Kaito's vision blurred into a blinding white. One moment, he was on a snow-dusted street, the sound of a screeching truck filling his ears. The next, he was standing in a pure white room, a void of nothingness that stretched to a nonexistent horizon.
"Huh? Where am I?" he muttered, looking around. The only thing he was certain of was that he was not in Tokyo anymore.
A pillar of brilliant light erupted in the center of the room, solidifying into the form of a woman. She was a vision of divine artistry, but one that felt fundamentally unreal. Her proportions were too perfect, her form an impossible caricature of beauty—the kind of model an artist would craft from imagination without a single thought for functionality. She was the very embodiment of the word "goddess."
"Welcome, brave soul," she began, her voice a melodious echo that seemed to emanate from everywhere at once. "I am the Goddess of Light. You have been chosen from your world to fulfill a sacred mission. The land of Terra is in peril, ravaged by the forces of the Demon King—"
"Wait!" Kaito interrupted, holding up his hand. "Before you start, I wish to deny this mission, and could you please send me back?"
The Goddess paused, her smile never faltering. "Rude... However, I understand your feelings, dear hero. But I must tell you, you are deceased. As such, I am unable to send you back."
"What are you talking about? How could I be dead?" Kaito asked, his confusion mounting. "I was only hit by a truck."
"I understand," she said, nodding sagely. "You are shocked to recall your own demise, but you must come to terms with it. That accident on the street was a fatal one, my dear hero."
"No, that's not what I mean—"
"Rest assured, I shall grant your request of returning home by resurrecting you upon the defeat of the Demon King," she continued, completely ignoring him.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Kaito's voice was rising, a hint of desperation creeping in.
"I have granted you my blessing," the Goddess announced, unfazed. "If you were to say 'status' within your mind, it shall display your parameters."
Out of pure instinct, Kaito thought the word "status." A familiar holographic panel materialized before his eyes, but it was all wrong.
______________________
Name: Kaito Tanaka
Level :1
Health: 50/50
Mana: 25/25
Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Endurance: 3
Intelligence: 3
Willpower: 3
Perception: 3
_______________________
Instead of the triple-digit numbers he was used to, he saw a paltry three across the board. "This isn't my stats. They were in the triple digits the last time I checked. And why do I have a level? At only level one at that."
"You may also access an item storage space and the ability to understand the language of this world's inhabitants."
Kaito's frustration boiled over. "I already have an inventory! Durandal, are you here?"
Durandal's voice resonated in his mind. 'Kaito? Where are you? Your body suddenly fell unconscious on the street and has been in a coma ever since.'
"Am I still alive?" Kaito asked, a new wave of panic washing over him.
Shikabanehime voice followed soon after, but neither of their presence was there with him. 'Of course you are alive, Master. It's just that you aren't waking up.'
The Goddess, who had been watching Kaito talk to thin air, sighed and whispered to herself, "Oh God of Creation... He's talking to himself now..."
Kaito turned to the goddess. "I'm not sure what's going on either. This Goddess of Light just summoned me here and asked me to slay a demon king or something."
The Goddess of Light, having finally finished her spiel, gave him one final, radiant smile. "With my blessing in hand, I hope you may turn the tide and restore balance to a world on the brink of ruin. Go forth!"
"Hey, wait! I didn't ask for this!" Kaito shouted, manifesting his wings, trying to escape the pull. The force dragged him down, consuming him entirely until he disappeared.
The Goddess sighed once more, looking at the empty space where he had been. "It seems I summoned a delusional hero this time. The fate of Terra rests in your hands, Kaito Tanaka..."
_____________________
Saint Ysoria III, the current Saint of the Holy Church, emerged from her bath, feeling the weight of a pivotal day settle upon her. A pair of attendants silently dressed her in a loose, silvery robe, the fabric shimmering over her pure white skin. Her golden hair, still damp, fluttered in the air as she made her way to the summoning chamber.
At the chamber's grand doors, two paladins in gleaming armor knelt as she approached. "Saint Ysoria..." they said in unison with reverent in their voices.
As the doors swung open, she was greeted by the Pope and numerous high-ranking members of the Holy Church. Their anxious faces were illuminated by the faint, pulsing light of the magic circle at the center of the room.
The Pope looked at her, his expression a mix of hope and strain. "Are you ready, Saint Ysoria?"
"I'm ready," she affirmed. She knelt before the magic circle and closed her eyes in prayer. "The Goddess has sent us an oracle of the hero's arrival. We must greet him with honor and dignity."
A burst of light signaled the hero's arrival. When she opened them, a figure stood in the circle. The hero's description matched the oracle: black hair and black eyes. But what silenced the room was the pair of translucent wings of light that shimmered behind his back.
The hero's first words were a startling blow to her piety. "I swear, I'll find a way to beat up that Goddess of Light."
A collective gasp filled the room. Ysoria's mind reeled. 'The words of the new hero are heretical,' she thought, but she quickly rationalized it. 'He must still be recovering from the summoning. He is this world's only hope.'
The hero then began to speak as if to a pair of invisible companions. "Durandal, are you still able to connect to my body on Earth? ...That's a relief. ...Shikabanehime, can you try to send a message through sakura petals to communicate my situation to the others? ...It's alright, just try your best."
'The hero is talking to himself,' Ysoria thought. 'He must be in a state of shock.'
Stepping forward, she began her practiced speech. "Oh Hero, I'm Saint Ysoria the Third of the Holy Church. You have been summoned across the veil of worlds by the will of the Goddess herself. Terra stands at the edge of despair—its skies darkened by the malice of the Demon King. With your strength, we believe—"
Kaito sighed, interrupting her. "How strong is this Demon King?"
"Pardon?" Ysoria's words caught in her throat.
"Could he destroy a country, a mountain, or a large city in one blow?"
"Ah... we are uncertain," she stammered, flustered by the blunt question. "However, legend foretells his power to be a threat to the entirety of the world. Already, monsters and demons have destroyed and conquered countless cities, and our forces are on the brink of defeat."
A look of weary resignation crossed Kaito's face. "This all sounds like a pain, but I can't just ignore this now that I'm forced into it."
A wave of relief washed over Ysoria. 'He has accepted his role,' she thought, a sense of hope returning.
"Hero, please follow me," she said, her voice now full of pride. "And accept the holy sword. It's the only weapon that is able to defeat the Demon King."
Kaito simply shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm good. I already have a holy sword."
As he spoke, a brilliant flash of light appeared in his hand, materializing a magnificent holy sword that hummed with immense power. The room fell into a stunned, collective silence.
"Huh?" was the only thought that could form in Ysoria's mind.