I never thought…
A math exam could turn into a portal to another world.
That morning was supposed to be normal.
Class 2-B was as quiet as ever. Pencils scratching paper. Held breaths. I sat in the middle row, working through problems one by one, not rushing.
“If a truck moves at 40 km/h…”
Ah. Easy one. I once sketched a truck back in first year, so the visualization popped right into my head.
My name is Kaito Shimizu.
Just a regular student. Not popular, not invisible either.
I only have one real skill: drawing.
Not just doodles. I can draw characters, designs, even storyboard panels.
Some classmates know, and they’re supportive.
But so far… it’s just a hobby.
I’ve never had the guts to step further.
While I was circling an answer, suddenly—
A burst of white light exploded under my desk.
The floor glowed. Chairs rattled.
Some kids screamed.
I ducked down, thinking maybe the projector had shorted out or something—
Then, in the blink of an eye… everything vanished.
The essay paper I’d just finished, the desk, the classroom—gone.
For a split second, I glimpsed a beautiful woman smiling at me, then—darkness.
BRUAAAK!!
We all crashed into a gigantic hall. Towering pillars of gold. Stone walls carved with symbols. A painted sky ceiling. Red carpets. Candlelight everywhere. Straight out of an RPG.
I pushed myself up. Some classmates were already sitting dazed on the floor.
Ms. Mori, our math teacher, stood at the front. Calm, though clearly confused.
We were surrounded by robed mages with staffs, armored soldiers, and—at the far end—a man wearing a crown and holding a golden scepter.
He looked stern. Yet in his eyes—fear.
“Oh, heroes from another world… we beg for your aid.”
He bowed deeply.
The class erupted in noise.
But before anyone else could respond—
Ms. Mori stepped forward.
Face calm. Voice firm.
“This is wrong. You can’t drag children from another world without their consent. This is no way to ask for help.”
The soldiers flinched. The mages exchanged uneasy looks.
But the king… bowed lower. Even dropped to his knees.
“We… have no time left. Demon hordes from the west have destroyed three kingdoms. Our people will be wiped out.”
Honestly… my brain was still lagging.
I was just holding a ruler.
Now I was staring at mages, soldiers, and a king.
Some classmates started to get excited.
They were shown visions of this world, praised as “heroes.”
Then came the “status check.”
One by one, each classmate placed a hand on a glowing orb.
Tatsuki: Sword of Divine Flame
Mira: Archmage of Light
Kenji: Chain Burst Shot
Cool. They all got flashy powers.
Then… my turn.
I walked up slowly, like heading to the scariest presentation of my life.
My hand touched the orb.
It lit up.
Main Skill: Drawing
Passive Skill: High-Level Imagination
Support Skill: Active Visualization
…Silence.
The mages glanced at each other.
A soldier whispered, “…weak?”
The king smiled awkwardly.
No applause. No “wow.”
And me?
I was used to this.
I pulled my hand back, face blank.
Enough said.
Soon after, my classmates were escorted to castle suites—huge rooms, soft beds, personal attendants.
Me?
Escorted out the back door.
Thrown onto a wagon.
Given flimsy armor and a rusty sword.
Sent straight to the third dungeon floor for “basic training.”
They said: “You can prove your worth here.”
I didn’t protest.
But as I looked at this world—real monsters, real magic—I realized one thing:
“If everyone else has swords… maybe I can draw a sharper one.”
End chapter 5