Renji Asakura considered himself an expert in one thing—being a single otaku. While his classmates were out on dates, holding hands, and sharing sweet nothings, he was busy grinding levels in the latest RPGs, binge-reading web novels, and debating power scaling in anime forums. It wasn't like he wanted to be single forever; it was just... fate hadn't been too kind.
"Hell yeah! Look at that couple over there," Renji muttered to himself, watching a happy pair walk by. "Holding hands, sharing smiles... I want that too! A cute girlfriend to dote on me, some romance, and maybe... a kiss kiss." He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walked down the busy streets of Tokyo. "Why can't life be like those romcom animes?"
Fate, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor.
One moment he was fantasizing about his dream romance, and the next, he heard the loud honk of a truck. It wasn't just any truck. It was the truck. The legendary Truck-kun.
"Oh, come on! This isn't happening—"
BAM!
Pain exploded through his body as he was sent flying through the air. Everything around him blurred into slow motion. He could see bystanders screaming, the driver panicking, and his own body gracefully soaring through the air like some tragic anime protagonist.
"No way... is this how it ends? I'm too young... I never even got a girlfriend!"
Everything went black.
When Renji opened his eyes, he found himself lying in an extravagant bed draped in silk sheets. The ceiling above him was adorned with intricate golden patterns, and the room smelled of exotic incense.
"Ugh... am I in heaven?" he groaned, sitting up. "Wait..." His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings—the luxurious bedroom, the towering bookshelf filled with ancient tomes, and the mirror reflecting an unfamiliar yet undeniably handsome face.
"No way... no freaking way..."
Renji rushed to the mirror and stared at himself. Gone was his messy black hair and tired, sleep-deprived eyes. Instead, a noble-looking young man with striking silver hair and deep crimson eyes gazed back at him. He blinked several times, pinched his cheeks, and let out a strangled laugh.
"I reincarnated?! No, wait... I know this guy!" Panic crept into his voice. "This is Renji Asakura... but not me... this is the extra villain from Eternal Reign!"
Renji had spent hundreds of hours playing Eternal Reign, an insanely popular fantasy RPG known for its brutal difficulty and intricate world-building. He had seen all the endings, memorized the routes, and even explored every NPC backstory. The problem? The character he reincarnated as—Renji Asakura, son of a fallen noble house—was nothing more than a pathetic stepping stone for the protagonist.
"Oh crap... oh crap... I'm supposed to die in the first arc!"
According to the game's plot, Renji Asakura was a snobby, overconfident noble who got himself killed when the hero arrived in the capital. He was a joke character, meant to showcase how amazing the protagonist was in comparison.
Renji flopped onto the bed, his hands gripping his silver hair in despair. "This isn't fair! How am I supposed to survive in a world where I'm destined to die in like, what... three days?!"
His mind raced through possible escape routes. He had an edge—his extensive knowledge of the game. But could he really change fate?
Before he could dwell too much on his impending doom, the door to his room creaked open. A soft, elegant voice called out.
"Young Master Renji, are you awake?"
Renji stiffened, recognizing that voice instantly. Liliana von Eldoria, his fiancée in name only—and a key character in the game—stood at the door. Blonde hair cascading down in perfect waves, eyes sharp with suspicion, and an air of nobility so thick it could suffocate an average commoner.
"Uh... Liliana?"
Her eyebrows twitched. "Since when do you call me by my first name so casually?"
Renji swallowed hard. Crap. In the original game, his counterpart was a pompous brat who referred to her as "Lady Eldoria." One wrong move and she'd suspect something was off.
"Uh... just woke up. Feeling a little... off, you know?" He forced a chuckle and ruffled his hair. "Probably too much reading last night."
She narrowed her eyes. "Hmph. Try not to embarrass the Asakura name. The hero is arriving soon. You wouldn't want to be humiliated in public, would you?"
Renji's stomach dropped. The hero. The dude meant to stomp him into the ground. And it was happening soon.
Liliana turned and left, leaving him in the eerie silence of his room.
Renji sat there for a moment, then sprang to his feet. "Okay, I need a plan. I refuse to be some low-level mob character! If I can just survive the next few days... I can change my fate."
He started recalling the game's mechanics. "First step, power-ups. There was a hidden training manual in the Asakura estate. If I get it, I can boost my swordsmanship. And... there's a secret escape route behind the mansion. Worst case, I can run."
He paced around the room, his mind racing. "But wait... the harem... I mean, the ladies... they could be useful allies." He smirked. "If I play my cards right, maybe I won't just survive—maybe I'll thrive."
Renji clenched his fist in determination. He wasn't going to let some scripted death flag dictate his life.
"Villain? Nah. I'm just here for the harem."