(I'm giving this story a fresh start! I felt the old version wasn't quite perfect, so I'm rewriting it. The plot might shift a bit, but the heart of the story stays the same. Let me know what you think—do you like this new approach, or do you prefer the old one?)
Heavy rain poured over the city of Tokyo that night. In a cheap apartment complex with poor walls, the rumbling sound of thunder echoed alongside a sound far more painful for a teenager in one of its units.
In a dark corner of the room, Kido Yuuto huddled. His body trembled violently, both hands covering his ears as tightly as possible, but it was in vain. The sounds of panting and the creaking of a bed from the adjacent unit pierced through the walls, hitting his eardrums without mercy.
"Ahh... Honey, slow down a bit... The person next door might hear us, you know..." came a woman's voice, muffled by the wall, though her tone didn't sound truly concerned.
A man's voice replied mockingly, "Huh? Why do you suddenly care about that loser? Don't even think about him." A brief pause followed, accompanied by the rustling of fabric. "Besides, he'll probably kill himself soon out of depression anyway."
Yuuto buried his face deeper into his knees. It felt like being stabbed by needles.
"Oh, don't say that," the woman replied again, this time in a disgusting, pampered tone. "If he commits suicide here, the rent for our apartment will go down, you know. It'll become haunted, and that's a hassle."
The man laughed out loud, the sound of his laughter ringing like poison in Yuuto's ears. "Hahaha, true! You're so smart."
"Fine then," the man continued amidst their activities, "just smile at him a little if you see him in the hallway. A pathetic virgin like him will probably be cured instantly; he'll feel like he's flying to heaven just by getting a little attention from a beautiful girl like you."
"Aww, honey... You're so kind to still think about him," the woman replied while giggling.
They resumed their activities, indifferent—or perhaps even enjoying the fact—that someone was listening to them.
Yuuto heard every word they uttered. Every insult, every laugh, pierced his ears like needles. He couldn't talk back; he couldn't get angry. He just stayed silent, pulling his knees to his chest and hugging himself tighter, trying to find a bit of warmth in that cold room.
"Everything I do... is useless," he whispered softly, his voice barely audible amidst the sound of the rain.
Suddenly, a hollow laugh escaped his mouth. "Pft— Hahaha... What am I actually doing here?"
His face slowly shifted from sadness to dark despair. His gaze was vacant as he stared at the floor. "Should I... just end it no—"
THUD!
His words were forcibly cut off when a hard object hit his head from above.
"Argh!" Yuuto winced in pain while clutching the back of his throbbing head.
He turned around, looking for whoever threw it. However, there was no one. His eyes then fell to the floor, where a strange object lay. It wasn't a sophisticated smartphone, but an old-fashioned black flip phone.
"Where did this phone come from?" he muttered in confusion.
He picked up the phone, then looked up at the ceiling of his apartment. There were no holes, no cracks. The ceiling was perfectly intact. It was impossible for this object to have fallen from the floor above.
"Did this... fall from thin air?" Yuuto frowned, turning the mysterious phone over in his hands, trying to find a logical explanation.
However, before he could think any further, the object in his hand vibrated violently.
Drrrrrrrt! Drrrrrrrt!
"Woah!" Yuuto jumped in surprise. The vibration felt unnatural, as if the phone were alive. The monochrome screen of the old phone lit up brightly in the darkness of his room, displaying a strange notification.
[INCOMING GROUP CALL]
Invitation: Offline Meeting (Gathering)
[ACCEPT] / [DECLINE]
"What is this? A group call?" Yuuto narrowed his eyes, reading the blinking text. His thumb hovered hesitantly over the keypad. "Who sent me—"
Suddenly, a shrill scream from the next room echoed again, this time much louder and more vulgar.
"AAAAAH! I'M CUMMING!! I'M CUMMING!!!"
Yuuto bolted in shock at the sound of that scream. His heart raced out of reflex, and without realizing it, his thumb pressed the center button of the phone hard.
Click.
"Eh?"
Before he could realize his mistake, a blinding white light exploded from the screen of the small phone.
WUUUSSSHHH!
The light swallowed the entire room in the blink of an eye. Yuuto didn't even have time to scream. His body felt like it was being pulled by a strong gravitational force, and within seconds, the teenager vanished from his cold apartment, leaving behind an eerie silence.
"Are you sure our new member is actually coming, Kuroneko?"
The woman's voice sounded sharp and authoritative. The figure with deep red hair holding a long wooden staff tapped the end of her staff against the ground impatiently. She turned, looking at the girl dressed in gothic lolita beside her with a demanding gaze.
The girl called Kuroneko nodded slowly, remaining calm despite being stared at by the Dragon Queen. "The system is never wrong, Irene-san. The invitation has been sent. He will appear shortly."
Kuroneko then turned toward the girl with teal-colored twintails beside her. "Miku-san, have you managed to pull his data?"
The virtual girl, Hatsune Miku, nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! His name is Kido Yuuto. And... this is his current visual."
Miku held an old flip phone up into the air. From its screen, a blue hologram projected, showing the figure of a pathetic and gloomy-looking young man.
Irene narrowed her eyes, staring at the hologram for a moment before snorting harshly. "Cih. Turns out it's just an ordinary human brat who looks weak. What use is he to us?"
"Ara, ara~ Don't be so mean, Irene-chan..."
Suddenly, pink and white flower petals scattered out of nowhere. A very soft, yet cunning woman's voice whispered right next to Irene's ear.
"We don't know his potential yet. Who knows... he might become very 'strong' and useful to us, you know?"
Irene instinctively jumped back, reflexively distancing herself as if she had just been approached by a plague. She pointed her staff at the silver-haired woman who had just appeared out of thin air.
"Stay away from me! You Demon!" Irene barked with a look of disgust.
The woman—Lady Avalon—only chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her elegant sleeve. Her eyes narrowed playfully.
"How cruel... Even though I only wanted to greet a fellow group member. Why are you always so fierce, Dragon Queen?" she teased while stepping forward, seemingly enjoying Irene's anger.
"Lady Avalon. Do you really have no intention of using your Authority?"
Kuroneko stared intently at the female mage, her voice sounding urgent yet remaining polite. "You should be able to heal Irene's condition easily. She has thrown away her pride, pleaded with you, and even offered all the wealth she possesses. Are you really going to let her suffer?"
Lady Avalon turned slowly. A sweet yet empty smile adorned her beautiful face.
"Why should I 'fix' something that is already perfect, Little Cat?" she replied lightly, without a hint of burden. "Look at her now... A majestic Dragon Queen, possessing power equal to a god, yet crying and longing for the taste of food, sleep, and the fragility of a human body. That contradiction... ah, it is a truly beautiful art, isn't it?"
Miku, standing beside Kuroneko, widened her eyes in disbelief. "How can you be so heartless? We are group members! Friends are supposed to help each other, not enjoy each other's suffering!"
"Why? Precisely because I like it, Miku-chan!"
Lady Avalon laughed merrily, then began to twirl slowly where she stood. Illusory flower petals appeared following her movements, as if she were dancing on an opera stage.
"I love dramatic storylines! Flat stories are boring. Tragedy, despair, tears... those are the spices that turn a story into a masterpiece. And Irene's current suffering is a peak comedy that is highly entertaining!"
Irene did not answer. Her jaw tightened until the sound of grinding teeth could be heard. Her grip on her magic staff was so strong that the ancient wood creaked, her body trembling as she held back a burst of rage ready to destroy the place.
Suddenly, a large, warm hand patted Irene's shoulder, holding her back from exploding.
Irene flinched and turned around. Standing there was a tall woman with two oni horns and a large iron club—Takeru—on her back. her gaze was sharp, piercing toward Lady Avalon.
"Oi, Flower Mage. Your words are truly disgusting," Yamato growled in her deep voice. "Do you have no conscience at all, huh?"
Lady Avalon stopped her dancing. She looked at the newcomer with sparkling eyes, not offended at all, looking pleased instead.
"Oh! Yamato! You've finally arrived," she greeted cheerfully as if nothing had happened. "You know? I really enjoyed the story of 'Wano' from your world that Kuroneko told in the group. Especially the part about... the poor people in that village. What was its name? Ah, Ebisu Village."
Lady Avalon cupped both her cheeks with an enchanted expression. "Those who were cursed to laugh for the rest of their lives, forced to grin happily even when their hearts were broken and their families died... Isn't that a genius concept? So heroic, yet so tragic... Ah, truly top-tier entertainment!"
Miku covered her mouth in disbelief at what Lady Avalon had just said.
Yamato's brow twitched as she held back her anger. She stared at Lady Avalon with a look of deep disgust.
"You..." Yamato growled, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "...are even worse than my father."
Lady Avalon was not offended in the slightest. On the contrary, her smile widened. She lifted the edge of her robe and performed a graceful yet mocking curtsy.
"I take that as the highest compliment, Oni Princess."
Just then, a pillar of blinding white light exploded behind Lady Avalon, cutting off their conversation. The light solidified, forming a human silhouette that slowly materialized into reality at the gathering.
"Oh? Perfect timing. It seems our new little lamb has arrived," Lady Avalon murmured.
She turned slowly with a silk-smooth motion. Her eyes looked down at the figure that had just appeared. "My... what a classic pose."
On the floor, the young man—Kido Yuuto—sat weakly. He was panting for breath, both hands supporting his body on the ground, still trying to process the sudden change of place.
Lady Avalon stared at him. At that exact moment, her Clairvoyance eyes activated. She saw beyond Yuuto's weak physical form—seeing the faint shadows of the Golden Knight King and a fairy residing in his future.
She fell silent for a moment, transfixed by the extraordinary potential she saw.
The smile on her lips changed. It was no longer a mocking smile, but the smile of a predator who had just discovered a priceless treasure.
She lowered her gaze to look at Yuuto, standing tall like a female knight, and then whispered in a perfect theatrical tone, imitating a legendary scene.
"I ask of you... Are you my Master?"
Yuuto slowly raised his head, which was still dizzy.
The sight before him made him freeze. Five strange female figures. All were beautiful, all radiated an unnatural aura, and all were looking straight down at him from above.
His gaze locked onto the white-haired woman with the staff in front of him who had just asked that nonsensical question.
His brain short-circuited.
"Hah... What?"
"T-this... this must be a TV prank, right? Hahaha... Ha..."
Yuuto's laughter sounded hollow and forced. He turned his head frantically, scanning his surroundings. However, there were no cameras, no film crew, and no sign of his apartment building.
As far as the eye could see, there was only a stretch of barren, gray land. The sky above held only white clouds.
The wind blew, carrying dry dust. In front of him stood five women with auras that made the hair on his neck stand up.
"Unfortunately not, Kido Yuuto. Reality is often stranger than fiction," Kuroneko interrupted calmly.
The girl in gothic lolita attire stepped forward. "Everything we explained earlier is the absolute truth. But, it seems you're the type who needs visual proof."
Kuroneko raised her right hand high. Suddenly, a flow of light blue energy—Chakra—became visible to the naked eye, wrapping around her small fist. She took a deep breath, concentrating her power into a single point.
"Look at this closely!"
She stomped her foot, then slammed her fist straight into the ground beneath her.
"SHANNARŌ!!!"
BLAAARRR!
The ground around them shook violently like a localized earthquake.
Yuuto stumbled backward, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the solid earth explode instantly. Large cracks spread quickly like a spider web, and thick dust billowed high.
As the dust began to thin, Yuuto saw a large crater—deep enough to bury a car—created right where the little girl had punched.
Yuuto's jaw dropped. His brain failed to process it. How could an arm that small have the destructive power of a monster?
Kuroneko stood casually at the edge of the crater, brushing dust off her skirt as if she had just swatted a mosquito.
"Well?" Kuroneko asked while looking back, pointing to the four other women who were still standing still, staring at Yuuto. "If you still think this is an illusion, the four of them can give a demonstration that is far more... lethal than mine."
"Cih."
A harsh scoff broke the silence. Irene Belserion stepped forward, looking Yuuto up and down with a look of undisguised disgust. Her aura of hatred toward humans—especially weak males—wafted strongly.
"Listen, Human Brat. If you value your life, you'd better stop being stupid and just accept this reality," Irene hissed coldly.
She twirled her staff boredly. "I'm sick of wasting my time explaining basic things over and over to a lowly, slow creature like you."
"That's enough, Irene! He's just a kid, don't kill him with your aura before he even gets a chance to speak."
Yamato stepped wide, placing her tall body between Irene and Yuuto as a living shield. The horned woman then leaned down slightly, bringing her face closer to observe Yuuto more closely.
"Wow... you really are soft, aren't you?" Yamato commented honestly, her eyes sweeping over Yuuto's thin body from top to bottom. She snorted harshly. "With a scrawny body like this... my damn father could probably swallow you whole just for an afternoon snack."
Yuuto recoiled in shock, his face deathly pale. His eyes were locked on the two red horns protruding from the woman's head.
"O-Oni...?! A demon..." he muttered with trembling lips.
Yamato's eyes immediately sparkled with enthusiasm. "Hoh? You know my race? Are there Oni in your world too? Are they strong?" she asked excitedly, forgetting that the person in front of her was scared to death.
"Yamato-san, don't scare him more," interrupted a cheerful digital voice. Hatsune Miku stepped forward while shaking her head. "In Yuuto-kun's world, Oni probably only exist in fairy tales or myths. Just like in Kuroneko's world."
The girl with twintails then turned to look at Yuuto. A friendly smile spread across her face, trying to thaw the atmosphere.
"Hello! Kido Yuuto-kun, right? Nice to meet you!" she greeted cheerfully. "I'm Hatsune Miku. Just call me Miku! You could say I'm the admin or moderator for this group."
Miku reached out her smooth white hand toward Yuuto, inviting him to shake hands with a friendly gesture.
Yuuto flinched. He looked at the outstretched hand, then at Miku's beautiful face as she smiled sweetly.
However, instead of welcoming her, flashes of trauma from his world—faces of beautiful women who deceived and hurt him—spun in his head. To Yuuto, the smile of a beautiful woman was a warning sign.
He turned his face away harshly, pulling his body back as if Miku's hand were poison.
"D-don't..." he squeaked softly, refusing the physical contact.
Miku's smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion and awkwardness. Her right hand still hung in the air.
"Eh...?"
"I-impossible... T-this must just be a nightmare, right?" Yuuto muttered, his voice sounding desperate. He pinched his own arm, hoping to wake up in his cold apartment bed.
"Fufufu... If you think this is a dream, then this Big Sister will show you what a 'Dream' truly is."
Lady Avalon stepped forward. She smiled, a smile that radiated a magical charm that was hard for any living being to resist.
"Heee... How interesting. You have such a promising vessel," she murmured softly, her light purple eyes staring straight into Yuuto's eyes, as if she were stripping his soul bare.
Yuuto was transfixed. His body was stiff, unable to move. In his eyes right now, the woman in front of him was not human, but an angel... no, a goddess descended from the sky. A soft light seemed to radiate from her skin, making her look like the most beautiful woman to ever exist in history.
Kuroneko narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the mage's behavior. "What exactly do you see in him, Lady Avalon?"
Lady Avalon turned slightly, placing her slender index finger on her lips. "Ssshh... That's a se-cret~"
She looked back at Yuuto, her smile widening and becoming a bit... mischievous.
"Now then, Hubby—ehem! I mean, Yuuto-kun," she corrected quickly with a forced little cough. "Have you done your Daily Login? If not, you'd better do it now. You know, 'Beginner's Luck' in the Gacha world is real and very powerful!"
"Lo-login...?" Yuuto repeated, his brain still short-circuiting as he processed the address she had almost uttered.
"Oh my, how innocent~ Here, let Big Sister help you find the button."
Without warning, Lady Avalon closed the distance between them. She pressed her body against Yuuto and began to feel the young man's chest.
"Waaaa?! Wait— What are—?!"
Yuuto was panicked to death. His past trauma screamed for him to run, but his body was betrayed by his sense of smell. As Lady Avalon approached, a very fragrant scent hit his nose. Not cheap perfume, but the scent of a field of wild flowers that was fresh, sweet, and intoxicating. That scent seemed to paralyze his motor nerves, making him freeze in silence as the woman's hands "plundered" his body.
"Where on earth did you put it... Ah, here it is!"
Lady Avalon's hand slipped into Yuuto's pants pocket, fumbling around intentionally.
The four other members could only look at each other with furrowed brows. The sight before them—the elegant Flower Mage groping a young man's pocket—was truly beyond comprehension.
"Eh? It's unusual for Lady Avalon to be that aggressive..." Miku muttered softly, her eyes not blinking. "She looks... very impatient?"
"Ah! Found it!"
Lady Avalon exclaimed cheerfully. She pulled her hand out of Yuuto's pants pocket, clutching the old flip phone triumphantly. Without wasting a single second, she grabbed Yuuto's wrist, forcing him to hold the phone himself.
"Come on, I'll guide you now. I can't wait to see it~"
"Woah?! Wait— Let me go!"
Yuuto was panicked to death. He struggled with all his might, trying to pull his hand back from the woman's grip. But it was useless. That slender hand locked his wrist as hard as iron. It felt like being locked by a hydraulic vice; it didn't budge at all even though Yuuto had exerted all his strength.
"It's no use, Yuuto-kun~" Lady Avalon whispered right into his ear, her tone sounding amused. "You won't be able to beat the physical strength of a Caster who is an expert with the sword like me, you know?"
She forcibly guided Yuuto's thumb onto the phone's keypad button.
Would you like me to translate the next part of the story, or should we continue improving the plot first?
"Hey... isn't that a bit much?" Miku whispered worriedly to Irene and Yamato. "She's really forcing him..."
However, amidst the panic and the pain in his wrist, Yuuto's brain caught a very contradictory sensation.
Lady Avalon's skin... it was crazy, so smooth.
Even though her grip was bone-crushing, the slender fingers currently guiding his thumb felt as soft as the finest silk. In all of Yuuto's miserable life, he had rarely been in contact with women, but his instincts screamed one thing: these were the smoothest and softest hands that had ever touched his rough skin.
The intoxicating floral scent and the softness of those hands caused Yuuto's resistance to slowly weaken, drowning in the Sorceress's dominance.
"What is that snake woman actually planning?" Irene muttered, her eyes narrowing sharply with suspicion.
Kuroneko, who had been observing the whole time, suddenly turned pale. A bad premonition washed over her.
"This is bad! This isn't just an ordinary gacha... We have to stop her right now!" Kuroneko cried out in panic. Without a second thought, she charged forward, followed by Miku, who flew frantically behind her.
Yamato and Irene, though confused by Kuroneko's reaction, also moved quickly; Irene was ready to use her magic and Yamato lunged at Lady Avalon with her physical strength.
However, Lady Avalon did not budge. She turned slightly toward those running at her, a victorious smile clearly etched on her beautiful face.
"Ara, ara~ How unfortunate..." she whispered softly yet clearly. "You are already too late."
CLICK.
Yuuto's thumb, forced by Lady Avalon, pressed the confirmation button.
WUUUSSSHHH!
A blinding golden light exploded from the small phone's screen, creating a gust of wind that blew back Kuroneko and the others until they were forced to a halt.
A giant hologram formed in the air.
Kuroneko looked up, her eyes widening in horror as she read the rows of golden text. Not just one, but two Divine-tier rewards at once. However, it was the combination of those rewards that made her tremble.
"Wait... T-this..." Kuroneko turned stiffly toward Lady Avalon, "L-Lady Avalon, did you know this would happen?"
Lady Avalon ignored her. She stared at Yuuto with a gaze that was dark, hungry, and full of passion. The tip of her pink tongue slowly swept across her lower lip, like a predator ready to devour its prey.
"Hehe... Finally..." she exhaled softly, her breath quickening with excitement. "A 'five-star' main course is finally served on the dining table."
Amidst that light, Yuuto read the system text with a gaze that was beginning to blur.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SPECIAL REWARD:]
Physical Body & Combat Experience: Arthur Pendragon (Prototype)
Bloodline: High-Ranking Genuine Fae
"Arthur's body...? And... Genuine Fae...?" Yuuto muttered faintly, and after reading that, his consciousness cut out instantly.
THUD.
Yuuto's body collapsed onto the barren ground. However, a miracle happened at that very second.
As soon as Yuuto's skin touched the parched earth, a small flower grew there.
Would you like me to translate the next section where Yuuto meets Arthur and the other shadow in his subconscious?