At dusk that day, a figure sat on the back mountain. Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from the sky—a brief scream emanating from the nearby forest.
The sound quickly faded, leaving behind a small shadow plummeting toward the ground in free fall.
The figure descended from the mountain, heading toward the gaps between the dense leaves of the forest. The woman who manifested at that moment was tall, appearing to be in her mid-twenties to early thirties.
She possessed a calm beauty and hidden strength, her height making her stand out in any crowd. Her skin was smooth and fair, with light brown eyes that held a faint glimmer.
Her long black hair flowed down her back gracefully, and she wore the traditional attire of a shrine maiden: a red hakama and a white kimono with long sleeves, adorned with simple eye-like patterns on the sleeve edges.
The kimono's design lent her an air of dignity and grace, while a strand of large Buddhist beads hung around her neck, each bead the size of an egg, adding a mysterious dimension to her appearance.
The woman approached the source of the sound she had heard, taking quiet steps. Upon reaching the spot, she looked down to find a small figure sprawled on the ground, his clothes torn and blood covering his body. The scene suggested he had fallen from a great height.
She knelt beside the body, slowly resting on her knees, and began to examine the child with cautious eyes. Gently, she poked him with her hand, as if testing his consciousness.
She murmured to herself in a low voice, her face betraying no emotion: "This is strange. It seems he fell from a great height... The scratches on his clothes and the area around him suggest he fell from the top of a tree, but how did he get up there in the first place?"
Her gaze swept over the small, injured body, noticing the fractures and numerous wounds that marred his form.
She continued her quiet monologue: "These injuries should be fatal. A child his age wouldn't survive these fractures; he should be completely broken. How did his body endure this?"
As she pondered the injuries, she sensed something unusual emanating from the child's body—a strange energy accompanied by an extraordinary life force.
"What is this?" she muttered, her hand gliding over his body, feeling that power.
"This is Ki … How can this be?"
Despite her calm demeanor, she couldn't hide the astonishment that crept into her eyes, giving her serene beauty an enigmatic touch. She passed her hand around the child's body, her curiosity deepening.
After examining the child for a moment, she slowly raised her hand, contemplating her next move. The child's strange energy began to intrigue her further.
What brought this child here, and how did he survive such a deadly fall? She glanced around for a moment, as if to confirm no one was watching.
Then, with measured calm, she placed her hand on his chest, closing her eyes for a moment to feel the energy flowing from his body. She sensed warmth rising from the child, as if that mysterious power were trying to preserve his life.
"What are you really?" the woman whispered, focusing more on that mysterious flow of energy. This was not just ordinary chakra; something was distinctly different about his body.
As she delved deeper into sensing that energy, the child began to stir slowly. He gasped suddenly and regained consciousness, his eyes filled with fear and pain locking with hers.
For a brief moment, they felt a connection, as if something shared had been transmitted between them.
The woman remained still, looking at him with her calm eyes, then whispered, "Stay calm... You will live."
She was unsure why she said those words, but her exploration of his body had told her that this child was certainly not ordinary.
Thus, she decided she couldn't leave the child there.
"I will heal you," she said in a soothing tone, quickly extending her hand and gently lifting the child despite his deep wounds. She began to move gracefully through the forest toward the place she had come from with skill.
….….….….
"Mm~"
"Unknown ceiling."
When Isamu opened his eyes for the first time, he felt pain throughout his body, as if every nerve was sending protest signals to his brain. A weak groan escaped his lips against his will.
It felt as if his body was unresponsive, as if it did not belong to him. He whispered weakly, attempting to comprehend what was happening around him. Details of the place began to clarify. The walls were adorned with traditional paintings, and the air carried a faint scent of incense, heightening his sense of calm despite the pain he felt. He took a deep breath, trying to push the pain away from his body. "What is happening to me? Why am I here?" he wondered.
He continued to ponder until he gradually began to ignore the pain. He focused on his surroundings, even though he could not remember how he had arrived there. He wished he could stand, but his body refused to cooperate.
Suddenly, the wooden doors slowly opened, and the little girl entered.
"You're awake finally!"
Upon hearing this voice, Isamu struggled to turn his head to see who was speaking to him. What caught his attention was a little girl wearing a traditional "miko" outfit, who looked strangely familiar.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Shingo Shrine, the dojo where Koshitanaga resides."
"You've been sleeping for a whole day."
"A day..." The word echoed in his mind, stirring a strange feeling within him. "I can't remember how this happened..." Isamu wondered, trying to grasp the new situation around him. But instead of dwelling on his thoughts, he directed his question straight at the girl: "Did you save me?"
"No, my master found you after your fall. You were lucky she arrived in time and brought you here."
After hearing these words, fragments of his memory began to return slowly. After crossing the world's gate, he found himself floating in a strange corridor that seemed like a tunnel leading to another place.
A bright light engulfed him, and he felt as if he were being transported through the sky at tremendous speed. At that moment, he realized he was falling rapidly.
However, he used chakra and spread it throughout his body to guide his fall toward the top of a tree, trying to reduce the impact and speed of his descent, but it wasn't enough to prevent the severe injuries he sustained.
When he hit the ground with force, the pain was unbearable. He remembered the presence of a figure approaching him and asked for help in a weak voice, saying, "But… what happened next?" Isamu continued to wonder, trying to piece together the remaining events in his mind, but he found a mysterious gap in his memory.
"In that moment, I asked her for help… but in the end, I lost consciousness."
"It truly seems that I'm not a special person or the son of fate," he murmured to himself, a feeling of disappointment creeping into his heart.
"I almost died on my first crossing. It seems I was right about my previous thought; I am not the hero of fate or the main character like in the novels."
Isamu took a deep breath, attempting to organize his thoughts. "I have the ability to travel between worlds due to the projection ability, but if I dare to risk my true body, I might face a tragic fate from silly accidents. I must fear failing before the major bosses at the end of the game."
Yet he felt uneasy with this thought, so he wanted to shift his focus.
He looked at the little girl who was watching him silently while he seemed lost in thought. He whispered, trying to communicate with her: "What's your name?"
Suddenly, the girl's expression changed. All signs of innocence vanished from her face, and she looked at him with a sharp gaze filled with mystery and darkness.
It seemed she had transformed into someone entirely different. She spoke in a low, clear voice: "Chikaji Koshinada, Kushida Kiyankaji. Please, give me some advice".
The child had turned into a mysterious and unpredictable figure, and Isamu didn't know how to handle such a type of child.
He wondered to himself, "I just asked her for her name; why does she look like she's preparing for a confrontation? What the hell is going on?"
"Wait, did she say her name was Chikaji Koshinada?" After her words, it felt like a key had been reinserted into his thoughts. He recalled a name written on the surface of the door to this world before he crossed over:
"The Strongest Student in History: Kenichi."