Chapter One: The Mysterious Transient Student - Summoner’s Guide

"We'll be out of the park if we walk about ten more minutes. I hope we don't run into something like that again!" Ryota said after a while of walking through the dark forest. I was rather tired and covered in dirt and Ryota looked the same as me. I really want to hold his hand but without it seeing weird. . . .

"I-It was super scary! Can I hold your hand? I'm still pretty scared." I hold my hand out to Ryota hoping my face wasn't turning weird. I mean this is pretty normal to ask if you were chased and almost killed by a monster.

"Whaaa?! Y-Y-You can't just ask someone that!" Ryota told me his face turning red and I slowly lower my hand with a small frown on my face. "I,uh. . . Er. . . S-Sure, I don't mind. . ." Ryota said while grabbing my hand causing me to smile and get closer to him. "Well, I guess no one will see us here. . . B-But you don't have to get so close." Ryota told me with a red face and I gave him some space by moving a little bit away but still close to him.

"W-We'll be okay. . . I think! I mean sure, there is a giant Gate here in Shinjuku Central Park, but. . . It's still pretty rare to just randomly run into a Stray Transient!" Ryota told me with a smile squeezing my hand but it slowly turned into a frown. ". . . At least that's what I thought, but that's exactly what happened earlier. . . Uuugh. Let's hurry before we run into another one!" Ryota start pulling at my hand as he starts to move quicker through the forest but I was looking at him with a blank look on my face about what he said earlier.

"Uh, what's with the blank look? Did I say something weird?" Ryota asked me while looking at my face curiously. "Can I get your height, weight, and pant size?" I asked with a completely serious face.

"I might've let the height and weight slide, but why in the world would you need to know my pants size?!" Ryota asked me with a surprised look on his face and I couldn't keep my face straight anymore and let out a laugh. "Sorry, I was mostly joking with you. So what are Stray Transients? And what's a Gate" I asked him and Ryota looked at me surprise. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of Gates or Stray Transients. Just who are you? You seem like a normal human. . . You are, aren't you?" Ryota looked at me with a serious look as he questions me.

" I have no idea either. I am as lost as you are." I told him with a serious face causing Ryota jaw to drop in shock at how directly I said this. I wonder if this is not a normal thing that people who get summon deal with.

"What, you don't know either? Are you lost? Or maybe you have amnesia or something? Then let's talk a bit while we walk. Maybe you'll remember something along the way." Ryota told me with a smile and he then lift the hand that wasn't be held by me then point at something.

"Here, take a look. See that over there?" In the direction Ryota was pointing in I saw a huge pillar of light that was easy to notice in the night and I felt my jaw drop in shock. 'How the fuck did I not notice that huge ass light' I thought to myself while looking at the huge light going through the sky.

"That pillar of light shining brightly in the night is what we call a Gate. It used to be peaceful here in Shinjuku Central Park. Back then, the park even had food stands." Ryota told me with a nostalgic look on his face.

"But one day, a giant pillar of light appeared out of nowhere. It wasn't just here in Shinjuku, but elsewhere in Tokyo, too. There are twenty-three of them in all.Those locations and the surrounding areas have been designated as Special Restricted Zones. Well, they call it restricted, but it's not strictly enforced or anything. People can still enter at their own risk, If they want. As long as it's not dark, people pass through to take shortcuts and such. But personally, I'm not going near those things for a long while! Uuuugh, I think I'm going to be traumatized." Ryota said his hand squeezing mine tightly his face turning pale.

"A while ago, there was a time when they were just pillars of light and were treated like tourist attractions. But one day, they shined even brighter than usual. . ." Ryota face got serious as he told me this. "And then mysterious creatures started appearing. I don't know much about it, but apparently the police and self-defense force got involved, and it was total chaos. Those mysterious creatures that came from beyond the light. . . They're what we call Transients." Ryota told me and then he stopped walking, causing me to look at him in confusion.

"S-Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom! I'll grab a drink from a vending machine while I'm at it!" Ryota told me and I realize that we were near a bathroom and vending machine. "Want me to help?" I asked him with a smirk on my face and my breathing got heavier causing Ryota to let go of mine hand and move away from me quickly.

"Help with what?! Wait, you mean with going to the bathroom?! What's there to help with?!" Ryota yelled at me with a red face making me laugh at him. " I was joking. . . Mostly." I told him mumbling mostly under my breath. Ryota looked at me with a cautious look and slowly calm down.

"Anyway, I'll be right back. So wait here." Ryota told me and turned to walk toward the bathroom but he turned around again and point at me. "You'd better wait for me! Don't leave without me, okay?" Ryota then turned around again and quickly went to the bathroom.

When I was sure he was in the bathroom, I got my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it then click on the app where Salomon was. Salomon appear while yawning and rubbing at his eyes.

"What's up, Master? I'm sleepy." Salomon told me with a tired voice and eyes half closed. "I have a question for you Lil Salomon." I told him while snapping my fingers in his face to keep him awake.

"Huh? You've got a question?" Salomon asked me looking fully awake now. "Yeah, what are Gates and Stray Transients?" I question Salomon crossing my arms and tilting my head at him. "Ahh, you want to know about Gates and Stray Transients. Easy peasy! Allow me to explain. First, about Stray Transients. . . I'm sorry, I have no clue! Wait, I'm serious! Don't get so mad!" Salomon said as he dodged away from my hand going for his cheeks.

"I'm just a demon from out of town. I wouldn't know about the things locals talk about. I don't know Stray Transients, but I do know about Gates! Ahem!" Salomon stood up tall as he clears his throat as he begins to explain. "A Gate is the temporary doorway between two worlds that appears when a Summoner performs a summoning But the act of connecting two separate worlds is considered a taboo. As they temporarily link two parallel phenomena, we think of them as gates, or doors. . . ." Salomon stop as I raised my hand up in front of his face.

"Skip." Is all I said to him while getting bored of all the information I was hearing. "Oh, you want me to skip the small stuff?" Salomon asked with a flustered look on his face but he quickly got over it and go back into explaining mode.

"In general, one of these doors can only be opened during a summoning. See, if two of the same entity came to exist in the same place at one time, it would completely upset the balance of the world, and. . . . What's that?" Salomon stop again when I raised my hand up to his face again. " Skip this too." I told him causing Salomon to look at me in shock.

"You want me to skip this part too? Okay, so a Gate is a doorway that is temporarily opened for summoning purposes. The way you materialized that Sword earlier is akin to opening one of these Gates." Salomon told me with a smile then he frowned as he looked at me. ". . . Hold on a sec. Master, how do you know about Gates? Did I mention them before?" Salomon question me and I just point at the Gate behind him.

"Turn around." I told him and Salomon look at me with confusion then turn around only to let out a huge gasp at what he saw. "Whaaaaaaat?! There's a super big Gate just wide open?! That thing's a Gate?! It's not some tourist attraction?!" Salomon said with surprised looking at the huge Gate.

"You didn't notice? You sure are a dummy, Lil Salomon." I told him while shaking my head at him with a smile on my face. "Urgh! How rude! But according to my Familiar Textbook, Freshman Edition, Gates should only be temporary. In fact, I'm not sensing any summoning power from that pillar right now. I wonder if there's some method to release it power." Salomon grew quiet as thought for a bit.

"Maybe in this world, Gates are always open. . .? I'm not sure that's entirely it though." Salomon said mostly to himself. "This world?" I question Salomon when he said that. "Oh? Did I forget to mention it? This world isn't the one you came from. It may be similar, but it's completely different." Salomon told me with a smile like what he said wasn't a big deal.

"Now that deserve a spanking! Get over here!" I said as I moved towards Salomon with my hands raised. "A s-spanking?! Spare me, Master!!" Salomon cried out as he backed away from me with tears in his eyes but then he blinked when he remembers something.

"Wait, have you forgotten? You were summoned by a Summoner. Basically, you were called in to serve someone. You're just like that Red Oni. You serve your Summoner in the same way as that Red Oni serves you. As a rule, once a summoning occurs, each participant imposes Summoning Terms on the other. It basically a contract that states : I want you to do X in exchange for Y. The terms vary depending on the Summoner, but you should be able to return home once you fulfill them" Salomon told me then he grew quiet as he look at me curiously.

"Say. . . I wonder what kind of person summoned you, Master?" Salomon question looking at me and I look down at the ground not saying anything for a while causing Salomon to call out to me in concern.

"All right, come here. You're getting a spankin'. " I told him going for him again with a dark smirk on my face. "Eeeeeek! But Master, You accepted the summoning before I even arrived! N-Never fear, there's still a way to find out. We just need to look for the mark that appears on the Summoner's body!" Salomon told me this after dodging out of the way from me grabbing him.

" A Summoner always has a Summoning Emblem somewhere on their body!" Salomon told me and I stop trying to grab at him while I process what he just said. " I don't really get it, but basically I just need to strip, right?" I asked Salomon as I reach for the jacket on me. "Oh my! You don't waste any time, Master! Now let me get a little peek. . ." Salomon said as he tried to get a closer look at my body but I flick him on the nose causing him to cry out in pain.

I never really paid attention to the clothes I was wearing when I got here but it seems like I was wearing some type of school uniform. I wonder if I was in a school before I got summon. I ponder this when Salomon voice drew me away from my thoughts.

"Oh, there it is! On the back of your hand! You used Summoner powers to summon an Artifact and became bound by a pact with that sword. That star-shaped mark is a Summoning Emblem, proof of the pact between you and the Sword. There should be a separate Summoning Emblem for you and the person who summoned you! And this is the important part! There's one condition needed to activate a Summoning Emblem. When the Summoner and the summoned come into contact, an identical Summoning Emblem appears on both. No two emblems are alike. It's a completely unique contract between souls. So, if you find someone with the same Summoning Emblem as you. . . That person is your Summoner! Easy peasy!" Salomon told me with a smile on his face and I looked at the star on my left hand feeling like I saw it before.

"How many people should we check?" I asked him looking away from the mark on my hand. "Well worst case scenario, you'll need to come into contact with everyone in Tokyo. . ." Salomon said then he put his hand to his chin as he started mumbling to himself.

". . . Lemme do some math. . . There are tens of millions of people in this world's Tokyo, so. . .Ah. . . Hah. . . Hahah. . ." Salomon started laughing to himself and he looked at me with a smile and wave his hand at me. "Well, so long! Good niiight!" Salomon said and disappear in a light and I was left alone. . . I am going to spank him so hard when I see him next time.

"Ahhh. . . Sorry to keep you waitin'! Whew, I feel so much better." Ryota said as he came over from the bathroom. "What's with the weird look? You hungry? Upset stomach?" Ryota asked me looking concern while I look at my phone with a glare. "It fine, just a little problem with my phone." I told him while putting my phone away.

"If you are sure. Let's keep on walking" Ryota said as he grabbed my hand again making me smile at this. After a few more minutes of walking Ryota spoke again. "We'll be out of the park soon, so let's grab a bite once we're outta here. All that running around's made me hungry! I don't mind losing weight, but no one wants to be skin and bones." Ryota told me while rubbing at his stomach that let out a little grumble.

"Some tasty food sounds nice. But I'd rather get a taste of you instead. . ." I said as I got close to Ryota and squeeze his stomach. "Whoa whoa whoa! Too close! I can feel your breath on me. . . And don't squeeze my stomach!" Ryota said this while pushing my face away from his neck with a red face. I moved back laughing at his reaction and Ryota pouted at me angrily.

"A-Anyway, there's nothing like sharing a good meal with someone! It fills my heart and stomach with warmth." Ryota told me this with his cheeks still slightly red. "Sorry to change the subject, but do you remember anything yet?" Ryota asked me squeezing my hand lightly with a curious look on his face.

"No, nothing." I said with a frown on my face and I felt my hand getting squeezed. "I see. Not yet, huh?" Ryota said giving me a small smile of comfort. "You did summon that Sword. . . What if you're a Transient too?" Ryota question me and I look at him with an annoyed look.

"H-Hey, don't give me that look! I'm sorry, I was just joking!" Ryota said this while waving his free hand in front of his face. "There's no way you're a Transient! You don't have wings or horns, and you're obviously human." Ryota told me with a nervous smile on his face.

"Why do you call them Transients?" I asked Ryota getting rid of the annoyed look on my face. "Why do we called them Transients? Who knows? That's just what we were taught. Everything that comes from another world is called that. Transients that are just feral or roam around are called Stray Transients. That Red Oni monster is a prime example of a Stray Transient. Not all Transients are like that, though. There're a lot of good ones too! There's even a restaurant that serves mainly dishes from other worlds. It's actually pretty good." Ryota said this with drool coming from his mouth a bit when mentioning the food.

"So what do Transient look like anyway?" I asked Ryota snapping him out of his daze. "Hm? What do Transient look like? Well, they come in all shapes and sizes. . . Some have horns, or fur, others have wings, or animal ears. Some even have glowing eyes, or, umm. . ." Ryota slowly draws off as he tried to think of more things to mention. "The easiest way to spot one is by the face that they don't look human at first glance." Ryota told me with a smile and I nod my head but I stop walking when I notice something in front of us.

"Like if they have blue skin?" I asked Ryota while he looked at me in confusion when I stop walking. "Sure! There're red ones, so I'm sure there are blue ones too." Ryota told me with a smile but he froze when he heard laughter in front of him.

"GWOOOHHHH!" The blue oni in front of us yelled out and it charge at us. "AHHHHH! A-Another one? No way! Two in one day?!" Ryota scream out stumbling back on his feet.

I let go of Ryota hand and push him behind me. "Leave this to me! Make sure you stay out of the way Ryota." I told him while protecting him with my body. "Just do whatever you did last time! Please, Masato!" Ryota cried out from behind me.

I nod my head and held out my hand summoning the sword. I ran at the blue oni who yelled out and swung his weapon down at me. I block it with my sword and slash the oni against his chest.

The oni stumble back after the hit and growls at me angrily. I charge at it again and swung down my sword hard. I kept swinging my sword quickly at him not giving him a chance to hit back.

I finally maintain to defeat the oni and he disappears in a light just like the red oni. "Y-You did it! Amazing! You managed to beat those monsters twice!" Ryota voice called out from behind me. I was about to reply back when I saw something on the ground when the blue oni was.

"What's this?" I said while kneeling on the ground and picked up a rainbow gem. "What is that thing? Looks like some sort of gem." Ryota said while looking over my shoulder at the gem I was holding in my hand.

"I know someone who can tell me what this thing is." I said this as I stood up quickly causing Ryota to stumble back. "Huh? You're going to ask someone that might know?" Ryota question me with a curious look on his face. I put my hand on his eyes and pulled out my phone. "Hey, why're you covering my eyes?" Ryota cried out in surprise but I just ignore him.

I click on the app Salomon was in and he appeared from a light out my phone yawning. "Master, you sure are hard on your butler. . ." Salomon told me while rubbing at his eyes. When he fully open his eyes he looked at the gem in my hand in shocked.

"Oh! My, oh my! Congratulations, Master! This is a reward for participating in the game. It's called a Transient Stone! It's a stone that can link powerful souls and perform special summonings." Salomon told me brightly with a smile on his face. "Okay, that's all. You can leave now." I told Salomon waving my hand at him in dismissal.

"Huh? That's all you called me out for? Gimme a break, Master!" Salomon cried out and he disappear in a light again. I put my phone away and I could feel Ryota hand grabbing at the hand on his eyes. "Um, are you done? Were you talking to someone on the phone or something?" Ryota question me while pulling my hand off his eyes.

"Something like that." I told him not looking at him directly. "Well. . . We're almost at the exit! Let's get out of here and grab some grub!" Ryota said happily not asking me anymore about who I was talking to. I grab his hand again as we start walking again.

We finally made it out of the park and we were standing in some street area. It was still rather dark. I felt Ryota hand slip out of mine causing me to frown a little bit. "Ahhh, we're finally out! Thanks! I wouldn't have stood a chance without you, Masato!" Ryota smiled at me happily as he said this.

"You're welcome." I told him that and I hug him tightly causing Ryota to flinch in shock. "Wha?! H-Hey, what's the matter? Were you actually really scared this whole time?!" Ryota question me and I just ignore his question. My hands start to wander down his body and I felt Ryota pushed at me. "Whoa, whoa, hold on. Not down there, Masato! That's a bit much. . .!" Ryota cried out when my hands start to inch toward his butt.

I did this for a while and only stop when he headbutted me. I was rubbing at my chin and Ryota was rubbing his red cheeks. "A-Anyway! Now that we're out of the park, it's time for food! What to eat. . ." Ryota start mumbling to himself closing his eyes deep in thought. "The made-to-order hamburger steaks by the station are good, but I could get more volume with fast food, too. . ." Ryota open his eyes again after he stop mumbling to himself and took a step back in concern when he saw something.

"Huh? Hey, that's. . ." Ryota said quietly turning pale while looking at two students. One of the students was wearing a button up black uniform and was wearing glasses with neat spiky hair and light skin color. The student that was getting his ear pulled was tan skinned and wearing a tight white t-shirt that showed off his muscles. His hair was short, wild, and spiky.

"Ow! That hurts, damn it! Shiro, stop pulling my ear!" The student in the white t-shirt yelled at the glasses. "I told you, we're going to be late for the dorm's curfew! Sheesh, why is my group full of such. . ." The glasses student said this while pulling at the student's ear shaking his head with a frown.

"Oh." The glasses student said this as he stopped walking and let go of the student ear when he finally notice Ryota. "Ack, he saw me!" Ryota said quietly next to me with a nervous tone. "E-Evenin', Shiro! Ah. . . Ahaha." Ryota said this while nervously laughing.

"There you are Ryota! It's almost curfew! Punctuality is key to building a community! It only takes one person to cause issues for the whole group!" The glasses student told Ryota this with a stern tone and Ryota avoid looking in his eyes. "Haha, w-well, the thing is. . . You see, there were some unavoidable circumstances. . . ." Ryota said this nervously while playing with his fingers.

"What's with your clothes, anyway? You're covered in dirt and scratches. . . Now, just wait a minute. . . Don't tell me you entered the restricted zone in the park! Did you try to pass through the area by the shrine?!" The glasses student question Ryota with glare on his face causing Ryota to shrink even more and sweat profusely under his glare.

"U-Umm, you see. . ." Ryota tried to look for something to say but only let out a sigh giving up. "I guess there's no use hiding it. . ." Ryota sighed deeply when he said this. "I-I'm sorry!" Ryota then bow deeply in front of the glasses student who only shook his head at him.

"Geez. . . Why do you never think things through? You know you're not supposed to go through that area because of the Stray Transient. . .Hm?" The glasses student scolded Ryota then look over at me with a blank look finally noticing me causing me to give an awkward wave in greeting.

"Nice to meet you." I said to him with a smile on my face but he just looked at me with no expression causing me to get nervous under his stare. "Hey, Shiro? Hello?" The white t-shirt student called out to him poking him in confusion. "Shiro? What's wrong? Why're you just staring at Masato. . .?" Ryota called out in concern causing the student to snap out of his daze with a shout.

"E-Excuse me. I just. . . Ahem. It's nothing. Nothing at all." The glasses student said this but still looked at me with a weird expression. "Huh?" Ryota asked with a confused look on his face. "Ryota, are you perchance. . . a-antiquated with this fellow here?" The glasses student asked Ryota while still staring at me.

"Yeah, that's right. He saved me in the park earlier. . . Wait, why are you acting weird all of a sudden? Don't you mean acquainted?" Ryota said this while looking at the student with a concerned expression.

"Who's acting weird?! Not me. Not at all." The glassed student said loudly while looking avoiding Ryota stare. "Nice to meet you, Masato. My name is Shiro Motoori. I'm Ryota's classmate. I understand Ryota is indebted to you. Thank you very much." Shiro said this while bowing his head towards me in thanks.

"As his friend and representative of our class, you have my sincere gratitude." Shiro said this while looking me straight in my eyes. I couldn't help but like his personality. Such a responsible student.

"I like you." I said this while smiling at him causing Shiro to blush deeply. "Wha?! L-Like?! H-Huh? Wh-What are you. . . D-Do you mean. . . you like my respectful demeanor?! H-H-How embarrassing. . .! I thought you meant something else. . ." Shiro said this as he looked away from me with his face bright red.

"Hmm. Masato, huh?" The student in the white t-shirt said this while sizing me up. 'If you keep looking at me intently I will blush!' I thought this while looking away from him. "Hey, where are your manners?! Sorry about that, Masato. This is Kengo Takabushi. He's my classmate, like Shiro." Ryota introduce Kengo to me and I nodded my head in greeting.

"You can really go at it, can't you? No need to answer. My eyes tell me everything I need to know." Kengo said this while smirking at me and I blush at what he was suggesting. 'He is so bold! I mean, I don't know if I am good at it but he can tell I am' I thought while my blush got deeper.

"Y-Yeah I can. Wanna do it?" I asked him while looking at him intently. "Good. That hunger in your eyes. . . I like it! Bring it on!" Kengo said this while raising his fist up. "B-But how about we don't do it here. Let's do it at night where no one can bother us." I told him while nervously playing with my fingers.

"What? Not here? You'd prefer somewhere at night with just the two of us? Huh, I guess you like being discreet or something. I'd rather do it out in public where everyone can see." Kengo said this with a smirk and I cover my red cheeks with both hands. "Are you an exhibitionist?!" I cried out while breathing hard at what he just said.

"Am I an exhibitionist? Hmm, maybe I am. In any case. I'll be looking forward to it." Kengo said this with a smirk knocking his fist into my shoulder. 'Wait, I feel like we are talking about two seperate things. . .' I thought this and my red cheeks cool down and I sigh in disappointment.

"How can you say that to someone you just met, Kengo?! I'm sorry. This idiot was never good at anything except getting into fights since he was a kid." Shiro said this while lowering his head apologizing to me and Kengo scowl at Shiro.

"Who are you calling an idiot?! Besides, they're not fights! They're duels of honor! Two totally different things!" Kengo said while glaring at Shiro. "Kengo's always picking fights with everyone and their dog. . . Good grief." Ryota shake his head while he said this.

"If you don't want to be called an idiot, stop failing your tests. . .or at least try to fail a little less! Otherwise, you'll end up repeating a year! I've had enough of your last-minute cram sessions, got it?!" Shiro scold Kengo who just look away from him with an annoyed look. "Yeah yeah, enough already. Easy for you to say, Mr. I'm-the-Class-Rep-and-Honors-Student. I'll be fine. Raw strength is all I need to get by in life. I don't care if I get held back or kicked out of school. You take my dad's ramblings too seriously. It's just plain annoying, really." Kengo scoffed as he said.

"Your father doesn't have much time left, and it was his wish for me to set you on the proper path. That's why I. . ." Shiro was cut off by Kengo sharp laugh. "Hah, proper? My ass! Don't try to force your way of thinking on me. Besides, that dirtbag of an old man can still split a waterfall with his bare fists. You're being duped!" Kengo said this while glaring at Shiro who glare right back.

"Come on, you two. Masato is watching." Ryota said this while getting between Kengo and Shiro. Kengo and Shiro just look away from each other with a frown on their faces.

"Sorry you got caught up in all that. They've been together since they were kids. I guess it's what you'd call a love-hate relationship. They're pretty much always like this, but. . .this seemed a little rougher than usual." Ryota mumbled the last part with an uneasy look on his face.

"A-Ahem. I'm sorry you had to see that." Shiro said this with a flustered look on his face. "Thank you very much for saving my friend. I'd like to thank you properly, but unfortunately the curfew for our dorm is approaching." Shiro told me with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Huh? Whoa, when did it get so late?!" Ryota said in surprised while looking at his phone. "Since, uh, I can not thank you right now. . . Umm. . . I'd like to thank you properly at a later date. Uhh. . . If you wouldn't mind, umm. . ." Shiro was fumbling with his words blushing lightly and I just look at him in confusion.

"Masato, what's your number? We gotta go eat together like we promised!" Ryota said this while taking out his phone to exchange numbers with me. "What. . .?!" Shiro called out in surprised at this. "Give me your number too! You owe me proper fight. I'm holding you to it!" Kengo said this while taking out his phone too.

"Uh, well. . ." Shiro was in the background trying to say something but was cut off again. "Do you have some kinda of messaging app? It'd be great if we used the same one. Mind if I take a look at your phone?" Ryota said this while grabbing my phone causing me to sweat nervously. 'Fuck. . . Don't look through my photos. I took a lot of pictures of your butt. Don't show how nervous you are.' I thought this while smiling nervously as Ryota look through my phone for a messaging app.

"Hmm, oh, this one! The one with the magic circle! It's called SUMMONS, right? It's got a bunch of features like calling and messaging. I haven't touched it since my friend invited me, but this is perfect. If you're using it, maybe I'll start using it more often, too." Ryota said with a smile while clicking on the SUMMONS app.

"Oh, I've got that one, too. Let's exchange IDs." Kengo said this while getting closer to exchange ID with me. "Oh yeah? I didn't think you were into this kinda stuff." Ryota said in surprised looking at Kengo.

"Well, I thought it looked interesting. I only use it to keep in touch with people, though." Kengo said this as he looks through the app . Shiro was silently looking at this with a strange expressions on his face.

"Hm? What's wrong, Shiro?" Ryota asked this looking up from his phone for a second. "Umm. . . I would also like to join you. . ." Shiro said this while looking away slightly taking out his phone. "Whaaat?! What's the occasion? You always say this kind of stuff is beneath you." Ryota asked with a surprised look on his face.

"W-Well. . . Ahem. This would be a good way to learn more about modern society. It wouldn't hurt to try it out. S-So, let's start by being friends. . .!" Shiro said this while bowing his head at me.

"You're acting pretty weird today. . . Anyway, let's install the App." Ryota said this while helping Shiro install the app. "There, now we have each other's IDs! We should probably get back to the dorm. Our dorm is that way. . . Where are you headed, Masato?" Ryota asked me this causing me to freeze in place for a few seconds.

"Oh, that's right, you're. . ." Ryota look apologetic as he realizes what he just asked me. "What's the matter? Is your house really far?" Shiro asked me with a concern tone when he saw me freeze for a second.

"What, you run away from home or somethin'?" Kengo asked me this causing Shiro to look at me in shock. "Run away from home? Oh no! Your parents must be worried!" Shiro said this with concern in his voice and I look away from him.

"I don't want to leave your side." I said this while looking at Shiro with a serious expression causing Shiro to blush in surprise. "Wha?! B-But. . .we've only just met! D-Don't look at me like that. . . I feel like my face is on fire. . .!" Shiro said this while rubbing at his cheeks and avoid my gaze.

"I'm sorry if I'm being too nosy, but. . . If you'd like, why don't you come to our dorm?" Shiro asked me causing me, Ryota, and Kengo to look at him in surprise. "Why are you so surprised?" Shiro asked this with a frown on his face. "I mean. . . You get me, right, Ryota? This is the Mr. Class Rep we're talking about here." Kengo said this to Ryota who nod his head in agreement.

"Y-Yeah. Are you sure about this? Letting an outsider in without permission and all. . ." Ryota question Shiro with a nervous expression. "You say that, but just look at yourselves, Masato and Ryota." Shiro said this while gesturing to our clothes that was dirty with dirt and torn in some places and our body that are covered in cuts.

"Oh. . ." Ryota said this while looking at his clothes. "We're covered in dirt." I said this while pulling at my shirt covered in dirt. "That's right. You're dirty and scratched up all over. You can't use public transport like that." Shiro said this with a serious expression.

"I'm okay since I live in the dorms, but. . . This is not like you at all. What's going on, Shiro? Usually you would be completely against breaking the rules like this." Ryota said with confusion in his voice.

"I'll explain the situation to Mr. Mononobe. It'll be fine. Leave it to me. So that's that, Masato. Would you mind stopping by for a while?" Shiro said this with a bright smile and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"At this rate, I might just fall for you." I said this while shyly looking away from Shiro with a blush on my face. "F-Fall for me?! O-Oh, I, uh. . . D-Don't tease me! I might get the wrong idea. . ." Shiro said this lightly blushing with a frown on his face. "Anyway, I couldn't just abandon someone that helped my classmate Besides, helping someone in need is the proper thing to do. Even my books say so." Shiro said this while raising a book up.

"That's our class rep! Now that's decided, let's get outta here!" Ryota said this and start pulling me along with him, Shiro, and Kengo.

After a while of walking through the street with Ryota, Shiro, and Kengo I was starting to notice something pretty strange. I mean I think it is strange but maybe it is normal since no one is reacting in shock to it. But I seriously have no idea why no one is explaining this to me.

"Ahh, I'm so hungry. What should we have for dinner. . .?" I heard Ryota voice in the background but I was still distracted by the scene in front of me. "Our cafeteria's actually pretty good. You're going to eat too, right Masato?" Kengo asked me this but I still didn't respond and continue to look at the scene in front of me causing Kengo to raise his eyebrow in confusion at this. "Whatcha starin' at? You find someone that looks tough, Masato?" Kengo asked me this while trying to look for what I was looking at.

"What's wrong? The way you're acting looks pretty suspicious. . ." Shiro said this causing me to finally say what was bothering me. "Ummm. . . So, it's kinda been bothering me. . . I don't think I'm hallucinating. . ." I started to say this while grabbing at my head.

"Everywhere you look. . . There are things that are definitely not human. . . And no one's batting an eye!" I said this while looking at all the animal human people walking around us. I think I saw someone with wings! Wait is that a fucking person with horns on their head?! That person over there have a long ass tail!

"Oh, did they surprise you? Those're non-Stray Transients. They're just like I said, right? They've got horns, wings,and tails. . . No way you'd mistake them for humans." Ryota said that with a smile like what I see isn't a big deal.

"Are Transients a rare sight for you?" Shiro question me when he saw my shock expression. "I don't see what the big deal is. They're everywhere in Tokyo." Kengo said this with a wave of his hand.

"They're in our school, too. Some are students, and. . ." Ryota slowly draw off when we finally stop in front of a school where one person stood. The person standing there was a merman who only were a jacket with the sleeves rolled up and a swim trunk. He had blue spiky hair with light facial hair on his face. His eyes kinda look like sharks and the teeth weren't helping with that either. He also had a necklace with a seashell on it. ". . .Even among some of our teachers. . ." Ryota said this nervously when the teacher look at us.

"C-Crazy outfits." I said looking at the teacher half naked body hoping nothing comes out my nose. "Y-Yeah. That's one of our teachers, Mr. Triton. He's a Transient from a race called merfolk. He's a P.E. teacher and the advisor of the water polo club. That's how he always dresses, by the way." Ryota whisper toward me so the teacher wouldn't hear.

"That look on his face is no joke. He's pissed because we're way past curfew." Kengo mumble causing Ryota to sweat nervously. "Nngh. . . I ran as fast as I could. . ." Ryota mumble under his breath.

"Kengo Takabushi and Ryota Yakushimaru! You've got some nerve! Not even hiding that you're violating curfew!" Mr. Triton said with a stern voice staring at them with a hard stare.

Kengo said yikes to himself and Ryota said I-I'm sorry while bowing his head towards the teacher. "Mr. Triton, I apologize for the tardiness. Allow me to report the results of the roll call. All students of Dorm One are now present and accounted for." Shiro spoke up making Mr. Triton take his eyes off of Kengo and Ryota.

"Very good. Mr. Kyoma was right to make you class rep. It looks like you're quite capable of taking care of problematic students, too." Mr. Triton praises Shiro with a smile. "No, sir. . . I only do what's expected of me." Shiro said this with a smile causing Kengo to scoff next to him. "Psh. What a suck-up." Kengo said in a low voice behind Shiro.

"What's that?! Keep your mouth shut if you have nothing worthwhile to say!" Shiro said this while glaring at Kengo. "You tryin' to start a fight? Huh?!" Kengo said this with one of his fists clenched tightly in anger.

"Hey hey, what's all this ruckus? Oh, you boys out past curfew again?" Another teacher came by while saying this. This teacher was almost just like the merman teacher seeing as he was only wearing a jacket which showed off his hair chest and a necklace with a lamp on it and was wearing a strange undergarment. He also had a unibrow with a beard and a hairstyle that also make him seem like a gorillaz. He was also holding a bamboo sword in his hand.

"This guy looks even more intense" I said this to Ryota who gave me a smile. "That's Mr. Jinn, the P.E. teacher. He's always fired up and literally smells like smoke. He's the coach for the baseball team, and a. . .lamp genie. I think." Ryota whisper this information to me making me nod my head.

"Hahaha! You never learn, do you?! But that's A-OK! It's good to run wild while you're still young!" Mr. Jinn said this with a huge smile on his face causing Mr. Triton to look at him with disapproval. ". . .Mr. Jinn, is that really something a teacher should say to students who've violated school policy?" Mr. Triton asked Mr. Jinn with a frown on his face. "Come now, Mr. Triton! Always the party pooper!" Mr. Jinn told Mr. Triton this with a frown on his face causing Mr. Triton expresion to turn shock.

". . .What? What about you, Mr. Jinn? You walk around in public dressed like that. Aren't you ashamed to be seen by your students like this?" Mr. Triton said this causing Mr. Jinn expression to turn shock.

"Oh come on, your outfit isn't much better!" Mr. Jinn shouted at Mr.Triton causing him to frown at him. "This is swimwear! Designer swimwear! There's nothing for me to be embarrassed about! Yours is underwear, isn't it? Underwear!" Mr. Triton shouted in Mr. Jinn face causing him to glare at Mr. Triton.

"It's not underwear! This is the traditional outfit of my homeland!" Mr. Jinn shouted back at Mr. Triton with a glare on his face. "I guess it's not a matter of how much skin is covered." I said to myself while looking at the two teachers.

"How dare you insult the outfit of my people! You want me to turn you into a merman fillet?!" Mr. Jinn yelled at Mr. Triton and I think I saw fire appearing behind him. "I'd like to see you try! I'll drown and extinguish your measly flames!" Mr. Triton yelled back and I thought I saw water appearing behind him.

"And as you can see, they don't get along at all." Ryota told me this while shaking his head at the two teachers. "E-Excuse me! I, uhh, there's something I'd like to discuss." Shiro called out to the two teachers causing them to look away from each other and look at Shiro with their eyebrows raised.

"Well, it's about this person here. . . Umm, his name is Masato, and. . ." Shiro started to talk but was cut off the teachers who reacted to my name. "Oh, that's right! I heard we were getting a transfer student! So you're Masato!" Mr. Jinn said this getting in front of me and putting his hand on my shoulder. "It's been a while since we've had a transfer student. You might be the first one since I started working here." Mr. Triton said this while putting his hand on my shoulder too.

"Very good! Come with me! Let's go see Mr. Kyoma!" Mr. Jinn said this while he was pulling me toward the school but Mr. Triton stop him. "Hey! Not so fast, Jinn! You're not taking credit for this! I'll take him!" Mr. Triton said this while pulling me towards him and walking toward the school.

I was being dragged to the school by both teachers who were arguing over my head. At the school gate I could hear Ryota voice. "There they go. . . What should we do? Ryota asked with a concern that slowly grew quiet as I get closer to the school.

"Mr. Kyoma! I've brought the transfer student!" Mr. Jinn yelled this while opening the door to a staff room. "Jinn, stop acting like this was all your doing! I'm the one who has brought in the transfer student, Mr. Kyoma!" Mr. Triton shouted this while trying to show the person in the room he brought me he.

In the room I saw a man with a white shirt tucked into his pants and a couple buttons undo which showed his hairy chest with a necktie over his shoulder. He had brown hair with a white stripe in it. He had stubble on his face with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Jinn, Mr. Triton. I appreciate your assistance. I shall take care of Masato from here." Mr. Kyoma said this with a light smile on his face. "Oh, it was nothing! Nothing less than love hotter than fire for my beloved students!" Mr. Jinn said this with a flustered expression on his face after being thanked. "No, it is I that takes care of my beloved students! With love deeper than the ocean!" Mr. Triton said this while pushing Mr. Jinn away with his hand.

They started to leave the room arguing with each that they love their students more than each other and Mr. Kyoma laughed next to me. "Hahaha, that must have been quite a thrill! Those two are famous for their antics. Day and night, they compete to see who loves their students more. Their love for their students is impressive, but they tend to get a bit out of hand." Mr. Kyoma said this with a smile on his face as he lead me further into the room.

"They certainly are good teachers, but. . ." Mr. Kyoma slowly draw off as he got to an area that was his desk and sat down while rubbing at his stubble. "Well, that's not important right now. Take a seat. I'll prepare the forms now." Mr. Kyoma said this while motioning for me to sit and taking out some papers.

After I sat down in the chair near his desk I look at him curiously. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Kyoma Mononobe, a teacher at this school." Mr. Mononobe told me with a smile.

"I also need you to take a look at these. These are the forms necessary for your transfer procedure. . ." Mr. Mononobe said as he put papers in front of me. "And the legal documents for me to become your guardian." Mr. Mononobe told me making me look at him in confusion.

"Wait, what? Transfer? Guardian?" I said with a surprised tone at all the things I am learning about. "Yes, that's right. Why do you seem surprised? Here, look at this document. This is your signature, right?" Mr. Mononobe said this as he slid me a paper for me to look at.

"Whaaaaat?!" I said this in shocked as I look at the paper that was clearly written in my handwriting. "That's definitely my handwriting, but. . ." I frown lightly as I said this as I try to remember if I did sign this.

"What's wrong? You look like you don't believe a word I'm saying." Mr. Mononobe said this with a confused voice. "I'm sorry, I don't remember any of this." I said this with the frown on my face getting deeper.

"You don't remember? Did you hit your head or something? If that's the case, all the more reason for you to listen to us teachers for now. I understand you might feel a little skeptical, and I'm sure it's hard to trust me when we've just met. But at the very least, these forms show that you're a student of this school. . . And I intend to treat you as family. I'll see you're taken care of. Let me know if you remember something, or there's something you want to do, Masato." Mr. Mononobe told me with a smile and pet my head causing me to blush at this.

"I will. . ." I said slowly looking away from him so he doesn't notice my blush. "All right, good! Now, turn around." Mr. Mononobe said this while taking his hand off my head and point behind me.

When I turned around I saw Ryota, Kengo, Shiro, Mr. Jinn, and Mr. Triton fall out from behind the door of the staff room on to the ground. Mr. Mononobe shake his head at the people on the ground.

"I'd expect such behavior from you boys, but you teachers, too? Listening in one someone's conversation is quite uncalled for." Mr. Mononobe told them while crossing his arms in disapproval.

"Ah, hahaha. . . We heard Masato is gonna be joining us." Ryota nervously laugh as he said this getting up from the floor. "S-So we thought that we should welcome him. . ." Shiro said nervously as he got from the floor. "I don't care either way, but these two wouldn't shut up about it." Kengo said avoiding Mr. Mononobe eyes as he got up from the floor.

"Another beloved student! This is as wonderful as the majestic ocean!" Mr. Triton said happily as he got off the floor with a smile. "Now, let's head to the dorm! I'll show you around!" Mr. Jinn said with a smile on his face as he got off the floor.

". . . So there you have it. You can decide what to do after you rest a bit. From this day forth, your home is here at Dormitory One of Shinjuku Academy. Get along with your other classmates, all right? I'll see you around." Mr. Mononobe ruffle my hair up as he said this then left the room to go somewhere else.

I am in a different world with no memories of where I am from. I only know my name. I should be scared and lonely but I feel rather happy right now at this moment in this school surrounded by all these people. But holy fuck, I am really tired and I need a shower.

Somewhere in Toshima Ward, Tokyo . . .

In a room that seemed like it was suited for royal had a man and a lion in the room. The man seated at the desk had red hair with a golden laurel wreath on his head and was wearing a black suit with a coat over his shoulder. He had sideburns and a goatee that made him look rather attractive especially with those sharp looking eyes of his. The other person in the room was a blue lion wearing a butler suit. He was wearing a monocle on his face that made he look rather professional.

"Master, I apologize for disrupting your rest. I have a report for you." The lion butler said this as he placed a report on the desk while lowering his head. ". . .Very well." The red haired man said this as he took the report looking through it.

"An App battle was observed several hours ago in Shinjuku Central Park. One side consisted of several oni Stray Transients. The other, a human, judging by appearance. As far as we can tell, it matches no other Transients in our records. According to the report by a scout in the region, this unidentified being's Rule is Rending." The lion butler said this causing the red haired man to raise his eyebrow in interest.

"Oh? Rending, is it? So the long-anticipated Rare has finally appeared." The red haired man said with a smirk slowly spreading across his face at this. "Precisely so, Master. Although the existence of the Rule of Rending itself was already predicted. . . This is the first instance of it actually being observed in Tokyo, as far as I am aware." The lion butler told the red haired man this.

"What is the attribute of their Artifact? If it's Aether, perhaps it's the Shears of the Three Crones or the Time Elder's Scythe. . ." The red haired man begin to list off different attribute and Artifact but was cut off when the lion butler shook his head. "My Master. . . It appears to be none of those. . . It is neither Fire nor Water. . .nor is it Shadow. The App is displaying "All". It is at once Fire, Water, and Wood. . . And yet it is also Aether and Nether." The lion butler said this causing the red haired man to nod his head in understanding.

"Is it, now? It is clear now why a loyal servant like you has disturbed our slumber. There has been a deadlock for some time, but that time will come to an end. We shall soon enter a new phase." The red haired man said this with a smirk on his face causing the lion butler to bow his head. "It is as you say, Master." The lion butler said this and then the red haired man stands up from his seat.

"Snow, our loyal familiar. Your master now commands you. Prepare to give this new visitor a proper Ikebukuro Guild welcoming." The red haired man says this making the lion butler nod his head in understanding. "Yes, Master. Your wish is my command." The lion butler said this and turn to leave but stops.

"Master darling. I wish to report on one more matter. There is a high chance that this information has reached other guilds, such as Roppongi. . . If they are to act, their predicted course of action would be to use the bug they've released within our Ikebukuro Guild and. . ." The lion butler was cut off when the red haired man raise his hand to stop him from saying any more.

"Pay them no mind. They merely hide in the shadows, playing at masterminds, while we simply continue on our path of conquest." The red haired man said this with a smile making the lion butler nod his head in agreement. "Yes, of course. It was a foolish question. It is precisely because you openly wear the mantle of conqueror that we wield absolute power. As your ever humble servant, I am full of admiration." The lion butler said this with a smile on his face.

"Snow, we pray that this will be a worthy opponent. Otherwise, one more corpse will be laid out here in Tokyo." The red haired man said this then dismiss the lion butler who goes to do what he was ordered to do.

The red haired man then look at the report once again smirking at what he read then left to go back to sleep.