The story of the kingdom of Ranata and the hero who established a strong foundation for the legends and myths in this land is truly captivating. The hero, who drew the sacred sword from the stone, symbolizes not only strength but also an ideal model of compassion and sacrifice for peace.

When the king and queen gave birth to the sisters Landy and Sundy, they not only carried the bloodline of the great hero but were also bestowed with special blessings from the gods. This not only made them significant figures in the Runera dynasty but also placed a great responsibility on their shoulders to maintain peace and develop the kingdom.

Landy, with her intelligence and decisiveness, could become a talented leader, while Sundy, with her kind heart and sensitivity, could serve as a bridge between the different races within the kingdom. Both sisters could contribute to building a fair and prosperous society where everyone lives harmoniously together.

The development of the story could continue with the challenges they face, from external threats to internal conflicts, and how they use their strength and wisdom to overcome these difficulties. The journey of Landy and Sundy will not only be a battle against evil but also a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and love in a world full of turmoil. 

However, their ideologies of justice differed drastically. The older sister, Landy, pursued absolute justice; she believed all criminals were abhorrent and deserved death. Meanwhile, the younger sister, Sundy, believed in a gentler form of justice, desiring redemption for those who had strayed from the righteous path. This difference in philosophy often led to conflict between them, culminating in a devastating battle after the king’s death. The cause of the conflict remains unknown, but a war erupted between the two sisters.

The battle raged relentlessly for ten days and ten nights. The sheer magnitude of their power had a catastrophic impact on the kingdom. Forests were incinerated, the earth fractured, and storm clouds perpetually darkened the sky. The devastation was so profound that Ranata was cleaved in two, separated by a massive valley forged in the crucible of their conflict. 

The younger sister, Sundy, regained her senses first and witnessed the catastrophic consequences of their battle. She desperately pleaded with Landy to stop, but her words failed to reach her sister, who was consumed by a destructive frenzy. Left with no other choice, Sundy cast a powerful spell, successfully sealing Landy within a white orb, temporarily halting her rampage. However, this act came at a cost. After casting the spell, Sundy suffered the same fate, becoming imprisoned within a black orb. The people of Ranata then took the two orbs to opposite ends of the world, where they were hidden away.

Despite the immense devastation caused by the sisters’ battle, the legends of the wise king and his two talented, peace-loving princesses continued to be passed down through generations.

-That’s the ancient fairytale of the Ranata Empire from its earliest days, though it’s never been definitively verified.

I listened intently as the girl across from me told the story, much like a student in a classroom.

-Why do you keep looking at me like that? Are you even listening?

Perhaps my inability to tear my gaze away from this beautiful girl had caught her attention. In truth, I had only unintentionally glanced at her while engrossed in the story, but I must have made some kind of suspicious expression.

Her name was Lisanra, a friend I had recently met.

I smiled gently.

-It’s just… you’re very cute…

Her long silver hair that reached her waist, her large, round eyes, and her mature figure were all captivating. She was truly a beautiful girl.

Lisanra blushed and flustered at my words, her expression undeniably adorable.

-Me…? Cute? How?

-The kind of cute that… makes it hard to look away.

-Uggg… I don’t understand why one girl would say such flirtatious things to another girl.

Honestly, I didn’t know when I had become like this. At some point, I, a girl, had cut my hair short, started speaking like a boy, and enjoyed flirting with other girls.

That being said, I still retained many feminine traits. My hair was still longer than a typical boy’s, I wore earrings and makeup – calling me a tomboy wouldn’t be inaccurate.

-Haha, I may seem like this, but I’m very selective with my targets.

I joked.

-T-Targets??

Her expression shifted from confusion to fear. She backed away about five steps and stammered, “Err, that’s kind of scary…”

Lisanra looked at me as if I were some kind of villain. Realizing I had gone too far, I retracted my statement.

-I’m just kidding, just kidding… It’s a common joke in my old world.

I offered a childish lie, but she didn’t seem entirely convinced. Seeing this, I tried to lighten the mood by changing the subject.

-So, where’s Lucy, anyway?

-She’s on a mission, I think.

I hadn’t entirely diverted her attention; she still eyed me warily. Fortunately, the subject had been successfully changed.

-She’s diligent…

I offered in admiration.

-So, Merry, I want to hear more about your world today. Tell me more!

Lisanra approached me casually, disregarding her previous apprehension. Our faces were quite close now; her curiosity seemed to have overridden everything else. Ever since we met, Lisanra had repeatedly asked me to tell her stories about my world.

-Err, if you keep wanting to hear this much, I’ll run out of stories to tell.

-Don’t worry about that! I’m sure your world is as vast as this one, so you won’t run out of stories that quickly, right? Besides, you’re the only “wolf” in our team.

She gave me such a sincere puppy-dog look that I found it difficult to refuse her request, like a child begging for a gift. I sighed in resignation.

-Fine, fine…

Now it was my turn to tell a story. I thought for a moment and decided to tell her a fairy tale.

-To return the favor for Lisa telling me an interesting legend, I’ll tell you a fairy tale… It’s called Alice in Wonderland.

Almost a year ago, I was transported to this world, just like Alice, an ordinary person forced into an extraordinary world.

——————————————————————

One year ago…

Two years have passed since I lost my job. I currently reside in a cluttered room, strewn with snack wrappers, instant noodle containers, and empty soda cans. The garbage bags piled up, emitting a foul odor. Perhaps I had grown accustomed to it, because despite its unpleasantness, I no longer bothered with it.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

 My room, a mere four square meters, was located in a dilapidated apartment building, rented at a dirt-cheap price. I lived day by day, indifferent to my surroundings.

My name is Hoshino Aki, and I am twenty-six years old. I am a former office worker, currently unemployed. This state of affairs had persisted for nearly two years, ever since I submitted my resignation from my previous company. In truth, certain incidents had occurred that forced me to take the initiative and resign, but in short, it was the “toxic” environment that I could no longer endure. 

From gossiping colleagues to a terrible boss, unpaid overtime for a year, staying up late and waking up early to prepare contracts only to be met with unwarranted insults (after which he shamelessly took my contract and submitted it to his superiors for credit).

I had dedicated my life to pleasing others. Since childhood, I strived to satisfy my parents by studying diligently. As an adult, I bowed my head and endured humiliation while trying to please my superiors. After all that, I ended up unemployed, living off the savings I had accumulated while working. I wished I could have used them for something more meaningful, but…

“Another day is about to pass, and I still haven’t accomplished anything…”

Except for almost defeating the boss in this game, I was about to waste another day. While everyone else out there was working hard to earn money, I was idle, doing nothing. Thinking about it made me feel guilty. 

Since resigning from my previous company, I hadn’t wanted to do anything. It felt as though I had lost all motivation to try. My current existence wasn’t living; it was merely not being dead.

After diligently playing the game for a while, I finally defeated the boss. The familiar “Congratulations” appeared on the screen. Perhaps, aside from the television screen, I wouldn’t hear that word from anyone again, except for that person…

Thinking of this, a familiar figure flashed through my mind. It was a past I never wanted to revisit.

Releasing the controller, I stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

“Would it be okay if I started working again?”

It wasn’t that I missed the office atmosphere or anything, but if I continued like this, my savings would run out. I had no one to rely on, and I understood that I was in a precarious situation. 

Even so, as I said, this body has no motivation to work anymore; it’s just a fleeting thought, and I’ll forget it immediately. Getting up and going to work is incredibly difficult right now.

“ Nagi…”

And the biggest problem is, I’m afraid I’ll have to witness something similar to what happened in the past, the image I want to bury deep in my memory. I fear I’ll see it again someday.

While lost in thought, a sound startled me—the ringing of my phone, a sound I hadn’t heard in a long time. Since I rarely go out, who would call me? Occasionally, there are scam calls. But this time it wasn’t. The caller ID showed a number I had saved before.

“The Nameless?”

I don’t remember saving anyone’s number with this name. Wait, maybe it’s not a name. Thinking about it… nameless? If it were an unsaved number, it would show the number instead of a name, but I don’t know why I have someone called Nameless in my contacts. I’m quite confused about whether I should answer or not.

-…

I hesitantly picked up the phone, my left finger wavering between accepting and rejecting the call.

“Hey, are you feeling down?”

-What…

Suddenly, a voice came from the phone, even before I accepted the call, making me jump.

-…Who is this?

It was a strange voice, neither male nor female, as if distorted by some tool. The sound was like a crackling radio, quite eerie.

“I can see your past, a pitiful one.”

Because the voice was distorted, I couldn’t tell what his emotions were, but from the way he spoke, perhaps he was trying to show sympathy?

-…

“You now… have nothing left to lose, right?”

-…

His words pierced my heart. It’s true, I have nothing left to lose. My parents died right in front of me, I have no friends, and even the older sister I always respected is gone. This world truly has nothing left for me to cherish.

-So what?

“Then… why not come to my world? It will be a place where you can find a different purpose in life.”

-Your world?

Is this guy talking about the multiverse theory or something? Wait, why does this sound like an Isekai story? But I’m not stupid enough to believe this strange voice on the phone.

-Don’t be ridiculous. This kind of plot only exists in those cheap Isekai stories now. You must be some kind of scammer, get lost.

While I don’t know what this new scam method is, I’m too tired to continue this meaningless conversation. I was about to hang up when…

“Wait!”

For some reason, my hand stopped as he said that. It felt like something inside me was still hesitant.

“Just answer me. If you could really go to a world where you could find a new purpose in life, would you agree to go?”

I sighed.

-If such a world exists…

If there’s a place where I can find a purpose in life, a place that helps me forget all the suffering I’ve been through…

-I want to go there.

“Alright.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a hole suddenly appeared at my feet.

-What?

Below was a high-angle view of a bustling city with skyscrapers. I was pulled down by gravity and fell into freefall.

-Aggggg!

Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed in despair. My mind raced, unsure of what to do. The air resistance against my falling body caused a searing pain, and my consciousness began to fade. Just as I was about to lose it completely, a voice echoed beside me.

-“Helloooo!”

Right next to me was a child, seemingly between 10 and 13 years old. Despite plummeting alongside me, he was strangely calm, even grinning broadly as if thoroughly enjoying himself.

-“Y-you… how long have you been here? And what are you doing here?”

Seeing my expression, the boy’s grin widened.

-“Haha, I am The Nameless, one of the gods of this world.”

-“A god?”

-“Yes, yes! I summon desperate souls from other worlds to Ranata, granting them powers to help save this place.”

The name “The Nameless” triggered a memory – the strange phone call from earlier. The caller had also spouted bizarre things about other worlds, much like this boy. 

If this had happened earlier, I wouldn’t have believed it, but in this situation, I couldn’t think straight. The panic of falling from the sky still made it hard for me to calm down.

-“Hey, hey, if you’re really a god, save us… hurry up!”

The boy only responded with a mischievous grin.

-“No need to worry. I can’t maintain this form for long, so I’ll make it quick.”

-“Tell me later, pleeease!”

Ignoring my panic, the child calmly explained.

-“The moment you set foot on this world’s ground, the World Tree will grant you power. Try to use it, save this place. I believe you’ll find your purpose in life again.”

-“Well then… goodbye.”

The boy snapped his fingers and instantly vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed, leaving me with a chaotic mess of thoughts.

-“What kind of irresponsible god is that?!”

Following the strange god’s disappearance, I continued to plummet headfirst. As I fell, I cursed his irresponsibility.

After a terrifying freefall, the ground rushed towards me. I could do nothing but close my eyes and pray.

A loud crash echoed. I landed headfirst, arms wrapped around my head. Although my eyes were tightly shut, I no longer felt the sensation of falling. Somehow, miraculously, I survived the impact. My body ached, but there were no serious injuries.

-"…I’m actually alive."

After sitting for a moment, I started to recover from the shock. At some point, I became aware of the murmurs of many people around me.

-"…Errr…"

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, staring at me as if I were some strange creature.

“Well, it makes sense. Someone suddenly falls from the sky and survives unscathed. It’s bound to be shocking.”

While I was awkwardly trying to figure out what to do, a girl stepped out from the crowd. She had a friendly smile, short blonde hair that reached her shoulders, and an innocent face that made her look adorable. She looked at me with eyes full of concern.

-“Hey, you…”

The girl slowly approached, and I froze, unsure how to react.

-“Umm…”

-“Are you a Wolf?”

“Wolf? Does she mean an actual wolf? Did I turn into one after landing in this world?”

Following her words, I touched my face and checked my skin, realizing I was still human and hadn’t changed much. However, it felt like something was heavier in front of me, though it might have just been my imagination.

Seeing my confused expression, the girl quickly explained.

-“Well, ‘Wolf’ refers to the people summoned to Ranata to save this world. Someone falling from the sky and surviving is probably a Wolf, right?”

I had already heard about being summoned to save this world from the child who claimed to be a god, so I wasn’t too surprised, but many things were still unclear.

-"…"

I reached out and took the girl’s small hand. She gently pulled me to my feet.

-“I did fall from the sky, but I’m not sure about saving the world.”

Hearing this, the girl seemed to understand something. She led me through the crowd.

-“If that’s the case, I know exactly where you need to go.”

The innocence and kindness evident in her lovely voice easily captivated me. I simply followed her without any resistance. After leading me away from the crowd, she slowed down. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked,

-“Where are you taking me?”

Hearing me, the girl honestly replied,

-“People are frequently transported to this world from other worlds. According to legend, they are sent by the gods to save Ranata. Those summoned are granted powerful abilities. Since a certain number of people arrive each year, many places in Ranata have established companies that gather these powered individuals and utilize them to protect the world from the Witch’s Calamity.”

Her words matched what the child had told me. Now I was certain I had truly stumbled into another world, reminding me of the story of Alice in Wonderland. However, her explanation still hadn’t answered my question. As I was thinking about this, she continued,

-“I’m a city guard, and I was patrolling when I saw someone fall from the sky. Surprisingly, that person survived.”

-“Surprisingly? Isn’t it normal for people to be summoned here?”

-“It is, but from what I know, most people are summoned through reincarnation, although falling from the sky like you isn’t uncommon.”

-“Reincarnation?”

-“It means dying and being reborn in another world, but retaining your memories.”

“So things like other worlds and afterlives really exist?”

After everything that had happened today, I wasn’t surprised anymore. Instead, I felt a rather unsettling premonition. Ever since I landed, I’d had a strange feeling, like my field of vision was higher, something was attached to my back, and something on my head too… I figured it was just my imagination, so I tried to ignore it.

Everything, the scenery here, was very different from my old home. The streets and houses had a modern style, people looked busy, and the bustling tall buildings and lively atmosphere were a stark contrast to the dreariness of my former life. 

“Even so, this doesn’t feel like another world. It’s more like traveling abroad.”

-“Whoa! Is that…?”

Just then, a beautiful girl walked past, tall and curvaceous like a model. But what surprised me most were her animal ears, like a cat’s, and the tail behind her that swayed continuously.

-“Oh.”

Catching my gaze, the cat-eared girl winked, her ears twitching slightly, just like a real cat.

-“Oh, are you surprised? Because Ranata is a gathering place for many creatures and species from different worlds, so…”

-“Huh? I thought only humans were transferred… or reincarnated?”

That god said that many different worlds existed in parallel, so it was normal for creatures like beast-people to exist?

-“Since long ago, Ranata has welcomed various creatures, not just humans. As I said before, while reincarnation is more common, there are many cases of being directly transferred from another world to Ranata.”

Because that god said he was transferring people to this world to save it, I thought only humans were summoned here.

“Wait a minute, it seems like…”

Because I had been paying attention to the streets and the strange feeling, I hadn’t noticed. Besides the girl from earlier, there were quite a few people with animalistic features, like shark tails, rabbit ears, or even fox tails. There were also many people with mechanical parts, all things that didn’t exist in my old world.

“So it really is like another world.”

Although different from what I had always imagined, this was truly a completely different place from my old world, and my purpose in being brought here was to save it from something. Maybe this would also be my own personal goal? Initially, I agreed to come here because I wanted to start over, to find my purpose in life. Could I once again find what I had lost long ago?

-“But…”

The girl suddenly stopped and looked at me curiously. She asked,

-“Why are you surprised about beast-people? Aren’t you from a world with beast-people too?”

I was taken aback by the sudden question. What made her think that? Seeing my bewildered expression, the girl laughed and pointed at my face, specifically my forehead.

-“Aren’t you a beast-person too?”

-“Huh?”

I reflexively reached up to touch the part of my head where the girl pointed. There were indeed two soft things there, like animal ears. After touching them for a while, I realized they were cat ears, and they even felt like a part of my body.

-“Huh?”

I touched where my normal ears should have been, and they were indeed gone. I quickly turned around and saw exactly what I was thinking about: a cat tail attached to my body, gently swaying back and forth.

-“What the…!?”