Akira’s blade sliced through the air, cutting down a fleeing goblin. He ran through the field, his sword cutting down enemy after enemy. The head of yet another low level goblin slid off their neck in a shower of blood and rolled to the ground at his feet.

“Not enough, I’m still too weak!” he cursed, flicking the blood from his sword. “I’m running out of time…”

“Take it easy, Akira.” his elven companion said from behind him. “Why is this so important to you? You’ve gotten to level 8 already.”

“The Cobalt Knight is back, that means I’ve been cast aside!” he shouted, a mix of fear and rage showing in his eyes. His body was shaking, and the bags under his eyes showed he hadn’t been sleeping properly.

Why… why, why why why why?! Why had she put him back on the board? Was he not good enough, had he lost her favor already? Was he really useless?

Then why did she even bring him here?

A completely ordinary Japanese student, nothing stood out about him whatsoever. After three years in high school, not a single girl even talking to him, he finally gathered enough courage to ask out his crush, and what was her answer?

“I’m sorry, who are you again?”

!!!

Something inside of him broke that day, and on the way home from school, he saw a truck rounding the corner faster than the driver probably should have. Without even hesitating, he stepped out into the intersection.

And then, a voice, soft and kind, whispered in his ear. The voice of an angel, perhaps.

“You might be worthless here, but if you take my hand, I’ll show you a place you can finally belong.” she said, and time seemed to stop around him. He was able to think, but his body refused to move, his head would not turn towards the voice. “Come with me to another world, defeat a demon king, you like that sort of setting don’t you?”

Of course, he accepted the offer. And then he was in another place, another time. A generic fantasy rpg world was laid out before him, just like the novels he had been a fan of.

“W-Who are you?” he asked the woman, her pure white hair and pale skin making her appear ethereal as she stood in front of him, like mirage.

“Just think of me as your goddess of victory, my cute little pawn. I suppose you could call me… Vi.” she answered, her body becoming more and more transparent. “Take my blessing, and restore peace to this world, I’m counting on you, Akira.”

He had joined the adventurers guild, gained a party, even if they were a bit tsundere towards him he could tell they cared, and began his adventures. But just as soon as he was finding his footing in this world, he felt betrayed.

And it was all that goblin girl’s fault! She tricked him, made him doubt himself for a single second and now he was merely trash to be discarded by Vi? No, that couldn’t be it, she had selected him specifically! That other hero, one of her other pieces in this game she played against the demon lord, was put back into play to test him.

He had to believe that, or he wouldn’t be able to live anymore.

He had quickly become level 8, and his party members were now level 6, but in order to join the goblin raid he needed to be level 10. So he continued to fight, he would make himself more powerful, make himself Vi’s strongest player on the board, he had got that message loud and clear.

And then he felt the pull of Vi in his mind, telling him where to go. At first he had assumed it was just his subconscious will leading him around, but he had realized it was her all along, pulling his strings.

Would he find her there? Finally defeat that goblin who had clouded his thoughts so much. If he killed her, he was sure he would find his path. She was his enemy, the enemy of mankind, and nothing more!

-

[Your level has increased.]

[Mind+2][Body+2][Soul+2]

[HP+10][+MP+10][SP+10]

[Skill Obtained: Ante Up: 5 SP: 10 Damage, a fast, forward thrust, knocks away enemies.]

I looked at my abilities increase again as my flame imbued blade cleaved an adventurer in half. The male elf died, because he stubbornly refused to surrender, and I gained more power from it.

This world was rotten, everyone was insane. Who would choose to fight to the death instead of giving up?

But now, I had become level 8 after fighting my way through so many enemies. Goblins are level 1 mobs never given a chance to grow, I wondered if I had become the strongest goblin to ever live now.

But it wasn’t enough.

That man, my enemy, was nearly level 30. I needed more, more power if I was going to defeat him and protect the goblin city… which, I was still unable to locate, none of the adventurers would divulge its location before they died.

“So much for not being a monster, huh?!” A voice shouted from behind me, making me stop in my tracks. It was him, that adventurer I had fought on my first day on the surface.

I turned to face Akira, who stood with his party, a fury in his eyes. His equipment had been upgraded, and he had leveled up greatly since we had last met, just goes to show we’re both pieces of the otherworldly game, that progression wasn’t normal.

This encounter too was likely one of their plans, forcing us into conflict even if we didn’t desire it. Being strung along like this by a god… he really wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t a savior.

“Guys, I’ll handle this.” he ordered the npcs to stand down, and walked towards me. “Agent of the Demon Lord, face me!”

“I suppose this was inevitable, but I’ll say it once again.” I held up my blade, Incindra, in a reversed grip style. “I won’t kill you, but make you surrender and admit your wrongdoing!”

“Yeah, sure you will, those empty words will never move me!”