1 Journey 1# Another World (REWRITED)

Akihiro Tomioka

People knew him as the nicest person, he'll always try to help him to the best of his abilities. But that doesn't mean he is naive, no, he is someone who understood well the darkness... After all, someone who felt darkness will understand the darkness.

Akihiro is the only son and heir of a well-known family. Akihiro's family has a famous company that spread throughout the world so you could say that Akihiro's family is very rich and powerful. Akihiro also is an athletic person as he is a Captain of the soccer club in high school, he occasionally trained in Kendo and Boxing in his spare time. Even if Akihiro is an athletic person, that doesn't mean he is not good at academics. He is one of the top 10 in his high school in terms of academics.

-Akihiro's childhood-

Being the only child of a rich family is a pain to Akihiro. His parents judge whether he befriends a "worthy" person, making Akihiro despise them. Even if they give birth or give him food, they are corrupt in Aki's eyes.

His kind and cheerful demeanor are only intended to fool his parents, but that changes when his childhood friend, Shizuku Yaegashi, transforms him. He values friendship because of Shizuku. I mean, why not? She is nice to Aki regardless of his background, so in return, Aki is truly being nice to Shizuku.

Aki's middle school is not Aki's favorite place. The bullies are targeting Aki because they are jealous of Aki's handsome face and his background. He snapped and almost beat the bullies to death, but the principal locked his mouth as he knew Aki's rich family.

He is always tired of being nice but never quits being nice as he always remembers his motto that says, "Be nice to those around you but be evil to your enemies." So he always goes to the rooftop to rest, but that is where he meets Hajime Nagumo. They talk a lot together, and that conversation makes Aki discover anime.

Kaori Shirasaki's personality reminded Aki a lot of when he was a child. She is a cheerful and kind girl, except that her personality is true. Aki, seeing that Kaori has a crush on Hajime, can only hope that they will get together in the future, but knowing that a popular girl and an otaku are dating together can get him a lot of unwanted trouble.

At high school

He is a popular and nice boy. Many girls are fangirling him because of his looks. Aki decides to join the soccer club, and a few months later, he is now the captain because of how skilled he is.

Aki sees him as the main character of the Isekai light novel, a naive hero who decides to help the kingdom fight against evil. He didn't like nor dislike Kouki, but seeing his very strong sense of justice made Aki call him a fool.

There are major differences between Kouki and Akihiro. Akihiro may look good on the outside, but in reality, he is a ruthless person who wouldn't hesitate to cripple someone if they mess with him. Kouki is... A stupid "hero" who will save anything he deems good but Aki? If he is forced to pick a side, then he will be on the neutral side.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Akihiro walked into the hallway, his usual smile always charming. The girls couldn't help but blushed seeing Akihiro's handsome face.

""Good morning Tomioka-senpai!""

Akihiro smiled and nodded. He already got used to people fangirling in front of him but inside, he felt a bit annoyed with fangirls... Being handsome also has its own weakness.

Akihiro arrived in front of his classroom, he opened the door and he see his classmates but more importantly, Shizuku, his childhood friend was there to greet him.

"Good morning, Shizu." Akihiro smiled as he stared at Shizuku's face.

"Good morning, Aki." Shizuku smiled back.

"Gezz, they looked like a couple even though they aren't dating." Ryutarou mumbled.

Akihiro noticed something, Kouki is reprimanding Hajime and the class is glaring at Hajime. He sighed, this always happened when they got jealous of Hajime.

"Nagumo, when are you going to stop fawning on Kaori? She can't give you attention forever." Kouki reprimanded.

Akihiro stepped in and tried to stop their glares.

"Alright everyone, let's be civilized people and take a seat before Aiko-sensei gets mad again." Akihiro calmly said.

He couldn't help but be annoyed with their usual glares even after saying that, they still didn't stop with the glares.

"I ALREADY SAID. STOP IT!" Akihiro yelled in a threatening tone to other students.

The other students shrunk in fear as they cast their gaze away from Akihiro and Hajime.

"Thank you very much for the understanding." Akihiro let out a sigh of relief.

"Eh? I'm just talking to Nagumo-kun because I want to." Kaori innocently said.

Everyone is shocked except Akihiro, his tired face couldn't comprehend how stupidity spread around the class but still maintained his usual smile.

'Now, I still don't get it how they became stupid when it come to Kaori. She is a kind and charming girl but that doesn't affect their brain, right?" Akihiro thought to himself.

"You're too kind, Kaori..." Kouki said.

"Eh? Why? I don't see why talking to Nagumo makes me kind."

"That's because everyone doesn't have the same personality as you, they think that talking to Hajime who is the least liked person in this class is kindness." Akihiro explained.

"Really? Then-" But before she could finish what she said, something has happened in the class.

Suddenly a magic circle appeared on the class floor, it spread all over the classroom making everyone panic.

"The hell...?" Ryutarou murmured.

Akihiro felt his day becoming more worse than he thought so he decided to crack a joke.

"What a nice day to be transported to another world."

"What's going on?" Kouki exclaimed.

"It's spreading all over the classroom!" Kaori yelled.

"Hey, everyone! Leave the classroom at once---" Shizuku tried to lead her classmates but wasn't fast enough.

But before they can leave the classroom, they already got transported to another world.

This time, Akihiro's smile broke as he knew that this isn't a joke. He observed the place where they got transported... A strange place.

"What the heck...?! Where is this?!" Hajime exclaimed.

"S-Something strange just happened!" Kaori said in confusion.

"Guys, calm down and make sure everyone's unharmed!" Kouki tried to calm everyone down.

"Hey, what the hell was that?!" Ryutarou shouted.

Akihiro's eyes were staring at the old man. He knew that this was serious teleportation, as the technology he knew wasn't advanced enough to teleport the whole class to a different location, or that this was just some secret weapon from the government.

"O chosen heroes, welcome to Tortus. I have been waiting for your arrival. I am the pope of the church of Saints, Ishtar Lombard. The preparations are done. Please follow me."

The pope, or Ishtar, leads everyone to the tables. As they sat down on the chair, maids could be seen serving drinks to them.

"Please, be seated. Enjoy the drink we've provided. It might help ease the confusion I'm sure you are feeling. I will explain everything, so please lend me your ears until the very end." Isthair said.

Akihiro's POV:

The words that came out of Ishtar after that were really too fantasy-like, none had any idea of what he was talking about. To put it briefly, first, this world was called Tortus. After that, Tortus was more or less divided into three major races. Humans, Demons, and Demi-humans. The Humans ruled over the northern area. The Demons ruled over the southern area. The Demi-humans lived quietly in the wilderness to the east.

Among these, the war between Humans and Demons has been ongoing for several centuries. The Demons were inferior in numbers compared to the Humans, but each individual Demons possessed formidable strength, only because of that were they able to contend against a large number of Humans. Both sides have not been engaged in a large-scale war over the past few decades, but something abnormal had been taking place recently. It was the deployment of Magic Beasts by the Demons.

Magic Beasts, they were believed to be existences that transformed from wild animals after absorbing magic power into their body. It was unknown whether they could be classified as living creatures or not. However, each and every one of them could use powerful unique magic, these vermin are strong and ferocious.

Until now, they were always relying on their instinct, the people that can actually tame them are almost nonexistent. Even if they could be tamed, the tamer could only control one or two at most. And this common sense was completely overthrown by the Demons. This signifies that Humans no longer held the advantage in numbers. In other words, the Human race was now facing a crisis.

"The one who has summoned you here was 'Ehit-sama'. He is the Protector God that we Humans worship, the one and only god in the Saint's Church. He is the Supreme God that created this world. Perhaps Ehit-sama had already noticed. If this continues, Humans will face extinction. You had been summoned to prevent this outcome. The world you come from is ranked higher than ours, every one of you here should possess exceptional power in this world without a doubt. Before the summoning took place, Ehit-sama passed down an oracle; You are the "salvation" that he sent to us. You must bring out your innate powers, by the will of Ehit-sama, overthrow the Demons, and save us mankind!" That sounds cliche but to me, this sounds like forcing us to fight for them.

No, I couldn't trust the Pope. No matter what, this is sketchy... How does forcing a barely adult group to fight for the whole of mankind is sane? War is never kind to anyone and deaths will ultimately be inevitable.

"Please don't joke around! In the end, all you want is for these children to participate in a war! That kind of thing is absolutely out of question! En, as a teacher, I will absolutely not allow such a thing! Let us go back immediately! Surely, their families must be worried! What you are doing now is merely kidnapping!"

Aiko-sensei, who was panting furiously, was just 25 years old. She was a well-liked social studies teacher, and she is my favorite. Her petite frame stood around 1.5 meters tall, she had a baby face, and her hair was styled in a bob cut. The students couldn't help but smile as they recalled Aiko-sensei, who was hurrying around all over the place for their sake. Many students desired to protect her after witnessing the tremendous work she put in for her students. The students frequently referred to her as Ai-chan, but if they did so in front of her, she became angry.

"Ahh~ Ai-chan is trying her best again..."

"I understand how you're feeling. However... It is impossible for you to return now."

Silence filled the halls. It was as if there was an ice-cold pressure pressing down on them. Everyone gazed at Ishtar with a questioning expression.

"I-impossible... W-what did you just say? If you can summon us, you should be able to send us back!?" Aiko-sensei cries out loud.

"As I said earlier, it was Ehit-sama that summoned you. We humans do not have the ability to use magic that interferes with another world. Therefore, whether or not you can return is up to Ehit-sama to decide." What a load of bullshit, this just felt like a game for Eshit sama or whatever his name is.

"T-that is..." Aiko-sensei lost her strength and slumped down on the chair. The students in the surrounding also started to make a ruckus.

"No way!? We really cannot go back anymore?"

"No! Anything but this, let me return!"

"Don't even joke about the war! What the hell!"

"Why, why, why..."

The students started to panic. On the other hand, Hajime was pretty composed, only because he was an Otaku, he had read about many situations like this before. He had anticipated a few patterns, but this was not the worst thing that could happen, thus he was a lot calmer than the other students. Incidentally, one of the worst patterns was being summoned as a slave.

Me? I still didn't trust this bullshit, not even an ounce I'll put trust in this fishy old man. This may feel like a generic isekai trope but this is real life and being summoned to another world is unreal but being forced to fight for them? Nope, no thank you very much. I am no hero, I don't think I deserve to be one in the first place.

"Everyone, it is meaningless to make so much ruckus in front of Ishtar-san. He also had no other choice... W-what I mean is, let's fight. It is a fact that the humans of this world are facing a crisis. Ignoring their pleas for help after knowing all this, I cannot do it. Moreover, since we were summoned here to save the mankind, we may be able to return after this is all over... Ishtar-san, isn't that right?" Kouki tried to reason with everyone else.

"So, you are saying that we should fight for a kingdom that is not our birthplace? I don't see how your logic is working, Amanogawa. You could reason with me if we should fight for Japan but fight for a kingdom that we barely know? Haha, you are really a naive person, Amonogawa." Akihiro snorted as he stared at Kouki with disdain.

Everyone's opinion started to shift as they agree with Akihiro. Kouki felt complicated as he felt that Akihiro's words is true.

Isthar eyes gaze at Akihiro, he felt that Akihiro could become a thorn if this continue.

"Now, now. All of you are chosen by Ehit-sama and that is a fate that brought to all of you, we will help all of you to return to your world but we couldn't help if mankind die. So, please help us."

Akihiro clicked his tongue silently, he must admit that the old man is more clever than he thought.

'Well played, old man. You are a great manipulator but don't ever think that you could manipulate me.' Akihiro said inwardly.

Everyone slowly got convinced that they should be helping if they wanted to go back.

"We all have special powers right? I've indeed felt an unfathomable power surging up within me since coming to this world." Kouki asked.

"En, that's right. Roughly, each of you should possess powers that are several times to a few dozen times more powerful than the people of this world." Ishtar answered.

"En, in that case, I'll fight. I'll save the people, and then we can all go home. Regardless of the world or everyone here, I will save them all!"

Kouki clenched his fist tightly as he made this kind of declaration, while pointlessly exposing shiny teeth. However, just at this moment, his charismatic leadership finally took effect. The students who had given up all hope earlier gradually regained their calmness and vigor. They were looking at Kouki with sparkling eyes, that was the expression one would reveal when they found hope in despair. Half of the female students sent feverish glances at him.

I shook my head, I should at least follow them before I build my own plan.

"Ah damn, once you put it like that. It would be worrisome to let you go alone... I'll also fight." Ryutarou joined.

"Ryutaro...." Kouki smiled at Ryutarou.

"You are not the only one here... I can't watch this any longer... I'll fight too." Shizuku joined.

"Shizuku..." I widen my eyes.

Shizuku noticed my gaze. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Aki. I know that you don't trust people easily but we have no choice, I still want to go back." Shiuzuku tried to explain.

I gritted my teeth, but soon nodded in understanding. There was nothing I could do at this moment, so there was no use in convincing Shizuku.

"Shizuku..." Kaori whispered.

"Eh, u-um, if Shizuku is going, I'll also try my best!"

"Kaori..." Kouki felt touched.

"How about you, Tomioka?" Kouki asked me.

"I... I'll join since there are no other choices." I let out a low sigh.

Since this is a magic world, I'll need to be stronger to survive because I doubt the kingdom will grant us absolute protection.

My face held a slight smile while this isn't the best situation to be in but being away from my parents... This is the type of freedom I wanted.

-To Be Continued

(Rewrite V1: Completed)