Somewhere on a world called Earth, nestled in a city like any other, stood a school like countless others—except for the fact that inside, chaos was currently unfolding.
Inside Class 3-B, amidst the dull droning of the teacher's lecture about ancient civilizations, a single student was clearly lost in another world. His name: Wes Walker, 17 years old. Otaku. Gamer. Tactical genius in disguise.
He sat with a slouch, silver eyes locked intensely on the glowing screen of his handheld console, thumbs tapping at lightning speed. Raven-black hair framed his face in a slightly messy fringe, his look screaming "anime delinquent with main character energy." His white dress shirt was untucked, blazer lazily draped over his shoulders, and his half-tied school tie barely clung to his neck. School pants were wrinkled, sneakers untied—Wes wasn't just breaking the rules. He was redefining them.
Next to him sat his childhood best friend: Andrew Cross. Also 17. Also gaming.
Andrew was the opposite aesthetic—like Zeus had dropped a teen version of himself into high school. 6'1" with silver-blond hair that looked like it had just wrestled a thunderstorm and won. Electric blue eyes burned with tactical intensity even as he spammed the fire button on his handheld. His uniform mirrored Wes's in its chaos—white shirt open at the collar, red tie askew, blazer flung over his shoulder like it owed him money.
"DUDE! That headshot was sick!" Wes whispered loudly.
Andrew grinned. "I told you, bro. I never miss when I'm using the Tempest Loadout."
"You mean I unlocked for you," Wes replied with a smirk. "Show some gratitude, peasant."
"Oh, sorry, Your Highness," Andrew mocked with a fake bow, eyes never leaving the screen.
On their screens, the chaos of a high-stakes multiplayer shooting game played out. Explosions. Magic bullets. A dozen enemy units swarming. Wes dove behind cover.
"Flank left! I'll draw aggro with a decoy grenade!" Wes shouted.
Andrew smirked. "Already there."
They moved with perfect sync, honed by years of co-op campaigns and online battles.
"Nice! Double kill!" Wes pumped a fist.
"Watch out—sniper three o'clock!"
"Dodged. Too slow. I'm the Bullet Reaper, baby."
From around the classroom, whispers and laughter erupted.
"Are they seriously playing games right now?"
"Every day, like clockwork."
"At this point, I think they believe school is a side quest."
"I wish I had their confidence. Or their death wish."
"They're so annoying but… also kinda legendary."
"They're like the weird mascots of our year."
The teacher, Mr. Yamazaki, finally snapped.
"You two—Wes! Andrew! Put the games down now!" he snapped, pointing a trembling marker at them.
Wes didn't even glance up. "Five more minutes, Sensei. Boss level. Lives on the line."
"Yeah," Andrew added, thumbs flying. "It's about honor, sir. Warrior code."
Mr. Yamazaki's face turned red.
"This is a classroom! Not an arcade! What's so important about this game that it's worth sacrificing your education?!"
Wes finally looked up, completely serious. "Sir… This is no ordinary match. This is a ranked tournament match. Digital honor is at stake."
Andrew chimed in, "Plus, if we win this one, our team's global rank goes up. We're talking history in the making here."
"I am teaching history!" Mr. Yamazaki barked.
Wes tilted his head. "Exactly. We're living it."
A wave of laughter burst from the class.
Mr. Yamazaki threw his arms up. "This is the last straw! You both need to—"
"Hold on!" Wes interrupted. "Just give us, like, four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. That's how long we need to finish the boss fight."
"Three minutes," Andrew said. "If Wes stops showing off."
"Please. I am the show." Wes winked.
Scarlett Harlow, their other childhood friend—and resident tsundere queen—rubbed her temples in frustration. At 5'6", she was a walking contradiction of grace and fury. Her fiery auburn ponytail bounced as she leaned forward, green eyes narrowed with the intensity of a kendo champion ready to swing.
Her black blazer hung open to reveal a rebellious red shirt beneath, and her skirt-to-thigh-high-sock combo was barely within regulation. The crimson ribbon tied to her kendo bag was from Wes—a gift from years ago she never admitted to treasuring.
"Idiots…" she muttered again, louder this time.
Just as Mr. Yamazaki opened his mouth to unleash righteous fury, the final bell rang. Salvation.
"Alright! Class dismissed! Go home, all of you!"
Chairs screeched. Bags zipped. Students buzzed with after-school plans.
Except for Wes and Andrew—still glued to their consoles.
"Dude, that explosion effect! Unreal!" Wes yelled.
Andrew nodded. "Told you. Worth the detour."
But then…
"YOU IDIOTS!!!"
A shadow loomed.
WHACK!
Twin fists of justice slammed down on their skulls. Wes and Andrew yelped in perfect unison.
"OUCH!!! WHAT THE HELL?!" Wes clutched his head, spinning around.
"Scarlett?!" Andrew blinked.
Scarlett stood over them like divine retribution.
"Stop being idiots!" she yelled and WHACK! again.
"OW! AGAIN?!"
"You deserved it! Playing games during class?! In front of the teacher?!"
"We were almost done!" Wes protested, tears in his eyes.
"Yeah," Andrew added, "You could've waited for the credits!"
Scarlett's green eyes narrowed. A dangerous aura radiated from her like heatwaves.
"You two… are unbelievable."
Sweat formed on their brows.
"Y-You're beautiful when you're angry," Wes said suddenly, smiling nervously.
Andrew chimed in, "Y-Yeah! Like a fiery queen!"
Scarlett's blush bloomed instantly.
"D-Don't EMBARRASS ME, YOU IDIOTS!!!"
WHAM!
Both boys hit the ground, groaning.
"You monster…" Wes whispered.
"She's a brute…" Andrew added.
Scarlett cracked her knuckles. "What did you say?"
"Nothing! You're beautiful! Like… really beautiful!" they said in stereo.
"That's what I thought," she said, crossing her arms.
Wes and Andrew slowly got to their feet, wobbling.
"She's getting stronger…" Wes mumbled.
"My brain feels like a scrambled egg," Andrew said.
Scarlett sighed. "Let's go home, Idiot 1 and Idiot 2."
"Roger that."
But just as they turned to leave—
The atmosphere of the room changed.
The lights flickered. The temperature dropped several degrees.
"Uh… did someone mess with the thermostat?" Wes asked, glancing up.
"No... that's not normal," Scarlett said, her eyes narrowing.
Suddenly, a blinding white magic circle appeared beneath their feet. Complex runes glowed in brilliant light, spinning in place.
All three of them froze.
"Uh… Andrew?" Wes said slowly, "Tell me this is one of your dumb pranks."
"I don't know this spell!" Andrew replied, panic rising. "I swear!"
"Is this... real?" Scarlett whispered, staring at the sigils. "This looks like… like something from those fantasy anime you watch."
The circle pulsed.
"I KNEW THIS DAY WOULD COME!" Wes shouted. "This is it! This is the isekai moment!"
"You better not have summoned this with one of your stupid collector's editions!" Scarlett shouted.
"Dude, I didn't even finish the game!" Andrew added.
The light grew brighter, forcing them to shield their eyes.
"I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!" Wes screamed.
"That's because we're floating!" Andrew yelled back.
"WHY ARE WE FLOATING?!" Scarlett roared.
FLASH!
In a blink, they were gone.
When they reappeared, the magic circle faded beneath their feet, leaving behind faint trails of light. They stood on solid ground—but it wasn't a classroom. No desks. No chalkboards.
Stone walls surrounded them. A high vaulted ceiling stretched above. Giant stained-glass windows cast multicolored rays across the marble floor. Ancient banners fluttered in an unseen wind.
Wes, wide-eyed, slowly turned in a circle.
"Okay… This isn't detention."
"Where… are we?" Scarlett asked.
Andrew frowned. "This… this doesn't feel like Earth."
"Guys," Wes whispered in awe, "We've officially been isekai'd."
He looked down at his hands.
"This is it. The prophecy. The gamer. The gunslinger. The one who skipped math class for destiny!"
Before they could say another word, a deep voice echoed behind them.
"Welcome, summoned heroes… to another world."
They spun around.
Andrew pointed. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
Chapter Two: Kneeling Crowns and Shaken Heroes
Wes, Andrew, and Scarlett turned sharply, their eyes adjusting to the golden glow of the grand chamber. What they saw looked like a scene torn from the pages of a high fantasy novel.
At the far end of the room stood a majestic throne carved from radiant crystal and blessed silver, resting beneath a sun-emblazoned arch. Upon it sat a man exuding strength and calm—a king, no doubt, but not just any king.
His name echoed before he even spoke it.
"I am Alaric Luminalis, King of the Holy Kingdom of Luminalis."
He looked every bit the monarch from a legend. Silver-blond hair flowed in regal waves, streaked with faint gold that caught the light like the first rays of dawn. His deep celestial blue eyes locked onto them with a gaze that pierced but never intimidated. Lightly sun-kissed skin and a powerful, broad frame revealed a man who rode beside his soldiers, not just above them. The ceremonial white-and-gold coat draped over him gleamed with blue velvet lining, the Solar Crest pinned proudly to his chest. Beneath, his battle-worn armor hummed with radiant runes, and his circlet—simple and sunray-shaped—rested atop his brow.
Wes blinked, stunned. "I've never even heard of a kingdom called Luminalis…" he thought.
Alaric continued, voice calm yet commanding. "Let me be direct. You have all been summoned to our kingdom as heroes."
"Heroes, you say?" Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"This is it!!" Wes whisper-shouted, grinning from ear to ear.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "Shut up."
Alaric's expression turned serious. "The Demon Queen has returned. She has begun extending her influence across the realm once more. Two years ago, our kingdom was assaulted by her armies. We barely repelled the assault."
Wes folded his arms, listening intently. "They've really been at war... this isn't just for show."
He looked at Andrew and Scarlett, then back to the king.
"I fear next time, we may not be so fortunate," Alaric said solemnly. "We resorted to our final hope — summoning heroes from another world. Those who bear the attribute powerful enough to destroy the Demon Queen."
"Attribute?" Andrew asked.
"Yes," Alaric nodded. "The summoning circle selects individuals with this innate potential. You may have felt something… a warmth, a light, enter you when you arrived?"
Scarlett crossed her arms. "I did feel something… tingly, I guess."
Andrew nodded. "Same here. Like being shocked, but… comforting?"
They both turned to Wes.
Wes blinked. "Uhh… I felt nothing. I just kinda—"
"—got dragged along," Andrew finished for him.
A sudden hush fell over the chamber.
Alaric rose from his throne, startled.
Behind him, a tall, elderly man stepped forward. Grand Magus Orwen Valcross, the Archmage who conducted the summoning, and Chief Magician of the Royal Court, adjusted his crystal-lensed spectacles.
"What?" he said, more confused than angry. "Dragged… along?"
Wes raised a hand half-heartedly. "Look, I was just playing video games. Then, boom—magic circle. I'm here."
Beside the throne, another figure stirred. Commander Ren Althen, Captain of the Royal Guard, stepped forward. His matte blacksteel armor reflected the candlelight, trimmed with silver runes. Pale bronze skin, eyes of steel-gray, and short ashen-black hair made him look like a walking fortress.
"You were dragged?" he asked, voice low and steady. "No light entered you?"
Wes gulped. "This is bad. I'm the only one who doesn't belong here… What if they send me back alone?"
Alaric turned back to the group, face filled with regret.
"I've done you a disservice. I would send you home… if I could. But the summoning ritual is one-way. Even if your arrival was by chance, you cannot return — at least, not right now. The same is true for Andrew and Scarlett."
A voice boomed through the hall.
"THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!"
All heads turned.
Andrew stepped forward, fists clenched, eyes blazing.
"What are we supposed to do if we can't go back?!" he demanded. "Our loved ones — our families — they're waiting for us!"
Wes's eyes widened. "A-Andrew…"
Andrew continued, "Wes. Scarlett. You know I'm right! We had lives. People who need us! And now we're told it's impossible to return?!"
The king's expression didn't shift in anger. Instead, he walked down the steps from his throne, cape trailing behind him.
"You're right to be angry," Alaric said. "I won't pretend this is fair. I won't hide behind prophecy or divine will. We are desperate."
Then, the unthinkable.
The king went down on one knee.
"I beg of you — lend us your strength. Not for the throne, not for me… but for this world."
The room froze. Gasps echoed from the nobles and guards.
Even Wes's jaw dropped. "A king… kneeling? Just like that? Is he really this humble… or that hopeless?"
Two women stepped forward from beside the throne.
The first: Queen Eliana Luminalis, the Silver Saintess. Her platinum-silver hair shimmered as she moved, a divine presence wrapped in white robes and pale gold. Her pale blue eyes held infinite compassion, her steps were silence incarnate.
She knelt beside her husband. "My husband speaks true. Please, heroes… help us. Help our people."
On the king's other side, their daughter knelt as well: Princess Lilian Luminalis.
Her pale-gold hair glowed in the light like a halo, her gown a living sunrise. Her sky-blue eyes met theirs.
"Yes… please help us," she said softly. "You are our only hope."
Wes stared at them all — the King, Queen, and Princess of an entire realm — on their knees, heads bowed.
"This isn't just a fantasy story anymore," he thought. "These people… they're really counting on us. On me."
Around them, nobles, knights, and mages whispered in shock.
"His Majesty is kneeling…!"
"The Queen too…!"
"Even the Princess…!"
Andrew looked back at Wes and Scarlett.
"What do you two think about this?"
Wes and Scarlett looked at each other.
She sighed.
Andrew stepped forward.
"…I understand," he said softly. "Please raise your heads."
Gasps again.
The royal family looked up, visibly surprised.
Alaric stood. "I thank you for your kindness."
Queen Eliana smiled gently. "As do I."
Princess Lilian beamed. "Thank you…"
Andrew nodded. "What now?"
The king turned to Commander Ren. "We'll test their powers. Determine what they're capable of."
Wes looked down, nervous. "This is where they find out I wasn't supposed to be summoned. What if I don't have any powers?"
Alaric asked, "Are you ready?"
Andrew and Scarlett looked at each other and nodded.
"Yes," they both said.
King Alaric stood tall again, the light from the stained-glass windows casting his white-and-gold attire in holy hues. "Good. Now then," he said with a slight nod, "the Grand Magus will instruct you on the magic of our world — and how to uncover your own powers."
He turned his head toward the elderly man at his side.
Grand Magus Orwen Valcross, robed in layered indigo and etched with starlit runes, stepped forward. The high collar of his cloak made him appear taller, more imposing — a wizard whose presence demanded silence.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Orwen said, bowing slightly, then turning to the summoned trio. "Welcome, children of another realm. Listen well. For magic in this world is both your tool… and your trial."
Wes leaned in slightly, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "So this guy's the Gandalf of this world… Let's see what kind of spell system we're working with."
Orwen's voice boomed across the chamber. "This world — Elyndor — is laced with mana, the living force of all creation. Magic is not simply chanted nonsense; it is an interaction between soul, intent, and the elemental will of the world itself."
He walked in a slow circle, hands clasped behind his back. "Every soul born or summoned here possesses what we call a Class — a manifestation of your strengths, instincts, and potential. Your Class defines how you grow, how you fight… how you survive."
Wes's thoughts spun. "So it's like a fantasy MMO meets real life… Sweet. But what if I'm a Level 1 Nobody?"
Andrew raised a hand. "So… is the Class assigned based on personality, or is it more like predetermined fate?"
The Grand Magus smiled faintly. "Ah, an insightful question. Both. And neither. The summoning circle pulls from what lies deepest within your heart — strength, flaws, ideals, pain. The Class chooses you, not the other way around."
Andrew frowned. "And if someone doesn't have one?"
"That," Orwen said, his smile fading, "should be… impossible."
Scarlett crossed her arms, nodding slowly. "So this isn't just about magic. It's about who we are."
"Exactly," the magus replied. "Now, to reveal your Class and Skills, simply speak the words: Open Status. Your soul will do the rest."
The chamber quieted.
Scarlett and Andrew stepped forward.
"Ready?" Scarlett asked.
Andrew nodded. "Let's do it."
They spoke in unison:
"Open Status."
Two shimmering holographic screens materialized before them, glowing with ethereal light.
The first screen revealed Scarlett's status:
Name: Scarlett Harlow
Class: Holy Knight / Flame Blade Vanguard
Unique Skills:
• [Flameforged Heart] — Her burning spirit converts pain into power. The more she's wounded, the hotter her magic burns — literal passion-as-fire combat enhancement.
• [Ignis Heartblade] — Manifestation of her soul weapon — a holy longsword forged from divine flame. Grows stronger with emotional resonance and bonds of trust.
• [Blazing Aegis] — Creates a radiant shield of fire that protects allies from physical and magical attacks. Known to burn anything Wes accidentally shoots at.
• [Valkyrie's Charge] — A high-speed, flame-wreathed dash that pierces through enemy lines. Often used after yelling "You idiot, duck!" at Wes.
• [Crimson Radiance] (Hero Skill) — A divine burst of light and fire that purifies corruption. Can burn curses, demons, and unwashed goblins clean off the map.
Weapon: Ignis Heart — Flameforged Sword blessed by Solara.
Scarlett blinked. "Whoa. That's… intense."
Andrew gave a low whistle. "You're like a walking firestorm."
Wes looked at her, jaw slightly open. "She's like a flame Valkyrie… remind me never to tick her off again."
The second screen flared brighter — Andrew's status.
Name: Andrew Cross
Class: Lightning Swordsman
Skills:
• [Heaven's Divide] — A sword strike that channels lightning through the air, cutting through both armor and spell barriers. Leaves a lingering aftershock that burns divine symbols into the ground.
• [Thunderheart Resonance] (Heroic Skill) — Temporarily fuses body and mana into pure lightning. Grants immense speed and strength for 30 seconds but leaves mana-drain exhaustion after.
• [Cross Tempest] — A dual-blade assault where every swing creates arcs of wind and thunder. Known to vaporize small armies — and tree lines.
• [Judgment Nova] (Limit Break) — Summons a divine lightning storm from the heavens. Once used to destroy a mountain-sized Hydra. Drains most of his mana for a week.
• [Stormborn Blessing] (Passive) — Immune to paralysis and shock effects. His lightning never harms allies — except Wes, occasionally, for comedy.
Main Weapon: Raijin Edge — A divine longsword forged from stormsteel and godfire, gifted by Zeirra the Goddess of Thunder.
Andrew stared. "Holy crap. I'm like a one-man thunder god…"
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Try not to blow up the castle."
Wes held up a hand. "Reminder: No friendly zaps, please."
Around the room, murmurs rose.
"Such power…"
"They really are heroes…"
"The Flame Blade and the Storm Warrior…"
King Alaric nodded approvingly. "Truly remarkable. This brings hope."
Wes stood in the middle of it all — silent.
"Scarlett… Andrew… They've got insane power. And I… I wasn't even supposed to be here."
He looked down as the crowd whispered about the heroes.
"Am I just the background character? The comic relief?"
He closed his eyes.
Breathed in.
Breathed out.
Then said, firmly:
"Open Status."
A long moment passed.
Then —
FWOOOSH.
A violet screen unlike the others burst into existence in front of him. The hue was darker, deeper — a color that didn't feel holy or elemental… but mysterious.
Wes blinked. "...I did it?"
The words on the screen began to reveal themselves.
TO BE CONTINUED...