DanMachi Fanfic - Chapter 1: Gate of Destiny
"So this is Orario? Hmm, not as impressive as I imagined."
Kira stood before the entrance gates of Orario with his arms crossed, his sharp blue eyes evaluating the magnificent structure before him with a deliberately unimpressed expression. A long queue of people waiting to enter the city stretched ahead of him, mostly new adventurers dreaming of conquering the dungeon.
Unlike most people who appeared nervous or overly enthusiastic, Kira merely yawned widely while running his fingers through his messy black hair. Several women around him stole glances in his direction—not surprising, with his perfectly sculpted physique, the result of two decades of intensive physical training clearly visible beneath his simple travel clothes.
Fifteen years of hard training for this moment. I should have gotten a more magnificent welcome.
The young man smiled thinly, remembering his unusual life journey. Twenty years ago, he had awakened in this world as a newborn baby with intact memories of his previous life. Knowing he had reincarnated into the DanMachi world—a world full of gods and goddesses, adventurers, and dungeon monsters—he had prepared himself from a very young age.
"Hey, move forward! Don't just stand there daydreaming!" shouted a large man behind him.
Kira turned casually, raising an eyebrow. "Patience, Old Man. Rush too much and you'll die young, you know."
The man growled and stepped forward, clearly offended. "Are you looking for trouble, boy?"
"Not looking for it, but if you're offering..." Kira grinned, not at all intimidated despite the much larger man before him.
Before the situation could escalate, a gate guard called out, "Next!"
"Ah, that's my call. Sorry, Old Man, we'll continue this some other time." Kira patted the man's shoulder dismissively before walking toward the guard.
After a brief inspection and paying the entrance fee, Kira stepped into Orario with an expression that finally couldn't hide his interest. "So this is the largest city in the world, huh?"
Orario's atmosphere was bustling and colorful. Merchants offered their wares, adventurers with various equipment passed by, and different races—humans, elves, dwarves, animal people—all mingled in the city's harmony. However, what caught Kira's attention most was the countless beautiful women at every corner of the city.
"Oh? This is paradise," he muttered with a wide smile. "Hestia, Aiz, Ryuu, Freya... I've come for all of you."
But first, he needed to register at the Guild. Following the instructions he received from the gate guard, Kira moved toward the large building with the Guild emblem in the center of the city.
---
"So, you want to become an adventurer?"
Kira sat across from a Guild receptionist—not Eina as he had hoped, but a young woman with red hair, a serious expression, and glasses perched on her nose. The name on her chest tag read "Misha Flott."
"That's right, Beautiful Lady," Kira answered with a charming smile. "Isn't that obvious? Or do you just want to chat with me longer?"
Misha frowned, blushing slightly before clearing her throat. "Please be serious, Mr...?"
"Kira. Just Kira is fine." He leaned back casually. "And I am being serious. I want to become an adventurer, get my status, and conquer the dungeon."
"Alright, Kira-san. To become an official adventurer, you need to join a Familia first. Do you already have a Familia that you will enter?"
"Not yet. But I'm sure they'll be fighting to recruit me." Kira grinned confidently.
Misha sighed. "This isn't something to take lightly. Without a blessing from a god or goddess, you can't receive Falna and the status needed to face dungeon monsters."
"Oh, I know that," Kira looked straight into Misha's eyes. "But what's wrong with being confident? Or would you like to recommend a Familia for me? Perhaps your own Familia? I wouldn't mind if you were the one guiding me." He winked.
"T-that's not professional!" Misha's face reddened. "As a Guild advisor, my duty is only to provide information and guidance. The decision to join which Familia is entirely yours."
"Hmm, that's a shame." Kira shrugged. "In that case, could you recommend some Familias that are currently looking for new members?"
Overcoming her embarrassment, Misha returned to being professional and pulled out several sheets of parchment. "Here is a list of Familias that are currently open to new members. They have various focuses—some focus on dungeon exploration, trading, or even craftsmanship."
Kira took the list and frowned. Most of these are small Familias I don't recognize from the original series. Where's Hestia? Ah, perhaps she hasn't descended to the lower world yet?
"Alright, thank you for the information." Kira folded the parchment and tucked it away. "Now, could you explain a bit about the dungeon and the level system in this world?"
Misha looked slightly surprised. "You... don't know about the dungeon?"
"Let's just say I grew up in a very remote village," Kira replied with a mysterious smile.
"Very well..." Misha began explaining the basics about the dungeon, monsters, Magic Stones, and the adventurer level and status system.
Despite already knowing all this information from his memories of his previous life, Kira listened attentively, occasionally nodding or asking questions to maintain the impression that he truly didn't know.
"...and that's why you shouldn't go below the 10th floor alone when you're still level 1," Misha concluded her explanation.
"Hmm, sounds challenging," Kira commented. "But I'm sure I can handle it. After all, I'm not an ordinary adventurer."
Misha let out a long sigh. "All new adventurers think that way, and many end up as monster food. Please don't underestimate the danger, Kira-san."
"I appreciate your concern." Kira's expression turned serious for the first time. "But I've been training in combat for fifteen years. I may not have an adventurer's status yet, but I know how to fight and survive."
Misha looked surprised at his change in attitude. "Fifteen years? How old are you actually?"
"Twenty," Kira answered briefly. "I started training as soon as I could walk."
"That's... quite impressive," Misha admitted. "But still, the dungeon is different from training outside. The monsters inside—"
"I understand," Kira interrupted with a smile that returned to being casual. "I'll be careful. So, what's the next step?"
"Find a Familia willing to accept you, then return here to register your official status as an adventurer," Misha explained. "I can complete your registration at that time."
"Perfect." Kira stood up and stretched, deliberately showing off his perfectly sculpted muscles, causing Misha and several other women in the Guild to glance over. "In that case, I'll go find that lucky Familia now."
"Um, good luck, Kira-san," Misha said, trying to sound professional despite her slightly reddened face.
Kira turned to leave but then looked back. "Oh, and Misha?"
"Yes?"
"I'll be back tomorrow. Prepare coffee for me, okay?" He winked before exiting the Guild, leaving a confused Misha behind.
---
Dusk was falling over Orario when Kira threw himself onto a bench in the city's main square. His expression was no longer casual or confident, but rather stressed and frustrated.
"Damn... what is this?" he grumbled while massaging his temple.
All day long, he had visited various Familias from the list Misha had given him, but the result was the same at each place: rejection.
Miach Familia: "Sorry, we're in financial difficulty and can't accept new members."
Takemikazuchi Familia: "Your posture and abilities are impressive, but we're looking for members who are more... humble."
Dionysus Familia: "An attitude like yours won't fit with our Familia's dynamics."
And so on.
Kira let out a long sigh. He hadn't expected it would be this difficult. In the scenario he had imagined, the gods and goddesses would be impressed with his perfect physique and experience, then compete to recruit him. The reality was far different.
"Maybe I was too confident," he muttered, acknowledging his mistake for the first time. "Or maybe my approach was wrong."
The sky grew darker, and the city lights began to turn on one by one. Kira stared at those lights with an empty gaze.
"What should I do now? Without a Familia, I can't get a status. Without a status, I can't enter the dungeon. Without entering the dungeon..."
His dream of meeting the beautiful women from this series—Aiz, Ryuu, Freya, and others—seemed increasingly distant.
"Maybe... I need to change my approach," he said to himself. He glanced toward a church-like building in the distance—Babel, the tower that served as the entrance to the dungeon. "Or perhaps I should try Familias that aren't on that list."
Kira stood up, dusting off his pants. Though his expression remained stressed, there was a glint of determination in his eyes.
"This is just the first day. Tomorrow... tomorrow will be different."
With that, he walked off to find the cheapest inn he could. His money wasn't plentiful, and without joining a Familia, he needed to save.
Behind his mischievous attitude, Kira silently contemplated a new strategy for tomorrow. Because after all, he hadn't come this far just to give up on the first day.
"Orario... this is just the beginning."