Bulky braziers hanging from each of the fourteen soapstone columns light up the entire throne hall and radiate warmth across this hall. The paintings of angels on the askew ceiling dance in the flickering light while carved images and gargoyles look down upon the obsidian floor of this opulent hall.

 

A sapphire rug runs down from the throne and splits to encircle the entire hall while forked banners with embellished wings are engraved in the walls.

 

Thick, stained glass windows of intricate mosaics are contoured by drapes colored the same sapphire as the banners. The curtains have been adorned with intricate embroidery and embellished borders.

 

Those listening to the higher authority can do so on the countless opulent, albeit uncomfortable brass benches, all of which are diagonally facing the throne. Those of higher standing can instead take seats in the specially built balustrades overlooking the hall.

 

A gorgeous lady wearing white vestments at the center of it, a hemmed red cross mark design. The lady priest's presence overwhelmed the 18 high school students lying on the marbled floor.

 

"I apologize for the sudden inconvenience. I supposed you're all confused right now. Either way, let me introduce myself first. I'm Aria the head priestess of the temple of our goddess Elaine."

 

With her overwhelming presence, all of them looked at her in astonishment, her impeccable beauty is out of this world could be on the same level as Alice who was their classmate known as the embodiment of beauty itself. However, a sudden realization took over them—getting confused and afraid.

 

A black, curly hair clumsily hangs over a lean, lived-in face. Squinting hazel eyes, set tightly within their sockets, wearing a denim blue blazer, pairing it with a white-red striped necktie, and cloud-grey pants. His dignified appearance, heroic-looking face, with a flawless relaxed face as he stood up with his leg, staring at the priestess with a solemn look on his face. He spoke up and introduced himself.

 

"Hello, Priestess Aria, I'm Nakata Kenshin."

 

"Yes, young chosen one, what's your question?"

 

"May I ask, why and where are we?"

 

"You are at the world called Atrium, a world created by our goddess Elaine alongside the other deities."

 

"Let me clarify, we're not in our own world? But, in another world?"

 

"Indeed."

 

"But, why are we here?"

 

"The people of the world Earth, you were all chosen as guardians, protectors, the chosen heroes."

 

"Hero?"

 

"Yes, Mr. Nakata."

 

"From what? If I may ask."

 

"For the upcoming war."

 

 

──────♢ ♢ ♢ ♢──────

 

 

A very long slim, curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed and used by samurai in feudal Japan with the jet-black carbon steel blade facing upward can be seen at the hands of the young man who's fighting, a gruesome humanoid creature. Cutting the upcoming needles, darting to him in a high-deadly speed. Every slash, the needles started getting faster and faster as the battle progress.

 

Sirius pivoted his hip, balancing his body core, and gave it a roundhouse kick at the chest of the creature making it stumble back a few feet away from him. The force of the devastating kick was amplified by the Nexus suit, a force of hundred people. It made the creature stagger, swaying from left and right losing its sense of balance.

 

Sirius took a stance then he lunged at the creature, winding up his katana above his head. He stomped on the ground giving him more acceleration force, with his katana ready to slice the creature. However, the creature vanished in a blink of an eye, making Sirius' sword swing, miss the target.

 

The creature circled around him, giving Sirius a kick in the back. Sirius stumbled forward, rolling in the ground a few away due to the force of the kick, thrusting his katana on the ground stopping himself from going further. Afterward, Sirius sensed a bloodlust in front of him, he glanced and saw the upcoming needles projectiles darting at him. Sirius dodged the needles only a hairbreadth away from him by using his excellent footwork and maneuvering.

 

Then a loud burst of bullet shells reverberated throughout the cave, a light magic particle beam came from the side attacking the creature. It made a small explosion inside the cave, but the creature was able to dodge with its speed and outmaneuvering like a slippery fish.

 

After dodging the particle bullet, the creature sensed something behind, it turned around and saw a black katana thrusting its chest lunging to the ground, a large crack sound came from its body which seems to be its bone or hardened skin, penetrating its insides. It started screeching and wailing from the pain.

 

"Aiieeee!"

 

After plunging its sword on the creature's chest, words started coming from Sirius' mouth as he started chanting. He opened his palm, a huge dark-red illuminating circle, inscribed with numerical runic letters appeared hovering in his hand. A serial assembly of connected flaming pieces or links busted out of the ground, wrapping around the gruesome humanoid-like creature halting its movements completely. No matter how much it tried to resist, the robustness of the chain holding it down to the ground is way too strong for it to destroy.

 

"Verfluchte, Flammenkette."

 

[Accursed Chain of Flame]

 

The excruciating heat of the flames coming from the flame was unbearable, as its burns its skin, making the creature wail from the agonizing pain which reverberated to the inner caves.

 

"Now!"

 

Alice who was waiting patiently in a rock, carrying a custom-made sniper rifle with an overall length of 1386mm and a 680mm barrel, roughly weighs around 13.5kg. Alice stared at the scope, targeting the humanoid creature shackled up to the ground in an incinerating flame of chains. She kept her patience and composure throughout the fight as she assists Sirius through the fight, with her relaxed finger in the trigger, she pulled it.

 

[Bolt: Tempest]

 

Compressed mana in shape like a 12.7×99mm cartridge burst out of the muzzle brake, leaving a trail of magical particles behind the projectile. Following that, a reverberating blast sound resounded throughout the cave. Piercing through the crystal rock jammed in between its split head, dissipating it into ashes. Following that, an enormous mana cleave cut its body in half, its two bodies cut in half flop to the ground. As Sirius watches it eroding into nothingness, he picked up his katana and sheathed it in his scabbard.

 

"Haah... That's finally done... Ugh, this bastard kicked me in the back. It's still stingy."

 

"What is that even?" Holding her rifle in her shoulder, as she walks closer to Sirius while watching the corroding corpse of the creature.

 

"No clue, but it looks like a human or perhaps a humanoid? But the real question should be, where are we?"

 

"Good question, I don't know too."

 

"We don't know if there are more of this disgusting creature in here, make sure to stay on high alert."

 

"Okie."

 

Alice and Sirius traverse through this slightly dimmed cave with their only source of light was from the blue illuminating rocks around them. They continued walking until they heard a loud shockwave that came in front of them. Listening to it, sounds of metallic clang, explosions, and war-cry came from that direction. They followed the sound, a supernal tunnel of light greeted their eyes, approaching it.

 

"Something's interesting up ahead, let's check it out, Alice."

 

"Aight."

 

 

──────♢ ♢ ♢ ♢──────

 

 

"War?"

 

"Yes, there's an upcoming war impending to happen in the future, as per what the oracle said."

 

Nakata gulped, sweats started forming on his forehead and back. Not only him but also his classmates around him, they started wondering if they're in some sort of hallucination or dream. But in reality, deep in their hearts, they knew that all these things in front of their very eyes are the reality of the very nightmare they wanted to wake upon on. Reality or whatnot, war is not a hilarious matter, as thousands or even millions of lives are on the line which even their lives depend on it if the hero thing that the priestess is real.

 

One girl with purple, straight hair tight in a bun reveals a fine, sharp sapphire eye pairing it with her scowling face.  Spoke her uttermost inner dissatisfaction towards what she heard. Her name was Miyoshi Yumiko.

 

"Hahahaha, Are you kidding me?! Please, don't tell me we're in some sort of magical fantasy world?! What's next, we are here to fight these so-called demon lords?!"

 

"Indeed, the existence of demon lords are real, they are titles given by Gaia."

 

"HUH?!" Miyoshi exclaimed dumbfoundingly.

 

"DON'T SCREW WITH US!"

 

"YEAH, THIS IS NOT A JOKING MATTER ANYMORE!!"

 

"This can't be real... —ot real..."

 

"I'm going to die..."

 

And then so on...

 

All of them started panicking even the dignified Nakata from earlier, as anxiety took over them. Suddenly, a loud thud sound from the priestess's staff reverberated the entire hall, creating a gentle, clear cerulean wave of particles embracing all the students which helped them to calm down from their panicking state.

 

"As the follower of her blessed goddess Elaine, I promise to you young heroes of the Kingdom Fibula. I'll give my utter best to guide and protect you all."

 

Aria bowed her head to them.

 

 

──────♢ ♢ ♢ ♢──────

 

 

Large cobalt eyes sit rooted within the creature's hard, narrow skull, which gives the creature a terrifying-looking appearance. Several crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its malformed ears. Several spikes of bones running down the side of each of its jawlines. Its slitted nostrils and long tendril on its chin. Hundreds of small canine teeth hanging inside its mouth, giving it a preview of terror hiding inside.

 

A thin neck runs down from its head and into a short body. The top of its body is covered in rough skin and rows of small crystal growths through its body while its bottom is covered in narrowed scales, darker skin. Two limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand, elevating itself mighty, its two limbs had two pointy claws made seemingly out of onyx.

 

Enormous freakish wings grow, starting from just above its shoulders and end just past its shoulder blade. The wings had a triangular shape, the skin of the wings are armor-like scales on top of the wing's primary bones. The large creature was to be seen, fighting four people in fancy-fantasy MMORPG articles of clothing. Alice and Sirius were watching this thing transpire from up above.

 

"Hahahahaha, Pooch, Pooch, look at that Puhahahaha!"

 

Alice was laughing hard while tugging Sirius' arm. The fact that there are people cosplaying in fantasy-like clothing, fighting a serpent monster. For the two, this is nothing new because back in their world Eighth-Grader Syndrome is typically normal for magicians too. However, the ones they're seeing right now are much worse...

 

"You're practically on the same level as them..."

 

"Same?! Don't even compare my sense of fashion to them!!"

 

"Okay, fine... What do you think?"

 

"They look ridiculous."

 

"Other than that... Look, they're using magic."

 

Magic or magicka, or the use of them are rare since only a handful of people in their world are able to use them. The fact that there are people using magic is mind-boggling, but Sirius noticed a more clear explanation of what kind of place they got into.

 

The so-called magic circles, generally appear after an incantation or a drawing, a circle of space marked out by practitioners who uses magics like the magicians, which can amplify or help them cast a particular spell. However, the people they're currently watching have different runic language in their magic circles which tells a lot.

 

Furthermore, those people are fighting a dragon creature which added more information on their whereabouts. Because the existence of dragons was long gone, the disappearance of this creature could be dated 5000 years ago from all the written transcripts of old documents back then.

 

Sirius came to the conclusion of the existence that goes by various names such as dimensions, parallel universe, or to simplify another world. This existence was written as a theory, as its existence was nearly impossible but not completely impossible as the old existence of false-god still lingers to the heart and mind of every magician. Their existence is existential and a belief that they came from another dimension, as every scholarly magician is finding ways to access that gap between reality and time which leads to the new world of discovery.