-Chapter 1-
In this dreamlike realm, the soft silky clouds billow gently, forming a landscape that dances with the whims of the wind. A serene meadow where the breeze gracefully sways through ethereal trees, creating a symphony of rustling leaves and a sense of tranquility. And in the midst of the scenery, lies a lost Takeshi.
"Huh... where am I...?" Takeshi mumbles in confusion.
Silence is only heard for a couple of seconds until Takeshi starts to notice something.
As if a response to his query, a soft presence shortly appears in front of him. The air around begins to slow down and the temperatures around began to cool, and after a while.. A beautiful lady appears before him.
" *Chuckles* You truly have no idea?" speaks an unknown, divine-sounding female.
Perplexed, Takeshi decides to listen to the mysterious lady.
"You... are dead."
Takeshi is stunned by the statement, and a flashback of his past overwhelms him.
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The sound of a keyboard and mouse clicking resonates in what appears to be a gaming room. The room is adorned with illustrations of military vehicles and army-related items, a clear indication of a military enthusiast's abode. Within, an individual named Takeshi yawns and stretches.
"Looks like I've been gaming for a while," sighs a tired and hungry Takeshi. "Well, I better grab something to eat."
After shutting down the computer, Takeshi prepares to head outside his apartment to buy dinner.
Strolling along the sidewalk, Takeshi, engrossed in an article about an upcoming game, expresses disappointment.
"Ugh... this new Military RTS game seems like trash too. I was expecting more, considering the graphics," laments Takeshi. "Well... I hope there will be promising games in the future."
While checking his phone, Takeshi, proceeds to walk across the street, oblivious to the impending danger, as an oblivious truck driver speeds up to overtake another vehicle, putting Takeshi in a perilous situation.
Takeshi crosses the street. Unfortunately, the truck is on a collision course with him, resulting in a tragic accident
Takeshi's vision slowly get engulfed in darkness. But as if it was his final words.. he manages to speak for the last time.
"What is this.. I feel nothing, but what is this pain inside of me? Am I dead? Is this it?" After uttering those words, Takeshi's eye's fully close and the strange sensation abruptly ends. Now.. the life of Takeshi Kujon, has ended.
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"Well, that was an unfortunate demise, though not entirely your fault," the unknown lady says, softly chuckling.
"I'm not sure making fun of someone's death is morally right," Takeshi retorts, annoyed. "But if I'm dead, where am I now? And more importantly, who are you?"
"To put it simply, you're in a different world, and I am the goddess of this world, Fujin," responds Fujin. "This realm is filled with magic and creatures. Here, individuals control Arcanum to summon mystical and powerful beasts at their command. At least, that's the gist of it," Fujin informs Takeshi.
"So, let me guess... I'm going to be reincarnated in this world with some noble quest to fulfill," Takeshi predicts.
Fujin chuckles at the statement. "Well, you're not entirely wrong."
"You will be reincarnated, yes, but I don't have an honorable quest for you like those generic isekai anime you watch," Fujin says, amused.
"Did she just call out my taste in shows..." Takeshi thinks, slightly surprised.
"In this reincarnation, I'll skip unnecessary parts like your birth and childhood, keeping you as you are. I'm sure you have no objections to that," explains Fujin.
"Yeah, I'm already satisfied with how I look anyway," Takeshi says arrogantly.
"Well..." Fujin glances at Takeshi briefly.
"I agree to disagree," Fujin says, unconvinced. "Considering that, I guess I'll have to fix some things about your appearance."
"Did you just indirectly call me unattractive?" Takeshi asks, annoyed.
Fujin chuckles. "I don't really want to answer that. But aside from that, I suppose I should inform you where you'll be reincarnated and provide some basic information about this world."
"For context; I will reincarnate you as a student of Fujin Academy, and you will..." Fujin gets cut off abruptly by Takeshi.
"Are you so egotistical that you need an entire academy named after you?" asks an unimpressed Takeshi. "I mean, you already have your own wor-"
"Shut up! Let me finish!" Fujin interrupts Takeshi before he can finish.
Fujin sighs. "As I was saying, you'll be reincarnated as a student in Fujin Academy. Fujin Academy is a school where students command 'Arcane Beasts' to battle each other to reach the top, and you will progress and enhance them through a leveling system."
"Of course, magic like the ones you see in your movies also exists, but summons are practically more powerful and useful in this world. Now that I've explained it to you, have you got the information you needed?" asks Fujin.
"I think I've got the basics down," Takeshi responds.
"Good. Now it's time for you to pick your first arcane beast and your magic skills before I send you out," Fujin says.
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Fujin explains further. "Your Arcane Beast can be anything you want, as long as your magic can handle creating it. Your magic skills, on the other hand, you can pick 3 as long as they are in the list."
"But don't worry; you can acquire more skills as you level up," Fujin adds.
"My first Arcane Beast..." Takeshi ponders, spending some time considering his first summon. Suddenly, an idea pops into his mind.
"This is the perfect moment for the dream I always wanted..." Takeshi thinks to himself.
"Fujin..." Takeshi calls out her name.
"I choose an M18 Hellcat tank destroyer as my first summon!" Takeshi declares passionately.
-Additional Information-
The M18 GMC, or otherwise known as M18 Hellcat, was a tank destroyer used in WW2. The Hellcat had a top speed of 45 mph and a powerful gun. Takeshi chose this because of its easy maneuverability while maintaining a deadly gun, perfect for a starter summon. Its only downside? Weak armor.
-Additional Info end-
Fujin is slightly surprised by his pick but expected it, considering his past life, and agrees to his choice.
"Alright then, quite a weird choice, but I'll allow it. Also, this won't be the only summon you can have. When you level up, you can command more, so don't stress about it," Fujin explains. "Now for your skills. Pick 3 from the list here."
Fujin pulls up a list of abilities in front of Takeshi.
"So, these are the abilities, huh..." Takeshi is astonished by the variety of skills available. "Since these are my first 3, I guess I have to choose wisely to progress smoothly."
"Alright..." Takeshi seems to have made his decision for his first skill.
"For my first skill, I'll pick Summon Enhance. This skill can help my summons become more powerful, allowing me to choose which part of the summon I can enhance. A must-have for me since I don't know how strong the creatures in this world are," Takeshi thinks to himself.
After picking his first skill, Takeshi starts to think about his second. "For the second skill, I think I'll have to go with Infinite Creativity. This skill allows me to create summons freely from my mind instead of relying on pre-built or random choices." With Takeshi's second skill chosen, he proceeds to pick his last.
Takeshi reflects, "I should choose carefully since these skills are given for free. It seems like skills when you level up are random, and you can't choose which one you want. In that case, I'll pick Create Weapon."
"Fujin did say that normal magic exists in this world, so I need something to defend myself as well," Takeshi thinks to himself.
"Alright, Fujin, I'm done with my choices," Takeshi says to Fujin, indicating that he's ready for the new world.
"Oh? Those aren't bad choices for skills, I must say. I'm a bit surprised," Fujin chuckles.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it..." Takeshi responds, seemingly annoyed.
Fujin stands up from where she is sitting and asks Takeshi, "Are you sure you're content with your skills and summon?"
"Very." Takeshi replies confidently.
"Alright then..." Fujin walks closer to Takeshi and places her hand on Takeshi's forehead.
"Good luck. Let's hope you don't die quickly." After she says that, Takeshi's vision goes blank, and he is engulfed in darkness.
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"(Level up 1->1) (Arcane Beast: M18 GMC unlocked) (Skills: 'Summon Enhance,' 'Infinite Creativity,' and 'Create Weapon' obtained)"
Takeshi wakes up with these words in front of him. He seems to be in a bed inside an inn.
"So, this really is like a game, huh..." Takeshi says, still exhausted from the sudden transportation. A short while later, he stretches his arms to try to wake himself up. But little does he know, he is about to wake up to something worse.
"HELP! AN ARCANE BEAST IS RAMPAGING ON THE STREETS! SOMEONE TAKE THIS BEAST DOWN!" A man shouts, asking for help just outside of the inn Takeshi is staying at.
"Eh? An Arcane Beast?" Takeshi is fully awakened by the thought and quickly rushes outside to take a look at the beast.
Takeshi opens the door and steps into the streets. As he goes out, he sees the beast on the far side of the road—a Griffin causing havoc in one of the villagers' stores and on its way to cause destruction to a nearby building. Its eyes are bright red, and it seems to have a singular desire to cause chaos.
Takeshi, witnessing this, immediately thinks, "Shit, what is that thing? I better run before I get caught in its sight." He runs.
Takeshi is ready to leave the scene until a thought occurs to him. "Why.. am I running? I came to this world to live my dream. If I keep running.. then what's the point?" Takeshi thinks to himself.
He stops running abruptly and turns around to face the beast. The creature, now alerted to his presence, turns to face him. Takeshi, now in the beast's sight.. has become its next target.
Takeshi spends no time thinking and immediately considers a way to deal with the threat. "This might be a good time to test out my summon," he thinks to himself.
"Alright then!" Takeshi exclaims out loud.
"I'll show you what I'm capable of! M18 Hellcat, I request your presence at this moment!" Takeshi chants loudly.
The area around Takeshi immediately started to show huge amounts of magic, the wind around him started to grow stronger and the ground beneath him started to shake. And then.. a metallic object appears right next to Takeshi. It is the M18 Hellcat, which he tried to summon. The people nearby, including Takeshi, are surprised to see it. Seeing the vehicle up close, Takeshi is fascinated by it. But he knows he has to focus on the beast in front of him as the Griffin is already sprinting its way towards Takeshi.
"I don't know if this will work, but this is all I've got," Takeshi says to himself.
Takeshi assures himself and removes his doubt. "Alright, M18 Hellcat, OBLITERATE HIM!"
Just as he says those words, a shell inside the tank is prepared, and in a second...
BOOM!
The sound of the barrel firing echoes throughout the streets. Windows nearby are destroyed, and the people who were there to witness are stunned. The might of the Hellcat is now present in this world!
The shell, fired from the vehicle, implants itself straight into the creature's front left leg, making it harder to move.
"Woah, that actually caused some damage to that beast," Takeshi is surprised. "Hmph... Then I guess I'll keep firing until you drop dead!" Takeshi is determined to bring down the Griffin.
"Fire!"
Another round is fired from the tank and hits the creature's front right leg.
"Fire!"
Another powerful round is released from the barrel and penetrates the Griffin's torso. The creature screams in pain. The shot is critical, and the creature can barely stand up because of it.
"You're done for now!" Takeshi exclaims.
"FIRE!"
Another shot is fired from the Hellcat with even much stronger force and speed than before. The shell travels at incredible speed into the creature's head, completely neutralizing the target.
The street falls silent as the sound of the tank's barrel smokes. The people who watched are stunned by its immense power, and Takeshi is shocked to see that it could actually defeat a beast without any enhancements.
Takeshi pants as he tries to rest himself near the tank's tracks. "Damn, that was quite powerful, huh... considering that wasn't even an enhanced shot. I guess I won't have much of a hard time as I thought I did."
People murmur about the strange look of the summon and its immense firepower, saying they have never seen anything like it before.
Takeshi chooses to ignore these and is relieved that the fight is over. Although rest is short-lived as an unknown individual approaches him.
"Academy Grounds Patrol here, state your name," says the mysterious person.
Takeshi thinks to himself that keeping his old name would be fine as no one knew him anyway.
"Takeshi Kujon, my name's Takeshi Kujon. Is something the matter?" he replies.
"Alright, Takeshi Kujon. I'm reporting you to the school for violating the use of Arcane Beasts on school grounds and destruction of property," the person exclaims.
"Huh??" Takeshi replies, shocked.
-Chapter End-