My name was Kurogane Ayame, and I was a hikikomori, a shut-in. I lived alone in a decent apartment, working as a writer who never sets foot outside.
Everything I needed was delivered to my door. I even had a special slot installed so I could sign for packages without meeting the delivery person. Human contact? No, thank you.
My social anxiety disorder didn't come out of nowhere. It was forged in the fires of high school, where I was relentlessly bullied by girls who hit puberty early, while I was stuck with acne, braces, oversized glasses, a stick-thin frame, and the self-esteem of a mouse.
Guys ignored me. Girls mocked me. Teachers looked the other way. My parents? They told me to suck it up, "That's life," they said.
I clawed my way through high school, with anxiety so intense it felt like the entire world was a haunted house. My only sanctuary was my room, a space I worked hard to someday own outright.
Apparently, my misery had market value. People started paying to read the novels I wrote based on my life. By the time I graduated, I had enough to buy this apartment. And I haven't stepped outside since.
I did everything online, work, taxes, shopping, gaming, reading novels, manga, everything.
I didn't go outside for anything. I even developed obsessive-compulsive tendencies when it came to hygiene and exercise, all to ensure I'd never need to visit a doctor.
My latest obsession was an otome game called Crownbound: Heartstrings of the Academy. The main protagonist was Aurelia, a commoner who earned a place at the Royal Academy of the Kingdom of Brilliance by acquiring the rare Rank 4 Class: Saintess.
The class itself wasn't impressive at first, but it fully bloomed during key cutscenes when demons attacked. Aurelia was the classic squishy healer, highly reliant on a strong party to support her.
As for the main capture targets, there were five vying for Aurelia's attention.
Julius Lionhart, the prince. Charismatic, dignified, and used to getting what he wanted. He was sadistic and possessive on the surface but also deeply caring and protective. He was a swordsman who acted as the party's fast attacker.
Damian Steelhart, the bad boy. Rebellious, combative, and a bit arrogant. He seemed like trouble at first, but a softer side was revealed as the story progressed. He was the heavy physical attacker of the group. There was some overlap between him and Julius, so it was best to pick one or the other when building the main team.
Tobin, the childhood friend. A puppy-like character who was unconfident but cute and endlessly loyal. He was the easiest to capture and the last to be added in the harem route. He served as the party's wizard. I rarely used him since he was even squishier than the main character.
Zharak, the personal guard of the secret boss. A classic tsundere, initially cold, hostile, and indifferent to the heroine, but he eventually showed affection in awkward, shy ways. He had a fiery temper and a prideful streak. He was a spear-user with minor overlap with Julius and Damian.
Lastly, my personal favorite, Bastion Diamondhart, the knight. Quiet, calm, and protective, he was the hardest to capture due to his studious personality. As a reliable tank, he was the most useful character by far and a must-have for every run.
He was also impossible to include in the harem route, except for one specific technicality. He was a very one-dimensional character most people considered boring, but I absolutely loved him because I needed a knight in shining armor in my life at the time.
The rest of the cast were secondary characters, but many of them were far more useful than the main capture targets. At the top of that list was Elyra, Bastion's plus-one and personal maid. She was even faster than Julius and wielded twin swords infused with Dark Magic. She was a must-have ally who complemented Bastion perfectly.
The remaining characters had no outstanding uses, serving only as subpar replacements for Bastion or Aurelia.
The game's entire story revolved around Aurelia as she interacted with and built relationships with the five capture targets. My personal interest, however, lay in the incredible gameplay.
Aurelia formed a party of five to explore dungeons, complete quests, participate in tournaments, fend off demon worshippers, and ultimately defeat the Demon Lord at the end.
However, there was a secret boss even more difficult than the Demon Lord, Seraphina Phoenixhart, the fiancée of Crown Prince Julius.
Seraphina manipulated other girls at the academy into bullying Aurelia, creating opportunities for the capture targets to defend her and develop relationships with her. As a result, Julius canceled their engagement, she became ostracized, and eventually left the academy midway through the story, which allowed her personal guard, Zharak, to join the party as Aurelia's personal guard.
She was a tragic villainess. Having lost her twin brother to a demon attack, she slowly succumbed to corruption at the hands of the demon worshippers after her departure. Following the Demon Lord's defeat, she reemerged as the secret final boss, confronting the party after their graduation if the player went on one last expedition into the dungeon.
Although it was not classified as an eroge, Crownbound featured plenty of beautifully illustrated, suggestive CGs of the capture targets. My favorite was a scene where Bastion stepped out of the shower, his perfect body glistening, firm muscles on display, including that sculpted, flawless butt.
"Ehehehe…"
"Now, where did I put my vibrator?"
I rummaged around the bottom drawer of my desk.
"Oh, there it is."
I didn't want too hard of an orgasm so I just stuck it close and turned it on.
"Ha… Bastion… my love… your long, glossy hair… that chiseled face… those abs… that cute butt… ahn… ah… Ahn! AH! Agh!"
Just as the orgasm hit, a sharp pain shot through my chest.
"Why does my chest… hurt? I… can't… breathe…"
Everything went dark, and the next thing I knew, I was standing before a goddess in a grand hall of clouds.
'Did I seriously just die from a fucking heart attack while masturbating?! AHH! Nooo! My computer! My corpse! NOOOO!'
"Welcome, Kurogane Ayame. I am the Goddess of Brilliance, and—"
'NOOOO!'
The goddess snapped her fingers, and in an instant, an overwhelming calm washed over me. It felt like I was drifting on clouds, weightless and free of all worries. She cleared her throat, gently pulling me back to reality.
"Welcome, Kurogane Ayame. I am the Goddess of Brilliance, and I have chosen you as my champion. With your knowledge of the game, you should be able to defeat the Demon Lord and cleanse Gaia of its filth. I wish you well," she said, waving her hand to send me off to who-knows-where.
'Wait—' I tried to speak, but no sound came out as my world once again faded into darkness.
The next thing I knew, I had been born into the Phoenixhart family in the Kingdom of Brilliance.
How did I know?
Because I recognized the crest embroidered on my new father's coat, it was the same Phoenixhart crest that Seraphina always wore.
I couldn't understand the language, but the joy on the couple's faces was unmistakable as they looked down at me and the baby boy lying beside me.
'I'm… Seraphina, aren't I?' I thought with dread.
'Wait a minute. I'm not the secret boss. I'm just Seraphina. I don't need to care about the protagonist or their love life. I don't even have to go to the academy. I can just live my life as I please and let the protagonist deal with the Demon Lord. Everything will be fine.' Or so I thought.
From that day forward, I grew up beside Cyrus and gradually came to love him, familially, of course. Sharing a childhood ensured I'd never fall for my baby brother, even if I was technically the younger twin. Besides, he wasn't my type. He was too feminine.
I made a silent promise to protect him from the demons on the day he was fated to die. And the first step to that goal was becoming an Alchemist.
The Phoenix Mage class might be powerful, but it was nothing compared to the strategic might of a well-prepared Alchemist. In the game, there were limits on carry capacity and how many items you could use per turn, but in real life, no such restrictions existed.
So, I studied, trained, and grew into a beautiful woman. My social anxiety faded over time with my newfound beauty, status, and confidence, after all, no one dared to bully a noblewoman without risking their head.
The only problem was the resting scowl I inherited as Seraphina. With slightly narrowed eyes, subtly furrowed brows, a neutral mouth with downturned corners, and a firm jaw, I constantly looked cold, annoyed, or judgmental, even when I wasn't. It terrified anyone new I met.
Still, I was extremely beautiful. Long, wavy red hair, golden eyes, a tall, athletic physique, and yes, massive tits. I looked like a goddess.
By the time I turned thirteen, I was already more beautiful than all those bitches who used to torment me in high school. I no longer flinched at the memory of their cruelty, not when a surge of unshakable confidence burned in my veins.
Kurogane Ayame was gone. In her place stood Seraphina Phoenixhart, and it was finally her time to shine.
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