CHAPTER 1013: EPILOGUE 19 - A TURNING POINT (2)

The ritual had been going on for nearly two entire days now—two long, exhausting days filled with chanting, glowing runes, and the kind of pressure in the air that made it hard to breathe. The enormous royal hall was thick with mana, every sound slightly distorted as though reality itself was straining to hold everything together. Countless people had gathered to witness it, nobles and soldiers alike, all standing in reverent silence. Among them were my mother and father, seated in the high balcony that overlooked the grand chamber.

My father’s expression caught my attention immediately. He wasn’t just curious—he looked deeply fascinated, his eyes fixed on the massive magic circle drawn across the marble floor. The glow from the runes danced against his eyes, making his face look almost inhumanly determined. Commander Lilia stood beside him, her back straight and her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword, her hair shimmering faintly under the arcane light.

I found myself unconsciously leaning forward, straining to catch their conversation through the faint hum of the ritual. They weren’t near enough, but the acoustics of the hall carried their words in broken fragments, just enough for me to piece things together.

"With this, we might be able to conquer the land of the demons, Your Majesty," Commander Lilia said, her voice calm but filled with pride. "The heroes from another world are said to possess unparalleled strength. Some legends even claim they can defeat the Seven Deadly Sins themselves. With proper guidance and training, they could win us any land we desire—perhaps even grant us the power to stand against the Empire itself."

Her tone was honeyed, persuasive, and I could practically see what she was doing. Commander Lilia was always calculating, always one step ahead. She knew how to play my father like a stringed instrument. With her position as commander growing shaky lately, this was her chance to tighten her grip—to make herself indispensable again by promising him glory.

My jaw clenched. I couldn’t hear every word, but I could see my mother quietly arguing back, trying to steer my father away from such reckless thoughts. She knew better than anyone that power like this—heroes from another world—would come with consequences. But Lilia’s words were dripping with conviction, her tone sharp and intoxicating. I could almost feel her ambition radiating even from where I stood.

Hours passed. The chanting continued, low and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of something ancient and dangerous. The light of the circle grew brighter, shadows dancing wildly across the walls. Sweat dripped from the mages performing the ritual, but not a single one faltered.

Then—finally—the ritual reached its climax.

For a moment, nothing happened. The silence that followed was deafening.

"Did the reciter... mess up?" I muttered under my breath, unable to stop the words from slipping out.

And then, as if mocking my doubt, the circle exploded

in light.

A surge of mana shot upward, bright enough to blind everyone in the hall. The floor trembled, the air grew hot, and I felt the pressure crash down on me like a wave. The brilliance devoured everything—colors, shadows, even sound—until the world was nothing but white.

When the light finally faded, I blinked through the haze—and froze.

There were people standing there.

Dozens of them. Confused. Frightened.

"H-Huh? W-Where are we?"

"Wh-What is this place?"

"Hey... this isn’t some kind of prank, right?"

They wore clothes unlike anything from this world—strange uniforms, shirts with unfamiliar symbols, jackets made of odd fabric. The nobles gasped in amazement, and then, just like that, the hall erupted in cheers.

"I-It worked! The summoning worked!" someone shouted, almost delirious with excitement.

But while everyone else celebrated, a chill crawled up my spine.

Something about it felt wrong.

I didn’t feel joy. I felt fear.

These people—these strangers—had been torn from their world to fight our battles. To die for us. Their lives, their ordinary, peaceful existences... had been stolen from them in an instant.

And for what?

***

Kashiwagi Yuuto’s POV

When my vision returned, I found myself standing in a place I’d never seen before.

W-What... just happened?

I remembered that blinding light. It swallowed everything—my friends, the classroom, even the air I breathed—and now I was standing somewhere else entirely.

The place looked... unreal. Massive marble pillars stretched toward the ceiling, their surfaces etched with gold designs that shimmered faintly. Red banners hung from the walls, and the air smelled faintly of incense and dust. It was regal, majestic—something straight out of a fantasy novel.

"Welcome, heroes from another world."

The voice came from the front of the room, calm and composed. We turned toward it and saw a tall woman in a dark military uniform, her presence almost intimidating. Her gaze swept over us like she was evaluating every single one of us.

"You are currently in the royal castle of the Kingdom of Milham," she said, her tone confident, almost rehearsed. "You have been summoned here to fight for us—to stand against the danger threatening our lands."

Her words hit me like static. Fight for them? What was she even talking about?

All around me, my classmates were just as lost. It felt like someone had thrown us into a scene from a game without telling us the rules.

"U-Um... W-What do you mean by that?" our teacher, Hasegawa-sensei, stammered, her voice trembling. She was visibly pale, her hands gripping her skirt tightly.

As our teacher, she was responsible for us, and now... she was standing here, trying to make sense of something that made absolutely none.

"Our kingdom faces destruction," the woman continued. "We are powerless against our enemies. That’s why we have summoned you—to aid us with your newfound abilities, your magic."

Magic? My brain stuttered at the word.

Hasegawa-sensei stepped forward, her voice shaking. "W-What do you mean, powers? We don’t have anything like that... we’re just normal people."

That was exactly what I was thinking. Magic didn’t exist where we came from. How could we possibly help them if we didn’t even understand what they were talking about?

The woman smiled faintly, as though she’d expected the question. "The moment you arrived here, your latent powers were awakened. You have been blessed with magic."

"Magic...?" I whispered under my breath.

"Try it," she urged, her tone calm but strangely compelling. "Close your eyes and feel the energy within you. It’s there—waiting. All you need to do is reach for it."

We exchanged nervous glances, but eventually, we did as she said.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus. At first, there was nothing—just my heartbeat and my shallow breathing. But then... I felt something.

Something coiled deep inside me. It was warm, restless, and powerful. Like a storm trapped beneath my skin. The longer I focused on it, the more I could feel it pulsing, begging to be released.

And then it happened.

A spark.

A rush.

A burst.

The energy surged outward, swirling around me like a living force. I gasped, stumbling back as faint lights—mana, I realized—erupted from my hands. My classmates were shouting in awe and fear as their own powers awakened one by one.

The air vibrated with pure energy, the floor glowing faintly beneath our feet.

This wasn’t a dream.

This was real. This was all real...