When Akari opened her eyes again, she was standing on a battlefield.
Screams echoed in the distance. Smoke filled the air. The clash of steel against steel rang across the land. Armored knights fought desperately against monstrous demons, their claws dripping with blood.
Akari froze. "This… is not peaceful."
A hulking demon, nearly three meters tall with obsidian horns, turned its glowing red eyes toward her.
Akari paled. "…Nope. Absolutely not. Wrong place. Send me back!"
The demon roared, raising its massive axe.
Akari screamed, tripping over herself as she stumbled backward. She had no sword, no armor, no clue.
Just before the axe came crashing down, a blur of red and silver intercepted it.
CLANG!
A woman stood before Akari, her red dress and silver hair fluttering in the wind. She wielded two swords effortlessly, sparks flying as she parried the demon's strike. Her red eyes glowed with confidence.
"S-Stay behind me!" the woman barked.
Akari, shaking like a leaf, obeyed instantly.
The woman, no, the warrior, twisted her sword and in one swift strike, cleaved the demon clean in two. The monster collapsed with a guttural shriek before dying.
Akari gawked. "…That was… so cool."
The warrior turned, kneeling to check on her. "Are you hurt?"
"N-no… I just… I was about to be very hurt…"
The warrior gave a small nod. "Good. My name is Lyra. I'm an S-Rank adventurer. What in the world are you doing on a battlefield?"
Akari opened her mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. "…Long story. Short version, a goddess mistake."
Lyra raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but decided not to press the matter. "You can't fight, can you?"
"…Nope. Zero skills. I can barely run without tripping."
Lyra sighed, sheathing her blade. "Then you're coming with me. The kingdom isn't far. I'll see to it that you're safe."
Akari blinked. "…You're not going to leave me here?"
"Of course not. You'd be dead in five minutes."
"…Fair point."
And so, under the protection of the strongest adventurer, Akari's second life in this strange world began, not with peace, but with chaos.