Chapter 1: A sudden invocation

The muffled echo of the principal's words floated through the enormous auditorium, bouncing weakly off the gray concrete walls.

The stage, adorned with red curtains and a screen projecting the school crest, seemed more solemn than usual, although most of the students were barely holding back their yawns.

—¡And so, dear students, we conclude this school year. We hope that during your vacation you will reflect on the mistakes you have made and return with the commitment to improve yourselves...

In the back row, almost hidden among empty seats, Akihiro Kirisawa rolled his eyes listlessly.Each word from the principal seemed hollower than the last. He mentally counted his yawns, and the number reached nineteen. Maybe twenty.

The air in the auditorium was thick, heavy with formality and boredom. Outside, the sun beat down hard on the windows, squeezing in between the dusty curtains and painting bands of light across the aisles.

—¡Reflect on my mistakes? Improve myself? Ha... as if that matters.

The director had barely finished his monologue when the predictable part of the show arrived.

—¡Remember that only through effort and discipline can greatness be achieved. Follow the example of your student president, Hideaki Kirisawa, who has once again been selected as the school's valedictorian.

Applause erupted with feigned energy. The name “Hideaki” seemed to have the magical ability to generate automatic cheers, as if the audience had trained themselves to react reflexively.And there he was. The prodigy. The perfect son.

Hideaki Kirisawa walked onto the stage with the rehearsed elegance of someone who never failed. His suit was ironed with surgical precision, his gait was upright, and his expression was as serene as it was calculated.Akihiro watched him from his shadowy corner.

—Everyone applauds him like he's a hero... as if they don't know he's never had to fight for anything real. How ironic... he's my older brother. And yet, it's like we live on different planets.

He, Akihiro, was the opposite. The invisible otaku. The latecomer. The guy who scraped by on exams and took refuge in virtual worlds to escape the tedium of reality. But he didn't care. Not anymore. He'd made peace with his role in this absurd theater they called society.

—And before we finish, a few words from our student president—The principal announced with feigned enthusiasm.Hideaki took the microphone.

His voice, confident and kind, filled the auditorium as if it had been designed for motivational speeches.

—Thank you for your words, Principal. For me, this year has been another opportunity to grow and share my values ​​with all of you…

Akihiro stopped listening. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling as if searching for an exit to another dimension.

—My God, will someone please shut him up?

In his mind, he was no longer there. He imagined himself in his room, trying out the demo of that fully immersive MMORPG he'd miraculously obtained.

Only 30,000 people had it, and he was one of them. Maybe, he thought, the universe didn't hate him so much after all.And then, as if his thoughts had torn through the veil of the mundane... it happened.

An intense white light fell from the ceiling like a divine bolt of lightning. The students screamed. Some tried to run, others froze. Golden symbols appeared in the air, dancing in perfect circles, intertwining in a hypnotic pattern.

The floor vibrated, the walls creaked, and the entire auditorium seemed frozen in time. Akihiro barely had time to stand before an invisible force lifted him off the floor. Everything blurred.

Sound disappeared.And then… a voice, clear and emotionless.

"Request accepted."

When he regained consciousness, he was kneeling in a field covered in emerald-green grass. The breeze was soft and warm, and the sky, a deep blue, seemed painted with divine brushes. In the distance, majestic mountains broke the horizon, while a forest stretched out like a green sea.Akihiro blinked, disoriented. The scent of the air was pure, as if it had never been touched by pollution. He stood still, stunned.

—¡¿What the hell just happened?!—he whispered, still in shock.He stood up slowly, his shoes crunching on the velvet-soft grass.—¿Is this… Is this real?—A laugh escaped his throat, first nervous, then a mixture of excitement and denial.

—¡No way! Did I get summoned to a damn parallel world?!—He shouted to the sky, laughing like a madman.—¡This is the worst opening to an isekai I've ever seen! Not a sexy goddess, not an old bearded king! Not even a skill menu! At least a city, for God's sake!

He slumped onto the grass, face up, laughter still trembling on his lips.

—…But it’s not so bad— he murmured, watching the clouds slowly drift by. I could get used to this.