The sky blazed with radiant light, the heavens seemingly ignited by the sheer brilliance of the moment.

A towering mountain crumbled to dust, yet amidst the chaos, a lone figure sat serenely upon a golden chariot that hovered mid-air. His golden hair glimmered like threads of sunlight, and his radiant smile exuded both warmth and unshakable resolve.

He raised his bow, the string taut with an arrow poised to strike, as armies of humans and beasts roared his name in unison—a thunderous anthem of loyalty and hope that echoed across the battlefield.

Suddenly, a deep, guttural voice shattered the fervor, halting his advance. A shadow as vast as the mountains loomed before him, suffocating in its presence. The monstrous figure bore ten heads, each face a grotesque mask of malice.

"Tell me, Prince," the demon king thundered, his voices echoing like a storm across the battlefield. "Why do you fight here? This war is not yours to join. No weapon has been raised against your kingdom. Will you still persist?"

The prince's eyes narrowed, his voice unwavering and resolute. "Great Demon King," he declared, "your war may not involve me, nor does it threaten my kingdom. But to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others is to renounce my duty as a prince. Prepare yourself—for today, I will fight you. Today, I uphold the Dharma!"

A deafening roar erupted from below.

"PRINCE! PRINCE! PRINCE!"

The legendary prince charged into the fray.

Otome Legends V.14 DLC: Battle of the Demon King – Available Now!

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!"

A group of girls squealed in unison, their excitement bubbling over as they huddled around their phones, walking toward school. They devoured every detail of the latest update to their favorite game.

"The new trailer looks so amazing!"

"I can't believe they finally added him! He's been the most anticipated character since last year's fan polls, and now he's finally in the game!"

"Did you see his stats? They're literally Plus Ultra! With him on the roster, even Author looks like a total joke now. I can't wait to test out his super attacks!"

"Yeah, not just Author—every other class feels completely outclassed compared to him. He could literally solo the Demon King's entire army by himself!"

"Right? He's got charm to die for, supreme blacksmithing skills, intelligence on par with sages, and he's a legendary wizard? What were the devs thinking? He's totally broken!"

"Oh, please. Like you care about balance. You just want to play his route!"

"And you're telling me you don't want to seduce this absolute heartthrob?"

"Girls, hate to break it to you," one interjected, her face somber, "but according to the release notes, he's route-less. He's only available as a special summon."

"Whaaaat?! No way!"

"We can't date him? No! Don't do this to me! Tell me that's a lie!"

"Well," she added with a sigh, "the devs said he'll be replacing that lame Blacksmith in a support role. But there's already a petition online for his route…"

"Yeah, I'm glad they replaced that useless Blacksmith, but a support role for a character like him? We can't let this happen."

Please, kill me now...

A short distance away from the group, a bespectacled girl with messy dark hair tied in twin ponytails muttered under her breath, her gaze lost in the sound of their excited chatter.

Unlike the group's cheerful energy, her mood was somber, a cloud of darkness hanging over her. She looked utterly defeated, as if she had lost everything. Each step felt like an immense struggle, the weight of her school bag pressing down on her shoulders.

This is the worst day of my life

"What's wrong, big sis? I thought you'd be over the moon! Otome Legends is your favorite game, and it's been ages since they dropped such a huge update. And the prince looks awesome!" chirped a bright, cheerful girl with fiery red hair, walking beside her.

"Don't mention that name in front of me, Tia," she replied, her voice laden with despair. "I hate that game now."

"Hate that game? Are you really my big sis? Weren't you the top player on the world leaderboard? What happened?" she asked, clearly confused.

"You will not understand Tia … they've taken everything from me…" She replied

"Taken... everything?" Tia frowned, scratching her head. Then, a sudden realization hit her. "Oh! You mean the blacksmith …"

"You know about him!" She screeched

"Come on, sis, we live in the same house! I've seen how many times you've gushed over him. But seriously, are you really telling me you'll stop playing just because they killed him off?" Tia asked, incredulity in her voice.

"Not just killed him, Tia—they killed him off-screen. They killed my Finn off-screen! He's gone," her voice wavered, full of anguish.

Tia blinked, her expression confused. "Sis, you do know he's just a game character, right?"

"Don't just call him a game character!" she snapped, frustration building. "Do you have any idea how much time I spent with him? I was literally playing the game because of him! And now he's gone—just like that—because some new bishounen prince showed up!"

Tia raised an eyebrow. "Hey, the prince character's not bad. The girls will literally kill you if they hear you bad-mouthing him."

"Like that would change anything," she muttered bitterly. "They bully me every day. My life is hell."

Tia's expression softened slightly. "Sis, maybe this is your chance to make some real-world friends, you know? Have a life outside of that game for once."

Her voice cracked, and she clenched her fists. "Easy for you to say…"

"My fault!" Her expression hardened, anger flashing in her eyes. "You're not the ugly duckling. Mom and Dad love you more. You're the popular one at school—best in grades, best in sports. What do I have to show for myself? Just my ugly face and a stupid game!"

SCREECH! HONK! HONK!

The deafening sound of brakes on the crowded street tore through the air.

"Tia!"

Tia's eyes widened in horror as the truck barreled toward her. But before she could react, she felt a sharp push—her sister had thrown herself in front of the truck.

The screech of the brakes. The deafening blast of the horn. Then, silence.