of the year?"
"Who might this be? Why do you know my name?" he asked with a staggering face.
"Are you interested in becoming a boss?" His question made him interested a bit, but with a mixture of hassle and hesitation.
"What? Boss?" he recalled the rumored promotion available in other rival company and thought the person he was talking with was a consultant and interviewer. "Yes, I'm interested."
"Are you familiar with the last game you hosted, Mr. Mura?"
"You mean [Mafioso]? Of course, I was the one who leads the project," he said, punching his chest once with dignity.
"Fufu~, well, I have something to ask you then. This is important so you must answer it properly."
"Oooh, what is it then? I'm very knowledgeable about the action-fantasy and sci-fi series like Divine Fantasy, Metal Tear and other notable games. Listen, I've been a gaming manager for almost ten years. I have experienced a lot of working habits such as working overnight, etc and led a lot of people to make our games successful. So, don't be shy and tell it to me right now, Mister. I'm hyped."
"Fufu~, well then. Are you sure?"
"Of course, I am."
"Haha, well then. Mr. Mura, because you asked for my miracle. I will give you a miracle."
"What? Haha, you're joking. Who are you? The God —"
"— God. No other than the person you ask for your wish from."
"Hahahaha!" Aljen covered his face with his left hand. "Hahahaha! Shut it, will ya? Why would 'God' call me in the middle of the night? Listen, buddy, don't screw with me." He hung up the phone and then suddenly, the phone rang again. When the word 'Unknown' changed to God, he felt creeped out. He then turned off the cellphone and put it inside his pocket however, the phone kept ringing. He then decided to throw his cell phone away for the second time.
He let out a sigh of relief when he didn't hear the call again. Afterward, the fireworks flew in the sky. Aljen Mura looked at the sky and smiled.
"Thank goodness, Happy New Year!" he jumped a lot as the fireworks continue to explode above the sky. His happy face turned to gloom and creep out when he saw the fireworks.
"I'm the real God. Your wish is my command, Mr. Mura. Be a good boy in your world. Muwa!" The unknown voice gave him a flying kiss after it cast some spell around his body.
"Guaaaaaa!" the world spun and he screamed while darkness engulfed him.
[WELCOME TO MAFIOSO!]
The year extremely changed from the present to the past, the year 1811 A.D.
January 1, 1811 A.D
07:30:00 AM
Aljen Mura opened his eyes, rubbed them, and looked around, his upper body raised. In the left corner of the room was a 16th-century telescope, a world map hanging by the white-painted walls, several piles of old books and other artifacts lay scattered in his room.
"Gah, my head. Where am I?" he asked.
He got out of his bed and wore the slippers laying on the floor. He walked toward the cabinet and noticed something odd. He found a young boy in the mirror, around fifteen years of age. Scarlet eyes glared back at him, dark hair flailing in all directions and a bow-tie strangling his neck. Aljen Mura recognized the face of the young boy.
"What the heck?" he gently rubbed his cheeks. Why was he one of the villains in the RPG action game "Mafioso"? The most daring and active antagonist of the story, the tyrannical coward who died from a suicide charge to kill the main characters.
Am I inside the game and playing a demo of the upcoming VR game? But that's impossible. This body of mine, my skin and how different my voice is… They, they seem too real!
And ‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒
Don't tell me!
"Out of all the people you could choose, why him? Why Hermes Archnemesis, Stump G?"