I died.
"If only it weren't for you!"
Thwack!
Or so I imagined, just before I was actually hit by a bicycle. I thought, It's just a bike, surely I'll just suffer a hairline fracture at worst? But right next to me was a long, steep flight of stairs, straight out of the Joker movie. I tumbled down them, and just like that, my life concluded.
My life was truly dog sh*t.
I had finished my military service, was about to graduate from a vocational college, and had already secured a job straight after graduation thanks to a successful internship. I never fought with anyone, never harmed a soul; I was just an outsider, an extra with a faint presence... Ah, perhaps that is why I died? It certainly feels that way.
Why is a mere extra suddenly introducing himself? Well, my name doesn't really matter.
My name is...
Right, let's go with AKAN1.
"...What a sh*tty name."
Well, changing a name is no issue here, so pay it no mind.
First, the explanation is lacking... No, who am I even explaining this to?
To put it simply, I have undergone "Isekai Reincarnation." You know the drill, right? The mass-produced fantasy novels that have sprung up like bamboo shoots after the rain since the 2010s. Whether hit by a truck, a car, killed in a random stabbing, or by a divine mistake. Of course, dying by a god's mistake is common enough in mythology to be acceptable, but which pushover deity from actual myth would apologize and reincarnate you as compensation?
There is no such thing.
In 50% of these works, you meet a god upon reincarnation, but there was nothing of the sort for me. And what would I do even if I met one? Greek gods are basically just Aqua from Konosuba anyway.
First of all, of all places, I reincarnated into the Moonlit World—the Type-Moon universe. How do I know? I am wearing the Chaldea Master Uniform. And there are Command Spells on the back of my hand.
Why did it have to be FGO? Even being a civilian in Fate/stay night would be easier to survive. In any other Fate timeline, as long as you aren't a Magus, you can just flee far away from the stage. But FGO? Is it better to be an extra here? No, it's all the same hell.
And, the staple of any Isekai genre: The Status Window.
It exists. Or rather, something similar—the FGO User Interface. The problem is that my name has become the hastily written nickname I used in the game.
"...Haa."
My current location is the burning Fuyuki City. My face remains my own.
"Hmm, what shall I do about this?"
The Status Window looks exactly like the game UI. However, there isn't much I can do. I don't see the myriad of Servants I used to own in the game. I can see the Craft Essences, though. Why is the Servant list empty? Give me back my time and money.
"What now... The streets are teeming with skeletons."
It has been about an hour since I reincarnated. Knowing I was already dead kept me calm; I didn't think much of it. I am currently hiding in a relatively intact building, assessing the situation, but the Status Window alone gives me no clue as to what course of action to take.
"Hmm... Shall I try using this?"
There is a 'My Room' option and a 'Summon' window. I try pressing 'My Room' first, but it doesn't react. Next is the Summon window. As I press it, a familiar FGO explanation box pops up. Is this a tutorial?
< Servant Summon. You may use Saint Quartz to summon Servants. Additionally, you may select and summon Servants you have collected in the past. Both existing Servants summoned via Saint Quartz and new Servants can be summoned freely from the Spirit Origin List without issue. >
"Heh... In that case, isn't it better to call upon my old Servants rather than gamble on a new summon?"
I see two options: Existing Summon and New Summon.
I select Existing Summon. Countless Servants appear on the screen. Ho... these are the Servants I raised. They are all strong, but who would be the best choice? Rather than pure brute strength, someone capable of support who can also hold their own in a fight would be ideal, right? Especially since this is Fuyuki...
But will it be alright? With their Fairy Eyes or True Name Discernment, they might realize I am just an ordinary person and cut ties with me. That would be heartbreaking... Actually, I'm already dead, so what's the point of surviving in the FGO world? I'll likely just get killed by the Alien God anyway.
Because of this, I have no great ambition for this new life in another world. If I had to label it, my mindset is "Enjoy the Game," since I'm living on borrowed time. What is life, anyway? You just get hit by a bicycle and die; that's life.
I make my decision and summon the Servant. At that moment, a brilliant white light shines before me, and she appears.
"Ah, is it time for farming already...? I haven't even eaten yet... Could you not spare me even a moment for a meal...?"
Cute.
Is this the live-action version of a Servant suffering from overwork? She is an incredibly beautiful girl...
"K-Kuhm... Well, about that... It's not farming."
"Pardon? Ah, then is it a Weekly Mission? Since we are in Fuyuki..."
"No, no. We are starting over from the beginning."
"Pardon?"
"I mean... Restoration of Human Order. We are doing it again."
"...I have never done that before. Is this the 'New Game Plus' that Lady Tomoe speaks of?"
"Similar, but it's not exactly something I wanted to do... Wait, let me change my name first."
I immediately go to the Status Window to change my name. Since this is a life in a new world, what would be good? Right, this fits perfectly.
< Humpty Dumpty >
Isn't Alice in Wonderland the origin of the Isekai genre? Since I'm a man, 'Alice' is a bit much, but 'Humpty Dumpty' is a character with significant presence. He also appears occasionally in American cartoons I watched as a child.
"You are not changing your gender?"
"Oho, absolutely no TS (Gender Bender). It is fine for others, but not for me. Who is that TS even for?!"
"Yes, yes~ I suppose so. Then, are there no others?"
"...The system structure has changed, so Saint Quartz is required. There are no Quartz for the initial bonus, so it is just you."
"Eh... Wait, does that mean it is just me and you, Master?"
"Right?"
"Heh... Well, not bad. However! Please make me one promise."
"What is it?"
"I wish to stop farming...!"
A pitiful corporate slave drowning in the agony of farming loops. Seeing her in person, she is such a stunning beauty that I cannot refuse her request. The moment I refuse, I become human trash!
"Alright, I promise."
"....Really?"
"Yeah. If you say so, I must listen. I am your Master, after all."
"...I see."
She probably knows everything with her Fairy Eyes anyway... but whatever. Honestly, I don't know if we'll even have the opportunity to farm in the future.
By the way, there is much I need to figure out. I need to meet up with Chaldea—judging by my clothes, I am tentatively a member of Chaldea. I also need to find out if the original protagonist exists here or not.
We should get moving. I'm feeling a bit peckish. Let's search the surroundings for some edible food.
"Then shall we head out? Come, Castoria!"
"..."
"Alright, Artoria. Let's go."
"Castoria... Well, that nickname isn't too bad."
Hmm, that's unexpected. Come to think of it... she is Bond Level 15 with me, isn't she? Perhaps... if I asked for a kiss on the cheek, would she do it? Ay... no way. She isn't just any Servant; she is a being made of the suffering of farming. It would be a miracle if I didn't get stabbed.
"Before we go, is a kiss possible?"
"....."
Tsk, I'm going to get hit now. It was a good life. Strength B... Am I going to be beaten to death by the Emiya Kaioken version? A reasonably good life. Isekai Reincarnation Story, End!
Smooch.
".....Hmm?"
"What is with that reaction? You asked for it."
"...I didn't think you'd actually do it."
"We have spent years together, Master, and our Bond is Level 15. I am the only one at Bond 15 in your Chaldea, so something like this is only natural, is it not?"
What is this? Did I use a hypnosis app? Or is common sense being rewritten? Bond Levels are terrifying...!
Castoria seems embarrassed as well; as soon as she finishes speaking, she blushes and turns her head away. Cute.
We step outside in a slightly awkward atmosphere. The skeletons, which have multiplied since earlier, turn to look at us.
"Whoa."
"Just skeletons? How bland."
Around Artoria, blades of magical energy manifest. They fly straight out and shatter every single skeleton. Wow...
Not even debris remains on the ground.
"No Evil Bones dropped."
"They were supposed to drop? What a luck-based sh*t game."
There were dozens of them, and not a single drop? Terrible drop rates. No, that's not important right now.
"You are hungry, right Master?"
"Ah? Yeah, I am."
"I shall use magecraft to detect where ingredients might be."
"Such magecraft exists?"
"It is a spell I learned because I did not want Master to go hungry, no matter where we are. I can endure hunger, but Master must not."
"...My heart skipped a beat just now. I like you, Artoria."
"Ugh... I-It's not like I am particularly happy about that..."
She is surprisingly easy. The power of Bond Levels is terrifying...!
"Humpty Dumpty"