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The room was a mess.
Books lay scattered across the floor, DVDs stacked in messy piles beside a crumpled blanket. On the bed, a boy sat slouched, eyes glued to the TV as the credits of an anime rolled across the screen.
He let out a long sigh.
"My name is Kyousuke Aokaze," he muttered to himself. "I'm just… an otaku. My life's boring."
With another tired exhale, he leaned back and closed his eyes. The glow of the sunset slipped through the window, painting his room in soft orange light. Soon, his breathing slowed—until—
"Wake up! Wake up, big brother!"
Kyousuke's eyelids fluttered. He squinted, staring at the figure shaking him. His little sister stood over him, her voice shrill with impatience.
"…Why did you wake me up?" he groaned.
"Because you have school!" she snapped.
"Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me, big brother! You need an education, so you can get a job, so you can put food on the table! How can you just waste your life watching anime all day?"
Kyousuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Do I really have to…?"
"Yes!" she shouted, pointing at the pile of DVDs. "And if you don't get up and get dressed right now, I'll throw all of your DVDs away!"
His jaw dropped. "Wait, no! Please don't throw away my babies!" He clutched the stack dramatically. "I'll go, I'll go!"
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." She tossed his black school uniform onto his bed and marched out.
Kyousuke dragged himself upright, muttering, "What a drag…" He changed into his uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder, and followed her out the door.
"Have fun at school!" his sister beamed, skipping happily toward her route.
Kyousuke shoved his hands into his pockets, heading the opposite way. "Yeah, yeah…"
Halfway down the street, something caught his eye. A bookstore. He stopped in front of the window, where the newest manga release was displayed.
His mood instantly lifted. "Ohhh… this just came out!"
He slipped inside, heading straight for the manga section. As he grabbed the book, his eyes wandered—and froze.
A girl stood nearby, reading quietly. She had long black hair that shimmered in the fluorescent light, and—she was wearing the same school uniform as him.
Kyousuke hesitated, then walked over. "Hey… you go to my school, right?"
She glanced up. "…Yeah."
"Cool. So, do you watch anime too?"
"No." Her voice was calm, almost cold. "I just read to keep myself busy."
An awkward silence hung between them—until suddenly, a glowing circle appeared beneath their feet.
Kyousuke's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
The floor lit up, the magic circle expanding with radiant light. Before either of them could react, their bodies were pulled downward.
"Why are we falling?!" Kyousuke shouted, flailing.
They hit the ground hard. Leaves rustled, birds scattered. Kyousuke groaned and pushed himself up. Trees surrounded them, stretching into the endless sky.
"…We're in another world."
Panic rushed through him. "Wait—the girl!" He scrambled to his feet and ran until he spotted her, standing calmly in a clearing.
"Hey! What are you looking at?" he asked between breaths.
"Can't you see it?" she replied.
"See what?"
"Blink your eyes twice."
"What?"
"Just do it."
Grumbling, Kyousuke blinked twice.
A blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Kyousuke Aokaze]
[Ability: Immortal]
His jaw dropped. "What the hell…?!"
The girl nodded slightly. "You can see it. Good. My name is Yuzuki Hoshizora. My ability… is creation. If I focus, I can create anything."
Still stunned, Kyousuke muttered, "…Kyousuke Aokaze. My ability is… immortal, apparently."
Before they could process, another screen appeared before both of them.
[Mission: Help the West Village. Complete this quest to return to your world.]
Yuzuki's eyes widened. "So… this is real."
Kyousuke groaned. "Great. Another drag."
But Yuzuki had already started walking. "Let's go. We can't just sit here."
Kyousuke sighed and followed. "Do you even know where we're going?"
"No. But we'll figure it out."
After what felt like hours, they finally arrived at a bustling village filled with beastmen, elves, and humans alike.
"So this is another world…" Kyousuke muttered in disbelief.
Yuzuki approached a man with a horse. "Excuse me, can you take us to the West Village?"
The man paled. "No one goes there. A monster called the Gloomwraith haunts that place. It's far too dangerous." He hurried off.
Kyousuke slumped. "See? We should just go home."
Yuzuki ignored him. "That must be our mission—to defeat the Gloomwraith."
"What a pain…"
Hours passed as every villager they asked refused. Eventually, they sat on a bench, frustrated.
Suddenly—shouting.
A group of armored knights was beating a woman in the street.
Yuzuki's eyes hardened. She stood and marched forward. "Stop this!"
The knights sneered. "And what are you going to do about it?"
"…Let's try this ability out," Yuzuki whispered. Closing her eyes, she focused—and in her hands, a shining sword appeared.
The knights froze. "How did you—?!"
She dashed forward, moving faster than their eyes could follow. In a flash, they were all unconscious on the ground.
Kyousuke gawked. "She's insane…"
Yuzuki helped the woman up. "Are you alright?"
"Thank you," the woman said shakily.
After resting, Yuzuki asked, "Why were they attacking you?"
The woman lowered her head. "Because I told them the truth—that they're all afraid to face the West Village."
Yuzuki and Kyousuke exchanged glances.
The woman's lips curved into a small smile. "If you really intend to go… I can guide you tomorrow. But beware. The monster strikes even in the morning."
From the shadows nearby, one of the knights, still conscious, smirked. He had overheard everything.
"Next time…" he whispered.
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