So...
To explain the current situation, we need to go back just a few minutes to before Shin arrives late to the party.
Whilst the class laughs their asses off at the comedic scene of Haruto's shenanigans, they fail to notice the glowing magic circle expanding beneath their feet.
How one fails to notice a giant glowing magic circle is up to anyone's guess.
What does matter is that they got teleported someplace, with a lot of yelling and shrieking involved. Alongside a few odd cheers from the Otaku gang.
The entire class gets whisked away and finds themselves in a grand cathedral. Expensive murals and masterfully sculpted works of theological art decorate the chambers.
The only things not invested with copious amounts of wealth are the pews and an old altar with several tablets and tomes. The pews and altar are of a design commonly seen in Protestant Christian churches.
As the class tries to absorb and digest the fact they've been isekai-ed, they are greeted by a tall old man in crimson cardinal robes. Flanking his sides are a dozen guards in heavy armor.
"Greetings, heroes. I am Cardinal Halsey." The Cardinal bows respectfully, one hand hovering over his chest. The guards follow his example. "You might be confused as to why you're h-"
"We know," one of the students piped up. "You guys summoned us here because there's a threat you guys can't solve on your own, so you resorted to kidnapping us to help you solve it."
The cardinal scratches the back of his head, "Umm... Well... Yes... But kidnapping is a bit strong of a word."
"How else do you justify summoning people against their will to another world?" another student quips.
Pretending not to have heard the student's remark, the cardinal does a headcount: "Let's see, two, four, six..." His finger moves from person to person as he mouths the numbers. "...Twenty-six, twenty-eight, and twenty-nine. Alright, is twenty-nine the total?"
Twenty-nine?
The students can't believe their ears.
Putting aside the fact that the cardinal ignored the kidnapping accusations, there is something more important on their minds.
One of them is missing.
The class president and resident ojou-sama, Rina Suzuki, raises her hand: "Do you mind giving us a minute to confirm? There should be thirty of us."
Halsey nods. "By all means, please, go ahead."
After a brief roll-call, it becomes apparent who among them is absent.
"Kyoshin is missing!"
"What? Whose was the last person that saw him?"
The students murmur, and everyone turns to look at the group containing Haruto, Ren, Aika and Yumi, the usual cohort Shin hangs out with. They shake their heads.
"Well, I suppose it's good that at least one of us is safe at home."
However, their sorrow over their classmate's absence is short-lived.
"I'm not going to lie though, getting caught up in an isekai is rad!"
"Excuse me!" Halsey attempts to say something, but the students continue to chatter.
"I'd love to go slay a dragon!"
"Me, I'd prefer rescuing a cute princess."
"I wonder if we're going to go through some hero ritual, get cool skills, equipment and stuff."
"I want to be a mage!"
"I want a katana."
One classmate tries to bring everyone back on track. "Guys, I feel like we're forgetting something. How can we trust a bunch of kidnappers?"
"Yeah, you're right, even if an isekai adventure is fun, the fact is we've been kidnapped."
"Could they possibly be trying to brainwash us?"
"It's possible, they might make us do hate crimes and commit genocide!"
The cardinal, hearing this, tries to defend himself, but his voice is drowned out by the energetic and eager conversational skills of high schoolers.
That is, until someone lent him a helping hand.
"Quiet! The cardinal is trying to say something."
Even while in another world, everyone obeys the hierarchy, falling silent before Suzuki-sama's command.
'Ahem!' The cardinal clears his throat. "I assure you, the Church and I have no ill-will toward you Heroes. Rest assured, we will compensate you appropriately for disturbing your lives and dragging you into our world's mess."
The class erupts into isolated pockets of conversation once more.
Mainly among the hot-blooded male group.
"Did you hear that? He called us Heroes!"
"Ooh! Does this mean there's a Demon King!"
"Do we get to choose our class, or do we get it through some RNG ritual?"
"Heck yeah! I wanna be a Swordsman!"
"How basic. In a fantasy world, the best pick is definitely the Mage!"
"Fool! Who cares about the Classes? Skills are more important!"
"No, Classes! You can't have skills without a Class."
Another student wearing glasses interrupts the argument
"Neither of these things are important."
""Excuse me!?""
Pushing up his glasses, he coolly states, "If we're in a fantasy world, that means Elves, Spirits and Beastpeople exist, right?"
"Yeah?" one of the boys responds.
"Shouldn't we care more about finding ourselves a hot girlfriend in this world? Since we're heroes, there would be countless beautiful women wanting to get close to us. We can use this chance to finally get laid!"
The arguing pair bow their heads before the enlightened one, "Brother! I'm sorry for doubting you!"
"Indeed! You are a true visionary!"
Smiling, the glass-wearing student raises his fist in the air, "Now let us go get laid by the beautiful waifus we could only dream of or jack off to online!"
""Uooh!""
'Idiots,' every girl thought simultaneously.
Having had enough, the resident dicta-ojou-sama displays her authority, "Everyone be quiet! Let the cardinal speak!"
The class looked at the cardinal, who wore a strained smile.
Seeing the blatant look of annoyance written over his face, the students sheepishly apologize.
With all the excitement and hubbub out of the way, Halsey clears his throat and speaks. "What you have said is true, Demihumans such as Elves, Dwarves and the like exist and are prevalent in our world. Though I ask you to treat them with respect, they are not zoo animals to be ogled."
"Why did you summon us? I'm not sure how we could help with anything. We're not even adults yet. It seems rather suspicious to forcibly conscript minors into a conflict." the skeptical student who doubted the cardinal asks.
Shame-faced, the cardinal agrees, "You're right, there is a reason. Throughout the years in the history of Azra, numerous other Heroes have arrived before you. Some from other countries. We-"
"Hold on, so that means Shin might be in a different country than us?" someone interrupts much to Halsey's mounting annoyance.
The cardinal lets out a sigh, "In all likelihood, yes. I can dispatch a message to the other branches to check if your friend has been summoned there."
However, everyone's worries were unfounded.
Or rather, their original worries were soon replaced by a different worry.
"Um, I've read my fair share of Isekai, so I know I'll sound stupid for asking this, but is the summoning circle supposed to be glowing with this evil green colour?"
Haruto points to the ground, and everyone's gazes follow his finger, directed at the summoning circle now shining with a green glow.
Several different complex symbols and formulas appear beneath everyone's feet.
Cardinal Halsey panics. "Everyone evacuate!"
The guards escort the students off the summoning platform in a hurry.
Class 2B manages to get off the platform, but isn't able to leave the cathedral in time as the circle erupts in a brilliant flash of light!
Everybody shielded their eyes and recoiled several steps back.
Moments later, after the flash ended.
In the middle of the platform is Shin.
Haruto happily waves at the latecomer, "Oi! Shin! You're late!"
Several classmates let out sighs of relief and yell at him with mock anger about his dramatic entrance.
Unfortunately, the church members weren't as enthusiastic as Class 2B.
"Everyone, stay back!" cries Halsey. "Guards! Slay the heretic!"
"Hold on! He's our classmate!" Some of the students try to stop the guards.
Unwilling to injure my classmates, the guards struggle to break free.
Thanks to his classmates' action, Shin was afforded a few seconds' head-start.
Takahashi, the sports ace, and one of the guys blocking the guards yell at him to do the obvious: "Shin! Run!"
"You don't need to tell me twice!" Shin shoots.
Like a roadrunner from that one cartoon, he hit the ground running.