Thud.
"Ouch... That was definitely my butt."
A 18 year old girl with black eyes, long black hair, sitting on the forest floor without a single piece of clothing. She was confused as the landscape changed…..
Sayaka blinked, eyes squinting against the warm rays peeking through a green canopy. Her head throbbed. Her back ached. And worst of all...
"…Why am I NAKED?!"
She bolted upright, only to immediately regret it as a dizzy spell knocked her right back to the soft patch of moss she'd been laying on.
Don't panic, Sayaka. Deep breaths. Count to ten. Pretend it's just a weird dream. A really vivid, suspiciously fantasy-themed dream.
Birds chirped above, the scent of damp earth and wildflowers filled her lungs. She could hear a nearby stream, but no sounds of cars, voices, or buzzing smartphones.
This... wasn't her room.
This wasn't her city.
This wasn't even Earth — probably.
"Oh great. I've been isekai'd," she muttered. "And of course, I get sent here with no clothes, no magic, and not even a single stat screen. What kind of discount reincarnation is this?!"
Where's my overpowered cheat skill, huh?! Where's the cute goddess welcoming me?! Or at least a talking sword!
Her foot stepped on a thorn. She winced.
"Yep. Definitely not a dream."
She wrapped herself in some giant leaves — not fashionable, but they covered enough. Kind of.
Note to self: if I survive this, invent fantasy-world underwear. Get rich. Retire.
Then came the growl.
It didn't sound like a dog. Or a wolf. It was deeper, hungrier. Rustling from behind the trees.
"...Okay, bad timing. Very bad timing."
Sayaka turned slowly.
Three green-skinned creatures emerged — hunched, sharp-toothed, with beady red eyes and rusty knives.
"G-Goblins...?! No. Nope. Nope, I've seen enough anime to know where this is going!"
She ran.
They followed.
Branches whipped at her face as she sprinted through the forest, clutching her leafy outfit like her life depended on it. Because it did.
Just as one goblin leapt, a sharp whistle cut through the air — followed by the twang of a bowstring.
Thud.
The goblin collapsed midair, an arrow lodged in its skull.
"What the—?"
Another arrow. Then a third. All clean shots.
The goblins hissed and fled back into the shadows.
Sayaka gasped for air, knees buckling. A tall figure in fur-lined leather stepped into view, bow still raised.
He looked... rugged. Wild eyes, scruffy beard, a real hunter-type. Definitely not from Tokyo.
"You alright?" he asked.
Sayaka blinked.
"Am I... dead?"
"No," he replied with a chuckle. "But you would've been in a few more seconds."
"…Cool. Thanks for saving me. Also, um… do you have clothes? Asking for a friend."
Later, inside a warm wooden cabin...
Sayaka sat wrapped in a patched blanket, sipping hot soup like she hadn't eaten in days (she hadn't).
The hunter — named Coren Seymor — explained that she'd been found in the forest near the northern ridges. He didn't ask too many questions, only offered to take her to someone he trusted: his distant cousin, Elara, who lived in a quiet village and ran a hunter's academy.
"You'll be safe there," Coren said. "And maybe... find your purpose."
Sayaka stared into her bowl.
My purpose, huh...? Yeah, I'd settle for figuring out how to pee in this world without a toilet first.
Still, her heart beat a little faster.
She didn't know where she was, or why she'd been sent here. She didn't even know if this world wanted her.
But for the first time in forever...
She wasn't just Sayaka, the failing student, invisible in crowds.
She was something else now.
Someone beginning a strange new story.
To be continued....