"Whoa, this is really ancient," said Michael as he walked through the dimly lit hall. As he moved forward, he noticed something strange in the center of the room—a sword stuck in the ground, wrapped in chains. His eyes widened, glowing with fascination as he took in the sight. "So interesting." He couldn't resist the pull of curiosity and walked closer to the rusted weapon, reaching out to place his hand on it.

In an instant, blinding light engulfs him,

When the light faded, Michael found himself standing in the middle of a dense, unfamiliar forest. The atmosphere was eerily silent, but his heart raced as he gripped the sword now fully in his hand. A strange feeling washed over him. He was no longer in the place he had just been.

"Where... am I?" Michael murmured to himself, his eyes darting around, looking for some sort of clue.

A voice, deep and sarcastic, echoed in his mind.

Voice: "You are in a different world."

Michael jumped and looked around frantically, searching for the source.

"Who?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic.

Voice (dryly): "Here, down in your hand, you idiot."

Michael looked down at the sword in his grasp, his mouth falling open. Realization struck him like a ton of bricks. "No way... the sword is talking?!"

The voice sighed dramatically, clearly unimpressed. "Yes, congratulations, genius. You've just figured out the obvious."

"WHAAT?!" Michael shouted, utterly shocked.

Voice (sternly): "Shut up, do you want to get us killed already?"

Startled, Michael clamped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. His heart pounded, still processing what was happening. Could it be true? Was this some sort of bizarre dream?

After a few moments of awkward silence, the voice spoke again, more calmly this time.

Voice: "Did you calm down now?"

Michael nodded slowly, his face still frozen in shock. "Yeah... I calmed down. But I'm still a bit surprised. I never thought I'd get isekai'd."

A moment of contemplation passed, and Michael, still holding the sword in both hands, raised it to his face and examined it closely. "So, I came here because I touched it, right? Is this your fault that I'm here now?"

Voice (snide): "First off, don't hold me so close to your ugly face."

Michael blinked in surprise, the sword even judging him now? He couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity.

Voice (continues): "Second, it was an accident. More or less."

Michael sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. "Okay... if we're stuck here together, we should at least introduce ourselves properly." He glanced at the sword, holding it up to eye level. "I'm Michael. Nice to meet you."

There was a pause, before the voice replied with an air of reluctant dignity. "I am Venuzdonoa, the sword that can destroy everything."

Just as they both said their names, two bright lights suddenly shot out from their bodies, intertwining before vanishing in a flash.

Michael blinked, utterly confused. "What was that?"

Venuzdonoa (deadpan): "It's our contract. Now, you are my host."

Michael was taken aback. "Contract? What do you mean—?"

Before he could finish his sentence, an unbearable pain surged through his body. It felt as if his very soul was being torn apart and remade, and he let out a primal scream.

"ARGHHH!"

Venuzdonoa (calmly): "Don't worry, the pain will go away."

The pain was unbearable at first, but as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving Michael breathless on the ground. His body felt... different. It wasn't just the pain, but something about him had changed at a fundamental level.

"What the hell was that?!" Michael gasped, still feeling the residual shock in his body.

Venuzdonoa (explaining): "It was because of our contract. It transformed your body to adapt to my essence of destruction."

Michael, still processing everything, nodded slowly, trying to focus through the fog of confusion. "Okay..."

As Michael stood up and dusted himself off, he noticed something strange. His clothes had completely changed. He was now dressed in a sleek, modern outfit that looked more suitable for battle than anything he'd worn before.

"Hey, Venuzdonoa, what happened to my clothes?" Michael asked, glancing at his new attire.

Venuzdonoa (casually): "They were ugly, so I changed them into something different."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "I wanted to keep those clothes! They were useful!"

Venuzdonoa (ignoring him): "Doesn't matter. Now, let's focus. We need to find a city or something. We'll need information."

Two Days Later

After two long, grueling days of wandering through the forest, Michael finally emerged into a wide open plain, the trees behind him finally giving way to open grassland.

"I'm finally out of that damn forest!" Michael sighed in relief, stretching his sore body.

Venuzdonoa (annoyed): "Can you stop being so noisy?"

Michael groaned, rubbing his temples. "C'mon, dona, those two days were hell for me—especially the training you put me through."

Venuzdonoa (unmoved): "Stop calling me that. And that was just the warm-up. Wait until we start the basics."

Michael stared at the sky, half-feeling like he might cry from the overwhelming exhaustion, but he sighed instead. "Understood, Dona."

He looked around again, but there was nothing of interest for miles. Just endless grassland. "We're out of the forest, but there's nothing here. I guess we'll just follow the road and see where it leads."

As Michael walked down the road, his newfound stamina allowing him to endure the journey without needing food or water, he heard the distant sound of a carriage approaching.

When it drew closer, he waved his hand, hoping they'd stop. The carriage slowed to a halt, and out stepped a girl with blue hair dressed in a maid outfit. Her face seemed oddly familiar, though Michael couldn't place it.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "Do you need something?"

Michael stammered, not sure how to explain himself. "Um, I, I got left behind by the ones I was traveling with. Would it be okay if I rod-."

Before he could finish his sentence, a boy dressed as a butler stepped down from the carriage. Michael's pupils shrank for a brief moment, recognizing him instantly before quickly regaining composure.

The butler smiled politely. "Hello, do you need help?"

Michael smiled back, albeit nervously. "Uh, yes, I got left behind by the ones I was traveling with. Would it be okay if I rode with you until the next stop?"

A bit later, Michael found himself sitting in the carriage alongside Subaru and Emilia. The road stretched out before them, and the sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the dirt road was the only noise for a while. Despite the strange circumstances, Michael couldn't help but think that things might actually calm down. But as the carriage began to move, he looked down at the sword in his hand again.

"You've got to be kidding me," Michael muttered under his breath, as he leaned back, trying to relax. "Just when I thought things might get easier…"

But of course, life had other plans. The sword, Venuzdonoa, didn't let him forget it either. It was as if the sword had an endless capacity to be sarcastic.

Venuzdonoa (in his mind, smugly): "You still haven't learned how to take a break, huh?"

Michael sighed, shaking his head. He decided to focus on this. Subaru and Emilia sat across from him in the carriage, and he couldn't help but notice how out of place he felt. The world around him felt like a dream he couldn't wake up from, yet here they were—together in this strange land.

He gave them a small smile. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Michael. Nice to meet you."

Subaru looked up at him with a friendly smile, and he gave a polite bow. "I'm Subaru Natsuki. Natsuki's the family name, and Subaru is my name."

Michael felt a brief moment of disbelief. It was true. He really was in the world of Re. That was the Subaru Natsuki sitting across from him. The boy who was always so eager to help others, even when he was struggling himself.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts, Emilia gave a small, almost nervous smile and spoke up. "I'm Emilia. Nice to meet you too."

Michael couldn't help but notice that Emilia seemed a little uncomfortable. She was wearing a white hoodie that covered most of her head, clearly trying to hide something. He frowned, feeling a bit sorry for her.

He decided to break the ice. "Um, Miss Emilia, there's no need to hide that you're an elf. I don't have anything against them."

Emilia blinked, surprised. "How did you know?"

Michael gave a nonchalant shrug, as though it was no big deal. "I'm a swordsman. It's my job to notice things. Plus, elf beauty is different from a normal human's."

it was a lie. He didn't really know much about elves, aside from what he had seen in the anime. But in that moment, it felt right to say something to make her feel more at ease.

Subaru, always the over-the-top cheerleader for Emilia, grinned from ear to ear. "Of course, my Emilia-chan's beauty is different from all others!"

Emilia's cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, visibly flustered. "S-Subaru..."

It was exactly like the dynamic in the anime. Subaru, hopelessly infatuated with Emilia, was going all out with his compliments. Emilia, innocent and unaware of the depth of Subaru's affection, was completely oblivious, turning red at his words. Michael watched the interaction and let out a small laugh.

"You two really get along," Michael said, shaking his head in amusement.

Subaru, never one to shy away from showing off, puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! After all, Emilia is mine."

[Continue]