Starting Life in Another World With a New Character

Zero, Again

"After much consideration, I have come upon the answer!" Jun declared dramatically, sitting on the steps leading to a random building. "I have a variant of 'Return from Death' where I return as a randomly generated character after death. So far the only constant is being female and gorgeous. Everything else is different, even my boobs are bigger!"

"Look," said a nearby merchant, "I'm sure the changes a girl your age is going through are very interesting, but could you not rant about them near my shop?"

"Hold on, I'm almost done! Hmm, 'Return from Death as a Randomly Generated Character' is a mouthful. I'll call my ability 'Random Reset!' Okay, done, thanks for listening."

"Yeah, yeah."

Jun got up and started wandering around again. She was free to do whatever she wanted now! No need to go to that bar. No need to die again. And if she messed up, she had Random Reset. Then the image of Stella's head rolling into view filled her head. She couldn't just ignore what was going to happen. Now, the first step was to find Stella again. Hopefully Jun could find that same alley again.

She eventually found what she thought was the same alley and went into it. Sure enough, the same five thugs came into the alley after her, snickering. Jun turned to face them and drew her sword. Jun seemed to have an instinctive knowledge of how to use her weapon this time. So even her stats were randomly generated, interesting. She brandished her sword, inviting the thugs to attack.

The thugs seemed put off by her confidence, but the leader took the challenge, rushing forward with his knife ready. Jun dodged the blow and smacked the thug in the head with the flat of her blade, knocking him out.

"Grab him and get out," Jun commanded the other thugs. They obeyed.

Jun turned and walked over to the corner where she had met Stella the first time. Only to nearly crash into her again. Jun stopped at the last minute, preventing a collision.

"Stella..." Jun breathed.

"How do you know my name?" Stella demanded with a scowl.

"That's beside the point, I know where your sister is."

"What? How? Are you with them?"

"No! I just heard a rumor, is all..."

"Whatever, take me there. If you waste my time or try anything funny, I'll kill you."

"Understood."

They walked towards the bar in the slums.

"Hey, what's your name?" Stella asked once they neared the bar.

"Jun Sakata," said Jun.

"That's an unusual name..."

They reached the bar and opened the door. The woman from before was sitting at the bar, sipping on a drink. There was a box on the floor next to her, with air holes cut into it. That must've been where Stella's sister was. Jun pointed to the box.

"Your sister is in there!" she announced.

"What?" asked the bar tender. "Seriously? Some nasty stuff goes on in here, but human trafficking is where I--"

The woman drew her sword, cutting off his head in a single stroke. She then launched herself at Jun. Jun drew her sword and effortlessly blocked the first blow. She countered with a diagonal strike, but the woman parried.

Jun tried to feint from the left and attack for real from the right, but the woman seemed to see right through the feint and block the real attack with ease. Suddenly, a gust of wind threw the woman into the shelf of drinks behind the bar. Jun looked to Stella to see that she was holding out a hand. Most of the patrons had fled by now.

The woman stood and leapt up over the bar and came down on Jun with a vertical slash. Jun blocked the blow and countered with a horizontal slash. The woman leapt backwards, but received a shallow cut along her belly.

"Well done," said the woman. "You are clearly my better in swordsmanship. Fortunately I have a trump card."

The green gem the woman had been wearing before had up till now been concealed by her dress. Now, the woman grabbed the chain of the necklace and revealed the green gem. Fortunately, Jun was immune to its effects.

Jun ran at the woman, sword ready.

"Jun, no!" yelled Stella.

As Jun neared the woman, her eyes drifted more and more to the gem and she slowed down. By the time she was in striking range, her eyes were fixed on the gem and she had slowed to a stop. Jun shakily raised her sword to attack.

"Drop your sword," the woman demanded.

Jun threw her sword aside.

"Now, take off your armor, no, all your clothes."

Jun stripped and stood naked in the middle of the bar, still staring at the gem.

"Get on all fours and bark like a dog."

Jun obeyed.

Stella ran at the woman, but the woman casually bisected the girl. This partially woke Jun up and she started crawling for her sword. Then, her heart was skewered on the woman's sword. The woman withdrew her sword and laughed at Jun's predicament, then left, letting Jun die.

"Hey, are you going to buy anything or just stare at yourself?" asked the fruit merchant.

"Nya?" asked Jun. "Sorry, I'm broke, nya."

In the mirror was a beautiful catgirl with brown hair and fur on her ears and tail. She was clad in a form fitting brown leather tunic and skirt, plus brown leggings and a brown riding hood. There was a bow and quiver of arrows on her back and twin daggers at each of her hips.

"Then, get out of here!" the merchant exclaimed.

Jun sighed.