"Okay, that might be easier than it looks." This has to be the weirdest dream ever, but as long as Aratsuki is here with me, I can't complain.

She ponders on the solution as I take a better look.

The battle rages beyond a hill, about half a mile from the shores, and I can hear the cries and the weapons clashing.

But I can't see a thing, I'm not even at the center of my dream.

Whenever I move towards those hills, Aratsuki yells at me and drags me back to the center of the Greek camp.

It's a sorry sight, so many wounded everywhere, this battle is already lost.

"Don't even think about going out to fight." She warns me, blocking my way with her petite, armored form. "You're the Anchor of this Dive. If you die, the rest of us will be stuck here."

"Anchor? Dive?" I'm still waiting for her explanation, but she takes everything for granted.

Some other manga characters show up too, sticking out like a sore thumb in the battered Greek army.

These girls are like gods, compared to the worn soldiers.

They're overpowered in the manga too, their battles are always full of fireworks.

They move faster than light and never get tired.

As you do in these power fantasy anime titles.

They're like pro gamers dropped into a beginner game lobby in a first-person shooter.

But there isn't enough of them to turn the tide.

"So all we need to do is end the war. It doesn't matter if we win or lose. Once you can return home, the Dive will end and they can return to their manga too." She reiterates.

"They? What about you?" I ask, desperate to puzzle the pieces, but too many are still missing.

She talks about the other characters like she isn't one of them.

"Also, if we lose, and I die, you said you'll be stuck here forever. So shouldn't we try to win instead?" My question has her glance up, rubbing her chin for a while.

"I haven't read the Iliad, but I know the Greek side lost. Retracing the real events should be easier than rewriting the history." She notes as if it means something. I'm sure it does for her.

Well, it's true. From what I saw of the battle while she dragged me here, our side was losing hard.

In a day or two it will be over.

Three, if the manga characters do their best to prolong it.

"I can't win this war, but I can keep you safe, that's the most important part." She repeats, and before I realize it, night falls over us. And it's not like a time skip that happens in every dream.

It feels like we've been here for ages.

As darkness chases away the light, the sounds of battle die, and the tired soldiers return to the camp.

With them, the manga characters come too.

"You missed out on all the fun." A woman who's the Knight's Captain in the manga claims, dropping on the ground nearby. My inherited memories tell me she's Agamemnon though.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A king of some important Greek state, and the commander of our combined forces.

I've never seen her this tired in the episodes, but fighting all day took a toll on her.

"Yeah, where were you all day, Aratsuki?" The rival character asks, her armor and clothing tattered.

Once she wipes off the blood and dirt from her skin, there's not a single scratch on her.

"I'm Nestor, Achilleus. While we're here, that's my role in the story. And I'm supposed to be too old for the battle. Besides, someone had to keep an eye on our Anchor."

"You what?" The gathered manga characters shake their heads too, I'm not the only one who has no idea what she's going on about. "What's an Anchor? They already beached these ships."

"No. No, this guy, Odysseus is the Anchor of our Dive." The Princess Knight explains, drawing some curious glances to me.

The friendly rival — or Achilleus — laughs.

"He's not one of us. A random guy who looks the same as all the others. Why is he so important? And what Dive are you talking about? Are we going swimming? I'm down."

Aratsuki can't help but rub the saddle of her nose, scrunching it against her forming headache.

Reading her similar reactions in the manga so many times, I can almost feel her pain.

"No, you idiot. Haven't you noticed that we're not in our usual world? He brought us here, and don't ask me how because he doesn't even realize what he has done."

She snaps, glaring at me.

"What? I didn't do anything." Then I look over myself, and indeed.

Compared to these sexy anime girls — or their live-action versions — I'm like the rest of the locals.

Only weaker.

The saddle-rubbing intensifies, and she sighs with the pain of dealing with idiots.

She hasn't explained anything to help me understand what is happening and she's mad at me.

"Okay, fine. I didn't want to do this, but it will be easier if you understand."

She starts, looking up at the stars for inspiration before turning to me.

"You triggered the Dive spell."

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

I raise an eyebrow, defensive since it sounds like she is trying to blame me.

But for what?

"I'm not a magician. And this is my weirdest dream."

"No, no, this isn't a dream, Odysseus."

She shakes her head, still calling me by that name, but I saw those memories, so I don't want to protest.

"This is a Dive. Or a Dream Edit, if you will."

"Rather than calling it different names, you could finally explain what it is."

My outburst causes her to roll her eyes, and huff and puff, but she gives in with a sigh.

"Fine. I don't know why I must explain it to a Diver when you should know it already, but here we go."