The silence thickened in the throne room, broken only by the rustling of the priests' robes.
The royal mage stepped forward. His cape, embroidered with ancient symbols, spread like a wing, and his staff striking the marble echoed all the way to the golden columns.
His stern face, framed by a thin beard, tightened into a grave expression.
Then, in a clear voice, he declared:
— "Welcome, heroes. Chosen by the gods, you are the ones who will save this world from the grip of the Demon King."
His words ricocheted against the high vaults, filling the hall with heavy solemnity.
He raised his hand, tracing a slow circle above him. In the air, images of flames and shadows appeared, projected like living magic.
Monstrous silhouettes, black wings covering cities, soldiers cut down by giant claws.
— "The Demon King is a millennial creature. An incarnation of chaos, born from the oldest shadow. His armies have been sweeping over our kingdoms for a century. Wherever he walks, flames follow. Wherever he looks, men turn to dust."
He pressed on his words, his eyes blazing with religious zeal.
— "Only the prophecy still guards our hope: when despair is complete, the gods will summon heroes from another world. And these heroes…"
He extended his hand toward us, fingers trembling with emotion.
— "… are you."
The crowd of priests bowed in unison. Their prayers echoed in the air, heavy, like invisible chains they wanted to bind around our necks.
I stood frozen. Then a bitter laugh escaped me, muffled between clenched teeth.
Another suicide mission, huh? I thought.
At least I'm already used to living in hell.
A faint rustle disturbed the solemn air.
Ayame stepped forward. Her kimono, already battered by the summoning ritual, slipped again, revealing a smooth patch of skin at the hollow of her shoulder. Enough to make several priests swallow audibly, unable to look away.
She, impassive, placed her hand on her flat stomach and raised her chin. Her gentle voice, sharp nonetheless, cut through the lingering prayers:
— "But how can we, mere humans… hope to fight demons?"
A thick silence fell instantly.
Every gaze, from the priests to the soldiers lined up at the back of the hall, fixed on her.
My father's wife. My "stepmother." And yet, even here, in another world, she radiated a beauty that burned the eyes.
The royal mage gripped his staff as if to steady himself. His voice resumed, firm but slightly trembling:
— "In this world, every being is born under the gaze of a god. And from that god, they receive a divine blessing."
He lifted his arm, and a glowing circle opened in the air, showing silhouettes of men and women surrounded by colored auras.
— "This blessing determines your rank, from F to S. This rank affects everything: your growth, your abilities, your strength. With it, you gain a unique skill, a gift that evolves as you rise in levels."
His hand snapped through the air, and the illusion shifted: it showed a warrior striking a demon, his body glowing brighter as numbers streamed around him.
— "The higher the rank, the faster your progression. An S-rank can become a hundred times more powerful than an F-rank in just one decade. Where one stagnates, the other shatters human limits."
He lowered his arm, his gaze gleaming with a mix of fear and reverence.
— "But you…" His voice wavered.
— "You are not inhabitants of this world. You are summoned heroes. Chosen not by a minor divinity, but by the most powerful gods ruling our skies. Your blessings… will surpass anything we know."
The entire hall held its breath.
I clenched my teeth. A system of ranks, skills, stats… Seriously?
But then, a throat cleared behind me.
Miyu.
She had moved, stepping forward with a lazy gait. Her thin tank top, already way too tight, seemed to have shrunk even more from the ritual. The fabric clung to her skin, highlighting every curve. Her tiny shorts molded her hips as if they would rip with the next movement.
She crossed her arms under her chest — an innocent gesture, except here it looked calculated. Her breasts pressed up, squeezed together, and even the most devout priests couldn't stop their eyes from drifting toward them.
I growled inwardly. Always her, always looking for trouble…
A carnivorous smile spread across her lips as she locked eyes with the mage. Her voice snapped out, insolent, echoing in the silence of the hall:
— "So what? Your blessings, your ranks, your gods… what kind of crap is this? You summon us like toys, and you dump your war in our faces… just to save your little world?"
Her voice dripped with contempt, but also a hint of twisted excitement.
The mage paled. His staff quivered in his grip.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
The priests exchanged uneasy glances. A murmur of panic spread through the ranks.
Heavy silence.
So heavy I felt it crush my chest.
Me, I just wanted to scream: Fuck, Miyu, shut up…
But she didn't lower her eyes. Her lips curled into a triumphant sneer, as if she enjoyed trampling the sacred protocol of this world.
And then, as the silence dragged on, a clear voice sliced through the air like a soft blade.
— "Heroes…"
Every gaze turned to the side staircase.
She was descending.
The princess.
Her crimson dress parted high at the thigh, revealing an endless leg sheathed in silk stockings. Each step she took slid the fabric against her pale, smooth skin, catching the torchlight like a silent invitation.
Her chest, trapped in a black brocade corset, rose with every breath, so tight it looked ready to burst.
A golden necklace graced her slender neck, her blonde hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders.
Unreal beauty. Dangerous beauty.
She advanced with calculated slowness, her heels clicking softly on the marble. Each step a declaration, each movement a performance.
When she reached us, she bowed gracefully, then raised her chin. Her green eyes, too bright to be natural, lingered on each of us in turn.
Her voice rose, melodious, almost singing:
— "O legendary heroes… we had no choice. Such is the weight of prophecy. Without you, our world will wither beneath the Demon King's claw."
A shiver ran through the hall. The priests knelt at her feet, as if ensnared by her very presence. Even the soldiers stood frozen, unblinking.
It was theater, a sacred stage. But the effect was real: the princess alone had swept away Miyu's insolence with an invisible backhand.
The princess's voice still floated in the air, wrapped in incense and reverence, when a sharp sound drew every head around.
Reina had crossed her arms. Her steel-colored eyes locked onto the princess, without reverence, without fear.
Her voice fell, cold, implacable:
— "Prophecy or not. Forcing innocents into a war without their consent… is immoral."
A brutal silence fell, heavier than any prayer.
Even the flames of the torches seemed to flicker, as if unsure they should keep burning.
The priests choked with outrage, the mage swallowed hard, the princess froze — stunned that someone dared cut her off.
Ayame stepped forward, hand reaching for her daughter:
— "Reina…" she whispered, pleading, almost ashamed.
But Reina didn't move. Chin high, lips tight, she faced down an entire kingdom with the sheer force of her conviction.
— "I am not wrong."
Her words cracked like a verdict.
And me, in the middle of that knife-edge tension, I couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Yeah. Even in another world, Reina is still Reina…
I felt the air vibrate between the throne's walls.
Reina had just cast a chill colder than her own eyes, and not even Ayame had been able to stop her. The princess, perfect mask shattered for a second, was shaken.
I exhaled loudly and straightened up.
— "Either way…"
Every gaze turned to me.
My voice rang out, deep, hoarse, heavy with a weariness I couldn't hide anymore.
— "… we don't have a choice. If I get this right… either we kill the Demon King, or we're stuck here forever."
A harsh echo swept the hall. My words weren't heroic, nor noble. Just raw, dirty truth.
The princess lowered her eyes slightly. Her voice, soft as a breath, confirmed:
— "That… is correct."
A shiver rippled through the assembly.
Miyu, of course, clicked her tongue, annoyed:
— "Tsssss…"
The sound cracked like a slap, and the atmosphere, already heavy, turned suffocating.
No one dared speak. Even the mage, clutching his staff, didn't dare lift his eyes.
Me, I bit the inside of my cheek. Trapped. Again. Always. Even in another fucking world.
The mage coughed to break the silence, gripping his staff like a lifeline. He looked like a drowning man clutching at air.
— "Heroes…" he said, trembling.
He pointed toward the altar at the center of the hall, where a massive stone pulsed with bluish light.
— "Place your hand upon the Stone of Truth. Your divine blessings will be revealed."
A murmur spread through the hall. Priests shuffled closer, feverish, like children before a miracle.
The first to step forward was Ayame.
Perfect dignity, slow gait, almost regal. Her kimono slipped slightly, revealing her neck and the discreet curve of her shoulder. Even here, she made heads turn effortlessly.
She placed her hand on the stone.
A burst of light flared, splashing the golden walls.
Letters appeared in the air, luminous:
Rank S – Thalyra, Goddess of Beauty and Harmony.
The hall held its breath, then the explosion of voices was immediate.
— "Incredible!"
— "A blessing worthy of a queen!"
They all stared at her as if she had just transformed into a living goddess.
Miyu strutted forward next, hips swaying, insolent smile plastered on her lips. She raised her hand as if to challenge the entire world, then slapped it onto the stone.
Flames erupted instantly, shooting up to the ceiling. Heat filled the hall, licking our skin with sweat.
Rank S – Ignar, God of Flames and War.
She burst into mocking laughter, her hair whipping upward in the incandescent surge. Her silhouette, lit by fire, looked wild, blazing.
The crowd roared with applause, electrified.
— "Magnificent! A warrior heroine!"
Reina, in turn, stepped forward without a word. Her steps echoed sharp, her gaze remained icy.
She calmly placed her gloved hand upon the stone.
A cold breath swept the hall. The temperature dropped instantly. Frost spread across the marble, creeping up the columns.
Rank S – Nyssara, Goddess of Frost and Time.
Her freezing aura bent the priests to their knees. They looked like worshippers before a sovereign deity.
Hikari hesitated for long seconds. Her fingers shook. She glanced at me, as if seeking permission, then finally placed her hand.
Light burst forth, gentle, warm, exploding into golden rays that enveloped the hall like a newborn dawn.
Rank S – Eirys, Goddess of Life and Dawn.
The air was filled with an odd softness. The priests had tears in their eyes, whispering emotional prayers.Hikari, crimson, immediately stepped back, as if this power wasn't meant for her.
My turn.
I moved forward, throat dry. Every gaze locked onto me. My heart pounded like a hammer.
Come on… show me your farce.
I placed my hand.
The stone vibrated. A rumble shook the floor.The light exploded, stronger than all the previous ones combined. Bolts of lightning shot across the hall, throwing priests to the ground.
When the glow finally calmed, words floated above the stone.
Rank SSS ??? – Unknown Divinity.
…
Total silence.
Even the breath of the torches had died out.No one understood.
Then the panic broke loose.
— "S… SSS?!"
— "Impossible! That doesn't exist!"
— "An unknown divinity…?!"
Screams, prayers, tears. The entire hall fell into chaos.
Me, I staggered back a step, eyes wide, breath stolen.
— "What…?!"
My cry echoed in the clamor. Even I couldn't believe it.
The uproar had become deafening. Screams, prayers, sobs… the throne room seemed ready to implode under the revelation.
And then, a sharp sound.
Clang.
The king had just laid his gloved hand on the armrest of his throne.
The next instant, he stood.
Immediate silence crushed the crowd.
His imposing stature towered over all, like a living mountain. His velvet-red cape unfurled behind him, heavy as dried blood. His gray eyes, blazing with natural authority, swept across the assembly without a word.
When he finally spoke, his voice resonated so strongly the marble columns themselves seemed to vibrate.
— "Five heroes blessed with Rank S… and one hero blessed with Rank SSS."
A shiver rippled through the air. Even the most fanatical priests were silent.
The king continued, grave, solemn:
— "It is unheard of. And yes, it is cause for rejoicing."
His tone shifted, darker:
— "But rejoice with caution. For if your blessings are so powerful, it means the shadow of the Demon King is all the greater."
He stepped forward a few paces, each echo of his boots pounding my heart like a death knell.
— "This war… will be the hardest our world has ever known."
Absolute silence fell.
I heard nothing. Not the priests' breath, not the rustle of robes, not the king's steps.Only my own heart, hammering in my chest.
Fear. Desire for freedom. Uncontrollable excitement.
I felt my lips curl into a nervous, almost twisted smile.
Finally…
The world had changed around me. And me… I was ready to dive into it, even if it burned me alive.