"Fill, fill, fill, fill…"
In a dark room, a man chanted an incantation while holding an ancient book of unknown origin. With his foot, he traced patterns using a thick, red liquid.
"Four repetitions? Or was it five? Ah—I messed up the drawing. What a shame... After all the trouble of finding this pair, and now it's wasted. How unfortunate..." The man sighed in exaggerated disappointment. In his agitation, he accidentally knocked over a couple slumped on the sofa behind him. Their faces were twisted in horror, eyes wide open as if they had died in utter despair. The light-blue sofa was already thoroughly soaked in dark red blood.
The "paint" the man had been using was, in fact, the blood of the murdered couple. He had been attempting to recreate a magic circle described in the ancient text, hoping to verify whether the demon-summoning ritual was real.
This was only his second time killing, yet he felt no remorse. Instead, the terror and despair in his victims' eyes had filled him with a perverse sense of fulfillment, fueling his desire to continue.
"Do I really need to find another family? That can't be right... How could I have messed up the circle? This goes against my artistry! Unless... the sacrifices weren't suitable? Maybe they weren't worthy of summoning a demon?" The man racked his brain before suddenly having an epiphany. "Ah! Fairy tales say demons love children! Hahaha! I understand now! I understand!"
The deranged man set his sights on a household with a child. Had he left this place, countless more innocent lives would have been lost to his madness.
RIIIP—
Suddenly, the unfinished magic circle warped violently, emitting a blinding flash. The man gasped in ecstasy. "Hahaha! The demon approves! It's descending early as an omen—Guh?!"
Before he could finish, the spatial distortion intensified, creating fractures that shredded everything within a meter—including the man himself. His vision abruptly shifted to the ceiling as his body was torn apart. The lunatic had met his end in the most absurd way possible.
From the void, a young man in pajamas tumbled out, landing hard on the floor before the rift sealed itself.
"Ow, what the hell?! Where'd my chair go?! I was in the middle of a game—Wait, where am I? What's that smell? And why is my butt wet…?! Ugh!!!" The man looked around in confusion before the overwhelming stench of blood hit him. The sight of the half-dried crimson pool on the floor made him retch violently—he had never even killed a chicken before, let alone witnessed such a gruesome scene.
Ding—[Host detected! First-time dimensional travel results in immediate slaughter of a fellow human, bathed in blood, decisive and ruthless! Fits the criteria of a villain perfectly! System upgrading to Great Villain System now...]
"Ugh…! Wh-what was that? A system? Villain? Did I just… transmigrate? Ugh…" The man clutched his stomach, barely able to process the voice in his head before another wave of nausea hit.
But humans adapt quickly. After emptying his stomach, the man slowly acclimated to the horror around him. Covering his nose, he fumbled for a light switch. The fluorescent glare revealed the bisected corpse nearby, organs spilling out grotesquely. He barely held back another round of vomiting.
"Dammit, did I land in a murder scene? Is the killer still here? Did I just give myself away by turning on the lights?! Shit, I, Takashi Kuroda, don't wanna die in some foreign world like this! System, are you done yet?!" Unbeknownst to him, he was the one who had caused the bisection.
Ding—[Upgrade complete! Congratulations on awakening the Great Villain System! As the saying goes, 'The way of Heaven is to diminish excess and supplement deficiency; the way of man is to diminish deficiency and supplement excess!] A true villain takes everything he desires! No restraints, no morals! Murder, theft, kidnapping—these are but the basics! Now, Host, your first villainous task: commit any act befitting a villain to earn Villain Points and receive a Newcomer's Gift Pack!
"??? Me? A law-abiding citizen who wouldn't even kill a chicken? And you want me to go murder and kidnap people?!" Takashi Kuroda wondered if he'd misheard. Weren't transmigrators supposed to be protagonists with righteous systems? Why was his system encouraging him to be a monster?
[Oh, Host, don't be modest! You're a man baptized in blood—born to be a villain! Look, you've never killed before, yet you're already adjusting to this scene!]
[Besides, Host, you're in an unknown world where danger lurks everywhere. If you don't complete the task and strengthen yourself with the gift pack, you might be slaughtered by some unknown killer. You don't want to die on your first day here, do you~?]
The system's tone made Takashi's eye twitch. Resigned, he muttered, "Fine, but I can't just go kill someone right now, can I?"
[Host, any villainous act counts! You don't need to kill—just do something wicked! A smart guy like you will figure it out!]
"Hmm… villainous behavior… so just something evil?" Takashi eyed the bisected corpse. He considered kicking it but gagged at the sight of exposed intestines. Then—
BLARGH!
He vomited directly onto the corpse.
Ding—! "Desecrating Ryuunosuke Uryū's corpse with vomit! Ultra Villainous Behavior! Reward: 100 Villain Points! Newcomer's Gift Pack unlocked! Wow, Host, System thought you'd just kick it for 10 points, but you went above and beyond! Truly, a role model for villains everywhere! System is blessed to have you~"
"Wait, hold up—whose corpse?!" Takashi wiped his mouth.
"Ryuunosuke Uryū."
"Holy shit, Uryū?! That psycho?! No wonder it's so bloody… and that magic circle-looking thing! I'm in the Type-Moon world?! And it's the Fourth Holy Grail War?! Wait, then how'd this bastard die?" Any guilt Takashi had felt vanished. If not for the disgust, he'd have kicked the corpse a few more times.
"Well… Uryū died because Host's arrival caused spatial fractures. So technically, Host got the kill~" The system's voice grew smaller, as if afraid of being scolded.
"So that's what you meant by 'first kill.' You knew there was no danger, but you tricked me into binding with you, huh?" Takashi's tone darkened.
"Ehe~"
"DON'T 'EHE' ME! I don't want a lying, bootlicking villain system!"
[Waaah! I admit I deceived you, but I had no choice! No protagonists wanted me! I was gonna fade away! I'll make it up to you, I swear! My rewards are top-tier!]
Takashi sighed. "Tch… whatever. It's not like I can unbind you easily. And this is the Fourth Grail War—danger's everywhere. Fine, I'll let it slide. But that gift pack better be good!"
"Yes! Super Newcomer's Gift Pack upgraded! Open now?"
"Open."
Ding—! "Congratulations! Obtained:
1000 Villain Points
Full-Body Enhancement
10 Epic Gacha Rolls
1 Legendary Gacha Roll
Guaranteed Servant Summon & Command Seals (Fourth War Access)
Villain Template (One-Time Use)"*
"Huh? Just this? …Though I do feel stronger." A golden light enveloped Takashi, transforming his frail body into a muscular, peak-condition physique.
"I'll save the gacha and summon for later. What's this 'Villain Template'?"
"The Villain Template allows Host to temporarily assume the form of a notorious villain, gaining their full power. After the transformation ends, Host retains their basic abilities! It's the ultimate tool for growth and survival! Try it now!"
"Alright." Takashi held a golden card and focused. Dark green mist swirled, revealing a white-haired man wearing a crown.
"Congratulations! Obtained S-Rank Villain— Viego, the Ruined King!"*