Arifureta: Similar Story, Different World

Chapter 1: Similar Bad Day, Different Main Character

So everyone has bad days. Sometimes, the ones with perfect attendances miss the alarm and get up late once. Other days, the guy who doesn't make his own lunch forgets to buy one from the nearby convenience store. Or maybe, there was the time when the class dunce actually did his homework for once but forgot to bring it, causing him to end up having to convince the teacher that he did do it, but Sensei just stares at him in disappointment, chalking up the explanation as another cheap excuse before giving a telling off with added detention.

Even to someone as normal as I. Like that time I went out for a walk, accidentally broke my glasses, forgot my spare, got lost and endured the rain on what should have been a perfectly sunny day.

Bad days happen to everyone occasionally, one way or another. It's only natural. No one is perfect or born that lucky to not have a single bad day ever.

Only, why did everyone had to have their bad day today?

RIIIIIIING~~~—CLACK

The door opens just as the last bell rings. At precisely that moment, when everyone in the room saw who just so graciously arrived in the classroom almost late, the atmosphere staled. I didn't flinch from the sudden chill emanating from the girls. Nor did I at the boys' murderous glares. I had gotten used to this by now. Sadly, the same could not be said for the receiver of said glares.

Nagumo Hajime. By all accounts, a typical Japanese teenager. A bit on the average side in terms of appearance and not much could be said for his build as it seems he wasn't the type to work out. Not assertive or the like, but he wasn't an anti-social recluse. Having spoken to him a few times, I would say he was a good guy.

"Hey, nasty otaku!"

I narrowed my eyes to the ones who spoke.

Hiyama Daisuke. Long hair that covers one of his eyes. A face that would actually look decent if he just wiped the arrogant, shit-eating grin off of it. Maybe would have been nice to socialize with if he didn't look like he was going to talk down to you from the height of his ego.

Regardless of this, three others were always in his posse whenever he wanted to bully Nagumo. Namely Saitou, Kondou, and Nakano. I had missed the class introduction during the first day of the school year and only picked up their surnames over the past few weeks through the class roll call. And, sadly, they never really had anything distinctive about them so I get mixed up on which face had which name.

If this was one of those cheap light novels, Hiyama Daisuke would be the template antagonist that picks on the main character because of a superiority complex, jealousy or something similar while the posse would be just that, the faceless background characters. Or was it a "mob chara"?

"Played games all night again? I wonder, an eroge?" "Ugh, gross. Staying up all night to play eroge?" "Disgusting."

And there they go again. Another day with the same scene. Them picking on a guy and his chosen hobby. From the past two weeks of being part of the class, this exchange had already begun to grow old.

I wonder, was there any reason to make fun of someone for their hobby?

First off, I already know that Nagumo Hajime liked cartoons, anime, and the like. Hard not to when the same four picked on him about it every day. I had also heard that his father and mother worked in the business of game developing and manga respectively. Not from him or the bullies, no. I overheard the girls talking behind his back about how disgusting his parents should be to have spawned him.

Quite rude. It'd be like saying I enjoyed playing in the dirt and mud because mom worked as an archeologist. Which I don't, of course. I like history just as much as she does, but that's beside the point of children's appearances taking after their parents' jobs.

The thing about anime and manga, though. As a teen, I'm aware that liking those things will seem weird to others. I should know I'm weird. My past friends wondered why I enjoyed the 'childish' games our grandparents sent us through mail. Hell, both my younger siblings called me that when I enjoyed watching Super Sentai and reading the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon manga with them.

What can I say other than even I get bored from indulging in my history buff hobby? Also, enjoying stuff like that with your younger siblings shouldn't be weird. We all had fun posing as their favorite characters and playing pretend. In fact, I should be awarded "Best Big Brother of the World" for my making sure siblings were always smiling! Ah, I'm such a great oniicha—! Ahem…

Going back to the problem at hand, Hiyama was making fun of Nagumo for liking games too.

Why was that? Was it really frowned upon? Does that form of entertainment actually disgust people? I know more than a handful of foreigners enjoy them though. When I introduced my American friends to the bullet hell games made by Zoom, Zoon?, we ended up competing high scores. They loved it so much, they explored other game genres specifically from Japan. Needless to say, they found eroge too and decided to spend a vacation trip just to visit that thing called Comiket. It's been two years and they still do it.

And my siblings call me weird… Really now…

I'm getting off track again. But back to Hiyama and co.

If they were disgusted by Nagumo's choice of games, I'd accept it if they did something better or more worthwhile. But what exactly did these guys do for their pastime, I wonder? Certainly not sports. During last week's PE class, they avoided running laps or playing ball by hiding behind the bushes or feigning sickness to laze about in the infirmary. And if they spent their free time sifting through porn mags like the average teenage boy (I should know. I'm one too.), wouldn't that just make them just as "disgusting" as they made Nagumo out to be?

But maybe that really wasn't the case. Maybe I already knew the real reason they picked on the poor guy. In Hiyama's case, it was a bit too obvious. No way anyone would miss it.

If you'd look closely, one would notice he kept the arrogant look whenever they teased Nagumo, laughing and jeering as they call him perverted and the like. But only when a specific someone pops in does the arrogance quickly shifts to annoyance (or was it jealousy?).

And that was when she decided to pop in her usual greeting.

"Nagumo-kun, good morning! Almost late again, as usual. You really should come earlier."

Shirasaki Kaori. A class idol, well, maybe the entire school for that matter. Beautiful was an understatement. Waist-length glossy black hair, gentle and kind brown eyes. A straight nose and thin lips that wouldn't look out of place on a gorgeous doll. The template main heroine, or bishoujo if I were to use the light-novel-metaphor again.

Good natured and caring, has a strong sense of responsibility with an eternal smile. As for why she concerned herself with him, it may have been something natural for her to show concern over her classmates. Or maybe she had affections for Nagumo. Maybe she found him in need of help and is trying to do just that. I wasn't sure myself, but at least she was sincere in showing she cared. Honestly if she wasn't oblivious to the unintentional problems she caused Nagumo, she would be the perfect girl, in a sense.

That's right. Unbeknownst to this girl, almost all the boys in the room, and some in the hallway, grit their teeth and send death glares at Nagumo's back. Some, specifically Hiyama, more murderous than others. And this happened every single day. Mind you, only when she approaches him as it is never the other way around. Had their teacher need something passed to Shirasaki, someone would automatically volunteer for the job, and it was never Nagumo for obvious reasons.

From what I had observed, a majority of the boys treated him with envy and spite because he received such attention from the school's idol. The girls, on the other hand, were indifferent, with the harshest of theirs passing around a rumor that Nagumo was taking advantage of her kind nature.

It couldn't be more groundless unless it was in the middle of the vacuum of space!

From my understanding, Nagumo was typically average. But he was aware of what everyone thought of him. Knowing that fact, he does not do anything to correct it. Rather, he can't. It was beyond his control what Shirasaki would do or why she would approach him. The fact that almost everyone in the class had such derogatory perspectives more than just shocked me as soon as I found out about it.

And the teachers just let it happen, too!

More than once, I noticed them look the other way when Nagumo was treated poorly, the exception being their social studies, also homeroom, teacher who was currently not present.

Had I known this was how horrible Japanese high schools were, I would have begged dad to never send me or my siblings back here. At least there was one good news. Only I returned to Japan for secondary education. No way would I let my precious siblings ever get corrupted by such foul, incorrigible— Ahem.

Well, back to reality.

The only boy in Shirasaki's sights looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He looked like he didn't know how to reply without getting shot. Noting the many lasers (glares) targeting his back, something at a scale that he could probably feel the gazes, even an outsider transfer student like I could understood it was bad.

"… ah, good morning to you too, Shirasaki-san."

The words were there but the face contorted in discomfort. Just by looking, you could tell he was socially awkward. He replied normally when either a teacher or someone without malicious intentions spoke to him directly. But the beautiful girl was probably too much. That and the repercussions of even trying to be friendly in response.

"Nagumo-kun, good morning. Isn't this hard on you every day?"

"Kaori, are you looking after him again? Really now, you're too nice."

"Doesn't matter what you say to someone as unenthusiastic as that guy, it won't help any."

And the finale of the cliché: the beautiful girl's posse of popular kids.

Maybe I've read too many light novels, but this can only be as, if not more, cliché that can be. Popular girl with popular friends. Each just as amazing as the other in their own unique way. Albeit, only one carried an air of sympathy while the other two indifference. Might as well go over them again before class starts. Starting from the one with the best impression to the least.

Yaegashi Shizuku. Ponytail, a cool gaze from sharp yet soothing eyes, taller than average for a girl and a bit on the athletic side. A proper individual with the modicum of respect for others. Best friends with Shirasaki as far as I know and the only one to acknowledge Nagumo's existence by greeting him when he was "bothered" by Shirasaki.

I heard she and her family were famous masters of a local dojo. Kendo? Or was it Kenjutsu? Her fame was pretty much out there though, judging by the number of fans that come to greet her upon entering the school. Surprisingly, she attracted both sides of the sexes. Huh. A cool beauty indeed. Shirasaki's equal, in a sense.

At the very least, she didn't talk down on Nagumo, so she was a better person compared to the majority of the class. A positive in my book.

Next up, Sakagami Ryutarou. "A bear given human form" is all I can say about his figure, what with him standing just a bit over 6 feet. The last person to speak up, he practically dissed Nagumo in front of the dude. Rude, yes, but I overheard from others that he was the type to honor hard work and effort. Maybe he saw Nagumo's bland existence as nothing more than a waste of space and resources.

Not quite indifferent, but at least he didn't do it out of something petty like jealousy. Also, the guy gave me the impression of a hot-blooded, fitness freak. Like that Stone Lee from that ninja anime my little brother loves so much. So a passable score, as long as he isn't forcing his motivations and hot-bloodedness on others.

And, lastly, Amanogawa Kouki. If I were to put it into words, he would be "the main protagonist of the typical hero show". Polite, good-looking, smart and athletic to boot. Also, has a strong sense of justice. The perfect guy, so to speak. Popular with guys as he could easily get along with the majority of them. Popular with girls for the, what was it called, "ikemen vibe" he lets off. Still, with the company he keeps, mainly the two stunning Yaegashi and Shirasaki, it was no wonder very few ever picked up the courage to get intimately close to him.

He was the one to berate Shirasaki for being too nice to Nagumo. On one hand, I can understand his concern. From what I've gathered, he had been childhood friends with Yaegashi who in turn was close friends with Shirasaki. This meant he was a close friend of hers as well by proxy, so I can see why he has a bad opinion of Nagumo who was rumored to be taking advantage of his friend's kind nature.

But then again, from where I stand, Nagumo doesn't seem to enjoy Shirasaki's presence.

Seeing as how Yaegashi appears to be apologetic to him whenever the school goddess was pestering him, even she understood Nagumo's plight but couldn't do anything to help but express regret for her friend's behavior. This means Nagumo couldn't reject Shirasaki's kindness. And as she never showed any signs of being forced into it, Shirasaki was honest with her intentions.

This means Amanogawa Kouki doesn't see Shirasaki Kaori's actions for Nagumo as some genuine expression of her affections, but rather something done out of obligation. An obligation that she need not be burdened with if Nagumo wasn't so pitiful. He just saw Nagumo as in the wrong for accepting Shirasaki's kindness.

If he was correct in that assumption, I'd be inclined to believe him. But he was dead wrong.

Amanogawa Kouki was blind to Shirasaki's feelings. He also ignored Hiyama's, and the rest of the class', animosity towards Nagumo. Lastly, the rumor that Nagumo was taking advantage of Shirasaki's kindness was further accepted by all since Amanogawa himself firmly believed in it. He didn't see Nagumo as someone in need of help. As he was blind to the signs, there was no way he could.

Perhaps, he didn't mean any harm and was only advising Nagumo out of the goodness of his heart. It may just be that he was an oblivious idiot who thought he understood everything and came to the wrong conclusion. But such a person, so unaware of his surroundings yet carrying influence enough to sway people's opinion?

It was like a blind, self-righteous shepherd trying to lead the sheep, even though some of them were wolves disguised and tearing into the weakest of the herd.

Quite a farfetched assumption, coming from someone who only recently transferred to the class, but this is as far as I could gather from observation alone.

And it disappointed me. Wait, no. Not disappointment. It creeped me out. From what I've read in history books from my mother's study and all the culture and history trivia I engrossed myself in over the years, I was always disgusted by the thought of some ignorant central figure leading his own people, those that trust him and those too scared to make their own decisions, into a downward spiral.

It didn't paint an impressive picture of the guy to me. Of a seemingly perfect leader actually thinking like an idealistic child.

Well, maybe I just thought too deeply about it. I guess I should stop reading mom's "Leaders of History" too late into the night. Imprinting those images of grandeur to what was just a teenager was the product of sleep deprivation. Maybe I should delve into architecture again.

Even with my musings and farfetched assumptions, the sad scene continued to play out before the rest of the class.

"Good morning to you too, Yaegashi-san, Amanogawa-kun, Sakagami-kun. Haha. Well, there's no helping it. I'm the one at fault."

Despite the bitter smile on Nagumo's face, his frustration in not being able to do anything about it was clear. At least to me, it was. It didn't help any that Nagumo didn't stand up for himself or deny the insinuation at all.

"If you know you are at fault, why not try fixing it? You should stop taking advantage of her kindness. Kaori can't keep helping you forever."

Then again, could Amanogawa possibly be blind to Nagumo's plight? Or is he just ignoring it? If he believes in the rumor spread by the others, then quite possibly, he believes he's in the absolute right to reprimand Nagumo as Shirasaki's kind intentions are wasted on someone as shameful as him.

And what does he mean by "try fixing it"? Nagumo's pitiful position? His hobbies and lifestyle? Or Shirasaki's affection towards him? Does this guy not understand that "fixing it" is impossible without disappearing or having Shirasaki change her attitude outright?

All these questions just caused me a migraine.

There was no doubt in my mind that Nagumo would rather be anywhere but near of Shirasaki who unconditionally showered him with her attention. Denying her, however, would still put him in a bad spot, being seen as arrogance by the girl's fans. Explaining anything to Amanogawa might as well just be akin to making excuses. He saw himself as in the right. It'd be hard to convince anyone with that mindset.

"Ahaha…"

Nagumo could only shrug it off with a laugh. No one was going to take his side of the argument or defend him in anyway. Well, at least it couldn't get any worse—

"Kouki-kun, what are you even saying? I'm just talking to Nagumo-kun because I want to."

Ah. Well this was a bomb if I ever heard one.

No sooner had Shirasaki spoken her desire to approach Nagumo did the entire classroom erupt with murmurs, mixed with curses and silent death threats.

Kind as she was, the angel of the school was such an airhead to not notice the seething air directed at Nagumo. I could only sigh internally for what awaited Nagumo.

'Should I intervene—?' No! No.

This is not your problem. And even if it was, there'd be nothing you could do.

I breathed in. Then I sighed.

.

.

.

Call me hypocritical, but I do not want to carelessly invite trouble. With only my grandparents to take care of me as the rest of my family are off abroad, I shouldn't trouble them anymore than I already have. If I get into trouble at school, what would happen if they called in my aging guardians? Gramps was already way past what you'd call the retirement age. If he went into shock because of some trouble I got into, it would be seriously bad.

That's an excuse and you know it.

Mom would be more understanding. Dad would probably kick my ass for inadvertently killing his parents.

Attempting to help is better than being indifferent.

And if my siblings heard about it—oh god.

"I hate Aniki! Aniki is a murderer!" "Oniisama killed Ojiisama and Obaasama. Uwah—uwaaaahhhhh!"

No! Daiki, Hanami, your precious Oniichan would never hurt a fly! A cockroach, maybe, but Oniichan would never hurt anyone on purpose! I swear! Please forgive Oniichaaaa—! AHEM…

I silenced the voices and thoughts in my head.

.

.

.

And made my choice.

.

.

.

Sorry, Nagumo. You're on your own.

RIIIIIIIING~~~

Just as I was deep in thought, the bell had already rung and the morning class' teacher had already entered the room and began taking attendance.

Sakagami, already in his seat, was blocking the poor Taniguchi Suzu's view of the chalkboard. Amanogawa sat two seats away, diligently facing forward. Shirasaki and Yaegashi sat next to each other but neither paid attention to the teacher.

However, Nagumo, who had the misfortune of sitting to Shirasaki's left sat down and immediately fell asleep on his desk while facing out the window, away from his cursed angel. Much to his chagrin, the angel herself kept her gaze on the poor boy with a warm smile plastered on her beautiful face. Yaegashi just directed her own apologetic one to his back. Neither of them noticed the disgust or irritation the rest of the class directed at Nagumo Hajime for the blessings he received.

If you'd at least say something, anything, he wouldn't have to suffer…

.

.

.

No…

As an outsider, I have no business defending him or the rest of the class. All I could do was pray that his day, and all that would follow, gets better.

Oh, was that a flag I raised? Ahahaha, nonsense! Life wasn't a light novel. Reality isn't as unpredictable as fiction.

"—also, in a majority of the countries I've had the pleasure to live visit, English is considered a secondary language."

I finished stating my answer but didn't sit down just yet. I've learned from the previous week that one shouldn't sit until the teacher was done with their questions. However, my reasons for staying up was more out of respect for the current teacher than formality.

"Could you please give us examples, Yamamoto-kun?"

"Certainly. In many European countries, English is spoken by the majority, particularly from Germany and the Netherlands all the way to the Scandinavian nations such as Norway and Sweden. In Asia, India has one of the largest English-speaking populations. They are joined by Pakistan and Bangladesh. South Africa and the entirety of Australia are included as they used to be British colonies. As for the Oceanic region, the Philippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and many of the Pacific island chains either have English as a secondary language or at least a compulsory education."

"You've been to all those countries while still so young? You must have learned a lot about different cultures thanks to your mother's occupation. Thank you, Yamamoto-kun. You may sit back down."

Giving a nod in response, I watched as the seemingly youngest teacher resumed the lesson on the relevance of diverse languages to the Japanese youth.

With her energetic character, she tried to stress how seriously important it is to at least know the basics of a commonly used foreign language. But considering her stature and childish appearance, it only served to make her out as a child pretending to be an adult.

I had ample time to notice the gazes of several girls in the class that looked upon the educator as one would an adorable puppy or kitten. Truth be told, I was relieved I didn't make the mistake of assuming her to be a lost child. Landing on the bad side of a teacher, this class' homeroom one at that, immediately after transferring would have been the worst.

"Now that we are clear on that, does anyone have any questions?" Looking in my direction, she quickly added. "How about you Yamamoto-kun? You've been away from Japan for most of your life. Anything you might want to ask?"

"None at the moment, Hatayama-sensei. Thank you for your concern. If I do have any in the future, I'll be sure to consult you for advice."

"Eh?! Ah! Very well, Yamamoto-kun. Sensei will be waiting. It is sensei's duty to help my precious students, so please don't hesitate to call on me if you require aid!"

Having replied in such a formal manner, including a small bow and smile at the end, Hatayama-sensei stuttered in surprise, but gathered herself immediately and responded like a child happy to be relied upon.

Hatayama Aiko. A teacher with a small stature. Standing at 4'7", one would mistake her for a middle schooler at best and maybe a tall elementary schooler at worst. Despite looking like a child and being as energetic as one, she still composed herself as a reliable adult.

Although, her choice of words and actions could have been a little less misleading.

"Oh? The transfer student hitting on Ai-chan-sensei is effective."

"Ohoho? Ai-chan is so devoted to transfer-kun. Isn't it too early to start acting so romantic?"

"They've barely known each other for a month and sensei's already offering her all for Yamamoto-kun."

"Ara ara, Ai-chan-sensei is soooo cute!"

"Pfft—!" This was normal. The others teasing the poor teacher, not me hitting on her. But despite it being a light jab at the adorable instructor I wanted to show respect to, I couldn't help but stifle a laugh as well.

"Ah?! Is transfer-kun admitting he was seducing sensei all along?!"

"Yamamoto-kun, you shouldn't mislead sensei. You'll hurt her feelings."

"That's right! Ai-chan-sensei is everyone's Ai-chan-sensei!"

I couldn't stop the grin on my face. They said it as if to scold me, but all I could do was grin in amusement. So as to not let Ai-chan-sen— AHEM, I mean, Hatayama-sensei see my betrayal, I turned away and chuckled to myself.

But apparently, Hatayama Aiko hadn't gotten used to this form of teasing at all, judging by her response.

"That's wrong! Don't mistakenly assume sensei's intentions just from sensei wanting to help Yamamoto-kun! I'm telling you! Sensei is not like that! Yamamoto-kun, don't misunderstand sensei's feelings, okay?!"

'Sorry, Hatayama-sensei. There's no way I can help you out.' I kept that thought to myself as sensei started scolding the ones who pushed the issue to her embarrassment.

All the while, I looked towards the window. Such a quiet day, I thought. I also noticed others were taking advantage of it in their own way. Although, sleeping in class was never on my list of 'ways to enjoy the day' but silence without the aura of condemnation seemed to be something Nagumo needed.

.

.

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No. Don't think on it.

I returned my attention to Hatayama-sensei as Nagumo Hajime slept like a babe until the end of class.

RIIIIIIIING~~~

Fourth period had just ended. It was now lunch break. Even though it was supposedly a time for students to relax and do what they wish for an hour, I was kind of disappointed social studies had concluded. Not because I wanted the entire class to resume teasing Hatayama-sensei. I actually enjoyed listening to how the Japanese secondary level of education took foreign studies.

Being so different from the other classes I've attended in India, the Philippines, Germany and many others, the perspectives in cultural differences was astounding. Sometimes, amusing. Like how many didn't think Indians actually spoke English as a second language. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if they knew other languages besides it, seeing as mom's friend had a family with members working in call centers. Surprising and actually fun.

No wonder mom enjoyed archeology and traveling the world. Learning about other cultures, past or present, was enjoyable in its own right.

Guuurrrg~~~

But never mind that, I was starving.

Takin out a box wrapped in a large handkerchief, I placed it on my desk. Then, I pulled out my disposable chopsticks and set it on the side. I don't normally use them. I had grown accustomed to using forks and typical western table utensils, but grandma suggested I use chopsticks for the lunch, or bento, she prepared for me.

However, I failed to notice that other students were rushing out the door, most likely heading for the store to buy yakisoba sandwiches or sweet breads. Next thing I know, my chopsticks had fallen to the floor a little way in front of me. I could only sigh at my carelessness.

I was about to get up to pick the fallen utensils, but to my astonishment, they weren't on the floor. Looking around, they weren't anywhere near where I knew they fell to. Getting up to look around, I instantly found them. They were back on my desk.

I was puzzled for but a moment, but considering who sat in front of me, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"Thanks, Endou-kun."

"Eh?" The boy in question turned to look at me in surprise. "You noticed that, Yamamoto-kun?"

I politely smiled in response.

"Who else could it be than the resident of the seat before me? Is it so strange to assume it was Endou Kousuke and not the others who are currently absent from my neighboring seats?"

Well, I would've assumed it was either Nagayama Jugo or Nomura Kentarou. But both had just launched themselves from their seats to get to the store early. The only thing I heard were mutterings of a possibly packed queue they were planning to avoid. But saying that outright might be a bit too much. After all, Endou seemed to be glad I noticed him. Or maybe he's shocked. Either way, it would be a shame if I ruined the moment.

It was as if he assumed I never saw him in the first place, or that I thought him invisible. Well, I'm not gonna lie. This guy had a weak presence.

If I had to use the light-novel-metaphor, Endou Kousuke was like one of those background characters that, forget a face, didn't even have coloring. Just a rough outline in the crowd.

"Nobody's ever noticed me first before…"

"Well they must have bad eyesight. Or maybe weak perception." I casually joked, but Endou started looking at me like a madman with a desperate smile on his face.

"How?! How could you have noticed me? Automatic doors only notice me 1/3 times. Even my family forgets I exist! You even remembered my full name. How?!"

'Dude, how have you survived all your life—?!' No, no. Let's not ask something as insensitive as that.

"First of all, calm down, Endou-kun. Everyone can practically see you now."

"Ah, sorry."

Collecting himself, Endou hadn't noticed he was shaking me by the shoulders. Eyes burning with longing, wanting to know my secrets.

"Secondly, want to join me in lunch? It must be lonely, being left out of during lunch I mean."

He agreed. Soon, we were both sat facing each other, lunches between us. Everyone else had gone back to what they were doing. Perhaps it was due to his thin presence or whatever curse he had, no one bothered to see if there was anything wrong as they all perceived 'nothing' was wrong.

I furrowed my brows at this thought. It would be pitiful to say that not one person saw Endou as anything more than empty space.

"Well, to explain how, it's hard not to notice you when I am well aware you exist." He tilted his head. II guess I needed to elaborate.

"Do you know the concept of "nothing"?" At the shaking of his head, I continued. "It's basically the pronoun subject that denotes "the absence of something". In applying it to you, I understand that there is an empty seat before me."

He cringed at that.

"However, I also understand that someone should be sitting in that seat, otherwise, I would have been assigned to it the moment I got into this class. Therefore, since I know someone must sit there and no one I perceive actually is sitting there, something I don't perceive is already sitting in that seat."

He had a dumbstruck face that basically told me he didn't understand a thing, maybe a little but not all. So I decided to throw him a bone.

"Well, maybe it's that or because I checked the class seating list every day to make sure the seat in front of mine wasn't actually inhabited by a ghost."

Something crashed on the floor. Noting that no one else reacted, it was probably Endou as he picked himself off the floor.

"Are you seriously joking me right now?"

If that was Endou-kun's attempt at a tsukkomi, it carried a very weak impact, probably due to his presence.

Bad jokes aside, I chuckled.

"Actually, no. I did see you as I sat in my seat and noted you barely had any presence despite being there. For one, I really thought your seat was haunted, but seeing as you are good friends with Nagayama-kun and Kentarou-kun, I found proof that you weren't actually a ghost."

He seemed to believe me after explaining. But, he still deserved a compliment.

"You make a very convincing one though."

I added with a teasing grin. He simply snorted and chuckled in his own seat as he took out his own bento.

I popped open the box my grandmother prepared for me. It was a simple meal. Except for the volume. Two dozen or so pieces of nigiri and maki, the former seafood topping the rice and the latter filling with rice wrapped in seaweed, arranged neatly in rows along the left side, karaage, or fried chicken, to the upper right corner, about eight round pieces each the size of an eraser, and lastly, stir-fried vegetables tucked away in the lower right.

"Interesting bento…" muttered Endou. "Quite a lot too.."

"Obaasama made it for me." I replied. He still made a surprised face that expected I wouldn't respond. I just smiled. "She really wanted me to taste the culinary culture of Japan. Y'know, having lived in other countries for most my life and all."

"Oh, that's right. You just recently transferred…"

I nodded back.

"Does that mean this is how much you normally eat?"

He asked me with an incredulous look on his face. Maybe it's because I grew up away from Japan were meals aren't normally this grand or large. Or maybe it was expected, seeing as there are a lot of countries were eating a lot was considered the norm. America had been that way, in most cases.

"Normally, lunches would be served as a cup of rice and one or two main dishes of small sizes. At least, that was how my parents brought me up while growing up abroad."

I snapped the disposable chopsticks from the connected endpoint, pulling off would-be splinters before skillfully holding them with my right hand.

"'Simple is best' is what my parents say. But as soon as I started staying at my grandparents' home, the meals just kept getting bigger. I guess it's because they really want to spoil their grandchild, but I had to get Obaasama to promise on cutting down the bento size in exchange for eating all her cooking during dinner."

And boy, do I regret that. Her cooking was great. Amazing even. But the sheer volume of it all was enough to make me sick. I'm surprised Ojiisama hasn't died early.

My exasperation must've been obvious as Endou chuckled at my expense.

"Hey, Yamamoto-kun—"

"Eichirou." Endou stopped and gaped for a second. Most likely unsure as to what I just said. Soo I added. "'Yamamoto' is too long and formal. Call me 'Eichirou'."

"Then, Eichirou-kun," he paused, seemingly waiting for my say if it was alright to continue. I simply smiled and nodded. "Likewise, call me Kousuke."

"Then, Kousuke-kun, wanna have some?" I gestured to the packed bento box before me. "I can't exactly eat a lot for now, seeing as I probably won't be able to reject my promise with Obaasama later."

He refused of course. Politely at that. But I kept pestering him to take some, stating that it was because I would need the bowel space later. He finally acquiesced and enjoyed Obaasama's special karaage. Soon after, Nagayama and Nomura returned from the battlefield known as the lunch store. Seeing as they only got out with bean paste buns (panpan? anban?), I offered them a portion of my bento as well.

It's not like I was greedy for my grandmother's cooking in the first place. So why not share it with new friends.

After a while, we ended up finishing my grandmother's cooking. And feeling stuffed, we broke out into small talk. Mostly about where I've travelled to, what kind of schools I've studied in, and the usual chicks I picked up during my time as an overseas Japanese teenager. Typical adolescent stuff.

Eventually, they got to learn more about me and the places I've been than I had about them. Funnily enough, I learned I was the eldest by a year with everyone else roughly at the age of seventeen, but they didn't need to know that.

On my right side, Nomura Kentarou. Friendly, not really eye-catching or athletic. Smart though, as far as first impressions go. Also, he keeps sneaking glances to the front, towards a group of girls eating their own meal and chatting amongst themselves. I decided to probe.

"So, Kentarou -kun."

"What's up, Eichin?"

A nickname just a few minutes after getting to know one another. He must be great with chatting up girls, or so I internally mused.

"Anyone you're interested in? Specifically, within the class?"

"Eh, ah." At this point, he turns the other way, hand nervously scratching the back of his head. "Not particularly, no."

"Ara, is that so?" I replied with a surprised expression, or so it looks. Kousuke and Nagayama on the other hand have noticed my eyes darting between Nomura and a specific girl in the front group, the one who Nomura was sneaking glances at yet again. So obvious. "Are you really not interested in anyone? And here I thought you already had someone in mind."

"Wha—what makes you say that, Eichin?!"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" I glanced to Nagayama who sat on my left. "When you asked me what kind of foreigners I had dated before just a while ago, Kentarou-kun was the only one who wasn't interested, wasn't he, Jugo-kun?"

Nagayama Jugo. Distinctive feature is that he was seventeen but looked twenty-seven. Not that his appearance bothered him, mind you. In fact, among this trio, he had an air of confidence that made you feel you could rely on him to watch your back. The figurative expression, not the literal one. Out of the three before me, Nomura seemed the most fit and healthy with Nagayama filling the heavy yet tall side (still not as tall as Sakagami) and Endou the lean and seemingly fragile side (must be his thin presence).

Despite looking slightly older for his age, the grin he made when he understood my implications was proof enough of his youthful side.

"Well, Kentarou was always the type to hide it. Once during middle school, he tried writing a love letter. Not even a minute later ended up ripping it apart and burying it in his backyard."

"Whawawawawhat are you saying, Gochin?! Stop telling Eichin misleading things! It's a joke, Eichin. Don't take Gochin seriously. Aha Ahahah."

Even Endou wanted in on the action.

"Really, it's so painfully obvious. How many times has he looked over to—mmpph!"

"Ahahahahaha, did you hear anything, just now? Probably the wind, yeah? Ahahahah!"

Ah, Kousuke got pissed at being treated like air by one of his pals. Well, I guess its his turn to poke fun. Looking to me, we shared a not-obvious wink and as he escaped Nomura's grasp, he asked.

"Well, enough about Ken-chan. What about you, Eichirou-kun? You've been here for a few weeks now. Anyone caught your eye?"

I played along, as planned.

"Yes, I have actually. She's from our class too."

"Ahahahahaha, really? That's great. Wonderful." Happy to have escaped inquisition, the nervously laughing Nomura relaxed and sighed in relief as he drank some water. "And? Who's the lucky girl?"

I prepped my grandmother's bento's handkerchief as well as my own and whispered in reply.

"Tsuji Ayako-san."

The spray of water never hit me. I had already backed away for dear safety. Endou seemed to vanish from his seat as Nomura sprayed across the desk. Sadly, Nagayama was unable to react in time and was left to tank the barrage.

The area around the three of us, MIA Endou, fell silent as a few of the other students backed away from the spraying waterspout that was Nomura Kentarou and the plumber that forcefully shut the spout with a fist to the chin that was Nagayama Jugo. As soon as the spray disappeared, I handed the largest of my handkerchiefs to Nagayama.

"My bad. I should have signaled you."

The large guy took my apology and shot an irritated, yet somehow amused, grin to the other on the floor.

"It was just a joke, Kentarou-kun. Overreacting like that is bad for your health, y'know."

Carefully picking him up, I apologized to Nomura as well. The look on his face as I gave him my other handkerchief said I was safe for now. Maybe I should ask Obaasama for an extra-large meal tomorrow to make up for it.

As soon as both Nomura and Nagayama had dried off with the help of my handkerchiefs, Endou appeared out of thin air. He was dry, impressively so, as I assumed he used the air itself to shield himself from the misfire. Just a few minutes later, we were back to chatting and making jokes about Nomura's secret interest.

"Really now. Taking jokes too far is bad, y'know?"

"Really sorry about that Kentarou-kun. I just missed teasing my friends from my last school." I smiled apologetically while bowing my head slightly. "But to be fair, you were too obvious about it. Even Kousuke-kun noticed and he couldn't even see Tsuji-san from here."

"Nah, I actually noticed for quite a while now." Endou's smirk towards Nomura was a very telling sign of just how long he'd known. Nomura had turned as pink as sakura blossoms. "Ever since the entrance ceremony, that is."

"Ahahaha. That's just like Kentarou." A hearty laugh from Nagayama caused me to jump slightly in my seat. Didn't expect the old-man-look-a-like to laugh like one as well. "I was wondering when he would tell me but already expected for him to keep it to himself until the end of the year. Ahahahaha."

"Geh, don't tell me! Even Gochin already new?! From the start?!" Nomura was beet red, but it didn't stop the quick glances he made to the front again.

Even I checked Tsuji's area. All the girls, including Ayako, were still engrossed in their little chat. Thankfully, no one noticed our discussion. Had someone decided to peep in after the scene we made, Nomura would be shedding tears by now.

Ah, he noticed me looking at him looking at Tsuji-san. I did what came naturally. I smiled, gave him a knowing wink, and also giving him a thumbs up as if to say, 'I support you in your hopeless endeavor'.

I don't actually mean for it to be hopeless per se. I just enjoyed teasing the guy so much. Ah, it feels good to have make new friends. You can't tease the ones that weren't around as much as you could the ones within your reach. And if they have a weakness just within walking distance, it's all the sweeter.

Ah, uh no, he's actually tearing up. Maybe it was time we changed the subject. It'd be bad if we went too far with the jokes.

However, as we had accustomed ourselves to the warm atmosphere of casual jokes and banter, none of us noticed the white light until it had us surrounded.

The four of us were already standing. Endou was blinded. Nomura tilted in his seat and landed back first to the floor. Nagayama, meanwhile, was grabbing his bag to shield from the light. Grabbing my own, I prepared to run like my life depended on it.

'If this is someone's idea of a prank, 'bomb hidden in classroom' was very tasteless.'

I turned to call out to the others, but I stopped.

A glyph that encompassed the entire classroom's floor with some sections climbing the walls bursting with intense light started to glow, then shine. I looked up to avoid the flash, but I notice another glyph, smaller this time, above my head on the ceiling. This too glowed with light, warmer than the one below.

As if the floor and ceiling were mirrors caught in the sun's rays, the light flashed even brighter while a hum took over our hearing. We were all caught by surprise. Someone, probably Hatayama-sensei, cried for us to get out of the classroom. None of us were able to, stunned by the supernatural phenomenon happening before and around us.

All we could see was white. All we heard were each other's cries, surprised screams, and a hum.

And soon, the light and noise were gone, replaced by a thick fog or smoke.

The air had changed. From the warm, enclosed classroom to a cold, vast stone hallway, I felt a chill down my spine and immediately lowered my bag as I started looking around. If the temperature had dropped to such a degree, would the location have changed drastically too?

The answer was 'yes'.

The blinding light had already faded away, leaving the smoke to slowly dissipate. But it didn't have to clear up completely. The sight to behold was more than enough to captivate one's gaze.

First up, I noticed the ceiling height had changed. Not from a measly two or three stories, no. It jumped to eight, maybe nine stories high. Then the architecture. Gone were the clean white ceilings made out of concrete, wood and paint. Instead, marble pillars holding up what seemed to be a carefully carved similarly-marble ceiling. The floor was similarly made out of a marble slab that was slightly raised like an altar. Last but not the least was the giant ten-meter mural located behind us all, on what should be the back of the great hall. The mural was imprinted with images of lakes, mountains and plains. It's centerpiece, however, was a beautiful humanoid being. Androgynous in appearance, gorgeous flowing blonde hair and having a halo of radiance carved around its head. A smiling face with hands stretched out as if to embrace all creation.

But the eyes seemed empty. More than anything, the moment I saw those eyes, I felt my heart pound in my chest. Every fiber in my being told me I should leave, to get away from the mural's periphery. A noise in my head seemed to scream, trying everything in its power to communicate to me, to tell me one thing: to leave.

And yet, I didn't budge. Not because I was afraid of the emptiness in those eyes. Nor because I was overwhelmed by its beauty. I simply felt… disappointment. The kind one feels when you anticipated more but was given even less.

It was strange. It was like I expected something more than this. And although this cathedral had easily surpassed Saint Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican, the atmosphere was just as grand as staring into a musty basement.

It was impressive in terms of scale, yes. But there was no heart to it. Like an art piece born from scraps tossed together with no real purpose. Or meaning. Other than being told to do so.

"Kousuke, Jugo, Kentarou, you guys alright?"

None spoke up to answer, but at a glance, I saw they were alright. Endou was still recovering from the flash, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand while looking around. Nagayama similarly holding his bag as we both used it to shield our faces, was helping Nomura up. As he had fallen to the floor, landing back-first on solid marble wasn't a comfortable one and looked to be in slight pain, as well as confusion.

I sighed in relief. But quickly scanned the immediate area. It looks like we were all here. Well, everyone that was present in the classroom at least. The entire class was just shy of forty students, but there were about thirty teenagers and one adult all in all.

But we weren't the only ones in the hallway.

Surrounding the raised platform we stood on, thirty or so priests, at least that was what they were dressed as, with white robes embroidered with gold filigree, equipped with staffs kneeled in prayer. Each staff had the same head, an open fan in the shape of a circle with disks hanging from the endpoints.

Creepy cathedral, check.

Creepy mural, check.

Strange priests, check.

An emblem not belonging to any UN-recognized religious groups, check.

'All we need now is a pope or a self-declared leader and it would be a cult-kidnapping—'

CLACK CLACK

The sound of a staff hitting the marble floor made its way into my ears. The owner of said stave had a robe grander than the others, wrapped in more golden laces, as well as a formal headwear that was a bit shorter and even flashier than what the pope of the Catholics wore. The leader of the religious order had made his appearance. And I finally lost my cool.

"You've got to be kidding me."

He seemed to have heard what I said as he glanced toward me to give an aged smile before redirecting his gaze to the center of the class. Towards Amanogawa Kouki.

"Welcome to Tortus, O great Hero and his fellow countrymen. We welcome you all. I am Ishtar Lombard, the Pope of the Church of Saints. It is an honor to meet you."

I swear, my eye twitched at the light-novel-ish greeting. Then again, the signs were everywhere. No way a large group of thirty teens and one teacher could be unknowingly brought to such a strange and extremely huge church from the school grounds in under a second. And seemingly brought here by a flash of light with us stuck in place as we were before the incident.

This wasn't a scifi flick. Scotty can't beam us anywhere. And even that would leave us to notice the change in location, maybe even feel it as our bodies are disassembled and reassembled in the span of a few seconds.

Nothing on the planet could explain such a paranormal/scifi-esque situation. Except maybe a light novel.

Dammit, if this was an isekai thing, I had everything to worry about.

.

.

.

The grandparents could get a heart attack. Dad's going to kill me.

No. Wait.

.

.

.

The twins will be jealous about this.

I might lose my spot as "Best Oniichan in the World".

.

.

.

Shiiiiiiiiiit!

We were led into a foyer attached to the cathedral. Rows of chairs along the giant table, plates and utensils of the finest china I've ever seen, and décor fit for a five-star restaurant, lined and waiting for us. Of course, we were the Summoned Ones. There was no one else for them to prepare all this for.

As soon as we arrived, we were asked to take a seat. As I had initially hesitated in following the self-proclaimed pope, I was near the end. I sat down next to Endou, with Nagayama and Nomura sitting nearby closer to the center. Nagumo sat on my other side. Similarly, he lagged behind. It seems he hesitated as well.

Perhaps, it was not just me who found it wrong to just blindly follow the instructions of our kidnappers. But having no other options presented to use, being unable to run for fear of getting lost or staying and being left behind, we did as we were told, albeit reluctantly.

As soon as we were seated, the sound of small squeaking wheels surrounded us. From the adjacent hallway, maids poured in with trays and dishes carried via carts.

I watched as the maids pulled to a stop in perfect synchronicity, picking up their cart's tray, and setting it down before me and everyone else. After giving us a bow, they all returned to the hall from whence they came. Not a single one broke rank, perfect in posture, form, as well as figures. Not a single maid looked out of place, like they were from a set. Of dolls.

And their expressions. So youthful, so gorgeous. Each and every one of the uniformed women had the air of maturity and patience you would expect of a servant. But their eyes were blank. Unlike the mural which carried empty, uncaring pity, these girls were void of life. Of will. As if they only lived to serve.

"I'm sure all of you have questions you want answered." The priest started, assuredly smiling at us as a harmless old man would to a scared child. "Please, allow me to explain before we get to your questions."

In summary:

Tortus, this world. The three races: Humans of the north, Demi-humans of the eastern wilderness, and the dreaded Devils that ruled the south. Politically, Humans and Devils were almost always at war for the past several hundred years. Humans had the numerical advantage. Devils were superior in every other way except for population. Hence the stalemate. Only skirmishes nowadays with Demi-humans staying neutral.

Recently, monsters, supposedly deployed by the Devils have harassed the human population ever so increasingly. Taming them is difficult with few tamers and the limit of up to maximum of two even for extremely special cases. Compared to the average beast, monsters were disregarded of sentience and designated only as tools of the Devils. In short, less than an animal and yet more dangerous still. Hunted for material, soulless, and a target of extermination.

"Ehito-sama was the one to summon you here. He is god that protects us and we worship him in the Church of Saints. He created this world and, most likely, realized that if things remained as is, we Humans would face destruction. For this reason, you were summoned to avert this future. The world you come from is of a higher plane than ours. The denizens of your world would be blessed with great power here. Before the summons, we prayed to Ehito-sama, and you were theh "salvation" he sent. With your powers, we will overthrow the Devils and save the Humans by the will of Ehito-sama."

The pope's expression was that of ecstasy. He was so engrossed in his speech, he practically oozed out conviction to his cult of Ehit or whatever his name was.

I was not convinced. I've read too much history to know what was going on. If you wanted to inform us of what we needed to do, stating it from beginning, middle, to end is the quickest and surest way to understand everything we needed to know.

Something along the lines of 'We need your help. Please do this.' or something similar.

However, this man was cunningly using sympathy to woo us to his cause. Stating that the Devils were waging war on Humans would be easily resolved by enforcing peace and coexistence between the two races. If the Demi-humans were as neutral as he stated they were, then enforcing that same neutrality between the two races would be enough. And yet, he pushed details such as monsters being the pets of the Devils and their desperation to stoop so low as to beg their patron deity for help.

He was painting himself to be the "desperate faithful" and us the literal "god-given solution".

What's more, he spoke in a way that suggested it was not his plan to summon a hero, but instead god's will. If anything, he was advocating for a "deus vult" scenario with us to carry on his crusade.

That Ehito he mentioned, the centerpiece of the mural from before, was responsible for our being here. If so, then he would be both kidnapper and quest giver. Funny how he has the gall to take us from a higher plane and request us to fight his wars. I would rather not.

Seemingly agreeing with me, Hatayama-sensei took the stage. What's more, she was angry. Seriously angry.

"Please don't joke around. These children will be fighting a war! I won't allow such a thing! I will absolutely not allow it! Please let us go back! Surely their families are worried about them! What you've done is just kidnapping!"

'Tell him, Hatayama-sensei!' I supported her internally with all my being. 'Tell him so that we may go home and forget this all ever happened!'

"I sympathize with your feelings."

The hell you do, old man! That smile says you don't give a rat's ass!

"Unfortunately, we have no way to return you."

My glare intensified. I wasn't as shocked as I expected. Hatayama-sensei, however, shouted back in response with fear and confusion causing her legs to tremble.

"'No way' you say? What do you mean it's not possible to return us? If you were able to bring us here, you must have a way to send us back!"

The teacher's words fell on deaf ears. At the very least, the Pope of the Church of Saints, Ishtar Lombard, spoke words that seemingly washed his hands of responsibility.

"As I said earlier, it was by Ehito-sama's will that you were summoned. It is also by his power and magic that interfered with other worlds so that you may be brought here. Whether you can return or not is up to the venerable Ehito-sama to decide."

"No… way…"

The hall was silent. Hatayama Aiko fell back to her seat defeated. Then, the others started to panic.

"It's a lie! It has to be a lie!"

"Are we really going to have to fight? Seriously?"

"'Fight a war', don't joke around!"

"I want to go home!"

"Otousan, Okaasan…"

"Why? Just… why?"

It was to be expected. As Hatayama-sensei said, we were all essentially kidnapped. And now we were being told we would fight someone else's war while denied any means of returning home. The only reason as to why I hadn't joined them in losing it or denial was because I understood panicking myself was only going to make it worse.

I spared a glance around the table.

Nagayama sat stunned in silence. Nomura had his hands gripped around his head in fear. Endou, whose presence was already weak, seemed to attempt to vanish entirely as if it would save him from this hell. Nagumo was similarly quiet yet balled his fists in frustration as he sat still, glancing to the front, to where Ishtar looked down on all of them. Hiyama and his posse, the center of the panic brigade, were shouting dissent and denial all the way while the rest of the guys were either joining them or stunned as the ones around me were.

The girls were no different, crying for their parents or in denial of it all. Yoshino-san had her head in her friend Tsuji-san's chest. Both were in tears. The normally calm Nakamura-san and her bright and sunny best friend Taniguchi-san were quiet and shivering in their seats. It also seemed that Taniguchi was trying to comfort Nakamura via holding her hand. Truth be told, however, it seemed to be the opposite as Taniguchi, the normally bubbly girl, was closer to tears and needed the supporting presence of her friends.

Then there was Amanogawa's group at the other end of the table. Yaegashi and Shirasaki shared the same sentiment as Hatayama-sensei. Disbelief but unable to do anything about it except shake in fear. Sakagami had his arms crossed like me, but instead of calm, he was gritting his teeth, failing to notice he had bitten his lip. Blood trickled down his lip but neither he nor anyone else noticed.

I would call them pitiful if I wasn't trying to dig my nails in my own crossed arms.

If my family is worried when they hear the news of our class suddenly disappearing off the face of the earth, I wonder just how much of a shitshow it'll be if they find out we had to join a war. Having only known peace and experienced wars through the history documentaries, wargames, or their archeological sites, this was going to be a more than shitty way to see it up close. And I was already disgusted by how the people of Earth fought in the Crusades and Middle Ages across Asia. If Tortus had magic AND monsters, with magic, well… shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

SHIT!

Forget jealousy, the twins are going to kill me if I die! And that's taking it lightly!

Seriously, I just had to pick now of all the years to return to Japan. If I knew I would be kidnapped by a god from another world, I would have stayed as far away as possible until I graduated college.

I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves.

Don't panic. Remember to think before you act.

I inhaled again to collect my thoughts.

Lombard only said he wasn't able to return us. And there is no guarantee we can trust his word either Maybe there's still hope.

I breathed deeply once more and looked forward to the end of the table.

If this pope and church were anything like the ones in the Medieval Period of Earth's history, there was always a catch.

I studied Ishtar's visage. He had been watching our every reaction during his speech. In spite of the sob-story exposition of having to beg for help from otherworlders, he was cunningly probing for vulnerable egos. I kept my poker face the entire time ever since he creepily smiled at us at the altar. Despite my weak eyesight, I noticed someone had brought about the reaction Ishtar so 'desperately' wanted. The tell-tale smile and satisfied look he gave that person was quite clear as to why.

BAM

A slam of a hand to the surface of the table and everyone quickly fell silent. Garnering everyone's attention, he spoke up with the usual confident air.

"Everyone, please. Calm down. There is no reason to blame Ishtar-san as he had nothing to do with it."

Nothing? And yet, it is only he and his people that stand to gain anything from this exchange.

Despite the anger in my thoughts, Amanogawa wasn't done.

"As for me, I'm going to fight. It's a fact that the humans in this world are facing a crisis. Knowing that, I cannot ignore their pleas for help. If I was summoned to save the humans of this world, we may be able to return after we save them. Ishtar-san, is it possible?"

"Yes. Ehito-sama will answer the wishes of the Saviors."

I raised an eyebrow. There was an inconsistency there. At first I thought it was to paint himself as someone who was forced the responsibility of helping us help them. But Ishtar Lombard now spoke with such certainty about Ehito helping us get back when only earlier he said differently.

"We've all been given special powers right?" Amanogawa spoke like he was realizing something. "Since I came here I've been feeling this sense of power."

"Yes, that's right. Roughly, each of you have a power that is several times greater than the people of our world."

"Then, it's settled. I'll fight. I'll save your people," turning to face the rest of us, he added. "And then we can all go home. I'll save the world and everyone, you'll see!"

His charisma worked wonders. The previously despairing class was suddenly hopeful and calm. Everyone was suddenly volunteering to join his plight. Even his usual circle of friends.

"I thought you would say something like that. If you were to do it alone, I would worry about you. I'll also fight."

"Ryutaro?"

"At this moment that is all we can do. It's not like I hate it, I'll fight too."

"Shizuku?"

"Eh, If Shizuku-chan is going, I'll try my best."

"Kaori."

"I thank you for this with all my being, O great Hero."

Ishtar bowed his thanks to Amanogawa and he graciously accepted the quest.

The students went mental. They all smiled and shouted support. All the while, I and two others watched quietly with passive expressions. Hatayama-sensei was trying to protest their stepping up to fight. Nagumo was eyeing the pope with suspicion. It seems I wasn't the only one. The smile the old man was making was anything but of relief. It was closer to that of success. Success that all was according to plan. I, however, watched everyone else. My fellow students in this class. Perhaps, I should have kept my mouth shut for risk of alienating myself from my fellows from Earth.

But I just couldn't take it anymore.

Not this saving-the-world bullshit. Not the stupidly optimistic worldview of Amanogawa's. Not the escapist fantasy path these… these… children were taking.

I couldn't keep it in anymore.

So I stood up and voiced my opinion.

"I refuse to take part in your war."

Their cheers and shouts suddenly dropped in volume as they turned to look in my direction. Although I spoke from the other end of the table, my voice must have carried over to the other side. The crowd had apparently lost steam as they didn't know how to react to my refusal. Stepping forward from the group, Amanogawa spoke up.

"What's wrong Yamamoto? Don't you want to help us? If we all team up, then surely we could beat the Devils faster than I could do it alone—"

"I hate to interrupt, Amanogawa," I had every intention to interrupt as I wanted off his wild ride before it left the station. "But I don't see any benefit for me in fighting someone else's war."

This line stunned Amanogawa as he abruptly looked like he didn't know what to say, or maybe he just never expected me to disregard their wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of the countless Human residents in Tortus.

"Yamamoto, you shouldn't be so selfish. I know you want to go home. I, too, as well. But if we don't work together, none of us will get to go home any faster."

"Yeah, Kouki's right."

"Stop being selfish, transfer student."

"We want to go home too, y'know."

Well, this is a pickle. Though very unintentional, Amanogawa Kouki has turned the majority of the class against me. And he may not even notice the repercussions of his choice of words. What. An. Idiot. But then again, what did I expect from an ignorant child.

"Pope Ishtar Lombard-sama, may I ask you a few questions."

I spoke loudly to silence the jeers of my peers. Ishtar, having heard his name, stepped forward to stand next to Amanogawa. Regardless of the respect I used when saying his name, the stave in his hand stamped threateningly next to him as he tried to hide the glare he sent in my direction. It seems he didn't factor in the fact that Amanogawa's words might not have influence on some of us.

"Ask away, companion of the Hero."

He said it with such distaste, it might as well be considered an insult. The others seemed to take it that way as some began looking at me with disgust.

"Earlier, you said that your god, Ehito, was the one to summon us here. And that it was up to if we get to return to our world, correct?"

"Ehito-sama rewards those who offer their services in his glorious name," there was poison there as he emphasized it harshly to correct me. "And punishes those that abandons his blessing."

I could care less about how I treated his deity. I was more concerned by how he subtly threatened me. He was stating it as if it was an honor, a privilege, to serve his god. However, Amanogawa kept his serious face as if to scold my selfishness. He was too oblivious to even realize what was happening in front of him. Typical. First, it was Nagumo. Now, I'm the obstacle of his 'righteousness'.

"Then, Pope Ishtar Lombard, I don't mean to be rude, or insult Ehito himself, but I just can't bring myself to trust your word for it."

The pope's face visibly contorted for like a second before defaulting to the 'annoyed-neutral' he had been giving me.

"Please explain your reasons."

"Very well," with crossed arms, I nodded and spoke clearly. This was more for my sake than the others, but if they listened and thought similarly, then maybe, they wouldn't do something stupid. "To start off, Ehito has summoned us to this world from our own which, as you said, is on a higher plane than Tortus. On whose authority was Ehito permitted to forcibly take us from our home? Has your god not considered it rude to take things that do not belong to him?"

Oh, he looked absolutely livid the moment I insinuated his god had to ask permission first. But with his most prized piece standing next to him, he couldn't lose composure now. Speaking of, the puppet decided to speak up.

"What are you saying, Yamamoto? Ishtar didn't plan on kidnapping us. Stop blaming it on—"

"Amanogawa Kouki-kun," stating his whole name was enough to make him flinch. "I have not implied that Ishtar Lombard has done so. Please refrain from interpreting things others say for your own convenience. Has no one ever told you that it is a rude thing to assume facts you do not completely understand?"

I adjusted my glasses with a scrunched brow while keeping my arms crossed. The annoyed-devil-behind-the-glasses effect or was that what the light-novel-readers called it.

"Also, please do not interrupt my discussion with the pope. How am I supposed to make myself clear when you are being extremely rude?"

Oooh, boi. The guy may have a perfect face and everything, but as soon as things aren't going his way, he starts gritting his teeth like a child being told off.

"Now, where was I," I feigned forgetfulness, but that was just for even more dramatic flair. I then turned to face the pope and only the pope. "Oh yes. I do apologize for that, Pope Lombard. Please answer my question, before we are rudely interrupted again."

"Tsk, Yama—!"

Tell of a child once, forgive them for they are children. Having to tell them off twice, and they need to be disciplined. The pope stopped Amanogawa with a raised hand, but Ishtar had lost the look of annoyance he had been giving me. Behind the poker face, was seething discontent for I was but an obstacle to his lord's will. He gave a nod, more to reassure Kouki than to agree with me. Clever.

"My lord Ehito-sama saw it fit to summon you without prior notice as he may have foreseen that there was no other way to ensure our victory over the Devils and monsters they wield. If this has insulted your god in anyway, then I humbly apologize for my own actions that may have insulted you as well."

Going for the 'I was wrong' approach and asking for forgiveness, is it? Well, no matter. It wasn't you who was wrong in the first place.

"'You're forgiven' is what I'd like to say, however, it is not from me that Ehito has stolen from, other than my freedom that is." The pope's grip on his stave tightened. "However, as I am not a priest or in any way a representative of my own deity, I shall not blame you for this occurrence. You were only doing what your god has ordered you to. I just pray that my god takes this lightly as we are children of his world. And we all know how harshly parents can lash out when their child is taken from them by force."

This was a taunt and a warning. I was not a religious person. But having studied history for so long, I knew many stories of selfish, overprotective deities and the people that did things by claiming the deity's protection. Playing myself as a believer of one of them may be enough to prevent this pope from acting against me. As if to prove my point, he lowered his head and bowed low.

"I thank you for your good will."

Oh? So the pope knows how to bow in apology, does he? Well, I'm not through yet.

"Please, raise your head and think nothing of it," I said. "There is a saying from our world: "To err is human". No one is perfect and therefore we must let things pass every now and then. Even if we are extremely offended, there are times when we must persevere through it all. Otherwise, how can we learn from our mistakes?"

I did not miss the pope's eyes as the intense rage of my implying his god was as fallible as us humans turned the elderly calm into a zealot's storm. But he can't just act against me. Not unless he wants to anger whatever god that I worshipped and received blessings from in the other world. Judging by how I referred to his telling of us coming from a higher plane of existence, he spoke of how much stronger Earthlings are compared to the people of Tortus. He knows I'm implying the same for our gods.

Also, it seems Amanogawa had missed this ruse as well, despite how ridiculously dramatic I've played it out.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, Yamamoto. I guess I mistook your actions as just your being selfish. I didn't realize you were a religious person that might feel bad for your being stolen away from your god. I guess I misjudged your reaction. I guess the blame falls on Ehito for that, huh."

Pfft, the priest was losing it. Oh my lord. I don't know if there is a god from my world out there, but I thank you for this blessing/curse that is Amanogawa Kouki. He was the perfect icing on the subtle-insults cake.

"Then, Yamamoto. Does this mean you'll join us?"

Oh wipe that smile of your face. Even if you did take my actions as an angry Christian, it doesn't erase the fact that you quickly jumped to conclusions. And is that what you got from all that bull I pulled out my ass?

"Amanogawa," I looked at him with a serious expression as well as an annoyed smile on my face. "Are you an idiot?"

"Eh?" "Eh?" "Ha?"

The other students, even Hatayama-sensei reacted accordingly. Even the others didn't get it. Just how stupid are these people?

"Wait, but didn't you say you forgive—?"

"I forgave Pope Ishtar, yes." I looked towards the pope who was not amused with my display. Then again, when was he ever? "But not all my concerns have been addressed."

Ishtar cleared his throat. That was my cue so I spoke, this time, facing the rest of the class as well.

"Now, as we have come to an agreement that Ehito has kidnapped us from our home," I had to stop my grin from escaping. The pope's teeth gnashed ever so quietly under pursed lips. "I will explain my other reason as to why I refuse to join you all. Has any of you heard of the malpractice done by dictators when they lack the manpower to fight a war?"

A few in the crowd had questioning gazes. Others like Hiyama had expressions that said, 'the fuck does that have to do with anything?', or something to that effect. It was the teacher, however, that did not disappoint me.

"You're referring to how… how African warlords kidnap and use children… to fight as insurgents and terrorists, aren't you Yamamoto-kun?"

"That's right. Thank you, Hatayama-sensei." Turning to face Ishtar, I explained. "In our world, it is an affront to use a child to fight a war. Especially more so if the child is not yet an adult and has no actual reason to fight other than they were threatened to do so. As to how this is related, your method of simply whisking us away to recruit us for a war we never asked for was an affront to me as a person from that society. This is why I refused to fight."

I expected the pope to counteract in some way, but maybe it was because he saw me as capable of arguing back that he didn't even bother. Or maybe it was because Amanogawa beat him to the punch.

"But Yamamoto, our only way home is by defeating the Devils. If we don't do that, we won't be able to return home."

The other students started nodding in agreement at his words.

Why does it always have to be black or white with these people?

"Haaah," I sighed out loud. "Pope Ishtar, your words were 'Whether you can return or not is up to the venerable Ehito-sama to decide', correct?"

"Yes," he looked mad. Oh wait, he already was. "What of it?"

"Then, by my interpretation, it does not guarantee that Ehito will allow us to return even if we defeat the Devils."

The students started to bustle. Some were returning to despair; others were simply quiet. The revelation must be quite shocking, but I'm being sarcastic, so who am I kidding?

"Yamamoto!" Amanogawa didn't take it lying down. "Stop needlessly causing worry! Ishtar-san would never break his word to us!"

"He never promised us we would be free to go after this in the first place." I looked at Amanogawa who defiantly glared back. "It's not in his power to return us, neither does he have a say, isn't that right? Pope Ishtar?"

"That's not true! Stop making up lies—!"

"AMANOGAWA KOUKI!" My shout resounded in the halls. It was enough to silence them all. But as it was made in anger, the air was stifling. "Do. Not. Interrupt." Amanogawa was again gritting his teeth. But he held his tongue. "Now, Ishtar-sama, your answer?"

"… What you say is true. I have neither the choice nor the power to send you back. Magic to interfere with worlds is beyond normal humans and only Ehito-sama has ever achieved it. If it is by my lord's will to keep you here, I cannot…"

He need not continue. The kids were already in a panic as it was. Dashing away their hopes may have been a bit cruel, even for me. But they needed to know. There was no way an almighty being would just nab powerful pawns from a world more advanced than his own and return them after use. No. It was too good to be true. In the first place, if he was willing enough to return us, he wouldn't kidnap us in the first place.

A few in the class must've understood my point by now. Nagumo was looking at me as if he was thinking similarly. But Amanogawa had a balled fist. It was like I ruined his optimistic worldview or negated all his hard work by saying a few words. Oh wait, I did.

I didn't expect the pope to surrender the truth so easily. But maybe it was his way of saying 'negotiate your terms' while the look he gave me added 'before I take drastic measures'.

I guess it was time to stop.

"Everyone need not panic." I raised my arms to call attention to myself. It was slightly effective as a few were starting to calm back down again. "There is no way the god of our world would abandon us to this fate. Not unless I have anything to say about it."

Many were confused. Of course they should be. I was pulling this drama right out of thin air.

"Yamamoto, are you planning on giving them false hope? After everything you've just said?"

"Amanogawa Kouki, I do not want to do that at all. In fact, I loathe lies. Especially ones designed to ruin a person when they are at their most desperate. Therefore I will not make any excuses and say I have a way to get us back. But I don't want to die, and you don't want to not save them. So instead, I'll do this." I raised my voice to address them all. "I, Yamamoto Eichirou, hereby declare that I will find a way back to our world. By the guidance of Anima, I shall seek to return you to your daily lives." My declaration hit as soft as a wind in the breeze to the face. It lacked impact, but I had the proper tools to make one. "Until then, Amanogawa Kouki."

"Eh?" Surprised at being addressed, I decided to have him play a part in this farce, since he seems to revel in being the center of the cast.

"You, who are hailed as the Hero of Tortus, will fulfill your mission from Ehito and lead those willing to fight the war for the innocents in need. I, on the other hand, will search for a way back home. Everybody will do what they can, even if I don't join you in the fighting. If it's finding a way home without Ehito's help, then I could at least try find one. And when I do, we could save everyone."

"And, pray tell, how would you achieve this without Ehito-sama's help?" Pope Ishtar Lombard asked. But a smug smile was enough to tell me he thought I was boasting.

"Why, of course, you said it yourself, Ishtar Lombard," I approached the man and put a hand to his shoulder. He would have swatted me away, I could tell, if it wasn't for the fact that he needed to keep up appearances. "The magic to interfere with other worlds is unattainable by normal humans. But none of us are normal humans, are we? We are people from a higher plane, people with power that Ehito himself so desperately needs. If a respectable god like Ehito himself would stoop so low as to kidnap another, more superior god's children because he needed help, it would be unbecoming of a child of Anima to just stand by and do nothing. We have to honor Anima's name by doing that which only we could achieve."

I smirked at the thought.

"If your god recognizes the potential within us all to surpass him, then we should respond by doing better than he expects of us, wouldn't you say so?"

Eloquently stating the inferiority of his god may be taking it too far. But this is the metaphorical twist of the knife in a kidnapper's leg.

"Yes, you are right. I thank you for going out of your way to assist the people of Tortus for this matter. Though It pains me to disobey Ehito-sama, I will do all I can to assist you on your search, as well as the Hero's quest."

The others breathed a sigh of relief. There were those who were skeptical but at the very least, they were looking at things realistically. And the pope's words had a boost of an effect. It seems taking acting classes during that summer in Europe was not such a bad deal after all. I owe dad an apology. Despite his eccentric tastes, the man knew the best places to learn the proper skills.

This was my way of saying 'I do this because of my more superior and yet benevolent god's teachings' or 'I will achieve something even your god could not'.

Call me stupid. But I was mad at how easily the class was influenced into following the pope through word's alone. Also, the fact that their 'symbol of justice' was so easily manipulated pissed me off royally.

Very well, two can play that game.

I refuse to die for their cause. I refuse to be a pawn in their game.

And if being a mortal can't stop them, I can at least sabotage them to buy enough time to get the hell out of here.

"Might I ask, just who is this 'Anima' you speak of?"

The pope's question caught me off-guard. He was probing. Most likely, testing me for weaknesses to exploit. He agreed to help me, but I knew that was just a front, a formality if you will. I was probably going to be targeted for obstructing him. I did plant a realistic perspective within the others. That made it harder for them to be manipulated all the time. Hopefully.

Oh, I was rambling again.

Better give a legit story about some god that does not exist. Make it as convincing as can be so that he wouldn't be able to find loopholes by asking the others.

"Anima is the god of my world, Pope Ishtar." I spoke in a way akin to a missionary stating fact. "The being of many forms, the mother of love and creation, the father of progress and discipline. They take on many names, but all fulfill one goal." I smiled as a religious man would. "Everything for the sake of his/her children."

And so ended the first stage of my performance.

I really expected this to be the last.

By Anima, or whatever god was out there, I pray for forgiveness at how wrong I was.

So this is a little different.

I rushed this idea before I even finished revising my other fics, or even before the anime of this series came out. I was hyped, alright. I binged the web novel long before the manga came out. And my RWBY fics are sooooo haaaard to do when there are so much better authors out there.

If this were a battle of willpower, I concede defeat as I fall into depression at how shit I did when started making RWBY fanfics.

It's not that I won't do them. I just want to do it properly. I have great respect for Monty Oum and want to do the man proud, well, prouder than what RT's been doing to RWBY. Seriously, slowed to a crawl then suddenly dropping important aspects of the RWBYverse around like ChupaChups floying out the pinata.

Couer Al'Aran did it better, even more creatively. Seriously, go check him out.

My slump of RWBY fics out of the way, this story will be a series. Just not a regularly updated one as it is a.) Experimental/self-insert, b.) based on the web novel and not any licensed sources (which I have not touched ever since chapter 350 something) (back reading is a bitch), c.) I still need to graduate from university because I delayed it like a fucking idiot, d.) Job hunting

So, yeeeaaah. Enjoy this. Also, go read the original web novel if you can. There are English, or ingrish, fan translations out there, also it's free. Has a lot of plot for a web novel, and probably, a LOT MORE PLOT than the anime will ever have. You have been warned.

I'll get back to the RWBY thing when I have the time (I don't), inspiration (still don't) or the motivation (nope. Nothing yet.).