Chapter 5: Souma Yuuto

Chapter 5: Souma Yuuto

My name is Souma Yuuto. Just a normal highschooler you can find anywhere.

After the 3 day holiday, though I felt a little lazy, I opted to attend school, chatted about dumb things with buddies in the morning, and then spent the rest of the day in boring classes- or was supposed to.

Sigh, how'd this even happen...

I open my eyes to find, not the familiar classroom, but an ancient-looking stone room. No windows, it's like a cellar, and there're white panels on the ceiling that shone like a fluorescent light, brightening up every corner of the room.

This stone room has nothing that stands out. Like a temple hall.

With a school bag on my right hand, and a sword bag with a shinaipractice sword and bokutouwooden sword each, I'm here standing alone.[1]

"It's really, another world huh..."

With absolutely no warning, I, no all of us from Shiramine Academy class 2-7, were summoned to this world. It's pretty absurd, but I can't just avert my eyes from this situation where we've been transported to this totally unrealistic place.

Classroom suddenly sunk in darkness. The announcement from the mysterious man. Magic circle shining on the blackboard. If that was all, I could've still believed there was some sort of attraction or trick to it all, but before coming to this stone room the last thing I saw... The classroom run over in jet-black cracks, breaking apart into the abyss. If I see a scene like that, any normal common sense falls apart. I'm forced to believe that I'd been involved in the events of a world of magic.

Damn, this isn't a joke. Seriously, why'd this even.

"No, worrying won't help anyone."

Don't falter. Just, face forward and keep moving.

One of jii-san'sgranpa's teachings. Never thought that preachy-ass phrase would be useful at a time like this.

Right, first, calm down, then decide what to do. Though I say that, it's infinitely obvious what that is.

"Gotta find Sakura, my friends, everyone."

If that man can be believed, everyone must've been thrown into this dungeon. We may all be separated right now, but we'll definitely meet again.

In any whichever case, nothing's gonna start unless we proceed through the dungeon. There's no use staying in this empty, desolate room forever.

"Ah, right, there's that... magic formation and incantation, was it?"

A necessary power to capture the dungeon. That's how it was explained.

At that time I'd told everyone to get them down in our notebooks, but honestly, I thought it was pretty shady myself. Even so, I had a feeling it could be even a bit useful, and told my piece.

And now that I've been thrown into this dungeon, in this room, my feeling seems to have been right.

Still, will it really, will this magic circle and spell really work? And then, will it really be enough power to protect us? Actually, could it be that there's a huge catch- finding that out won't be after actually using them.

"...Alright, here we go."

My Campus notebook with the magic circle is already open, and the incantation is completely memorized.[2]

Now I just have to-

"Kyaaa!"

The sudden scream interrupts the magic ritual. There’s no helping it.

Because the high-pitch scream that reached my ears, I would, at least I would, never mistake it.

"Sakura, is that you."

That voice unmistakeably belonged to Sakura.

Sakura was different from Reina, and wouldn't raise a cry for just anything. She'd stand firm even when facing the punks from Kuro high, not to mention crying out would be out of the equation.[3]

That Sakura's actually screaming means she must be in fear and in pretty big danger.

I've got to go help.

Before I even made the decision, I'd already grabbed my sword bag and ran out.

"Sakura! Where are you!"

Having burst off running from the stone room, I arrive at a similarly stone-built dim passage. I must've ran around 50 meters55 yards. And then I came to a fork in the road.

"...This way"

I desperately recalled the scream, and estimated the apparent direction of the voice. Not calming myself in the slightest, I ran straight into the path I chose.

"-Sakura!"

And she was, in fact, there.

Long black hair with a sailor uniform, it was exactly the familiar figure of my little sister. However, her face was pale with a fear I'd never seen in her before, white as if all the blood had been drawn out.

"N-nii-san!"[4]

"Are you ok, Sakura!"

Having unthinkingly rushed to Sakura's side, I finally recognize the situation we're in.

First, this place is completely different form the stony area from before. It's an expansive domed space, thick in greenery like a botanical garden. I'd think I had actually wound up in a forest if I didn't see the white panels of light on the ceiling above.

And, as if it was the lord of this forest, that was standing there.

"What the hell is that... a bear?"

From its outline, there's no doubt it's a bear. To boot, standing on two legs, it far surpasses my height, rising to almost 4 meters13 feet tall.

In the past, jii-san had called it training, and taken me deep into the mountain where we encountered a wild bear... But this guy's so big, the one from before seems like a cub.

"Nii-san, this is definitely a monster."

She's trembling a little, but Sakura's words are very reasonable. It's obvious that this guy is completely different from an Earth bear.

As this bear was adorned in dulled steel, it was wearing armor.

In reality, it should be a shell. The spikes on the surface, and membrane covering the joints, reminded you of crabs or lobster. But looking at its girth and massive-ness, it's likely not something you could easily snap off with your hands. It wouldn't be strange for that to be like genuine steel armour.

"I'll distract it. And you-"

"No! Running away, leaving nii-san behind, I won’t do it!"

Sakura's arms cling to me extremely tight. As if saying, they'll absolutely never let go.

"You're so caring, Sakura, but... I can't accept that request."

I absolutely can't. I must protect my sister, protect Sakura.

"You can't win with this kind of monster, even if it's you nii-san!"

"It's okay. I probably can't win but, if you can somehow run-"

"Even if I run... if nii-san's not there, there's no meaning..."

Come on, why are you being this stubborn, Sakura. Regardless of this great crisis, I'm half amazed, and the other half, pretty happy.

"Don't worry. I don't feel like dying here either. I'll make sure both of us get out of this."

"Really?"

It could become a lie. I'm satisfied being able to put my life at risk to protect Sakura, but I have no intention pointlessly dying here.

In the first place, even if she gets away from here, Sakura's safety isn't guaranteed. From now on, we must proceed through this dungeon infested with monsters like that.

"Trust me. Sakura, and everyone else, we'll definitely make it back home."

With resolve, I take out the bokutou from the sword bag. The shinai along with the bag, I drop, they'll get in the way.

As if sensing my will to fight, the bear, who'd been keeping its distance and just watching, sluggishly dropped its forelegs onto the ground, and on that 4 legged posture, raised a sharp roar.

"Now, get away quick, Sakura!"

"... Okay. Sorry, nii-san."

Leaving me that in a practically crying voice, Sakura finally started running. I don't turn back to see her off.

"Kept you waiting, monster."

Garuru! With a growl truly suitable for a beast, the great bear glared at me with its two red eyes. The fight's already started.

It's not my first fight with literally no prospects of winning. Neither is it my first fight risking my life.

But, as for a fight with no hope of winning and with my life on the line, this'd be the first.

Scared. But I don't waver. I'd learned how to suppress my fear long ago.

Don't like it. But I won’t run away. I know without being taught that I have things to protect.

So, I'll fight. Even if it's a monster, I'll fight without fear.

"Fu, haa..."

I further calm myself with a deep breath. Focus the mind.

The weapon in my hands, a simple bokutou. Just the other day, I bought it brand new at the arms shop.

Its clean and sturdy, but lacks the power to kill. I could kill someone if I hit a them on the head at full power, but this bear covered in a full body armor-shell seems like it won't even take a scratch no matter where I hit.

Honestly, even a real katana likely won't do a thing to this guy. Well... jii-san might be able to cut through iron... but that aside, I'm not as strong as jii-san, the bokutou doesn't come into the equation.

So the actions I can take in this situation are naturally limited. In the end, I need to focus on and go for its weak points. In other words, the eyes.

No, it's not in my head. This voice, this mysterious voice... a woman’s voice with an exquisitely beautiful tone, was calling out to me.

"Arise, oh chosen Son of Light."

What was that? Light? Me?

"Presently, this world is again to be plunged into a sinister darkness."

I don't get it. Light and darkness, and the world, I don't get it at all.

"Cleanse that darkness, and pierce that evil."

Don't care. I just. Want to protect Sakura.

"Mayst thou bring light to this world and become – the ‘Hero'."

Just then, certainly, the world filled with light.

"-UoOOOOOoooooo!"

When I noticed, I was already standing.

The feeling is back in my limbs, no, actually, they feel much more powerful than usual. My body was in tip-top condition as if the desperation from just before was just some lie.

"Uohh, Wha- What is this!?"

Something's glowing. Something, or rather, it's my body that's glowing. Apparently, filling the world with light meant I myself would be lit up.

Looking more carefully, it isn't my body that's alit, but something like a white mist, no, an aura was being released like steam, and enveloping my whole body.

"Is this, the power of a ‘Hero'..."

That woman's voice I heard on the verge of death. It was like a decree from God herself.

Normally, I'd have ignored it as some auditory hallucination, but my body, which had critical injuries, had instantly been healed. Moreover, this brilliant white aura was clearly a manifestation of some supernatural power.

"God, huh."

Speaking of which, that incantation did say something about borrowing the powers of God. Perhaps, in this other world, something like God really does exist, and can save people.

"No, more importantly-"

Right, I can't waste time thinking this and that.

If I can have power, I don't care if it's from God, or some random coincidence. I'll gladly make good use of it.

Yes, with this power I can-

"Protect Sakura!"

The legs I bolted off from were surprisingly light. My body swiftly advanced, or rather, it felt like I was moving as if falling from a cliff. Though I say that, much unlike when falling, I also felt like I had absolute control over every part of my body.

Right now, I've become unbelievably strong.

I can clearly tell, probably because, I was already able to grasp the level of my strength. You can't tell your limits with just club activities at school, but I, having high risk matches with jii-san every day, had begun to see it.

So I know. Right now I've reached heights I could never, no, not just me, I've reached heights mankind can't ever hope to.

"oOOOoo!!"

Moving with an inexhaustible supply of power exuding from my body, I catch up to the bear in no time at all.

Were it by hearing my cry, or by some instinct understanding that some power appeared that could even blow away itself, the bear's reaction was quick. It swiftly turned its head, bracing that large body with unbelievable agility.

Before I noticed, it'd already stood its 4 meter body on two legs, and gotten into a stance to smash me with its steel arms.

It wouldn't be an attack that I, not even the bokutou at hand, could do anything about. No dodging, no preventing, and I certainly wasn't in a spot to counter it.

But right now, strangely, I didn't feel like losing. I'll win, definitely.

With utmost confidence, I raise up my arms. As if I was holding an actual sword- nay, at this time, there was certainly a ‘sword' in my grasp.

"‘Cross Calib'Sacred sword of Lightuuuuuuuuuuuuur"[7]

A gushing white flash. From the eye of this storm of blinding light, I could clearly see the scene in front of me.

It was a sword of light. In my hands, was a brilliant sword of white light.

This sword I swung down with great strength, easily cut down the giant steel body.

Just like the hero anime I used to watch as a kid, the divine light was overwhelming and made quick work of the terrible monster.

The steel shell, cut away as if it was just for show, I cut through the insides of its huge body like water. But, there in fact was the resistance of it being cut.

The sword of light I'd swung, thus cut the bear monster in two.

"...Go o."

Eyes wide open, the bear leaves that slight death throe and then- that large body disappears.

From hear to tail, it wasn't gushing out blood and entrails, but was being enveloped in pure white light. After that, the light instantly covered up the swaying corpse, and before the body hit the ground, it all burst into particles of light.

"U-uwa!?"

As I was dumbfoundedly staring at this strange body disappearance phenomenon, the light particles suddenly rushed towards me as if being sucked in.

I shout on reflex, and move my arms to drive them away- Ah, seems like, the light sword's already gone. While I was thinking such, my useless resistance came to an end.

As of now, the light particles have all neatly disappeared as if absorbed into my body.

"Wh-what was that..."

Anyway, there's no problem with my body. It wasn't even like the light was hot to the touch.

Or rather, now that I take a good look, my body's unscathed, and the enemy bear's also disappeared, the whole thing feels like some bad dream.

Man, that sure was something,– is what I'd think if I woke up right now in my own bed, but where I am hasn't changed, it's still the forested dome, and the tearing from when the bear tackled me still remains on my uniformgakuran. So there's no mistake that the battle from just now, did happen. I was critically injured, revived thanks to God's miracle, then used the sword of light to finish off the bear.

Yup, alright. I can't agree with most of it, but I do get that it's happened.

Now then, I don't have time to idle here. Now that the threat is gone, I need to find Sakura-

"N-nii-san..."

"Sakura!? Why're you-!"

As I turn towards that timid voice, right at the mouth of the stone passage, was the peeking face of my sister.

"Can't be, you came back to help me?"

"Yes, my ‘Vocation' was- Ah, nii-san!"

What a stupid thing to, or so I was about to get angry when, huh, what, my strength, it’s...

"Nii-san! Are you alright!"

"Oh, yeah... Sakura, I'm pretty much, ok..."

I feel like I blanked out for a bit. In fact, I have a gap in memory of when exactly I'd fallen to the ground, and raised up in Sakura's embrace like right now.

This is pretty serious. My body is assaulted with an exhaustion like when right after training in a scorching hot day. Being pretty much ok was just something like acting tough in the spur of the moment.

Nope, I'm gonna pass out.

"C'mon... don't cry, Sakura..."

Finally, wiping away the large drops of tears from those round eyes, I let go of my consciousness.

Ahh, when I wake up, please let me be back in the real world. Please, God. I didn't want to be the ‘Hero'. So please just get me back to my peaceful, everyday highschooler life-

Name. Souma Yuuto.[8]

Vocation. ‘Hero'.

Inherent Skills:

1st: ‘Cross Calibur'Sacred Sword of Light

2nd: —

3rd: —

Learned Skills:

‘Thrust'

‘Slash'

‘High Walk'

Acquired Skills:

‘Force Boost'

‘Iron Guard'

‘Tri-Slash'

I saw a dream where I was forced to memorize some things I don't really understand... I think.