"You're totally getting expelled!"
"No way! That's super bad!"
(Boring)
The boy, Chiji Nakura, was reading a web novel displayed on his smartphone, and he couldn't help but think that.
The story was just another cliché about being expelled. He had hoped to find a hidden gem by picking a lesser-known work with low access numbers, but this was the result.
Stifling a yawn, he looked up from his phone.
There was the new female teacher, Umi Umihata, energetically waving her teaching stick in front of the class.
She looked like a small animal, which was kind of heartwarming, but for Chiji, a high school senior facing exams, it was just frustrating.
It was a bit ironic that he was fiddling with his smartphone instead of paying attention.
Glancing out the window, he could see the decorations for the Tanabata event.
It had been about three months since he became a senior.
Today was July 7th.
Even after some time had passed, he still had no friends in class, and honestly, he didn't even have anyone to talk to in the entire grade.
This was the reality of Chiji Nakura, a proud loner.
"So, um, what the author wanted to convey here is... uh, what was it again...?"
(...)
As he glanced at the flustered teacher, trying to focus back on his phone, he suddenly noticed something shimmering on the floor that looked like a pattern.
It resembled a "magic circle" you'd find in games, anime, or the fantasy novel he was currently reading.
"…!"
Caught between recognition and action, it was already too late; a blinding flash of light filled his vision in an instant.
§
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a dimly lit space.
The humid air and cool temperature made it clear he was in some kind of cave-like place.
Looking around, he could see rough rock walls. However, the stone-paved floor and pillars scattered about gave it the feel of a temple.
(Is this... what they call being summoned to another world?)
Chiji was knowledgeable enough about subculture to entertain such thoughts.
On the stone floor, he noticed not only himself but also his classmates and the new female teacher. They all began to stir, looking around in confusion.
"Uh, where are we? Is this a prank?"
"Is this a dream?"
"It's cold, this is the worst."
While most showed expressions of fear or confusion, a few students widened their eyes in disbelief, smirking slightly. In other words, they were like Chiji—otaku.
Just as the commotion reached its peak, a beam of light broke through the darkness, and the sound of a door opening announced the arrival of a beautiful girl.
With flowing, natural platinum blonde hair, she appeared to be in her late teens—probably not much older than Chiji and the others.
Behind her were a group of imposing men clad in armor, making a clattering noise as they followed.
Chiji's classmates began to panic at the sudden intrusion. Seeing them, the platinum blonde girl smiled gently.
"Everyone, please calm down. I am Liza Ashut, the first princess of the Ashut Kingdom. Could you please listen to what I have to say?"
It was in Japanese. Despite having a distinctly Western appearance, the words that came out were smooth, native Japanese. It felt odd, but not enough to say anything about it.
As for the beautiful girl who introduced herself as the first princess, Liza, Chishi thought about whether he should respond, but decided against it, finding it silly.
There were more suitable candidates for this kind of thing than someone like him, who was a loner.
"What do you mean by 'talk'?"
The one who responded to the princess was Shino Mia Ren, the handsome and principled student council president, known as one of the best-looking guys in school.
While he displayed a sense of tension, his tone was expertly crafted to avoid raising suspicion. The princess began her speech after saying, "Thank you for listening."
"We are currently facing a crisis for the survival of humanity due to the great evil known as the Demon King. Therefore, we have summoned powerful heroes from another world. That would be all of you."
The murmurs among the classmates grew louder. At this point, even the girls who usually didn't engage with subculture seemed to grasp the situation.
Meanwhile, the group of otaku in the back was ecstatic, with some already shouting "Status Open!"
Chishi watched this scene blankly. He was the poor guy who couldn't join in the excitement because he was a loner.
"Even if you call us heroes, we don't have that kind of power."
"That's not a problem. You all have been granted power by the gods when you crossed into this world. Please try thinking 'Status.'"
Chishi was surprised by how cliché it was, while the otaku shouted, "So it's about thinking it!" He thought they were really energetic, and then he tried to think it himself. It felt like a push.
'Chishi Nakura
Lv. 1
Class: Betrayer
- You will die if the heroes are wiped out before the Demon King is defeated.
- You cannot return to your original world unless you wipe out the heroes.
- If successful, one wish will be granted.'
"…"
What on earth does this mean?
As he scanned through his status, he found numbers for attack power and defense, just like in an RPG, followed by sections labeled 'Skills' and 'Status Ailments.'
'Skill: Disguise
Status Ailment: Madness (Ethics value -1000)'
(…)
"I believe there is a section called 'Class' in your status. This is something that people in this world also possess, but in your case, it's exceptionally powerful, and there should be 'Skills' and 'Modifiers' for the status values corresponding to each 'Class.'"
"This is…"
Chishi barely registered the conversation between the princess and Shino Mia anymore. To understand the situation, he continued to stare at his status, examining it closely. Then, suddenly:
'Confirmation of awareness of the existence of the ethics value. — Disclosing the hidden status.'
A message appeared, extending his status further down.
As he followed along with his eyes, something called 'Hidden Status' was displayed.
From the content of the message, it seemed that recognizing something related to the 'Hidden Status' would allow him to confirm it.
As Shinomiya questioned Liza, he seemed to share the same doubts about the overly game-like features.
"What exactly is 'status'? It's a magic concept devised by heroes from thousands of years ago. It's quite clear, and it's said to have taken root in our world even after that hero returned to their original world."
"I see… wait, their original world!?"
"Yes… I apologize for not mentioning this earlier, but once you defeat the Demon King, you will all be able to return to your original world."
"...Isn't that a bit too much of a threat?"
"I'm truly sorry. It's painful for me to say this, but if you could forgive us for summoning you with 'that kind of magic,' I would appreciate it. In return, we will certainly provide training for combat, and the Ashuto Kingdom will sincerely assist you in living in this world, so please don't worry."
Once that was said, there was no other option.
Since they couldn't go back, they had no choice but to fight.
There were no choices to be made, and that's why Shinomiya hesitated for a moment but quickly came to a decision.
He glanced away from Liza for a second and spoke loudly to his trembling classmates and the crying new teacher.
"We have to do this…!"
There was no room for choice.
He conveyed the one answer to everyone and turned back to Liza.
"We'll do it. We'll do it. We just have to kill the Demon King, right?"
"Yes, I sincerely thank you for your decision."
Liza elegantly curtsied, pinching the hem of her skirt, while Shinomiya watched her with a bitter expression.
On the other hand, Chiji was completely ignoring that conversation, only focused on his status.
More precisely, the newly displayed "hidden status."
"Pleasure Value: 20
Interest Value: 98
Excitement Value: 56
Despair Value: 0
Anger Value: 0
Fear Value: 0
Ethics Value: -2680"
Chiji's ethics value was modified by the "Traitor" class, which was at "-1000." In contrast, Chiji's current ethics value was "-2680."
"...Huh"
—Nakura Chiji was a proud loner.
He was aware that his thoughts were too out of sync with those around him, which was why he kept his distance from others.
He had to adjust his lack of ethics to fit into normalcy, just to get through daily life.
He was that kind of person.
At that moment, Nakura Chiji was freed from those constraints.
He had to kill all the heroes—meaning all the classmates and the new teacher who were summoned with him—or he would die himself.
And he couldn't go back either.
(Well then, I guess it can't be helped, right?)
With a powerful justification in hand, the born killer twisted his mouth into a grin, and the "Traitor" who would kill all the heroes was born right here.
(This is definitely what they call super very bad.)
—————
Nakura Chiji
Lv. 1
Class: Traitor
Attack: 160
Defense: 150
Magic Power: 0
Intelligence: 200
Skill: 190
Skill: Disguise
Status Condition: Ethics Value -1000 modifier
—————