-Narrator-kun: As we all know, the show will now continue to market the lower-tier contestants. The strawberry shortstacks make an appearance to the immense celebration of the dwarven marketers; the Gyaru Fad Coalition—yes, you heard me right, a coalition of gyarus… such a dream organization exists here also, cough cough—and let’s not forget the Tomboy Sports International. Such a sweet and fun existence; 10/10 wife material, we can all agree to this one universal truth.

  Either way, the sad part is that to Hajime, they don’t even register as entities. Deep in his heart, he knows something is wrong—that he’s missing something spectacular—but this world would undoubtedly break his fragile heart. Ads corrupting gyarus and tomboys… sigh, he would burn this world for that atrocity.

  Yet now, our hero is destined to take a special spot on this macabre stage and await his one true Saintess.

  -Hajime POV

  Hajime: “Are we done now, Mom? My ass is merging with Zeus…”

  Valiant: “Yeah, we’re done standing here, son. Now we go sit in that shiny throne right there in that corner.”

  Hajime looks at the shiny throne.

  Hajime: “I don’t want to sit anymore!!! My damn legs are going to get DVTs and kill me!!!”

  Valiant: “I don’t know what a DVT is, but if you want a damned hot heroine to accompany you through your isekai adventure, you will sit the fuck down in that golden chair!”

  Hajime: “That was uncalled for, GPS-san… but I guess I’ll have to sacrifice my legs for the love of my life.”

  His heart aches a little.

  He mumbles: “Odd… why am I feeling like this? Is it… loss?”

  Valiant: “Hajime-kun, forget those feelings. You can check on them later.”

  Hajime, like a good man, represses his honest feelings. No man should show their true feelings to strangers—that’s what his dad always said.

  He bottles it up (years of experience at play) and moves with Zeus to the golden throne.

  -Deus POV

  “The program is on schedule. The hero is not making a show of things. Everything is sterile, sanitized, and corporately sloppy.”

  She sighs in relief from her divine chair. She calls Valiant:

  Deus: “Is the hero in position?”

  Valiant: “We’re moving him there now.”

  Deus: “Excellent. Just keep him quiet and the reward will be guaranteed.”

  Valiant: “That’s not the term of our deal, Deus. Even if shit goes sideways, you will pay me. Remember that part?”

  Deus: “Yeah, but you know that’ll be impossible from my end. My security is 100% perfect.”

  Valiant: “Just remember the fine print, Deus.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  She reads it: “If the fault lies in Deus and not Valiant and his companions, the pay will be honored as agreed in section A.3345.”

  Deus: “Yeah, I’ll honor it… but as Hajime said… I’m too big to fail!!!”

  Communication cuts, and Deus watches contentedly as Hajime settles into the golden throne—the one true prize.

  -Infiltrators POV

  Infiltrator 1: “The cow is in the stable! I repeat, the cow is in the stable!”

  Infiltrator 2: “Can you stop with the cow puns already? Take this seriously!!!”

  Infiltrator 1: “No… I will continue. You wanna know why?”

  Infiltrator 2: “No, I don’t, but you’ll say it anyway.”

  Infiltrator 1: “Because it pisses you off!!!!”

  Infiltrator 2: “I’ll unsubscribe from you, you damned dick!”

  Infiltrator 1: “Beat you to it!!!”

  Infiltrator 2 checks his follower feed: “You bastard!!!”

  Infiltrator 1: “KEKEKEKEKEKE—”

  Infiltrator 2: “I’ll kill you in the good name of Alphonso-sama!!”

  Infiltrator 1: “Shut up, you idiot!!! We’re in deep cover!!!”

  A suspiciously femboy voice appears in their ears: “Hush now… the party is almost ready.” “Operation Stardoom is a go. Please prepare for the grand entrance accordingly, my pretties.”

  Both: “Yes, ma’am!!!”

  -Meanwhile, the Director of the Predatoriad Kingdom

  A blocky beauty debates whether she’s gaining weight while sitting in her administrator chair, wondering if she should heed the Veganation ads for a diet change, or burn carbs by using Walletbreaker as a belly press.

  She receives a message: “Operation Stardoom is a go!”

  The blocky demoness says: “Director approval code 666X777.”

  A big, black, evil-looking button magically appears on her desk. She prays to it and declares: “As the authority invested in me by the first Dark Lord of Predatoriad, I (@&^!&&) approve Operation Stardoom!”

  The grand ceremonial speech ends; she pushes the button.

  A tiny printer starts its work in the corner of the room.

  Director: “Lulu, can you pick up the forms and triplicate them for me?”

  A small, cute imp with hollow eyes shuffles by and takes the forms to be processed in the hellish bureaucracy of the demonic kingdom.

  Now the agents must wait for expedited approval to begin the operation.

  -Back to the infiltrators:

  Infiltrator 2: “Approval is being processed! Hooray!!! Our first big-time gig!!!”

  Infiltrator 1: “What would happen if we miss our chance?”

  Infiltrator 2: “Doesn’t matter. We can still just cook the books to improve our efficiency rating!”

  Just like that, the Predatoriad agents once again prove why they are the best.

  -Backstage

  A voice echoes: “Saintess Elnora, welcome back to Sub. We have been expecting your arrival.”

  Elnora: “Is everything ready for my entrance?”

  Manager: “Everything is ready. We only need you to change clothes and plastic you up a few premium tiers.”

  Elnora: “We have a small change to the itinerary. Please include Merryad in the later half of the plan.”

  Manager: “It’ll be tight, but we can manage it. Everything will be perfect as you envisioned!”

  The manager gets busy, and Elnora sees Hajime sitting on the golden trophy throne.

  “You clean up really well, my hero… I’ll be the one true heroine this time.”

  She then heads backstage to prepare for her perfect entrance.

  -Merryad POV

  A small prayer: “Oh dear hero… in your heart you must know your premium belongs to me. No one should deny me this one honest truth.”

  Merryad has grown to admire the Saintess; a long-time streamer giving exposure to a small-time indie? It’s definitely unheard of!

  Yet she, a beauty from a modestly popular kingdom—why is she this blessed?

  Even though she’s grateful to the Saintess, she cannot let Elnora steal his subscription.

  Even now she still feels guilty for tricking the hero into a cheapo hero subscription—yet the stubborn fool refused to premium her.

  They could be doing so much more together… "just premium me already you hunk…"

  She then mumbles with devotion: “Every night I advertise to the divine for this bad boy of a hero to succumb to the temptations of the best deals possible, I always pray for the holy contract to guarantee our premium dates…”

  She recites her pious dreams wile changing into her ultimate form.

  When she finishes her routine, a more knightly princess begins to glow with marketable power, she respectfully shouts towards Elnora:

  Merry: “Elnora, I’m winning this Selection!”

  Elnora (from the other side): “Dream big, princess—but don’t advertise too close to the Sun.”

  They laugh, sharing in their competitive spirit.

  -Below, in the Dungeon

  The Adless throw their broken bodies at the cell walls. They don’t budge, yet the prisoners continue attempting.

  The golden seal is losing color rapidly.

  A voice cries: “No one will deny our happiness! Not Deus, not Whalescalibur, not the demonic bitches!!! No one!!!”

  The crack widens, and darkness spews onto the ground—a physical manifestation of despair and malice.