Hero Heartbreaker: The Quest for Love and Glory
A stupid eroge game that somehow got worldwide recognition.
Four male protagonists, all 'heroes,' who somehow get to 'steal the hearts' of five heroines.
What kind of garbage is that?
The whole game is about customizing these losers, trying to make them fall for some dumb, idealized fantasy.
And of course, it's all so shallow.
Hero this, hero that.
Ugh.
The fact that the goddess created this stupid game and world still amazed Kain.
But that didn't matter, he had already secured the first five heroines from Finn.
Their loyalty, affection, and lust were reserved only for Kain.
All that was left was to break Finn's mind and move on to the next target.
'Oh, I can't wait to see him so broken and–'
Alyssa poked Kain's stomach lightly so as not to hurt him.
"Is something wrong, honey?"
Kain practically clutched his chest.
This sweet angel, who only had eyes for Finn a day ago, was now calling him honey.
Without thinking, Kain pulled Alyssa into a tight embrace, catching her off guard.
Her breath hitched for a moment, her face flushing as she instinctively placed her hands on his chest.
"I've been blessed," Kain murmured softly, his voice smooth and affectionate as he leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her lips.
His kiss was slow, deliberate, and her surprise melted away as she leaned into it.
She pulled back slightly, her eyes wide and her cheeks tinged with the faintest shade of pink.
"K-Kain, what was that...?" she stammered, her voice trembling in the aftershock of the kiss.
Kain smirked, the corner of his mouth curling up just slightly.
"Just showing you how much you mean to me," he said casually, as if it were no big deal.
Alyssa blinked rapidly, still processing the sudden intimacy.
"But... that was..."
She couldn't find the words to express it.
"Yeah, I know," Kain replied, his voice laced with amusement.
"We kind of skipped right past all the other stuff, didn't we?"
Alyssa felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, her face heating up even more.
She could only nod quietly, not knowing how to respond but feeling oddly pleased by the gesture.
[ System Notification ]
[ Alyssa Lust Meter: 30% ]
He pulled her in for another quick kiss before stepping back, still holding her gently by the shoulders.
"Let's get to lunch, shall we?" he said, his tone light, masking the darker thoughts that still lingered in his mind.
Alyssa nodded, still flustered but more than willing to follow him.
With a smile that hid her lingering embarrassment, she took his hand, and together they walked into the academy.
Cafeteria
Kain kept a casual, almost lazy grip on Alyssa's hand as they entered, though his eyes scanned the room instinctively.
Sure enough, at one of the larger tables near the center, he spotted Finn sitting with the rest of the girls.
Finn's head perked up immediately, a smile forming when he saw Alyssa, only to falter when he noticed she was holding hands with someone.
With Kain.
Kain caught the expression perfectly: confusion, disbelief, all fighting for dominance on Finn's dumb, open face.
He could already tell Finn was about to say something.
His mouth opened, but before even a syllable could escape, the girls sitting with Finn all shot up from their seats.
"Kain!"
"You're hurt!"
"Oh no, Kain, are you alright?!"
They rushed across the cafeteria, leaving Finn completely stranded.
Heads turned, and whispers started immediately among the other students.
Alyssa instinctively stepped back, her eyes wide as the girls swarmed Kain, but he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
The girls surrounded him immediately, their faces full of panic and worry.
Ruby immediately grabbed his sleeve.
"Let me see, Kain, you're all bruised! What happened?!"
Lyla placed her hand lightly against his chest, her voice trembling.
"You're hurt... please don't push yourself too hard..."
Beatrix knelt down and started checking his legs for injuries without hesitation.
"Were you in a fight? Tell me who it was, I'll beat them up!"
Even Darcy was gently reaching for his bandaged arm.
"You idiot... you're not supposed to get hurt like this..." she muttered, not meeting his eyes.
Kain simply stood there, a lopsided grin spreading across his lips as he squeezed Alyssa's hand again, reminding everyone whose side she was on.
Meanwhile, Finn sat at the table, frozen.
His hand still half-raised in a pathetic wave, mouth half-open, looking like someone had just shattered his whole reality.
Kain chuckled under his breath.
"I'm fine," he said casually, brushing off their hands gently.
"Just some rough training, nothing serious"
But Ruby was already pulling out a healing crystal from her pocket.
"No way! Sit down, Kain! We'll heal you right here!"
Lyla nodded firmly.
"You can't just ignore your wounds!"
Beatrix and Darcy both looked ready to drag him into a chair if he refused.
Kain laughed internally.
'This is going even better than I thought'
Across the cafeteria, Finn's entire existence looked like it was crumbling apart.
Kain allowed himself to be dragged to a nearby table, the four girls fluttering around him like loyal attendants.
Alyssa sat protectively at his side, her hand never leaving his, a soft but victorious smile tugging at her lips.
Ruby immediately perched herself on the table itself, her hair swinging as she leaned close, practically in his face.
"You need to be more careful, Kain!" she scolded, her eyes flashing with worry.
"How can you protect anyone if you're hurt?"
Lyla calmly set a chilled cloth against one of his bruises, her pale blue eyes shimmering with concern.
"You have to let us help... Please, don't carry everything alone"
Beatrix puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"You should've called me! I'd have fought whoever hurt you!"
She bawled her fists as if ready to punch the air itself.
Darcy said nothing at first.
She simply watched him silently, but her hand gently rested on his uninjured shoulder, a quiet reassurance only someone like her could give.
All four were laser-focused on Kain.
Finn, still frozen at his original table, twitched visibly.
'Wait... wait…'
'...weren't those MY girls?'
Slow realization, so slow it practically hurt to watch, was dawning in Finn's empty head.
His hand, still half-raised in a forgotten wave, slowly dropped.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
It was like watching a donkey try to solve a math problem.
Across the room, Kain glanced at him for half a second, then smiled.
A lazy, taunting, you-lose kind of smile.
Finn gulped, visibly sweating.
'Maybe this was normal?'
'Yeah!'
'Yeah, maybe they were just concerned friends!'
Finn clung desperately to that hope.
The tiny flicker of delusion kept him from spiraling.
Meanwhile, Alyssa, who had been quietly watching the entire thing unfold, squeezed Kain's hand a little tighter and leaned her head against his shoulder.
Her cheeks pinked, but she didn't move away.
Beatrix spotted it first.
"Aww, you two are so cute together!" she gushed, clapping her hands.
Ruby smirked slyly.
"Finally made it official, huh?"
Lyla smiled warmly.
"You're perfect for each other..."
Even Darcy allowed herself a tiny grin.
"...Took you long enough"
Finn's soul visibly left his body for a second.
'Wait... wait wait wait…'
'Kain and Alyssa...?!'
'When did that happen?!'
'How did that happen?!'
His brain struggled like a fish gasping for air.
Meanwhile, Kain wrapped his arm around Alyssa's shoulders and kissed the top of her head, earning a flustered squeak from her.
The girls around him practically swooned at the sight.
Finn could only watch.
Suffering.
Questioning everything.
And deep inside, for the first time, a little, almost imperceptible crack formed in Finn's delusional heart.
Kain, sensing Finn's crumbling spirit, decided to strike another blow.
With a smile.
A friendly smile.
The kind of smile you gave an animal before patting its head and sending it to the slaughterhouse.
"Finn," Kain called out casually, waving him over.
"Come on, don't just stand there. Sit with us"
Finn flinched like he'd been shot, but then, almost immediately, his face lit up like a dumb golden retriever.
Relieved.
Grateful.
Stupid.
"R-Really?!" he blurted, practically jogging over.
"Thanks, Kain! Man, you're the best!"
The girls all shared a brief, knowing look.
Ruby smirked.
Lyla gave a polite little smile.
Beatrix rolled her eyes fondly.
Darcy just shook her head slightly.
Alyssa, still cuddled close to Kain, didn't even look at Finn.
Finn dropped into the seat across from Kain, practically beaming.
He still didn't get it.
He couldn't get it.
Kain leaned back lazily, an arm draped around Alyssa like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He gave Finn a reassuring grin.
"Relax, man. Nothing's wrong. We're all friends here," Kain said smoothly, his tone so warm, so fake it could've won an Oscar.
Finn nearly teared up.
'Wow... what a good guy…'
'That's my best friend!'
Meanwhile, Ruby was feeding Kain little pieces of fruit from a fork.
Lyla dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
Beatrix offered him a drink, holding the cup like a knight offering a goblet to her king.
Darcy casually flicked a crumb off his jacket, her hand lingering a little too long.
Alyssa rested her head on his shoulder with a lovestruck sigh.
Finn, somehow, still didn't connect the dots.
He just laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Man, you guys sure are close!" he said, smiling.
"It's really cool how everyone's getting along so well!"
Kain smiled wider.
If he smiled any harder, his face might've cracked.
"Yeah," Kain said softly.
"We're very close"
The girls all giggled at that, some hiding their blushes, others just openly grinning.
Alyssa pressed herself closer against Kain's side, practically glowing with happiness.
Finn, oblivious, dug into his own lunch with renewed energy.
Still thinking he had everything under control.
Still thinking he was winning.
Kain leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with pure amusement.
15 Minutes Later
Lunch ended quicker than expected.
The bell rang, and the cafeteria started to empty out.
Finn, the ever-eager fool, jumped to his feet, brushing crumbs off his uniform.
"Alright! Time for class!" he said with a big, dumb grin.
"Let's go, everyone!"
He turned, expecting the girls, Ruby, Lyla, Beatrix, Darcy, and even Alyssa, to follow right behind him like always.
But…
Ruby stretched her arms overhead, fake yawning.
"Ah, sorry, Finn! I forgot, I promised to help Kain with some training drills today"
Lyla smiled sweetly, adjusting her glasses.
"Mhm. And I have a magic study session... with Kain"
Beatrix crossed her arms and smirked.
"Can't ditch my sparring practice with Kain. Knight's honor"
Darcy barely bothered to make up an excuse, just shrugging.
"Busy"
Alyssa clung to Kain's arm with both hands, beaming.
She didn't even acknowledge Finn at all.
Finn's smile faltered for half a second.
But being the unshakable dumbass he was, he quickly covered it with a laugh.
"Haha! You guys are so hardworking! I'll see you later then!" he said, giving a thumbs-up.
Kain stood leisurely, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket.
"Finn," he called.
Finn paused, looking back over his shoulder.
Kain flashed him a grin that could've lit a funeral pyre.
"I have a present for you. It's gonna take a while to get it ready"
Finn's eyes sparkled.
"A present?! No way! You're the best, Kain! Seriously!" he shouted, punching the air like a kid.
Without a second thought, Finn bolted off to class, probably humming some heroic theme song in his head.
As soon as he disappeared down the hallway, Kain turned slowly.
The girls were already looking at him.
They knew.
They understood.
No words needed to be said.
They followed him, falling into step behind him like loyal shadows, smiles creeping onto their lips, excitement in their eyes.
It was time.
Time to prepare the "gift."
Time to finally, completely, destroy the first hero.
A Bit Later
Finn sat in class, barely able to keep still, tapping his foot under his desk.
The professor was droning on about basic mana circulation, but Finn wasn't listening.
How could he?
Kain said he had a present for him waiting after class!
His mind raced with possibilities: a new sword?
A magic item?
Maybe even... tickets to the arena tournament!?
It had to be something so incredible that Kain even stopped him for his room key, he couldn't wait to see what gift it was.
A small chime broke through his fantasies.
Bzzt—Bzzt—Incoming Face Call: Kain.
Finn yelped quietly, fumbling with his phone.
Heads turned, students glared at him, but he didn't care.
It was Kain!
Maybe it was urgent!
After all, Kain wasn't the type to call him for anything.
He lowered his phone under his desk, pressing accept.
The screen flickered—
And there was Kain.
In his briefs.
Standing confidently, lazily smirking into the call.
Finn almost dropped his phone.
"H-Hey bro!! W-Why are you...!?" he whispered harshly, cheeks going red.
He frantically looked around to make sure no one saw.
Kain didn't even look surprised.
In fact, he yawned like this was the most casual thing ever.
"Oops," Kain said, scratching his head lazily.
"Wrong timing?"
Finn was about to hammer the end call button, already feeling secondhand shame.
When he heard it.
A girl's voice.
Soft.
Breathless.
"Kain... you're so mean... teasing me like this..."
Finn's finger froze over the button.
Another voice chimed in, sultry and teasing:
"Don't leave us waiting too long, Master~"
And then another, and another—
Laughter.
Moans.
Whispered promises.
It wasn't just one girl.
It was all of them.
Ruby, Lyla, Beatrix, Darcy, even Alyssa… all there.
All unmistakable.
The screen shifted slightly.
Finn caught a blurry glimpse.
Delicate fingers running over Kain's bare chest.
A flash of Ruby's hair.
A teasing giggle from Lyla.
Beatrix's armored glove slipping off, clattering to the ground.
Darcy's sharp smile was close to Kain's ear.
Alyssa nuzzling into Kain's side, her sweet voice whispering something only meant for lovers.
Finn's mind went blank.
A buzzing in his ears drowned out everything else.
His heart thudded painfully in his chest.
Kain finally leaned in close to the crystal, grinning cruelly.
"See you after class, buddy," he whispered.
Click.
The call ended.
Finn sat there, phone almost slipping from his numb fingers, his entire world shattering into tiny pieces right there in the middle of class.
His fingers fumbled over his phone, almost dropping it in his panic.
Tears blurred his vision.
He didn't even care that everyone in class was staring at him now; he didn't care about anything except the burning betrayal in his chest.
He hit redial.
Again.
Again.
Until finally—
Click
Kain answered.
The screen lit up with Kain's calm, perfectly collected face.
Finn couldn't even breathe properly.
His voice cracked as he practically screamed into the phone:
"WHY!?"
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"
The entire class turned to look at him.
The professor stopped mid-sentence.
Whispers erupted everywhere.
Finn didn't notice any of it.
Kain just stared back at him, his crimson eyes lazy, unbothered, like Finn's suffering was no more important than a passing breeze.
Finally, Kain tilted his head slightly, almost as if thinking about it.
"Why?" he repeated softly.
Like, he genuinely had to consider the question.
Finn sobbed, clutching the phone with trembling hands.
"We were... we were brothers, Kain! I trusted you!! I told you everything! I—"
Kain cut him off.
"Yeah. You did," he said, smiling thinly.
"You told me all about how much you loved them. How you thought you deserved them"
"How you were gonna marry all five"
He leaned closer into the camera.
His next words were a dagger straight into Finn's soul.
"Funny thing, Finn... they never loved you"
Finn's breath hitched.
"They were just waiting for someone better," Kain said with a shrug.
"Someone stronger. Someone smarter. Someone... not you"
Finn dropped his phone.
It hit the classroom floor with a loud clatter, the call still active, Kain's voice still pouring out from the speaker for everyone to hear.
Students stared in shock.
The professor awkwardly turned away.
Finn collapsed onto his knees, gasping for breath, his body wracked with silent, miserable sobs.
Kain's voice was the last thing he heard before he finally passed out right there on the floor.
"Thanks for being a fucking moron"
Click
The call ended.
As soon as it did, he picked up his phone and sprinted out of class.
Out of the building.
Finn's legs burned as he sprinted across campus, students and professors shouting at him to slow down.
He didn't hear them.
He didn't see them.
He could only see the flashing images in his mind: Alyssa smiling at Kain, the girls clinging to him.
No.
No.
It couldn't be real.
It had to be a mistake.
It had to be—
His hand shook as he fumbled his phone up again, smashing the call button, desperate, tears blurring everything.
It rang once.
Twice.
Click.
The screen lit up—
But it wasn't Kain who answered.
It was Ruby, lying lazily on Kain's bed, twirling a lock of her hair, giving Finn a look that made his stomach twist in horror.
"Oh look, it's Finn," she said, voice dripping with mock sweetness.
"Still calling? That's so sad," Lyla chimed in, appearing next to her, wrapping her arms around Kain's bare chest possessively.
Beatrix laughed harshly in the background.
"We already told you, Finn. You're not needed anymore"
Darcy, sitting on Kain's lap, gave a small, cruel smile.
"Why don't you go cry to someone who cares? Oh wait... no one does"
Finn opened his mouth, but no words came out.
His heart felt like it had been ripped apart and stitched together wrong.
Beatrix leaned into the camera, smirking.
"You're interrupting our private time with Kain, you know"
Ruby pouted mockingly.
"Yeah, don't you have... loser stuff to do?"
Darcy tilted her head, a devilish glint in her eyes.
"Be a good boy and disappear already"
Finn stumbled mid-run, nearly collapsing.
He gasped for breath like a fish out of water.
The last thing he saw was Alyssa.
Sweet, innocent Alyssa.
She leaned in, resting her head on Kain's shoulder, smiling up at him with pure adoration in her eyes.
"Kain's the only one who matters now," she whispered sweetly.
And in a loud tone, all the girls shouted at once...
"FINN, WE WANT TO BREAK UP!"
Click.
The call ended.
Finn tripped over himself, collapsing face-first into the courtyard ground, phone clattering beside him.
Tears streamed down his face.
He could barely breathe.
Every ounce of hope...
Every dream...
Every stupid fantasy...
Gone.
He lay there, broken, as students passed him by like he wasn't even there.
Just a stain.
Just another failure.
Finn barely heard the buzzing from his phone once more.
His fingers trembled as he reached for his phone, dirt smearing across the cracked screen.
Notification:
Group Chat: Future Wives — 1 new image
His vision blurred.
He didn't want to open it.
He knew he shouldn't.
But his thumb betrayed him.
The image opened.
It hit him like a sledgehammer straight to the soul.
Kain sat on Finn's bed, lounging with the cocky smirk of a man who had everything he ever wanted.
His bare chest gleamed with the faint sheen of sweat, muscles relaxed, victorious.
Around him—
Ruby lay against his side, messy-haired, her lipstick smudged on his skin.
Lyla sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, her hair tousled, her robes sliding dangerously off her shoulder.
Beatrix rested her head against Kain's other side, armor pieces discarded casually to the floor like forgotten toys.
Darcy was curled on his lap, smiling like a cat that had just devoured a canary.
And Alyssa.
Sweet, pure Alyssa.
Straddling his waist, arms wrapped lovingly around his neck, her bright, innocent smile was only reserved for him now.
Breathless.
Happy.
Complete.
The caption burned itself into Finn's mind:
"Goodbye. Take care of yourself. - From all of us"
Finn's knees buckled.
His scream tore through the campus air, raw and animalistic.
Students turned to look, startled, whispering, but he didn't hear them.
He dropped his phone.
Dropped to his knees.
Fists pounding the dirt uselessly.
The girls he loved.
The future he dreamed.
The promises he believed in.
All lies.
All given to another man.
Kain.
Before he even had time to gather the broken pieces of his soul, one final dagger pierced him.
Kain's text:
Thanks for the meal
Short.
Cruel.
Final.
Finn let out one last pitiful sob into the sky, his mind, crumbling like dry paper in a storm.
He didn't get up again.
Not that night.
Maybe not ever.
One Week Later
Sunlight streamed lazily through the classroom windows at Zenith Academy.
The world moved on, indifferent to shattered dreams.
Kain lounged in his chair, legs stretched out under the desk, his girls gathered around him like loyal satellites.
Ruby and Darcy whispered jokes to each other.
Lyla absentmindedly twirled her hair around her finger, icy eyes half-lidded.
Beatrix polished a small pendant absentmindedly.
Alyssa giggled softly when Kain tapped her nose.
The professor, an older, dry-voiced man, cleared his throat at the front of the class.
"Before we begin today's lesson," he said, adjusting his spectacles, "I have an announcement"
The class fell silent.
"Finn Hartwell," the professor said, voice somber, "has officially withdrawn from Zenith Academy"
"He has returned to his hometown. His family has requested we respect his privacy"
A ripple of gasps and murmurs ran through the room.
"But he was so talented..."
"I thought he was aiming to be one of the Grand Heroes..."
"Such a waste..."
"Poor guy..."
"I hope he's okay..."
Sympathetic voices whispered around Kain, but none dared point fingers.
None knew.
Kain leaned back lazily in his chair, hiding a small smirk behind a thoughtful hand.
Victory tastes sweet.
He opened his phone to see that Finn had blocked him, only leaving a single message that said: Goodbye.
He locked his screen.
Some part of him did feel a slight amount of guilt, but that didn't last long as Ruby pressed a kiss on his neck.
Lyla kissed his ear.
Beatrix was rubbing his head.
Darcy planted a kiss on his cheek.
And Alyssa gave him a quick, affectionate squeeze.
An Hour Later
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Students spilled into the marble-tiled hallways of Zenith Academy, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the collapse of a certain 'hero's' dream.
Kain walked at a casual pace, Alyssa holding tightly onto his arm while Ruby, Lyla, Beatrix, and Darcy followed close behind.
They were radiant, beautiful, and undeniably his.
Each step echoed Kain's quiet satisfaction.
[ System Notification ]
[ Congratulations, Kain ]
[ First Hero, Finn Hartwell — Officially DESTROYED ]
Kain's eyes gleamed.
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, causing Alyssa to glance up at him with a shy smile, assuming he was simply in a good mood.
Oh, he was.
More than good.
But before he could savor the victory further…
[ System Notification ]
[ Next Target: Hero Candidate #2 has been unlocked ]
[ Objective: STEAL and CORRUPT the next Five Heroines ]
[ Happy Hunting! ]
Kain tucked his hands into his pockets lazily, a grin spreading across his face as he tilted his head up.
And there he was.
Like an idiotically lit-up billboard.
A guy was coming down the opposite end of the hall, practically glowing with obnoxious "main character" energy.
A brilliant, blinding aura surrounded him like some sort of divine joke.
His smile was so wide and vacant that it looked surgically attached.
And, of course, trailing around him like ducks following bread were five girls, giggling and swooning like they had no brain cells left.
Kain's grin sharpened.
Another 'hero'.
Another collection of heroines to steal.
The game was back on.
Kain licked his teeth in anticipation, his blood pumping with adrenaline.
"Let's have some fun," he muttered under his breath as he and his girls casually stepped aside to let the new prey pass, for now.
The second saga had begun.
And Kain was hungry.