The Dreamer Awakens - The Twisted World of Ryuji

Ryuji didn't care enough about Ryo or Akari to act this way. He knew that in his head, yet the feelings he felt became too powerful to control. The desire to hurt the ones who ordered him around, a strong sexual desire that the medication held back. 

Ryuji couldn't take medication upon arrival. 

He tried the hardest to resist the urges, to see through the delusions and tricks his mind would play on him. 

Yet he failed.

To him, this world appeared beautiful, with no discernible differences from his old world. The rumours and people from the class disappearing didn't affect him because he transferred on the same day.

He didn't know those people...

Yet the moment he saw the drunk knight hitting on Akari and felt a twisted feeling in his chest and stomach. He pictured Yumiko in that position. Or his mother... and his mind lost control of the image he clung to of a perfect fantasy world.

He became unable to deny the things he and Alan's girlfriend did because of a momentary passion, and when revealed, he lost his best friend.

'Ah, I forgot the true reason Alan didn't come to say goodbye. No, I lied to myself and relied on the drugs to forget. What friend would accept his girlfriend giving a blowjob to his supposed best friend and exchanging naked pictures over their phones for months?'

Even though they met first and their attraction came first, Ryuji felt wrong. He stopped taking his medicine because it caused him migraines and terrible pain after his mother died. Then, one night, he bumped into her while drunk, and they ended up crossing a forbidden line.

However, that once became twice. Until it became a weekly thing. Hiding in the toilets, behind tall walls or in the bathroom... 

There were so many times that when Ryuji saw Alan cry because of the teacher, those tears made him realise his error.

Since then, Ryuji consumed the medicine daily and erased her contact information.

However, time had already run out.

Part of the reason for him being expelled was the pictures and the teacher he hospitalised revealed the relationship he had with her to everyone...

'Yet while on those drugs, I conveniently ignored that truth and acted like I was the victim.'

Ryuji held the axe in his hand and covered his face. Some knights believed he was crying, but in reality, he just felt disgusted that he was just like his father. 

"Is this kid crying? Let's punish the fucker! He killed one of us!"

"Ah, these damn heroes don't even realise we can summon a new group in a few months!"

However, there was another voice inside Ryuji's head. Louder and far more assertive, it made his muscles contract and breathing slow down.

'Who cares? She was a good woman, and her first time was exciting.'1

'Why let these clowns judge you? Is it wrong to lust over attractive women, unjust to enjoy fighting and bloodshed? We enjoyed it, right?'

'Yeah... I enjoyed every moment.'

'So don't feel guilty.

The voice seemed to lack empathy and any feeling of regret or remorse; instead, it made Ryuji's heart lighter. His feelings of disgust faded when that strange feeling when fighting boss monsters appeared again.

"What the fuck are those red eyes!?" A knight wielding a sword shouted the moment Ryuji looked at them with a sharp gaze.

A blood-red glow emitted from his pupil while his sclera seemed to dye black like squid ink flooded a pail of water.

"Who cares? Before anyone comes, let's kill the bastard!"

'Oh? Well, this is my true self. My secrets and sins will get out if I'm alive, no matter how I pretend, so let's enjoy this to the fullest!'

Ryuji laughed madly as his mind slowly broke from his fake reality, and he saw the dirty truths that were hidden before, the women serving the knights like whores, the dirty and poor treatment of slaves and beastkin.

He now saw everything; the reason he asked for Yumiko was now clearer in his mind... the bruises, bloody lips and dirty fur.

The kingdom treated her like an animal punching bag.

He gazed at her, and she looked worried. He could only give her a wild smile—nothing like before. He seemed relaxed despite the five knights lunging at him, the strongest of whom was a Rank—D knight.

Ryuji held his blood-drinking great axe while watching the approaching knights; the moment he used these eyes, their movements became slow.

[Unlocked - Demon Emperors Eyes of Battle]

'When did I unlock it?' Ryuji couldn't help but wonder for a moment, hearing that voice, yet a crazy smile bloomed on his face. 'Let's have fun.'

The loud clash of metal on metal echoed in the plaza as the five knights attacked simultaneously. They had long since abandoned any logic, attacking Ryuji's weak points. The massive wound in his chest caused him to cough blood with a distorted smile, yet his movements became faster, with the axe lopping the head of one knight clean off, smashing through another's defences and ripping a hole through his chest.

"Holy shit, he's a monster!"

"Shoot him! Shoot him! Why the fuck is the mage taking so long?"

"Shut up."

Ryuji grabbed the screaming knight, who turned his back and lifted his body, the wounds from his chest healing because of the axe power, while he twisted the coward's arm.

The moment that man opened his mouth to scream again, Ryuji shoved the axe through the sides of his jaw and lodged it into his brain.

"There's no time to be frightened and panic, men!"

In the background, Yumiko's eyes widened. She long knew that Ryuji might not be human, but the main reason she accepted him the first moment they met was the scent of his blood being different.

Now, as he killed the knights, stepping on their heads and crushing their skulls while kicking tables and smashing their teeth. The screams sounded inhuman, yet she didn't feel fear.

Only delight, her guess was right. Ryuji carried demon blood.

However, after killing five knights, an enormous group of heavily armed knights suddenly appeared. Armed with swords, spears, bows, and mages, they approached rapidly and aimed at Ryuji's body.

"STOP! Rogue Hero, if you do not cease, we will execute you!" Alan shouted in the darkness while unable to see the assailant.

With a sickening crunch, Ryuji severed the final knight's head before rolling the axe onto his shoulder while leaning his head to the side, able to see in the darkness clearly he saw who accosted him. "Oh, isn't it, Alan? Will you execute me? How amusing."

"I won't joke around, Rogue Hero. This is an official order. Drop your weapon and kneel on the ground!" Alan could see nothing, so his heart was calm. However, after seeing the body of the fallen knights and the axe in the darkness, he recognised the person's voice, but his heart was terrified of the thick stench of iron and copper filling his nose.

"I refuse, Alan. I helped you. Now, you help me." Ryuji grinned evilly, his words terrifying Alan to the core.

"You're just filthy. Wait... Is that you, Ryuji!?" Alan took a step back and cursed. "I have already announced my support—how will it look if I slay him now??"

"If you ask me, I can say that there is a good reason behind it. The knight tried to rape my party member, so I cut him down. Then several flies tried to continue the act, so I cut the weeds."

The current Ryuji changed, no longer the bloodthirsty beast, but a complete mixture of his humane side and the brutal side that would sleep with his best friend's woman.

Alan trembled in anger; he didn't know if it was a lie or not. However, seeing Yumiko standing beside Ryuji, her hair a mess and clothes dirty, he doubted his thoughts and instead made up a lie that would satisfy everyone, especially the king and the other knights.

It didn't matter if Akari was the true victim; Ryuji and Alan seemed to understand.

"Stand down... Someone get the lights back on, Ryuji. You still have to come with me to make a report!"

"Haha, sure, I understand."

The moment the lights returned, the entire unit of Alan stopped breathing; some of them felt a cold sweat down their spines at the sheer brutality of their fellow knights' deaths, broken bones, snapped necks, severed heads and crushed into a meat paste.

However, people like Saki and those who suffered saw Ryuji with a light different from fear or disgust. Yumiko included.