Shade, watching from his pillar, tilted his head. He had already looked for exits forty-five seconds ago, which was practically a vacation. The situation was noice in the way that a car crash was noice, specifically when he wasn't in it.
He watched Alexander straighten up and ask the smart question about the Demon Lord with the delivery of an elite childhood.
Watched Yelena fiddle with what he was sure were knives in her jacket.
Watched Elara and Isabella hold each other's hands and decide without speaking that they were leaving together or not at all.
High Priestess Elowen Ariseth had began her speech. Her voice carried the particular resonance of someone who believed every word that left her mouth.
The Demon Lord Aragon. Dark forces. Chosen by the gods. Boundless potential. The world's only hope.
Shade stopped listening after the first sentence.
He was looking at the upper gallery, the stairs had guards. The gap between the second and third guard on the left passage. The window frames and how high the drop would be.
He was also, simultaneously, thinking about the fact that he got summoned to a different world, and it was still his birthday.
"Wildest birthday party so far but I'll take it."
Nobody was looking at him yet.
That was fine. Ideal even.
Hikaru interrupted Elowen mid speech, "You guys have magic right? Dragons? Beasts? And legendary weapons and dungeons, right?"
The Paladin standing beside Elowen tightened his grip on his sword, ready to reprimand Hikaru for his rudeness.
High Priestess Elowen sent him a glare, immediately silencing any words that were about to leave his throat.
"Yes," King Tharion replied, with a small grin. "All you asked exists and in excess for you to explore and experience."
Selene Smith's face hardened as her jaw clenched. "Hikaru, what is wrong with you? When did you become such an impulsive young man?"
Hikaru looked at his shoes, avoiding his teacher's gaze. "And what nonsense is this about women with big breasts? Have I not taught you better?"
King Tharion, smiling from his throne, interrupted her before she could continue her berating, "The boy is curious. What is wrong with him asking a few questions?"
Turning to the king, Selene said, "Not only did you kidnap kids against their will, you want to offer women and power to them as bait to get them to serve you. Have you no shame?"
Gasps filled the hall as the guards drew their swords and raised their spears about to silence her for such impunity. King Tharion raised his hand bringing them to a stop.
The children were taken back staring at the spears as the guards placed them back by their side.
Elowen shook her head, voice firm. "You were chosen by the gods. Consent is not required when destiny calls.
You have been entrusted with their guidance. They will learn under your supervision, but your personal objections cannot undo the will of the Divine."
Elara Vailin's voice trembled slightly.
"But… will we be killed if we refuse?"
"Refusal carries consequences," Elowen replied.
"Your powers will remain dormant, your potential wasted. You may remain here, but your chance to change this world will be lost.
You will not receive the blessings the gods have granted to you and you'll live like a common man with no chance of returning to your world."
Yelena Volkov nodded her head, "If we refuse, we simply waste the chance to survive in this world. We're their best chance of survival and they're ours too. Not like we have a choice."
Hikaru wandered closer to the priests and the king. "And… how do we get back? If… if this is temporary?"
Elowen's gaze hardened, as she suppressed the rising anger within her at the casualness with which the child addressed her.
"We used a warp stone to bring you here. It is a one-time-use artifact. The only other warp stone is held by the Demon Lord himself.
To return home, he must be defeated and his stone taken. Until that time, you remain here to serve your purpose."
Murmurs filled the gallery. Nobles whispered, pointing at the students. "The heroes from legend have been summoned, we are saved."
Hikaru turned back to his classmates. "Simple summary… we're in another world, chosen by the gods… and we're supposed to fight a Demon Lord to get home, and if we don't kill him, we are stuck here. Any questions?"
The king's Knight Captain whispered into his ear. "My lord… do you know who that is over there? I saw him appear when the rest were summoned, and we need only six children but we have seven."
The king's eyes narrowed, following the direction of the whisper. His gaze fell on Shade, leaning lazily against a marble pillar in the far corner, duffel bag slung over one shoulder, casually scratching his ass and sniffing it.
Elowen, noticing the king's gaze, furrowed her brow. "Who is… that child?" Her sentence suddenly turning the whole attention of the room to Shade.
Noticing all eyes on him, Shade shrugged. His hoarse and raspy voice sounding, "Oh, hello there. I got dragged into this. I'm as confused as you are, but I am enjoying the show. Carry on, don't mind me at all."
King Tharion, seeing his relaxed posture, different dressing, and nonchalance, felt his instinct flash warning lights.
King Tharion's voice hardened. "Remove your mask."
"I'd rather not. I look like the Gravemind with Deadpool's skin care routine."
The temperature in the room dropped.
King Tharion snapped his fingers, releasing his pressure on Shade and having guards simultaneously surround Shade, weapons drawn.
Shade felt the weight of a house fall on him as he dropped to one knee but remained standing on his prosthetic leg.
Steel rang out as guards closed in from all sides, spears angled toward Shade's chest.
"I said," King Tharion repeated, "remove it," as he took off his pressure.
Shade sighed, reached back, and took off the face mask.
Everyone waited with bated breath.
Shade, taking his mask off and looking up at the dozens of eyes on him, said, "Boo."
For a heartbeat, the room was silent. Then the reaction hit. Several nobles recoiled. One priest gagged. Finn stumbled backward.
Guards tightened their grips on their spears. Fear and revulsion spread through the hall.
Staring at the burnt and disfigured face, most of it missing.
Shade blinked at them, his raspy and hoarse voice sounding, "Wow. Rude. Is it because I'm black?"
King Tharion stood with urgency. "Seize him. Bind him. He will be questioned in the dungeon."
The guards moved to capture the thing before them.High Priestess Elowen raised her staff, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"The ceremony continues. Heroes, heed the will of the gods. These mark your choice as champions and your potential to serve their will.
Each of you carries the blessing of a patron deity. Act in their name, wield their gifts, and fulfill the destiny laid before you. Use your powers wisely, for the fate of this world depends upon you."
One by one, glowing sigils of multiple colours appeared above the students' heads, shimmering with colors and symbols unique to each god as they all entered a trance-like state.
The guards closed in, chains rattling. Suddenly Shade heard a dark and hollow whisper in his ears as his perception of time slowed.
"I am Nolthar, the God of Darkness and Destruction, and I have chosen you as my champion. Your purpose is to unravel what the other gods have built, to spread my influence. In return, I will grant you power beyond mortal thinking."
Shade blinked. "What's in exchange? Okay, but like… you're not taking my soul, right?"
No answer.
"And you're not doing that firstborn thing? Because I'm not signing up for child sacrifice on some Moloch timing. You're not one of those pervy gods planning on touching me, right?"
No response.
"Because I don't swing that way. And also—" he gestured at himself, "—there's not much left to work with."
The chains touched his wrists.
The voice returned, sharper. "I am doing none of what you fear. I only ask you spread darkness and destruction. Do you not realise your current predicament?"
Shade shrugged. "Look man, you reached out to me, and from what I'm seeing we need each other, so cut the shit. I'm the only other otherworlder that's currently not picked.
I doubt any of them would want you, so understand this. I'm not your slave; I'm a worker, and I get paid. This contract ain't some slave-to-master; it's freelancer-to-client, got it?"
The dark voice rumbled, "We have a deal."
Shade smiled. "Then I accept to be your champion, as long as you're not inside my head rent-free like Sukuna, or after my soul, my body, or some future kid I don't have. Deal."
Suddenly power poured into Shade, multiplying his strength, and he was filled with so much energy. He turned to the guards and smiled.
"You shoulda called in sick."
The chains shattered as Shade reached into his duffel and pulled out two black long katanas.
The nearest guard didn't even scream. Shade moved once and the man hit the floor in two pieces.
Panic exploded in the hall.
Slicing through all the guards that surrounded him, he quickly vaulted onto a pillar, boots scraping stone.
He leapt into the upper gallery, crashing through silk banners and stunned nobles.
"Sorry people, emergency exit."
A noble tried to block him. Shade rolled his eyes. "Nigga please," and punched him in the chest, sending him flying.
A noblewoman screamed at the sight.
"Indoor voices, people," Shade muttered, shoving past.
Running towards the window, he noticed a flight of stairs, and exiting them was a woman with the biggest rack he had seen.
Both of them locked eyes as Shade reached forward.
"Nice tits," he said, as he honked them and dived through the window.