What would you do if you actually ended up in the world you’ve always dreamed of?

Any hot-blooded Japanese guy has probably played a game like that at least once—one where you can’t help but wish you could dive right into its universe.

It was perfect for me, at any rate.

That world was Knight of the Giant.

So, what happens when it really comes true?

The answer is this.

“…Huh?”

My jaw dropped, and I couldn’t close it.

All I could do was stare out the window at the scene before me.

I still couldn’t believe it was real. I pinched my cheeks over and over, wondering if it was a dream, but all I felt was pain.

“For real? No way, what? This can’t be happening?”

Full dive? A prank? Hypnosis?

I tried to deny the sight with every possible explanation.

But no.

“This is reality, isn’t it.”

My eyes, my nose, my ears.

Every sense hammered home that this was real.

What came to mind was that final message.

NEW Route unlocked. Will you challenge it?

If I took that message at face value…

Then this must be that world.

The world of the game where I’d poured my entire youth.

And Kenya Mikazuki glanced once more at the envelope on the desk.

Inside were a student ID and an admission certificate.

“Enrollment starts April 1st, and this school’s been the stage for so much of the game, right?”

The envelope also contained a school pamphlet.

The more I looked, the more it matched the school the protagonist attended in the KOG world.

Its official name: Earthguard Empire 13th District Military Academy.

A school for training soldiers, so to speak.

But not just any soldiers—this was a pilot training academy for those who could handle KOGs.

“Should’ve read every last bit of the lore… though I could’ve never predicted this.”

It seemed I’d somehow transferred into the KOG world.

I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn’t just sit around panicking.

I didn’t know much about this world, after all.

Was it anxiety? Excitement?

My heart pounded so hard I swore I could hear it in my ears.

Kenya was thrilled.

“By the way, what time is it? Or rather, what day?”

He reached for the smartphone that should have been in his pocket.

But it wasn’t there.

Instead, sitting on the desk was a similar-looking device.

“Is this that thing? Like the smartphones the protagonists had?”

Kenya touched it, and it powered on.

The screen lit up, displaying today’s date.

“Lemme see… Imperial Calendar Year 320… April 1st!?”

April 1st, 8:00 AM.

The entrance ceremony was at 8:30, so he needed to hurry.

He had no clue what was happening, but he still had to attend the ceremony.

He didn’t know much about this world yet, and he didn’t want to get on anyone’s bad side by being late on the first day.

“No idea what’s going on, but guess I should head out. Might learn something.”

Kenya was a shut-in, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t leave the house.

He went shopping like anyone else.

He just hadn’t enjoyed school, and the biggest reason was the people he hated… or rather, the ones who hated him.

A sudden thought hit him: In this world, was he still himself?

Kenya stood before the mirror, wondering if he’d reincarnated as someone else.

But that worry was unfounded.

There stood the Kenya from his original world—not dead, just… here. Fresh-faced like his high school freshman days, wearing an unfamiliar uniform that looked like a military outfit.

“They even prepared a uniform for me, huh…”

It was the exact same as the ones worn by students at the pilot academy.

He swept everything off the desk into his bag and opened the door.

The sun shone down on him unchanged.

Bathed in the blinding morning light, he forced his still-disbelieving mind to move toward his destination.

It looked like Kenya had been in a school dormitory.

A few other new students were trickling out of the same building.

This was a world with robots, but the buildings weren’t some futuristic sci-fi setup.

Just a regular Western-style residential neighborhood.

Glancing around, he jogged toward the school a short distance away, following the map.

(That said… this doesn’t feel quite like Japan…)

The scenery, people’s clothes.

Everything screamed KOG world, stirring a sense of unfamiliarity.

“…Here we are.”

Running straight to the destination shown on the pamphlet’s map, he arrived at the building he’d glimpsed from the window earlier—like it was attached to a military base.

He opened the device—what he’d call the KOG device from now on—and checked the time: 8:15.

Still some leeway. Other students like him were passing through the gate here and there.

Then, a student surrounded by a gaggle of lackeys came in.

“Lord Road! Here’s your schedule for today.”

“Ahh…”

“Lord Road! To be chosen for the entrance greeting—truly deserving!”

“Ahh…”

“Lord Road!” “Lord Road!”

A petite, blond pretty boy being hyped up by his entourage.

“That’s… Road!?”

At the center was Road Earthguard.

Second Prince of the Earthguard Empire.

One of the key figures in the game.

A schemer—according to KOG lore, an undefeated strategist.

He judged by merit over race, a hardcore realist, if memory served.

Vague recollections, though—he wasn’t a KOG pilot, so details were fuzzy.

Kenya stood there dumbfounded, staring at Road.

“Hey! You!”

One of the lackeys noticed and called out.

Kenya pointed at himself, face saying me?

“Yeah, you! Inferior scum!”

“Me?”

Kenya pointed at himself.

The crowd buzzed, but looking around, a few students were kneeling and bowing their heads.

“You there, black hair! You’re Second Class, right? Why aren’t you kneeling?!”

(What the hell are they talking about?)

Kenya tilted his head.

“Fine, inferior. You refuse to obey, huh?”

The lackey suddenly drew the sword at his hip.

“I don’t mind either way, but…”

“Your Highness, please don’t stop me. He needs to learn.”

“Heh!?”

“Defeated nation’s inferior scum! Bow before royalty!”

(For real?)

“Sorrryyyy!!”

“Gahh!!”

Just as the lackey raised his sword.

Kenya took a dropkick from behind.

He tumbled, and someone grabbed his head, grinding it into the ground.

“S-Sorry! This guy’s a bit slow in the head! I’ll make sure he knows better! Please, just this once!”

“H-Hey!”

“Shut it! You too, apologize!”

“S-Sorry.”

Overwhelmed by her intensity, Kenya figured it’d be best to comply for now and apologized.

“Hmph. Good. From now on, serve as the Empire’s limb and waste that worthless life of yours.”

And with that, the lackeys left.

“Are you an idiot!? Before royalty, we don’t bow or it’s lese-majeste—they can kill us and we can’t complain!?”

The girl who had saved him glared at him fiercely as he looked up.

Black semi-long hair, healthy legs stretching from a short skirt.

A sharp, strong-willed cat-eyed girl.

Her chest was… well, flat, but her well-toned limbs were tight and firm.

She wore what looked like a military high school uniform, arms crossed in front of Kenya.

To put it bluntly: cute.

He’d seen her countless times, even in dreams.

But reality was different.

This girl before his very eyes outshone any virtual image.

Several times cuter.

Her fiery temper unchanged, yet deep down, a kind soul.

One of the game’s heroines.

Kaguya Kurokami stood there.

Kenya approached slowly.

Unbelievable—he reached out.

Tears of emotion welled in his eyes.

And then.

“Kaguyaaa!!”

He hugged her.

“Kyaaah!! What the hell are you doing, you pervert!!”

He flew through the air from the slap.

Then got kicked and stomped mercilessly.

In our line of work, that’s a reward.

He’d hugged her a few times in the game.

His body moved on autopilot. He wasn’t a pervert, honest.

“Hah… hah… hah… Didn’t think you were a pervert instead of an idiot. Saved you for nothing.”

Kaguya loomed over Kenya in seiza position, arms crossed, eyeing him like trash.

Classic tsundere vibe.

Though he’d only ever seen the tsun side.

“S-Sorry. Couldn’t help it… But thanks for saving me. I’m Kenya Mikazuki. Nice to meet you.”

She stared at his outstretched hand like it was filth.

Don’t look at me like that—it gives me chills.

“Sigh… Fine. You’re one of the few Japanese around. And I get how you feel.”

(Huh? You get my feelings? Did Kaguya want a hug too?)

Kaguya grasped his extended hand and shook it.

Her eyes held a hint of loneliness.

“I get not wanting to bow, but you can’t. It boils my blood too. But I’ll give you points for guts.”

(Oh. That.)

Her words jogged Kenya’s memory.

The state of this world, this country.

“Ah, right. I remember now…”

The meaning of “2nd Class Earthguard Citizen” on his admission certificate.

This world.

No, this country.

He looked up at the flag flying over the school.

Not the familiar Rising Sun, but a completely different one.

A crest of shield and sword.

In other words, this country—once Japan.

“Had been occupied by the Earthguard Empire.”