Wait, I Just got here!

“Calm down, calm down, calm down.” Leo repeated over and over to himself and he was on his hands and knees. One would assume that he would start saying that this was a dream, but he knew better than that. This was real, too real. The cold stone floor beneath him, the horrid smell of blood in the air, and the pounding in his chest.

Leo wanted to just curl up and refuse to acknowledge his surroundings, but he couldn’t do that. Whatever killed his summoners could be around still. No… that’s not right, if they were here to kill them they should have been in the room as he was summoned. A scary thought crossed Leo’s mind, “Did… Did me coming here kill them?”

Now he had no choice, Leo had to get up. His conscience couldn’t let him run away this time.

Getting up he finally looked around the room. It was a small stone room with banners of a language he did not recognized a small pedestal in the center that seemed to be able to hold something (‘Maybe an orb?’ Leo guessed) that no longer was there. Beneath him was what he assumed to be a summoning circle. Then, bracing himself, he looked at the only other occupants in the room, his four dead summoners.

Two seemed his age and two seemed older. His suspicions were confirmed upon looking at their attire, they was a medieval like fantasy world. The young man wore armor with no helmet and a cape… but he was missing one arm. The young woman wore robes befitting Leo’s idea of a mage leaning to witch with a big hat… on her severed head. The older woman seemed to be wearing a priestly nun outfit, whatever holy symbol was on her was long lost with the gash in her stomach. Finally the older man seemed more subdued amongst his companions wearing some sort of cloak that was now masking his missing legs.

Leo wanted to avoid his gaze after visually confirming that they were in fact dead. Upon doing so something caught his eye. “What’s this?”

There was no purpose of talking out loud other than to avoid the silence and keep his mind focus on other things. His current objective was reaching for a bright red shard that was left on the ground.

BZZT

Upon contact electricity shot out and zapped Leo’s hand causing him to jerk his hand away. “Ouch!” he said as he spun around angry at the shard and himself for touching it, “stupid thing!”

Before he could attempt to get his petty revenge on the shard it sprang up and shot itself at Leo.

“Gah!” It wasn’t enough force to knock him down but he began to panic. “Wait wait wait!” He looked at his chest to find that the shard was no longer piercing his chest, “There is no wound either? What the hell?”

Before he could question the shard’s location a ringing began in his ear as a splitting headache attacked him. Clutching his head the same voices he heard were back and becoming clearer, even in the sea of battle noises.

“Alicia! Get Rebecca healed up! I’ll hold them off!”

“Aleister! Behind you!”

“Stay with me Rebecca, come on.”

“Zeke! Can you destroy that orb!?”

“It too fucking tough!”

“We can’t let them summon the Demon King! GRAH!”

“A.. Alicia…”

“You’re going to be okay Rebecca. You’re going to be okay.”

“AHH!!”

“ALEISTER! YOU BASTARDS!”

“Aleister! Oh my god, Aleister your-”

“This.. is nothing. I can still hold them off!”
“Alicia… use… the orb…”

“What!? Rebecca save your-”

“Alicia… we’re not going to make it… but we can stop them from summoning the Demon King.” Rebecca coughs, “The Goddess says, it’s the only way…”

“What?”

“UNDERSTOOD! ZEKE THE ORB!”

More sounds of fighting continued. Leo then began to hear the one called Alicia chanting something.

“Alicia! Is it working!?

“Come on stay awake. Not now.”

“It’ll work! It has too.”

“Please, Hero from beyond, we beg you to save our world, stop the demon king’s summon”

Once again they the four spoke in unison.

“The fate of our world, we are leaving it to you now. Please, save what we hold dear”

Leo gasped for air when their voices stopped. It was a lot to process for it was more than voices that was sent into him. He now looked at each of them like long lost friends who he was far too late to save, even though they never knew each other. Yet everything about them was apart of Leo now.

Aleister; The wayward traveler from a small village. Raised on heroic stories he set off on a journey to become like the heroes of old and through genuine hard work and dedication became one. He was even proven worthy of the Hero’s Sword. He leaves behind parents in a countryside far far from here.

Alicia; The genius Mage with a small chip on her shoulder because of her age. While demanding respect from others, she would be the first to acknowledge them for their achievements. She had grew to love Aleister, but never spoke to him about them. Unbeknownst to them were the feelings were mutual. She will leave behind her grandparents of a Mage Tower in just the continent over.

Rebecca; The righteous Saint. Truly a Saint in every meaning of the word. Her kindness knew no bounds and her heart was as caring for even her enemies. She almost singlehandedly rooted out corruption from her church once the Hero’s Sword called for Aleister. She had no lover, not for lack of sutures or mandate from the church, but for her own fear of their safety for association. However, the orphanages she started would lose a great source of light.

Zeke; The party’s shadow. A contract assassin that was sent to kill Aleister after he was chosen as a hero. However seeing the young man’s righteousness and his earnest heart he agreed to cancel his contract and journey with them. Of course, there was always a true purpose to this. He traveled to ensure the world would be safe for his wife and daughter.

Tears ran down Leo’s eyes. They were just on a stolen item mission. That’s all this was, all it was meant to be. However, fate was cruel to these heroes. The item was a red orb that would serve as the catalyst for the summoning of the Demon King. Tracking it down they found a demon’s secret warp gate, found the summoning room but were caught by a high ranking demon. They were able to defeat the Demon, but Rebecca was badly injured and the Demon had a failsafe. Thralls came rushing at them nonstop trapping them here.

Rebecca, who was teetering on life and death, had spoke with the Goddess and had found out that with them being IN the Demon King’s castle was preventing aid. However, apparently the Demon King is not an actual being but a manifestation of evil will summoned through the circle. So… what if kind-hearted people tweaked the ritual?

“You get a ‘hero’ from another world.” Leo said to himself, “You putting a lot of faith on a long shot here guys.” He then went over to each of them to pull out a metallic tag. An Adventure’s tag, their last proof of life. He reached for the Hero’s sword, but a blinding light erupted from it and soon disappeared. Leo sighed at the rejection, “A real long shot.”

Leo then grabbed a few of their personal artifacts and their spacious bag, which was able to hold a lot in a space magic way.

“Ok, excuse me Zeke.” Leo finally began to go through Zeke’s pockets. Leo began to wonder if he could put their bodies in the bag as well, he doubted that they would want to stay in the Demo King’s castle like this. “So… this is your family huh?” Leo thumbed a locket that Zeke had and opened it. Apparently even in this magic fantasy setting the people here were able to invent pictures. In the photo held Zeke, his wife Natasha, and their daughter Zentrella.

Leo’s hand felt heavy. He knew why of course, “I promise you guys… I will carry your hopes now.” Was he corny just now? Yes. Was it super cliché. Also yes, but these feeling, their memories that flowed into him were real. Sure, he was at first excited at the idea of this isekai adventure. Now though? Now he had people expecting something of him… No that was a lie. he always had people expecting something of him, but maybe here in this world he won’t fail them. This was a second chance at a fresh start.

So… why is the locket glowing?

“Hold on! Wait wait! I just got here!”

BZZTZ

A red flash emanated from the locket and Leo was no longer in the summoning room.