Mad Dog in the Romance Fantasy
Once, the man had lived as a web novel producer. He'd given advice, offered opinions, spotted revisions needed. He'd read mountains of stories, masterpieces, mediocrities, trash, and utter flops. And that day was when his little sister showed him her manuscript.
"This title's gonna make my head spin, sis."
Shouting Romance Fantasy from the Heart of Ruin. That's what she called it.
Just to check, he asked, and her response was a doozy.
"Exactly. This world's doomed to fall to demons. But the protagonists stop it with the power of love? As if saying it makes it true. What if they shit out their mouths?"
"What the hell? It's a solid setup!"
"If demons are the problem, kill the demons. Why the romance bullshit?"
When there's a problem, eliminate the source. First: Demons are trying to destroy the world. Second: Kill the demons. Simple, clean logic. So why shoehorn in romance?
"You sure you were a web novel PD, bro?"
"Never touched crap like this. Wouldn't even if they begged."
"No wonder you're single."
"Pfft."
"Always those overpowered wish-fulfillment stories. I'm sick of 'em. Need some tickle, some spice."
"Yeah, right."
Tickle too hard and you'll seize up and croak.
Still, since she was prepping to serialize, he held his tongue and read on.
"Whoa."
The top-tier demons, the Seven Deadly Sins Demons. And their appearance? Triggered by the villainess's jealousy. Fine, jealousy is a sin, so one of them embodies it. But why only react to her jealousy? Everyone gets jealous.
"Jealousy's not unique to people?"
"The villainess earns her title for a reason."
"Make sense."
"There is a reason!"
"Okay, pass. The villainess became one because of the heroine? Pass. She should beat the shit out of the heroine instead? Pass."
"Cut it out, seriously."
The twisted sub-male lead contracts with a demon to pursue the heroine. The demon wants the empire's forces to defect as payment, and succeeds. Suddenly, the empire, a powerhouse ally, is crippled. Some even follow the sub-lead straight to the demons.
"The empire's not like America? Falls that fast?"
"This sub-lead's a big shot in the empire. Smart, strong, you know."
"And this hotshot turns into a lovesick moron? That's the real shocker."
The demons take the heroine hostage, sparking infighting among the male leads. Kingdoms get ravaged, chaos ensues. Worst: rift between the hero male lead and saint male lead. Their allies—hero's comrades, holy knight order—get picked off one by one.
"Isn't the hero called that because he saves the world? Why prioritize the girl?"
"Sometimes love trumps the world."
"And the saint? Puts the girl over faith? Not scared of heresy trials?"
"Love's sacred too, if you think about it."
"True romance fantasy right there."
In the end, the sublime power of love makes the demons go poof! Hooray, happy ending! They embrace, tears flowing. Heroine juggles three male leads: "Who to pick?" The noble sub-characters, who gracefully bowed out? They pair off with each other in bittersweet new love!
"Hold up. Status differences?"
"Love conquers all!"
"Early on, she beats a lower noble lady just for looking. A prince with the lowest noble—no fallout?"
"They saved the world from demons?"
That was it. The man closed the file.
"Sis, please. Don't upload this to our site."
"Why?"
"I don't wanna hear my sister's told to fuck off."
"Wasn't planning to. It's all male-oriented stuff there. Am I nuts?"
"Good, your head's on straight. Sis."
He got it. Every genre has its hooks. Harem stories: Hero does anything, girls swoon. Romance fantasy: Male leads fall hard for the heroine. Delusion tales: Protagonist wins cheers no matter what. Romance fantasy: Blind devotion, no rationality. In tragic tales, male readers thrill when the heroine regrets and clings. In romance fantasy, females get vicarious satisfaction from obsessive pursuit. Overpowered stories demand unbeatable heroes. Romance fantasy demands the heroine conquers all men. Plausibility? Sacrifice for fun. Settings? Tweak for popularity.
Honestly, not unique to romance fantasy. As a PD, he knew.
"Still, this crosses a line."
Moderation. This went overboard. Readers puke on plausibility nuked, settings collapsed. Know any PDs for female-oriented stuff? He'd foist it off.
—he thought, crashing for overdue sleep after late-night proofreading.
"...So that's why you're here?"
"Yup. In our world, they'd call it possession."
"Impressive. Hit your head too hard on the way in?"
Did he? The man rubbed his bloodied occiput from slamming into the dirt. Red smeared his fingers—his? A soldier's? Or one of those world-eating demons'? He wiped it roughly on his tunic. Each time, flashes of a soldier's limbless lower half.
"Say we buy you're from another world, Captain."
"I am. Possessed, possessed."
"Anyway, couldn't you just meet the protagonist or whatever?"
"Forgot my background? A ragged commoner with nobles? I'd get whacked."
Would've been nice to possess a noble. But no—a commoner. Can't wedge into the story. Not even an extra. This path leads to getting swept into that absurd romance plot. One way out: Earn the right to reach the protagonists. Grab the plot by the hair, drag his sister's novel back to sanity.
"So I played crazy, volunteered. At first, they dismissed me as a kid, kicked me around. So I tore out a demon's throat in front of them. Bullies thinned out after. Next, yanked out guts, chomped 'em sloppy. They started averting eyes."
"..."
"Fucking sucked. Ten years rolling like a dog."
Heh heh heh.
The man let out a freakish, mad cackle.
"Y'know? Tried that frenzy to squeeze into the story. Fought too long—plot's fuzzy now. Protagonists' names? Blurry."
Who I was. Where from. Where to return. All haze. Left: Demons slain. Comrades dead. Blood-soaked path.
"Time to go. You've loafed enough here. Others are bitching."
"..."
"C'mon, move."
"..."
The man turned. The soldier's eyes stared void—past him, into nothing.
"You're going, huh."
No reply.
"Yeah, going."
No tears in his voice. Just hollow as the dead eyes.
"Safe travels. Good work."
Won't look back. Friend. Part of me dies here too.
Closing the soldier's eyes, the man rose. Corpses everywhere—human, demon, tangled. Only he stirred.
"He's rising!"
Kuwek!—kyaaak!!—
Demons recoiled, eyes terror-struck. Beings who saw humans as mere prey, livestock—now cowering before one man.
"Human! Deal! Let's deal!"
Deal.
The man eyed the speaker.
"Grant your wish! Demon power—you've heard! We can do it!"
"Wish."
"Yes! Anything! Power! Authority! Women! All possible!"
"Send me back to my original world."
The demon stammered at the unexpected demand. Original world? What?
"Can't."
"Th-this!"
"Talk's over."
Mana blazed in the man's eyes. No gleaming armor. No sharp blade. Tattered leather. Chipped sword. That's all.
Yet with that, he'd slaughtered hordes.
"Human! Wait!"
Demons retreated. Snap—he advanced. Demons hunt humans. But now, the hunter becomes prey.
"Demons gotta die."
Hundreds of demons. One human. But trembling? The demons. Smiling, striding? The man.
Slaughter began. Demons fell. Whirled into bloodstorm, shredded. None withstood him. They resisted. He bled. But pressed on. Kill, kill. Slash with sword. Crush with fists. Stomp to pulp.
Soon, demons collapsed, resistance broken. Fight or flee—no escape. He never fell. He slew demons. He dominated the field. Alone, invincible.
Demon horde eyeing kingdom's fall. Alliance retreated, defeat certain. One human crushed them.
Faced with unprecedented demon crisis, the continent united. Empire and kingdoms allied, even heteroraces joined. The Continent Alliance born of survival. Demons retreated in defeat. Alliance declared victory, instituting Victory Day.
Fought public enemy demons over a decade. Re-invasion loomed anytime. All scarred by war. Best maintain good ties.
"I, Prince Prints of Kasen Kingdom, second prince, challenge you to a duel!"
"Accepted. Border Count of Efer Empire, Evan."
Already cracks in those ties.
"Prince Prints. Kasen Kingdom frets over a mere low noble?"
"Consider it a warning to the discourteous empire noble dragging Lady Estelle to the ballroom despite her refusal."
Pillars Efer Empire and Kasen Kingdom. Bound to ally against demons. Geographic doom—either falls, both do. Demons could return anytime. For alliance survival, avoid conflict.
Yet Border Count and second prince dueled. At the party marking alliance's 11th anniversary, no less.
"Shouldn't we stop it? Duel here? Kasen and Efer?"
"Asked Kasen—prince's will ironclad, couldn't sway."
"Empire same. Even prince stepped back for the crown prince."
Duel at unity party. Laughable. Illogical. But one lady from the kingdom sparked it all.
All urged restraint, but the men's resolve held.
'Burn my image into Lady Estelle's mind this time.''Estelle, was it? Show her empire nobles beat kingdom rabble.'
Or just craving one woman's gaze?
"Interfere more, and it's insult to Kasen royals."
"This falls under my Border Count authority. I bear all responsibility."
Don't interfere. Man's love and pride at stake. No mercy for meddlers.
Stern warnings cleared the partygoers. As Prints and Evan readied—
Thwack!—
"Gurk!"
Evan crumpled, solar plexus struck. Demon-veteran Border Count foaming.
Crack!!—
"Gahk!!"
Prints clutched crown, toppled in agony. His princely poise? Reduced to squeals.
Blink-of-an-eye affair. Stunned, all wondered: who the madman?
"Demons ain't all dead yet."
Eyes blazing mana. Aura ferocious, body radiating menace.
"Use that sword-drawing energy to kill more demons."
Dared strike empire noble and royal. Yet none spoke rashly. All knew him too well.
"Wait. That guy?"
"Yeah. Cain!"
"Here?!"
Horror dawned as identity clicked.
Demon Slayer. Executioner. God's Right Hand. And—
"Urk! How dare! Who lays hands on royalty?!"
"Striking the emperor-granted Border Count. Suicidal!"
"Odd. Isn't this alliance celebration? Acting knowing that? Could deem demon instigation to fracture us."
"Wh-what?!"
"This fool!"
"Exactly."
Never yields, no matter who.
"Shut it and drink quietly before I suspect you."
Empire's Mad Dog.