Chapter 3: Enter Alna

"Grrrr" the creature was now stepping closer to me despite me trying to hold my ground. I didn't know how strong or relentless this beast was. It could be just barring its teeth and be equivalent to a puppy.

Suddenly the creature darted forward. I dodged clumsily towards a nearby tree. The beast missed me and slammed into the large tree but what I saw finally made me enter panic mode. Where the teeth had missed my chewy limbs it bit instead into hard bark and now there was a head-sized wound in the tree. If it could do that to a large sturdy body of wood...what would it do to me, a 25 year old office worker who had literally no muscle and while still somewhat slim, was certainly getting a bit of flab around my "muscles".

"Okay...you aren't a puppy..." I was now back up but so was the temporarily disorientated beast. It kind of reminded me of my my one neighbor's dog, Fifi. The name sounded absurd but that dog was a tough as nails Shiba and for whatever reason it hated me. I would often find myself running back inside my home when Fifi came out. The dog seemed small and feeble but I saw what it did to a few other creatures that annoyed it. 

"GRRRR" The beast once more attacked and this time my dodge wasn't clean. it didn't hit me full on but when I tried to maneuver the opposite direction of where it was attacking, I didn't move as fast and needless to say I felt the consequences. My once white suit was now missing a chunk in the right sleeve and there was a red spot beginning to form. I was bleeding...

"Okay listen beast...go eat something else that is more healthy. I'm not the beast meat around. I drink and eat way too much fast food." I was trying to talk to this thing like it understood me but I was more so just talking to reformat my nerves. The sad truth, this thing was getting closer to landing a hit on me and clearly this wasn't a RPG. There was no points or a menu that showed my defense points. I was in another world that shared similar elements to my own. 

"Grrrrrr" The beast lunged again and this time I wasn't ready. My eyes went wide. Was I going to die here? I prayed if this was like any isekai someone would come in and rescue me. 

"Move!" a voice suddenly screamed behind me. I really didn't get to move though, whatever just screamed out that order pushed me and I landed sideways on the grass. I blinked a few times in shock but when my eyes refocused I saw two incredible sights. The first was the beast was now cleaved in half. It laid in two pieces on the road. The next was who had done it. I saw a bushy red tail swing attached to a female body. I am now convinced I am 1000% in a fantasy world.

"You okay?" my savior turned around and my eyes went wide again...not from fear this time thankfully but from shock. The person...cat...cat-human was in front of me. She had long reddish-orange hair down to her back. Her outfit reminded me of a sentai ranger but I won't deny a lot more adult themed. Her legs and arms were exposed and her long legs stopped at ankle high black shoes. Her face though was the final heart stopper. To say she was cute wasn't doing her justice. Plus, she cute little cat ears that weren't larger than a regular cat's ones. I then looked below her fact and my eyes met two very large and semi visible mounds of heaven. 

"Can you understand me?" The female cat-like woman walked up to me head slightly titled in wonder. 

"What are you wearing?" she added as she got closer to me.

"Ohhh...I'm sorry I'm fine. Thank you." I finally stood up. She then looked at arm and saw the damage. 

"Ah it got you...that wound needs to be treated. Dr. Z should be awake still. Do you have a name strange human?" 

"Mizuki...Mizuki Ayano." I bowed slightly but the woman before me. The woman again tilted her head. I realized maybe bowing wasn't the right thing in this world to show appreciation or respect.

"Nice to meet you Mizuki. My name is Alna." 

"Alna...thank you for saving me really. I would have been that thing's dinner." I smiled weakly.

"Nah. Dingos don't kill their prey. They wound them, eat a bit then walk off. Still, their wounds pack some bad infections if not treated. Come now Mizuki. I usually don't bring strangers back to city but you seem harmless." Alna said as she started walking with her back turned to me. I guess those creatures are called Dingos...sounds like the name of the animal in my world. Now I was starting to see why that God-like beast was telling me this world shared so many similarities with mine. 

We walked the path for what seemed like forever but it wasn't unenjoyable. Along the way Alna and me chatted about random things which helped expand my knowledge of this world. I learned that there were numerous wild beasts in this area and I was lucky to only have run into a Dingo. There could have been mimics, zombies, yes literal walking dead creatures and orcs. Most were chased out of the area or killed by those in her city but still they appeared and luckily not when I was around.

"Hey Mizuki, where are you from I haven't asked." Alna asked the exact question I feared. I didn't know the layout of this world. I couldn't say Japan obviously and I knew no other places around here. 

"I'm from...the east." I said hoping it would be a plausible answer. Alna stopped and looked at me quizzically.

"The east?"

"Yeah...far...far east." I kept calm and prayed she didn't ask anything further.

"I get it...you don't trust me to tell me. Its fine, we only did just meet. Still, I do want to know why you were in the forest at this particular time of night." she waited for an answer with her arms folded. I really wanted to tell her but I couldn't. I truly wasn't fully aware of the answer of why I was here yet either. 

"I'll answer those questions for you both. Stop sweating and panicking." As if on cue, the being, Mr. Voice, that summoned here appeared. Unlike before, it had a form this time...similar to mist but with a human-like shape. I won't lie it was off putting and Alna clearly thought so as well. Alna quickly jumped back and her nails extended like small daggers. 

"Who is this!?" She went low to the ground ready to pounce.

"This...this is the reason I was in the forest. You can relax Alna. As far as I'm aware, it doesn't mean harm." I said holding my hands out hoping to ease her. She looked at me then at the being. Her nails retracted and she stood up. 

"I would have laughed if you had attacked me. Those weapons and skills of your would have done nothing to this form but kudos for trying to intimidate me." 

"Mr. Voice be nice." I said sheepishly. 

"Mr. Voice?" Alna repeated.

"Yes, this fool Mizuki has named me that. I have no name but it works and you may call me that as well if it helps you talk with me. Anyways, I don't have long but I do wish to explain to you some very important things." 

"Explain then finally." I sighed.

"First, Mizuki here isn't from your world. He wasn't lying saying he was from the east but more so that applies to his world not here."

"Wait...you're a summoned being?" Alna said her eyes seemed to light up with that sudden revelation.

"Yeah....I guess." 

"Yes, he is the hero I need to defeat Slain and finally rid this world of its false God." 

"YOU'RE GOING TO DEFEAT SLAIN?!" Alna suddenly was on top of me gripping me tightly. She was quite warm to the touch.

"I don't know about all of this saving the world...I'm not a hero."

"You aren't just yet but I will help you become one." Mr. Voice said. 

"First, you will need to go to the equipment shop and find your weapon. I say your weapon and mean that. You will recognize it almost immediately and it too has a SOUL. That weapon will give you the skill to be a hero here in this place and will start your mission." 

"A sword?" I couldn't help think of those anime where a character gained a legendary weapon and then become OP. Would that happen to me too? Would I grab that sword and become a legendary warrior? I won't deny I was excited now but more so less worried than I was a moment ago. Mr. Voice finally gave me a true starting point to my mission. 

"The equipment shop is closed at this time but we can go tomorrow." Alna said and then pointed at my arm.

"That needs to be healed first though." 

"Also, tomorrow I will explain why this meeting couldn't have happened at a better time. Alna...you are destined to journey alongside Mizuki to take down Slain." 

"I am?" Alna was excited I could see her tail wagging like food was being held in front of a hungry cat. 

"Yes...ugh time is running short already. Mizuki you will be joined by three people in total for your party. All four of you will be needed to defeat Slain and free this world...the world of Armata!" Mr. Voice vanished but finally I knew where I was. Armata...the world created by Slain.