A Second Chance
The sounds of several footsteps echo in the distance, and a shiver runs down my spine. I feel a strange mix of relief and fear, wondering if the footsteps I hear belong to friends or foes.
I feel no pain, so I must be dead.
I hear voices that slowly become clear until...
"Hey! Are you okay?"
A hand starts shaking me vigorously, pulling me out of my stupor. I slowly open my eyes, unsure of what to expect.
Suddenly, a blinding light completely blinds me, temporarily leaving me stunned.
When my vision clears, I realize there's a man standing in front of me, dressed in armor. The man wasn't wearing a helmet, allowing me to see his face, which was filled with concern and anxiety.
"Are you alright?" the man looks at me, his face resembling that of a European, like a Frenchman, making me think I'm imagining things.
My mind starts racing to understand what's happening. How had I ended up here? Who was this man? Was he a friend or a foe?
"I must be in limbo," I sigh to the air.
As I look around, I begin to realize that this place is unlike the world I know. I frantically turn my head, seeing that I'm in some kind of square. The buildings, clothing, and creatures I see are completely unfamiliar to me. I feel disoriented, as if I've been thrown into a parallel universe.
The armored man looks at me with concern and asks if I'm okay. I try to speak, but my voice barely comes out as a whisper. My mind is blank, trying to process what's happening.
Suddenly, a thought occurs to me: is this real or am I in a dream? The idea makes me feel even more confused and scared.
"Am I in hell?"
I walk, exploring different places, trying to think through the situation carefully. For some reason, this reminds me of something, but I can't quite get it out of my head. I don't know if I died, I don't know if this is a dream, but I can feel pain.
Also... the wound on my shoulder is gone.
I've experienced something unheard of.
As I walk, I see people dressed in rags; it's clear that their clothes are of poor quality. But to see dog men, cat men, and even dragons.
Their appearance, contrary to what one might think, is grotesque. Nothing like the series or even renders. Their appearance is scary; it feels strange.
I look around without yet comprehending. There's a place with signs, so I approach it. I know I can understand their words for some reason, but I'm not sure if I can read. When I get to the signs, I see a bunch of indecipherable symbols.
I know I'm not in my world; after all, creatures like this can't exist.
I don't know what to make of this place, but I shouldn't take it lightly. If I walk around stupidly, I'll end up with worse problems, so I need to think.
I contain my nervousness; the situation isn't that bad. If I really ended up in another world, it means I'm alive, that I managed to escape my fate, and now I have a new one, full of hope.
"Maybe I can be happy here," I think innocently. I don't want to show too much, but I'm sure I can survive here. I have plenty of knowledge and...
I take my phone out of my pocket, I see that it's charged, but there's no signal. I try to use a map application, but it gives me an error.
I can use everything at my disposal to get rich, even secure a prestigious position and have all the freedom I want. My possibilities are endless right now.
At that moment, I'm surprised by a man with green hair, a big, burly adult who was looking at me seriously.
The green-haired man leans towards me with a strong and penetrating gaze. I feel his imposing presence and can see his muscles tense under his skin, as if he's always on alert. I swallow hard and prepare myself for whatever may come.
"You, lad. Do you want a manzane?" The man looks me straight in the eyes as he extends his hand, showing me an apple.
Manzane? I thought to myself; that name is familiar to me, even the man in front of me is familiar, as if I already knew about him.
"Excuse me. Where are we?" I look at the man as my hands tremble.
If my memories don't deceive me, then...
"Eh? Did you hurt yourself? This is Lugunica's capital. Now, do you want a manzane, or are you wasting my time?" The man waves his hand, pointing at the apple.
No, no, no, no. This can't be real.
I run away from this man, trying to escape my fate. Lugunica, manzane, this can only come from that place. I remember it well because it's one of the few things I read.
This is the same novel I read; yes, I'm in a story.
"It has to be a joke," I say to myself in desperation.
I take refuge in an alley, seeking a moment of peace and tranquility to come to terms with what's happening. However, reality hits me hard, and fear begins to creep in. How am I going to survive in this world? How can I do anything if I have no power?
Of all the things that could happen, of all the situations, I end up in this world, a world where everything is stronger than me. I have military training, after all; my university was a military one, so I have training, but what good is training if I'm still weak?
I know I need a plan if I want to survive in this world. I can't simply rely on my military training. I wonder if there are others who, like me, have fallen into this world.
If this is "Re: zero," I'll have to take the proper precautions.
Lost in my thoughts, I try to create a suitable plan to move forward. Whether I'm truly alive or not is irrelevant to what I'm seeing and feeling.
This is my reality now.
My train of thought is interrupted by a shrill and unpleasant voice.
"Little brother! Stop thinking so much and start handing over your stuff."
A group of people comes into view that I remember clearly, a dwarf, a slim boy, and a burly man. The clichéd trio of thieves, my reality.
I look at the three without reacting; I still can't think clearly.
"Is he ignoring us?" asks the slim man, showing an annoyed face as he approaches me.
The man in front of me doesn't look healthy. His collarbone stands out clearly, his elongated face and piercing catch my attention. He sticks out his tongue, displaying his arrogance.
On his right side is a tall, burly man with a terrifying expression, clenching his fists tightly. And finally, the boy with inhumanly large eyes and a mushroom-like hairstyle that resembles a little fantasy dwarf.
I can't believe it's happening, but the only option I have is to believe. "A second chance in a hellish world," the fact that they're here confirms my suspicion that I'm inside a story.
Even if I want to take a safe path, if I don't reach a destination, the same thing will happen to me as to Subaru in the alternate story, and if I have to return to the beginning after a lifetime... just thinking about it gives me chills.
"I have no problem giving you what you want; just don't hurt me," I raise my hands in surrender to the men.
They smile, satisfied with my response, and approach without any fear. The little one starts patting down my pants while the big one holds me.
There are things that must happen. If I want to change everything, I must be smart about what I want to change.
The little one takes my cellphone out of my pocket. He looks at my phone cautiously, and the other two become briefly distracted.
"Kid... What's this?" the big guy glares at me angrily, as if not knowing something drives him crazy.
I put on a big smile and say, "That's a 'metía,' yes! A very expensive 'metía'" I point to the cellphone, making their gazes fixate on it "If you press the button on the side, it turns on, just do it carefully."
The three of them exchange glances, unsure whether to do it or not. After all, 'metías' can be dangerous. The little one seems reluctant to hesitate any longer and presses it.
The screen lights up, and all three are captivated by my wallpaper.
"Now comes the fun part!" I launch myself at the big guy and gather enough momentum to deliver a direct hook to his jaw. The punch resonates with force, and my fist connects accurately.
The man staggers back, surprised by the impact, and falls to the ground. A punch to the jaw can cause the brain to move abruptly and collide with the skull, possibly leaving him unconscious. He falls on his back and raises a cloud of dust from the ground.
"What the hell! Hey!" the kid yells at the big guy, who is unable to react as I approach him.
Just as I'm about to kick him, the slim man tries to tackle me. As he gets closer, I step back, causing his tackle to fail, and he falls to the ground.
"Give me the 'metía'!" I threaten the kid. He looks at me with fear, his legs trembling, but in an instant, his fearful look changes to one of joy.
"That hurt!" the big guy punches me in the back so hard that it sends me rolling on the ground.
A piercing pain runs through my back. The blow was too strong. I struggle to get back on my feet, thinking about what I need to do now.
"It seems like you want a beating!" the medium-sized guy exclaims, drawing two knives from his waist and arrogantly licking them.
The three men glare at me furiously as I can barely manage to stand. I feel a cramp running through my entire body after that blow to my spine. Although I managed to take down the big guy, it's all in vain if he gets up so quickly.
That blow I delivered should have knocked him out for a while. It doesn't matter who he is; unless he's a professional fighter, he'd be out of commission for more than ten minutes.
Now, I only have one option left.
"Do you not know who I am?" I look at them arrogantly, trying to straighten my spine and point at them. "I'm someone important; you filthy thieves can't mess with someone like me."
With all the confidence in the world, I look at them, waiting for their reactions. They lock eyes for a few seconds, but then:
"HAHAHAHA!" all three of them burst into laughter in unison, stomping the ground and laughing at the top of their lungs.
Seeing their reaction, I quickly take off my jacket. I could run away right now if I wanted to, but losing my phone and avoiding this event could have a big impact on the future. I need to at least make sure I meet Emilia to completely change this world, even if it means facing the Witch of Envy.
"Right?" I ask in my mind, hoping for an answer that never comes, just a deep void.
Going with Crusch or Anastasia might be a better option as I could take strategic positions and more easily deal with the cult, but it would also mean I'll always be beneath them.
If I go with Emilia, I know I can aim higher, even if it's more challenging.
Then I remember Kenichi's final moment; he never hesitated, always gave his all for his son. He was stronger than anyone.
Although I'm still in shock, and everything that has happened overwhelms me, it's time to take charge. I tie my leather jacket around my arm and quickly adopt a combat stance.
The three of them looked at me with smiles on their faces, but my defiant gaze made them change to expressions of anger.
"You bastard!" all three of them exclaimed in unison.
The slim man brandished his daggers, trying to intimidate me, but I showed no signs of fear. I've escaped death once, and I'll do it again if necessary.
"Come on!" I call out, waiting for both to approach, relying on my skills.
Although the narrow alley limits my mobility, I know my assailants are not seeking to kill me but to intimidate me. In front of me stands the burly man, whose massive arms pose a real danger if he manages to land a blow.
I scan my surroundings, hoping to see Felt running towards me, but I remember that in this reality, it hasn't happened yet. If I'm not mistaken, Felt was supposed to be coming here, but it's been quite some time for that to have happened.
The burly man lunges at me with a swing, but I manage to dodge it and use his momentum to grab his arm and push him in the same direction as his strike, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground, hitting his face hard.
The other man, armed with a dagger, tries to attack me. Quickly, I use my jacket to block his right arm and deliver a kick to his stomach when he tries to move his left arm. The man backs away, spitting saliva and glaring at me with hatred.
"Bastard..." the average-sized man clutches his stomach, panting and trying to catch his breath.
These men have had no training whatsoever. In the army, we constantly practiced self-defense and had hand-to-hand combat training. I'm not lacking in those aspects; after all, it's etched in my blood.
"Give me the metia!" I look at the dwarf threateningly, immediately gaining momentum to go towards him, but he thought faster.
"I'll break it if you move!" the dwarf raises his arm, the metia in his hand. He looks at me with both fear and fury.
If he breaks my phone, I won't have a way to repair it. Even though I'm an engineer, having the blueprints in my mind is one thing; I can develop things from my time, but old things I kept as a hobby are more useful.
I can't let it be destroyed.
I stop and look at him seriously; his gaze seems like he's about to cry. If I let him act any further, he could really break it.
"Kid, let's avoid trouble. If you give me the phone, everything will be fine," I show my palms, dropping the jacket on the ground. "I promise I won't tell my people to attack you."
I can't let him do anything. If I make him think I'm with someone, there's a better chance he'll hand it over.
"That metia has a tracker; someone very important entrusted it to me, and if it's stolen or destroyed, you'll be in serious trouble." I lower my voice to help him calm down.
He slowly lowers his arm and looks at the cellphone. He closes his eyes and approaches to hand it over.
I walk towards him calmly, avoiding sudden movements. When I'm in front of him, I grab the phone.
A grave mistake.
"The metia will be fine, but not your body," The burly man grabs my shoulders and lifts me with his strength.
Instantly, he turns me around and slams me against the ground on my back. I instinctively hold onto the phone, and my body bounces off the ground.
My body feels like it's on fire, and my head spins uncontrollably. On the ground, I receive kicks to my legs and sides that make the pain course through my entire body, but my mind isn't present. I still think this is a dream, that it can't be real. It makes no sense at all.
"Such a thing is impossible," I say to myself, trying to escape the illusion.
The kicks intensify, and insults echo in the surroundings. My mind slowly fades as the silhouettes of the three thieves become increasingly darker.
"Take this!" the big guy spits as he aims a powerful kick at my face.
I watch it fly towards me in slow motion. The big guy contorts his face with blood from his nose due to the fall. His anger is directed straight at my face.
If this blow doesn't kill me, it will leave me severely injured.
The other two realize and try to stop him, but he pushes them aside. Slowly, the blow inches closer to striking me.
I close my eyes, wishing to wake up, but...
"Stop, villains! " A graceful voice echoes in the air, accompanied by a sharp sound as the big guy cries out in pain.
I slowly open my eyes, looking towards where the big guy was, but he had disappeared. I turn my head and see an ice ball rolling on the ground.
"AGHH! You damn witch! " The big guy shouts angrily towards that person.
Once again, reality hits me, but I resist accepting that this isn't a novel.
I turn my head towards the source of the voice, and there she is. Emilia, standing at the entrance of the alley, with her hand extended and her ice magic illuminating the area.
Her expression is calm and self-assured, as if she's accustomed to finding herself in dangerous situations.
Nevertheless, her beauty is stunning and seems to transcend any worldly concerns.
I am captivated by her beauty, forgetting any pain I might be feeling at that very moment.
Her long, silver hair falls in gentle waves down her back. Her eyes are large and of an intense violet color. Her skin is pale and as smooth as silk. Her figure is slim and elegant, with delicate curves and a regal bearing.
In my life, I had never seen anything like her. Now I understand a little about the novel's protagonist, with a woman so beautiful, almost like something divine. It's impossible not to want to fall in love.
"You... " I look at Emilia, my final reality check; I can't believe I'm capable of imagining something like this.
This is not a dream.
I try to say more words, but then:
Darkness...