I Became the Mid-Boss Who Kidnaps the Heroines (2)
So, how would people react if a story featured a mid-boss kidnapping heroines? It all depends on whether you're a player, a spectator, or a reader.
In games, heroines getting kidnapped is par for the course. Some games have the same princess—heroine staple—snatched every series for decades, sometimes even making it the core plot hook.
Moviegoers would see it as setup for the hero's big moment: the enemy gang grabs the heroine as a hostage, the protagonist floors it in a wild car chase, mows down the thugs, and rescues her in a blaze of glory.
But readers? What if it's a web novel?
The comments section would explode. I won't go into gory details, but if the kidnapper's a guy instead of a girl character? Total inferno.
This shitty game—Esdinas of the Firmament—has exactly that kind of character. A mid-boss named Regiph, specialist in hypnosis, brainwashing, and aphrodisiacs. In this medieval fantasy academy game, he's the blond tanned thug type who gets jealous of the protagonist's popularity as a freshman and kidnaps the heroines.
Players voiced massive disgust. And for good reason—the guy's a textbook blond tanned pretty boy. Just look in the mirror at my reflection. Luckily(?), my hair isn't some spiky sports cut; it's neatly combed down, though my bangs are long enough to cover my eyebrows and eyes. Someone once said Regiph, this commoner character, was designed purely to piss off players.
I agree. Someone on the dev team must've watched their crush—senior, older sister type, or classmate—get dragged off by a delinquent gang back in the day, only to see that thug's hand on her waist days later as they vanished into some dark alley. Or maybe the main director's got that kink. In-game, though, nothing explicit happens. Even when he kidnaps a heroine, she fights back fiercely, the protagonist rushes in to save her before Regiph can do anything shady, and takes him out.
That leads to Regiph contracting with the game's root of all evil, the Demon King, turning into a demon and triggering a boss fight. The protagonist solidifies his bond with the rescued heroine, who then awakens in an event.
Yeah. Regiph is just a plot device. Crafted to create a crisis separating the protagonist and heroine, awakening her clear feelings for him and powering her up. From the moment he was designed, he was prepped to die by the protagonist's hand.
And in fanfic circles, for folks with certain tastes, he's more popular than the protagonist.
↓ Block this guy.
Blond tanned dude. NTR poster boy.
Even in this medieval fantasy RPG with visual novel roots, fanworks exploded—fueled by the devs' "200 billion prize for clearing" bait. Gameplay? Solid. The dating sim elements dinged it a bit, but as a character-driven RPG, it was a masterpiece. Core story: "Topple the Demon King with your allies." But choices branched wildly every playthrough, like a fixed world up to academy start, then infinite parallel universes unfolding.
Heroine backstories, personalities, side characters, even villains—all richly fleshed out.
I didn't grind to 999 clears for nothing. Hit 99.99% endings and events. Sure, by the end it was "Gotta snag that 200 billion," but up to 90%, it was pure fun. Which main heroine? Which allies? Which heroine turns enemy, how's your bond with the main one evolve? Do side characters couple up, bro-bond, or become in-laws? Early discards return as reinforcements with their own arcs—or fall to Demon King temptation as demons.
Amid all that chaos, three constants: One, protagonist's male. Two, Regiph kidnaps your highest-affinity heroine somehow, her awakening locks in the route. Three, the awakened main heroine becomes an Angel, the only power that can harm the Demon King.
In short: Fastest world-save is letting blond tanned Regiph snatch the protagonist's girl/crush, protagonist rescues her to awaken her as an Angel, then kills Regiph.
"Young Master Regiph, what are you thinking about?"
"Survival."
"...???"
And I am Regiph. Right now. Age 7. Freshly possessed, I've become the guy who must NTR heroines and die to the protagonist to trigger world salvation.
Time left: Roughly 10+ years.
Fuck.
I know zilch about Regiph pre-academy—only post-enrollment. He's a commoner, likely fallen noble. His hypnosis, brainwashing, aphrodisiacs? Tied to whatever sent him to the academy. Picture it: Family ruined early, wanders as fallen noble, contracts a demon to sabotage the protagonist's crew.
He's got "deep down a good guy" vibes, but his canon actions scream "just kill him."
Boss patterns vary by route, but three main flavors:
One: Fight demonized Regiph via devil scheme. Tough boss, but minus the hostage, not too gross.
Two: Fight Regiph with hypnotized/brainwashed heroine as his minion. She turns foe briefly, but saving her crushes him like a heartbroken NTR victim.
Three: Fight demon Regiph while heroine's dosed with aphrodisiac. Worst one. "Heroine kidnap already sucks, now add drugs?" Half the R-18 fanfics spawn here. Regiph, aphrodisiac, captured heroine...
Some say "She's not your heroine post-kidnap." To ease that, routes include her getting thoroughly defiled. "Protagonist takes the sullied girl, or dumps her for a fresh one." Like pandering to real choices or tastes. Latter spawned "heroine kill routines" post-discovery.
Toss hated heroine to Regiph, awaken her as Angel essence—
Then "berserk the Angel into Apocalypse."
Apocalypse: Angel-powered heroine mental breaks, unkillable = world ends. Angels are God's anti-Demon King gift from on high, but they can nuke the world too. Kill an Apocalypse Angel, transfer power to another heroine.
Hate a girl? Off her deliberately, sub another, then main her with Angel power. Such endings exist.
TL;DR: I must dodge canon Regiph's "blond tanned NTR kidnaps," avoid my death, aid protagonist-heroine romance to awaken an Angel.
Or Demon King descends, enslaves humanity, claims the land.
Block that at all costs. Demon King's no white-haired red-eyed big-tits babe or blue-skinned snake-waist chick. He's male. Preys on all genders indiscriminately—treats humans like ants or worse, unspeakable horrors.
No way in hell.
Options abound, but immediate goals: One, awaken one Angel. Need God's anti-Demon King power. Two, prevent her mental collapse and rampage. Even Demon King-killers going mad destroys everything.
So from this 7-year-old Regiph possession to pre-academy: Prep like hell...
"Son."
"Yes, Father."
"You're a proud son of the Hapsderk Count's house."
...Hapsderk?
"Oppa."
And behind me.
"Something wrong?"
One of the main heroines.