If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter.
I do not own any of the characters, except OC.
Let's begin the story!
Word Count: 2800 Words
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Earth
Midday in a bustling shopping street of Japan, the lively hum of life echoed through the air. Crowds moved with purpose—some rushing to their next appointments, others leisurely enjoying their shopping excursions. The rest passed by, engrossed in their own worlds, heading toward their destinations with quiet determination.
Amid the throng of people, a boy walked, his presence subtly defying the normality of the world. His demeanor, his aura—everything about him suggested he didn't belong. Yet, curiously, not a single passerby paid him any mind. It was as though his peculiarity had become an unspoken norm, woven seamlessly into the fabric of their reality.
In his right hand, he carried a plastic bag, its contents betraying his usual air of indifference. A soft smile graced his lips as his gaze occasionally flicked toward the bag. One word looped endlessly in his mind: coffee jelly. Its mere thought broke the mask of stoicism he wore at all times, melting the apathy he projected toward the world around him.
Though teleportation was well within his abilities, he chose to walk. He wanted to savor the moment, enjoy the simplicity of the journey with his precious coffee jelly in tow. But his peace was short-lived. He came to an abrupt stop, his senses attuning to a monologue buried amidst the cacophony of the bustling street.
It was a voice—a female voice that stood out among the thoughts of the horde of people moving around in the street.
His head snapped to the left, his eyes locking onto a blue-haired girl approaching from the opposite direction. Her thoughts pierced through the din, crystal clear in his mind. He sighed heavily, a familiar weariness settling over him.
"Good grief. I can't even enjoy my coffee jelly in peace."
Her voice continued to echo in his mind:
[ I hope Saiki-kun just so happens to come to this place, and we have our chance encounter. But how am I going to make him fall for me? ]
A chill ran down his spine. Her thoughts, naïve yet unsettling, lingered longer than he would have liked. Cursing his misfortune, he quickly sidestepped into an alley, his goal simple: to avoid her at all costs.
From the shadows, he listened to her thoughts fade into the distance. Finally, a semblance of calm returned. Just as he prepared to teleport home, his gaze fell on an object lying on the ground before him—a card.
He bent down, picking up the metallic card. Turning it over in his hands, he frowned. The surface was smooth, blank, devoid of any markings or inscriptions. Before he could think much of it, a strange, unnatural fog began to rise around him.
Grey fog crept through the narrow alley, thick and oppressive. He stood motionless, silently observing as the mist swirled and expanded, blurring his vision. He tried to peer through it, his psychic abilities reaching out in search of clarity, but it was as though the fog defied him.
His mind raced, analyzing the situation. "Good grief. It hasn't even been a week since I reversed time for Earth, and now this happens. Weird things just keep piling up."
He attempted to teleport, only to realize he couldn't. His powers refused to activate. Even his body felt paralyzed, as if the very laws of nature had shifted against him. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was trapped.
Confusion swirled in his mind as he tilted his head back to look skyward, hoping for answers. But the grey fog engulfed him, swallowing him whole, cutting off the familiar sights and sounds of his world.
---
Moreover, as the fog wrapped around him like a cocoon, an unsettling realization dawned. This wasn't a phenomenon he could undo with his usual repertoire of powers. Something beyond his comprehension had taken hold, whisking him away from the manga world that bore his name. His grip on the coffee jelly tightened instinctively as he felt himself being pulled into the unknown.
"Good grief," he thought once more, his voice a mixture of resignation and faint annoyance. "Whatever's happening now, it had better not mess with my coffee jelly." And with that final thought, he vanished into the grey fog.
---
Confused by his condition, Saiki glanced around.
Before him lay a long, lavish table stretching down the expanse of a grand hall. Towering pillars loomed on either side, seemingly supporting a starry sky that shimmered above. His gaze dropped to his feet, only to find them obscured by the same dark grey fog that had whisked him away to this place.
At the head of the table, a man sat in a chair that bordered the fine line between a seat of authority and a throne, its presence both commanding and enigmatic. On the opposite end of the table, a woman rested in her chair, her gaze fixed on him with an expression of unbridled curiosity.
"Huhh!" As he took off the weird spectacles he wore. Trying to make sense of the vision he was presented with.
The man remained obscured by the gray fog while it was a strange sight for him but the woman shocked him. She, unlike the man wasn't cloaked by the grey fog, yet he couldn't see through her. Unlike his usual vision where his x-ray vision presented him the skeletal figure of others. Which had confounded him in terms of beauty.
After all, he only saw the arrangement of bones or skeletons walking around, for him to differentiate between genders and their individual identities, it was his telepathy that aided him in the process.
So, to see the woman from a normal human's perspective was a first for him.
It shocked him.
It took Saiki a moment to process his surroundings fully. Turning abruptly, his movements rough and uncoordinated, he tried to make sense of the situation. His hands clutched his head, his thoughts spiraling as his eyes lost focus. He stood frozen in place, overwhelmed by the surreal turn of events.
The rhythmic tapping of knuckles on wood—emanating from the mysterious man at the head of the table—pierced through the heavy silence of the hall, snapping Saiki out of his reverie.
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Saiki's gaze shot toward the man, his shock reflected in wide eyes as life returned to them. His hands instinctively reached up, plucking the two antennas from his head. For a brief moment, his breath hitched.
"I still can't see through the fog," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Yet, in the hushed majesty of this hall, his words carried effortlessly to every corner. "Neither can I hear what they are thinking..."
He stood there, grappling with the unnerving realization that he, of all people, was powerless here. Just as his mind began to spiral again, a streak of light caught his attention. He turned his head in time to witness a star falling from the celestial tapestry above.
"Huh?" he uttered, a mixture of awe and confusion slipping into his voice.
---
The scene repeated itself. At regular intervals, another star descended, followed by another, each one accompanied by the arrival of a figure. To Saiki's surprise, these arrivals felt distinct from the enigmatic man and the curious woman who bookended the table.
He couldn't explain it, but he instinctively knew these newcomers were like him—displaced and equally bewildered. His psychic senses reacted faintly to their presence, confirming their shared predicament. But unlike the two figures seated in authority, these individuals weren't completely immune to his powers. It was the place itself—the grand, otherworldly hall—that was nullifying his abilities.
His thoughts churned as he stared at the stars above, analyzing his circumstances. 'This place... it's suppressing my psychic abilities entirely', he concluded.
Turning his attention back to the man cloaked in fog and the woman whose presence radiated clarity, Saiki felt his unease grow. His powers couldn't touch them—not even a glimmer of insight could be gleaned. Yet, he could sense something extraordinary emanating from both.
The two others who had arrived alongside him, however, were different. While protected by this place, they lacked the impenetrable presence of the man and woman. 'Could it be that they, too, have psychic powers? he mused. As the place is shielding them from my abilities, Am I also being shielded by this mysterious hall?'
His eyes flicked across the expanse of the hall once more, taking in its grandeur. 'What kind of place could have the power to suppress psychic abilities?' he wondered, his thoughts circling the strange enigma seated at the head of the table.
---
Moreover, as Saiki pieced together what little he could, the atmosphere of the hall began to shift. A faint hum resonated through the space, subtle yet commanding attention. The falling stars continued, each carrying with it a sense of foreboding.
He sighed inwardly, his grip tightening around the antennas in his hand. 'Good grief. Why does it feel like I've been roped into something ridiculous again?'
The man at the head of the table tapped his fingers once more, the sound reverberating like an unspoken command. Saiki couldn't help but feel as though the true nature of this place—and its purpose—was about to reveal itself.
---
Bruce watched intently as a beam of light descended behind one of the chairs, illuminating the space with an ethereal glow.
"The first summon," he muttered, his hands instinctively moving to support his head. His gaze remained fixed on the fading light, anticipation mingled with curiosity. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he mused, 'This feels disturbingly similar to those gacha games. I hope this doesn't turn into an addiction.'
As the glow dissipated, it revealed a boy in his mid-teens with striking pink hair, peculiar green-tinted glasses, and two small antennas protruding from his head. Recognition struck Bruce instantly, and before he could stop himself, he whispered under his breath, "Saiki"
Suppressing the urge to shout, Bruce's thoughts began racing. 'The protagonist of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Every psychic power imaginable crammed into one person, and on top of that, he's a gag character. Why, of all people, did this place summon him?' His eyes darted toward World, seeking her opinion. 'World, why would this place summon a gag character? It's not as if they need help with anything? I don't need gag characteristics affecting this place.'
World, sensing his inner turmoil, smiled knowingly. Her gaze shifted to Saiki, calm and unbothered. "You're a gag character yourself, S," she teased, her voice light with amusement. "So why are you worried about him? Besides, this place has the power to nullify his abilities."
Bruce nodded slowly at her explanation but couldn't help voicing his thoughts. "It's not fear. It's... curiosity. Why summon someone like him? Does this mean there will be other gag characters in the future? And if so, what use would they have for me? How am I supposed to earn emblems from someone whose powers and personality defy logic?"
World chuckled softly at his overthinking. "Isn't that exactly why we're here? To navigate these unexpected challenges?" Her eyes sparkled with reassurance as she added, "What you're pondering—it's entirely possible. Don't overcomplicate things."
Bruce sighed, leaning back slightly. "Right. I suppose we can treat those cards as tickets to enter this hall or participate in these meetings."
"Exactly," World affirmed, her smile unwavering. "It's not as daunting as it seems. And rest assured, your privacy is protected here. He can't read your mind in this space unless you allow it. The control lies entirely in your hands, even down to concealing identities or appearances if needed."
"I know that."
Their conversations not heard by Saiki.
Bruce's tension eased slightly, but before he could respond, another beam of light cascaded down behind a second chair. He exhaled audibly. "Another one?"
Moments later, a third pillar of light followed, marking the arrival of two more individuals. The hall now held three distinct presences, all summoned from his recent journey through the Nasuverse.
---
Bruce observed the new arrivals with curiosity, his mind racing to piece together their identities. World, ever perceptive, spoke first. "So, it's Saiki for Temperance, Frieren for The Magician, and Diablo—the self-proclaimed Demon Lord—for The Devil. Quite the lineup, wouldn't you say?"
Bruce chuckled dryly, his fingers drumming lightly on the table. "Indeed. Saiki is a straightforward case. I finished The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. long ago. His story is complete, so he shouldn't pose too much trouble. Frieren, however, is a different matter. I've only watched the anime adaptation, so I'll need to tread carefully with her. As for Diablo..."
He trailed off, his expression thoughtful. "The story of How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is incomplete. The author's hiatus left the series hanging after fourteen volumes. I've read everything available, but it's ironic to think he's been summoned here a second time. First as his game avatar, and now this. It aligns with the last volume, where he faced another summoning."
World tilted her head, her smile turning playful. "You sound almost nostalgic."
Bruce shrugged. "Perhaps I am. Still, managing three such unique personalities in the same room will be... interesting."
He spoke, as his gaze passed by scanning each individual present in the room, landing on World as he continued. "Let's enjoy ourselves, shall we."
---
Moreover, as Bruce pondered the complexities of his summons, the stars above the hall shimmered with a peculiar intensity, their light casting intricate patterns on the polished floor. He glanced at Saiki, who was cautiously observing the others, his face twitching slightly as though testing the limits of his suppressed powers
Frieren, on the other hand, stood calmly, her hair catching the soft glow of the stars. Her eyes betrayed a depth of emotion that spoke of centuries of experiences, yet she remained quietly contemplative, her hand trying her best to summon her staff.
Diablo, in stark contrast, exuded an air of confidence bordering on arrogance from outside.
Bruce sighed inwardly. 'This is going to be a handful'. Still, a faint smile tugged at his lips as he thought, 'But then again, it wouldn't have been fun, if things were simpler.'
---
Unlike Saiki, who had maintained an unshakable calm throughout the entire ordeal—both externally and internally—the same couldn't be said for Diablo. The so-called Demon Lord, despite his composed exterior, was unraveling within. Torn between his Demon Lord persona and the socially inept or anti-social gamer he truly was, his internal monologue teetered on the edge of despair.
'Why does this keep happening to me?' he thought bitterly, remembering the trials he had endured not long ago—battling the Hydra and the Governor. Now, to find himself in this enigmatic, power-stripping space felt like a cruel joke. Anxiety gnawed at him as he surveyed the unfamiliar hall. His eyes fell on the man seated confidently at the head of the table, a presence too commanding to ignore.
'Who is this guy? What does he want from me?' Diablo's attempts to maintain his demonic aura faltered under the weight of his unease, his inner turmoil cracking the thin veneer of his collected demeanor.
Frieren, in stark contrast, remained composed. Her centuries of adventuring and countless brushes with danger and her adventure as part of the hero party served her well, anchoring her in this unfamiliar situation. Though the place was strange, it didn't evoke panic. Rather, it piqued her curiosity. She flexed her fingers absentmindedly, her mind unraveling the mysteries of her predicament.
'I can't use magic here' , she noted, her brows furrowing slightly. 'It feels... restricted, as though the very flow of mana has been severed'. Her sharp gaze flitted to the man seated at the table's head. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the reason behind this suffocating suppression. But unlike her companions, she didn't allow her discomfort to betray her thoughts.
The three of them—Saiki, Frieren, and Diablo—shared an unspoken understanding as their eyes cautiously studied the man at the table and the woman opposite him. Though silent, their tension was palpable. It was not the presence of their new companions that unnerved them but the undeniable fact that the powers they had relied upon to carve their paths through life were utterly stripped away in this space.
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**The End**
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