- Isekai'ed the people -
Earth,
Japan,
See, I always thought I was different.
[Time until otherworld transfer: 00 days: 00 hours: 30 minutes: 49 seconds]
For a long time, I've had this strange hologram-like screen floating in front of me. And according to my deductions, which made me look like a crazy person, I'm the only one who can see it.
"Miyamoto-kun, you look dashing today~ Kya."
"Haha, you flatter me."
Ignoring those people, I have also come to think that this world is weird.
Not in the "everyone's quirky" kind of way, but in the "maybe I'm the only one with a working brain" kind of way.
This has been my reality for a while now, and honestly, I'm starting to feel like I don't fit in.
My thoughts, memories and feelings are kind of jumbled up.
Could just be me, but I can't shake the feeling that this world operates on some ridiculous logic that somehow seems plausible.
It's not just about spotting a futuristic display; it genuinely feels like something ripped from the pages of a book, right?
And that's not even the whole story.
For instance, my parents have passed away, leaving me with their inheritance, and strange things occur at least twice a month.
It's like those clichés you read about in novels are playing out in real life as if they're totally normal.
Plus, there's more to it—
[Time until otherworld transfer: 00 days: 00 hours: 30 minutes: 24 seconds]
THIS!
But I digress.
If this were someone else, I'd probably say they're overthinking things. But then again, I'm the one in this situation.
I mean, I did see a psychiatrist about it, and they quickly labeled me as a schizophrenic.
A bit harsh, if you ask me, but I suppose that's what happens when I try to get others to see my perspective.
Then again, what if I'm not the one with the delusions? What if the world around me is the real problem?
I mean, what kind of parent leaves their six-year-old behind for a "business trip" that's lasted over eight years and still going?
Crazy, right?
You'd be surprised to learn that this kind of thing happens to others every day, at least based on my research.
During my investigation, I opted for a straightforward and minimal approach when talking to people, since many have viewed me as delusional or unwell over the years.
On my first day of high school, I made it a point to establish my "stay away" vibe by introducing myself in a way that would definitely make people think I was a bit odd.
This way, I could fly under the radar until—
[Time until otherworld transfer: 00 days: 00 hours: 03 minutes: 23 seconds]
"Haah."
I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair.
As I glanced toward the classroom entrance, I spotted the guy everyone adores, Miyamoto Naoki, surrounded by a group of giggling, gorgeous girls.
Not surprising at all.
"So, Miyamoto-kun, what are you planning to do after this?"
"Hmm...? Let me think."
Miyamoto Naoki is the type of guy who naturally draws attention.
He's the "cool kid" with blond hair, tall and athletic, effortlessly winning over all the girls.
Plus, his grades are always at the top
He's also on the student council, fitting that typical mold perfectly.
"Eh... I don't think I'll be free."
"Ah~ No worries, Miyamoto-kun."
But honestly, there's something a bit off about him. He has this superiority complex, like he expects everything to revolve around him.
And I've been observing him for three years, so I'm not just guessing.
You can see it in the way his face changes when he gets compliments, among other things.
"Fuu."
On the flip side, there are people like me in this class.
We're the background characters, just here to watch the drama unfold with a smile.
Well, not me with the smile, but you get the idea.
Even though I tend to steer clear of socializing, I've chatted with a few classmates, and one really stands out—more than Miyamoto, actually.
We've only exchanged a few words, but he looks at me like I'm a bit off; I guess zoning out randomly or spouting random nonsense didn't help my case either.
Alright, enough rambling.
"Hey, Nakatani-kun," I said, glancing back at the guy behind me with a serious expression.
"Get ready. We're about to be isekai'ed to another world."
I spoke those words to him in a straightforward way, matching his dull stare.
"Huh?"
He looked at me, puzzled and obviously skeptical, giving me that familiar look I often get.
That judging look... But honestly, I didn't need his approval.
[Time until otherworld transfer: 00 days: 00 hours: 00 minutes: 23 seconds]
I mean, who would?
"Don't stress, I'm not expecting you to buy it immediately."
Everything will come to light soon enough. At least, that's what I'm hoping for.
[Time until otherworld transfer: 00 days: 00 hours: 00 minutes: 03 seconds]
[02 seconds]
[01 second]
"Kya! What's happening?"
Heh, I wasn't disappointed after all.
"Everybody, calm down."
Right as the countdown on the screen hit zero, a bright circle appeared under our feet, and all hell broke loose in the classroom.
I just leaned back in my chair, gripping my bag tightly.
I had been ready for this moment.
Survival knife, poison, a Glock with a few bullets, corrosive chemicals—yeah, I was more than prepared. Maybe even too prepared.
After all, this was one of the few ways I could get ready.
Sure, I could have chosen to avoid this whole situation, but why would I?
This world is dull enough as it is. If there was a chance to escape it, I'd be all in.
"Kyaaa!"
The light grew brighter before fading a few seconds later.
As I looked around, it was clear that our environment had shifted.
We were now in what appeared to be an underground chamber, with light streaming through a door that looked like it led outside.
I cautiously scanned the area and noticed several robed figures standing with their hands together.
"Mages?"
As I gazed upward, I spotted what seemed to be the king. Yes… it's all starting to come back to me.
This familiar scene that feels like something straight out of a manga.
And then, I saw it:
[Status]
[Echless Raraya Lv. 1]
[Special ability: Nightwalker (Locked)]
[Traits: Accelerated Processing (+), Analysis, Traveller (Locked)]
[Comments: Schizophrenic patient, Slightly messed up mentality, how does a freaking high schooler have a gun? +99]
Nightwalker, huh?
What's that all about?
"Ahh...! It's a success!!"
I looked up to see a man dressed in royal yet priest-like attire, complete with a crown. I assumed he was the king of the kingdom that summoned us.
"Eh?"
I brushed off the panic from my classmate, Nakatani, and a few others who were staring at the king in shock.
Now that I think about it, the chair I was sitting on must have come along with me to this world...
"Welcome… Welcome, heroes," the king said with a broad smile and a satisfied look.
But in stark contrast to his welcoming words—"What!? What the heck is going on?!"
"Why are we here? Weren't we…?"
While I kept my cool, the rest of the class was in total chaos.
In their panic, they completely missed the cold, calculating gazes of the ministers lurking behind the king.
'This is intriguing. Let's figure out what's really happening.'
I thought as I activated my «Analysis Lv. 1» skill.
[Name: Unidentified]
[Status: King. Low-tier Mastermind]
Most of the other ministers' names were still unknown, but a few of their statuses definitely caught my eye.
"Everyone! Just breathe!"
It was the hero—Miyamoto, stepping in as usual.
"First, we need to grasp our situation. Let's all calm down, then we can talk to these folks."
As expected from the hero, I think he's earned that title by now, right? Naturally, I couldn't resist using «Analysis Lv. 1» on him as well:
[Name: Miyamoto Naoki]
[Ability: Heroic Strength]
[Comments: Phony Hero. Impostor. Ladies' Man. A mix of madness. Conceited. Fame Chaser. Attention Seeker +9]
There were a ton of other characteristics in there that totally shifted my perspective on him.
So, in the end, he's just a wannabe and a show-off, right?
"Good to know."
I always had my suspicions. Just as I expected, people started glancing my way.
"What?" I replied flatly, not even bothering to get up from my seat.
I noticed the king, and no, everyone was focused on me.
"Hero Miyamoto, who is this guy?"
The king asked, looking back and forth between me and Miyamoto. I figured my calm demeanor must seem pretty unbelievable to them.
Why am I not feeling anxious or shocked like everyone else? They might think.
After spending a decade with a blue holographic screen trailing me and coming to terms with living in what's considered an unreal world,
I guess you could say I've become desensitized to it all.
Because of that, not much really catches me off guard anymore.
Even all the talks about the demon kings and whatnot don't surprise me one bit.
"Don't mind him; he's just a delusional, strange person."
Hn. I heard that you bitch—* Ahem* Miyamoto shrugged me off with a smile, and several classmates joined in.
"Raraya-kun has always been weird."
Yeah, I know.
"He's probably secretly an otaku."
It's not actually a crime to be one, you know.
"Look at his calm attitude. I bet he's shivering in his chair."
Hah, screw this.
Then, even though some brushed me aside, others looked at me with disgust; for example, Onizuka, the violent, delinquent-looking high schooler.
However— "Fuu."
I just let out a breath, leaning back even more, tuning out most of the class as the king started explaining the state of the world, skills, and so forth. I wasn't surprised by the new info at all.
"Uhm, Raraya, how did you—"
Suddenly, "he" was right in front of me. I shot him a quick look and put my finger to my lips.
"—Shh, Nakatani. I've always been the odd one, haven't I? Let's just leave it at that, okay?"
Now that I'm really looking at him, I wonder why I don't…
[Nakatani Yuto]
[Special Ability: Absorption (Sealed)]
[Comments: Future Hero of Demons. "I can copy your power." Dark doesn't always mean Evil. +10]
I narrowed my eyes at his status. Future Hero of Demons? Really? That's against the very races the empire is fighting against?
"Interesting."
I was also catching the nonsense the king was spouting about how their empire opposes demons, beast kin, and the like.
Sniff! Sniff! Can you catch that scent? "That's the smell of plot," I whispered to myself. But whatever, no use dwelling on it now.
Anyway... I turned back to Nakatani.
"Hey, your special ability is sealed for now. Get ready to be the odd one out in class."
After reaching my own conclusion, I said this and then turned my gaze away from him.
"W-wait, what do you mean by—"
"Shh, not again." I glanced at him, feeling a bit dazed. "Want to make a bet?"
I locked eyes with him until he shivered and instinctively took a step back.
"Good. Now, just keep going."
I waved him off and redirected my focus to the others in the kingdom.
CRACK!
CRUMBLE!
As I concentrated again, my eyes were immediately drawn to Miyamoto, who was crouched down with a sword in hand.
The pillar behind him had been sliced cleanly in half.
"Wow! G-Great job, hero."
Just as expected from a hero. Even if he's a fake, he's still somewhat impressive. But if he's the fake hero, then who's the real one?
It can't be Nakatani, right? I doubt it. My analysis indicated he's the future hero of demons, and that's his defining trait.
That means there's someone out there with the true title of "Hero." How intriguing.
A smile crept onto my face as I crossed my legs, glancing at my classmates.
"You nailed it, Naoki! He's top-notch wherever he goes."
"Haha, don't tease me, Akane."
[Akane Sajo]
[Special Ability: Observation Sight (Locked)]
[Comments: Manipulative Bitch. Hiding her true intelligence.]
[Extra Note: She's your classic gyaru character. If you can overlook her quirks, she's basically your ideal partner. No, scratch that—she's your perfect match, a match made in chaos..]
Ah, this girl. How could I ever forget her? She has an uncanny knack for sensing the vibe of any situation.
It goes way beyond that.
She's even been involved with delinquents from other schools and seems to get along with them smoothly.
Even more so with teachers.
And now, give her an analytical skill like mine? Who on earth would give someone like her that type of skill?
But considering how she is built, I hate to admit it, but that is the perfect setup for her. Anyways…
"What was that?"
"Incompetent."
"You're gonna be the first to die."
"Wimpy! Hahaha!"
I noticed several classmates, including Nakatani, shooting him icy glares.
Yep, he was getting the usual treatment reserved for a failure of a main character, except for a few of us—four in total, myself included.
I caught Nakatani glancing my way, a nervous smile creeping onto his face. Just then, I heard someone call out to me.
"Hey, Echless-kun, what kind of skills do you have?"
There she was, that girl making her way over. … She totally did that on purpose, didn't she? Curse analysis based ability.
How did I figure it out, you ask? Well, when she walks over with that smile, there are only a few possibilities.
"...What a pain."
As soon as she said that, I felt all eyes on me. Even Miyamoto, the king, and everyone else in the room were focused on me.
"Ugh. Guess I have to handle this."
With a deep breath, I dug into my bag, and suddenly, everything felt like it was moving in slow motion.
«Accelerated Processing (+) Lv. 1»
If it wasn't already clear to you what accelerated processing is, let me put it in simple terms.
It lets me slow down how the world perceives me, while I can still move at my usual pace.
At least, that's how I interpret it. There might be other ways to look at it, but that's not really important right now.
As I activated it, I could feel the strain on my mind—it would only last a bit over three seconds.
Keeping that in mind, I quickly grabbed a knife from my bag.
Using my special skill «Nightwalker», which also enhanced my physical abilities, I zipped behind her in an instant.
In that split second, I pressed the knife against her neck just as time started to speed up again.
"Are you happy now?"
"W-what?"
"Huh?"
"How did he get behind her?"
"I didn't even see him."
I could hear whispers like that floating around. I pulled the knife away from her neck and casually stashed it back in my bag.
Then, I shifted my focus to the king.
"Your Majesty."
I said, giving a slight bow, like someone would in the presence of a king back in the day.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to my quarters?"
I asked with a forced smile that didn't really fit me.
"Uh... yes! Yes! Knights, please escort him to his quarters," the king replied, looking a bit rattled.
Two knights quickly approached me. "Right this way, please."
As I walked behind them, I turned to see Miyamoto shooting me a look that could kill. His expression made me frown a bit.
'Oh right, this guy probably isn't thrilled about what I just did...'
I thought, letting a smile creep onto my face.