—Let's summon heroes from another world— After reading the historical records detailing the constant failures of past civilizations against the looming threat, one of the leaders made the suggestion.
The phrase dropped in the council like a stone in a still lake. It came from a golden-haired elf, with ears so long they could pick up satellite signals, and beauty so dazzling that probably no one dared contradict her to her face.
—Want to fight fire with fire? Great idea, since we don't have any other options —commented another, with dark under-eyes and sharp fangs, joining the "we have nothing to lose" club.
—We haven't touched summoning magic in thousands of years, but the records and warnings are still perfectly readable. We can ask Sharllock to perform the summoning —added another.
—And if something goes wrong again? Wouldn't we be damning ourselves even more?
Oh, the classic buzzkill. There's always one. Not that he didn't have a point.
—More than we already are? If we accidentally summon another disaster, we can just open a portal to the Forbidden World and let those bastards fight each other.
Yes. Brilliant idea. Like cleaning your house by shoving everything under the bed.
—That won't happen. Sharllock would never make such an incompetent mistake. Not like that so-called "great mage" from thousands of years ago.
—True. She's a great mage recognized by all of us. We know she's competent, and our realm's own mages will support her. There shouldn't be much trouble.
Famous last words.
—How many heroes do we plan to summon?
—As many as Sharllock can handle. At least one for each of our kingdoms. Their potential must be high enough to become demigods. Records say the last and only one who had such power managed to make those beings retreat.
—Of course, let's not forget to run a psychological test so we don't end up with some twisted sadist like those beings.
—Who's in favor, then?
—I am.
—I am.
—I am.
—I am.
—I am.
++++++++++++
—And that's why you were summoned— The old mage, named Sharllock, explained to me why we had been brought to this world while we were heading to the funeral. The other heroes had already been briefed; I was the last one.
In short, it went like this:
Thousands of years ago, in an almost forgotten age, these neanderthals were experimenting with all kinds of magic. One of those was summoning.
The summoning magic research was led by a "great mage," who made a tiny mistake when drawing the magic circle.This kind of spell basically works like a search engine: you have to be specific and apply filters to get what you want.
By accident, the "great mage" removed all restrictions from the summoning circle and opened a portal to what they now call the "Forbidden World."
From that portal came huge, winged creatures with high intelligence and an arrogant, sadistic personality. At first, they acted friendly and seemed helpful… only to then turn the world into their personal playground. They entertained themselves with every living being until the world was on the brink of collapse.
However, just as they came, they left. They opened their own portals and vanished—though not without promising they'd be back from time to time to "play." They even thanked them for the invitation.
Since then, records say those creatures—now known as dragons—return every so often, wreaking havoc. Many fantasy races went extinct: giants, mermaids, dwarves, beastmen, and so on.
These creatures are absurdly powerful, with strange and varied attacks. They tried reinforcing the world's spatial barriers, but it was useless. Even though they made improvements, those beings are simply too strong. And if the battle reaches the level of spatial manipulation, the barriers might collapse, linking several worlds at once… at least theoretically.
When they discovered the dragons returned on a cycle and would likely come back in a few decades, they decided to fight fire with fire. Especially as they noticed the monsters' erratic behavior, as if sensing danger.
—You heroes have the potential to face those dragons. You are our hope —said Sharllock—. Of course, you won't be alone. Our people will fight too, but we want you to be the pillars.
That was the general picture.
When she finished explaining, we entered the place where the funeral was being held.
They guided me to an honorary seat next to the other heroes.
I looked at the others, wiping away tears and blowing their noses.
Now that I could see them, they all looked very young, between 16 and 20 years old, unlike me, an old man of 27...
These are this world's hope? Having good intentions and having actual ability were very different things.
Truthfully, this world was simply doomed.
And of course, that wasn't bad for me.
There was no way these kids (or I) could gain enough power to face those creatures. They said there were hundreds. Each one could wipe out entire cities, with strange powers and intelligence beyond human.
The only bad thing, to my dismay, was that they supposedly wouldn't appear for a few decades.
"Damn it! Why can't they show up early? Please, I'm begging you! I wish I could summon them myself…"
Why couldn't this be the usual cliché—where a desperate summoning happens with the demon king knocking at the castle door?
—So sad. Why did you leave us like this? Now you're another angel in the sky.
—I never knew your name or your personality, but I bet we would've gotten along. Fate is so cruel.
—You weren't a hero for even ten minutes, but you were a great hero.
I don't usually criticize people's sentimentality, but I felt like coughing up blood.
They were practically strangers. Why all the drama?
Aside from the heroes themselves, no one else seemed to care much about the funeral. Everyone wore expressions of annoyance, silently praying for it to end soon. Myself included.
To everyone's misfortune, each of the various kings came up to give a speech. Basically, high school principal speeches, one hour each.
The funeral, which started midday, didn't end until after midnight.
I nearly felt the urge to storm the stage and smack them into silence.
Then they asked me to approach the coffin, which read "Dear Hero and Friend."
At least they didn't write "Summoned Subject #12."
As I approached my ex-classmate, I noticed Sharllock's wrinkled face contorting even more… and she spat on the corpse.
—Bastard —she muttered, with such intensity it looked like her face might split in two.
"What the hell? Even I think that's too much. Did he hit on her or tell her he hated old women?"
Her face flushed, and she stammered as she tried to explain:
—Hero… I didn't mean to. I had phlegm stuck since morning. It just happened to come loose now...
—Don't worry. We can't always control ourselves —I replied.
Her body trembled and she muttered:
—It's… so frustrating. I used up my life force and he died just like that. It's so unfair...
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I'd rather worry about my own issues. Like dying.
So far, I've tried to kill myself three times: all failed. Jumping from a great height didn't work—twice. Getting stabbed with a poisoned knife didn't work either. And now biting my tongue won't do the trick, since old Sharllock knows healing magic. I learned that when she healed my hands.
How else could I kill myself? I'm in a secure place, surrounded by guards and mages who'd stop any attempt, even if I stabbed myself at dinner.
Maybe I should've looked up tutorials on how to die in a fantasy world. Like: "10 creative ways to end yourself in another world (number 7 will shock you)."
I'm not very creative when it comes to this.
—Very well. Heroes, thank you for accepting to fight for this world. It will be dangerous, and we can't give you anything truly worthy of your effort. Be aware that, if the time comes, we will even renounce our kingdoms and possessions. It's the least we can do.
The kings bowed and turned to leave.
The funeral was officially over.
I was closing my eyes from exhaustion when I heard that declaration. A mental "click" made them fly open.
My mouth moved faster than my brain.
—Anything, huh? Fine. I want to be king. Who's willing to give me their kingdom? I won't save the world for less than that. Kill me if you want.
I'm a genius! Now, no matter what, my chances of survival are slim.
Obviously, those words were just formality. As if they'd give up everything for the world's sake. People like that would enjoy their power and wealth until the very last second, even if the world ends tomorrow. And they really don't like being challenged.
So, my attitude must have come off as obnoxious. Hopefully, that would trigger one of them to order my execution in a rage. A lesson for others not to overstep.
I've seen enough movies to predict this scene...
While I smiled smugly, one of the kings responded:
—If that is your wish, I am willing, hero. I will abdicate right now. From this moment on, I hand over my kingdom to you. Meanwhile, I shall sleep for the next 100 years.
A hooded king with fangs and pale skin had accepted.
"…It's a joke, right?"