"Yawn… Why does reality feel so boring? Is nothing good ever going to happen?"
I stretched and walked out of the bookstore, my black hair swaying a little in the breeze. My tracksuit made me look like someone going for a morning jog rather than a destined hero.
"There must be some kind of mistake," I muttered. "Maybe the princess who was supposed to summon me forgot her job… or maybe she summoned someone else."
I sighed and raised my voice to the heavens.
"Hey! Are you listening, human princess? Summon me already! If not, I'll switch sides and join the demons!"
People on the street stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Realizing how ridiculous I sounded, I rubbed the back of my neck and quickly crossed the road, thoroughly embarrassed.
That's when I saw it—a truck, speeding straight toward me.
"Arre—"
Slam!
But when I opened my eyes, I was completely fine. The truck had swerved at the last second, smashing into an electric pole instead. Shocked, I chuckled nervously.
"Maybe they really heard me. Looks like I'm lucky. Being summoned through a ritual is way more my style than dying and reincarnating anyway."
As I laughed and walked on, screams suddenly erupted behind me. I turned—
Slam!
The pole toppled, crashing down right on top of me. Darkness swallowed me instantly.
"Hmm…"
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't trapped under a truck or a pole. I was staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Maybe… just maybe…" My heart raced. "I've really been summoned to another world! Wait—where's the beautiful princess? Where's my future waifu?"
I looked around, but the room was empty. Only dark, eerie corridors stretched out before me.
"Why would a human princess live in such a creepy place? Maybe they're hiding from demon attacks… so they turned the castle into a haunted house?"
Eventually, I came to a massive black door.
"So this is the main hall. I shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."
I slammed it open, confidence in every step.
"Don't worry, everyone! I'm here—your hero, summoned and ready to serve!"
But then I froze.
The hall wasn't filled with humans. It was packed with demons. Skeletons, horned monsters, lizard-like dragons—every nightmare imaginable stared directly at me.
"Arreee… Maybe I opened the wrong door. Sorry!"
I tried to back out, but a voice echoed from the rear of the room. The demons parted, revealing a small girl with blazing red hair and sharp horns.
"So, you're finally awake," she said firmly. "It's true—a hero can be summoned if the right circle and chants are used."
"…A kid?" I muttered.
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"Watch your words! I am the Demon Queen now. My name is Verixa Bloodveil. My mother passed away last night, and I won't tolerate any disrespect!"
Some of the nearby demons chuckled despite themselves. Verixa's face crumpled as tears welled up in her eyes. Before she could break down completely, a terrifying woman radiating an aura of pure menace stepped forward.
"Did I hear someone laughing at our queen?" Her voice was as sharp as a blade.
Instant silence gripped the room. Everyone bowed lower. Her cold eyes shifted toward me.
"And you… Our queen summoned you for aid. If you dare insult her again—"
She swung her sword. A wave of purple energy tore past me, close enough that I almost lost my head.
"Whaaa—You're destroying the castle again, Valkira!" Verixa scolded.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about me than your castle?" I muttered under my breath.
Verixa turned back to me, wiping her eyes. "Right. As I was saying—I summoned you to help us in our war against humans and gods!"
I pointed a finger at myself. "Are you sure about that?"
"What do you mean?"
After a brief pause, a look of sudden realization dawned on her face.
"Ah… You want an advance before joining? Clever demonic hero!"
"That's not it!" I shouted. "Don't you see? You summoned the wrong person! If you're fighting humans, you should've summoned a legendary dragon or a demon lord—not another human!"
Verixa blinked, then turned to the warrior beside her. "Is he… human?"
Valkira sighed. "Didn't you notice, My Queen?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd once more, causing Verixa's cheeks to burn bright red.
"Of course I knew! I was just… testing you. Yes, testing."
I sighed heavily. "So… now that your little comedy act is over, can you send me back? Maybe the real human princess can summon me."
"About that…" Verixa lowered her head, forcing a sheepish smile. "I don't actually know how to send someone back."
"What?! Are you stupid? First you summon the wrong person, and now you can't send me back?"
My voice rose louder and louder, until Verixa finally burst into a fit of tears. Immediately, every demon in the room pointed their weapons at me.
"You fool! How dare you make our queen cry!" Valkira roared. "Guards—take him to the dungeon. Once she calms down, we'll decide how to end his life."
"Wait! I apologize! Please listen to meeeee!"
Two massive demons grabbed me by the arms and dragged me away, shoving me into a cold cell before locking the door.
"Geez… How did I end up here?"
I thought back to my words on the street earlier about joining the demon side.
"So… the universe is just messing with me. But how do I escape? If I don't…" I imagined my head rolling off a guillotine. "I need to find a way. But first—Status."
Nothing happened.
"Status!"
Still, nothing.
"So… status windows don't work here. Maybe this world doesn't have that function." I sighed, slumping against the wall. "I thought being summoned meant I'd have some unique cheat skill—like in anime or manga. Maybe this world is more realistic…"
Still, I refused to give up. I tried chanting random spells from old shows I've watched.
"Abra ka Dabra!"
Unsurprisingly, nothing happened.
"Hey, human. What are you doing?"
I spun around. Valkira was standing right outside the bars, watching me silently.
"Valkira—no, Miss Valkira—how long have you been standing there?"
"Since you started shouting nonsense."
Embarrassed, I sank to my knees. To my surprise, she pulled out a key and unlocked the cell door.
"Queen Verixa said you're free to go."
"Really? That kid—I mean, Queen Verixa—said that?"
"I'm against it," Valkira admitted flatly. "But she says it was her fault you were summoned. She doesn't want to force you to fight if you don't want to. So, she ordered me to release you."
She stepped forward and handed me a few items.
"This knife is enchanted with Queen Verixa's power. This cloak will hide your presence. And here are some coins to help you settle down somewhere."
I accepted them gratefully, surprised by the gesture.
"This is a huge help, Miss Valkira." Then, a thought struck me. "You mentioned her mother passed away… Does that mean the demon army lost the war?"
Her expression immediately darkened.
"Unfortunately, yes. With the fall of our previous queen, the war effectively ended. But since Verixa is her only daughter, the title of Demon Queen passed to her. Now the humans—helped by the gods—are hunting down the remaining demons. They've already destroyed many of our villages. Soon, they'll reach this place and…"
I leaned forward, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "And?"
Her voice dropped to a grim whisper.
"Verixa will be publicly executed… as a symbol of the end of the demon race."