The last thing I remembered was walking home from school along the usual route. Nothing special about the day—just another Tuesday with math homework waiting and leftover curry in the fridge. Then came that strange feeling, like electricity skittering across my skin, followed by a blinding light.
And now... this.
"—the Summoning Ritual is complete! Behold, the Six Heroes who will save our kingdom!"
I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden change in lighting. Gone was the narrow street lined with cherry trees, replaced by a massive marble hall with ceilings so high they disappeared into shadow. Ornate pillars lined the walls, and elaborate tapestries depicted battles between humans and... were those demons?
But what really caught my attention were the people. Dozens of them, dressed in flowing robes and gleaming armor, all staring at me—at us—with expressions ranging from awe to skepticism.
"Where... where am I?" The words escaped my lips before I could stop them.
That's when I noticed the others. Five teenagers around my age stood in a loose semicircle on the same raised platform where I found myself. They looked as disoriented as I felt, but there was something different about them. Something... brighter.
A man stepped forward from the crowd, his gold crown and rich purple robes marking him unmistakably as royalty.
"Welcome, brave heroes, to the Kingdom of Lumeria!" His voice boomed throughout the chamber. "I am King Aldric, and we have summoned you in our time of greatest need!"
Summoned? Heroes?
I'd read enough manga to recognize an isekai situation when I saw one, but this couldn't be happening to me. Things like this didn't happen to Lora Takashi, the unremarkable second-year high school student who couldn't even make the track team.
The king continued his speech, something about a terrible scourge threatening their world, but my attention drifted to a translucent blue window hovering in front of me—visible only to me, it seemed.
```
[HERO STATUS]
Name: Lora Takashi
Level: 1
Class: ???
HP: 100/100
MP: 0/0
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 14
Luck: 8
Skills: None
```
No MP? And what did those question marks mean? I glanced sideways and saw the others discreetly examining similar windows, though they seemed far more pleased with what they were seeing.
"—and now," the king was saying, "let us examine the divine gifts bestowed upon our saviors!"
A woman in elaborate white and gold robes—some kind of priestess?—approached us with a crystal orb. When she held it before the tall, athletic-looking boy to my right, the orb glowed brilliant red.
"The Sword Hero!" she announced, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
She moved to the next person, a girl with fierce eyes and confident posture. The orb glowed green.
"The Bow Hero!"
One by one, each of my fellow summoned teenagers received their title: the Shield Hero, the Spear Hero, the Staff Hero.
Then she came to me.
The orb remained dark. Not even a flicker.
A murmur spread through the crowd, and the priestess frowned. She shook the orb slightly, as if it might be malfunctioning, then tried again.
Nothing.
"Your Majesty," she said, turning to the king with obvious confusion, "this one appears to have... no affinity."
The king's expression darkened. "That cannot be. The ancient texts clearly state five heroes would be summoned."
"Five heroes," whispered someone from the crowd, loud enough for all to hear. "But there are six of them."
All eyes turned to me, and I felt myself shrinking under their collective gaze. What was happening? Why was I here if I wasn't meant to be a hero?
"Check his stats," ordered the king.
A man in scholarly robes approached me and placed his hand on my forehead before I could react. His eyes widened in shock.
"Zero magical power, Your Majesty. Basic physical attributes only. No special skills or abilities."
The king's face contorted with anger. "A mistake in the summoning ritual? Impossible!"
"Perhaps," offered the scholar, "he was simply... caught in the magic by accident. A bystander from the other world, pulled along with the true heroes."
The whispers grew louder. I could make out phrases like "waste of magic" and "useless extra."
"Can you send me back?" I asked, my voice small but desperate.
The scholar exchanged glances with the priestess, who shook her head slowly.
"The summoning ritual can only be performed once every fifty years," she explained. "And the return spell requires even more magical energy. We barely had enough to bring five heroes here..."
"So I'm stuck here?" The reality of my situation was beginning to sink in, and panic rose in my chest. "But I don't have any powers! How am I supposed to survive?"
The king waved his hand dismissively. "We will provide basic accommodations while the heroes train. Perhaps you can make yourself useful in some capacity."
The Sword Hero—Ryuu, I would later learn—scoffed. "So he gets a free ride while the rest of us fight?"
"No," I said quickly. "I want to help. There must be something I can do."
The king regarded me coldly. "Without magic or skills, what help could you possibly offer against The Scourge?"
I had no answer.
"Very well," said the king. "You will be given quarters in the servants' wing. The heroes will begin their training tomorrow."
As the crowd dispersed and the other heroes were led away by excited nobles and officials, I remained standing on the platform, alone except for a single bored-looking guard assigned to show me to my room.
I checked my status window again, hoping something might have changed.
```
[HERO STATUS]
Name: Lora Takashi
Level: 1
Class: ???
HP: 100/100
MP: 0/0
```
Nothing. I was nobody in a world that needed heroes.
But as I followed the guard through the winding corridors of the castle, something stirred deep within me—a tiny spark of determination. I might not have been chosen, I might not have powers, but I was here for a reason.
And somehow, someday, I would prove it to them all.
Little did I know how soon that chance would come, or the darkness that would answer my call.