I Failed to Be a Hero, So I Became the God of Three Realms

Tatsuya's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lighting of the room around him. The familiar scent of old wood and parchment tickled his nose. He recognized it immediately — the same room where they'd hidden to spy on Nyx and Luca just the day before. His heart pounded as the memory of the last few moments resurfaced.

He glanced through the narrow doorway and caught sight of Nyx and Luca stepping through what looked like a swirling, shimmering portal. The energy pulsed and twisted in hues of purple and black — unmistakably a Teleporter. His chest tightened. Are they heading to the Humans' Realm? If that was true, then a serious threat could be waiting on the other side.

But before he could process it all, dread seized his thoughts. My friends! They were still out there, surrounded, facing the wrath of the guards. His fists clenched, frustration boiling up inside him. "Shit! Why am I here by myself? If only I could bring my friends here and save them!"

Just then, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[[Notice. Unique Skill "Lurian, Lord of Hope" is activated. Teleporting the desired allies to the nearest possible positions.]]

A bright light engulfed the room, forcing him to shield his eyes. When the glow faded, his friends were there — gasping, wide-eyed, and disoriented. Akari stumbled forward, her hand on her chest, breathing heavily. Kenji nearly fell over, eyes darting around in confusion. Reiji adjusted his glasses, his usual calm demeanor barely holding up under the shock.

Tatsuya blinked in disbelief. "Wait… it's been half an hour since I got here. How did you guys—"

Akari cut him off. "Half an hour? We teleported just a few seconds after you did!"

His eyes widened. Seconds? That didn't make sense. Could the skill have teleported them not just through space, but time too? Because his wish was to save them, did it ensure they escaped danger immediately, even if that meant bending time itself?

The weight of it all threatened to crush him. He exhaled slowly and tried to explain. "I don't know what just happened. This 'Lurian, Lord of Hope' thing… it just teleported me here. And then it brought you guys too."

Their faces contorted with confusion, the bizarre explanation straining their understanding. Usagi muttered, "This is… too much, man."

But Reiji's eyes burned with curiosity. His mind was already racing, piecing together fragments of information. He clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "If only I had the knowledge…"

As if responding to his desire, the same mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[[Notice. Individual named "Reiji Sato" has been granted the Unique Skill "Myralis, Lord of Wisdom" by "E̶͓͐l̷͉͗a̷͍͝r̵͙̋ȃ̸͚, P̵͎͌ṙ̵̬o̶̼͂g̸̗̑e̶̳͌ń̸̪i̶͓͌t̷͇̎o̴̦̕r̷͔͑ ö̷̜́f̴͓͂ W̶̼̌i̵̯̓s̷̢̈́d̸͐͜õ̶̯m̵̖͌".]]

[[Notice. Unique Skill "Myralis, Lord of Wisdom" is activated.]]

[[Notice. Installing "Complete Knowledge of Skills" as requested by Master.]]

Reiji staggered as waves of information surged through his mind, a torrent of knowledge cascading into place. His vision blurred for a moment, then sharpened. He suddenly knew. He knew everything about skills — their origins, their functions, their limits.

His chest heaved as he steadied himself. The rush of understanding was overwhelming, but exhilarating. He looked at Tatsuya and instinctively activated one of his new abilities. The word echoed in his mind.

"Appraise."

A screen of light flashed before his eyes.

[[Notice. Appraisal Result:

Name: Tatsuya Tanaka

Age: 17

Race: Human (Otherworlder)

Title: H̴̦͑o̴̩͆p̵͕͠e̵̖͐f̵̹̾u̶͕̓l̷͓̿ H̴̝̒e̵͕͊r̸̮̊o̶̓͜ o̷͕͝f̴͙̋ U̸͕͝n̴̟̒i̷͔̋t̶̡̓y̷͓̅

Strength: 96/96

HP: 98/98

MP: 47/47

SP: 12/12

Blessings: Gods' Grace, E̴͎͝͝l̵͕̓̍y̸͇̅͛ș̵̆̈́î̷̼͛a̷̳͂̎ṉ̸͋͠'s Grace

Skills:

Unique Skills: "Lurian, Lord of Hope" (V); "Aurelian, Lord of Unity" (T); "R̵͇͂è̴͙š̷̥ǒ̶̡n̵̬̾ȃ̴͙ǹ̸͓c̶͈͆e̴̱̊: a̵̡̐" (G);

Ultimate Skills: nil

Common Skills: "Appraisal"

Special Skills: "Storm Slash"; "Heroic Flame"; "Flame Slash"; "Flame Storm"

End of Result.]]

Reiji's mind spun as he processed the details. The skills made sense, the blessings were almost comprehensible. But the titles — warped and unreadable — were beyond his understanding. The implications gnawed at his mind. What did they mean? And who, or what, was granting these powers?

Although, there was one skill unknown to him. What does that last one in Unique Skills meant? He has no idea. But whatever it is, it also falls under a specific category unknown to him. Like, Virtue Skills are hinted with (V), Sin skills with (S), and Traits with (T). Normal Skills are not hinted. But that last skill...it was hinted with (G), something he has no idea about.

He shook his head, focusing back on Tatsuya. "I've got… a lot of information now. Too much to explain. But we need to be careful. Whatever's happening to us, it's bigger than we thought."

Tatsuya nodded, determination hardening his features. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Tatsuya quickly explained to the group about Nyx, Luca, and the impending danger they posed. His words rushed out, filled with urgency. The group absorbed the information with varying degrees of concern. Everyone seemed to agree that they had to act fast, but not all of them were equally as rattled by the situation.

Riona and Alfred, in particular, didn't seem too worried. In fact, they appeared… oddly calm. They didn't express panic or urgency like the others. Tatsuya noticed it immediately, but what struck him more was that it seemed like they already knew all of this—or at least, that they were expecting it.

Reiji's suspicion flickered in his mind. There was something about them, something they weren't sharing. Tatsuya's gaze lingered on them for a moment, trying to puzzle it out. Before he could get too caught up in his thoughts, Reiji's voice cut through the air, breaking his focus.

Reiji muttered to himself, "Appraisal."

[[Notice. Appraisal Obstructed.]]

The message flashed before his eyes, confirming his suspicion about Alfred. But then, when he tried it on Riona, the result was different.

[[Notice. Impossible to Appraise.]]

Reiji's brows furrowed as the implications hit him. They were hiding something. But what? His mind raced through possibilities, each one more concerning than the last. He pushed the thoughts away, deciding not to confront them directly. That wouldn't help. He knew better than to ask them outright—it would only raise more questions.

Tatsuya let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn't have time to dwell on the mysteries of Riona and Alfred. The group agreed to go through the portal, and with a shared resolve, they stepped into the swirling vortex.

But to their shock, it wasn't the Humans' Realm they entered. The landscape before them was… wrong. It was a place they'd only been to once before, and by accident at that. They found themselves standing in the same eerie, otherworldly expanse where they had once battled the White Dragon.

It was the place they'd discovered through the Dungeon in Valtherian Capital. The Dungeon had appeared out of nowhere, an enigma that had dragged them into this strange, foreign land. It had been an accident that none of them could ever forget, especially considering how Riona had taken down the White Dragon, an accomplishment that was still fresh in their minds.

Tatsuya's eyes scanned the environment, but nothing seemed familiar—nothing that would give him an answer to how or why they were here. One thing was certain: their magic wasn't working. They felt… weaker. Almost powerless.

Just as he began to assess the situation, Reiji's voice echoed in his mind.

[[Notice. Status Effect "Weakened State" is activated. Master and his allies are currently unable to perform Elemental Magic.]]

Reiji frowned, his mind racing. Then, like a spark of realization, he remembered the skill he had.

"Activate Velzer," he muttered to himself, his focus sharpening.

[[Notice. Unique Skill "Velzer, Lord of Magic" is activated. All special effects related to Magic (Elemental and Non-Elemental) are reduced to 50% efficiency for Master and his allies.]]

Reiji nodded to himself, knowing that with this skill, they now had enough power to at least survive. But survival wasn't the only concern—they still had no idea where they were, who their enemies were, or how they'd get out.

Then, as if summoned by the sheer tension in the air, a horde of figures emerged from the shadows. They were massive, clad in gleaming armor, their wings unfurled in a display of immense power. Dragon Knights. Legendary creatures that had been thought extinct for centuries. These were the knights that only served the Draconian Empress. Yet, here they were, in full force, surrounding them with weapons drawn.

The group was taken completely off guard. No one had any idea how they had ended up here, or how these knights had come to be. Before they could react, the Dragon Knights attacked with terrifying speed and precision.

Tatsuya tried to fight back, but his strength faltered. With the weakened state, even the best of them were struggling. They fought valiantly, but it was clear that they were outmatched. In the end, the knights subdued them, knocking them unconscious with brutal efficiency.

When Tatsuya came to, the first thing he noticed was the cold stone beneath him. His head was pounding, and his body felt sore. Blinking away the fog in his mind, he looked around to find that they were all in prison cells.

The realization hit him hard. They were arrested. Captured. No longer in control of their own fate.

They'd been defeated. And now, they had to figure out how to escape.

The prison walls felt oppressive, suffocating in their silence. The party was locked away, but one thing was clear: they couldn't stay here. They had to escape. The thought of being stuck in this cold, damp cell gnawed at them, but they couldn't afford to waste time dwelling on it. They had bigger concerns ahead.

Usagi was the first to break the silence. She sat slumped against the stone wall, her mind racing. Her thoughts drifted, almost aimlessly. "If only I could bring justice..." It was an odd thought, completely random, but it stuck in her head. It felt so right, so… true.

And then, out of nowhere, she heard a strange voice in her mind.

[[Notice. Individual named "Usagi Inuzuka" has been granted the Unique Skill "Aurenis, Lord of Justice" by "L̴͂ͅi̸̝͌ó̷͇r̴͙͘a̷̯͆, Ṕ̴͖r̷͇̾ō̵͙g̴͎͂e̴̓͜n̷͖͠ì̷̝t̷͉̏ò̵̝ř̸ͅ o̵͈̓f̴̤̐ J̷̨͝ǔ̶ͅs̶͚̿ẗ̷̠ĭ̴͍c̸̜͋e̶̪͆".]]

The words were unreadable to her. She didn't understand them at all. But she felt an odd, sudden surge of power rise within her. Almost like her wish had manifested into something tangible.

[[Notice. Unique Skill "Aurenis, Lord of Justice" is activated. Repelling out of Prison.]]

The next thing she knew, the bars of the prison were shattered outward, exploding apart like fragile glass. Usagi blinked in surprise, her breath catching in her throat. She hadn't done anything—it just happened. The others were staring at her, astonished, but she barely had time to register their reactions before the reality of their escape hit her.

"Did you—just—" Tatsuya began, but there was nothing to say. They were free, for now.

"We need to move," Alfred said, his tone a mix of urgency and caution. They couldn't linger. The guards would be on them in seconds.

"Not for long," Riona warned, her voice cold and foreboding. They knew the escape wouldn't last. They had to make the most of it.

Reiji's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. They needed to get to a teleporter, and fast. But where? He thought hard, trying to recall anything about the layout of this place.

[[Notice. The nearest teleporter is in the north, in the Royal Palace of this Domain.]]

He glanced up, relief flashing across his face. "North. The Royal Palace has a teleporter."

"Great," Tatsuya muttered. "Now we just have to survive getting there."

With no time to waste, they moved through the prison, sticking to the shadows. Riona and Alfred, as usual, were practically invisible, blending into their surroundings with unnerving skill. They seemed to know how to stay hidden, but Reiji couldn't help but feel there was more to it.

They finally emerged into the streets of the town, the air thick with tension. They had no idea what they would find ahead, but the journey to the teleporter in the Royal Palace was their only option.

And so, their next adventure began—one filled with uncertainty and danger. They didn't know what awaited them, but they knew they had to press on, to reach the teleporter and—if possible—learn more about Nyx and Luca in the process.