Chapter 1

When he regained consciousness, he was kneeling on a field covered in emerald-green grass. The breeze was soft and warm, and the deep blue sky looked as if it had been painted with divine brushes. In the distance, majestic mountains broke the horizon, while a forest stretched out like a sea of green.Akihiro blinked, disoriented. The air smelled pure, untouched by pollution. He remained still, stunned."What the hell just happened?" he whispered, still in shock.He stood up slowly, his shoes pressing into grass as soft as velvet."Is this... is this real?"A laugh escaped his throat—first nervous, then a mix of excitement and denial."No way! Did I really get summoned to a freaking parallel world?!"He shouted at the sky, laughing like a madman."But... this is the worst start ever! No sexy goddess, no old king with a beard! Not even a skill menu! At least give me a city, for God's sake!"He slumped back onto the grass, lying face up with laughter still trembling on his lips."...But it’s not so bad," he murmured, watching the clouds drift slowly by. "I could get used to this. No speeches. No faking it. And the best part... I’ll never have to see that idiot Hidea—""I’m glad to see you’re alright," a familiar, composed voice interrupted.Akihiro froze. His entire body tensed up.No. It can't be.He scrambled to his feet and turned slowly... until he saw him.There he was, like a sick joke from destiny. Hideaki Kirisawa. Impeccable, serene, sporting that textbook smile and the same condescending expression as always."Hideaki... what are you doing here?" Akihiro asked, unable to believe his eyes."Akihiro Kirisawa," his brother said, crossing his arms gravely, "care to tell me what exactly you were saying about me?"Akihiro took a step back. It was as if the weight of the institute had followed him to this new world."This has to be a joke...""You idiot! Show some respect for your older brother!"And without warning, Hideaki’s fist slammed into his face with precision born of years of training. Akihiro fell backward, spitting out blood and pride.Lying on the grass, he looked at the sky with bitterness."Of course..." he muttered with a crooked smile. "Of course you had to be here.""What was that?""Nothing, brother. Nothing worth repeating."He struggled to his feet, wiping the blood with his sleeve. Hideaki watched him with that expression he hated so much: a mixture of disappointment and moral authority."Grow up, Akihiro. We are in a situation that neither of us understands, and the last thing we need is your childish attitude.""And what do you propose, oh wise Hideaki? That I kneel and thank you for being here to save me?""No," he said with cold calm. "I suggest you use your brain, for once in your life."Akihiro was about to snap back, but a female voice interrupted them."Did you guys just arrive too?"They both turned.A group of five girls was approaching from the edge of the forest. All of them wore the same school uniform. Their faces showed surprise, confusion, and in some cases, a hint of fear."More students?" Akihiro muttered."It seems we weren't the only ones," Hideaki said, frowning as his tone grew serious.The group began to introduce themselves in a clearing surrounded by trees with strangely luminous leaves.The first to step forward was Vania Mitsura, a first-year girl whose fragile frame and barely audible voice seemed out of place in the wild environment.Behind her, Amelia Namiko spoke curtly, maintaining a certain distance from the group. Hideaki looked at her with some surprise, recognizing her from sports competitions. It was the intense gaze she returned that set off alarms: it wasn't just respect... it was devotion. One that, to a keen observer, bordered on uncomfortable.The third was Nami Arika, whose crossed arms and constant expression of disdain gave her away as a total egocentric.Lia Satoru was different. She walked to the center without haste, her expression like someone forced to participate in a school play without a rehearsal. There was an aura of detachment about her, as if she were still processing what was happening. She looked around with calm but disinterested eyes. Anyone watching closely might think she was the only one who, in silence, understood more than she let on.The last was Akane Kira. Her dark blue hair shimmered under the shifting twilight, and her eyes, though open, were fixed on an invisible point. Looking at her, something stirred deep inside Akihiro... a pang of nostalgia he couldn't explain.When Hideaki introduced himself, the atmosphere shifted. His voice, firm and charismatic, was like a gust of warm wind. Even nature seemed to respond, letting the sun’s rays filter through with more intensity. The girls looked at him as if they were beholding a legendary hero: the perfect smile, the dignified posture of a leader, and the air of confidence that made it seem like everything would be okay.Akihiro, on the other hand, stayed in his spot. When his turn came, he raised his voice just enough."Akihiro Kirisawa. Don't expect much from me."Silence fell like a blanket. No one responded. Only Hideaki sighed, defeated by what seemed like an internal battle."Well," he said, adopting his typical makeshift-leader tone. "Now that we know each other, we need a plan. Someone must know something about this place. Or how to get back."But it was Lia who broke the thread of authority with unexpected confidence."We aren't on Earth."Hideaki frowned, confused. "What do you mean?""Look around," she replied, pointing at the landscape. "The strange-colored mountains, the sky with impossible hues, those creatures flying up there... none of this exists in our world."Everyone followed her gaze. In the sky soared a winged creature with a metallic appearance, wings that looked like sharpened swords, and a serrated beak that glinted in the sun. That wasn't natural. It wasn't terrestrial."It's another world," Lia added, a spark of contained excitement in her eyes. "Doesn't it feel like an RPG?"For the first time, Akihiro smiled."Exactly what I was thinking. If this is an RPG, there must be a town nearby. And if there’s a town, maybe we can start leveling up."Hideaki looked at him as if he had just suggested setting the forest on fire."Are you serious?""And why not?" Akihiro replied with disdain. "If we were brought here, there must be a reason. Maybe we even have special skills, stats... or some kind of epic destiny we didn't ask for."Though his tone was sarcastic, a spark of hope crept into his words. Lia backed him with a slight nod."Maybe your brother is right, Hideaki. We should at least find civilization to get our bearings."Hideaki reflected for a moment, and after a few seconds, he accepted with a gesture."Then we must start searching. How about we walk toward the setting sun? That way we won't get lost if we have to turn back."The group agreed. And although Akihiro didn't like him taking his idea as his own, he didn't protest. He just swallowed his annoyance and kept walking.Hours passed. The group moved through hills and twisted trees with pale bark, under a sky that was beginning to turn orange. Although some tried to maintain a positive attitude, the smiles were tense, words were few, and steps grew heavier."Guys, can you keep going?" Hideaki asked, turning from the front.Some nodded without thinking. Others barely looked at him. Akihiro brought up the rear, observing the landscape in silence. Not because he didn't care about the group, but because he sensed his words wouldn't be heard.They hadn't suffered from lack of food or water yet, but fatigue was setting in. The mental exhaustion, no doubt, weighed more than the physical."Well, it's not so bad," Lia commented. "At least we feel like we're going in the right direction."Akihiro nodded, though he was suspicious. Everything was too quiet. No marked paths, no monsters... not even a slime. If this was an RPG world, there should be challenges. But so far, it seemed like the most boring corner of the map.During a break, he wandered away from the group. He needed to breathe. He pulled out his phone—useless as a phone, but it still served as a camera—and began photographing some flowers with luminous petals. Their blue glow reminded him of latent energy, as if they were more than just plants. Maybe healing. Maybe poisonous. In a world like this, better safe than sorry.As they resumed their march, the sun set and the sky turned crimson. It was then that, over a hill, they spotted a small village. Wooden houses with dark roofs, lit lanterns, and the smell of freshly baked bread were unmistakable signs of civilization."A village!" Hideaki exclaimed, with an enthusiasm that spread to the whole group.They quickened their pace. Upon arrival, they noticed the architecture was medieval, and the inhabitants wore simple tunics and clothes. They watched with suspicion, not knowing if the newcomers were a threat or just an oddity.A robust man with a weathered face approached with a firm step. His smile was hospitable, but his eyes scrutinized them with distrust. It was clear he was the one guarding the place."Well, seems we have visitors. Your clothes are... very peculiar. Do you come from the Elven Kingdom? Where are you from?"Hideaki stepped forward, as usual, with a polite tone."No, we are students from Tokyo. Could you tell us what place this is?"The man arched his eyebrows. "Tokyo? Is that beyond the Sacred Pass?""It's... complicated," Hideaki replied. "What is the name of this place?""The village is called Brings. Quiet place, not many surprises. The Mayor lives at the end of the main street, in the largest house. He’ll know how to help you; after all, his daughters are the smartest in the land. They’ll know where that place you mentioned is.""So we aren't in Japan?" Amelia asked."As I told you, I don't know those places," he replied crossly. "The Mayor's girls have more schooling than everyone in this village combined. They didn't study with the nobility in the capital for nothing."The group clearly had more questions, but with a scowl, the man walked away, leaving them with clear directions."Well, I guess we’ll have to go to the Mayor," Hideaki told everyone.As the group prepared to follow, Akihiro stopped in front of a shop with alchemical symbols and herbs hanging from the frame.Although he couldn't read the signs, he tried for a moment to study the writing of this world, but simply looking at them sent a wave of dizziness to his head. With a small shake of his head, he cleared it in seconds. He wondered—did this world not want them to read its language, or did he just urgently need glasses?"I'm going to go check something out," he said, pointing to the shop."What are you doing?" Hideaki asked, already frowning."I saw some plants on the way that might be useful... I want to see if they know their properties here."Hideaki clearly disagreed with the idea, but by the time the conversation ended, Akihiro was already at the shop door."That's awesome! I want to see to—" Lia was cut off by Amelia, who grabbed her by the collar before she could escape."Don't be reckless, Lia," Amelia snapped. "First we need to find out where we are so we can go home. Don't be stubborn like that guy."Hideaki looked like he wanted to run after his brother, but Amelia’s rigid voice told him it was best to keep moving. For the sake of the group, they had to move on.