As the ritual ended, a deep creak echoed through the hall. The massive wooden doors at the far end slowly opened, groaning on heavy iron hinges. Golden light poured through the widening gap, casting long beams across the stone floor.
Then, silhouettes appeared in the light. Step by step, they entered the hall, their forms becoming clear.
At the front walked an elderly King.
He was tall and broad-shouldered. His long white hair flowed past his shoulders, and he wore a deep crimson robe with golden embroidery curling like vines across the fabric. A polished gold crown sat on his brow, gleaming in the light.
At his side walked a woman of striking beauty: the Queen.
She moved elegantly. Her silver gown shimmered like moonlight on water, clinging to her form as if it had been spun from stardust. A delicate tiara crowned her head, and her face was so youthful and flawless, I almost mistook her for a princess.
And then came the procession.
They entered in rows, two by two, stretching far back, more than a hundred in all. I saw nobles in finely tailored suits and dresses, knights in ornate armor polished to a mirror shine. Some carried staffs, others wore crests and medals, symbols of their houses and honors.
Together, they looked like something out of a fantasy epic.
They then all came to a halt infront of us. And then, silent. None of them spoke.
Even the air itself seemed to pause, as if the entire hall were waiting for something.
The king looked at us.
His eyes were sharp, like a hawk's. They locked onto the four of us standing in the place where the summoning circle had faded. He gave a small smile. It seemed polite, almost kind, but the intensity behind his gaze was hard to miss.
He stepped forward.
When he spoke, his voice filled the hall, deep and resonant, like the toll of a great bell.
"Welcome to Valeria, noble heroes."
The words echoed through the chamber.
"You have been summoned to our world in its darkest hour, to stand as beacons of hope against the shadow that threatens to devour all. I am King Alan Froste, ruler of this Holy Kingdom. And I ask for your aid."
Something cold stirred in my stomach.
I didn't recognize the language he was using. It wasn't Japanese. It wasn't English. It wasn't anything I knew!
And yet, I understood every word.
It was amazing.
But also… deeply unsettling.
"E-Ermm… i-is this a mistake?" a small voice asked beside me. It was the high school girl.
"I-I mean… we're not… 'noble heroes' or anything…" she mumbled. "Eh? Wait—what language is this? Why does it sound like I've spoken it my whole life…?"
Her face twisted in confusion, and I knew exactly what she meant.
One moment, everything sounded foreign. The next, it all made sense. Like someone had reached into our heads and flipped a switch.
"I think you've got the wrong people. W-we're not heroes or whatever." The pizza delivery guy muttered.
"Yeah, and even if we were, why should we help you? We didn't ask to come here. This is kidnapping!" the red-haired boy snapped.
Meanwhile, I stayed silent.
But deep down… I agreed with them.
It didn't matter how grand the throne was, or how royal the robes looked.
It didn't change the truth.
We'd been taken, pulled from our world without warning.
If that's not kidnapping, I don't know what is.
Across the chamber, King Alan Froste took a long, steady breath. His expression softened, just a little, like he'd expected this reaction all along.
"I understand your confusion… and your fear. Please believe me, it was never our wish to bring you here against your will.
"And yet… our kingdom, our entire world, stands on the edge of ruin. A great evil is stirring in the darkness. They are powerful and merciless, a calamity that threatens to consume everything we know.
"There was no mistake. You are the Chosen Heroes. Only you possess the power to stand against the Demon Gods… and save us all."
A heavy silence fell.
"…What? Chosen… heroes?"
"Demon… Gods?"
The girl and the the red-haired boy exclaimed, almost at the same time.
The three of them stood frozen, their expressions caught between disbelief and confusion.
They had been taken, torn from their homes, their lives, their world, without warning, without choice, and dropped into this chamber, into this strange new reality, and now, some guy in royal robes was telling them they had to fight demons?
Seriously? What kind of nonsense was that?
But then—
"Wait!" the pizza delivery guy blurted out. "Guys, hold on a second. Is this, like… one of those light novel things? You know… Isekai stories?"