Eroge is generally abnormal and full of things that make you want to scream, "Is this possible!?"
There are many reasons for this. Let's start with the protagonist's family.
The parents of most eroge protagonists are not at home. They're absent for some reason. I don't know the detailed reasons—maybe it's because his sister or childhood friend wakes him up in the morning, or perhaps the scenario writer wants to easily introduce a female character into his room. The reason for their absence could be that they're on a business trip abroad, the protagonist lives alone or in a dormitory far from his parents, or perhaps they died at the start of the story.
Furthermore, I feel like screaming, "Is there really a beautiful younger sister who, even without parents at home, wants to take care of her brother!?" But this is normal in eroge.
Yes, the eroge protagonist usually lives in a slightly unusual family.
It's not just the families that make you want to scream. The same applies to the special ability "Eroge Protagonist Correction" that an eroge protagonist might have.
For example, there's an eroge where the protagonist cross-dresses and attends an all-girls school, and for some reason, he's not discovered. He's not exposed to the extent that you can only assume he's using some special ability. There was a swimming class in a certain eroge, yet he wasn't exposed. Well, in that game, a ghost attended the swimming class in his place, so there was no way he could be exposed.
Hmm, if it's a ghost in the class, it's understandable that he's not discovered, right? (Mental confusion.)
But it's equally absurd to reveal the protagonist's true identity in a moment like, "Why did you notice this now, after everything that happened until now and you didn't notice before!?" For some reason, a wig that doesn't come off even after vigorous movement in gym class might easily come off during a minor quarrel with the heroine.
Hmm, if it's a quarrel with the heroine, there's no helping it, right? (Mental confusion.)
We've digressed a bit, but it's hard for an ordinary person to understand, given the premise that "a boy cross-dresses to attend an all-girls school." However, it's a very common event in the eroge world, and it's a situation where even non-experts can immerse themselves in the scenario without feeling any discomfort. Only beginner eroge players feel uncomfortable about this.
Furthermore, the popularity of the protagonist can also be considered one of the "Eroge Protagonist Corrections."
Only beautiful girls gather around the protagonist. A beautiful younger sister or adopted sister calls him "Onii-chan." A beautiful childhood friend who wakes him up early in the morning—without being asked—pulls off his blanket and goes wild. A talented, beautiful, and dignified student council president suddenly becomes sweet when it comes to erotic scenes. Even a loli teacher who should have graduated from college but can only be seen as an elementary school student gathers around him and desires this boy, whose only merit is being somewhat kind. Are they succubi? No, perhaps the protagonist is an incubus?
However, it's not just the protagonist who is abnormal; the heroine is too.
There's a "choroin" with a strange speech habit that would make you want to keep your distance in real life, a heroine with fighting power that surprises even professional fighters, a young housewife heroine who, despite having a high school-aged daughter, looks just like her daughter, and a heroine who can only be seen as an elementary school student. (A mix of "choroi," meaning easy, and heroine.)
Nonetheless, no matter how young the heroine appears, the message "All characters are over 18 years old" will be displayed at the start of the game, so eroge players can "work hard" with great peace of mind.
Well, the story also has a screw loose. Compared to manga, anime, and dramas, it's much crazier.
To use an example, I think this one is okay, huh? In a certain game, the protagonist's family was a father-and-sons household, with only one man aside from the father. In other words, it's an all-male family. And the neighboring family is a single-mother household, with only daughters. In other words, it's an all-female family. Well, the father in the male-only household really wanted a daughter, and the mother in the neighboring female-only household wanted a son. After thinking it over, the parents came up with a great idea.
"I know, let's swap children."
This can happen in eroge. What a wonderfully stupid idea! And the protagonist sent for the swap suddenly gains a harem.
Ladies and gentlemen, eroge players would be impressed; what a wonderful scenario. But a normal person would think, what is this super development?
The same applies to attending the exclusive all-girls school mentioned earlier. Suddenly, it's a harem. And although I can't say it out loud, the eroge specializing in erotica, called "nukige," is so overdeveloped that it's hard to understand even for non-beginners.
In other words, eroge is a kind of super world where common sense doesn't apply.
Even if you enter a super world, if you're the protagonist, it's not a problem, except in a few games. The protagonist is the center of the world and extremely popular.
But if you don't find yourself at the center… if you make a mistake in this world, it becomes hell.
"This is bad, this is bad, man…"
The me being shown in the mirror is me, but it's not me. No, the person in the mirror moves the way I want, but is it correct to say the appearance is not mine?
And this face is clearly…
"Surely, that eroge protagonist… Or no! It's that unpopular friend of the protagonist who is always by his side…!"
Without realizing it, I knelt on the spot.
The protagonist's friends in eroges usually have no luck.
A certain friend was treated like trash by a heroine due to repeated eccentricities in vain, and another friend had a fight with a protagonist who was dating two girls simultaneously, only to later help the protagonist reconcile.
Above all, it is a common scenario for eroge side characters, and the number one reason for their misfortune is that they are "not popular."
They are not very popular. Mostly, they can't get close to a beautiful woman. The reason is simple. Think about what happens if a girl who likes the protagonist becomes attached to the protagonist's friend. Complaints immediately rain down, and the number of users drops drastically.
If a beautiful girl I was interested in was taken by some random guy who appeared on the screen, there's a high chance I'd punch the screen with my right fist. Moreover, I'd immediately head to the support page to write various abusive words, then rant furiously on certain bulletin boards and review sites, before crying with my fellow wounded companions.
By the way, my reflection in the mirror shows me as "Takioto Kousuke," a variable character who can be either super unlucky or just plain unlucky. Of course, he never gets lucky.
The game "Magical★Explorer (also known as MagiEx)," in which this character appears, is a battle simulation game also classified as a clicker game. While living at school, players explore dungeons, attend classes and events to strengthen themselves and their allies. You can also craft weapons, armor, magic tools, and other items, equip yourself with special weapons, or even open a shop to become the best alchemist or merchant in town.
Of course, since this is an eroge, there is also a romance element. On the contrary, romance is the main element.
In daily life, beautiful and powerful heroines interact abnormally (only with the protagonist), and erotic events occur to the point where you wonder if they're being blessed by God (only the protagonist). For some reason, spying on the bath succeeds, and you can even see the heroines in their most intimate moments (again, only for the protagonist).
Takioto Kousuke, the protagonist's friend, is the so-called "third wheel." When the protagonist is flirting, he watches from the sidelines, crying and biting a handkerchief. Yes, he's the support character.
"That girl is super cute, right? Actually..." or "They say that girl is the prettiest in the academy." Despite all this talk, every woman is taken by the protagonist. Of course, no woman was prepared for Takioto Kousuke.
Far from having a woman prepared for him, he was even hated by them. He has the appearance of a good-looking guy, but unfortunately, it's obvious why he's disliked when all he does is fail to read the mood, make inappropriate erotic comments, and act stupidly. As an exception, there are a few heroines who don't hate him, but only a handful.
This is why it's fair to say that it's quite unfavorable from the perspective of a romance simulation with Takioto Kousuke as the main focus.
He's also unlucky in combat. First of all, there's a tendency for all male characters to have underwhelming performances. Naturally. What eroge players want is a beautiful heroine to romance.
If the heroine you create for the game is strong, she will be more popular. If popularity increases, product sales go up. Above all, developers love the heroines and want to make them as strong as possible, so it's only natural that the heroines become stronger.
However, Takioto Kousuke's abilities aren't bad. They're not bad, but they seem lackluster in comparison because he's a generalist with no special weapon, and above all, the heroines receive preferential treatment. Most players remove him from the main group by the end of the game. Of course, I removed him too. No matter how you think about it, you want to use the heroines.
"Haah."
The Takioto Kousuke reflected in front of me lets out a big sigh.
"For now, I'll check if I really am Takioto Kousuke..."
Removing the scarf, which could be considered Takioto Kousuke's trademark, I tried to eliminate the faint possibilities. But,
"Reality is so cruel?"
Why did things turn out like this? Apparently, I really am Takioto Kousuke. This body is not my own. The reason... unknown. I don't know how to return.
And thinking about it now, it's more important to consider what to do in the future than the cause. If I knew the cause immediately, I might think about it, but I don't. So, it's more constructive to think about how to live from now on.
"This is the world of Magical★Explorer, right?"
Not Japan. It's a world developed through the fusion of magic and mechanical technology. It's a fantasy world with elves, beastmen, and dwarves.
In that case...
"Can I use magic?"
No, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to use it. When I confirmed that I was Takioto Kousuke, I also found an admission guide. This guy decided to enroll in Tsukuyomi Magic Academy.
Is it possible for someone who can't use magic to enroll in a magic school?
"Magic, huh."
If I can use it, I definitely want to use it. I mean, if I can't, won't I be expelled? So, how do you use it?
"In the game, you could click with the mouse or activate it yourself."
There's no screen, and I can't click. I can't even see a status screen. I wanted to at least see my HP or MP, but that's impossible.
However, he was able to use magic, so he was able to enter the academy. In that case, isn't there something like a book about magic?
I got up from the chair and left the room.
Takioto Kousuke doesn't seem to have good academic skills, just like in the game. Only about half of the test papers in books and notebooks were marked as passed. There's also low-level graffiti on photos of famous people in history books and national language books.
What's wrong with this guy? At least attend classes properly, I thought. But the graffiti stopped appearing in books about a year ago. Everywhere, there were notes about magic, such as magic formulas and magic circles.
I closed the history of magic book. Then, I picked up a spellbook with a picture of a monkey holding a book, which also happens to be a beautiful magic book.
"Magic that even monkeys can understand, huh."
There's no writing or creases. I flipped through the beautiful book that seemed to have no evidence of being opened. Some questions arose, but even a little reflection wouldn't provide an answer, and in the end, I gave up thinking. Let's read for now.
If what's written in the book is true, it seems that creatures born in this world have magical power, and it also seems that this magical power exists in the atmosphere. This aligns with what we saw in the game.
And the miracle, magic, is caused by using this magical power. It produces fire, water, wind, and even earth and metal.
However, the mage must have a certain amount of magical power because it consumes magical power proportional to the miracle that occurs. The biggest difference between ordinary people and mages lies in the amount of magical power. Apparently. However, if it's like the game, Takioto Kousuke should pride himself on magical power that even the school's teachers are surprised by. At least in terms of the amount of magical power, that is.
"Ah, I tried doing what was written. Is this it? What a strange sensation..."
It feels like my whole body has become a new sensory organ, as if the eyes and ears perceive light and sound. Even so, the mysterious, warm magical power seems to overflow from my entire body, and at the same time, I think something similar exists outside my body. The external magical power is gently touching my body, and honestly, it tickles.
"Why did I start feeling like this as soon as I became aware of it?"
There is no answer when I think about it. Of course, I don't know much about magical power in the first place. So, let's try using magic. If it can be used, then as I thought, it can be said to be magical power.
"Eerm, 'Light'."
The light magic 'Light' was described as something that could be used by ordinary people with little magical power. To be honest, I didn't believe that even 'Light' could be used. I'd never had any contact with magic. But contrary to what I thought, the phenomenon appeared immediately.
"This is a lie, right? I don't believe it..."
A source of light floated in front of me. The source of light in my hand hovered in the air. I searched for wires functioning as electrical cords, but nothing was connected to it. This time, I slowly brought my hand closer to the source of light.
"Ha-hahaha, hahahaha, incrediblllllllle!"
However, I couldn't touch the source of light. It also had no heat. My hand simply passed through the light source and sliced through it. Yet the source of light remained in its original form and did not move from there. When the supply of magical power was interrupted, the mysterious light source disappeared immediately.
I turned off the room lights and closed the curtains. Then I used magic again.
The dimly lit room was illuminated by a mysterious light sphere. I stopped supplying magical power, and it disappeared. Immediately afterward, the sphere of light lost its brightness, and the room became dark. I cast the light magic again, illuminating the room once more.
"Unbelievable..."
The sphere of light produced wasn't a heat-driven light powered by electricity. It was light created by magical power. I stopped the supply of magical power immediately and turned off the light again. When I activated the magic, the area lit up.
The more I did it, the more impressed I became. I grew excited about the mysterious power of magic.
From others' perspectives, they might think, "What is this guy doing?" Because what I'm doing is 'Light,' a magic that magicians learn first. It's a magic that even kindergarten or elementary school magicians seem to learn initially. It wouldn't be surprising for someone to say, "What's with you? Getting emotional over such a simple magic." But I can't help it.
Imagine a resident from a world without the concept of electricity suddenly watching TV or using the internet. Even if it doesn't reach the level of them wetting themselves, it's almost certain they would collapse to the ground in shock. But in our world, electricity is normal, and I've been accustomed to it since I was a child. That's why I'm not surprised.
The same applies to magic. Those who would call me an idiot because of this are probably commonplace in this world. But I want to say: try coming from a world without magic. You might say it's just 'Light.' But to me, it's a floating light that doesn't use electricity.
"Incredibllllle…..!"
I turn the light magic 'Light' on and off, then on and off again. Each time I repeat it, I'm moved, and a thought is born in my heart.
I stretch my hand toward the light I created, enclosing it in my palm. Then, I slowly open my hand and watch the unwavering light. As I do this, something burning in my heart gradually ignites.
I want to do many things using magic.
'Light' isn't the only magic. Attack magic, defense magic, recovery magic, support magic, secret magic, erotic magic—there are countless types of magic. I can use them. It's challenging for Takioto alone, but with companions and items, it's even possible to fly, swim freely underwater, and breathe underwater. Furthermore, if I can handle magic well in battle, I can even challenge the 'Dungeons.'
That's right! This world has 'Dungeons.'
I can explore the dungeons that exist in this world. If we follow the settings of 'Magical★Explorer,' there are many dungeons in this world.
The school, which serves as the main stage, is located in an area full of dungeons. Thanks to the transfer magic circle, we can challenge dozens of dungeons. There are caves and archaeological dungeons common in games, Japanese-style dungeons like ninja mansions, dungeons with vast open grasslands, valleys, volcanoes, snowfields, and floating islands. There are also fantastical dungeons, like a mirror-like lake dungeon often used in anime, and a dungeon with walls made entirely of crystal shining like jewels.
I can visit these dungeons.
Yes, I'm in a fantasy world. I'm living a dream! No, on second thought, it's not just the dungeons.
The world itself is fascinating. There are many interesting things in this world. There are cars and smartphones here, just like in Japan. Their fuel sources are defined as magical power and magical stones.
I can use magical tools. What kind of mechanisms drive magical tools, and what can a magical stone do? There are countless things I want to learn. And this is a world where I can get answers through research. This isn't a dream; it's reality.
Moreover, in this world, there's the center of the continent that humans have yet to reach, a castle floating in the sky that cannot be accessed from the ground, a vast labyrinth underground, a palace rumored to house dragons in the depths of the sea, and a forest with an enormous Yggdrasil-like tree larger than a small mountain. In the game, the school and dungeons were the focus, so I only visited a few places based on available information.
But now I'm not bound by the game; I'm free.
I can visit these exciting places with the heroines and the protagonist.
There are also fantasy races in this world, like elves, dark elves, beastmen, dwarves, and dragons. I can interact with them too. If we get along, we might even go on adventures together.
Ah, so many things I want to do are overflowing one after another, and my heart is brimming with excitement. But still…
"But if I'm going to venture into dungeons or this world… I need to get stronger."
Getting stronger, huh? If I want to get stronger, I'll need to train.
If Takioto Kousuke follows the same settings as in the game, he has a significant weakness. However, he also possesses a unique ability exclusive to him that can make him extremely powerful if mastered. Above all, I have knowledge. I may not reach the strongest level, but I can become stronger.
No, wait. Is that really true? Can't I truly become the strongest?
In eroges, the basic preferential treatment is given to 'beautiful girls' favored by players and the development team, and to the players' avatar, the 'Protagonist.'
"Can I surpass them and become the strongest side character? Actually, it's surprisingly possible, isn't it?"
Can I become the strongest, leaving those cheats behind?
Ah, I understand. They are monsters. One of the main heroines freely manipulates raging winds and fires a vast array of wind blades that easily slice through iron-like shells. Some heroines recover instantly, no matter how grievously injured they are. There's even a heroine with the special ability to unleash continuous attacks at speeds imperceptible to the eye, and another who can turn the final boss into minced meat with a single attack. It's no exaggeration to say the path to becoming the strongest is steep because of these girls.
"But even so…"
Despite understanding that, I want to aim for the top. But that doesn't mean I want to hinder the heroines, weaken them, and win. It's outrageous to disrupt the heroines I love, even as they try to grow stronger. I want to become the strongest, surpassing the heroines who grew and became powerful normally.
The protagonist? Cheat heroines? Haha, knowing there are people to surpass only makes things more exciting, damn it.
If I were Takioto Kousuke in the game, possessing a 'Special Ability' to compete against the extremely talented and preferentially treated protagonist and heroines. And if the power needed to fully utilize this ability exceeds that of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' Append, the 'Super Trio,' and the protagonist.
And above all, I have 'game knowledge.'
Speaking of game knowledge, it's the ultimate cheat. I know where to obtain the 'Potential' necessary to become the strongest, where to find 'Cheat Equipment,' which dungeons hold 'Magical Tools' and 'Treasures' useful to me, and where to acquire 'Cheat Skills.'
Don't I already have the essentials to become the strongest?
"I've decided."
I don't know why I came to this world. But if I'm going to live here, I'll strive to become the strongest.
I'll aim to surpass the 'Super Trio' and the protagonist.
And I'll freely explore dungeons, the sky castle, the world tree, and anywhere else I want to go.
I'll enjoy this world to the fullest!