1
“Be born anew, my child! I pray that of the many heroes in this land, you shall be greatest among them! Go forth and become a legend!”
The first that greeted me when I opened my eyes was a clear blue sky. Judging by the drop of water that landed on the lens of my glasses and the smell of the air it had just stopped raining.
Looking around, I realized that I was in an abandoned shed. The walls were covered in vines and moss with weeds growing from in between the floorboards.
I sat upright and saw a small bundle of white and yellow flowers. A bee landed on one of the flowers to collect pollen and flew off once finished. I just sat there, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a bee. Did I die?
Picking myself up and leaving the shed, dragging my rifle by the sling, I’m immediately greeted by a field of bright green grass that came up to my waist. To the left was a small pond with more small bugs flying around it.
I walked over, got down on my knees and splashed some water in my face. A bee landed on my slightly exposed wrist and stung me. I winced from the sudden pain and smacked it and it fell into the water.
This isn’t a dream. And I’m still alive.
A bird landed on the other side of the pond to take a drink of water. It was blue but it wasn’t a blue jay. It had white spots all over and glowing blue eyes. When I reached out to it, the bird disappeared into some sort of blue dust and left behind only a single feather.
When I looked back up, I saw a sign about 200 meters away. I moved through the grass until I stood before it. Written in characters I had never seen before, the sign read: Grandoria.
It was at this point I realized that the world I was from was gone. The only reminders of my home were my memories, SCAR-H, M17, two frag grenades and whatever else was attached to my body.
It was just like that anime Dani and I used to watch. I died and got reincarnated in another world.
2
The image before me was straight out of those RPG’s I used to pull all-nighters on. Horse-drawn carriages rattling on stone-paved streets and Medieval Europe-style buildings. There were elves and people with animal ears. There was magic shop and a blacksmith smashing red hot metal with a hammer.
But what was really striking was the color. Everything was so bright and full of life I thought I was going to go blind. I can’t remember the last time I saw so much color in one place. Even the gray stone had more life to it than everything I saw in the past eight years.
“Excuse me, miss?”
I turned around to see an old lady with a cane.
“You look lost. I can tell you’re not from around these parts.”
“N-No, I’m not.”
“Hmm… Such strange clothes you have. But if I had to guess, you’re looking to become an adventurer! I hear the Iron Hawk Guild is rather difficult to get into. You’re rather ambitious, aren’t you? Follow that street and take a left to the town center.”
“O-Okay… Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Best of luck to you!”
I have never heard this language in my life, but I understood everything she said to me.
Walking down the street, I can feel the stares of everyone passing by. I wasn’t too surprised, given what I was wearing but it still felt bothersome. The stress of fitting in never really bothered me before. I had my group of friends and never really put much thought into anything I wore on a daily basis aside from some light makeup.
So why was there a problem now? Maybe getting some new clothes will make me feel better.
Putting those thoughts aside, I follow the directions the old lady gave me.
-The Iron Hawk Adventurers Guild-
The Guild was housed in a three story building, with two statues on either side of the entrance. One was a bearded man with a hawk and axe in a bed of roses. The other was a griffin in a bed of cornflowers. Above the double doors was the insignia of a hawk. I could smell food from within.
There were undoubtedly going to be some rough groups inside. The types of people who wouldn’t miss out on the chance to jump a few newcomers.
I opened the doors and was immediately greeted by a cheerful waitress. She was way too beautiful for such a simple job with her flaming locks of auburn hair and emerald green eyes. Her red dress and generous bosom gave her a mature look.
“Welcome! If you’re here for business, head to the front desk. If it’s a meal you want, just grab any open seat.”
The interior was standard for a fantasy tavern. Lanterns on support pillars and decorative tapestry hanging from the walls. The skeleton of a dragon loomed over the entire hall.
People in plate armor with weapons were just hanging around, not looking especially busy or out to cause trouble. There were even a few kids playing games.
I walked over to the front desk and waited in line. People were staring at me again and whispering to each other about my outfit.
I couldn’t see the receptionist but I could hear her voice. She sounded soft and kind, like a big sister that would take charge in caring for her younger siblings. Quite a big contrast when compared to my older sister. She would make up whatever excuse she could to get out of looking after our younger siblings.
While waiting, I noticed that the girl in front of me looked rather stiff. It seemed like she was nervous about something.
She had black hair tied back into fluffy pigtails and wore black and red dress. She looked to be no older than eighteen and had a pretty curvy figure.
What was most notable were her elf ears, which were about the same size as the blade of my knife. I wanted to touch them.
Before I could study her further, she disappeared into a white light. I wasn’t paying attention, so I figured she must have said something bad and got disintegrated by a spell.
Even though I was trying to figure out what had just happened before me, it was my turn in line. I swallowed my nerves and made myself as respectful as possible.
“Uhh… H-Hi… W-Welcome to the Iron Hawk Adventurer’s Guild. H-How can I help you today? Also, you look like a mess. Do you need a nap or something?”
Why is she suddenly concerned?
She exuded a gentle aura that was typical of a responsible older sister. She was very beautiful with flaming locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald- wait a minute… This is the same girl as the waitress!
I looked at the receptionist and the waitress over and over and came to the conclusion that they had to be twins. At least there’s something normal in this world.
“E-Excuse me, miss? Are you alright?”
“What? Oh… I-I’m fine. I’m… here to join, I guess.”
Suddenly, the expressions of her and a few nearby groups got serious. They were silent as they stared at me.
“Very well.”
She pulled out a large blue orb from underneath her desk.
“Take off your gloves and place your hand above the orb.”
I did as she asked and the orb glowed brighter and brighter until my vision was flooded by a white light. When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in the guild hall.
It seemed to be some sort of combat arena with scattered stone pillars and walls. There were fire pits, pools of water in various sizes and large boulders.
I felt as though I was being watched and looked up to one of the pillars to see a blue-haired girl that had a bow slung across her back. She wore clothes that were typical of a fantasy archer.
“Hi!” she greeted me with a casual wave and a smile. “No need to introduce yourself. I already know your name. Suzue… Kobayashi, right? The name’s Renta Chia. Nice to meet you!”
Renta… Chia? No. No way that name is real.
“W-What’s going on?”
“Your Entrance Exam, of course!” She jumped off the pillar with a flip and landed right in front of me. Upon closer inspection, the strands of her hair were more like feathers. Her eyes were a bright yellow reminiscent of a hawk.
“I-I-I… Uhh…”
“You still seem confused. Let me explain. Most guilds allow anyone to join regardless of experience. You get your guild card and start your career. Some guilds only allow people with high magic ability or high strength. We allow anyone to join but the Entrance Test is what separates the Iron Hawk Guild from the rest.”
She held up three fingers and said, “There are three battles that you will participate in. Pass two of them and you’ll be made an official member.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard.”
Renta’s smile went from kind to menacing.
“You’ll be going up against the strongest warrior and the greatest mage we have. And then there’s me. I’m not one to brag but I’m the best archer in the entire guild. No one can beat me in any archery competition! Not a lot of people have been able to beat us, you know. And even for those with experience, it’s still quite the challenge.”
She dashed about thirty meters away and drew an arrow. I return the favor and aim at her head with my rifle.
“You don’t have to worry about accidentally killing someone as we’re protected by very powerful magic in this arena but that means we can go all out. No holding back!”
A timer appeared above her head. Two minutes, it read. Along with that, a robotic voice started a countdown.
5…
“You have two minutes. You don’t have to beat me. Just last that long and you pass!”
4…
3…
I put my finger on the trigger and tightened my grip to steady my aim.
2…
I slowly squeezed my index finger and…
1… Begin!
*BANG*
The shot echoed throughout the arena and landed right between the archer’s eyes, who appeared shocked and humiliated. Only a horrified squeak escaped her lips.
Her arrow, that she didn’t get a chance to let loose, fell pathetically at her feet. She released the bow string, causing it to snap.
“S-So,” I awkwardly looked around. “What do I do-Aaaah!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The feather-haired girl grabbed hold of my clothes and pulled on them violently.
“Wh-what the hell do you think you’re doing?! Let go! Why are you pulling on my pants?! Stop it! Somebody help! I’m being violated!”
I managed to free myself from her grip and end Renta’s mission to strip me. She sat in front of me with her face in her hands and quietly weeping.
“Why the hell did you do that?! Don’t just sit there crying. Answer me!”
“Sniff… It’s just… I said all that stuff… Sniff… about how I was the best archer in the guild… and you beat me so quickly…! Waaaaaah!”
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I guess I could understand why she would be embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t you get it?! Everyone in the guild loves watching these fights! And I just humiliated myself in front of all of them! I feel like such a fool!”
If that happened to me, I would just kill myself.
I got down at her level and spoke in a soft tone.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been… How do I put this? I’ve been fighting for about eight years.”
She looked up at me, surprised. “Seriously? Most of the people that try to join are completely inexperienced.”
“I am, in a way. It’s just-” I paused. There was no way to explain my situation and I just met this girl.
As I was debating with myself, Renta was disappearing from sight. When I asked her what was going on, she explained that I was about to fight against my next opponent, who was a very talented magic user. She wished me luck and I was left alone.
Immediately after Renta left, I heard a lustful motherly voice from behind.
“Oh my! You have such a nice body,” she said seductively.
I turned around and aimed my rifle at her as fast as possible.
The woman before me was just as tall as me, clearly older and wore practically nothing at all. Her outfit was more reminiscent of lingerie than the stereotypical wizard vestments that I expected. Only a silk loincloth covered her crotch and on her left breast was the same hawk insignia that was above the main entrance of the guild.
Her eyes were black and gold. Her most striking features were the two curled horns protruding from underneath her long black hair.
“I am Maria LaClaire,” she moaned and licked her lips. “And you are just my type, Suzue Kobayashi.”
“Not interested.”
“That is such a shame. You truly are a fine specimen of man. Just looking at you has my heart racing and my lower body all tingly.”
“I’m a woman.”
“Is that true?”
Maria carefully studied me from my face down to my feet. I instinctively tried to cover myself even though I wasn’t wearing clothes that didn’t exactly show off any feminine features.
“No you’re not,” she said bluntly.
“What? Yes I am!”
“It’s obvious you’re male. Your well-toned body gives it away. Not to mention the intoxicating smell.”
“Do you WANT to die?”
Her expression went from a pervert’s happiness to maternal disappointment. The countdown started again.
5…
“You are far too aggressive! You’ll scare away all the girls with that kind of attitude.”
4…
A magical glyph appeared above her hand and she pulled out a 100 meter long leather whip. She violently moved her arm and shattered the stone floor with an accompanying *Crack!*
3…
2…
“You are in dire need of punishment!”
1… Begin!
I fired five shots in an attempt to end the fight before my sadistic opponent could make a move, only for the bullets to stop in mid-air. Just like Renta’s arrow, they fell to the ground.
“Naughty~” Maria exclaimed with a wiggle of her index finger.
Taking advantage of my disbelief, she struck me with her whip in my chest. I was knocked off my feet and sent flying into a wall.
Without a moment to catch my breath, she swung her arm for another attack. I stand up and quickly move to the side, thinking I had just avoided another devastating blow, only to be sent further away by the shockwave.
I dove behind the nearest pillar to break her line of sight and to come up with some sort of plan. First things first, I had to keep changing cover so that she doesn’t find me.
As quietly as possible, I moved to a wall, then a large boulder and finally another wall that had a hole to look through.
Peering through, I noticed that her back was completely turned to me and she was in the open. A sniper’s wet dream. I remembered how she stopped my bullets before they even reached her. Maybe she could only do it from the front.
“Are you hiding from me?” she taunted as she destroyed a wall with her whip. “That’s fine. I like hunting my men.”
I aimed as carefully as possible and fired two more shots. Once again, they fell to the ground.
“There you are,” she laughed. Four balls of fire appeared above her head and flew right towards me. I got down in a prone position and covered my head.
The wall exploded and bits of debris landed on top of me. I stayed as still as I physically could.
“Are you cowering underneath the rubble?” Maria mocked. I heard her lick her lips. “I just love the smell of fear!”
There had to be a weakness to exploit. How else would anyone pass these tests if there wasn’t?
Maybe there was a limit to how much damage it could take? If bullets are not enough, then perhaps a grenade might do the trick. Or does it only affect ranged attacks?
I grabbed one of the two M67 grenades from my belt and stood up. I pulled the pin and threw it at Maria. As expected, it stopped in mid-air.
She observed it with a raised brow.
“Oh? What’s-”
The explosive detonated in her face, hopefully blinding her. Taking advantage of her dazed state, I charge at her with my combat knife drawn.
I tackled her to the ground and pinned the arm that held the whip. I raised my knife and brought it down on her throat with every ounce of strength I could summon.
*Clink!*
The blade shattered the moment it came in contact with her skin, yet I still desperately tried to draw even a drop of blood. She smiled up at me, revealing fangs that I had not noticed before.
“You did well to deduce that the protection spell I used only affected ranged attacks. But it seems you failed to realize that even if I didn’t use it, you wouldn’t be able to hurt me. I’m a succubus. Only enchanted metals, silver or magic can damage me. That bomb you threw did give me a slight burn on my nose, but as I’m sure you know the main source of their damage comes from shrapnel.”
“Just shut up and die!”
“Nice to see you still have some fight left in you. Unfortunately, this test is over.”
Her eyes began to glow and suddenly I was unable to move a muscle.
“You lose.”
Then everything faded to black.
3
“Hey, Jolene! Get us another round!”
“Coming right up!”
“Come on, Maria! Give that elf girl everything you got!”
Drinks and food were being served to accommodate the large appetites of the spectators. It was a very special occasion this time around. There were two Entrance Exams happening right before their eyes.
Cheers and encouragement were given to their fellow members but never the challengers. Especially the one with the strange weapon. They’re convinced that in the fight with their beloved Renta, she cheated.
For that reason, the Guildmaster, Maximus, was called to observe. It was an unusual situation as when the challengers are sent to the arena, any items that they could use to cheat are removed from their inventory.
“Even if she does win, there’s no way you’ll let her join. Right, old man?”
“That remains to be seen, Jack.”
The white-haired man rose in opposition to his leader’s indecisiveness, spilling his mug of mead.
“You’re not seriously considering letting her join! Did you not see how quickly she beat Renta? It’s obvious she’s cheating!”
“Calm yourself, my boy. I have not come to a decision yet.”
Maximus gently stroked his long beard in thought.
“As you know, when challengers enter the arena, any items or abilities that can be used to cheat are either removed from their inventory or rendered useless. It can also detect the person’s intentions. If she intended to cheat her way to victory, I would have ended the match and sent her away without a second thought. Yet, the only feeling I can sense from that woman is… bewilderment.”
“What?”
“That is natural, of course. No one expects to be sent to a combat arena when they want to join a guild. However, I sensed no desire to win.”
“You’re saying she took the exam without even wanting to join the guild?”
“Perhaps. I wonder…”
A voice from the crowd commented on how the challenger, Suzue Kobayashi, had finally awoken to face her next opponent.
Domitius was the strongest warrior the guild had ever seen. Standing at seven foot eight and wielding a battle-axe larger than himself, he has ended many fights before they began with his presence alone. On the rare occasion the challenger didn’t forfeit, he fought with such focus and determination that he never spoke. Even among fellow ogres, he’s an intimidating force.
As soon as she stood straight, Suzue raised her strange weapon and everyone cheered. Not for her bravery, but rather for the fact that they’ll be able to witness their friend fight once again.
“We get to see Domitius fight twice in one day!”
“Do your best!”
Even Jack, who is usually more reserved and quiet, expressed excitement for the fight.
“He’s going to annihilate her. She won’t even last ten seconds,” he laughed.
“How interesting,” mumbled Maximus.
The old man was surprised at how quickly she accepted the challenge against such a monster. Most forfeit or at least have a bit of hesitation. If there was any fear, it was buried deep within.
The countdown ended and Suzue fired twelve projectiles at Domitius’ chest, sending him reeling back slightly. Then he heard a clicking noise. The weapon seems to have a limited number of uses.
Domitius leaped into the air and slammed his axe into the ground where Suzue, who had just barely dodged the attack, once stood.
She moved behind a pillar and replaced a box from underneath her weapon with another and pressed some sort of button with her palm. It seems as if that even though it has limited uses, the weapon’s power can be replenished on the spot.
She grabbed hold of an item similar to that of the bomb she threw earlier, except it was cylindrical in shape this time. She pulled the pin and hurled it towards the charging Domitius. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the item for a second before it exploded. It didn’t send bits of shrapnel flying but it seemed to disorient the ogre for a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Suzue unleashed another onslaught of metal projectiles at the warrior’s body until the clicking sound was heard again. She repeated the process of replenishing the weapon’s power and kept up the pressure.
Maximus couldn’t help but notice the bursts of fire coming out of the end of the weapon. It had to have been magic but if it was, she would have been able to deal some damage to Maria.
The clicking sound was heard once again and this time, not missing the opportunity, Domitius threw a punch that was aimed at her torso. She attempted to block it with the weapon, which caused it to shatter, but she was still sent flying backwards.
When she stood up again, much to the surprise of the spectators, Maximus saw the look in her eyes.
They were not the eyes of someone with a burning desire to prove that they could be an adventurer or determination to defeat an opponent in the way of their ultimate goal. She had the eyes of someone who was simply trying to eliminate a target.
Suzue reached for her thigh and pulled out what seemed to be a smaller version of the weapon she used before. She fired more projectiles but it wasn’t enough to stop the ogre from grabbing her neck.
The battle was surely over now but she unsheathed her knife and stabbed her opponent’s hand repeatedly until she lost her grip and the blade fell to the ground.
Maximus looked at the timer and realized that Suzue’s last effort had allowed her to last the full two minutes. He privately commended her for her bravery, quick thinking and the clear respect for her opponent’s strength.
“LET ME GO, YOU CRUSTY, FILTHY FUCK-BAG!!!” she yelled before the timer reached zero.
“O-Or not…”
He had no idea what she said but it must not have been pleasant, given her tone of voice. Nevertheless, he made his decision.
4
It was like my brain was trying to break out of my skull with a sledgehammer. Nothing made sense.
Birds vanishing into thin air, a girl with blue feathers for hair, a succubus is an adventurer and a seven foot tall ogre can take over forty rounds of 7.62x51mm to the chest and keep fighting.
Whatever magic was cast in that arena to keep people from killing each other had also replenished everything I had used in those battles. Even my SCAR, which was smashed to pieces, was returned to its original state.
Now I was standing before an audience to be judged by the Guildmaster because apparently, I cheated.
It’s not my fault bullets beat arrows each time. If the people that sent me here wanted me to be on the same level, they would have taken away everything I had. But the people here had never seen a gun before, so I don’t really have the right to be irritated.
Although, I was still beaten by that succubus, Maria. Did they not care? Was seeing my rifle in action all it took for them to come to that conclusion? They probably thought I intentionally lost so as not to arouse suspicion.
I picked up on a few whispers in the crowd saying things like, “Cheating scum,” and “There’s no way he’ll let her join.”
Standing next to me was the same elf girl from before. She was fidgeting a little and there was a slight blush to her cheeks.
“Everyone! Please be silent!” the Guildmaster, Maximus, ordered. He had long white hair and a beard that reached down to his waist. He wore a grey robe and wielded a wooden staff. He was, without a doubt, a wizard.
The hall went silent as everyone waited with bated breath.
“To start… Lily Valentina.”
The girl stood up as straight as a new recruit in basic training… before they even got off the bus.
His staff glowed bright and the insignia of the guild appeared on the back of the elf’s left hand. He handed her a card that was roughly the size of a driver’s license.
“Welcome to the Iron Hawk Adventurer’s Guild. We greatly look forward to your future exploits.”
Lily took the card and smiled brightly. Her ears wiggled with happiness.
Cute…
“As for you, Miss Kobayashi,” he turned to me. His gaze was calm but I felt like he could blow me up with a snap of his fingers.
“Such strange weapons you have,” he commented. “Where did you find them?”
“They were given to me.”
“By whom? A close friend or perhaps a teacher?”
“N-No. It was… w-well,” I stuttered, sweating. “These weapons are actually quite common where I’m from.”
“And where are you from, exactly?”
My voice got caught in my throat. How was I supposed to answer him honestly? Maybe I could lie but there’s probably a spell that can detect lies and this guy would certainly know it. There was no other option but to tell him the truth.
“I come from America,” I admit.
He stroked his beard and let out an approving grunt.
“I have made my decision,” he announced.
His staff glowed bright again and he handed me a card that had my name. Next to an abstract portrait of myself was my current level, which read as: Level 1.
The entire hall was stunned at this revelation.
“Welcome to the Iron Hawk Adventurer’s Guild. We look forward to your future exploits.”
With that, my new life in a strange world had officially begun.