Tokyo, Japan.
Fushiro High School.
Classroom XI:A was alive with noise long before the teacher arrived.
Some students leaned over desks, whispering gossip. Others laughed openly, flipping through books or scrolling on their phones. A group surrounded Ryoko, reacting loudly to whatever story she was telling, her expressions dramatic enough to keep everyone hooked.
Near the window, away from the noise, Takase Musashi sat alone.
He rested his chin on his hand and stared outside, at a cherry blossom tree swaying gently in the breeze. Pink petals drifted past the glass, unbothered by schedules, exams, or expectations.
Musashi liked watching them fall.
They never rushed.
They never tried to impress anyone.
Then the light appeared.
A bright white circle formed in midair, silent and perfect, glowing with an intensity that hurt the eyes. Conversations cut off instantly. Laughter died. Someone screamed.
Before anyone could react, the world collapsed.
The next moment, Musashi was standing on uneven ground.
Cold air brushed his skin. The smell of damp earth filled his lungs.Moisture could be felt through the socks.Towering trees surrounded them, their thick canopies blocking most of the sunlight. Only thin beams slipped through the leaves, scattering across moss-covered roots.
Students panicked.
"Where are we?!"
"This isn't funny!"
"Is this… real?"
A strange creature stepped into view. It looked like a deer, but larger, with two long tails and four emerald-green eyes that reflected the light unnervingly.
Hina Kobayashi pointed at it. "Hey, look! What is that?"
"Wow…"
Fear mixed with awe. Some students whispered excitedly. Others backed away.
Then, without warning, a transparent white screen appeared in front of one student. Then another. Then several more.
Names. Ages. Levels. Skills.
The otaku students reacted instantly.
"It's a status window!"
"This is actually happening!"
Musashi hesitated, then looked at the screen floating before him.
Takase Musashi
Level: 0
Skill: None
He blinked.
Nothing changed.
Around him, students laughed and shouted, comparing abilities. He stayed silent.
Howls echoed through the forest.
The sound was deep, distant, and wrong.
Fear took over.
Emi Takeda spoke quickly, trying to stay calm. She suggested moving toward the river or following the sun. It was still morning, before eleven. Civilization had to exist somewhere.
They agreed to move together.
Souta Mizuno returned moments later, dropping down from a tree.
"I scouted the area," he said. "No villages, no humans. There's a den nearby though. Looks deserted. We can stay there for the night."
As they walked, students talked about their skills.
Small text appeared at the bottom-right of their vision, showing names and abilities.
Everyone was level five.
Everyone except Musashi.
They saw the bear before they smelled the blood.
It was enormous. A giant white bear, its fur stained red as it tore into prey it had just killed. The ground around it was slick and torn.
Terror froze the group.
They began backing away slowly.
Then Makoto Ishida stepped on a stick.
The snap echoed.
The bear lifted its head and roared.
Shun Nakahara swallowed hard. "I appraised it. Level twenty-five. We can't fight it. If we run, it'll chase us. If we fight… we die."
Ryota Shibasaki stepped forward, voice firm. "Stay calm. We'll survive."
He turned to Kaito Fujimoto. "Try to tame it. Or put it to sleep."
Kaito nodded, hands shaking. He focused. Blood streamed from his nose. His vision blurred. He nearly collapsed.
The bear roared again.
It attacked.
Takumi Aizawa raised his hands, activating his Golem skill, but the bear's paw crushed him instantly. Blood splattered across the forest floor.
Screams erupted.
"We have to run!" Ryota shouted.
"We can't!" Shun yelled back. "It'll kill us all!"
Ryota clenched his fists.
"Then we sacrifice someone."
Silence fell.
His eyes landed on Musashi.
"He has no skills. He's weak. If we use him as bait, the rest of us can escape."
Minori Taniguchi cried out. "No! That's not—!"
But fear drowned her voice.
Hands grabbed Musashi.
He didn't resist.
They pushed him forward and ran.
The bear struck him, sending his body flying into a tree.
Pain exploded.
Blood filled his mouth.
Darkness swallowed him.