My name is Nagata Tatsuya or Tatsuya Nagata if you’re from the western countries.

I am a high school student at Shirako High and am 18 years old. I don’t have a lot of interesting things happening in my life. Neither my personal nor my academic life are very exciting, as problems rarely ever happen and even if they do happen; they can be solved somehow.

Even my family doesn’t have any financial problem, as both of my parents have stable and well-paying jobs.

In a way, this life can be considered pretty good. I bet most people would want this kind of life. My present life is stable and safe and I’m on a good road when my future is concerned. There are no complains that I should have.

Unfortunately, I do.

My life is just boring. Everything is so mundane and repetitive.

I always ride the same train, at the same time, towards my school with a cup of coffee in my hand. I always see the same faces on the train, like I do every day. Admittedly, some of them don’t appear every time but such a small change is normally barely noticeable.

And just like I said, I am riding the train towards the school right now, sipping my morning coffee made from home. This has been going on for years now.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate school but it’s nothing special. I personally prefer to spend my time in the wonderful world of fiction and video game. It makes my heart skip everything when I’m done with any school related work that I have to do, and I can just engross myself in whatever fictional world I’m currently hooked by.

Just imagine it. I don’t have to live as boring old Tatsuya Nagata. For the brink time when I can enjoy myself, I can experience the point of view of other people, join and watch their adventure or I can just make myself a character and jump into a world.

It’s some real escapism stuff, but who cares. Anything is better than having to realize that my college exams are next year…

Urgh, being in the last year of high school sucks…Ow!

“Morning, Tatsuya! You better watch out where you are walking.”

“…Oh, it’s you Kyouya.”

Kyouya Ishiyama.

My childhood friend plus my best friend. We have been gaming brothers ever since we started spending all our allowance at the arcades, essentially when we were finally allowed to go there alone. Nowadays, we mostly stick to playing video games, online, together, as he had to move away from our neighborhood.

Over time, he developed an interest for the athletic club, so the time we spend together has decreased. Well, it’s not like it matters much. We see each other at school and our weekends are spent on killing stuff together…in video games!

“I was walking pretty fine just now. No accidents like always.”

I gave him a quick nod that says, “good morning” and fixed myself up. Kyouya smacked my back, to wake me up from my daydreaming, which kinda hurt as he is pretty athletic.

"You say that but what if you daydream and get hit by a car? Those reincarnation light novels are pretty in nowadays, after all."

"Oh please. I might be addicted to video games, light novels, and mangas but even I know that those stories are fantasy.”

I waved my hand, showing that what he’s saying is complete fiction. I love fictional and fantasy worlds, but I’m not stupid enough to believe that those things can exist. It’s worthless wish-making.

“Fantasy or not, a car running you over when you’re not paying attention could become reality.”

“Sounds like something that can spice up my life.”

“Flag raised.”

Uhh, please don’t say that. I don’t actually want to be run over by a car. It’s just a joke!

I made a grimace telling him that he shouldn’t say those things. Kyouya, on the other hand, laughed it off, fully knowing that I was making a joke. This is how we banter.

We spent the rest of the remaining way to school by talking about the games we played last night. The time we spent talking went by so fast, we didn’t notice we were already in our classroom.

Time, these are the moments when you should go by slower! Get a hint!

Then again, until our homeroom teacher arrives, there isn't anybody that can stop us from continuing our talks. So, I and Kyouya continued.

…Until we got interrupted.

“Good morning, Nagata-kun and Kyouya-kun. You two are as loud as ever.”

“Good morning, Aiko-san. Sorry, if we were disrupting you.”

My best friend returned a friendly smile to our disrupter’s complaints.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it. The class being so loud means its pretty lively, although I think our class representatives aren’t too fond of it.”

This girl Kyouya is talking to is Aiko Hasebe, our so-called class mood maker. Among the girls in our class, she is the most popular…I guess you can call us acquaintances. Since we all drive the same train to get back home.

Come to think of it, we’ve known each other since our first year at this school. We’ve all been in the same class since 10th class, so I guess you can say that I know everybody here.

I took a sip from my thermos and bluntly asked Hasebe why she is here, ignoring her attempt to start up small talk.

“What do you need from us, Hasebe-san?”

“Oh, how direct as always. Whatever. I wanted to ask you guys if you saw Segawa-sensei when you came to school? You guys are the last ones, after all."

Saori Segawa, also known as Segawa-sensei or Mrs. Segawa, our homeroom and history teacher. During class, also known as the one you should never anger. I’m not kidding. I don’t know anybody as scary, as when she’s annoyed.

She doesn’t even shout; she just stays calm and releases this pure aura of terror, while she’s scolding you. Just like this class, our homeroom teacher has never changed once, so our class has learned to not be idiots when she’s lecturing. Otherwise, she’s a pretty chill teacher.

“Uhh, nope.”

“We didn’t see her anywhere.”

Upon hearing our answers, Hasebe crossed her arms and made a troubled face. This was clearly not the answer she wanted to hear.

“Really? But it is getting pretty late. Sensei has never come late before.”

"Maybe she's preoccupied with some teacher. Some important matter maybe."

““As if. Who would deliberately do that?””

Both Kyouya and Hasebe struck down my suggestion with, surprisingly, good synchronization.

Yeah, even I didn't believe what I just said there. There might be a chance if it has something to do with our class, but otherwise maybe not. She's too obsessed with keeping everything in order and everybody in the school knows about that.

“Well, I hope everything is alright. I’ll be going now. Nice talking to you two.”

“Likewise, Hasebe-san.”

“See ya.”

Waving us away, she went back to our two class representatives. She shrugged and gave them our answers, causing both to scratch their heads.

Mr. Glasses massaged his temple and continued looking exasperated, as he seems to suggest some kinda plan.

Miss Rep. just looked at us with one brow raised, asking us if what we said was true. Kyouya made a wry smile and shook his head, while I just shrugged. Having confirmed our answers for herself, she let out a sigh and return to discussing whatever they were planning to do with this problem.

It’s nothing I need to worry about.

"Well, hopefully, what's keeping her away isn't something too bad."

“It’ll be fine.”

It’s understandable that my best friend here is nervous, with how we are slowly closing in to our final exams. Every chance wasted to study is a big problem.

“What would the chance be, if she were to be transported to another world?”

“Oof, hopefully that happens after we are done with the finals, otherwise I…!

Suddenly, my words were cut short because a light appeared on the ground. It grew fast and basked the whole classroom in it.

“Huh? What the…!”

“Ouch, who turned the lights on?”

“Wait, where did this light come from?”

And that was the last thing I heard, before everything disappeared, including myself.

********************

“Yes, glorious! It worked!”

That was the first thing I heard after my senses came back. It was still a bit hard to see because of the fog, but I can hear, feel, smell and taste. Besides hearing those words, I also picked up the sounds of grunts and moans of people close to me. Some were also panicking but none really shouted.

“Your excellency. The ritual has worked. Our summoning ritual was a success!”

When the fog dispersed, the sight of a bunch of robe-wearing men appeared. I’m not much of a religious person but the outfit, I mean robes, the priests are wearing seems to resemble the ones western churches wear.

In the middle of all these men stood an old geezer wearing gaudy and over-decorated clothes, clearing shouting "I am the leader".

“Welcome to our world, otherworldly visitors. We have summoned you to our humble world as heroes; destined to defeat the encroaching evil of the demonkin.”

Upon hearing this, my whole class just went silent before a select few, mostly the charismatic ones, began complaining and protesting towards the whole order of, probably, religious fanatics.

In any case, that wasn’t what made me shout and complain. While everybody else was probably distraught that we got kidnapped, I was just worried about one thing…

“Where…?”

Where is that thing? Huh, where is it?!

Where is my thermos. My…my thermos! I wasn’t finished drinking it!

My coffee, where is it! Why wasn’t it transported with me?!

I HAVEN’T FINISHED DRINKING MY COFFEE!

“GIVE ME BACK MY COFFEE!”