**Chapter One: A Wish or a Dream**
In the pulsating heart of vibrant Japan, where neon lights shimmer like stars fallen to earth, and car horns rise in a noisy urban symphony, and towering buildings soar to touch the clouds, this nation was proverbial in creativity and renaissance. It is the land that rose from the ashes of loss to become a beacon of progress, and an incubator for the enchanting world of anime and manga. A parallel world, weaving its threads from fertile imagination, inviting the soul to plunge into it, and thoughts wander in its infinite realms. And how many youth were captivated by this enthralling art, finding in it a sanctuary from their reality, and an outlet for their dreams.
Yari Makoto was one of those youths. At sixteen years old, he lived an ordinary life, almost monotonous, in bustling Tokyo. His days passed in a familiar pattern: school, then studying, then returning home. But his profound passion for manga and anime broke this routine, adding a touch of magic to it. He adored talking about this world, finding in it an unmatched pleasure, as if he breathed through it.
One day, inside his classroom, after a boring class ended, his friend approached him, eyes sparkling with childlike enthusiasm: "Yari, did you watch the new One Piece episode? It's mythical in every sense of the word!"
Yari answered, his eyes shining brighter, his voice dripping with enthusiasm: "The One Piece manga is blazing more than the anime! Did you see Luffy's past? What a painful and thrilling past!"
The friend replied with a shy smile: "I don't read manga, I only like anime. I find it easier and more vibrant."
Yari insisted, with a tone confident in his knowledge: "Manga is the origin of all anime, and it's truly enjoyable! It has details and depth that anime can't fully cover!"
Yari and his friend continued their engaging conversation, exchanging analyses and theories about their favorite characters, until a sharp voice interrupted them from behind. It was another student, known for his constant sarcasm, who said mockingly: "Why are you talking about this nonsense? It doesn't interest me, it's just cartoons for children!"
Anger flared in Yari, as if someone had stabbed the core of his soul. He shouted loudly, shaking the classroom walls: "You understand nothing, you fool! Anime isn't for children, it's a story and a tale that narrates other worlds! Complete worlds, with their characters, history, and philosophy!"
The other student retorted with sharper mockery, a sneering smile on his face: "Other worlds? What nonsense is coming out of your mouth? Do you really believe there are other worlds like anime? You live in delusions!"
Yari almost got into a fight with him, were it not for the intervention of other students who separated them with difficulty. But Yari's words weren't just an angry reaction; they stemmed from a deep, firm faith within him. He truly believed in the existence of other worlds resembling anime worlds, worlds full of adventures, secrets, and supernatural powers. And he often wished, deep inside, to transfer to any of those worlds. Perhaps it was nonsense in others' eyes, or mere childish naive thinking, but it was an inseparable part of his being, nourishing him and giving him hope.
Days passed, as if time moved at rocket speed, devouring years without stopping. Yari grew up, got married, and had children. He became immersed in the vortex of daily life, forgetting all this "nonsense" that preoccupied him in his youth. Maybe he occasionally watched anime with his son, in rare moments of relaxation, but life became full of endless preoccupations and worries, swallowing dreams and blurring passion.
After an exhausting and long day of hard work, Yari was returning to his house, his body groaning from fatigue. He muttered to himself, his voice barely audible: "What exhaustion! That damn manager pressured us too much at work. I need a cold beer bottle to relax and forget today's tiredness."
At that moment, while walking on the quiet street, Yari spotted an old lady, showing signs of exhaustion and fatigue, pulling a huge cart full of worn-out boxes and papers. The lady was pulling the cart with great difficulty, and every step she took seemed like her last. Yari was sometimes indifferent to his surroundings, but this time he felt a strong internal urge to help her.
The old lady almost fell to the ground from extreme exhaustion, but Yari rushed to her with wide steps and grabbed the cart before it fell. The old lady said, her eyes gleaming with gratitude: "Thank you, my son, you saved me."
Yari answered gently, a slight smile on his face: "No problem, grandma, it's my duty."
He pushed the cart for her until they reached her humble home. The old lady said in a sad tone: "Thank you, my son. I have nothing to give you as a reward, won't you come in and eat with me? At least let me offer you a hot cup of tea."
Yari refused quickly, shaking his head: "No, no, I didn't do anything deserving a reward. I want nothing. Goodbye, grandma, I wish you a happy day."
But before he left, the old lady placed something small in his hand. "Wait, take this talisman. It will grant you a wish, any wish you desire from your heart."
"A wish? What is this senile old lady saying?" Yari thought to himself, with some sarcasm and doubt. "No, I want nothing." He tried to return the talisman, but the old lady had already placed it inside his coat and entered her house without waiting for a reply.
Yari left and returned home, ate dinner with his wife and son in a warm family atmosphere, then went to his room to sleep. While taking off his coat, the small talisman fell to the ground. Yari picked it up and remembered the old lady's words. "A wish? What nonsense!" Before throwing it in the trash bin, he held it and read what was written on it. The words were strange, written in an ancient language, but they were clear: "If you want the wish granted, you must think of it sincerely, then recite the hymn aloud."
Yari thought of that strange thing that preoccupied him in his childhood: transferring to another world. Yari didn't know why he thought of that specifically, perhaps because he knew this wish wouldn't truly come true, and it was just a trick. Yari thought of the wish, then recited the hymn in a faint voice, half-convinced nothing would happen.
"Nothing happened. I knew it was all a trick." Yari threw the talisman in the trash bin, sighed in despair, then lay on his bed and slept, drowning in his day's fatigue.
But something unexpected happened, something unforeseen. Yari didn't wake up on his familiar bed in his house. The smell of his home he was accustomed to didn't fill his nose. "What is this? Where am I? Wasn't I in bed? Why does the air smell like this?" These were the last words Yari Makoto muttered before opening his eyes to a reality no mind could believe. He wasn't in his familiar room, nor on his warm bed. The air he inhaled was strange, carrying an unfamiliar smell, a mix of ancient dust, strange metals, and something else undefinable, something hinting at power and mystery. It wasn't the smell of crowded Tokyo, nor the smell of his comfortable home. It was the smell of a completely different world.
He looked around in bewilderment. There was no familiar ceiling, nor his room's walls. He was in a strange place, seeming like an old room, but unlike any room he'd seen before. The furniture was made of materials he didn't recognize, and the windows overlooked a scene not belonging to the Japan he knew. The buildings were different, the sky an odd color, and the sun seemed larger and brighter, as if rising on a completely new world.
Yari felt a strange coldness on his body. He wasn't wearing his usual clothes. He looked at himself to find he was wearing strange clothes, made of coarse fabric, in a style unrelated to modern clothing. More importantly, when he touched his face, he felt different features. His body was different. Not the body he'd known all his life, but the body of another youth, younger, stronger.
"Am... am I dreaming?" Yari muttered, trying to pinch himself to make sure. The pain was real, painfully real. "No, this isn't a dream. Wasn't I asleep? Where am I?"
He remembered the talisman, the old lady, and the wish he thought of sarcastically. "It can't be... did it really...?" His heart raced madly. Had he truly transferred to another world? Had his silly childhood wish, forgotten long ago, come true?