Why Me...?

Prologue - Why Me...?

Prologue

I blinked. Once, twice, and then thrice and continued to blink as I gazed at my surroundings, trying to process what I saw and tried to figure out what in the name of heaven was going on...

I'm in a street... In an open street where the sunlight directly shined and where the dry wind washed over me.

Which is strange considering I was supposed to be inside a building. An auditorium where I could watch a cosplay show, to be more precise. As a matter of fact, I'm wearing a costume now, complete from the top to the bottom, along with the wig and contact lenses.

So how in the hell, when I entered that damn door, did I suddenly appear standing here?! Outside of the building and in the middle of a crowded market!

Unfortunately, that's not the strangest thing that I could currently see.

If suddenly finding myself in a market just by blinking and entering a door is strange, then the scenery around me is mind blowing.

Lizards walking...dogs walking...cats walking...not just walking but also talking.

Also no, I did not mean to list animals. What I meant to say is that they really are around me. Bipedal and all. Some even humanoid...

Except they're pretty much bigger than how they should be.

And also wearing clothes...and I really mean walking while standing while covered in fabrics! In clothes that people usually wear!

A humanoid animal! By God, even now I'm still trying to comprehend just how freaky that is!

Except for the lizards. They are not humanoid, however, their size was comparable to a car! Not their length or height, but their whole size! Heck, some of their limbs even reach half of my height! An animal that size clearly means something, especially one that is living in the land!

I don't know which is stranger, a lizard at that size or...

Never mind, humanoid animals are much stranger.

I mean, they even have their head and face in the shape of animals! It's true that there are many that have a human face, but their animal ears are clearly disturbing!

And what's with their outfit?! I mean, they're wearing some kind of armor, robes, and a…dancer's outfit? And…what is with those styles?!

Are they cosplaying as well?! No, obviously not. I mean, I have seen many cosplayers. I was in the middle of attending the show, after all, and while there are a few that look so realistic, this is...mind blowing but also...its...

It's...strange. I mean, God! Look at those animal faces! There was a dog face! However, their faces seems more...smoother, and less furry. It's almost like watching a two dimensional character's face!

Which is pretty strange and did not help my situation...not at all...

I started to look around, this time observing the buildings around me, noticing the way they are constructed; their design, their shape...it's almost like...they're buildings that I saw in a game...in some kind of fantasy game or anime. I mean, rather than modern buildings that have glass or other materials they look like they're just made from woods and...

Medieval...

Yes...yes, that's the correct word. They look medieval. The people around me also dress like a medieval person would. They almost look like an avatar from the Ragnarok Online game, whether it be an NPC or a player. The shopkeeper, the carts those lizards pull around, and the people…they all look like some kind of...

"Fantasy..." I muttered with wide eyes.

Okay, this is clearly disturbing now...What happened? Is...is this what I'm thinking it is? Is this...some kind of sick scenario where someone is summoned to a world of fiction?

Oi, oi. Don't be joking! Is this a hallucination? A dream perhaps?!

I pinched my cheeks and winced when I felt the pain. The pain was real. Let me tell you, when you're in a dream and you try to pinch yourself when you're aware you are dreaming there will be pain. But this pain was slightly numb, almost like paraesthesia. You can still feel the sensations, but rather than a sharp pain it was dull.

I rubbed my stinging cheek while looking around, noticing that people are staring at me. Even the supposed 'normal' humans are strange. I mean, they have pink hair! PINK! Heck! There's even BLUE! And even GREEN! How in the name of any God are those normal?! I don't think there are pigments that produce a green color.

Wordlessly, I pulled my hood up and covered my face, gripping my bag before I decided to walk away. Those stares from the people made me uncomfortable.

The clanking metal from my hips made me pause for a moment. I looked down and gazed at the sword that was strapped to my hip; a toy sword to be precise. I stared at the supposed toy with a blank look. No way, no fricking way...

I quickly resumed my walk but I fastened my pace. My eyes darted around, trying to find a secluded place or at least a quite area.

It took a minute or so for me to find it; a small alley in-between two buildings. As soon I did, I began to look around to check if I was really alone or not, and after ensuring that no one was near me, I slowly gripped the toy sword in my hand and slowly raised it.

It was still light...just like how it was supposed to be, just like how I used it when I took photos with other cosplayers. I tested it by giving it a flick to the sheath and found that 'clank' sound once again, prompting my breath to hitch for a moment.

It couldn't be...the sound...it was almost like metal was being hammered against another metal!

Immediately, I rapped the top part of my gauntlet and found that it was not plastic anymore, but that it was real metal! A solid metal!

How could it be?! When I wore this costume, all of it was made from plastic! Hell, I even made the costume! Not by myself of course, I was helped by my friends but the point is that it is not supposed to be...

'Then...could it be...?'

I eyed the sword in my hand with a mixture of giddiness and hesitation. My hand trembled slightly as I began to wonder just how priceless the toy sword has become.

Slowly, I gripped the handle, then tentatively I pulled the sword and-

BWOOOSH!

Gales of wind smacked my face in an instant. They were not strong enough to blast me away, however, it was more than enough to make me stumble. I quickly pushed it back into the sheath as the wind continued to erupt from the small part of the sword that had been released.

Okay...that was clearly more than enough to say that what is in my hand is no longer a toy.

It wasn't a toy, but it was Excalibur.

A real Excalibur, the one that's from Fate Stay/Night...or at least Excalibur Proto since I was cosplaying as Saber from Fate Prototype. I still don't know which one it is...

That doesn't matter, though. I mean, I'm holding Excalibur! Excalibur! THE EXCALIBUR!

HOW IN THE NAME OF JASHIN, KAGUYA, PEIN, ROOT, AKASHA, SOUL KING, BEERUS, ZEUS, ODIN, RA, KRATOS AND ALL OF THE DEITIES FROM FICTION AND REALITY DID THIS HAPPEN?!

It took everything I had to not let out a squeal. I mean, this is the Excalibur! God! This is really a man's romance!

Okay, okay, calm down. Calm down, you can squeal later. For now you have other objectives...

"What the hell should I do?" I muttered aloud while putting Excalibur back to my hip. Having a legendary sword that can easily blast a mountain is good, but right now that's not my priority.

How the hell do I go back?

I mean...sure, I have Excalibur. That's cool, alright. Okay, not just cool, but really cool and awesome. However, I want to go home. I have family waiting for me; my mom, my dad and my little sister...

What about them? How they will respond to my sudden...disappearance? I mean...sure, I'm not close to my parents but I am close to my little sister. And even if I'm not close, we love each other and...

No. Brooding over it won't do anything. What I can do now...what I should do now...

"Information..." I muttered. I need information. I need to find some way to send me back. And for that, I need some money, obviously. I quickly grabbed my bag and opened it. Let's see, a change of clothes that I wore before cosplaying, two bottles of water, my wallet, my Samsung Galaxy S6, a portable charger, an emergency battery and a book.

...

My wallet is obviously useless in here. I don't think they use paper money in this current era, judging by how it seems to be medieval. It's the same thing with my phone. I don't even get any signal in here, which means it's better to use airplane mode to save the battery. Who knows? It could be useful in the future.

Speaking about useful...what's this book? I never recall bringing a book to the show and-

"Oi, oi. You seem to be holding very good stuff in there, bro."

I stiffened when I heard an ugly and mocking voice. Turning around I saw...

If there are words that can describe them, it's "thug" and "punk". Well, for one of them, at least. There are three of them; one is quite large and well-built, the second is short and I mean really short! Does he have a Dwarf Syndrome? The last one is what I will call the "punk" due to his hair that is blue - blue hair for God's sake…and there is even a hint of pink in there! And some kind of chain around his neck.

And his tongue...I don't think a normal person should have a tongue that long.

Inwardly sighing and gulping, I prepared myself. I mean, I do know some self-defense arts. I was a kendo practitioner and know some basics but that's it. I'm sure I can handle it if it was only one but three of them?

"What do you want?" I asked with the best calm voice I could muster. In front of people like these, it's better to show that you are not intimidated.

The large thug grinned in an ugly way and leered at me, "Oh, nothing much, bro. We just happened to see that glowing thing that you were holding a moment ago. It seems expensive and valuable."

They're talking about my cellphone…

"Quite so. And I have no intentions of giving it to you." I bluntly said.

The thug chuckled in a mirthless manner, "That's not a request, bro." He then gave a glance to the blue haired punk who immediately pulled out a pair of knives "It's that or your life. I think we know which is more precious."

And now they have knives...how troublesome...

Still...I do not intend to give him my phone. However, I also don't want to fight. I mean, it's risky and I don't want to start unnecessary violence.

What should I do? Should I run? I mean, there's an open way behind me and if I got to the crowd I doubt these thugs will try anything. And even if they did, people won' be silent and watch me get pummeled.

...Or they will since this city could be run by some kind of crime lord or something like that.

Although I doubt that seeing that this city seems to be very lively. The people around are healthy and don't have a gloomy atmosphere...

"Give me that!"

Apparently, I was too caught up in my mind. The next thing I was aware of was the thug that was already in front of me, his hand raised and curled into a fist. He swung it with the intent to punch me in face.

And in that moment I knew something was wrong. I mean, I can see him. See him like, I can see the way he moves. It was...not too slow. It was slow, almost as if he was a tired boxer that was trying to throw a punch.

I was too surprised by this and was too late to react. The punch hit me directly in the face, snapping my hood up, revealing my face and…

It...didn't hurt...

...

No, seriously, it did not hurt. It did not hurt at all. As a matter of fact, it was almost as if I just got smacked by a pencil eraser and not a fist that was half the size of my face. I barely felt the impact!

"That's it?" I blurted out in confusion as I stared at the guy who looked at me in a bewildered way.

The large thug's shocked expression turned into one of rage, his teeth bared as he snarled, "Don't get cocky, brat!" He roared as he swung his fist at me again.

It was slow...no...it was faster than before but was still slow nonetheless...

And unlike before, this time I'm more than ready.

In response, I smacked away the fist with my left hand before it even reached me. The force of my counter made him lose his balance momentarily and I did not waste it. I took one step forward and thrust my palm into his solar plexus.

And he flew.

Literally. I really mean it. He flew! It was like he just got smashed by some kind of bag that was the same size as his body! He was literally flying backwards from my attack before he crashed into his friends!

For a moment I watched my extended hand with awe. I mean, I'm not strong and I did put a bit of force into my attack but...WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!

I JUST PUNCHED AWAY SOME THUG THAT WAS ABOUT SIX FEET TALL WITH A FAT AND MUSCULAR BODY AS IF HE WAS MADE OF PILLOWS!

"Ton! Ton! Shit! He knocked out Ton with one hit!" The smallest thug squeaked with a shaky voice as he checked on his friend, bringing me out of my internal shock.

"For real?!" The blue haired, long-tongued thug asked from shock. Then he turned to me and glared as he clenched his two knives. "You bastaaaard!"

He charged at me with a roar, knives gleaming ominously and raised as he tried to threaten me.

Just like his big brute friend...he is slow...

I calculated the distance between us and when I was sure he was about to enter my range, I took one step forward, taking him by surprise, before I raised my foot and kicked him in the stomach.

He let out a choked gasp, his knives slipping from his hands before he met the same fate as his friend...however, I did not use as much as force as I used on the big one. A kick is stronger than a punch, after all, and if one punch was enough to knock that big guy out...I think this skinny thug will vomit blood and possibly die...

I clearly do not want that to happen.

But still...I can't help but feel awed by my new strength. I mean, holy shit! Did anyone see that?! I mean, anyone from my world or anyone who at least knows me. I just knocked those two out with a single hit! One palm and one kick! Shit! And what about that slow motion thing?! That was almost like Neo from The Matrix! So cool!

I tried my best to look calm and hid my giddiness. However, I couldn't stop the smirk that crossed my face, "Are you next?" I asked the last thug.

In response, the smallest thug let out a yelp and desperately began to pull on his friend's clothes. Wow, he didn't run off by himself and leave his friends. I can respect that.

I watched with amusement as he finally – somehow – managed to drag the two men that were larger than him and run away. Shaking my head, I let out a small sigh that was filled with a mixture of contentment and confusion.

I stared at my hand once more. What is this? Where is this strength and where did it come from? I mean...firstly, my toy sword became Excalibur. That's already shocking enough. And then my cosplay costume turned into real armor! And, to add to that shock, I somehow showed strength that...

What in the name of God just happened?

"That wasn't bad."

I tensed when I heard a new voice. However, unlike before, this one is smooth, gentle and controlled. I quickly turned to see the new person that was speaking to me.

He is...a young man...a good looking man with bright blue eyes. He was slender and tall and wore a well-made white outfit that screamed out his status as nobility. I noticed that there was a sword that was strapped to his waist, but what caught my attention the most was his red hair. And I mean really red. It's not a natural red, more like dyed hair.

A guard or some kind of officer? No, he's clearly not that simple of a person. I mean, the way he speaks and his laid back attitude...he must be someone who at least has a high rank in his job.

He...seems very familiar for some reason...and I mean really familiar. I swear I have seen him somewhere before.

"Thank you." I said in a stoic voice, my body still tense. I'm not a paranoid person but I was just attacked by thugs and now there's someone who had appeared from nowhere.

It seems that he had noticed my wariness and quickly raised both of his hands in a placating manner, "Ah, please, don't be alarmed. I do not have any ill intentions towards you."

Hearing his voice and seeing his gesture that seems to be sincere, I relaxed myself a bit and fully turned my body towards him. I also began to observe him more keenly.

"Right." I let out a small grunt and nod at him. "Were you there since the beginning?"

"No." He shook his head and began to approach me with a serene smile. "I just arrived after you punched the big man. I was about to jump in and help when the second one rushed after you but I see you did not need it."

"Is that so..." I hummed as I recalled my fight...well, if it can be called a fight. I mean, I pretty much beat those two with a small amount of effort.

"My name is Reinhard." He introduced himself to me. "May I ask yours?"

"Aaron." I responded in a polite voice. Reinhard, huh? That's...very familiar...screw very familiar! I swear I know this guy but...for some reason I can't remember. I need a trigger! A trigger so I can remember more! "What brings you here, Mr Reinhard?"

"Please don't call me Mister. Reinhard is fine." He chuckled. "As for why I'm here? Well, I sensed some magic that was unleashed around here and I came to check it to see what had happened."

Magic? Like...does he mean when I had tried to unsheathe Excalibur? He sensed the Invisible Air from it? So, in here magic exists? …Okay, that was a stupid question, Aaron. There are humanoid cats and dogs out there! Obviously it's real!

"Ah, that was my fault." I said in a slightly sheepish voice. "I was just trying something with my sword." I gestured to the Excalibur at my waist. "I just put some mana on my sword to see how it would react."

"I see..." He seemed to have accepted the answer quite easily as his eyes locked onto Excalibur for a moment. There was something undecipherable in his look and it made me a bit uncomfortable. "Say, Aaron, where do you come from?"

Well...here comes the million dollar question. How should I answer this? Should I lie? I mean, I can't just say I come from a different world.

"A land that is far away from here."

That wasn't a complete lie. Singapore is far away from wherever is this.

"A land that's far away?" Reinhard repeated with a curious look. "Is it outside the Kingdom of Lugnica?"

Kingdom of Lugnica...judging by the way he speaks, that must be the name of where I am right now.

"Yes, you can say so."

"You're a tourist, then."

"Not really." I shook my head. "I just happened to stumble into this city. But I don't mind a little sightseeing."

"Well, if you've come to sightsee I suggest Arlham village." Reinhard said with a smile. "The area around that place is fresh and it's also surrounded by some beautiful nature views."

"I see. Sounds like a good place for a vacation." I commented. I don't care about that, actually. I just gave a polite response. I was about to ask something else, however, I paused when I noticed something, or rather someone that was running in our direction from behind Reinhard. "What was that?" I asked with a blink.

Reinhard, who noticed my look, turned around. We both saw a...girl. Definitely a girl; a small girl judging from her figure.

"Hey! Out of the way! Out of the way! I'm talking to you! Move! Move!"

Reinhard and I split away from one another and opened the way on reflex as the girl blurred between us. I caught sight of her appearance. She has long blond hair, red eyes and she wore well-worn clothes that had an unclean appearance.

"Thank you!"

She yelled at us as she kicked off some wooden plank that was set up against the end wall, grabbing the top of the wall before she flung herself onto the roof of one of the surrounding buildings without any problems.

I stared at the girl that was now gone, blinking like an owl. I had seen parkour from Youtube but that...that...that overshadowed all of the parkour I had seen as if they were nothing! Holy shit! That girl moved like Spiderman! How the hell can she move so smoothly and so...acrobatic like that?!

"Well..." Reinhard blinked too "That's certainly not something you see every day. I wonder what's making her be in such a hurry..." He hummed in a contemplating manner.

"I don't know. Perhaps she's being chased by someone." I commented with a thoughtful face. "Or she could be late for work." I added when I noticed that Reinhard seemed to be taking my words seriously, judging by his grim expression.

Seriously, for a person who seems to be laid back, he has quite a...chivalrous personality.

Then again, that's not shocking given his appearance. He's like some kind of guard who directly protects royalty or at least a governor.

"You're right." Reinhard chuckled. "Well, I guess nothing seems wrong so I will take my leave, Aaron." He said with a smile. "I have a job to do."

"Oh? Okay, then. Sorry for taking up your time."

"So polite! There's no need for that." He chuckled again. "Very well, then."

Reinhard gave a wave and I responded with a nod. As he began to walk away, I briefly glanced at my hand once again before I turned to face the knives that were dropped by the punk. Wordlessly, I took one of the weapons and began to touch the sharp edge.

Alright...let's test this...

I put strength into my fingers and then I bent the knife down and-

BREAK!

Whoa! It broke with a small resistance under my strength. I broke it with ease! And while I put in more strength than when I hit the thug, I don't think it's my maximum strength.

...Don't...don't tell me...I've become a living Servant? I...I mean, my armor became real! My toy became something that's possibly equal to a nuke or more!

As I stared at the broken knife in my hand I didn't know what to do. I mean...this is a very complicated and mind-boggling situation. The weakest Servant has at least five or ten times the strength of an adult human but I know I'm not the weakest. I'm the strongest. I'm Saber, and not a normal Saber but King Arthur himself...

Shit...this is...this is...

"Excuse me."

Another voice made me startled. This one was also different. For once, it was female; it was soft and seemed to be in a hurry.

I quickly turned around and...

Beautiful...

She was without a doubt beautiful. She was so beautiful that she was almost like a porcelain doll. She has long silver hair – not white but silver, actual silver – with braids in it that reached down to her hips. She has violet colored eyes that shone with intelligence. The clothing she is wearing is a white colored dress. The design itself seems quite simple however the simplicity seems to make her presence seem to be more...extraordinary.

There's also one thing that stood out. It was the white cloak she was wearing. It was emblazoned with some embroidery that depicted a bird of prey and if Reinhard's appearance screamed nobility then this girl screamed royalty.

Normally, I was going to check her out without any shame. I mean, can you deny that?! She's beautiful! Heck, I have seen many beautiful girls but this one?! She can be categorized as one of the rarity!

But I did not check her out.

Because this girl was really, really familiar.

She felt even more familiar than Reinhard!

I swear to Jesus that I have seen her somewhere before. I swear I know her! I mean, I recognize her! But the name can't be rolled off of my tongue and out of my mouth!

"...Yes?" I asked.

"Have you happened to have seen someone that was running around this area?" She asked me. Her voice was filled with frustration as she plead. "I've been robbed and I've tried to find the thief but I lost their track."

...

"Well, I do believe I saw the thief." I said in an almost dry voice. Who knew that the girl from before was really being chased by someone for bad reasons?

"Really?" The girl looked quite hopeful when I said that.

"Yes, it's a small girl around this tall, she has long blond hair, red eyes and is wearing a long red syal, covered by a black tube top and brown leather jacket." I described the person while making gestures when mentioning the height. "She jumped onto the rooftops of those buildings. She's probably already behind those walls." I said as I pointed to the buildings.

"I see. Thank you for your help, then." She bowed in a polite manner.

"You're welcome but..." Okay, I can't hold it in anymore! This curiosity and feeling of déjà vu are starting to kill me from the inside! "Excuse me, miss, but may I know your name?" I asked as polity as I could.

The silver haired beauty blinked at my sudden question. I saw complicated feelings briefly flash through her eyes before they were gone, "My name is Emilia."

...

Do you know that feeling when you are absolutely sure that you're going to pass some very important exam and by that I mean you're absolutely sure you are; you're really confident? That feeling when you already prepared yourself and there's nothing that will stop you?

And when you come to the exam room you get stopped by the teacher and he says you can't take the exam because your attendance rate is below the required standard?

And how, at that time, you feel your whole blood freeze as an indescribable sensation starts to grip your heart?

...

Yeah, that's exactly what I was feeling right now.

No wonder Reinhard seemed to be very familiar...he's practically one of the strongest characters, after all...

Re:Zero...

I'm in the Re:Zeroverse...the Re:Zero universe...

In the world where the protagonist had been driven insane, burned, mutilated, gutted like a fish, and has seen everyone – everyone – he holds dear killed or die in front of his eyes. In a world where monsters and demonic beasts with their mumbo jumbo deadly and potent curses lurking around every single day. In a world where a crazy fanatical cult butchers and burns anyone just so they can have some attention from a witch that swallowed half of the world.

I could only conjure one word that was able to sum up my situation.

"Fuck."

Why me...?