After that blinding flash of light, the entire class 2-B vanished from Earth and appeared in a grand palace hall. The hall was filled with tall pillars adorned with intricate carvings, gleaming marble floors, and a high vaulted ceiling. Surrounding them were soldiers in shiny armor standing tall, guarding every corner of the room with spears and swords in hand.
The students began to panic, anxious voices and small cries filling the air. Some of them looked confused, while others started to cry. They struggled to comprehend what had just happened, but the unfamiliar scenery only heightened their fear.
Mrs. Nakamura, with a pale face and eyes full of worry, tried to summon her courage. She stepped forward, attempting to be a pillar of calm amid her panicked students. "Everyone, stay calm! Stick together and don't scatter," her voice tried to sound firm, though there was a slight tremor she couldn't hide.
She walked among her students, gently touching their shoulders to reassure them. "We'll get through this together. Take a deep breath and try to stay calm; everything will be alright," she said in a soothing voice, though deep down, she was overwhelmed with worry.
Meanwhile, the soldiers remained silent and vigilant, their sharp eyes watching every move the students made. They looked like living statues, with expressions difficult to read, yet their intimidating presence made the students feel even more cornered.
Johan stood in the middle of the crowd, his eyes darting around, trying to make sense of this strange situation. 'What is really happening?' he thought, a mix of anxiety and curiosity in his mind.
A soldier with more elaborate armor, seemingly an officer, stepped forward and spoke in a loud voice. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Althoria. You have been summoned here for a very important purpose. The King will meet with you shortly."
The statement brought a moment of silence before whispers and murmurs filled the room again. The students exchanged glances, trying to digest this new information.
...
After a while, the King and Queen, along with their daughter, appeared in the grand hall. They walked gracefully toward their thrones, wearing beautiful and shimmering royal attire. The King, with a glittering golden crown atop his head, stood in front of the throne and looked at the students with a dignified gaze.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Althoria, Heroes!" he declared in a formal and distinctive voice that echoed throughout the hall.
The students looked at each other in confusion, whispers and murmurs filling the air. They tried to understand what they had just heard, while feelings of panic and uncertainty still enveloped their hearts.
Mrs. Nakamura, seeing the deep confusion on her students' faces, gathered the courage to step forward. With steady steps, though her heart was pounding, she stood before the King. "Excuse me, what do you mean by heroes? Didn't you just kidnap us?" she asked, her tone slightly angry, trying to contain her emotions.
The King nodded slowly, acknowledging the unclear situation. He cleared his throat before beginning to explain, "I apologize if my explanation was lacking." His voice was calmer and tried to be friendly, though it remained authoritative. "You have all been summoned here by the will of the gods. We received a revelation that one of you is the hero destined to lead humanity in our world to victory in the ongoing war."
The students grew even more confused; some looked increasingly anxious while others tried to digest the King's words.
"I apologize if this seems disrespectful from your perspective," the King continued, with a slightly softer tone. "But we are also in a state of desperation. This war has gone on for too long and destroyed many lives. We need help, and the gods' revelation is our only hope."
The Queen, who sat beside him with a calm yet worried expression, added, "We understand that this is very shocking and frightening for you. We did not want to kidnap you, but this was our last resort. We beg for your understanding and assistance."
Their daughter, sitting gracefully next to the Queen, looked at the students with a hopeful gaze. "We just hope you can understand our situation and help us through these difficult times."
Mrs. Nakamura seemed to disagree with the idea that kidnapping them would solve the massive problem of winning a war. To her, it was something insane and unreasonable. Her eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to protest.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," she thought with disbelief. "Kidnapping us and expecting us to win a war? How is that even possible?"
However, before she could voice her objections, one of the students, Touya, suddenly stepped forward. With a broad smile always adorning his face and the charisma that made him popular among his peers, he raised his hand and exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Hey, everyone! This is a golden opportunity! Isn't this what we've dreamed of? An epic adventure in another world, becoming heroes who save a kingdom! It's like a dream come true!" exclaimed Touya, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
The other students, though still enveloped in confusion and fear, fell silent for a moment. Touya's charisma was hard to ignore, and his popularity gave weight to his words in their eyes.
"Imagine how great this is! We can become legends, heroes remembered forever!" Touya continued, his voice full of spirit and conviction. He looked at each of his classmates, trying to spread his enthusiasm. "We can do this! Let's prove that we can be the heroes they need!"
Mrs. Nakamura frowned, unable to hide her worry. Although Touya's spirit managed to lift the morale of some students, she still felt that this was a very dangerous and unfair situation for them.
Even so, Touya's circle of friends was strong, creating a bond known as friendship. Touya's spirit and charisma united them, and eventually, everyone reluctantly agreed, feeling they had no other choice. The growing support overwhelmed Mrs. Nakamura, as more and more students voiced their agreement.
The King smiled, seeing the students' change in attitude. "I can assure you all that you will be treated fairly in my kingdom, so don't worry," he said with a confident voice.
Mrs. Nakamura took a deep breath, realizing she had no other choice. The hope of returning home depended on their obedience to the King. Though her heart was still filled with worry, she tried to accept the situation.
Amid the commotion and excitement of his friends, Johan stood silently, feeling isolated from their joy. He couldn't process what was happening and felt it was all a cruel joke.
'What, a war? Are they all crazy!?' he thought, unable to accept the reality he faced. 'They don't know how hellish war is considered by some people on Earth. Damn it, no, no! Even if you gave me a pile of gold, I don't want to die foolishly on this planet!' he continued in frustration, his gaze blankly staring at the marble floor beneath his feet.
While his friends cheered and planned their next steps, Johan felt increasingly cornered. The thought of war and all its accompanying horrors made him tremble. He looked around, searching for signs that this was all just a nightmare, but everything he saw was real and unavoidable.
'How can they so easily accept this?' he thought again, his eyes glancing at Touya, who was still speaking with enthusiasm. 'Do they not realize how dangerous this is?'