[Location: The World God Only Knows - Japan - Wakayama Prefecture - Wakayama - Café - Private Residence.]
Keima Katsuragi, a young high school student, was lying on his bed, his gaze fixed on the screen of his handheld console. His fingers moved with almost automatic precision, executing commands he had memorized through countless hours of gameplay.
The room was dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of the screen, and the clock neared one in the morning.
Despite the late hour, Keima had no intention of sleeping just yet.
The path that had led him to this moment, however, was anything but ordinary.
Although Keima didn't fully understand it, he had sealed a contract with demons—a contract that, while not entirely detailed, bound him to assist in capturing Runaway Spirits, supernatural entities that had escaped from Hell.
These Runaway Spirits were not mere ghosts.
They were fragments of demons that, after the collapse of Hell's old hierarchy, had lost their physical forms.
Now they wandered the human world, inhabiting individuals burdened by deep emotional voids: loneliness, insecurity, sadness.
They fed on these negative emotions, growing stronger until they could regain their power and be reborn as complete demons.
The problem was that if a spirit grew too strong within a person, it could completely take over their body, putting their life at grave risk.
The only way to prevent this was by filling the emotional void of the host. And that was where Keima came in.
His task was to "conquer" the girls possessed by these spirits, helping them overcome their inner struggles and, in doing so, expelling the spirit.
Once expelled, the spirit was immediately captured by the magical container carried by all demonic soul collectors.
For someone like Keima, an obsessive gamer especially devoted to dating sims, this contract was nothing short of torture.
Proclaiming himself as the *God of Conquest* due to his unparalleled ability to conquer any girl in the 2D world, he infinitely preferred virtual girls.
Real-life girls, in his opinion, were too complicated, unpredictable, and dull.
Unfortunately, he had no choice. The demon he was assisting had made it clear that if he refused, his head would roll. The magical collar around his neck that could activate at any moment left him no room for rebellion.
At this moment, however, he wasn't concerned about Runaway Spirits or the girls he had to conquer.
What kept him awake was a personal mission: recovering the progress of a lost save file.
"Finally!" he murmured, setting the console aside after regaining the progress he had sought.
If it weren't for the fact that he had to attend classes in a few hours, he would have kept playing, finishing the game, and even starting others.
But as he lay back, an uncomfortable thought struck him: all the time wasted conquering a real-life girl.
He let out a frustrated sigh. He wanted to blame the demons, but he knew it was pointless. The collar on his neck was a constant reminder that rebellion wasn't an option.
Resigned, he closed his eyes, ready to sleep.
Then, he heard it.
Ding!
A strange sound broke the silence.
At first, Keima thought it was a notification from his console, reflexively deciding to ignore it. But something felt off.
That wasn't the usual sound.
His eyes shot open.
Hovering before him was a holographic text window.
[It's truly amusing to think your pride is what got you involved with demons.]
"What the hell is this?" he murmured, sitting up in bed with a mix of irritation and surprise.
He rubbed his forehead, trying to clear his mind. A lucid dream? He quickly dismissed the idea.
If he were dreaming, perfect 2D girls would appear, not something ripped straight out of a generic anime with protagonists and systems.
To confirm he was awake, Keima got up and began pacing his room, inspecting every corner.
The holographic window remained, floating in front of his eyes, partially obstructing his vision.
After a few minutes, he slumped into his gaming chair, crossing his arms as he scrutinized the text skeptically.
Who is behind this now? Another demon? Or perhaps angels…? he thought, already analyzing the possibilities.
If demons were real, and so were magical contracts, then… why not other supernatural entities?
Or maybe it's a bored god playing with me, like in those generic anime? he thought sarcastically, staring at the window with a mix of frustration and resignation.
He wasn't keen on dealing with another supernatural mess, but if there was one thing he had learned from his contract with demons, it was that ignoring these things didn't make them go away.
With a heavy sigh, he decided to face it head-on.
"And? Besides mocking me, what do you want?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, his tone as tired as it was defiant.
Whoever was responsible, one thing was certain: they were watching him.
That uncomfortable feeling of being under invisible scrutiny began to grow inside him, like a cold draft seeping through a crack in the wall.
The presence of the holographic window wasn't a mere visual whim; its very existence implied a clear intent. It wasn't there by accident.
It was a deliberate message, an open door for communication, though the exact nature of that communication remained shrouded in mystery.
Just seconds later, the familiar sound echoed again.
Ding!
[Apologies, I couldn't resist. Here's my proposal.]
Another window appeared alongside the first.
[Would you like the means to escape that contract?]
[Yes. / No.]
And a third window followed immediately.
[Of course, escaping unscathed and alive is just an appetizer.]
Keima stared at the holographic windows, his expression a mix of weariness and skepticism. His eyes narrowed as he read them, as if analyzing the script of a low-budget visual novel.
"Escape the contract? How convenient…" he muttered, letting out a short, bitter laugh. This reeks of one of those trick choices that lead straight to a game over. Though I admit, the 'appetizer' part is tempting.
Despite his words, Keima couldn't deny that the proposal piqued his interest.
The magical collar around his neck, a symbol of his servitude to the demons, was a constant source of irritation and danger.
However, as an expert in dating sims, he knew better than to accept an offer without questioning it.
This feels like a game with hidden routes, he thought, stroking his chin. If I say "Yes" outright, I risk falling into a trap. But if I say "No," I might miss a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Both paths have implications, and I need more information before deciding.
With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His mind worked at full speed, weighing the possibilities. If this message came from a demon, it could be an attempt to manipulate him. If it came from another supernatural entity, things could be even more complicated.
"In any case, there's no harm in playing along," he said aloud, turning his attention back to the windows. His gaze sharpened as he pointed at the [Yes.] option, though not to select it immediately.
"Before I answer, I have a condition," he said, as if addressing whoever was behind the windows. "I want to know exactly what 'the necessary means' entails."
The silence that followed was heavy.
After several minutes, Keima concluded the other party wouldn't respond.
It seems I'll have to make a blind choice... again.
Yet, he didn't select an option just yet. His gaze remained fixed on the holographic windows as his mind raced through every possibility.
If this is a game, the rules might be implicit… or deliberately hidden. His expression hardened. But it also means there's logic behind this proposal. Nothing in a game exists by accident.
Finally, with a frustrated sigh and a shrug, he extended his finger toward [Yes.] and selected it.
I guess I'll play this route. After all, life's meaningless without risk… as long as I've got a quick-save in mind.
A new line of text appeared before him.
[Great! Welcome to the "Part-Time Workers' Group"!]
The words hovered in the holographic window, radiating an almost mocking enthusiasm that contrasted with Keima's growing discomfort.
"Part-Time Workers…?" he muttered, frowning as he tried to make sense of the text.
The phrase, so trivial and mundane, clashed with the surreal atmosphere of everything happening around him.
Before he could ponder further, an overwhelming sensation enveloped him.
Suddenly, his surroundings disappeared. A bright, blinding light consumed him entirely, erasing every trace of his room and plunging him into absolute emptiness.
The world ceased to exist—or at least, the world as he knew it.
////////////////////////
I'll need your help to improve this story. (More understandable and better written). So comment and review this story.