Chapter 606 – A Question About Vampires
The tension in the hall lingered after the king's declaration, but it was Matsuda Kenta who finally raised his hand, his voice breaking through the silence.
"Wait. I have a question. You said vampires are part of the Demon King's army, right? So… are you actually at war with vampires here?"
The hall fell still. Dozens of eyes—human, elf, and beastfolk—turned toward the group of twenty-two students.
Fujimoto Saki, realizing what he meant, quickly added:
"Because in our world, vampires haven't been like that for a really long time. They don't hunt humans anymore. They just… live like everyone else."
This caused a stir among the nobles, murmurs rising as they exchanged looks. One older elf leaned forward, intrigued.
"You mean… in your world, vampires do not prey upon mortals?"
Yamamoto Reina spoke clearly, stepping forward slightly.
"No. Not for thousands of years, from what history says. They buy blood through legal channels. Most of them run companies—big ones. Some of them even teach in schools. In our world, hunting people for blood hasn't been done for a very, very long time."
An older nobleman, his beard streaked with silver, raised a brow.
"Buy blood? You mean they pay for it?"
Reina nodded.
"Yes. They pay a lot. Especially for rare blood. There are even contracts—people who sell blood as a profession. The most expensive, from what we know, is the blood of virgins, and they pay extremely well for that."
Gasps and murmurs spread across the hall.
Even the beastfolk, who had been silent, pricked their ears in surprise.
Okabe Riku grinned.
"You know what else? If you're talking about money, vampires are probably the richest race in our world. The only ones with more wealth are dragons, and that's only because they hoard things that aren't even currency."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
The nobles looked at each other, as if struggling to imagine a world where vampires lived in skyscrapers and negotiated in boardrooms instead of marching as soldiers.
One elf lord whispered to another:
"Could such a world even exist? A world where vampires are merchants, not predators?"
The king himself looked thoughtful, glancing at the princess before turning his gaze back to the summoned students.
The hall had gone quiet again, the nobles and kings visibly fascinated by the differences between their world and the one these students came from.
One of the dwarf lords, his voice gruff but not unkind, finally leaned forward and asked:
"Then what of demons? In your world, are they like ours? Enemies? Or do they, too, live peacefully?"
Tachibana Yui glanced around at her classmates, then spoke carefully.
"In our world, demons aren't enemies. At least, not anymore. There used to be a war a long time ago, but that ended centuries ago. Now demons and angels even have a peace treaty."
A few of the gathered nobles gasped audibly.
Fujimoto Saki picked up where Yui left off, her tone casual but confident:
"If someone wants to summon a demon these days, they actually have to follow official rules. You can only summon demons who are registered on an official list. It's all legal now. And no one just calls up random demons—if you break the rules, you get arrested."
A beastfolk noble, her wolf ears flicking in surprise, asked:
"Registered? Like… in a book?"
Matsuda Kenta nodded.
"Exactly. They made it official. Angels and demons signed a treaty, so both sides agreed to stop fighting. Now, demons only come into the human world through proper contracts."
There was another ripple of murmurs throughout the hall, louder this time.
For a court that had only known demons as enemies and monsters, the idea of treaties and legal paperwork was almost impossible to imagine.
Okabe Riku added with a grin:
"And you know what's funny? The most summoned demon isn't a warrior or anything scary. It's a succubus. You can probably guess why."
Some of the students stifled a laugh. Several of the beastfolk tried not to chuckle, but the nobles looked utterly bewildered.
Yamamoto Reina explained with a calm tone:
"The point is, demons aren't like here. They live their lives. They have jobs, goals, and they don't attack people. It's not like there's a war. That ended a long time ago."
The nobles sat back, many of them clearly shaken by this revelation, while the king's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"Your world," he said slowly, "is unlike anything I could have imagined."
From the side of the hall, a tall elf noble, his silver hair braided in an elaborate style, stepped forward slightly and asked:
"And what of dragons? In your world, how do they live? Are they at peace as well?"
Tachibana Yui glanced around at her classmates and then answered.
"Dragons don't really involve themselves with humans. They live far away on their own islands, sleeping on their treasures. Honestly, they just… don't care about us."
Fujimoto Saki quickly added:
"But there's one thing everyone knows. You can visit those islands if you're allowed, but you never, ever touch their hoards. Not even a single coin."
Matsuda Kenta nodded, his expression serious as he remembered a story.
"Because if you do, that dragon will chase you to the ends of the earth. They never forget. Even if you run, even if you hide on another continent—they will come for you."
Okabe Riku grinned a little nervously.
"It's not even a rumor. It's happened before. There's video of one flying across an entire ocean to catch a guy who tried to sneak out with a handful of gold."
The nobles murmured at that, some nodding to one another.
An older human noble with a stern beard said softly:
"So even in your world, dragons are like the dragons of ours. Proud and terrible in their wrath, but they do not strike unless provoked."
Yamamoto Reina agreed.
"Exactly. As long as you respect their territory and their treasures, there's no reason to fear them. They're… neutral. They don't take sides. They just watch."
The elf noble who had asked the question smiled faintly, almost as if he found comfort in the similarity.
"Then in that, at least, our worlds are not so different."
For a moment, the tension in the hall softened. Even across two different worlds, dragons remained dragons: distant, powerful, and indifferent to the struggles of smaller beings.
The elf noble who had asked about dragons earlier, his silver hair glinting under the light, tilted his head slightly. His expression was polite but there was a sharpness to his eyes as he asked the next question.
"And what of the elves in your world? How do they live among humans?"
The room went quiet. Several of the students exchanged glances, unsure of how to phrase their answer. Finally, Yamamoto Reina spoke carefully, choosing her words with precision.
"Well… how should I put it?"
She paused for a moment, then continued honestly.
"They are extremely proud. Arrogant, even. They don't interfere with humans at all because, to them, humans are an inferior race."
A ripple of quiet murmurs spread across the court.
Fujimoto Saki added, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"It's not that they hate us. They just… look down on us. They live far away, in places we can't even reach without permission. And they keep to themselves."
Okabe Riku shrugged.
"If anything, humans are just a curiosity to them. They only come out when they need something or when there's an official meeting between their queen and our leaders."
The elf noble's face remained calm, but some of the other elves in the hall tightened their expressions, clearly not sure how to take the answer.
Tachibana Yui quickly added:
"But that's just how it is. They don't bother us, and we don't bother them. It's more… separate than hostile."
The elf noble finally smiled faintly, the tension around him easing.
"I see. Then, in that regard, they are much the same as the elves of our world. Proud, and often distant."
A few of the human nobles whispered among themselves, intrigued at how similar the elven attitude was, even across two completely different worlds.
Chapter 607 – A Question About Gods
The hall quieted again after the exchange about elves. The air felt heavy with so many unfamiliar eyes on them, yet the students of Class 2-B couldn't stop their curiosity.
This time, it was Fujimoto Saki who raised her hand hesitantly.
"Um… can I ask something?"
The nobles and kings turned their attention back to the group.
"Are there any gods in this world?"
Her voice echoed, clear in the silence.
A few students glanced at her in surprise, but several of them nodded quickly as if they'd been thinking the same thing.
Tachibana Yui followed up, speaking before any of the nobles could respond.
"In our world, gods and goddesses exist. Some of them even walk around among us now that all the secrets are gone. So… are there gods here too?"
The question caused a stir in the audience. Nobles whispered to one another, some exchanging uneasy glances. Even the beastfolk and dwarves seemed to pause, as if measuring how much they should say.
Finally, an older noble with a staff—perhaps a court mage—stepped forward and answered.
"Yes… there are gods in this world. Though unlike what you describe, they are not so easily seen. They dwell far away in their divine realms, and it is rare for them to descend. Most mortals live their entire lives without ever meeting one."
Another human noble added:
"It is said that in the ancient age, gods blessed our lands. But now, with the rise of the Demon King, they have grown silent. The temples still pray, the clergy still watch the skies, yet the gods remain apart from us."
Matsuda Kenta whispered under his breath to Okabe Riku:
"So it's not like back home. No goddesses walking in parks or drinking tea with people."
Riku smirked.
"Yeah, sounds more like the old myths—silent gods."
The court mage continued:
"There are still oracles, visions, and divine relics. But if you seek a world where gods freely walk among mortals, this is not it."
The students listened in silence, their minds full of comparisons between this strange land and the world they came from—a world where gods and goddesses could be neighbors, and where myths had stepped out of the pages of history.
The court mage straightened, the silver tip of his staff tapping lightly on the marble floor.
"In this world," he said, "temples are not merely places of prayer. They are the bridges between mortals and the divine. The oracles who serve there are chosen from birth. They dedicate their lives to interpreting the will of the gods."
An elf noblewoman, her voice graceful but solemn, added:
"When calamities come—famine, plague, great wars—the temples receive visions first. It is through them that we know the warnings of the divine. Oracles are our messengers. Without them, we would be blind."
The court mage nodded.
"An oracle may go her entire life without a single vision, but still they wait. And when a true vision comes, it is said the gods themselves are speaking through them."
Tachibana Yui raised an eyebrow.
"So, like… the gods don't show up themselves, but they use people as their voice?"
"Correct," the mage replied. "Direct descent is unheard of in these times. The last recorded manifestation was over three hundred years ago. And even then, it lasted only a moment."
Okabe Riku muttered to Matsuda Kenta, barely keeping his voice down.
"Sounds a lot more serious than our world. Back home, gods just show up in the park and argue about dessert."
Kenta grinned.
"Yeah, and sometimes you can see them on TV."
The court mage continued, unbothered by the students' whispers.
"It is the duty of every kingdom to maintain their temples. Should an oracle receive a prophecy, it must be delivered to their king or queen without delay. For in those words, the future of our people may lie."
Fujimoto Saki tilted her head.
"So, does that mean this summoning… was it predicted by an oracle?"
Her question hung in the air, and the nobles glanced toward the king and princess, as if waiting for them to speak.
Tachibana Yui, her curiosity stronger than her hesitation, raised her hand again.
"Then… can we ask something else? What are the names of your gods?"
A murmur ran through the nobles. It was an unusual request, but the court mage and a few temple priests who stood at the edge of the dais stepped forward, their expressions solemn.
The court mage answered in a measured tone:
"The gods who have watched over this world since its creation are seven. Their names are old and revered: Aurion, the Sunfather; Selvaris, Lady of the Moon and Tides; Theron, Keeper of Storms; Elyssia, Goddess of Life and Bloom; Kaelthas, Lord of War and Oaths; Meythra, Guardian of Knowledge; and Vorath, Judge of Souls.**"
The students exchanged glances, puzzled.
Fujimoto Saki whispered:
"Never heard of any of those."
Okabe Riku muttered back:
"Yeah… none of those are from home. No Amaterasu, no Zeus, no Odin. Totally different."
Yamamoto Reina asked aloud:
"So these gods are unique to this world?"
The court mage inclined his head.
"Indeed. We know nothing of the gods of your world, just as you know nothing of ours."
Kurosawa Haruto, who had been quietly observing, spoke softly:
"Then even the heavens themselves are different here."
The revelation left the class thoughtful. For all the similarities they'd found so far—elves, dragons, vampires—this was the first time something felt completely unfamiliar.
Chapter 608 – No Way Home
The questions from Class 2-B did not stop. After the talk of gods and oracles, another hand rose—Yamamoto Reina this time, calm but firm.
"Then, may I ask something important? What is the name of this world… and is there any way to return us home?"
The nobles stirred at the question. It was the court mage who stepped forward, his expression softening.
"This world is called Aetherion," he said gently.
"And as for returning home…"
He hesitated. His eyes, old and lined with experience, dropped for a moment before he spoke again.
"I am sorry. The ritual that summons heroes… it is one way. Once the gate has been opened and closed, there is no way to open it again to send you back. Even for us, it is beyond our ability."
The weight of his words fell over the group like a curtain.
Some of the students froze; others lowered their heads, gripping their desks as if trying to hold on to the last remnants of the world they came from.
Tachibana Yui broke the silence with a quiet, strained voice.
"So… we can't go home."
The mage shook his head.
"I am afraid not."
For a moment, no one said a word. Then, Okabe Riku muttered out loud:
"Then why us? What can we even do?"
Matsuda Kenta raised his voice, frustration seeping through.
"Exactly! None of us have an affinity! Not one of us. No fire, no lightning, and definitely not space. How could we possibly be of any help?"
The last word—space—caused an audible reaction.
The nobles exchanged wide-eyed glances. The mages, even those who had been silent, turned sharply toward the students, their faces showing disbelief.
The court mage spoke, his tone astonished.
"Space affinity…? Such a thing… exists in your world?"
Fujimoto Saki blinked in confusion.
"Yeah. It's rare, but it exists. We even know someone back home with space affinity. Why? Don't you?"
A second mage stepped forward, his voice trembling with genuine shock.
"No. In Aetherion, space affinity is a legend. There has not been a single soul in history who could command space. It is a power we speak of only in myths, as something even gods might fear."
Gasps and murmurs swept through the hall, the nobles leaning forward with a mix of fear and fascination.
For the first time since they arrived, it was the nobles who looked at the students as if they were the impossible ones.
The mages' and nobles' voices overlapped, eager, almost desperate.
"Do you know someone with this power in your world?"
"Have you seen it with your own eyes?"
"Can you tell us what they are like?"
Tachibana Yui held up both hands slightly.
"We've never met them in person," she admitted. "But we've seen them on the news. There's a lot of footage."
Fujimoto Saki pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen. The bright glow of the device's display caught the attention of the surrounding nobles, who leaned in with curiosity and confusion.
"Here," she said. "This one is Lady Sharon—she's the richest woman in our world. She awakened a space affinity, and she can teleport anywhere instantly."
The video showed Sharon standing in front of a camera during an interview, and then in an instant—she vanished, only to reappear several meters away in the blink of an eye. Then, without moving, she teleported a small coin directly into a block of steel, the coin emerging on the far side as though it had passed through.
Gasps filled the hall.
"She can move objects… into things?" a dwarf noble said, eyes wide.
"That is no mere magic. That is divine authority!" whispered an elven court mage.
Okabe Riku swiped to another video, this one showing an ex-Spetsnaz member from the Sentinel Guild demonstrating his light affinity—his body slowly becoming transparent until he disappeared entirely, then reappearing behind a training dummy with a flash.
The nobles exchanged astonished looks.
"This is… impossible," murmured the court mage.
"Magic that allows invisibility with such perfection," another whispered, "and manipulation of space itself… your world must be a land of miracles."
But they were also completely mystified by the glowing screens themselves.
One beastfolk noble frowned and whispered to his companion:
"What are these glowing boards? They hold moving pictures like water in a glass."
Matsuda Kenta realized what they meant and held up his phone.
"Oh. This? This is just a phone. It records things—video. So you can watch it again later."
"Video…?"
The nobles and mages stared blankly. Clearly, they were still trying to grasp what kind of strange magic could hold images that moved.
Kurosawa Haruto spoke quietly:
"You've never seen anything like this before. In our world, technology like this is normal. Magic and machines coexist."
The astonishment of the court only deepened.
They had summoned heroes from a world with powers and tools that Aetherion had never even dreamed of.
As the murmurs continued, Okabe Riku casually scrolled through his phone, looking for another video to show them.
Instead, the next swipe stopped on a photo.
It wasn't a video this time.
It was a picture of a man.
Black hair.
Black eyes.
A calm expression, sharp like a blade but quiet like still water.
Even on a phone screen, his presence was overwhelming—more striking than any noble or prince, more beautiful than a god carved from marble.
The students closest to him leaned over.
"Oh, that picture," whispered Fujimoto Saki.
"You really kept that one saved, huh?" teased Tachibana Yui, her voice low.
But the glow of the phone caught another pair of eyes.
From the dais, Princess Celestina stepped forward, her dress whispering across the marble as she drew closer.
Her expression was polite, but there was an unmistakable flicker of curiosity in her golden eyes.
"May I see that image?" she asked, her voice soft but clear.
Startled, Riku hesitated but turned the phone slightly so she could see.
The moment her eyes fell on the picture, she stopped walking.
"Who… is this man?"
Her voice held an edge of something rare—a mixture of awe and something like disbelief.
The students glanced at each other. They hadn't expected that question, but it was Fujimoto Saki who answered.
"He's from our world. His name is Alex Elwood."
Celestina's gaze remained fixed on the image, as if trying to commit every detail to memory.
"I have never seen a mortal… or even a god… with a presence like this."
Around them, several nobles craned their necks to see the image. Some whispered among themselves, their eyes narrowing as though even a still image made them uneasy.
Tachibana Yui muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the students around her to hear:
"She looks like she's been struck by lightning."
Okabe Riku whispered back:
"I mean… fair. He does look like that."
Even in another world, Alex's image stopped the room cold.
Princess Celestina's golden eyes lingered on the screen.
A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks—so subtle that even some of the nobles behind her noticed.
"Where… where did you obtain this image?" she asked, her voice steady, but softer now.
Fujimoto Saki and Okabe Riku exchanged quick glances, unsure how much to say.
Saki answered carefully:
"It's from the internet in our world. Someone secretly took the picture and uploaded it. A lot of people saved it—some even use it as a wallpaper on their phones."
The princess tilted her head slightly.
"Internet… wallpaper?"
Okabe Riku grinned awkwardly.
"Ah, um, that's… technology stuff. Basically, people liked the photo so much they keep it as a decoration on their device."
Her gaze returned to the picture, studying every detail of his face as though she might miss something important.
"And this man," she said slowly, "he is truly from your world?"
Tachibana Yui crossed her arms, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"Yeah. And if you think he just looks impressive… wait until you hear what he's done."
The princess looked up, curiosity clear in her eyes.
Yui continued:
"In our world, he's known as the man who can defeat gods. It's not a rumor. He's fought Apollo—the god of the sun—and beat him with just his fists."
Gasps rippled across the hall.
Fujimoto Saki added, with pride in her voice:
"And Fenrir too. The wolf that devours gods. He defeated him as well."
The room fell silent.
The words seemed to echo in the vast hall, bouncing off the high marble walls.
A low murmur started among the nobles, disbelieving, shocked, and for some, deeply unsettled. Even the elven mages who had kept a cool composure now stared with open interest.
Princess Celestina, still looking at the phone, whispered under her breath:
"A man who can strike down gods…"
For the first time since their summoning, the power dynamic in the room shifted—not because of the students themselves, but because of the name and image of someone from their world.
Chapter 609 – The Name That Stopped the Court
The vast hall, already tense after the last revelation, became completely silent.
Dozens of eyes—human, elf, beastfolk, and dwarf—were fixed on the group of twenty-two students.
It was the princess who spoke first, her voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying to every corner of the room.
"Tell me… tell me more about this man. This Alex Elwood."
Okabe Riku rubbed the back of his neck.
He wasn't sure how much to say, but Tachibana Yui stepped forward before he could answer, her tone calm but confident.
"Alex isn't just strong. In our world, there's no one like him. Not a single person. And his life is… well, it's not normal."
The nobles leaned in, captivated.
Fujimoto Saki continued where Yui left off.
"He has fought gods and monsters. He's beaten Apollo, Fenrir, and other beings we used to only know from myths. And after all that…"
She glanced briefly at her classmates before finishing.
"He has a family. With a goddess."
The words landed like thunder.
Princess Celestina blinked, her composure faltering.
"A goddess?"
Yui nodded.
"The sun goddess of our world. Her name is Amaterasu. They have a child together."
Gasps swept the court like a sudden gust of wind.
The nobles, who had barely believed the earlier claims, now erupted in a low, stunned murmur. Even the mages at the back of the hall straightened sharply, their faces a mixture of disbelief and curiosity.
An elf noblewoman, her voice calm but sharp as an arrow, asked:
"You speak of a mortal… bearing a child with a goddess? This is no small claim."
Matsuda Kenta nodded quickly.
"It's true. There are pictures and news stories about it back home. People were shocked at first, but it's not a rumor. She chose him. And… well, let's just say their child is already famous."
Princess Celestina stood very still, her golden eyes fixed on the glowing screen that still displayed Alex's picture.
Her voice, though soft, was full of a strange intensity.
"This man… he is more than just a hero, then."
Even the king, who had been silent until now, shifted slightly on his throne, his gaze weighing the students with a new, unreadable look.
The princess turned to the mages standing at the side of the dais, her voice calm but with a quiet urgency.
"Is it possible to summon again? Could the ritual be used to bring this man here?"
The court mage hesitated. His long robes shifted as he stepped forward and lowered his head respectfully.
"I am afraid, Princess Celestina, that it is impossible. The summoning ritual is not like a gate we can open at will. Once performed, the magic is exhausted for a very long time, perhaps centuries. And even if it were available…"
He paused, looking at the students and then back to the princess.
"To summon a specific person is like looking for a needle in an ocean. The magic chooses randomly. We cannot aim it. It is by pure chance that these twenty-two were brought here. To target a single individual, no matter how powerful, is beyond what this world's magic can do."
Celestina's gaze lowered slightly, her hand pressing gently against the folds of her dress as if steadying herself. Around her, the nobles murmured in disappointment.
Kurosawa Haruto exchanged glances with Tachibana Yui. They didn't say anything, but the same thought ran through their minds: even in another world, Alex's name alone was enough to shake a throne room.
Princess Celestina slowly turned back toward the students. Her voice was steady, though the tension in the hall made every word seem heavier.
"Even if this Alex cannot be summoned," she said softly, "can you, the ones who stand before us now, help us defeat the Demon King?"
The question silenced the entire hall. Even the whispering nobles stopped speaking and leaned forward in anticipation.
For a few moments, none of the students said anything. Many of them glanced at each other, uncertain, nervous. Some clenched their hands at their sides. Others lowered their eyes, their thoughts racing. Most of them were thinking the same thing: We aren't heroes.
Then, before anyone could speak, a chair scraped against the marble floor.
One of the boys stood. His expression was serious, his back straight. His voice rang out, firm and sure, cutting through the heavy silence.
"If there's a Demon King that threatens innocent lives," he said, "I can't just stand by and do nothing. I will fight."
The students turned toward him in unison.
Inside, several of them thought almost at the same time, This guy. He's exactly like the classic hero from an isekai anime. The one who takes the speech at face value and answers with pure, straightforward conviction.
Chapter 610 – The Star of 2-B
The moment the words left his mouth, the hall erupted. Nobles whispered to one another, some clapping lightly, others murmuring in approval. The mages looked relieved, and even Princess Celestina's face softened as if a ray of light had pierced the tension.
But for the rest of Class 2-B, it was a very different reaction.
Kurosawa Haruto, Fujimoto Saki, Tachibana Yui, Matsuda Kenta, Yamamoto Reina, Shiratori Aoi, and Okabe Riku all shared the same thought as soon as he stood up.
Hayato Kanzaki.
The school star. Good grades, fast in sports, always in the center of attention. He was the kind of guy who never lacked confidence. Everyone in school knew him—and, depending on who you asked, either admired him or found him exhausting.
Fujimoto Saki muttered under her breath, just loud enough for her desk neighbors to hear, "Here we go. Kanzaki is going to play the main character again."
Tachibana Yui rolled her eyes slightly. "Classic. Does he even realize this isn't an anime?"
Okabe Riku snorted softly. "Bet you anything he's already imagining a harem ending for himself."
None of them said it out loud for the nobles to hear, but among themselves, the thought was the same: Kanzaki Hayato never listens. Once he's decided something, he thinks everyone will just follow. That the whole class—and maybe this whole world—will revolve around him.
The truth was, none of them had agreed to anything yet. Kanzaki's bold declaration had been his own, but he hadn't asked a single one of them what they thought before speaking as if their answer was obvious.
Matsuda Kenta leaned closer to Haruto and whispered, "This guy really thinks he's the hero in some fantasy story."
Haruto nodded slightly. His expression stayed calm, but inside, he was already annoyed. Kanzaki's voice was loud enough that the entire court now assumed all twenty-two of them had agreed to fight.
While the nobles whispered their approval and the princess smiled in relief at Kanzaki's bold statement, the rest of the class leaned closer together, their voices low enough to stay under the hum of the hall.
Fujimoto Saki muttered first. "Does this idiot even get it? We were kidnapped."
Tachibana Yui nodded, her tone sharp. "Exactly. Summoned out of nowhere to fight in a war we didn't ask for. And he just stands up like some anime hero."
Okabe Riku scowled. "He doesn't care. All he sees is some story where he gets to be the main character."
Matsuda Kenta glanced toward Kanzaki, then back at the group. "Does he even realize we could die here? That there's no going home?"
Yamamoto Reina adjusted her glasses, keeping her voice calm but firm. "What he did just now is reckless. It's like agreeing to a death sentence without thinking."
Shiratori Aoi whispered softly, "This isn't just stupid… it's illegal. Back home, dragging someone into a war like this is against every law we have. But he doesn't even question it."
Haruto's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't speak, but the set of his jaw said everything. Kanzaki's self-centered declaration had already locked them into a role that none of them had chosen.
"He thinks this is some story that will revolve around him," Saki muttered. "Meanwhile, the rest of us have to clean up his mess."
While Kanzaki Hayato stood proudly in front of the court, enjoying the attention, the rest of the class huddled closer together, their voices kept low.
Fujimoto Saki glanced at the rows of richly dressed nobles and whispered, "I'll bet anything these nobles are swindlers."
Tachibana Yui nodded, her tone cold. "Yeah. They probably say all these nice words now, but in the end, they just want to throw us straight into a war."
Okabe Riku leaned on his desk, speaking just loud enough for the group to hear. "Exactly. They summon random kids, give a pretty speech about 'heroes,' and then dump us on the battlefield."
Matsuda Kenta let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Classic. Promise glory, use us as disposable pawns, and if we die? Oh well."
Yamamoto Reina's voice was sharper than usual. "It's manipulation. Get someone bold like Kanzaki to agree first, then pressure the rest of us. It's a trick."
Shiratori Aoi, still looking at Kanzaki's back as he faced the nobles, whispered quietly, "We're not soldiers. And none of us agreed to this. This is just them using us."
Kurosawa Haruto stayed silent, but his eyes were fixed on the nobles, cold and analytical. He could see the way they were already leaning forward with interest after Kanzaki's declaration. It wasn't respect—they were just calculating what to do with the tools that had fallen into their hands.
Fujimoto Saki glanced at the golden banners hanging across the hall, at the sparkling marble floor and the strange, inhuman races watching them. She sighed and whispered, "You know, if this had happened three years ago, before mana awakened on Earth, I probably would've been excited. Like, really excited."
Tachibana Yui nodded slowly. "Yeah. Back then, if someone said we were summoned to another world to be heroes, we probably would've jumped up and said yes."
Okabe Riku added, "Because back then, all this would have been new. Magic, other races, dragons, gods—it would've felt like a dream."
Matsuda Kenta smirked a little. "But that's not the world we came from anymore. We already live with magic. We already see vampires, angels, even gods. We're not starved for adventure."
Yamamoto Reina's tone was calm but carried weight. "And we know what war really is. Not stories, not fantasy. We've seen how dangerous things can get even in our own world."
Shiratori Aoi whispered, "That's why it's different now. Back then, we might have agreed without thinking. But not anymore."
Kurosawa Haruto glanced at Kanzaki Hayato, still standing there with that confident look on his face, and thought to himself: Kanzaki still thinks this is a dream. The rest of us know better.
While Kanzaki Hayato was still basking in the attention of the nobles, the group of students in the back kept whispering among themselves, trying to ignore him.
Kurosawa Haruto glanced at Tachibana Yui and spoke quietly. "Yui, you're Tachibana, right? That name… back home, it's a huge magic family, isn't it?"
Fujimoto Saki leaned closer, curiosity clear in her eyes. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If you're from that family, could they find you? Maybe they'd come for us if they realize you've been summoned."
Matsuda Kenta nodded. "It's not impossible. The Tachibana family's really influential. If anyone could figure out how to cross worlds, it'd be one of the big magic houses."
Yamamoto Reina adjusted her glasses. "If we have someone with a strong connection, that could be our way out of here."
Shiratori Aoi's voice was soft, but there was a trace of hope in it. "If your family finds out you're missing, wouldn't they come looking?"
Okabe Riku grinned a little. "Yeah, and with that kind of family, you wouldn't just be forgotten."
All eyes turned to Yui.
She sighed, shaking her head. "You guys are overestimating me. I'm just a distant relative. My family isn't part of the main branch. I don't have that kind of pull."
Kenta frowned. "So no chance they'll come charging in here to get us?"
"Not unless they somehow figure out I've been dragged into another world," Yui said. "And even then, it's not like I'm on their radar. I'm just a normal student."
There was a brief silence as they processed that.
Fujimoto Saki sighed. "Figures. We can't count on a rescue from home."