When the World-Destroying Boss Is Bound as a Manga Protagonist

Shi Yan wakes up amid the ruins and learns that a comic System has bound him as the protagonist of a hot-blooded shonen manga.

He must follow his character settings, pour out his blood and passion for freedom, and drive the manga's popularity to new heights.

[Chosen by fate, young man! Your convictions are unshakable. You are destined to join forces with allies you trust, defy every injustice, and strike a mighty blow against this numb, broken age!]

Shi Yan: ...Me?

[Of course! The data shows you're the perfect protagonist!]

Shi Yan: But this is my first time being human, and I'm still getting the hang of it. Besides, I don't like fighting. I just want to lie flat. Can you find someone else?

[What!!!??]

The System short-circuits on the spot. It takes a long time to realize that the one it has bound is the very culprit behind the Great Annihilation: the world-destroying monster who single-handedly destroyed the Divine Realm, the Annihilation Dragon!

Great! It's the final boss! We're doomed!

But since the bond can't be undone, the System is terrified at first, afraid Shi Yan will destroy the world if he gets annoyed.

But Shi Yan is absorbed in playing an ordinary person. Even though he could solve a dangerous outbreak of aberrant creatures with a flick of his finger, he chooses to hide behind everyone else and watch the show, only stepping in after they're all down.

The System assumes the episode won't get much of a reaction when it comes out, but soon related posts start appearing on the forums.

[So cool! Shi Yan is my new favorite!]

[This guy is E-rank!!? He can crush an A-rank aberrant's skull with one finger!]

[Here's why Shi Yan, the protagonist of Arrival, is a god!!!]

It turns out a handsome face is justice. In readers' eyes, all of Shi Yan's attempts to slack off and avoid responsibility take on deeper meaning, while his occasional displays of terrifying power send the power-loving fans into a frenzy.

A protagonist who beats down the villains from start to finish, thrilling punches that land with a crunch, and the ultimate contrast between appearances and reality: how could that not count as a hot-blooded manga?

The System finally gets it.

*

After interning at the Abnormal Investigation Bureau by day and meeting with church members by night, Shi Yan watches in silence as they leave.

[That look in Shi-ge's eyes is so heartbreaking... He was rejected as a defective product of those insane experiments, and he's struggled so hard to survive until now, yet he still has a kind heart and treats people gently.]

[Waaah, I'm so scared the keepsakes his parents promised him are fake. Just thinking about how Shi-ge will be crushed and disappointed all over again breaks my heart...]

[Shi Yan just wants to live a peaceful life. Why does the world have to treat him like this?]

The System happily scrolls through the ever-growing number of forum posts, until at last Shi Yan speaks.

"The church's main god seems to be an octopus. I want to eat it."

The church's main god jolts awake from a dying dream: Don't come near meeeee!

*The blurb's plot may still change before the story begins. Keywords: The protagonist is the strongest, so he can do whatever he wants, but people always imagine him as a tragic beauty. You think he's having doubts, but really he's just hungry.

Theme: Everyone is the protagonist of their own story.