White.
White swallowed everything.
For a split second, Hajime felt his senses disconnect—no up, no down, no time, no body. Just a blank, consuming brilliance that erased every definition of reality. His classmates' screams were carved into the vanishing air, stretched thin and distorted as if the world itself was losing its grip on sound.
Then—
THOOOM.
The light collapsed.
Gravity slammed back into existence.
Hajime's feet hit solid stone.
His breath caught in his throat as the whiteness dissolved into dim candlelight, towering pillars, and the heavy scent of incense. A cathedral interior, ancient and vast, stretched around them like the ribs of some slumbering titan.
Students stumbled, teachers clutched each other, someone sobbed.
Hajime blinked hard, steadying himself.
A summoning.
A literal, textbook fantasy-style summoning.
But unlike the others, his body wasn't just adjusting — it was processing.
Resonance stirred.
A faint tremor thrummed through his bones, like a tuning fork struck against the cosmos. It wasn't dangerous… but alert. Curious.
Almost hungry.
Hajime exhaled slowly.
"Easy… not now."
But his Soul Core vibrated again, recognizing something in the air.
The composition of mana?
The structure of the summoning circle beneath their feet?
Or the divine pressure lingering like static?
Whatever it was, it wasn't part of Earth.
And his very existence responded to it instinctively.
So this is the Crossroads World… the one my gifts hinted at, he thought.
Around him, chaos reigned.
"W-Where are we!?"
"What the hell was that!?"
"Did we… teleport?"
"We died! We totally died!!"
Kaori clung to Shizuku, trembling.
Ryutarou spun in place, fists raised like he expected a minotaur to jump out from behind the altar.
Daisuke and Hiyama shouted curses at anything that moved.
Aiko-sensei tried calming the class with a shaking voice.
"P-Please! Everyone stay together! Stay calm! Don't panic—"
That was when the deep, resonant clang of a staff striking stone echoed through the cathedral.
All noise died.
Every head turned.
Rows of robed figures stood near the altar, their garments a pristine white laced with gold embroidery. Their hoods were lowered, revealing faces older than marble—wrinkled, solemn, carved with years of prayer and tradition.
At their center stepped an elderly man whose presence felt… heavy.
Not magical in the aggressive sense.
But weighty in the way mountains were heavy—immovable, unquestionable.
A Pope.
Or their world's equivalent.
His silver-white beard flowed down his robes like a waterfall of starlight. His pale-blue eyes shimmered with mana so refined it looked like frost suspended in water.
He lifted his staff, adorned with a hovering crystal sphere that rotated slowly… too slowly. As if time obeyed him differently.
"Children of another realm…" His voice rolled through the cathedral like a sermon etched into stone. "Be not afraid. You have been summoned to our sacred land by the will of the divine."
Students instinctively stepped back.
Even Hajime felt the energy in the Pope's voice—not oppressive, but impossibly ancient. His Soul Core pulsed once, recognizing the aura like one predator senses another.
Not equal.
But aware.
The Pope continued, spreading his arms gently.
"This sanctuary—Ehits's Sanctum—and I Ishtar Langbard welcomes you."
Hajime almost snorted.
Ehit, huh? New god? New system? Another variable.
His Resonance crackled faintly, analyzing.
Mana nodes.
Leyline flows.
Structural density of the cathedral walls.
Altar inscriptions.
Hidden magic arrays layered beneath the marble tiles.
The more Hajime observed, the more his Resonance hummed with fascination.
This place wasn't just holy — it was a nexus point. A mana convergence zone.
A perfect forge.
A perfect test.
A perfect trap.
He filed that thought away.
The Pope raised his staff again.
"As you have no doubt realized, your world is no longer the one you knew. The divine circle has drawn you here—to Heiligh, the Holy Kingdom—at the behest of our God, Ehit. For a time of great crisis is upon us."
Kouki, naturally, stepped forward with that heroic glow in his eyes.
"Crisis? What crisis?"
"Oh boy…" Hajime muttered.
The Pope smiled kindly. "We shall explain. But first—your hearts must steady. Your minds must rest. Come."
The doors of the cathedral opened with a slow, ancient groan.
---
The students were ushered toward a wide hallway lit by lanterns of floating blue flame. The air was cool, almost refreshing after the thick incense of the sanctum.
Retainers and robed attendants bowed as they passed. Some stared with open awe; others whispered.
"—are they truly summoned heroes…?"
"—so young…"
"—chosen by the divine circle…"
Hajime ignored all of it.
His eyes tracked everything.
The architecture.
The mana density.
The faint traces of old magic woven into the walls like forgotten memories.
Even the color of the flames — soul-fed illusion magic, stable, controlled.
His Resonance thrummed like a tuning fork struck repeatedly.
This world was… compatible.
Too compatible.
And that frightened him far more than being summoned.
Kaori walked beside him, eyes darting nervously.
"H-Hajime-kun… are you okay? You're really quiet."
He forced a mild smile.
"Just thinking."
She didn't look convinced.
Shizuku, who watched Hajime with quiet insight, murmured, "You look like you're calculating thirty things at once."
Try three hundred, Hajime thought.
---
The hallway opened into a brilliant grand hall, bathed in warm, golden light. Several long tables filled the center, each laden with bread, fruits, salads, and crystalline pitchers of water infused with faintly glowing herbs.
Many students exhaled with relief.
Food equaled safety.
Food equaled "we're not being sacrificed."
Food equaled temporary normalcy.
The Pope gestured gently.
"This is but a humble meal to ease your shaken spirits. Please, eat. Drink. Rest. You are safe here."
Servants moved with silent efficiency, offering towels, warm water, and soft words of reassurance. Many students broke down crying. Some laughed hysterically from stress.
Hajime simply observed.
His Resonance expanded slowly like a radar sweep.
No malice.
No immediate threats.
But the mana signatures…
This entire building was a labyrinth of divine enchantments.
And near the far wall, behind a tapestry—
There it was.
A pulse.
Faint. Pure. Monstrous.
Like the heartbeat of something ancient.
The summoning core, Hajime realized.
The engine of the ritual.
Still active.
He looked away before anyone noticed him analyzing it.
---
After the students settled, the Pope addressed them again, standing beneath a massive stained-glass window depicting an angelic figure holding a sword of light.
"Children of the other world," he began, "our land is embroiled in an age of strife. Darkness gathers at our borders. Creatures of shadow encroach upon our cities. The balance of mana shifts unpredictably… and our heroes alone cannot stem the tide."
Kouki clenched his fist.
"So that's why you summoned us."
"Yes." The Pope bowed his head slightly. "We ask for your aid. Not by force. Not through command. But through hope."
Murmurs rose.
Aiko-sensei stepped forward.
"Even so… they are students. They are children. You cannot expect them to—"
"We expect nothing," the Pope interrupted gently. "Your world, thought is of a higher order than ours and yet it still hides the supernatural. Ours on the other hand breathes in it. Therefore, you heros are naturally stronger than the residents of this world, so we shall train you. Teach you. Protect you until you choose your path."
Some students relaxed.
Others didn't.
Hajime remained silent.
His Soul Core pulsed again, reacting not to the speech… but to something else.
Something beyond the stained glass.
A distant distortion.
A ripple in the world's mana flow.
As if fate itself were shifting to accommodate new variables.
Something is coming, Hajime thought. Something big.
Resonance answered with a quiet, almost eager hum.
---
Once the meal ended, attendants guided the group outside.
Cold night air kissed their skin.
The walkway leading to it was wide, lined with silver trees that rustled softly despite the still air.
"Woooah…" Ryutarou said, eyes sparkling like a kid at an amusement park.
Kaori gasped.
Shizuku let out a rare, quiet "Beautiful."
Hajime didn't comment.
He was too focused on the faint, invisible field that blanketed the entire structure.
A divine barrier.
No—multiple barriers layered atop each other.
He could feel them in his bones.
His Resonance shivered like a cold blade.
This church is too fortified. Either they feared an attack… or they feared us.
Neither was comforting.
They passed through a series of decorated corridors, down steps carved from shimmering amethyst stone, and into a grand circular chamber—a ceremonial elevator hall.
A wide platform sat at the center, about the size of a classroom, shaped like a perfect disk of white stone etched with countless glowing patterns. Runes circled outward like concentric ripples, forming a magic array too complex for any modern Earth mage to decipher.
A knight slammed his spear to the ground.
"Prepare the descent!"
The disk began to hum.
Soft vibrations spread beneath their feet as the runes lit up, brightening from soft silver to radiant gold. Barriers of transparent mana formed around the edges of the platform, creating a protective shell.
Aiko-sensei paled. "I-Is this… safe?"
The High Priest nodded with serene certainty. "This platform carries all who enter the Sanctum down to the kingdom below. Fear not. It is guided by divine enchantments."
Kouki brightened. "So like… a sacred elevator?"
The priest blinked once.
"…Yes."
Hajime sighed. Of course he'd make it sound like a mall escalator.
With a resonant chime, the disk disengaged from the floor—floating just a few centimeters above the surface. Then it began to descend slowly, gliding downward through a wide shaft adorned with murals of ancient celestial wars.
Wind swept past them as they sank deeper into the mountain. The air grew cooler, laced with a refreshing yet unfamiliar scent—mountain ozone mixed with raw mana.
Shizuotugged on Hajime's sleeve without anyone noticing.
"H-Hajime… are you okay? You seem a bit pale."
"I'm fine," he said softly, eyes fixed on the runes flowing beneath their feet.
"But something about this world… is vibrating wrong."
Her eyes widened slightly as she knew a bit about his powers, but before she could ask anything—
The tunnel opened.
The disk glided out into the open air, suspended on invisible mana channels as it descended along the sheer cliff of the Divine Mountain.
And the students finally saw it.
---
Gasps erupted.
Below them sprawled the Divine Kingdom of Heiligh—an endless expanse of light, color, and civilization. A tapestry of glittering rivers, layered districts, marble towers, and sprawling plazas shone beneath the waning sun.
Bridges arched over winding canals.
Colossal statues guarded main gates.
Mana crystals floated above rooftops like hovering streetlamps.
Massive walls encircled the lower city, glowing with defensive wards.
A breathtaking sight.
Even Hajime's breath caught for a moment.
But while everyone else saw beauty—
He sensed something else.
A faint quake in the mana currents.
A low thrumming growing louder the further they descended.
Like the heartbeat of the world was… stuttering.
This place… is beautiful, he thought.
But it's breaking.
His Soul Core answered with a pulse of warning.
Kouki leaned forward dramatically. "This is… incredible! We really are in a fantasy world!"
Shizuku sighed. "Kouki, now is not the time."
Aiko-sensei had both hands on the barrier wall, trembling at the height. "W-We're so high up…!"
The disk continued its elegant descent, carrying them lower, closer, towards the capital's heart.
Closer to the truth of why they were summoned.
As the world trembled around them.