Prologue

"Why is it happening?" a panicked female voice reverberated comically, drowning the sounds of the universe crumbling around them.

"Are you a retard? Of course, the world is ending!" Dimitri rebuked with a lackluster expression, watching galaxies and countless living beings in it slowly corroded by a dark substance that swallowed even space and time itself.

'Ah, so it is the end,' Dimitri glanced at the panicked protagonist again.

'This fool seems more worried about weak creatures dying than herself slowly being eaten up by the curse.'

"I tried my best... but the end is still like this..." The protagonist murmured, seemingly lost in guilt she herself shouldered for god-knows-what reason.

'Pitiful bastard,' Dimitri suddenly felt a little gloating. At least he had no burdens—no family or anyone he actually cared about except his hammer. Speaking of his hammer..., 

'Diamantakos, can we shatter something to escape?' he silently gripped his hammer a little forcefully.

"Thunk" "Thunk"

'Oh yeah, I'm just joking. I know it's not possible,' his lips curled up at the menacing words of his hammer transmitted into his mind. 'Dimitri, it's not like oiling up and opening the asses of your whores,' that's what his hammer roared.

"Is it true, no one can save this world? Neither me nor those thousands before me?" the protagonist suddenly roared, startling both the villain and his hammer.

 'Damn, this retard revealed something big,' Dimitri cried out in his mind.

'What's all this about 'thousands before?''

The protagonist slowly turned her head in his direction. Different from the previous enmity, she now wore a serene expression.

'Not that expression, bastard,' Dimitri stepped back.

'If someone shows such a serene expression to you, that means run. They're probably going to pull you into some kind of trouble they failed to overcome themselves.'

"I just want to fuck you. Nothing more, nothing less," Dimitri raised his hands in surrender. It was no lie that the protagonist in front of him was the epitome of beauty.

That was the main reason why, even as a self-boasting gentleman villain, he tried to get her into bed by defeating her in a duel.

The protagonist showed nothing particularly suspicious in her expression except suddenly smiling—a smile of relief. Dimitri silently held her gaze until his hammer thundered in his mind in panic.

'Run, Dimi, run! This bitch is suspicious. Suddenly I don't like her anymore...'

Before Dimitri could register what was happening, the protagonist abruptly gave him a flying kiss.

'Ha, thanks. Wait...'

[Assimilating the role: Protagonist]

That was the final sound he heard before darkness swallowed him.

The current universe ended, sprouting the seed of a new one, hoping the new protagonist could save it.

* * *

"Sigh," a voice filled with sadness echoed in the blank space.

"I hope you can accomplish what those fools, who call themselves protagonists, couldn't. Save this universe from the clutches of the eternal curse, boy. Show them how a villain can become a hero."

If Dimitri were here with Diamantakos, he would surely curse that old voice or even attempt to strike it. Sadly, he wasn't here.

Poor him, forced now to become a hero for God knows whatever reason. In the words of novel enthusiasts, he's now 'the protagonist'.

* * * 

"Ugh," Dimitri opened his eyes with a headache that felt like it was coming directly from his soul. His vision blurred for a few moments before gradually finding focus on a metallic roof with rust and holes.

"Where am I?" he instinctively tried to summon his hammer but failed making his eyes wide in surprise. Dimitri noticed he was devoid of any Chroma, and even his soul space was locked.

"Diamantakos!" he called out anxiously, jumping out from what could barely be considered a bed. A horrifying thought pervaded his mind as he ran to a blurry mirror placed on the rusty wall.

Upon seeing his reflection staring back at him with a dumbfounded expression, Dimitri shouted almost hysterically.

"What? I am regressed!"

"I don't know if you are regressed or not. But Dimi, if you don't get ready in five minutes, I will make you reincarnate instead," a familiar but distant female mature voice pierced through his door, making him exclaim again.

"Yes, Mom, I only need one minute…"

Dimitri stood, looking at his reflection...

Dreams he had, regrets he held, hopes that shattered... Everything seemed to be stitching itself to him. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew one thing.

'In this life, I will live to the fullest.'

Then suddenly, out of the blue, a mechanical voice sounded in his brain.

[Congratulations on your second chance, my dear ex-villain, now a hero!]

'Ex-villain?… Hero?… What's going on?' Dimitri muttered, confusion written all over his face. Suddenly, a red screen appeared before his eyes.

[Role assimilated: Protagonist]

'What?..'

He tried to touch the screen, but it didn't respond except for a slight flicker.

'What do you mean by 'protagonist'?' Seeing no further notification, he asked mentally.

[That means you have become the protagonist of this world,] the mechanical voice from before replied.

Dimitri almost cursed aloud. The image of the former protagonist appeared in his mind, along with her despair as she watched the doom of the world.

At that time, he had gloated over her burdens. But now it seemed he was forced to shoulder the same burdens.

Dimitri remembered her mentioning something about 'thousands before.' Didn't that mean he had become one of those thousands?

Damn, no way...

Even if he was forced to become an extra, he didn't want to be the protagonist.

"I rej—"

[You can't reject it, as you have already assimilated the role. You accepted it wholeheartedly.]

'Me? Agreed to become the protagonist? Impossible,' Dimitri scoffed.

Suddenly, a recorded screen appeared before him, showing him accepting the role—in the form of a flying kiss—from the protagonist.

Dimitri opened his mouth to protest but found himself at a loss for words. The video clearly showed that when the protagonist sent him a flying kiss, some kind of transparent petal flowed from her mouth to his.

In his twelve hundred years of life, Dimitri had never expected trouble to transfer in the form of a flying kiss. To him, being a protagonist was attracting all troubles like a magnet.

"Can't I change my role?"

[Yes. If you die, this role will disappear.]

Dimitri fell silent. Dying again after dying? What a joke! He had many regrets in his past life.

Now he had regressed to his younger days with chances to clear all these regrets. He would be a fool to reject this chance. But the role he had been given gave him a headache.

'Whatever, just act as a protagonist. It's not like there will be a text above my head saying 'protagonist.'' As an optimistic ex-villain, Dimitri quickly came to terms with his role.

No one could force him to do anything he didn't want. So, having the role of the protagonist wasn't a bad thing. At least he might get an overpowered talent, right?

Thinking about the advantages he would get as a protagonist, a wide grin appeared on his face...

'Show my status.'

'Ding'

[Name: Dimitrios]

[Role: Protagonist]

[Chroma Chamber: Locked]

[Soul Flame: Locked]

… but that grin quickly disappeared as he looked at his status bar.

"What the fuck? Isn't this the same as my previous life?"