"Hah!"
Two swords clash in a fight for survival.
"You got this, Sachi!"
His mother's blaring voice from the stands of the gymnasium was almost more embarrassing than it was encouraging.
Sachihiro Takahashi gripped the handle on his bamboo sword with even fiercer intensity.
"Haaa!"
He launched a heavy swing on his opponent, only for the blow to be easily deflected.
Spotting the opening, his competitor struck his side, claiming his third point.
A referee blew his whistle
"Victory goes to David Johnson!"
Sachihiro threw off his helmet, sweat flowing from his pores as tears welled in his eyes.
David walked over to Sachihiro and pat his back.
"You'll get em next time, Sachi."
The condescending tone in his voice was infuriating.
Sachihiro had came from a Japanese family, but he lived in a city in America. That just made it all the more embarrassing when he lost.
The other students always pestered him, sounding surprised thinking he was some kind of kendo master just because of his heritage. His dad was impressively good at kendo, he use to have awards all around the house. Maybe if he was still around to teach him, he could've met their expectations.
He moved off the gym floor and made his way to the changing room, before being stopped by his mother.
"Sachi, you were amazing! It's a shame you couldn't win."
Sachihiro sighed. He placed 7th, there were only twelve people competing. For how long he's been practicing, he should be better.
"Yeah, it's a shame."
He said goodbye to his mother, and left the building to make his way back to his apartment.
Sitting down at his desk, he let out a deep sigh and turned on his computer.
Other than Kendo, Sachihiro's biggest hobby was video games. But even there, he was still mediocre.
"Damnit… Silver again..?"
He slumped back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. The never ending cycle of a mediocre mess followed him wherever he went.
He decided to call it a night and crawl into bed.
He shut his eyes, and began to drift off.
When opened his eyes, he was in a strange void, almost like a dream. Azure swirls of dust jumped around him like they were circling their prey.
"You are… Sachihiro Takahashi, yes?"
A beautiful figure of a woman appeared right before him. She dawned a slick white robe paired with a white headband. Her pale skin glistened in the light of azure dust while her long curly was as green as clovers.
Sachihiro couldn't see a physical body of his own, but he was still able to speak.
"Y-yes."
The woman had an entrancing smile as she spoke, the color of her eyes matched her hair.
"Sachihiro, you have been chosen as my champion. When you wake up, you'll be in a much different world, but you'll have no time to relax. Others will be hunting you, you must be ready to defend yourself."
If Sachihiro had a face, it'd share his confused and anxious feeling.
Before he could respond, the woman continued.
"I will explain more later, I have prepared a system that is familiar to you for your benefit."
Feeling even more confused, Sachihiro was dragged down further into the void, before all he could see was the darkness enveloping him.
When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the shivering leaves of the trees above him.
He sat up and patted himself, he was mostly the same, his long black hair and body were still in tact, but now he wore his kendo uniform minus the protective helmet.
When he looked in front of him, a screen took over his view. It was like a menu out of a game.
[Name: Sachihiro Takahashi]
[Class: Samurai]
[Level: 1]
[Attributes: STR 1, DEX 1, VIT 1, INT 1, LCK 1, CHA 1]
The screen was fully interactive too, he scrolled through tabs of skills, traits and equipment, all of which were empty except for a single sword.
[Equipped: Basic Katana]
It really was like playing a game.
While he kept ogling at the screen, a small green bird landed on his shoulder.
"Can you hear me, Sachihiro?"
Sachihiro let out a shriek as he jumped to his feet, accidentally closing the screen.
"Do not worry, I'm your friend."
Sachihiro's muscled slightly relaxed.
"Who are you?"
The bird on his shoulder chirped.
"I am the goddess of Luck and Favor, but you may call me Serendelle."
Sachihiro peered beyond the trees, discovering the vast landscape of green meadows and medieval cityscapes. Below him was a large cliff, just a few steps further and he would've fell off.
"Where the hell am I, and why am I here?"
Serendelle made a sad noise.
"That is a long story…"
Before he could respond, there was a rustle in the bushes behind him.
He spun around to see a man holding an axe. He had a thick beard and plump belly.
Realizing he had been spotted, the man's expression changed.
With an axe in his hand, he shouted and charged Sachihiro.
Serendelle flew off of his shoulder into the trees above them.
Sachihiro drew the blade that balanced on his hip and prepared to block the blow.
"Stop! What the hell are you doing!"
The crazed man didn't respond and swung wildly at Sachihiro.
The man had age, size, and power over Sachi.
Holding one hand on the back of the blade and the other on the handle, Sachihiro raised the sword above his head and blocked the blow.
The sheer power of the attack drove Sachihiro's feet into the ground, pushing him backwards against the cliff.
The man charged another strike at his side.
"I said stop!"
Sachihiro swung his blade in an upward direction, colliding with the axe and deflecting the attack above him.
In a single sweep, Sachihiro draws his blade across the chest of the man, cleaving his body in two.
A squirt of blood flows from each half as his body thuds to the ground.
[You have slain a Champion!]
[Champions slain: 1]
[All stats have increased by 10%]
[You leveled up!]
"Serendelle, what the hell was that!?"
The flapping of wings stings his ear as Serendelle returns to his shoulder.
"That must have been another Lesser God's champion. You are lucky to have slain one, they are usually all gone by now."
Sachihiro's breathing becomes more rampant.
"What do you mean another Lesser God? I just killed him! I didn't think I'd kill him!"
Serendelle made another sad noise.
"I too am a Lesser God, otherwise I would have granted you much greater strength. The system and equipment was the most I could do."
Sachihiro sat below a nearby tree and spoke in a low voice.
"How do I get back home?"
Serendelle was silent, still perched on his shoulder.
"Serendelle!"
The bird shook its feathers.
"You won't be able to unless you conquer the gods game."
The bird hopped off his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him.
A green cloud of dust appeared as the true figure of the goddess emerged.
She stood in front of him and spoke softly.
"All gods are forced to participate. Select a champion, and guide them to victory. If they lose, both the champion and the god are killed. The only way to win is to grow stronger and challenge one of the seven Major God's champions. By winning we take their spot, and you're free to travel realms. including back to your home."
Sachihiro craned his neck back to face the sky, and his menu opened.
He saw that he now had a trait.
[Favored by Luck]