Young Lady of the Rising Sun

Ah, is it over? Did the world just suddenly end with a beam of light? What even was that light that engulfed us all? Questions raced through my mind as consciousness returned yet could not wake up yet.

"Oi, okiro."

Suddenly, a female voice called out to me, but her words were different yet so familiar.

"Okite, shōnen."

It sounds like a language I used to hear somewhere, but what is it again?

"Watashi wa iimashita... Okite kudasai!!"

Wack!

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck my forehead, causing me to jerk wide awake.

"Aww!!"

As my eyes fluttered open, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. Rising from the ground, I scanned the area and realized I was in a vast, empty grassland.

"Ā, okite imasu ne."

I turned to the source of the voice and found a teenage-looking girl with black hair and a uniform that looked oddly familiar.

"Ne, ne, watashi ga iu koto o wakarimasu ka?"

The girl's voice echoed in my mind, her words resonating with a strange familiarity that I couldn't put my tongue into. Thus, I tried asking questions to discern her origin.

"Who are you? Where am I? Also, what language are you using?" I managed to stammer out, still disoriented from the sudden awakening.

Tilting her head, the girl seemed puzzled by my words, causing me to try another method of communication. Using my hands, I started communicating through sign language, hoping she would understand.

<Where are we now? Where you from? And what language you're using?">

Observing my sign language, the girl's expression softened, indicating she understood my gestures. She then mimicked my hand movements, attempting to communicate back to me.

<"Don't know where we are. Came from the land of rising sun. Language is foreign.">

Seeing her response, I realized now what language she was using earlier, all of my memories from my previous life flooding back into my mind.

Of course, it all makes sense now. The young lady was a Japanese person and judging from her uniform, she was a high school girl.

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Now that I understood the current situation, I attempted to remember my knowledge of the Japanese language so I could communicate with her appropriately. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself to speak.

{"Um, hello there, Miss,"} I greeted her, trying my best to remember the accurate Japanese phrases. {"Do you understand me now?"}

The high school girl widened her eyes in surprise, and she nodded frantically, indicating her comprehension of my words.

{"Yes, I do understand you,"} she responded in Japanese, her voice tinged with reassurance and curiosity. {"But how do you know Japanese? Are you from Japan too?"}

Considering her question carefully, I weighed whether or not to trust this person. However, now wasn't the time for indecisiveness. I needed to respond. {"Yes, but not anymore. I died in Japan and got reincarnated in this world."}

{"I see..."} The girl absorbed my explanation, her expression reflecting a mix of sympathy and intrigue. {"I'm sorry to hear that you passed away. Anyway, my name is Nanahoshi Shizuka. I suddenly ended up here after a truck drove toward me."}

{"Ah yes, the classic Isekai trope. I guess Truck-kun thrust you to another world,"} I remarked, trying to make light of the situation. {"By the way, I am Dante Greyrat."}

{"Is that your new identity? what's your old one?"} Nanahoshi inquired curiously.

Attempting to remember, I responded truthfully. {"I used to call myself Ren Nakamura, but it doesn't matter now. You can forget about my old name."}

{"If you say so,"} she complied, disregarding my previous identity behind.

As our exchange unfolded, a sense of camaraderie began to form between us, bridging the gap between both worlds. With introductions out of the way, Nanahoshi and I continued to discuss our predicament, brainstorming ideas on how to navigate this unfamiliar landscape.

{"So, Dante, what should we do now?"} Nanahoshi inquired, her eyes reflecting a mix of resolution and apprehension. {"Where should go?"}

{"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure. But for now, let's explore our surroundings and find any nearby village to gather more information about our current location,"} I suggested, surveying the vast plain that stretched out before us.

Nanahoshi nodded in agreement, her resolve firm as we embarked on our journey into the unknown. With each step forward, we faced the challenges of this new ground head-on, determined to unravel what had happened and find a way back to where we belonged.

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As we journeyed through the unfamiliar terrain, Nanahoshi and I shared stories about our lives before arriving in this new world. For her, she recounted how she used to quarrel with her boyfriend in her previous life.

During their last argument, they both accused each other of being unreasonable, while their other friend attempted to mediate the altercation. Suddenly, a truck charged towards them, seemingly intending to run them over. In that moment of chaos, Nanahoshi closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found herself in the plains, where I was discovered unconscious after a short walk away.

Learning about her story, I couldn't help but feel sympathy towards her. It seemed that we both had experienced unexpected and tragic events that led us to mysterious places.

{"Wow, that's quite an ordeal you went through,"} I remarked, expressing my understanding towards Nanahoshi. {"It's amazing how we both ended up in this world with such strange circumstances."}

The girl nodded solemnly, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. {"Yeah, it's hard to believe sometimes. But I'm glad I'm not alone in this."}

I nodded, silently acknowledging her sentiment. Despite the suspense of our situation, there was comfort in knowing that we had each other's company amidst the vast expanse of this unknown landscape. 

As we continued our journey, the terrain didn't seem to change and we were slowly getting tired of walking. Eventually, my short legs couldn't take it anymore, and I collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion.

{"Hey, Dante, are you alright?"} Nanahoshi worriedly asked, immediately turning my body to face toward the sky.

As I tried to breathe properly, I struggled to regain my composure, managing to reply, {"I'm alright, just a little bit tired of walking."}

Nanahoshi furrowed her brow, seemingly annoyed by my predicament.

{"This isn't the time to rest, Dante,"} she argued, {"We need to go and find shelter before the sun goes down."}

{"Oh, give me a break. My little feet were too sore,"} I complained to Nanahoshi, causing her to groan frustratedly.

Eventually, she sighed, retorting, {"I guess it can't be helped. I'll carry you then."}

{"What?"}

Before I could react, Nanahoshi picked me up and carried me on her back. Despite my many protests, she insisted on carrying me until we found a suitable place to rest for the night.

{"Just hold on tight, Dante. We'll find somewhere safe soon,"} she reassured, determination evident in her voice as she continued walking forward.

The notion of being carried by a teenage girl was rather embarrassing, but in that moment, I appreciated her kindness and resolve to keep us both safe. So, I held onto her tightly, placing my trust in Nanahoshi as we ventured further.

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I mentioned earlier that I had placed my trust in Nanahoshi, but it wasn't even five minutes before she started limping and breathing heavily. Witnessing her struggle, guilt gnawed at me for allowing her to carry me around.

{"Are you okay, Nanahoshi?"} I asked, concern lacing my words as I noticed her obvious distress.

{"I'm fine,"} she replied, though her voice wavered with strain. {"Just... just a little tired, that's all."}

{"You don't seem fine to me,"} I countered, worry creeping into my tone. {"Maybe we should take a break and rest for a while. I don't want you to weaken yourself."}

{"N-no, I can... still... keep... going..."} Nanahoshi insisted, her words stuttering as her body swayed from side to side.

Then, without warning, she stumbled forward, her strength giving out as she collapsed to the ground, dropping me from her back.

"Woah! Woah! Oof!"

As I landed on the ground with a thud, I quickly scrambled to my feet, rushing to Nanahoshi's side to check on her condition. She lay there, breathing heavily, her face contorted in pain.

{"Hey, are you alright?!"} I asked, panic rising within me as I assessed her injuries.

Straining her voice due to exhaustion, she murmured, {"I-I'm sorry, Dante... I thought I could handle it."} 

{"It's alright, you don't need to apologize,"} I reassured her, gently patting her back as I tried to comfort her. {"I'll think of a way to fix this situation, so stay calm."}

Thinking urgently, I frantically scoured our surroundings, searching for any signs of shelter or help. It seemed we were alone in this barren plain, with no visible landmarks or indications of civilization nearby. What should I do? Where do we need to go? Who should I call for help?

"Hey, what are you two doing in the middle of nowhere?"

Suddenly, a deep voice called out to me from behind, causing me to turn around. As I shifted my gaze, a tall ominous figure standing before us, glancing down with golden Sanpaku eyes. His silver hair cascaded down, framing his face, while a white coat, adorned with fur, draped over his form.

The person stared intensely into my eyes before uttering a word.

"You... Why aren't you averting your gaze from me?"