Summoning

Isekai Story

Help people. Help as many as you can. But why?

To show the world that you deserve to live.

I've lived by those words my entire life. They brought me strength when I was feeling weak; they brought me confidence when I was feeling down. Those words are my life's purpose. Without them, I was an empty husk of a man.

But now I was being tested by those words. My life would be at stake if I continued, and there would be no turning back. The risks were extravagant but so was the reward. Is it worth it to pursue this life?

Is it worth it to be a hero?

–

Something felt wrong.

My body was light. Too light.

The bed I slept on was hard. Too hard.

Everything from the air wafting around me to the atmosphere touching my skin felt foreign. I immediately recognised that I wasn't at home. I raised my head from the cold surface and opened the shutters that were my eyelids.

Before me was a wrinkled old man, approximately in his 60s, and two women, one older and one younger. The three of them clasped their hands together in a traditional prayer stance.

All three were adorned in gold and saffron, wearing typical Japanese attire akin to Japanese royalty. Their facial features reminded me of Japanese people, which shouldn't have been a problem.

But I was a high school student. There would be absolutely no reason for the Emperor to be praying to me.

“Um, excuse me. Could you please tell me where I am?” I asked as politely as possible. Pearls of sweat swam like fish down my face in worry.

“Dear! The ritual worked!” The slightly older woman spoke first. She bowed her head down towards me, paying no attention to my question.

“Wonderful! We are saved!” The gentleman did the same.

My hands began trembling with a mixture of worry and fear. What kind of situation did I find myself in? I slowly moved back while observing my surroundings.

The walls were painted a maroon red with accents of gold complementing it. Above us stood a humongous chandelier. If I had to guess, we were currently in a shrine of some sort. Unfortunately, the only exit was right behind the royal family. If I could just -

“Young man, please calm down. You must be confused right now. Have a seat and I will explain everything.”

The Emperor put up his hand in surrender. His amber eyes stared softly at me. He was like a father calming his child. Just from his actions, he exuded the aura of a confident but kind-hearted royal. One that could gain the trust of anyone.

I steeled my heart, rubbed off the sweat from my forehead and sat down in seiza. The pressure around me subsided, and I felt warm. Was this because of the Emperor? Could I really trust him?

“Let's start with introductions, shall we? My name is Nobunaga Hiroshi. I'm the 17th Emperor of Aogiri. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Emperor Nobunaga bowed respectfully with perfection. He was the embodiment of gracefulness

“I'm Aki Kurokawa. Nice to meet you.” I reciprocated the bow though not as elegantly.

“On my left is Hikari, my wife and the Empress of Aogiri. On my right is Yukino, my precious daughter.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,“ both women said simultaneously, Empress Hikari with a smile while Princess Yukino was stone-faced.

They were dressed in traditional kimonos with expensive jewellery and gold adornments. Empress Hikari’s attire shone brightly with a vibrant red hue, with extravagant flower designs, whereas Princess Hikari’s was more mellow with a cool light blue with simple yet beautiful embroidery. At first glance, it fits their personalities.

“Now let me explain your situation. There's a lot to go through so I'd like you to refrain from interrupting, please.”

I nodded. His warm personality from before was much more serious now. The tension in the room was thick enough to slice with a knife. I gripped my knees tightly and awaited his explanation.

“Mr Kurokawa. We have summoned you here to fight in the Sovereign’s Tourney for the sake of Aogiri.”

“WHAAAAT!” I stood on my feet, unable to comprehend what the Emperor had just said. How could I, a normal high school student, fight in a tournament!? Especially for a country that I'm not even from!

“How dare you show such behaviour to the Emperor! I'll execute you myself!” In faster than a blink, I felt something sharp on my neck. It pricked my skin, causing blood to slowly drip. Princess Yukino had brandished a knife at my neck.

Fear paralysed all my senses. My life was over before it even began. I would never be able to repay my parents for their care and say goodbye to my closest friend..

“Yukino. Drop your weapon at once. That's an order.”

The Emperor’s ice-cold voice reverberated around the room, sending chills down everyone's spines. Princess Yukino immediately dropped the weapon and returned to her father's side, her frail body rattling in fear.

“I apologise for that Mr Kurokawa. It was presumptuous of me to expect you to accept everything I've said. May I continue?”

Though his voice was softer than before, the power of authority it held did not waver. I sat back down and looked straight in his eyes.

“Good. Now let me explain what the Sovereign's Tourney is. It is a battle between the 3 countries that reside in the peninsula of Argentum: Aogiri, Ashenfall and Aethelheim. The winner controls all of Argentum and the area in between the three countries, No Man’s Land.”

“3 bands of warriors representing each country battle it out in No Man’s Land. The last squad remaining wins and becomes nobility and will rule along with royalty. It is a bloodbath for glory where the victor gets power over all. A war for salvation at the cost of others.”

“I'll repeat my request, Mr Kurokawa. Fight in the name of Aogiri and win the Sovereign’s Tourney.”