The grand chamber erupted into chaos; dozens of frightened students shouted over one another, desperately demanding answers.
"W-what is he talking about?"
"Save the world? But how?"
"Why is our teacher not here with us?"
"What kind of monsters are we fighting?"
Their voices echoed off the towering stone walls until one of the mages stepped forward and slowly raised his right hand. The room gradually fell silent. Once he had everyone's attention, the mage lowered his hand and began to speak.
"I know you have many questions." The lead mage said in a calm, reassuring tone. "In time, every one of them will be answered. But first, each of you must touch this crystal."
As he stepped aside, a group of servants carefully wheeled a cart into the center of the chamber. Resting upon it was an enormous magic crystal, its polished surface shimmering with a brilliant spectrum of light.
The students fell silent, their eyes widening as they took in the crystal's overwhelming size and otherworldly beauty.
Tatsu raised his hand, waiting until the mage acknowledged him before speaking.
"Excuse me, sir. If we save your world from these monsters... will we be able to return to our own?"
"Yes." The mage replied with a reassuring nod. "And if you're worried about the passage of time between your world and ours, there's no need to be."
He smiled gently before continuing.
"Time in your world remains completely still while you are here. That means you may spend years in our world, yet only a single moment will have passed when you return home. If you still do not understand, allow me to give you a simple example."
He held his index finger in the air.
"One year in our world is equal to just one second in yours." The mage lowered his hand and smiled. "Simple enough, wouldn't you agree?"
A wave of relief swept through the students. Many sighed deeply and slumped onto the floor, their anxiety finally beginning to fade.
"Oh, thank God."
"Oh... that's good... that's really good." Said Daiki.
The lead mage turned to the towering crystal and extended a hand toward it. "Now, I ask each of you to touch this magic crystal. It will measure the amount of mana you possess."
Following the lead mage's instructions, the students rose to their feet and formed an orderly line before the towering magic crystal.
The first boy in line hesitantly placed his hand against its smooth surface.
In response, the crystal blazed with dazzling radiance, flooding the chamber with light. After a few seconds, its brilliance subsided, leaving it glowing with a stable, medium intensity.
The female mage examined the crystal before speaking. "He has mid-level mana."
The students behind him broke into cheers, congratulating him on the result. The boy raised his hand and examined it for a moment before glancing back at the crystal. A faint smile crept across his face as the realization sank in; he had possessed mana all this time and had never known.
Tatsu stood in line with Haru, Daiki, and Kenji, patiently waiting behind the other students. One by one, they watched their classmates step forward to touch the magic crystal and have their mana measured, wondering what results awaited them.
Haru looked at the crystal with curiosity. "I wonder what kind of magic I'll end up with."
"You'll probably end up with support-type magic." Daiki said with a grin. He glanced over his shoulder at Kenji. "How about you? What kind of magic do you think you'll get?"
Kenji puffed out his chest with a wide grin, resting a fist on his hip. "Ha! I don't mind what kind of magic I end up with. As long as I can throw punches and take down the Demon King, I'm all for it!"
Tatsu, who was standing near the back of the queue, shook his head. "I don't think our enemy is a Demon King." He said. "The mages never mentioned one. They only told us monsters are overrunning their world."
"Really?" Kenji scratched the back of his head. "Well, shoot... I guess this isn't the kind of isekai we've always read about or watched."
Curious, Tatsu leaned slightly to get a better view. He spotted the same girl he had been quietly admiring back in class as she stepped up to the magic crystal. As soon as her hand touched its surface, the crystal erupted with dazzling radiance, bathing the entire chamber in brilliant light.
Kenji caught Tatsu staring at the girl and couldn't help but smirk. "You really have a crush on her, huh?"
"Huh? Uh... maybe... I guess... I don't know." Tatsu rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
Kenji raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Seriously? That's Himari Takana, our class president. Her dad's the vice president of some big company; I can't remember which one."
He folded his arms with a teasing grin. "You honestly think you've got a chance?"
"Well, she's not the kind of person you think she is."
"Really? How so?"
"Well... it happened when-"
Tatsu was cut off as an intense flash of light burst from the crystal, flooding the chamber with such dazzling radiance that everyone instinctively shielded their eyes. As the brilliant light began to fade, the students slowly lowered their hands and cautiously uncovered their eyes.
"Aahh...what was that?"
"Who touched the crystal?"
Daiki kept both hands over his eyes, wincing in pain. "AAAAAHHH!! I swear that almost blinded me!"
While Daiki continued covering his eyes, Tatsu and his friends cautiously peeked toward the magic crystal. To their astonishment, they recognized the student standing before it.
It was Hiroto, whose hand rested against the crystal as it radiated an overwhelming brilliance. Rainbow-colored light poured from within the crystal, while countless streams of mana spiraled gracefully around it like glowing ribbons.
The crystal's radiance far surpassed that of every student who had been measured before, bathing the entire chamber in a magnificent spectrum of colors. Even the mages stood in stunned silence, unable to hide their amazement.
"Whoa! This is an extremely high level of mana!" One of the mages exclaimed.
Another mage stared at the crystal in astonishment. "This child must be a prodigy."
"Wow, Hiroto actually has the highest level of mana... and he's such a quiet and introverted guy." Haru said in amazement.
Daiki let out a low whistle as he stared at Hiroto. "Man...Do you think he's going to be the main character?"
Tatsu and his friends exchanged thoughtful glances, quietly considering Daiki's remark. One by one, Haru, Daiki, and Kenji stepped forward and placed their hands on the magic crystal, each having their mana measured in turn. Before long, only Tatsu remained.
As the last student yet to be tested, he walked toward the towering crystal while the rest of the students gathered to one side of the chamber alongside the mages, all waiting to see the result of the final measurement. Tatsu took a deep breath, calming his nerves before slowly letting it out.
"Ok! Here it goes!"
Tatsu pressed his palm against the crystal. A brilliant light burst forth, engulfing the chamber and forcing everyone to shield their eyes. Tatsu quickly closed his own, waiting for the moment when his mana would finally be revealed.
But after a few seconds, Tatsu cautiously opened one eye. The crystal was no longer shining. There was no rainbow glow. No swirling streams of mana. No overwhelming power. Only a single speck of light floated inside the crystal, barely visible in the space.
Tatsu was left speechless. His body froze, and his expression turned pale with disbelief and horror as he looked at the crystal's disappointing result. The entire chamber erupted with laughter. Many students laughed openly, some wiping away tears as they found the situation too amusing.
"What an anticlimax!"
"Hahahaha! That's it? Just the smallest bit of light?"
"Man, that was so disappointing! Hahaha!"
Tatsu dropped to his knees. The once hopeful expression on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a hollow, lifeless stare. As laughter continued to echo throughout the chamber, he lowered his head in defeat.
"I'm doomed..."