Prologue: A new world and new beginning

Prologue: A new world and new beginning

I was surrounded by darkness, with no light at all. There was no warmth, just the cold emptiness of space and the heavy loneliness that came with it.

The only thought in my mind was "This is it... it finally ends here." But before I could sink into the darkness closing in from all sides, a bright light broke through the endless gloom. As I regained my senses, I found myself in a white room, a stark contrast to the endless darkness I had been in before. I was not alone. A beautiful woman sat on a throne. Her fair skin was visible beneath a white robe that fit snugly around her curves. Her long blond hair fell just past her chest, topped with a golden tiara set with a bright red gem in the center. As I looked at this graceful figure, our eyes met. Her calm, sky-blue eyes held warmth, touched with a hint of sadness.

The awkward silence between us was broken when she spoke in a soft, angelic tone. "Is your name Akira Yoshino?" she asked.

Surprised when the woman in front of me suddenly called my name, I could only manage a stammered reply. "Y-Yes, that's my name."

She smiled softly and said, “Good, I was able to guide the right soul here.”

What did she mean by guiding the right soul here? Then I recalled the last moments before I woke up, the harsh coldness of the dark reality around me. It ended quickly and bitterly, with no one around - just the lonely dark room I had grown used to. Seeing my reaction, her face softened, showing a gentle but sad expression.

"Unfortunately, you have passed away in your world, Akira-san," she said softly, a touch of sadness in her voice. 

I could only respond quietly. "So this is it... huh..."

I could only sit and feel sorry for myself, weighed down by weakness and regret. It felt pathetic to see how things ended, how I gave in to my own failings. Unlike the heroes in the light novels and games I liked, I was just a weak person trying to run from my problems. Before I could sink further into self-hate, the woman in front of me spoke again, pulling me out of my dark thoughts.

"Though you have passed away, I offer you a second chance," she said, her eyes calm and serene. 

"What do you mean, a second chance?".

 "I am Solria, the goddess of the land called Terraveil," she replied. "I want to give you the opportunity to begin anew in my world."

“Why are you giving me this chance”

I was confused by this. I didn’t have the same qualities as the main characters in the stories, nor did I share their determination.

She said, "I'm giving this to you because young men and women were taken from your world to mine, and one of their fates is closely connected to yours. I didn’t want to bring people from other worlds into this, but unfortunately, it has already happened."

“If that was the case, why did you personally summon me here to talk instead of just sending me to the others?”

She spoke sadly, "Your condition was different from the others. I could guide your soul, but not your body here." She added, "Also, I wanted someone free from the summoners who brought the others to help me."

“What do you mean by that?”

I was confused about why the Goddess of her world would need such a complicated way to get help to achieve her goals.

She spoke clearly, "Those summoned are not bound by any slave-like contract, I assure you. They are bound by the fact that only those who summoned them know how to send them home and have the means to keep them alive or safe from harm in this strange world. She added, "Sadly, the rules that bind me stop me from directly interfering with the world."

"So that's where I fit into all of this."

I began to understand the situation after she explained it to me. In other words, since she couldn't interact with the world directly, I was meant to act as her avatar. Being someone from another world, who wasn't influenced by these summoners, meant I wasn't bound to them.

She nodded and said, "I want you to help your fellow travelers from another world reach their goal and get home safely." 

She then added, "As I said before, someone in that group is closely connected to you. That's why you were the best choice for me."

I kept thinking about the words she said. Someone close to me had been called here along with a group of young men and women. No, it couldn’t be that she was called here. The thought came to me, and I found myself saying her name aloud. “Sayaka..”

“Are you saying Sayaka was summoned here as well!!”

She nodded in confirmation to what I had said.

She then answered, "She was brought here together with her classmates."

Knowing she was here made me anxious and full of regret. If this was like any other Isekai novel, she would face a lot of danger. Memories of Saya crowded my mind. She was the only person besides my family who genuinely cared about me. But those happy memories were mixed with pain. Sayaka was beautiful and always the center of attention. Because of that, I became a target for harassment. Unlike her, I was the opposite, which made many boys jealous and led to a lot of bullying. To avoid worrying Saya, I kept it hidden, but it slowly ate away at me. I didn’t want to cause her any more pain, so I kept it to myself. If she was summoned here, this was my chance to repay her for all the kindness she showed me.

With that in mind, I was determined to take this chance to help Sayaka get home safely, even if it meant risking my own well-being. It was the least I could do for her, considering all she had done for me and the problems I had caused her.

“I it’s to help Sayaka , then I will agree to help you”

With a smile, The Goddess Solria nodded and said in an angelic voice, "Then first, we must create a vessel for your soul." As she spoke, light started to surround me. She continued, "Picture a form that feels right to you, because in this world, magic depends on your imagination and willpower."

As I was told, I began to picture my idea of the perfect form. Thinking back, the image of a red-haired swordswoman came to me. This was my character from my favorite MMO game, the one Sayaka and I played together. Her red hair was braided and tied into a small knot at the back. She wore a red and white military-style jacket and a black skirt that ended a few inches above her knees. She had black thigh-high socks and brown combat boots. She carried two magical swords: [Vermillion Rose], a bright red and gold longsword imbued with fire magic, and [Ice Jade], a curved blue and white sword infused with ice magic.

With that in my mind I picture becoming someone that was strong and cool looking like that character I played in the MMO. Then a bright light enveloped me. 

After a moment, I felt a thud, like I had been dropped to the ground. My eyes were still closed as I stood up, still groggy. When I stood, I felt a slight imbalance, like there was extra weight pressing on the front of my chest. Before I could open my eyes, a voice echoed in my mind.

“I did say to imagine a perfect form, I didn’t expect this but I do approve of it” said the voice of Solria . 

I was confused not just because Solaria’s voice was in my head, but also by what she was saying. When I opened my eyes, I saw something unfamiliar - a pair of breasts where I usually had a flat chest.

Confused, I looked around. I was in a forest, and right in the middle of a flat clearing was a lake. I ran over to it to see more clearly. The reflection in the water shocked me - it looked exactly like my character from the MMO.

“No way…..”

“This can’t be right…”

I’m confused about why I suddenly became a woman. Not only that, but I turned into the image of my MMO character.

The voice of Solria rang in my head again “I did say imagine a perfect form and this was the result of it.”

“Yes, I imagined someone as cool and powerful as my MMO character but I didn’t  expect to become her..”

“Well that was the strongest image in your head and that was you became” Solria answered.

“I'm a guy there’s no way I can be a girl…….”

"I'm sorry to say, but you're stuck in that form. I used all the authority I had to create this vessel," Solria said. Then, with a playful tease, she added, "Don't worry, I'll help you get used to your new body. And if you want to explore it in private, I promise I won't peek," she finished with a playful giggle.

“I don’t want this please turn me in to guy”

“No can do ~” she playfully answered

Thus began my new life and journey in this world.