Chapter 54：Breach

"We are waiting for you to come back before we start. I apologize but will you both come down with me to the Pocket Dimension?"

The Principal, Sugawara Hajime, solemnly asked. Whatever it is that happened, I guess it's important enough that he even waited for us to come back.

"Hmm? Alright. This is the 2nd time this happened. Is it the same as the last time?"

Raiden asked. He didn't specify what it was he's talking about so I could only get confused.

"No. This time it's different, let's go. It's better to talk in there. Everyone was waiting, well, except Yuko-chan and Yumiko-chan."

Everyone? I remember who Yumiko is, she's that one girl who hasn't been summoned this year yet. She's pretty close to Yuko and we met a few times while training in the Pocket Dimension.

Though I don't know her ability yet. Principal will only let me know of their ability when the time comes. I have 3 more slots I can register to be supported, I'll tell him this so that I could have 25% of their stats as a bonus while they will also enjoy the boost for their abilities.

Since I don't know what's happening yet, I followed them. Maybe they're not inclined to talk about the topic here, so it's better to wait to understand it better.

I'm just worried about where Yuko is. This is most likely a piece of information the Principal didn't tell me and Yuko forgot or purposely didn't mention it to me. There's also a possibility that she was forbidden to talk about it.

Since I'm not specifically told to leave, I guess it's fine for me to know about it now.

"Ah. Daisuke wasn't here when that first happened so you have no idea what we're referring to, right?"

Along the way, Raiden suddenly raised his voice as if he just remembered a piece of important information.

"Yes, but it's fine. I'm about to be informed, right?"

I looked at the Principal. Feeling my gaze at his back, he turned his head and nodded.

After arriving at the location where the Pocket Dimension is, I noticed that it grew again. I wonder what will happen if it finally hits the walls? Will it be sucked in or the Principal will widen the space to accommodate its growth?

Whatever that is, the mystery of this dimension is still something we couldn't comprehend.

The activation of one's ability. Even if one abuses it by letting anyone get in, it will be useless after leaving the dimension. Unless they're like the Heroes who were being summoned constantly.

Upon entering the Pocket Dimension, everyone's eyes were trained to us, the newcomers. I already know them by face but only a handful of them exchanged words with me. And it's all done here when they were also training their abilities.

Since this Dimension boosts one's Intelligence, most of them find it easy to think about things here. That's why, for this being the location of this meeting, it meant the Principal needed them to have a clear mind and understand what's really happening.

I still remember that guy who got summoned without any notice. The Principal once mentioned that that occurrence will only be triggered by certain events such as a looming crisis that needs a Hero's presence. Well, since he's also here at the Pocket Dimension, he got back safely and averted that crisis.

He's probably like a Magician, Warlock or a Wizard, that world whose inherent energy is called Mana. That could complement my lack of range skills. A support needs those after all. I might not master every path of each world but if I can stack them up, it will be worth more than mastering one path.

But yeah, if this Adaptability can do more, then I might be able to create a unique path just for me.

Err. How did my thoughts arrive at this point? I'm overthinking again but I guess with another buff added by this Pocket Dimension, I could think even deeper than normal.

"Alright. All of you already know that this is the second occurrence. But someone new is added to us this year so I will start from the beginning."

The Principal stood in front of everyone and when he mentioned someone new, well, that's obviously me. Some of them frowned but most of them didn't have any reaction.

These kids. Just how much did they mature by being in constant awareness that life and death could come at them at any moment?

Ah. I'm also a kid. That's why sometimes, my thoughts were very childish. It's a good thing that I seldom voice those thoughts out.

They're strong, yes, but being overconfident is a flaw.

"The first incident happened in…"

The Principal's gazed turned to someone at the front, there's a girl there who's short for her age and she had a cutesy but elegant appearance. With her slightly greenish hair, she sported a twin tail. Out of everyone here, her appearance screams 'little sister' vibes.

"Lulu's Otherworld, the World of Fairies. The Invading World found the trace of a portal and by using it as a reference, they predicted where Lulu will appear next."

Continuing his words, the Principal detailed how they set up an ambush. To entrap Lulu. That's the first time the Invading World took notice of the Heroes that were being sent by Earth.

Since she's here, she managed to escape them but that incident made the Principal evaluate the importance of those portals.

Some portals appeared at random just like in Yuko's Otherworld while some appeared at a fixed place like that portal in Raiden's Otherworld. Well, no one can control where it will appear but Yuko's portals have a pattern. Every time it will appear in a different country or kingdom in that world.

"She managed to escape and we made countermeasures for it. But this time, another incident occurred and it's not just them predicting where the next portal will be."

He paused for a bit to take in everyone's reactions. Yuko and Yumiko not being here means they already knew about it and they were sent somewhere.

Could it be?

"This time, they managed to breach a previous portal. Though small, they finally found traces of Earth."

He then looked at me. By breach, did that mean they could possibly go here now?

Small and with the two girls not being here, the breach was somewhere else and that's where they were sent to stand guard.

"Kuramoto-kun, I know you just got back but this time, I'll be going to send you again to another world in 3 days time. With Yumiko-chan. I'll give you a break after this crisis is averted."

Though there were some who were surprised, others already guessed that the breach originated from one of the girls' Otherworld not present here.

Hearing that, Raiden patted my shoulder.

"I can only give you a heads up, Yumiko's Otherworld is different from Yuko's and mine. I once heard about her talking about it like she's always on the run from something."

Eh? With that kind of description then I better prepare for it soon. I was only given 3 days of rest. Looks like upgrading my Adaptability will have to wait or I can do it in the 3rd world.

But first…

"No problem. But Principal, can you send me to where Yuko is?"

He nodded and continued his explanation and discussed to the heroes what they should do upon getting summoned again. To remove the traces of their portal if it's not fixed or build a fortress if it's fixed at a location.

Every Otherworld has a different situation, so they have to improvise about it.

We moved back to the Principal's Office after it. The other Heroes stayed in the Pocket Dimension to talk among themselves but I know, they'll probably ask Raiden about me. I saw them crowding around him before I left that dimension. Anyway, I'll be choosing 3 of them to add to my Support List and possibly four if I managed to upgrade my System through Yuko's help.

"Looks like you managed to strengthen yourself. I can feel that your strength is already at what they reached a year ago. To close that gap in such a short time, have you realized your potential?"

This sly old man. He's probably aware of the potential of my ability but he downplayed it back then. Letting me think it's something mediocre but in fact, this might possibly be the strongest of them all.

Ah, well, it's not like I can beat Raiden's Temporal Acceleration just with my Adaptability alone but I could think of countermeasures for it when the time comes.

"Something like that, I was already called a monster and other names. Anyway, I found out something from that world."

Realizing what world I am referring to and my intention by mentioning it, the Principal coughed a bit before nodding his head.

"Let's talk about that later in length. Let's go, I'll bring you to them."

He stood up and reached his hand on an empty space beside him.

This…

He's opening a portal by himself.

It's unlike that portal that sends us to the Otherworld since I could see what's on the other side. Yuko and Yumiko were standing guard at something like an abandoned building, there's a striking crack in space in front of them. The breach he mentioned earlier, it's only a small crack but if it widened enough, someone or something will pass through it.

By standing guard there, they could immediately deal with it if it happened.