Chapter: 3 The Ghast; Dungeon

  When she asked us to protect their world, the room fell into stunned silence. Some were shaken, others simply confused, but all hesitated for the same reason, what lies ahead.

  Then, breaking the tension, a sharp, sarcastic voice rang out.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! First, you drag us here without asking, and now you're dumping all your problems on us? Get real.”

  “Hmm! Sakamoto, huh?"

  I glanced over at him. A parent-less child and his only brother had led a notorious delinquent group, so it was no surprise that he’d turned out this way. If anything, it felt almost expected.

  “You dare—!”

  Vecerona’s voice cracked with fury as she lunged forward, her hand raised in anger,

  But then, as if an invisible force held her in place, Vecerona froze.

  “Humans…”

  The word was spoken like an oppressive weight, reverberating through the room.

  “This is not a request. There are no choices in this matter. This is your fate.”

  The god rose from his throne. His eyes were hidden, but the pressure of his gaze pressed on us heavily.

  Sakamoto stumbled back, his grin twisting into something far less confident. His bravado faltered, and his voice cracked.

  “Wh—what can you even do?”

  He sneered, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear.

  "Don't do this, You're not making a good face."

  The room fell silent again. And then, without warning, the atmosphere shifted. Sharp, gleaming spears materialized out of thin air, surrounding Sakamoto’s neck. Their tips hovered dangerously close to his skin, poised to strike.

  His heartbeat pounded in his chest, each thud loud enough to feel. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes widened in terror. But the room remained eerily quiet.

  A gasp escaped one of the girls in the crowd, her voice shrill with panic.

  “No…!” she cried out, it barely broke the tension.

  After what felt like an eternity, the god raised his hand in a slow, deliberate motion. At his command, the spears backed off.

  Sakamoto dropped to his knees, his body shaking. Filled with frustration, he clenched his fists, teeth gritted in helpless rage.

  "Surprisingly, this situation is not normal, knights surrounding us. If we defy them, we'll be immediately purged."

  The question was: Now, what would Hirata do?

  Hirata, still deep in thought, finally spoke up, his voice steady but laced with uncertainty.

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  "Can i ask Something"

  "Yes" Arcelona replied,

  “Then..., Can you guarantee our safety?”

  The moment the words left his lips, Arcelona’s lips curled into a smile—one that felt more mocking than reassuring.

  “[Hero Candidate] Masayuki Hirata-sama, you're being sent to war. How could anyone possibly guarantee your safety?”

  True to form, Hirata remained focused on the safety of everyone around him, even in this dire moment. His concern for others was evident.

  Hirata paused, then spoke again, his voice quieter, tinged with a hint of desperation.

  “Then... I change my question. Will we be able to return to our world?”

  It was a simple question, yet was the most important at that time.

  “Yes,”

  Arcelona said, her voice light,

  “After the defeat of the first apostle, we will send you back to your world.”

  Hirata’s relief was momentary, but it wasn’t enough to fully ease the tension. He still had doubts.

  “Six years ago,”

  Arcelona said, her voice low and steady.

  “We will send you back to a time from now. The future you know will be erased. You’ll relive the next six years, but this time... In Another world.”

  “Six years, wait, aren't they too long?” I pondered.

  “How can you even do that?”

  Tsubaki Akane, our class's girl's representative, chimed in. Her question hung in the air—if they had the power to do this, why hadn't they taken action sooner?

  Vecerona’s voice turned cold, sharp as a blade.

  “We’re not obliged to tell you that. Even if we tell you, your bush brain can't understand.”

  Before anyone could respond, Arcelona intervened, her tone apologetic.

  “We apologize, but we can't tell you that.”

  Akane seemed rattled but adjusted quickly.

  “Then... the [Hero Candidates]...let's begin.”

  Vecerona muttered something under her breath, and suddenly, a large magic circle formed beneath our feet, glowing with intense light. The light became blinding, consuming everything around us.

  The last thing I saw was Arcelona’s eyes—those golden eyes that had been so composed, now filled with a deep, burning hatred but more than that they showed pity. I didn’t understand the meaning behind her gaze, not then, but I would soon learn.

  "[Voidal Shift]."

  A voice came from among us, before i could see over there,

  ------------------------------------------------

  Everything went black.

  “Am I unconscious right now...?”

  “What happened? Ugh… I remember—we were supposed to be sent to a Kingdom.”

  I blinked my eyes open, groaning as my surroundings slowly came into focus. I was lying on a cold stone. The ceiling above me was jagged and rocky, a far cry from the elegant throne room. I pushed myself up, my head pounding. The place was damp, dreary, and lit only by flickering blue crystals embedded in the walls.

  “Why... Why am I here? Weren’t we supposed to be sent to a kingdom?”

  My thoughts were foggy, everything felt off. As I tried to make sense of what happened, it hit me, 'Arcelona's eyes'.

  “Ah, I see. So it might be her....”

  "Was she that angry with me? but still... this is too much."

  I muttered, I knew she spilled me a big trouble. But why would she do this?

  I stood up, brushing myself off, and surveyed the dungeon.

  "A giant door? It might be an exit."

  My eyes landed on a motionless figure lying nearby. It was the girl with long, black hair—the one I’d seen earlier in class, the one reading 'Sapiens'.

  "Ms. Sapien?"

  “Why is she here?”

  I glanced around. The dungeon might not be safe.

  "Should I leave her? She could slow me down..."

  But she could be of some use to me.