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? This war is not yours to join. Nor a weapon has been raised against you or your kingdom. Why you still persist?"

The prince's eyes narrowed, his voice steady and resolute. "Great Demon King," he began, his tone carrying the weight of his conviction, "your war may not concern me directly, nor does it endanger my kingdom or its people.

Yet, to ignore the suffering of others is to betray the very essence of my duty as a ruler. A true sovereign rules for the sake of the people, not for dominion over land.

Today, I stand for justice. 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 eagerly consumed every detail of the latest update to their favorite game.

"The new trailer is insane!"

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

"Did you see his stats? They're exactly as Selene predicted—absolutely Plus Ultra! With him on the roster, even Author looks mediocre!"

"Not just Author—others are completely outclassed by him. He could solo the Demon King's entire army"

"Right? He's got charm mastery, magic that rivals legendary wizards, knight skills stronger than the best, intelligence on par with sages, and even supreme blacksmithing? What were the devs thinking? He's completely 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 romance this absolute heartthrob?"

"Girls, hate to break it to you," one girl interjected, her expression turning serious, "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 sighed, "the devs announced he's replacing that lame blacksmith in the support role. But there's already an online petition demanding his route be added."

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

"Maybe we should ask Selene to get involved. She's the top player, after all. Last time, she pressured the devs to buff the Blacksmith's skills—and they actually listened."

Please, kill me now...

A short distance away, a bespectacled girl with messy dark hair walked, her gaze distant, absorbed in the sound of their excited chatter.

Unlike the group's cheerful energy, her mood was heavy, a shadow of darkness lingering over her. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and her expression was one of utter defeat, as if she had lost everything.

The girl's name was Lena, also known by her alias, Selene—the top player of Otome Legends and a renowned theorist with several well-known videos about the game.

She clenched her fists tightly as she overheard the group discussing her, scheming to get her involved in adding a route for that pesky prince.

As if I will.

The last thing she wanted was to get tangled up in anything to do with that annoying Prince. The love killer!

"What's wrong, big sis? Why do you look so sad? I thought you'd be over the moon! Otome Legends your favorite game, dropped such a huge update. Plus, 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" Lena snapped, her voice thick with despair and barely contained fury. "I hate that game!"

"Hate that game? Did the sun rise in the west? Or have cats learned to fly?" Tia asked, her confusion evident.

"Tell me, what did you do to my big sis?" she mocked, feigning shock.

Lena's expression darkened. "You wouldn't understand, Tia... They've taken everything from her."

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

"Not just killed him, Tia—they killed him off-screen. My dear Finn is dead" Lena's voice wavered, thick with anguish.

"How could they do that? My dear brother-in-law, killed off-screen—who will marry my sister now?" Tia gasped, her disbelief hanging in the air.

"Don't mock me!" Lena shot back, her voice sharp with frustration.

"Sis, you do realize he's just a game character, right?" Tia said, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't just call him a game character!" Lena snapped. "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!"

"You know, sis, the girls will literally kill you if they hear you bad-mouthing him—unless, of course, you reveal your online identity."

"Like that would change anything," Lena muttered bitterly. "They bully me every day. My real life is a nightmare."

Tia's expression softened. "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 as she clenched her fists. "Easy for you to say…"

"Sis, I think you should try harder. Even Mom and Dad said it's your fault for not having any friends!"

"My fault!" Lena's expression hardened, anger flashing in her eyes. "You're not the ugly duckling of family. 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! No one -"

"Hey, you! Step away from the crosswalk!"

SCREECH! HONK! HONK!

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

"Tia! No!"

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

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