Chapter 2: The Awakening of the Cheat Ability
All of Crank Up’s works are connected by a certain setting.
Regardless of genre or worldview, every character from a Crank Up game is sent to a specific space after death... where they come face-to-face with that existence.
It was an incredibly bizarre, surreal space.
There was no sense of gravity, no up or down, no left or right.
Vast numbers of cathode-ray tube televisions filled the field of vision. Countless screens displayed the lives of various people... and in the very center of that space, it floated.
“Heh. Well, this is an interesting guest.”
A person clad in white. Their appearance was androgynous; they could be seen as a beautiful man or a beautiful woman.
But in reality, the concept of gender didn't apply to this being.
【The Administrator】. This character, as the name implied, was effectively God in the multiverse presented by Crank Up.
“...You’re a human from the outside world, aren't you?”
The Administrator wasn't omnipotent, but they were omniscient.
That was likely how they had seen through my true identity in an instant.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. I like it. This is an interesting development.”
The Administrator continued to murmur in a monotonous, expressionless voice.
“In the original scenario, Alvart Zesphiria, unable to endure his miserable life, commits suicide and ends up here... but you’re intending to follow that part of the original script on purpose?”
The Administrator was like a god. Therefore, they could likely read my thoughts from start to finish.
“Seeking power not for revenge or ravaging, but to enjoy a peaceful life, huh? ...Sure, why not. Watching a broken scenario sounds like it could be fun.”
After whispering those words, the Administrator pointed a palm toward me—
In the next moment, a deluge of information came rushing in.
It felt as if a massive amount of power was being installed into me.
Or perhaps, something that had been sleeping deep inside me was being awakened.
By the time that mysterious sensation began to settle...
“...Ah, I see. I get it. So this world is, after all...”
Just as the Administrator began to say something... my consciousness began to fade.
In the midst of that, the Administrator continued to speak.
“I have some very unfortunate news for you... it seems this world is demanding you play your rightful role. Yes, the role of an adult game protagonist.”
As my consciousness drifted further away, the Administrator’s words continued.
“The world does not look kindly upon your desires. It has decided that the only drama prepared for Alvart Zesphiria is the destruction that awaits at the end of a life of carnal indulgence.”
Therefore... the Administrator prefaced, before delivering the next words.
“The world will use its 《Correction Force》 to try and return the scenario to its intended path. In short, from now on, you will be faced with seductive invitations from alluring members of the opposite sex.”
Just as my consciousness was about to vanish completely...
“Keep this in mind, Alvart. You will carry a single proposition with you for the rest of your life. Namely—”
R-18.
Reject it? Or fuck until you die?
“Will you simply accept it and walk the path of ruin? Or will you endure? Either way...”
Just as I reached the absolute limit of my consciousness...
The Administrator’s final words echoed in my head.
“—I truly hope your scenario turns out to be an entertaining one.”
◇◆◇
The moment I regained consciousness in my room, I felt two distinct sensations surging through me.
One was the awakening of my power, brought about by the Administrator.
My potential as a 《Monster Possession》 had been perfectly bloomed, bringing with it a sense of euphoria that bordered on omnipotence.
And the other was—
“Mmmh ♥ You’re finally awake, Onii-sama? ♥”
This. The sensation brought about by the movements of my sadistic brat of a sister, Lumiere... or rather, her hips.
It was exactly as the original game predicted—an R-18 development.
“Grind, grind... ♥ Grind, grind... ♥ Nnf, hufu... ♥ It feels like both Lumi and Onii-sama are at our limit... ♥”
On the bed.
She was straddling me as I lay there, moving her hips lewdly back and forth.
To an outsider, it would look like we were already joined, but in reality, we were one step away.
While maintaining that precarious situation... my sister spoke.
“My poor, poor Onii-sama, about to become a stud horse... ♥”
As she spoke, Lumiere raised her hips slightly.
She slid the fabric of her pitch-black thong to the side.
“Since you’re so pitiful... I’ll let you use Lumi’s 'here,' okay? ♥”
At this point, the original game would present two choices.
To do it with Lumiere, or to reject her.
If the former was chosen, she would wear a spiteful smirk just before penetration—
“Kyahahahaha! Like I’d ever really do it! ♥”
“As if Lumi would ever let you breed her! ♥”
“Honestly, you really were an idiot right up until the very end, weren't you, Onii-sama? ♥”
And so, she would display her peak "brat" behavior, intending to ravage her Onii-sama as usual.
In that situation, Alvart would try to use his awakened power to put his sister in her place, but...
“The idea of you ever pinning me down is something that will never, ever happen, Onii-sama.”
Whether it was something brought about by the special bloodline of the Zesphiria family or something else entirely...
The original game never gave a full explanation, but regardless, Lumiere would manifest a mysterious power that completely nullified her Onii-sama’s abilities.
Pitiful Alvart, intending to put his sister in her place, would instead be "put in his place" by her...
And after a horrific ravaging, his mind would snap and he would die.
“Look, Onii-sama! ♥ Just a little more... and you can spray all your hot seed inside Lumi! ♥”
She slowly lowered her hips.
Preparing to welcome me into her.
Just as she was about to achieve her goal...
I presented the choice that would prevent the Bad End.
“R-18. Reject it? Or fuck until you die?”
“Eh?”
“Apparently, that’s the proposition for my life.”
“W-What are you talking about, Onii-sama? Has your head really finally—”
“Regardless... I have absolutely no intention of doing that kind of thing with you.”
I cut her off bluntly, the words slicing through Lumiere’s heart. Immediately after, I delivered the follow-up.
“Lumiere. Based on looks alone, you’re a top-tier beauty... but your personality is complete trash.”
“...?!”
“To a hardcore masochist, you might be the ultimate Queen, but to me, you’re just a terrible sister. That’s why... I want absolutely nothing to do with an R-18 development with you.”
With us on the verge of penetration, Lumiere sat there trembling for several seconds.
“...Ufufu. I see. I see, Onii-sama.”
A twisted smile. I’m sure there were all sorts of emotions swirling behind it.
But in any case, they weren't positive ones.
As if to prove that, in the next moment...
“Onii-sama... you really want Lumi to punish you, don’t you?! In that case—I’ll make sure you’re completely satisfied!!”
Her eyes narrowed sharply as she grabbed my collar and...
She threw me across the room with all her might.
“.........”
In my birthday suit, I slammed into the wall and burst straight through it.
I continued through the manor until I was sent flying out into the courtyard.
“.........Wow. That didn't hurt at all.”
This was the awakening of my cheat power—the result of my potential as a 《Monster Possession》 being drawn out.
My body’s incredible durability was thanks to that.
But she had no way of knowing that.
“You’ve certainly gotten better at hiding your pain, haven't you, Onii-sama?”
Assuming I was just putting on a brave face, the sadistic brat of a sister approached with a leisurely stride.
The moment I faced her under the moonlight...
“What is the meaning of this?!”
“This doesn't... seem like the usual behavior.”
My parents had rushed to the scene. Lumiere didn't even acknowledge them.
To her, as long as they didn't get in her way, they didn't matter.
In reality, no matter what atrocity my sister committed against me, my parents would never stop her.
Until now, I had wanted to scream at them for that...
But now, it was convenient.
“Father. I have the answer to the question you asked at dinner. I shall present it here and now.”
After that preamble, I let out the following words.
“I shall duel Lumiere. If I lose, I will become a stud horse or whatever else you wish. However... if I am victorious... you will give me a proper, normal life.”
Lumiere furrowed her brow at the suggestion.
“Haah? A duel with Lumi? What are you talking about, Onii-sama?”
Ignoring her, I kept my eyes fixed on my father’s face.
He was a handsome middle-aged man with a well-groomed Kaiser mustache. I couldn't tell what he was thinking... but the answer he gave in the next moment was exactly what I wanted.
“Very well. Go ahead and clash to your heart’s content.”
And so, in the moonlit courtyard of the manor...
The duel from the original game began.
“You really are a masochistic pig, Onii-sama. You want to show Father and Mother your pathetic—”
“Fireball.”
I launched a sphere of fire at my sister as she rambled on.
“—For someone like you, you’re being awfully cocky.”
With a look of sheer annoyance, she waved her right hand and easily swatted the fireball aside.
That was the first strike.
“How was that? The difference in power between Lumi and Onii-sama is simply too—”
“Just surrender, Lumiere.”
“—...Huh?”
“You certainly have a terrible personality. But you’re still a girl, and you’re my sister. It pains me to have to hurt someone like that.”
“—...Huh?!”
“To be honest, I feel nothing but hate for you. Just seeing you makes me want to vomit, and hearing your voice makes my skin crawl. But, Lumiere... as much as I hate to admit it, we’re family. If possible, I don’t want to hurt each other anymore.”
From my perspective, this was a merciful final ultimatum.
But in response to those words, Lumiere’s face flushed bright red, and for some reason, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Onii-sama... Onii-sama... YOU WOULD NEVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!”
I had expected her to be furious, but...
It was strange. It felt less like she was angry at being insulted and more like a girl who was throwing a tantrum because someone she liked had said something mean to her... but that had to be my imagination. Yeah.
The attack Lumiere launched in retaliation was also fire-attribute—likely her own version of payback.
But it wasn't a low-level spell like mine. It was a high-level ancient magic—
『Ancient Flare』.
Before I knew it, a geometric pattern had unfolded at my feet, and then...
My entire vision was filled with crimson.
An overwhelming amount of heat that would unconditionally incinerate any living thing.
If someone without a countermeasure were hit by it, not even a speck of dust would remain of their body.
“Ah...! O-Onii-sama...?!”
A small voice reached my ears. It must have been a hallucination.
There was no way Lumiere would feel regret in a situation like this.
She was a bottom-tier brat, not a tsundere heroine.
If she were the latter... she might accidentally kill the person she liked in a fit of rage and then feel terrible about it... but that wasn't the case here.
Regardless.
In the midst of that scorching heat, I had the luxury of remaining perfectly calm.
Now that all my potential had been drawn out by my encounter with the Administrator, Lumiere’s power couldn't leave so much as a scratch on me. This duel was no longer a contest...
It had become a simple test drive.
The power I had acquired wasn't just overwhelming magical ability.
My awakened potential included two unique abilities.
To test one of them...
I purposely lowered the level of the barrier protecting my body, allowing myself to sustain a minor burn.
In that instant... the unique ability activated, and the pillar of crimson filling my vision vanished.
“““—?!”””
As my father, mother, and sister all stared in shock, I patted down my slightly scorched clothes.
“I’m telling you now. Your attacks are all completely useless.”
This wasn't a bluff. It was a cold, hard fact.
One of the two unique abilities I had gained was 《Adaptation》.
It allowed me to adapt to any kind of power and neutralize it. As long as I activated that ability, any attack I visually confirmed or felt on my body... would never work on me again.
To prove it...
“A-Ancient Flare!”
This time, I took the hit without using any defensive measures at all. It wasn't a problem.
And once the duration of the spell ended and the pillar of fire vanished...
“Fireball.”
Lumiere tried to swat my attack away with one hand, just as she had before.
“Uagh...?!”
The fireball vanished at Lumiere’s touch... however.
She was forced to taste the pain.
“M-My arm...?!”
If you smack a mass of extreme heat with your bare arm, "That’s hot!" isn't going to cut it. Her arm was now scorched black.
“A-Ah... gih...!”
My sister wept from the sheer agony.
That, too, was the work of my unique ability.
“The first ability... 《Adaptation》... is a metaphor for Alvart Zesphiria’s very nature.”
“...!”
“Denying and rejecting everything in this world, and then exercising aggressive dominance. That distorted personality was something you fostered, Lumiere.”
The rejection of all malice.
And the exercise of all malice.
While the former functioned as an invincible defense...
The latter functioned as an invincible offense.
“The moment you took my first hit, you lost all ability to defend yourself. That’s why your arm is burned. And furthermore—once you take a second hit...”
The target loses all power to resist.
“Lumiere. From now on, you cannot take any action without my permission.”
“H-Haah?! Like that’s even—”
“If you doubt me, go ahead and try.”
She likely tried to cast a spell immediately.
But it didn't just fail; she couldn't even reach the initial step of concentrating her consciousness.
“...!”
It seemed Lumiere finally understood the reality of the situation.
I took her understanding and hammered it home with words.
“You aren't the one doing the ravaging anymore. You’re the one... being ravaged.”
Ironically, it was the exact same phrase Alvart had used in the original game.
Lumiere’s reaction was also identical to the game.
“O-Onii-sama...”
Looking at my terrified sister, I felt a simple sense of satisfaction—a "serves you right" moment.
But while I was a mundane Japanese man, I was also Alvart Zesphiria.
Perhaps because of his memories, a powerful impulse began to spread through my heart.
Yes... the impulse for revenge through "ravaging."
“...Lumiere. I can’t easily forgive what you’ve done to me.”
“Hii...!”
Back in the room, I had chosen the "correct" path regarding whether or not to "lay a hand" on Lumiere.
Since I had picked correctly then, touching her here wouldn't lead to an immediate Bad End.
In fact, this scene in the original game was the very first heroine ravaging scene.
“P-Please don’t kill me...!”
“L-Lumi will let you use her 'here'...!”
After using violence to "put in her place" the sister who still tried to act superior, Alvart would push her down to the ground...
And fulfill his role as the protagonist of a Rape-Type eroge.
“B-Onii-sama. L-Lumi is...”
Lumiere looked exactly like she did in the game. I took a step toward her.
If I were to recreate the original, I would start by ravaging her bountiful breasts.
I would sandwich myself between her depraved, explosive breasts—the stereotype of an eroge protagonist’s tastes—and indulge in pleasure to my heart’s content... before finishing.
Then, as she begged for her life, I would slowly burn her to death while pouring my seed into her tight opening over and over again... it was that kind of scene.
“Lumiere.”
“Hiii...!”
As soon as I was right in front of her...
I used magic to heal her scorched arm.
“Eh...?!”
Unable to comprehend what was happening, my sister just stared. I spoke to her again.
“I can’t easily forgive you. But letting myself be driven by hatred is just... nonsense.”
I might be Alvart, but at my core, I was just an average Japanese guy. There was no way I could pull off a revenge play based on ravaging someone.
More importantly... the character known as Lumiere was a bundle of risks. A Bad End could occur at any moment if she awakened to some mysterious power.
But unlike Alvart, I could never bring myself to ravage and then kill her.
Therefore, there was only one choice.
Forgive everything that had happened and keep as much distance as possible. There was no other way.
“...!”
Slumping to the ground in relief, Lumiere let out a breath.
After giving her a brief glance... I turned my eyes toward my parents.
In that instant, the two of them knelt before me.
“Please... please forgive our past insolence.”
Their behavior was also exactly as it was in the game.
A complete reversal of attitude from parents who were now scared witless. Alvart had made a certain request of them in this scene. I decided to follow his lead part of the way.
“If you truly repent, I have one request.”
“...Anything.”
In the game, the line Alvart delivered here was: “Go to hell.”
Then, using his other unique ability, he "killed" his parents' personalities.
The pathetic heads of the Zesphiria family were doomed to taste the agonies of hell for all eternity...
That was the content of the game, but obviously, I had no intention of asking for that.
“Fulfill your promise. I won’t let you say you’ve forgotten.”
“H-Ha! But... what exactly is the 'proper life' you desire, my Lord?”
“Well, for starters, I wish to enroll in the academy.”
It wasn't normal to be a shut-in at the manor without even going to school.
Student life was a "must-of-musts" for me.
That was why I had expressed my desire for the academy during the dinner conversation...
Back then, the wish had been dismissed out of hand. But now...
“...I see. If that is what you wish, leave it to me. I shall make the arrangements immediately.”
Wow, violence really is amazing.
My father, who had been so unreasonable, was now acting like a well-trained dog.
“That is all. I shall be retiring to bed for the night. Goodnight, Father.”
I left them with those words and walked away.
For now, the matter was settled... but I felt very little relief.
The issues within the family had been dealt with, but...
“...The world does not look kindly upon my desires, huh?”
Because of that, the 《Correction Force》 would likely work to pull the scenario back toward the original game.
“The Administrator said... that erotic developments are waiting for me in the future.”
I had been a virgin for over fifty years, counting my previous life.
I had moved past being a "Wizard" and reached the level of a "Great Sage"—it was a humiliating way to exist.
If I could end that, there would be no greater joy as a biological creature.
And above all, if the ones offering up their bodies were the "heroines"—the peak of womanhood in an eroge... that joy would be beyond words.
However. But, however.
R-18. Reject it? Or fuck until you die?
If that was the proposition of my life...
If the destruction that awaited at the end of fulfilling my desires as a man was the same as in the original game…
“—I’ve been reincarnated as the depraved protagonist of a gruesome eroge, but I’m not that horny.”
If the result is a gruesome death, I’d much rather just cut sex out of my life entirely.
And in doing so, I will absolutely seize a peaceful, happy life.
With that single resolution... the life of Alvart, the protagonist of a Rape-Type eroge, came to an end—
And the life of a plain, ordinary mob character was supposed to begin. At least, I really hope so.
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