Both palms empty, the old man raised one towards the ceiling.
Suddenly, the space around us lit up with numerous sky-blue orbs of light.
Zipping through the air, they flowed like an endless stream toward his extended hand, forming a vortex as they traveled. Then, with a decisive swing, he released the energy in a single blast, encasing the room in ice.
The once decrepit and dull room now shimmered with a thousand blue-colored sparkles, all emitting from the frozen sheet that now blanketed it.
The ice had no time to settle as he gathered vibrant red orbs around his opposite hand. Then, with the same gesture as before, the room exploded in a torrent of flame, purging the frost into steam.
Naturally, a raging inferno sowed terror into the hearts of my countrymen.
They were locked in a total hysteria fueled by the smothering flames. Yet, despite that, none had panicked more so than I.
My breathing became rapid while palpitations wracked my chest. The fear of being roasted alive again forced me to huddle over in terror. I'd acted more like a frightened child than a grizzled killer.
I balled up and clutched my head, stuck in a cycle of shame and complete dread.
Due to my fear, one fact eluded me till now. 'It doesn't...hurt?'
In fact, the fire appeared to be actively avoiding us. Despite the room's hellish appearance, nobody, including myself, had suffered burns.
"A-Am I…Okay?" I unlocked my body and timidly appraised it.
Sadly, though I was uninjured, it did little to comfort my psyche.
That gluttonous inferno… The odor of grilled flesh and bone... It was forever branded into me, fracturing a piece of my mind.
As the last fragment of ice receded, a young man in a high school uniform excitedly spoke in approval of the situation. There wasn't anything particularly unique about him except his unkempt, fiery red hair.
"I-I-I knew it! This is one of those things, right?! The thing where you get transported to another world as a hero?! Holy shit...this is awesome!" He leaped with joy.
The old man made a grand gesture toward him. "Your enthusiasm is magnificent, dear hero! Yes, we've summoned you to defeat the King of Devils, Raum himself, and his legion of demons. What awaits you all is a new life full of adventure and wealth!"
That last line, in particular, reminded me of what you'd expect to hear within a timeshare meeting. Because of that, my thoughts were equally divided in two.
One side believed the old man's spiel due to his magic trick; the other wrote him off as a senile crackpot with a knack for special effects.
Aside from that, what did he say? Defeat the "King of Devils?" Was this supposed to be an RPG?
I considered the possibility that I was dreaming and pinched myself. Ridiculous, I know, but so was the situation.
Soon after, three more assembled around Red Hair.
Piling together in a new clique, they eagerly conversed amongst themselves. A few moments later, the four nodded in agreement and turned toward the old man.
"So… What's the plan, old man?" Red Hair asked.
"Of course, wise hero!" The old man exclaimed, matching Red Hair's excitement. "In anticipation of your arrival, the lord of this domain has planned a welcoming party to celebrate! It's planned that any of your more 'complex' questions be answered there." He placed extra emphasis on the last part.
"A celebration?! Alright!" Rd Hair became even giddier at the mention of a party.
Given Red Hair's approval, the old man and his associates drifted toward the exit. "To that end," he said, "my associates and I need to confirm the number of carriages required to transport you. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, yes, that sounds fantastic!" Red hair replied nonchalantly and waved off the old man.
With that, our captors left the room.
Now that the primary source of angst was gone, a distinct wave of relief flooded over my countrymen.
pαпdα Йᴏνê|,сòМ The group surrounding Red Hair then focused on us. Their expressions lit up with excitement as if they'd found a new toy to play with.
After garnering our attention, Red Hair introduced himself. "The name's Tachibana Daisuke," he pointed his thumb towards himself, "nice to meet all of ya! My new friends and I have a good grasp of what's happening. Follow our lead, and we'll not only survive… we'll thrive!"
A few seconds of silent deliberation later, most of the group nodded in agreement. It wasn't long before they flocked towards Tachibana, chattering loudly.
There were two exceptions to this: Agawa and the punk from earlier.
Like me, they only looked at the herding masses with contempt and disappointment.
Tachibana became the center of attention, so I used the commotion to check the room's exit.
The door was of sturdy oak paired with iron reinforcement; markings of wear and tear suggested it hadn't seen maintenance in many months, if not years.
Even the iron handle and lock were wholly rusted on the surface. Yet, despite its poor condition, the door seemed unbreakable.
I grabbed the handle and pulled, causing metallic brown shavings to rub off my skin.
My efforts were in vain as the door refused to budge. Rather than swinging open, it opted to grind against the frame while I shook it quietly.
I could've exerted more force, though that would've likely yielded a different outcome than I wanted. If I put the handle under any more stress, I had no doubt I'd rip it clean off before making progress with the door itself.
'So much for the "hero" thing. We really must be captives, after all.' I wasn't disappointed; I had no doubt in my mind that was the case.
Attempting to break the door down was an option, albeit reckless.
I figured it'd be better to prioritize our safety and avoid rash decisions. Besides, impulsiveness wasn't something I'd been known for. I always preferred careful planning to risky action for any problem.
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