“–’Hero of Shadows.’ A man who appears in crises and battlefields around the world, rescuing people with outstanding magic and then disappearing in the blink... more>> of an eye. His true identity is supposed to be shrouded in complete darkness… or so it was thought. “My identity has been exposeeeeed!!” Phil Salemabard, a young noble with a notorious reputation in the streets. Despite secretly acting as the ‘Hero of Shadows’ for a certain reason, one day, his true identity is revealed to the public. Despite his attempts to deceive, girls ranging from a nobleman’s daughter, a lovely saint, and even a princess of the kingdom approach the ‘Hero of Shadows,’ feeling indebted to him!? A new hero tale (?) begins, unfolding from the revelation of his identity!!” <<less

I possessed someone else’s body.... more>>

One day I woke and realized that I’ve become the maid of a future tyrant in the romance fantasy novel I have been reading about!

Still, the male lead seems to be quite satisfied with the fact that I provided him with five star hotel level services to the best of my ability so that I could survive.

“I love how everything is done. Except for that ridiculous tone of yours.”

“If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I’ll correct it, Your Highness”

If I don’t want to die, I have to work hard until the female lead comes.

But why does it seem like the more I work, the more twisted it gets?

“The lady left the mansion just a while ago.”

“…"

"What?”

The lady of the house is gone now.

“Where are you going? Didn’t you say your life belonged to me from the moment you decided to obey me?”

The male lead is going crazy. What is wrong with you? Why didn’t you catch the runaway female lead and instead caught me? <<less

Reincarnated as a low-ranking demon in Hell for two thousand years, a man with memories of being Japanese was enjoying a slow life. However, suddenly, a war broke out between Heaven and Hell. Caught in the aftermath of the power unleashed by the gods against the Demon King, he was swept away to another dimension.... more>>

Lost in the dimensions and eventually finding himself in a different world, the pitiful low-ranking demon stumbled upon a human child.

"I have some free time, so I'll raise you."

Driven by nostalgia for his human past, the low-ranking demon decided to whimsically raise the human child, unaware of the truth. This child, in fact, was the legendary hero destined to save the world. <<less

A boy named Lucius is trapped in a distorted space created by the ancient hero. What he finds there is the Demon King and the Dragon King, who should have been defeated by the hero 300 years ago. Lucius befriends the Demon King and the Dragon King, and is trained by them, going from a weak child to a legendary warrior with the power of both demons and dragons.... more>>

Using his power, Lucius escaped from the strange place and was accepted into the magic academy where the hero’s descendants live. And now he will have to face many challenges to free the Demon King and Dragon King. <<less

Let’s snatch the items from the jar beforehand. Oh, and also the heroine candidates, right?... more>>

The protagonist, Tsunaka Hajime, was reincarnated as the son of the demon duke, Zaus Jarmel. It seems his memories from his previous life have awakened. In his past life, he was a corporate s*ave, worked to death from overwork.

He was reincarnated as the mid-boss that appears in the Brave Sword Quest, commonly known as Breque.

In the beginning, his father, the demon duke, is killed by the hero, and he seeks revenge against the hero. And thus, it’s a scenario where he gets killed by the hero.

Moreover, Zaus’s position is strictly that of a mid-boss. He’s just a checkpoint, not the main boss or anything. In terms of the game, it’s like a tutorial. While it makes you think the max level is 99, the scenario actually has a max level of 999. The mid-boss demon duke Zaus, who is defeated within that level 99 range, is the one.

Isn’t it kind of pathetic for the mid-boss to be defeated by the hero protagonist? And what’s up with being fated to be defeated! My previous life wasn’t great as a corporate s*ave, and it was a terrible life!

Zaus is currently 15 years old.

He will be defeated by the hero at the age of 20.

Only 5 years left.

He made the choice to avoid the bad ending. He will strengthen his own army and weaken the protagonist using his knowledge of the game.

He stopped hitting his subordinates. The monsters are valuable assets. Training them is more important than hitting them. They will be provided with ample food, and medical care will be thorough. It’s to create the strongest army to defeat the hero.

“Master seems to have changed… He might have become kind of gentle…”

Not hitting the subordinates is inefficient. Injuries to valuable assets will result in a decrease in combat effectiveness.

Everything must be done efficiently! Efficiency is paramount!

That’s right, let’s snatch the contents of the dungeon’s treasure chest beforehand too.

The protagonist’s scheming begins.

What will happen in 5 years? Will Zaus be able to defeat the hero?

The curtain rises on a thrilling fantasy of avoiding the bad ending. <<less

Stabbed 7 times. Massacred 11 times. Beheaded 5 times. Hanged 3 times. Burnt to death 7 times. Drowned 8 times. Run over 3 times. Shot... more>> 12 times. Poisoned 6 times. Strangled 7 times, etcetera… Scarlett was a villainess whose life has repeated 108 times in total. The duke’s redheaded, red-eyed daughter summoned fear and terrorized the nation as a ruthless queen. In all of her 108 lifetimes, she always ended up dying at the age of 28. After 107 lifetimes ending by being killed by one of the five heroes and the flower-minded heroine, she died for the 108th due to an accident. Thus on her 109th life, Scarlett regains all her memories and tries to break free from the loop. Will Scarlett be able to break the chains of the Red Curse? <<less

In the winter of three years ago, the first locked room mu*der in Japanese history was committed.... more>>

All of the evidence pointed to the defendant. It was certain they were guilty. And yet, they were found innocent and released. Why? Because the crime scene was a perfect locked room no one from the police or the prosecutor's office could solve.

"Since the room was locked, it was impossible for the defendant to have committed the mu*der. It's no different than if they had a perfect alibi." That was the argument of the defense, and that was the argument the judge sided with.

The ruling sent a ripple throughout Japanese society. No matter how suspicious you were or how much evidence you left behind, as long as you managed to create a locked room that no one could solve, you were immune from prosecution. With the common anti-mystery fiction talking point "there's no reason anyone would ever actually commit a locked room mu*der" completely overturned, the rate of locked room mu*ders in Japan skyrocketed.

When the police proved unable to deal with the surge of locked room crime, the Ministry of Justice published an official categorization of all known locked room tricks as an investigative aid. When that proved insufficient, Division Zero of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a police division dedicated solely to solving locked rooms, was created. When that still proved insufficient, locked room detectives, private investigators specializing in locked rooms, were officially licensed by the state and authorized to participate in police investigations. Calling a locked room appraiser, someone specializing in searching buildings for secret passages, is now a common first step in criminal investigations.

On the other side of the spectrum, locked room agents, assassins and crime planners specializing in locked room mu*ders, have become some of the most notorious criminals in Japanese history, and even a cult worshiping the scenes of locked rooms as a way to purify the souls of the deceased has made rapid inroads into Japan.

The protagonist, Kasumi Kuzushiro, is an introverted, somewhat cynical high school student who loves mysteries. Kasumi often finds himself dragged along on bizarre journeys by his flighty childhood friend, Yozuki Asahina. Due to their staggeringly bad luck, these trips often leave them in the wrong place at the wrong time to be caught up in locked room mysteries. Fortunately, another of Kasumi's childhood friends, Shitsuri Mitsumura, is the greatest locked room expert in the world, and can always discover the truth.

Hm? How did a high school girl become the greatest locked room expert in the world?

It's simple.

She's...

Volume 1 was the grand prize winner of the 2022 This Mystery Is Amazing! awards. <<less

If one must strive to be loved, then I will give up such trivial pursuit.... more>>

I will no longer try to kill myself.

* * *

Kalia Estelle, the cursed daughter of a count, had spent her entire life trying to be loved.

She had done everything to prove that she was different from her mad father, who killed their people and burned their land.

But all she achieved was the accusation of being the “devil’s daughter.”

The day before she came of age, Kalia made up her mind.

She would no longer seek cheap affection.

She wouldn’t sacrifice her soul for a fleeting love.

And if there was a next life, she wouldn’t seek love again.

As her consciousness faded and her breathing became labored, she suddenly found herself transported back five years to the past.

* * *

“I love you.”

I hesitated and backed away as Claude approached me.

But my back was against the wall, and before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me.

“Kalia.”

He peered through the small gap between his fingers that covered his face, carefully watching my reaction.

Despite his disheveled appearance, he was radiant at the moment.

He kneeled down and gently took my trembling right hand, making me feel as if this had all been a dream.

His lips touched the back of my dry hand.

“Just as you showed me the light and opened a new life for me, I want to do the same for you.”

Beneath his long, thick lashes, his eyes were filled with an unfamiliar emotion.

“You know why I live. Kalia, please let me love you.” <<less

A high school student with the ability to instantly memorize anything he sees becomes enchanted by a beautiful Grim Reaper he accidentally encounters. In order to be with her, he must become a god. With his incredible ability to remember skills and use them to command monsters as weapons, he sets out on a journey of training to become a god in another world.... more>>

This is an adventure fantasy with ecchi theme, featuring a main character who rises quickly to become the strongest by using his skills to draw and command magical creatures.

However, it is a world where women are very forward. Before he knows it, he finds himself in a situation where he must marry all the heroines he meets, including beastman maids, elves, spirits, princesses, receptionists, saintesses, and goddesses! <<less

Maid, older sister, younger sister, and even mother, all of them.

I found myself relegated to the role of a third-rate villain in a cosmic horror web novel.... more>>

Despite my shortcomings, I’m determined to undertake research, even if it means sacrificing all of my family’s assets.

“A Graviton Bomb?”

It appears to be the only viable method to vanquish the Outer Gods <<less

To conquer the heroine in the romantic action RPG 'Lovely Sorcerer,' high stats, accurate choices, and player skills are required. A young man who thoroughly... more>> played the game until completion wakes up one day to find himself inside 'Lovely Sorcerer.'
He quickly understands that he has been reincarnated into the game world, but the character he embodies – Hermes von Luna Celaria – is nothing more than a nameless mob noble in the main story.
Though slightly shocked, he decides to aim for the strongest position as Hermes in a world he longed for, despite being just a mob.
Yet, there is still something he does not know.
This place is subtly different from the world he knows well... <<less

Attracted by the high pay and benefits, she accepts a part-time job as her schoolmate's personal maid!?... more>>

Seiou Academy, a private, prestigious girls' school that boasts excellent results in all fields. Nishiki Kanata was admitted as a special student to this prestigious school, but due to repeated unexcused absences and poor behavior, her special student status was revoked in her second year. When she was thinking of dropping out of the academy because she could no longer afford the tuition, one of the regulars at her part-time job introduced her to a job with unbeatable benefits. The job was to be an attendant for a conglomerate's daughter... <<less

Intending to Live a Carefree Life as a Villainous Heir, But Inadvertently Declared a Saint!?... more>>

“My path to domination starts here—!”

Ouga Vellet, the eldest son of the infamous corrupt lordly Vellet family, is a reincarnated individual. Having been taken advantage of due to his kindness in his past life, he now revels in the life of a mischievous villainous heir. From then on, Ouga spared no compromise, pushing the limits of “tyranny” to achieve his ambitions.

He wanted power. He decided to deceive the expelled female knight captain and recruit her as a pawn. He desired a harem. He believed that by helping the oppressed commoner girls, they would readily accept him. He even saw potential in operating within the underworld. His plan was to start by squeezing the bad guys. Connections were also crucial. He aimed to excel in the Magic Academy. Thus, he envisioned his days as a carefree ruler (+ effort) under the authority of his family... But things took an unexpected turn.

“Wow, Ouga-sama, you’re amazing!”

...Just for “arrogant behavior,” why does his reputation keep soaring without his control?

However, Ouga remains unaware. He doesn’t yet know that this evaluation will become something beyond his own management. Where will the misunderstanding lead? A self-declared saint due to a misunderstanding about being a villainous heir? The curtain rises on a life of misconceptions and misconceived saintliness! <<less

In these troubling times, Luke, the son and heir of the lord of the land, turned twelve and received a Gift. Unfortunately, it was a Gift useless in combat called [Village Building]. To make matters worse, his step-brother was the one blessed to inherit their father’s [Master Swordsmanship]. And so, their positions were completely reversed.... more>>

Luke was then banished to an uninhabited wasteland. There, his mysterious Gift activated and instantly made a village. He thus prepared himself to live modestly in this tiny village of his. Or so he thought. As the population of his village grew and grew, his Gift got stronger and stronger until it evolved.

Before he knew it, his [village] had tall buildings everywhere and had the strongest army. His village became the best there was…!

“Wait, can this still be called a village? And what happened to the slow life I’m supposed to have…?” <<less

I reincarnated as Rowaine, the villainess who was fated to be executed for the sin of mistreating a shapeshifter. To escape death, I decided to replace my sister, Renee, in her arranged marriage.... more>>

The problem was that the person I was to be wed to, the notoriously cold-blooded Duke Blois, was a cat person.

“Darling, I heard that abusing shapeshifters like me is a hobby of yours.”
“From what I understand, there was no such condition that a woman who mistreats shapeshifters could never be the Duke’s marriage partner.”

His emerald eyes flashed dangerously. I quickly added before he could say anything else.

“If my hobby will pose a problem, then I promise that I will never play with the Duke.”

“Ha?”

This is the story of a 10-year contract marriage between a cat butler and a feisty cat shapeshifter. <<less

Dyngir Maxwell, successor to the margrave of the eastern provinces of the Lamperouge kingdom, was infamous for his womanizing habits, but proved himself multiple times in conflicts with neighboring countries and a major player in domestic politics well trusted by other nobles. Everything was sailing smoothly for Dyngir, when a life-changing event occurred:... more>>

"Dyngir Maxwell! I hereby declare your engagement to Selena void!!"

Dyngir believed the relationship with his fiancee to be idyllic, but she was actually having an affair with crown prince Sullivan. The moronic prince even dared slander the good name of the Maxwell house…

If this is your game, then I'm going to play too. You picked a fight with the wrong person!

"I'm a bastard, but you're worse!!"

The series of events starting from the cancellation of an engagement eventually turned into a historic event that would shake the kingdom to its core and involve the neighboring countries too!! A heroic tale of scum versus scum, starting from a cancelled engagement! <<less

Even though there was the usual development of being thrown into another world with swords and magic with the whole school, my job was [maid].... more>>

My weapon is a feather duster! My skill is [cleaning]! This is a story of a maid with zero combat ability trying her best. <<less

“You are a bit careless, aren’t you? Are you falling asleep?”... more>>

“Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s mocking voice was heard overhead. Reina opened her eyes, jumped up, and lowered her head.

“Your father offered you up as a s*x sl*ve, so I’ll let you do your part today. Because of your father’s sincerity.”

“S*x sl*ve….”

Reina closed her eyes tightly. Even if her father had reached out to her after 15 years, she could never have imagined that he would send her away as a s*x sl*ve.

“What are you doing? Take it off.”

“Uuhh.”

A suppressed moan flowed from Reina’s mouth.

The pink flesh inside the vag!na stuck to the gen!tals like glue came out and went in every time he moved his waist.

Blian’s eyes, looking down at their joints, became cloudy with desire, and his breathing became rough.

Haah, haah. He thrust his pen!s hard all the way to the root.

“Huh. Ah, ahhh.”

Reina gasped as she felt as if her insides were going to be pierced. The sound of his manhood hitting her bottom echoed in the quiet space.

***

Blian ran to the port at full speed, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Reina…..”

The ship bound for the West Continent was already leaving the port.

“Reina, I love you! Come back, waahhhhhh.”

Blian screamed with all his might at the departing ship, but it was drowned out by the sound of the ship’s horn. Blian knelt down on the dock.

“Reina, I was wrong. Waahhhh. Reina…” <<less

One day I got a younger sister.... more>>

Only I know her true identity. <<less

She fell into a novel.... more>>

If she can find true love, then she’d be able to have a happy ending.

However, after the story reached its end, what greeted her was death.

And when she opened her eyes once more, she returned to the very same beginning.

She fell in love yet again,

But the ending was, still, death.

Poison… strangulation… illness… falling… being crushed… burned alive… starved to death…

As she welcomed her 117th birthday,

Carynne Hare decided to become a mu*derer. <<less

Sakimori Kagami plays a VRMMORPG called Ark Earth Online. He is a veteran player with the name and appearance similar to an elderly bearded wizard from a certain book about a ring.... more>>

One day he purchases an appearance change item as a last resort to spend expiring currency and gets the idea of choosing what he would want to look like if his character was ever a girl.

Falling asleep should have suspended the game, but Kagami wakes up still online and feels the game has gotten a bit more realistic. Did Ark Earth Online finally get a long-awaited update? Or… <<less

Iruma Takumi, a 40-year old salary man, was dragged into a hero summoning just like in a template. What was his fate? The Goddess sent him and the heroes to the other world separately.... more>>

With the Goddess’ overprotective support, he landed in a different world looking handsome, rejuvenated, and quite different from a Japanese.

Although he wanted a slow life while working in the manufacturing trade, that was not permitted by the Goddess’ special body and abilities.

Would Takumi be able to live a peaceful life in a different world? <<less

Qin Jiu transmigrated into a switched-at-birth novel.... more>>

She became the first daughter of a marquis’ household. She was swapped out maliciously at a young age and raised in the countryside.

The fake young mistress female lead was a rebirthed girl. The pearl of the capital, and the future wife of the second prince.

In the original novel, Qin Jiu had been jealous of the female lead and kept going against her, trying in vain to frame her. Unaware of her lacking capabilities, she even tried to steal the male lead from her. Eventually, everyone turned their backs against Qin Jiu and she was killed by an arrow to the heart.

After reviewing the plot, Qin Jiu tore up the script–She doesn’t want to be this villainess cannon fodder! Then in the next moment, she jumped into the arms of Regent Gu Zezhi.

Qin Jiu, “Sob sob sob…golden thighs!”

Gu Zezhi, “I’ll let you hug them.” The regent of the dynasty had a fierce reputation of great power and heartless killings. Many people hated him, feared him, and wanted him dead. Then, one day, someone saw the infamously fierce regent holding a little girl in his arms with a pampering expression. Gu Zezhi kissed her hair and spoke in a gentle voice. “You can get rid of anyone you want. I’m here.” <<less