Magic Circle

Imagine a world in which discipline, hard work, and dedication were the most basic requirement to rise the food chain. Imagine a world of sorcery and swords, mana and Qi-- with only the ones risking their lives being allotted the opportunity to become Gods, whose's legend will be passed down until the end of time.

There wouldn't be a need to imagine it as that world exists, initially thought to be of shounen fiction. A world exists out there somewhere, with only a supernatural occurrence to connect them.

It is a world of swords and magic, brimming and fantasy races with their unique cultures and traditions,-- which, are heavily derived from Earth's mythology and legends.

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R-R-Ring!

The singing of an alarm clock sang annoyingly in a spacious bedroom, with the resident not pleased as he was awoken. Akiro Hiroto is our protagonist, he is an eighteen-year-old senior-high-school student. He begrudgingly rolled out of his bed, his hand slamming down on the alarm clock to end its annoying tune.

Akiro Hiroto was not a very outgoing student, not after a traumatic accident and the depressing after-effects of it. But that was the past as he has long since passed on from it, slowly striving to be better than yesterday.

In terms of physical appearance and his interests, he was gifted with handsome features but is just about as normal as any non-athletic pubescent senior student, dreary from staying up late.

After a hygienic routine, Akiro reluctantly stepped out of his house with a slice of toast and butter in his mouth, reluctant to start the day. He prepared his things and left his room entering the bright, loud, and monotonous routine of a senior high school student.

Clasping his hands, he bowed to his father’s portrait in the corner of the house before leaving the house. Putting on his outside shoes, Akiro noted that his mother had already left for work.

***

“I hate clichés,” He muttered, closing the manga he picked up last week and shoving it into his bag. "Overused, lazy writing is the worst. There is no logical reason in this universe that the power of friendship alone can overcome a large power gap."

To his unsuspecting self, a familiar person slowly crept behind him, careful not to make even the slightest sound. Akiro frowned, furrowing his brows as he pinched the bridge of his most, "Honestly, nothing interesting is being published nowadays. So disappointing."

As if his complaints were heard, a heavy hand swatted his head playfully, making the boy lean forward, his sense of balance temporarily disabled.

He fell forward but he recovered, and with an annoyed expression and a guess of who it was that struck him, Akiro glared. “Good morning to you too.”

The boy behind him smiled gleefully, entirely pleased with himself. He had naturally blonde hair, a testament to the half-American blood in his veins. "Yeah, it's a good morning, alright!"

Akiro frowned at the boy, whose name was Ayama Nobu, his class president, and closest and only friend. Despite his easygoing, borderline-rebellious persona, he was responsible and sensible enough to be assigned as the student body president, and Akiro was proud to be called his closest friend.

Akiro rolled his eyes, the edges of his mouth curling into a small smile. “Was.”
Ayama chuckled, his shoulders wobbling, "Yeah, but your face is priceless. Are you okay?"

“It's alright,” Akiro sighed, turning back to the road. "Anyway, it's Monday again. I didn't get much sleep last night.”
Ayama facepalmed. “I'm not surprised, you play too much. How you juggle your good grades and games is beyond me." he pondered, "Being an anti-social virgin has its perks, huh?"

"That is uncalled for, besides your a virgin too.” Akiro deflected.

Ayama shrugged, "True, but being more active in trying to be friendly will help, you know."

Akiro frowned at his best friend, but he was right. That experience was years ago, it was behind him now, but despite that, it was still hard for him to open up to people. Luckily for Akiro, Ayama was the foreign-exchange student that approached him first and they have been inseparable ever since.

They exchanged jokes, complaints,s and stories, distracting them from the journey to school until they passed the school entrance. The plaque by the school gate read, ‘Sengoku High.’

Entering the main building, they immediately exchanged their outdoor shoes for indoor ones. “---anyways, I can’t hang out today,” Ayama yawned, stretching and sighing with disappointment. “Student council work.”

Akiro nodded understandingly, “Oh, well, nothing we can do about it now, do we?”

“Welp, this is where we part. See you at lunch. I'm going to be busy with student council work.”

“Alright. Good luck.”

Without his extroverted friend, Akiro walked the halls to his classroom, seemingly invisible to everybody else. Akiro entered the classroom, immediately greeted by the loud banter of his peers, who are all formed into their respective cliques.

Near the teacher's podiums, were the class officers, and excluding Ayama, they were: Isa Tsukiko - the female Vice President; and Okuda Keiichi - the male Secretary.

By the left corner of the room were the popular students, usually those of influential backgrounds or wealthy families. Those in the group were: Yasutake Keiji, Takeshita Eri, Shimizu Sango, Haruto Itsuki, Maki Tahara, and Katsumi Tahara.

The group on the right side of the center of the room was the athletic group because they are filled with athletes, they were: Kenji Hinote of the basketball club, Yamazaki Toshyuki of the soccer club, Nishimura Hitome of the kendo club, Hashimoto Mari of the volleyball club.

Akiro looked briefly at the last group in the classrooms, one filled with by far the rudest human beings he had met in his life. They were gals flocking around Hamasaki Masahi, they are Onishi Akira, Matsumura Shigeko, and Yasawa Yaso.

The last group was the rest of the students who were scattered along the hallways doing whatever they wished. Akiro settled into his desk, but the middle-left side beside the windows, patiently awaiting the bell to ring. When it did ring, everyone got to their respective seats, including Ayama

However, the teacher didn't arrive to address them for homeroom-- or more accurately, couldn't.

Whisssshhhaaaa!

The walls became pure white. The only things you could see were the desks and students with confused expressions. Everybody jumped from their seats, their chairs falling over, and panic soon erupted.

Some were banging on the walls, and most gathered close to their friends, but Akiro and Ayama exchanged glances, their faces painted with the same disbelieving expression. Only one thought crossed their mind.

“No way this is happening!”

The light radiating from the circle became blinding, and when they covered their eyes, they were suddenly thrown to the ground as it disappeared from underneath them.

Thud!

Some groaned and griped about pain, but everyone's attention was captured by one booming voice, and his message was just as ludicrous as the magic circle that appeared in their classroom.

“Welcome Heroes from another world!!”