The sound of rain filled the night. It wasn't the usual gentle patter against the roof of my apartment; this was heavier, like the entire sky wanted to drench the earth. The lights flickered once, twice, and then the room went black. I sighed, pushing my wet hair away from my face as I glanced at the window.
The storm had been raging since evening, and I had been staring at my laptop for hours, trying to finish my report. Typical college life—sleep-deprived, barely surviving on instant noodles, and perpetually broke. But tonight felt different.
The air carried something… strange.
A pulse.
A faint golden glow rippled at the corner of my vision, like threads of light dancing in the air. I rubbed my eyes, convinced that I was hallucinating after staring at the screen too long. But when I looked again, the threads were still there—glimmering, weaving patterns like an invisible loom right above my desk.
"What the…" I reached out, half expecting my hand to pass through empty space.
Instead, my fingers brushed against warmth. The threads pulsed like veins of fire, coiling around my wrist before I could pull back. My breath caught in my throat.
The lights of my entire room blazed with sudden intensity. A voice—neither male nor female, but something that resonated deep inside my chest—whispered:
"Chosen Threadbearer… your loom awaits."
The floor beneath me vanished.
---
I expected pain, or maybe death. Instead, I was falling through a sky filled with light.
Threads—thousands of them, glowing in every color imaginable—stretched infinitely in all directions, crossing and tangling like the strings of a giant celestial loom. Some threads were thin and delicate, while others pulsed with raw energy, like veins of fire or streams of lightning. My breath hitched as I spun through the air.
Then I saw it.
A giant, glowing fox with nine tails stood on a floating platform of gold, its tails weaving in and out of the threads as if shaping reality itself. Its fur shimmered between white and silver, each step radiating both grace and menace. It looked directly at me.
"You are late," the fox said. Its voice echoed, deep and resonant, like a bell tolling across an empty temple.
"What—late for what?" I blurted out, though I wasn't even sure if I was speaking aloud or just thinking.
"For your fate," the fox replied. Its eyes—burning golden orbs—narrowed. "You carry the Hidden Thread Eyes, do you not?"
"What are you talking about?!"
Before I could demand answers, one of its tails flicked. The threads surrounding me tightened and pulled, dragging me toward the platform.
---
I hit the ground—if it could be called that—hard enough to knock the wind out of me. The surface was smooth and glowing like glass. I groaned and pushed myself up, and that's when I caught a glimpse of my reflection.
I froze.
The girl staring back at me wasn't the same worn-out college student who had gone to bed in an oversized hoodie.
Her—my—hair was longer, tied into twin tails with crimson ribbons, the black strands glimmering with faint violet streaks that looked almost metallic. My eyes, which I remembered being plain brown, were now glowing faintly, like swirling gold and blue threads were moving inside them. I looked… otherworldly.
"Okay, this is officially too weird."
"You are in the Loom Pathway," the fox said, stepping closer. "The realm between worlds. And you are its new weaver."
---
The fox's presence was overwhelming, but its gaze wasn't hostile. It tilted its head, as if measuring me.
"Your life in the mortal thread has ended. From this moment, you are Kanzaki Arisa, Threadbearer of Amaterasu no Sekai."
"What did you just call me?" I asked, stunned.
"Your name."
"That's not my name—"
"It is now," the fox interrupted. Its tails brushed against the glowing floor, and a shimmering circle of threads rose from beneath me. A holographic pattern of magic symbols formed in the air, hovering like an ornate spinning wheel.
A voice—different from the fox's—suddenly chimed, "Calibration complete. Initiating Threadbearer interface."
A small glowing figure appeared next to me. It looked like a miniature fox made of threads, its body semi-transparent with strands of golden light constantly weaving in and out of its form.
"Hikari Online," it said in a bright, cheery tone. "Hello, new user! I'm your Loom Guide, here to assist you in navigating the Thread Grid and maintaining optimal weaving performance!"
I stared at it, dumbfounded. "…Is this a tutorial?"
"Yes!" the tiny fox replied, wagging its thread-tail. "Would you like to access the beginner's wardrobe or basic spell threading?"
"I… what?!"
The nine-tailed fox sighed. "Hikari will guide you through the essentials. Do not waste this chance, child. In Amaterasu no Sekai, power is survival."
---
The holographic fox floated closer, circling me like it was scanning my entire being. "You have a 0% battle outfit equipped! Would you like to try 'Crimson Storm Coat – Beginner Model'? Warning: aesthetic settings cannot be customized yet!"
"Wait—what—"
Before I could protest, threads shot out of the glowing circle beneath me, weaving themselves around my body. The hoodie and sweatpants I had been wearing vanished in an instant, replaced by a sleek crimson coat lined with black thread, high boots, and fingerless gloves. The outfit felt… alive, as if every stitch responded to my heartbeat.
I gasped. "This is… magic?"
"Threadweaving," Hikari corrected. "You are a weaver now. Outfits, weapons, and even your destiny can be stitched into existence if you master the loom."
---
The nine-tailed fox's tails brushed the ground again. "Enough delay. You will soon awaken in Amaterasu no Sekai, but first… a test."
I blinked. "Test?"
The threads around us twisted and morphed, forming shapes—monsters. Wolves with glowing eyes, stitched from shadows and flames, emerged from the threads like puppets breaking free of their strings. My body tensed instinctively.
"Wait, wait, WAIT! I don't know how to fight!"
"Then learn."
The fox's tails flicked again, and one of the shadow-wolves lunged at me. I barely jumped aside, my boots scraping against the glowing floor.
"Beginner spell: Thread Bind!" Hikari chirped in my ear.
"What—"
"Say it and imagine tying the enemy's legs together!"
My panic took over. "Thread Bind!" I shouted.
To my shock, glowing crimson threads burst from my hands, wrapping around the wolf's legs. It yelped, struggling, but the threads held firm.
"Holy crap," I whispered, staring at my glowing hands.
---
"Good job!" Hikari beamed. "Now finish it with Seam Slash!"
"Seam what?"
"Like scissors, but magical! Just think of slicing threads apart!"
I had no weapon, but as I focused, the threads in my hands twisted into glowing blades. It was pure instinct; I slashed at the wolf, and the threads cut through it like fabric, scattering it into fragments of light.
My breath came out in quick gasps, but there was no time to relax—two more wolves were already circling me.
"Outfit boost active: Crimson Dash!" Hikari chirped again.
The coat on my body shimmered, and suddenly my movements felt lighter, faster. When the wolves lunged, I rolled, spun, and struck with glowing threads like I had done this my whole life.
---
When the last wolf vanished, the nine-tailed fox's gaze softened slightly. "You will survive."
I dropped to my knees, panting. "What… just happened?"
"You are no longer who you once were," the fox said. "You are a thread of fate, woven into this world."
The floor beneath me glowed once more, and a doorway of light appeared.
"Go, Kanzaki Arisa. Your new life awaits."
The light swallowed me.
There was no falling this time. Instead, it felt like I was being gently pulled, like a thread through the eye of a needle. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on something soft—grass, warm and fragrant.
The storm, the apartment, the glowing loom—all of it was gone.
Above me stretched a sky I had never seen before. It was a brilliant, almost unreal shade of blue, with thin wisps of clouds threading across like brushstrokes on a canvas. The air smelled sweet and fresh, carrying the faint scent of blossoms and earth. For a moment, I just lay there, stunned, watching the petals of a nearby sakura tree drift down with the breeze.
"…Where am I?" I muttered.
"Welcome to Amaterasu no Sekai!" Hikari's bright, chirpy voice rang in my ear. The tiny holographic fox floated above me like a spark of golden light. "This is the world of threads, magic, hunters, and… hmm, well, you'll find out."
I sat up quickly, still wearing the crimson coat I'd been "forcibly" dressed in. It shimmered faintly, almost alive, with the faintest pattern of glowing stitches running along its seams. I ran a hand through my twin ponytails—still there, still unnaturally long and silky, as if freshly styled by some divine stylist.
I wasn't dreaming.
---
The sound of wheels creaking caught my attention. Turning my head, I saw a wooden cart trundling along a dirt road not far from where I sat. The driver, an old man with a straw hat, blinked at me in confusion.
"Oi, miss," he called, stopping the cart. "You lost? Not safe to sit around here. Beasts roam these plains."
Beasts. Right. My heart skipped a beat.
"I, uh… I just got here?" I tried to sound normal, but even I wasn't sure what I meant by "here."
The old man tilted his head. "Got here? From the forest? Ain't seen anyone wearin' a coat like that. You a hunter?"
Hunter. The word clicked in my mind—Hikari had mentioned hunters before. I glanced at the glowing fox.
"Uh, yes?" I said uncertainly.
The old man grinned, showing crooked teeth. "Then you'll want to head to Hikarimura. It's just past that hill." He pointed at a cluster of rooftops barely visible beyond the rise of the road. "That's where all hunters start."
---
As the cart rolled away, I took in my surroundings. The dirt path stretched between endless fields of wildflowers and tall grass. In the distance, I could see the edges of a forest, dark and dense. Birds I didn't recognize wheeled in the sky, their wings glinting like silver.
My heart hammered in my chest. I had no phone, no familiar landmarks, no way back. This was real.
"Hikari," I whispered. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Simple! You survive, level up your weaving skills, join a hunter guild, and become powerful enough not to get eaten by the first low-level monster that looks at you funny!"
"Wait—did you say monsters?"
---
The bushes rustled behind me. I turned, slowly.
A pair of glowing yellow eyes stared back at me from the tall grass.
"Oh, no…"
The creature stepped out—it was like a wolf, but wrong. Its fur was pitch-black and stitched with faint red threads, as if it had been sewn together. Its teeth gleamed too white, too sharp.
"Thread Beast detected!" Hikari's voice was almost excited. "Time for combat fight Arisa!"
---
The wolf growled low in its throat, crouching to pounce. I took a step back. My palms were already glowing faintly, threads pooling at my fingertips like liquid fire.
"Remember what I told you! Thread Bind!"
"Thread Bind!" I yelled, thrusting my hands forward.
Scarlet threads shot from my fingers, wrapping around the wolf's legs mid-leap. It crashed to the ground with a snarl, thrashing violently.
"Okay, okay, now what?!"
"Seam Slash! You remember how to cut, right?"
I clenched my fists, shaping the threads into twin glowing blades. My heart pounded as I ran forward, slashing at the beast's chest. The threads cut deep, and with a howl, the wolf dissolved into particles of light.
I stumbled, breathing hard. "Oh my god…"
"Victory! You gain… zero experience points because this world doesn't have game levels, but you're alive!" Hikari chirped happily.
---
A laugh bubbled up from my chest—half hysteria, half relief. "I can't believe I just killed a wolf… made of thread… with magic."
"You'll get used to it!"
---
By the time I reached the hill, my legs were trembling from both exhaustion and nerves. At the top, the view nearly took my breath away.
Hikarimura stretched out below like something from a painting—rooftops of dark wood and red tiles, narrow streets winding between shops and inns, paper lanterns hanging from strings across the town square. Cherry trees lined the main road, their petals carried by the wind like drifting snow.
And at the center stood a tall, ornate building with a crest of golden thread: The Silver Thread Hall.
"That's the hunter guild!" Hikari said. "You'll want to register there. They'll give you quests, money, and probably less judgmental stares than walking around looking like a confused tourist."
---
The moment I stepped inside, I felt every eye turn to me.
The hall was bustling with people—men and women in leather armor, robes, or strange gear, all chatting, drinking, or posting requests on a giant wooden board. Weapons lined the walls, from curved blades to thread-infused bows.
"Who's the newbie?" someone muttered.
"She's cute," another voice said. "What's with that coat? Looks expensive."
I swallowed hard, walking toward the reception desk. Behind it stood a young woman with glasses and an overly friendly smile.
"Welcome to Silver Thread Hall!" she said cheerfully. "Are you here to register as a hunter?"
"Yes," I said quickly, my voice higher than I intended.
"Name?"
I hesitated. My real name felt… distant. "Kanzaki Arisa," I said softly.
---
She wrote it down, nodding. "Do you have a Loom Core?"
"A… what?"
The receptionist tilted her head. "No core? That's fine. We'll do a basic thread resonance test. Please place your hands here." She gestured to a glowing orb on the counter.
I pressed my palms against it. The orb immediately flared to life, golden threads swirling inside.
The hall went silent.
"What the—"
"She's a Threadweaver!" someone shouted.
---
The receptionist's eyes widened. "A weaver? You… you're the first we've seen in years. Most magic users can't even control thread-based weaving!"
I stepped back, flustered. "Is that… bad?"
"Bad? It's incredible!" she said. "Threadweavers are legendary for crafting magic from nothing—outfits, weapons, traps. The guildmaster will want to meet you immediately."
---
Before I could protest, I was being led up a set of stairs into a large office where a man with graying hair and a long coat sat behind a desk cluttered with scrolls. He looked up, his gaze sharp and calculating.
"So… you're the new weaver?" he said, leaning back in his chair. "Haven't seen one of your kind in decades. Interesting."
The guildmaster rose from his chair, his coat rustling like an old banner in the wind. He had the air of someone who had seen countless battles yet could still snap a man in half without much effort.
"My name is Takamori Genzō," he said, voice deep and steady. "I am the Guildmaster of Silver Thread Hall. You claim the name Kanzaki Arisa, and the threads confirm your weaver potential."
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the weight of his gaze.
"Uh… yes, sir," I said, fidgeting with the hem of my crimson coat.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he picked up a heavy staff leaning against the wall. "Weaver or not, we cannot have untested recruits. The wilds beyond Hikarimura are not forgiving. If you can't handle yourself, you'll die."
"That's… comforting," I muttered under my breath.
---
He stepped closer, tapping the staff against the wooden floor. "I will give you a simple test. Defeat a summoned thread-beast, right here, and I will grant you your guild badge."
"Wait, here? In this room?!"
"Don't worry, Arisa!" Hikari's holographic form appeared over my shoulder, wagging its tail. "You passed tutorial level one. You can handle tutorial level two!"
I wasn't so sure.
---
Genzō lifted his staff. A glowing magic circle spread across the floor, threads weaving together in intricate patterns. "Step forward."
I hesitated, but then took a deep breath and walked to the center of the room.
With a sharp crack of the staff, threads erupted from the circle, forming a beast—a hulking, bear-like creature stitched together with glowing red seams, its eyes burning with hostile light.
"Fight," Genzō commanded.
---
The bear roared and lunged at me. My hands moved on instinct, threads glowing around my palms. "Thread Bind!" I shouted, sending scarlet threads snapping toward its legs.
The beast caught them with its claws and ripped through them like paper.
"Oh crap, it's stronger than the wolves!"
"You need more power!" Hikari yelled. "Channel your weaver core! Use an Enchant Word—state your name and your will!"
"My what?!"
"Like a battle incantation! Trust me, it'll boost your magic output!"
---
The bear swung a massive paw, and I barely dodged, rolling across the wooden floor. My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear. I clenched my fists, feeling the threads hum inside me like vibrating wires.
"Okay," I whispered, standing. "If this works…"
I thrust out my hand, voice ringing out, "I, Kanzaki Arisa, weave the crimson threads of fate—Bind!"
This time, the magic surged. Scarlet threads exploded from my fingertips like whips, wrapping around the bear's legs with a force that made it stagger and crash onto its side.
---
"Whoa… that worked!" I gasped.
"Not done yet!" Hikari cried. "Finish with your second Enchant Word!"
I raised my glowing hands, the threads twisting into razor-sharp edges. My voice came stronger, almost instinctively:
"Threads that cut the fabric of fear—Seam Slash!"
The blades of thread swept across the bear in a crisscross pattern, glowing red arcs slicing deep. The beast roared, then dissolved into shimmering threads that scattered into nothingness.
---
The room went silent.
Genzō stroked his beard, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Hmph. Not bad for a first fight."
I collapsed onto my knees, panting. "Not bad? That thing nearly killed me!"
"But you're alive," he said simply. "And you didn't run. That's what makes a hunter."
---
He tossed me something—a small metal badge engraved with the crest of a needle and thread. "Welcome to Silver Thread Hall, Arisa. From today, you're officially a D-rank hunter. Earn your place, climb the ranks, and maybe one day you'll live long enough to see what's beyond these lands."
I caught the badge, its weight strangely comforting. "D-rank… sounds fancy."
"Fancy?" Genzō snorted. "It means you're at the bottom."
---
The Guild Hall Chaos
When I stepped back into the main hall, everyone was staring.
"She passed the guildmaster's test?" someone whispered.
"Wait, on the first try?"
"She's a weaver! No wonder!"
I tried to ignore the stares, clutching the badge like a lifeline.
A tall guy with spiky black hair and a wind-patterned cloak leaned against the wall, watching me with sharp eyes. He smirked. "A weaver, huh? Haven't seen one of those in forever. Name's Renji. Try not to die out there."
Before I could respond, a girl with long fox-like ears popped up beside him, grinning. "Hi! I'm Aki. Don't listen to him—he's all bark. If you ever need a partner, I'm your girl!"
---
"Uh, thanks?" I said, overwhelmed.
"You're making friends already!" Hikari said happily.
---
The First Quest
"Since you're a hunter now," Aki said, "you should take a job from the quest board. Something simple. Maybe pest extermination?"
"Pest extermination sounds… safe," I said.
Renji snorted. "Safe? Not with you looking that clueless. Tell you what—if you survive one quest, I'll buy you a drink. If not, I'll attend your funeral."
"…Thanks?"
---
I walked up to the board, my fingers brushing over various papers. Most were too high-ranked, but one caught my eye:
Quest: Eliminate the Thread-Wolves near Petal Mist Forest.
Reward: 500 gold.
Difficulty: D-rank.
"Well," I murmured, "I guess I'll start where I left off."
---
The sun was already dipping low when I found myself on the forest path, with Aki cheerfully skipping beside me and Renji trailing behind with his sword.
"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked nervously.
"Safe enough," Aki said with a wink. "Besides, you've got that fancy thread magic. Show us something cool!"
I bit my lip. "Cool, huh…"
---
The sound of rustling in the bushes made me tense up. Yellow eyes gleamed again.
I took a deep breath, holding out my hand. "I, Kanzaki Arisa, command the scarlet loom—Thread Bind!"
The glowing threads shot out, wrapping around the wolves' legs with a satisfying snap.
Aki whistled. "Not bad!"
Renji smirked. "Let's see if you can keep up."
---
He raised his sword, green wind swirling around it. "Cutting Winds—Gale Slash!" His voice carried the same sharp confidence I had tried to imitate. A wave of slicing air tore through the clearing, scattering the wolves.
My heart raced. This was real—combat, magic, teamwork.
And for the first time, I didn't feel afraid.
---
We stood victorious over the glowing fragments of the wolves.
Renji turned to me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You've got potential. But potential won't keep you alive forever."
Aki patted my shoulder. "Don't listen to his brooding. You did amazing for your first day!"
I smiled, a little breathless. "…Thanks."
---
As we walked back toward Hikarimura under the setting sun, I glanced at the crimson threads still faintly glowing around my hands.
This world was terrifying. It was strange and dangerous, but it was also… beautiful.
And for reasons I couldn't explain, something inside me stirred—like a part of me had always been meant to be here.
"Arisa," Hikari's voice chimed softly. "This is just the beginning."