I Tried A Test Slash And Ended Up In Another World (1)

I thought I should organize the situation.

First, I tried to recall how things had led up to this.

I had bought manga.

I had impulsively bought the entire series of a manga I’d fallen in love with through a free preview, then read it all in one go until early morning.

Since it was an unfinished work, I was way too curious about the continuation and got so excited that I couldn’t sleep.

Then, while browsing the internet, I happened to see an advertisement selling a replica sword.

Running on all-nighter energy, I had bought it on impulse.

So far, fine.

The problem started after that.

What arrived was completely different from the image.

It was unnaturally heavy and gave off an ominous vibe.

But I didn’t hate the design, so I liked it and tried swinging it in my room.

I even did a fake iaijutsu draw.

And then… space was sliced apart.

I was sucked into the hole that opened in space, and before I knew it, I had fallen into an unfamiliar place.

Where was this?

“The royal castle of the Kingdom of Etoile……”

No, where even was that!?

I’d never heard of the Kingdom of Etoile!

It sounded exactly like a name you’d see in a fantasy game setting!

“Damn it, what the hell is going on……”

Without understanding anything, I was guided to a room by the princess.

There was a high-class-looking bed and sofa.

The room was at least five times larger than mine.

Apparently, I was free to use it.

Meals were provided three times a day, and there was even a large communal bath.

They prepared changes of clothes, and if I asked, they would even help me dress.

“What is this ridiculous VIP treatment!?”

I’d been swept along without understanding anything, leading to the present.

I was still confused.

By both the situation and the treatment.

That was why I needed to整理 my thoughts and circumstances.

Once I finished sorting things out, there was only one answer……

“That’s it. This is a dream.”

This had to be a dream.

I was exhausted after staying up all night, so I was probably still dreaming.

There was no other explanation.

Because this was weird, right?

What kind of nonsense was it to swing a replica sword bought online and end up in another world?

No matter how you looked at it, that was impossible.

I often read isekai manga, but those were purely fictional worlds.

There was no way it could happen in reality.

“If it’s a dream, it shouldn’t hurt—ow, that hurts……”

I tried pinching my cheek.

I could clearly feel pain and felt relieved… no, the opposite.

Feeling pain was bad.

It proved this wasn’t a dream.

“Then it’s a prank! Someone must be pulling an elaborate prank on me!”

What a pain in the ass.

Who was it?

Who on earth would pull a prank on me!?

And with such an elaborate set and cast of people, too.

“Heh, fine. I’ll play along until the big reveal.”

Once in a while, this kind of thing wasn’t so bad.

I’d humor my friends’ stupid antics.

Three days later.

“Soji-sama, breakfast is ready.”

“Ah, thank you. Please leave it there.”

“Certainly.”

The maid carried breakfast into the room and left.

As always, it was a lavish meal.

The seasoning was unique, but once I got used to it, it was actually pretty good.

What a comfortable life.

It felt like staying at a luxury hotel.

I took a sip of warm tea and let out a relieved breath.

“This is comfy… no, wait, that’s not it!”

I slapped the table and did a self-directed tsukkomi.

Why was I living so comfortably?

Where was the prank reveal?

It had already been three days, and there was still no “Prank Successful!” sign in sight!

“This is way too long… but it’s a prank, right? My friends set it up… huh!”

That was when I realized something important.

Come to think of it, I…

“I don’t even have friends.”

Impossible!

What a disaster!

I was already in my second year of university, yet I didn’t have a girlfriend—or even a single friend.

I had been living a dull, colorless youth.

As a seasoned loner, there was no way I had friends who would pull a prank on me.

That was a critical oversight.

I should have noticed much sooner.

“…Wait a second. If it’s not a prank, then……”

Was this for real?

Was it actually real?

Was this truly another world, and was I a Hero…?

The moment the question surfaced, my gaze was drawn to the replica sword I had bought online.

I remembered.

That’s right.

When I swung this replica sword, space tore open, and I was sent to this world.

Was that even possible for a mere replica sword?

“It’s a replica sword… right?”

I gripped the sword again and drew it.

A jet-black blade.

If it were a replica, it should be stainless steel and unable to cut anything.

But there was this weight.

On a hunch, I aimed the blade at a wooden chair nearby.

“There’s no way it can cut, right!”

It was a replica sword, so it shouldn’t cut.

To prove that, I swung the blade at the wooden chair.

Slice!

“Huh?”

It cut cleanly.

More than that, it sliced through effortlessly with barely any force.

The cut surface was clean too—could replica swords cut wood?

No way.

Which meant this blade was the real thing.

“Then… this is……”

Was it actually a genuine cursed blade?

Was the tearing of space and being sent to another world because of this weird sword?

Looking closely, the design was strangely ominous.

It even looked like there was some kind of strange black aura……

“Wait, hold on! I bought this online! It was ten thousand yen!”

That was painful for a broke student, sure, but there was no way you could buy a real blade for ten thousand yen!

In the first place, it was absurd for real swords to be sold online.

And this was a cursed blade, no less.

Who was responsible!?

Who sold something this dangerous!?

“I want to cancel the order.”

But I couldn’t.

This wasn’t the world I knew.

It was time to admit it.

I’d spent three days here already, and I’d been shown plenty of proof that this was another world.

It wasn’t a dream, and it wasn’t a prank.

Then, without a doubt, this really was another world.

“…Seriously…”