Haruto Tanaka walked down the poorly lit streets of Tokyo, the pages of his beloved novel, *Legend of the Supreme Hero*, stuck before his eyes. The evening wind was cool, the faraway rumble of traffic muffled as he devoured the sentences in front of him.
"Just in time for the finishing blow. The Demon King is backed into a corner. Is it over?" he grumbled softly, his racing heart full of anticipation.
His legs acted by themselves, everything else fading to nothingness. He hardly saw the red light in front, nor the sound of approaching traffic growing louder.
**BEEP! BEEP!**
The blast of a horn pierced the darkness.
Haruto glanced upwards.
A gargantuan truck came speeding towards him.
His breath caught. His pulse spiked. And then—he smiled.
"Truck-kun…"
A rush of euphoria surged through him.
"This is it. My moment has finally come."
He spread his arms wide, welcoming his fate.
"I'll be reborn in another world. I'll gain overwhelming power. A new destiny awaits me! My own kingdom, my own harem, my—"
A strong hand yanked him backward.
The force slammed him onto the pavement, mere inches from where the truck blazed by. His eyes readjusted on the figure standing in front of him—a middle-aged salaryman, looking at him with utter shock.
"Are you out of your mind?!" the man shouted. "You came close to dying!"
Haruto blinked, caught up in trying to comprehend what had just transpired. He looked over to the truck, now a rapidly receding shape down the highway.
His opportunity. His godly calling. Lost.
His fists clenched, shaking with repressed anger. "WHY DID YOU PUSH ME AWAY!! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET ISEKAI'D!"
Silence.
A woman standing nearby look at his son and say to his son, whispering if you watch more anime you will become like him, An old man shook his head in sympathy.
Haruto's face blazed with humiliation.
Haruto say thank you to the man who rescued him
Mumbling an uncomfortable, "I should… probably go home," he turned and rushed away, cursing himself silently.
Perhaps he had pushed this fantasy too far.
Haruto arrived at his apartment, removing his shoes with a sigh. The room was as he'd left it—tiny, cluttered, lit only by the soft light of his PC monitor.
He collapsed onto his futon, massaging his temples. "What the hell was that?"
He had always teased about Truck-kun, but tonight… he had genuinely believed it. Wanted it.
Shaking his head, he grumbled, "I have to stop fantasizing about this foolishness. Isekai isn't real."
He blinked.
And everything changed.
The walls of his apartment disappeared. The messy shelves, the futon, the flickering screen—all gone, replaced by a majestic, dimly lit room.
The air was heavy with the smell of smoldering incense. Stone pillars soared toward a mist-shrouded ceiling. In the middle of the room, a throne rested on a raised dais.
And on it, a woman looked at him.
Her silver locks fell over her shoulders, her golden eyes piercing and inscrutable. Her finery—elaborate, royal, wrapped in black velvet—radiated power.
Haruto's breath caught.
"Welcome, Hero," she said, her tone silky, controlled.
His mind stalled. His body stiffened.
Then, realization struck.
His lips quivered. His heart pounded. And suddenly, he was laughing.
"It happened…" he gasped between breaths. "I finally got isekai'd!"
The Queen's unreadable expression barely shifted, but a flicker of something—annoyance? Regret?—crossed her gaze.
Haruto spun around, taking in the grand chamber, the atmosphere, the *sheer* authenticity of it all. His fantasy had come true.
"I knew it!" he shouted, grinning like a madman. "Truck-kun never fails! This is my moment! I'm going to slay the Demon King, claim my rightful place as the strongest warrior, and—"
WHAP!
A sharp pain exploded across his forehead. Haruto staggered back, clutching the point of impact.
A… slipper?
His gaze snapped to the Goddess, who had just thrown it.
She exhaled deeply. "We've made a mistake."
Haruto blinked. "Huh?"
Next to her stood another. A woman in flowing white robes, her very presence warm. She smiled, serene and divine.
The Goddess.
"Haruto Tanaka," she started softly, "I think there's been some confusion. You weren't called to slay the Demon King."
Haruto's smile grew wider. "Oh! I see. It's one of those kinds where I must recruit allies first, then—"
"No."
His enthusiasm faltered. "No?"
The Goddess clapped her hands. A radiant **chart** materialized in the air.
On one side: an alarmingly small number of **Demon Kings**.
On the other: an **ridiculously high** number of Heroes.
Haruto gazed. "Wait… Why are there so many Heroes?"
The Queen rubbed her temples. "For some reason, Truck-kun has been bringing an *excessive* amount of people to this world. It's out of control."
The Goddess nodded. "And because of that, we're running out of Demon Kings."
Haruto's stomach dropped. "So… what does that have to do with me?"
The Goddess smiled. "Simple. You're not here to *defeat* the Demon King."
She paused, then delivered the final blow.
**"You are the new Demon King."**
Silence.
Haruto's brain struggled to process the words.
"…Excuse me, what?"
The Queen inched forward. "You have been selected to be the Demon Realm's ruler. And before you complain, we have an offer."
She waved her hand, and a golden **screen** materialized in front of him.
---
[CUSTOMIZATION MENU]
[Race: Demon King]
[Appearance:???]
[Abilities:???]
[skills:???]
[STR LV:???]
[INT LV:???]
[WIS LV:???]
[MP LV:???]
[HP LV:???]
[STA LV:???]
[REGEN LV:???]
[LCK LV:???]
[Familiar:??]
[Weapon:??]
[Mana Core:???]
[Title: Demon King of???]
"You can personalize yourself as you like," the Goddess said. "Appearance, powers, even your kingdom name. If you agree, you will be the most powerful Demon King ever."
Haruto's lips parted. His pulse quickened. His fingers twitched with anticipation.
"…So you're saying," he whispered, "I can design myself into an *overpowered* Demon King?"
The Goddess nodded.
Haruto slammed the accept button.
"HELL YES!"