A New Beginning in Another World

While I was arguing and about to get into a fight with the class bullies, a white light appeared on the floor, sweeping all five of us inside.

After being caught in that blinding light, I gradually regained my sight and looked around. An unfamiliar scene appeared: the four others were lying on a stone floor, and we were surrounded by four large stone pillars. Above was a brilliant blue sky, a rare sight in a city like Tokyo.

By the time I was fully awake, the others were also gradually waking up. I saw a beautiful girl standing before us, possessing a pure and gentle beauty I had never encountered before. She wore a white outfit with a hood, resembling the attire of some religious order. The others had also realized the situation and looked confused.

"I am Ariga Hrutiga Von Sana, the princess of this nation of Hrutiga. Greetings, heroes." The princess spoke with a gentle smile. Behind her were about ten soldiers equipped with swords and armor like ancient warriors.

"Uh... Wait! Princess? Hrutiga? Heroes?" all five of us said in unison, a barrage of questions filling our minds.

"First of all, may I ask where this is, Princess?" Aruto, the handsome guy, regained his composure and asked politely with a bow. That question was on everyone's mind. The three girls were still flustered but tried to remain calm, as did I.

"All your questions will be answered once we enter the palace and meet my father, the King of this nation," the princess replied calmly, still maintaining her affectionate smile. Aruto and the others calmed down and nodded.

"We will follow the Princess's lead," Aruto said on behalf of everyone. Although I didn't like it, I agreed as well. The princess continued to smile while dozens of knights stood in two rows, leaving a path in the middle.

"Then please follow me, heroes, and from now on, please call me Ariga!"

We nodded and followed the princess, entering a long and vast corridor. The walls were carved with exquisite images and hung with masterpieces of art. One could tell just by looking that this was a King's castle.

"Now we will go straight to the Great Hall, where my father is waiting," Ariga said. we were startled as we were preoccupied with looking around. "Ah! Yes!"

After a while of walking, we arrived at a very large room with tall, wide doors, intricately carved and gilded. This was surely the Great Hall the princess had mentioned. Everyone was overwhelmed by the scale.

The princess began to open the large doors. "Oh!" The scene inside surprised us even more. The Great Hall was larger than we imagined, the pillars carved with sophisticated patterns, a red carpet stretching from the entrance, and guards stationed on both sides. At the far end was a large platform with two thrones, upon which sat a man and a woman. They were the King and Queen.

"Greetings to all the heroes from another world," the King spoke. The ministers immediately knelt on one knee, hands clenched and placed over their chests as they bowed. We also hurried to kneel.

"I am Ariga Hrutiga Other Adex, the King of this nation of Hrutiga."

"I am Kagamari Aruto, and I would like to take the liberty of asking Your Majesty a few questions," Aruto said.

"Is it that the hero wishes to ask about what just happened?" The King was indeed very sharp.

"Yes!"

"Very well. First, you are heroes summoned from another world to defeat the Demon King, the leader of the Demon Kingdom. The Demon Kingdom is an extremely powerful nation currently waging wars of aggression against neighboring countries. In this critical situation, we cannot resist their power, so we were forced to use the ancient summoning forbidden art to invite you here."

"Aren't demons stronger than humans? We are also humans, and high school students at that; how can we fight a powerful nation and defeat the Demon King?" Aruto asked.

"I do not understand what 'high school students' are, but if you are worried about strength, the summoned heroes will be blessed by the gods and will possess power beyond ordinary people."

"Power? What is it?" the other four wondered. I remained silent, listening.

"In this world, magic and various weapons exist. Heroes will be granted extraordinary strength along with innate talent for magic to fight against evil," the King explained.

After a while of explanation, we began to understand. We had all been summoned to another world, a place where magic existed. Each person would carry the title of Hero and be protected by the Gods. A hero's power was immense, and one of us would be granted the legendary weapon, the Holy Sword.

"You will be protected by the Hrutiga Royalty, with all your expenses covered, and you will be trained by the finest royal warriors and mages. Naturally, after completing the mission, there will always be a generous reward," the King promised.

"So, if we do not agree to fight, can we return to our old world?" Aruto asked. This was the most important question.

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy, pressure weighing down on everyone.

"Actually, in the records of this forbidden art, there is no mention of returning the heroes. I am very sorry to say this, but you will not be able to return to your old world anymore," the King said.

Everyone's faces turned pale.

"What? You can summon us here but can't send us back?" Okita Emi couldn't suppress her frustration.

"We have to risk our lives to protect a strange nation and can't even go home?" Seki added.

"We have to give up our families and friends for what?" Isuka also spoke up.

"I am deeply sorry. But after you defeat the Demon King, you will receive many rewards and can live a comfortable life under the protection of the Royalty," the King said.

The atmosphere turned silent and suffocating once again.

"Fine, I will participate in defeating the Demon King. Since there's no way back anyway. If possible, let's help the suffering people here against the forces of evil," Aruto said, his eyes filled with righteousness. What he said was entirely correct, though hard to accept.

"If Aruto-kun has said so, then I will participate too," Emi replied shyly.

"Alright, then I will also participate along with Aruto-kun and Emi-san," Seki said.

"In that case, I will also join everyone," Isuka agreed.

As for me, participating was no different from my life in the old world—it might even be better since I'd be protected by the Royalty. Being summoned here, I would use this opportunity to restart my life, which had gone off track.