The Summoning
Thomas—or Tom, as he preferred to be called—opened his eyes to a blinding light. His body felt as though it had been stretched and compressed all at once. When the light subsided, he found himself lying on a cold, polished floor. The air smelled sterile, like a hospital, but the voices around him carried a cacophony of fear and confusion.
Sitting up, he blinked a few times to clear his vision. Around him was a group of teenagers, all dressed in uniforms. Their chatter was unmistakably in Japanese, a language Tom only barely understood thanks to his years of watching subtitled anime. His gaze wandered until it landed on a familiar face.
To his left stood a boy about seventeen years old with unremarkable black hair and a timid demeanour. Tom's heart skipped a beat. No way... That's Hajime Nagumo!
He recognised him instantly from the anime Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, a series he had finished not long ago. The sight sent chills down his spine.
The Realisation
Tom scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. This wasn't just a coincidence. He had been summoned—just like Hajime and his class in the anime. But how? Why was he here? And why was he surrounded by characters he only knew from a fictional story?
Before he could delve further into his thoughts, a regal-looking man in ornate robes stepped forward. His presence silenced the murmurs in the room. Beside him was a woman dressed in flowing garments, exuding an aura of authority.
"Welcome, heroes," the man declared, his voice echoing through the grand hall. "You have been summoned to save our world from destruction."
Tom's stomach twisted. This was just like the anime. The summoning, the announcement, the task—it was all playing out exactly as he remembered. But this wasn't supposed to include him.
Assessing the Situation
Tom glanced around, trying to blend in with the group. He noted the expressions of shock and disbelief on the students' faces. They were processing the situation just as he was, though none of them had the advantage of knowing what came next.
He discreetly pulled up his system interface. A glowing blue screen appeared before him, confirming his worst suspicions.
System Notification:
You have been integrated into the Summoned Heroes system.
Template: Noob Saibot.
Abilities unlocked: Shadow Manipulation, Doppelgänger Creation.
The words were a cold reminder of his new reality. He had powers, yes, but the stakes were higher than ever. This wasn't a game. It was life or death.
Meeting Hajime
Hajime stood awkwardly to the side, avoiding eye contact with the others. Tom decided to approach him. If anyone could understand the gravity of their situation, it was Hajime.
"Hey," Tom said in Japanese, his accent clumsy but passable. "You okay?"
Hajime looked up, surprised. "Uh, yeah. I think so. This is all... a lot to take in."
Tom nodded. "Tell me about it. Name's Tom. What's yours?"
"Nagumo. Hajime Nagumo."
Tom smiled despite himself. "Nice to meet you, Hajime. Stick close, okay? I've got a feeling things are going to get... complicated."
Hajime gave a hesitant nod, clearly unsure what to make of Tom.
The Explanation
The robed man—a king, by the looks of him—continued his speech. He explained the dire situation the kingdom faced: monsters were overrunning the land, and a Demon Lord threatened to plunge the world into chaos. The students, along with Tom, had been summoned to serve as heroes.
Tom's mind raced as he pieced together the timeline. If this world followed the same events as Arifureta, things were going to take a dark turn. Hajime would be betrayed, cast into the abyss, and emerge as a hardened warrior. But what about him? How did he fit into this?
Unease Among the Group
As the king finished, the students began to whisper amongst themselves. Some were excited, thrilled at the prospect of becoming heroes. Others were frightened, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in their reality. Tom remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor. He couldn't afford to let his emotions show.
"This is insane," one student muttered. "How are we supposed to fight monsters?"
"We're just kids!" another cried.
Tom clenched his fists. He wanted to reassure them, to tell them that everything would be okay, but he couldn't lie. Not when he knew what was coming.
Training Begins
The group was escorted to a training ground, where they were introduced to their instructors. Tom used the opportunity to test his abilities, stepping away from the others to summon a shadowy doppelgänger. The figure materialised beside him, an exact replica of himself, its body wreathed in dark tendrils.
"This is going to take some getting used to," he muttered, dismissing the clone.
Hajime, meanwhile, struggled with his own training. His stats were mediocre at best, and the other students began to ridicule him. Tom felt a pang of sympathy but refrained from intervening. He knew Hajime's journey required him to hit rock bottom before he could rise.
A Dark Premonition
That night, Tom couldn't sleep. He stared at the ceiling of his room, haunted by the knowledge of what lay ahead. The betrayal, the despair, the bloodshed—it was all inevitable. But was it? Could he change the story?
"I'm not just an observer," he whispered. "I'm part of this now. If I can help Hajime... if I can prevent some of the pain... maybe I should."
The system chimed softly, as if responding to his thoughts:
New Quest:
Forge alliances. Influence the path of the Summoned Heroes.
Tom's resolve hardened. He wasn't going to sit back and let the story play out as he remembered. This world might have been born from fiction, but the lives within it were real. And he would do everything in his power to protect them.
The following day, Tom approached Hajime again, offering to spar with him. "You've got potential," he said, ignoring the incredulous stares of the other students. "You just need to believe in yourself."
Hajime looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. "Why are you helping me?"
Tom shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Let's just say I've got a good feeling about you."
As they trained together, Tom couldn't shake the feeling that his presence had already begun to alter the course of events. For better or worse, he was determined to see it through.