Is there anything in your life that you regret?
It doesn’t have to be something grand.
For example, like… confessing your feelings to a friend you liked and getting rejected, or skipping class and getting scolded, or the stocks you bought collapsing.
I’m sure there must be countless such instances.
That’s right. A person’s life is painted with regrets.
Of course, I too, being human, have plenty of such regrets, ranging from trivial to significant ones.
Lately, I’ve had one particular regret. It was so major that it completely changed my life.
“Noah, calm down, okay?”
“Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“Please just let me have the baby.”
As I slowly closed my eyes, watching the magical girl approaching with a wild glint in her eyes, I wondered how things had come to this.
Yeah, it all started from that incident.
If I were to talk about my regret… I shouldn’t have played that game. The fact that I was possessed by that game was the starting point of everything.
“Hehe… Brother…”
Feeling the soft embrace, I began reminiscing about the past.
+++++
I love happy endings.
The thought that a story I spent time on could end terribly is not something I prefer.
Even if somewhat cliché, an ending where the protagonist smiles is the kind of ending I like.
That’s why my persistence in continuing that game can also be seen as a sort of stubbornness.
“The Magical Girl Seeks Redemption.”
As the name suggests, it’s a game centered around a magical girl.
However, the problem is…
“I’m certain of one thing. This game was made with the creators’ sexual preferences in mind.”
“The setting where the magical girl loses her virginity and thus her powers is extremely sleazy.”
“The protagonist is violated in every possible way.”
“Tentacles, dirty parties, drugs, and more.”
“And to see the happy ending, you must first experience all the bad endings. Honestly, it’s an absolutely terrible game.”
Could this be a high-difficulty, perverted visual novel?
[BAD ENDING – New Mother]
[Condition Achieved: S-rank Villain, affected by Kraken-induced status abnormality, trapped while impregnated by tentacles.]
“Haa…this is dogshit…”
I sighed as I stared at the words appearing in the center of the monitor. I had lost count of how many times this had happened.
Watching the magical girl Iris get brutally assaulted.
—So disgustingooohh…the tentacles are disgustinggggghhh!!—
On-screen, Iris was horribly ravaged by the writhing tentacles surrounding her.
“Such bastards.”
How many tentacle endings are there anyway? Simple corruption by tentacles…terrifying encounters with tentacle villains…
What’s even scarier is the number of bad endings tagged under #Tentacles that remain. Moreover, the game itself is far from over.
According to wikis and communities, there’s only one true happy ending.
And as confirmed by the developers, collecting all bad endings is necessary to reach the true ending.
“…Should I quit?”
At this point, I had two choices:
1. Swear at the stupid game and delete it.
2. Push through until I reach the happy ending.
It was a tough decision. I’m a college student after all. With vacation coming up, I need to work part-time. Would I really have the time to dedicate myself fully to this game?
Despite my contemplation, my hands moved automatically, and I ended up playing another round, collecting yet another bad ending.
Once again, Iris endured a horrific ordeal. Drugged and discarded in a dumpsite.
Her face neither crying nor laughing, just broken. As she remained dazed, beggars began to gather around her. You don’t need me to elaborate further, do you.
Witnessing that scene up close, I made a resolution.
“Happy Ending.”
I decided to see the true conclusion, the real ending of the story, with my own hands.
“Consulting wikis isn’t much help either.”
Due to its malicious nature, the game has almost no popularity. Most English wikis only contain spoilers for the endings.
[BAD ENDING – Dumpsite]
[Overuse of potions leading to drug addiction, followed by participation in an upper-class entertainment event.]
I moved the mouse to proceed to the next round.
“…I should properly document what I did, didn’t do, and which choices I made.”
I clenched my teeth. Depending on my choices, the story took entirely different paths, all of which I meticulously noted down.
If there’s no guide, then I’ll create one myself.
Of course, several times I wanted to give up.
Each time, recalling the previous bad endings helped me regain focus.
Considering the amount of time invested and the anguish of the bad endings, the sweetness of victory in the happy ending would surely be worth it.
“…Huff…”
That way, once again, a new message appeared in the center of the screen.
[Round Ended]
Iris kneels in defeat before the Demon King.
Another girl appears, looking at Iris. She smiles faintly and gives away a piece of her power-infused gemstone.
“Escape. I’ll buy you time.”
Ziiing! Ziiiing!
A magical circle forms in the sky, glowing with starlight.
Iris smiles.
Though tinged with bitterness, sensing her impending doom, her gaze remains resolute.
“I am the beloved of the goddess Artemis! Magical Girl Iris! By the goddess’s command, I shall oppose the evil threatening the world!”
She advances.
Even as her vision blurs and her legs tremble, the magical girl continues forward. Even when her arm is severed by the Demon King’s sword, even with broken ribs, she presses on.
The magical girl moves forward.
For dreams and hope.
[BAD ENDING – Transmitted Hope]
[Condition Achieved: Despite losing in the battle against the Demon King, transfers a portion of her power to another girl.]
“…Huh…”
Until here, everything was the same as usual. The screen I’d seen hundreds of times.
However, soon new words began to appear.
“Congratulations! All bad endings have been unlocked!”
“Collection rate 49/49”
“Would you like to enter the Happy Ending route?”
I stretched briefly, leaving the monitor aside.
“What have I done by picking the wrong game…”
Still.
“Now it’s the real happy ending.”
I felt renewed energy. Now that I’ve completed the collection of bad endings, it’s finally possible to achieve the happy ending. Though it’s bound to be challenging, I wasn’t overly worried.
After all, it’s the happy ending. Just knowing that brings a sense of relief.
Adjusting my posture, I placed my hand on the mouse. Hoping this would be my final journey in this game.
“Let’s try.”
Having completed the collection of bad endings, there’s no reason I shouldn’t see the happy ending.
Click.
Activating the happy ending, I proceeded to the next round.
Excitement filled me.
What will the happy ending be like? While hoping the protagonist would find happiness, I slowly closed my eyes in anticipation.
…And I never imagined this would be my final journey in real life.
+++++
“Does this make any sense?”
In disbelief, I continued walking.
A week had passed, yet I was still utterly bewildered.
Possession? In reality, not fantasy.
But facing the facts right before my eyes and the headlines on internet news left me no choice but to accept them.
[Mysterious Magical Girl Appears Again]
[Increase in Demon Sightings. Government’s Response…]
This is reality.
Being possessed by a visual novel is now my reality.
Anyway.
So what am I doing after being possessed?
“I don’t want to go to work…”
I was on my way to my job at a convenience store.
Some might say, “What are you doing working after being possessed?”
But what else can I do?
We’re still a year before the main events start, and as a very ordinary citizen, there’s not much I can do.
As long as demons don’t suddenly show up to beat me up, I’ll consider myself lucky.
And despite everything, people are still going to work, earning money.
What can I do? If I don’t want to starve, I need to earn money.
Actually, I did have some vague hope.
With the happy ending route open, maybe things will resolve themselves.
“At least meeting someone will help.”
Unable to escape the reality, I looked around.
It’s such a nice day. More beautiful and charming than Korea in real life.
Still, I was worried, but there’s not much I can do for now. It’s better to calm down rather than worry unnecessarily.
The pleasant scent of spring brushed past my nose. The gentle spring breeze made me feel good.
But it was a bit chilly too. Is it the late-spring cold snap? The wind began to blow a little stronger.
As the wind grew fiercer, it soon turned into a sharp, cutting gust.
“…Wait a minute.”
What the hell is that?
A monster with a pinwheel head. And then…
“I am the beloved of the goddess Artemis! Magical Girl Iris! By the goddess’s command, I shall oppose the evil threatening the world!”
The pink-haired Magical Girl Iris.
“Am I meeting her here?”
I had a slight suspicion. After all, I live strangely near where Iris does.
She probably came to deal with the demon in her neighborhood.
Murmurs around me grew louder.
“It’s a magical girl!”
“Isn’t she the one we’ve been seeing on the news lately!?”
“Yes! She’s here to save us!”
Iris stepped forward confidently.
Then…
“Don’t worry! I’ll protect yo-”
“Keeeekkkk!!!”
“Huuuuh!?”
BOOM!
The magical girl Iris dramatically crashes into a wall after making her entrance.
“So, transforming into a magical girl turns you into a confused idiot…”
Watching it happen in reality was even more chaotic.
Because the magical girl was… much worse than I imagined.
“…Is this really okay?”
My head already felt dizzy.
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