The heavy doors groaned as they fully opened, letting in the last slice of light from the torches lining the stone chamber. Every step the figure took echoed like a drumbeat. CLANG. CLANG. Armor clanked lightly, but there was no mistaking the weight of his presence—it pressed on everyone like an invisible hand.
The knight stopped just inside the doorway. Tall. Imposing. Silver hair streaked with gray, and eyes that scanned every one of them like he could see through their bones. "Greetings," he said, his voice deep and measured. "I am Sir Caelric Valdorn, captain of the Royal Vanguard."
Toru, of course, couldn't resist. He nudged Hinata, grinning like a jackass who had just smelled trouble. "Valdorn? Seriously?" he muttered loud enough that the students near him heard. "Sounds like a bad fantasy hentai game NPC." Hinata snickered. "Dude… I can't take a guy in a cape seriously."
The laughter rippled faintly. Even Riku pinched the bridge of his nose. Ren glanced at Sora. Sora wasn't laughing. He was still on the floor, breathing shallowly, clutching his shoulder where the smoke was fading. Sir Caelric didn't shout. He didn't scold them. He just… shifted.
Ren felt it before he saw it. The air changed. A low hum, subtle at first, then building—a presence so heavy it made the back of his neck ache. The knight's aura radiated outward in waves, cold and sharp, searing into their bones like a warning. The jokes died instantly. Toru choked on his laugh. Hinata's face drained of color. It wasn't anger. It was… killing intent. Controlled, precise, and overwhelming.
"You are not in a classroom anymore, children," Valdorn said softly. The silence that followed was deafening.
Valdorn walked forward, the sea of students parting for him instinctively. He didn't stop until he was standing over Sora. He looked down at the boy on the floor—the one who had arrived wrong. The one who smelled of ozone and burnt magic. Valdorn's eyes narrowed in disgust. "And what… is this?" The robed leader stepped forward nervously. "A… slight irregularity in the summoning, Commander. He arrived late. The connection was unstable." Valdorn scoffed. "Unstable? He looks like a corpse."
Sora looked up, sweat dripping down his face, forcing a weak, pained grin. "Nice to meet you too… tin man." Valdorn didn't react to the insult. He simply stepped over Sora like he was a piece of trash on the road and turned to address the group.
"Listen closely. I will say this once." Ren swallowed hard, his heart hammering against his ribs. He wanted to speak, to ask why they were here, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Reiji Narukami stepped forward instead. His face was pale, but he held his hands up in a calming gesture, stepping into the role he always played at school. "Sir," Reiji said, his voice trembling slightly but polite. "Please. We… we are confused. You kidn— you brought us here. You have to tell us why. We're just students."
Valdorn looked at Reiji. "Students? No." The Knight gestured to the robed mages. "Altherion is dying. The Demon Lord has returned. Our armies are failing. You were not brought here to study. You were brought here to be weapons."
"Weapons?!" Rika yelled, stepping up beside Reiji. "Are you insane? I can't even run a mile without an inhaler!" "Your physical limits in your old world are irrelevant," Valdorn cut her off. "The Summoning grants power. It grants a Role. A Class."
He signaled to the mages. Four of them stepped forward, carrying a large, polished slab of black crystal. It pulsed with a faint, rhythmic blue light. "We do not have time for history lessons," Valdorn commanded. "The barrier protecting this kingdom is weakening by the hour. We need to know what we have summoned."
He pointed a gauntleted finger at the crystal. "Touch the Appraisal Stone. It will reveal the power your souls have been granted." Valdorn's eyes swept over the terrified group, his gaze landing on Ren, then Daigo, then Reiji. "If you are Heroes… prove it. If you are useless… then pray the Demon Lord kills you quickly."
Ren stared at the black stone. This was it. No going back. "Who goes first?" Valdorn barked.
Daigo gritted his teeth, the fear in his eyes turning into stubborn resolve. "Screw it. If nobody else will do it, I will." Daigo stepped forward, his heavy footsteps echoing in the silence. He reached out his hand toward the black crystal.