The summoned group looked at each other, disoriented and confused. Among them were youths in student clothes, others who looked like construction workers, and even two wearing combat gear. The latter carefully observed Dante and Kael, but upon noticing their equipment was radically different—and that they seemed just as "kidnapped" as the rest—they looked away, though they maintained a tense vigilance.
The throne room was an ode to medieval opulence: marble columns, silk banners, and a golden light filtering through stained glass windows. Before the ten newcomers, an elderly man with a golden crown and weary eyes stood up.
Kael, furious about the situation, was about to draw his energy weapon to demand answers, but Dante reacted with lightning speed and grabbed his hand. Kael looked at him with doubt, but Dante simply shook his head in silence.
Though not entirely convinced, Kael obeyed and holstered his weapon. The interaction did not go unnoticed by the other eight, but in their confusion, they chose to ignore the two strange soldiers.
"Welcome, brave saviors!" the King exclaimed, his majestic voice trembling slightly. "You have been summoned by the grace of the ancients to free humanity from darkness. The Demon King and his hordes have cornered us, and only you possess the potential to wield the Sacred Weapons and restore peace."
Dante and Kael exchanged a quick glance beneath their helmets. The other two men in combat armor remained silent, maintaining a tactical quiet as they observed how things unfolded.
'Tsk... not only do they kidnap us, they have the nerve to ask us to fight their war. What kind of idiot would fall for such stupidity?' Dante thought with disdain.
Suddenly, a casually dressed boy stepped forward. His name was Arturo. His blond hair gleamed under the light, and his face overflowed with almost childish determination.
"Do not fear, Your Majesty!" Arturo shouted, clenching his fist. "If we were brought here, it must be for a reason. I, Arturo, swear that I will not rest until the last demon has fallen!"
Several of the other summoned murmured in approval, carried away by Arturo's charisma. The priests wept with joy.
'Well, here's the group's idiot,' Dante thought.
Kael leaned toward Dante and whispered through their private channel:
"Seriously? That civilian just decided to throw his life away over a three-minute speech? He's an idiot... And he's already infected the entire group.."
Kael glanced at the other two soldiers and added:
"Well, almost everyone."
"Let them," Dante replied calmly. "Don't interrupt the show. While they draw attention, we'll study our situation. Let's figure out what planet we're on; I doubt this belongs to the Federation. Either it's an unexplored planet with aliens physically identical to us, or we were actually summoned to a magical world."
Dante wanted to mock how absurd that last possibility sounded, but his instincts told him it was the most logical one.
...
Hours later, after a dinner filled with delicacies from unknown native creatures, they were escorted to their quarters. Dante and Kael were assigned a shared room with heavy tapestries and solid wooden furniture.
As soon as the door closed, Kael activated a sonic inhibitor. Dante opened one of the briefcases and deployed the long-range antenna.
"Attempting link with the Vanguard... Channel 0-9. Cassandra, do you copy?"
Dante didn't have much hope. If they were in another universe, contacting them would be nearly impossible. He sighed and was about to shut down the device when a static-filled voice came through the receiver.
"Dante? Kael? You bastards, you're alive!" Cassandra's voice sounded euphoric.
Dante kept a cold expression, but internally, he was stunned.
'How is this possible? I'm sure we're not in our universe... and those other soldiers aren't from any known unit.'
"Listen carefully," Cassandra's voice cleared up. "Where you disappeared, a blood-red magic circle formed—just like in fiction. The Federation sent researchers and they almost had heart attacks; they went crazy studying it. They discovered it acts as a space-time breach. An open scar through which we managed to catch your signal."
Kael stepped closer to the communicator:
"Cassandra, this place isn't Sigma-9. There's no technology. The natives use an energy called 'mana,' and they want us to be their mercenaries. Some of the summoned are in shock, so the King let us rest until tomorrow. And there's something else: two of the others are soldiers with gear I've never seen before."
A high-ranking officer from Central Command cut into the line:
"This is Central Command. The energy signature confirms it: you are not on another planet—you are in an alternate universe. A dimension with different physical laws."
Dante and Kael remained silent. The confirmation was both fascinating and dangerous.
"The excitement here is overwhelming," the officer continued. "A new universe means unlimited resources and new paths of evolution. Direct orders: keep a low profile. Play along with the natives. Gather information on the most powerful beings and, above all, on the other summoned. If they are from planets within that universe, invasion will be easy later. But if they are from other universes..."
The officer paused meaningfully before finishing:
"You are our eyes and ears. Do not get yourselves killed by those 'demons.'"
"Understood, Central Command," Dante replied, looking at the briefcases containing the creature eggs. A cold smile formed on his lips. "Initiating infiltration phase. By the way... the package is secure."
"Good. They might be useful, even if they weren't meant for this planet. Take care of them."
"Yes, sir."
Dante cut the communication and looked out the window toward the dark horizon.
'So, a new universe and a world full of magic,' Dante thought as a spark of black energy ran across his fingers. 'What a shame we didn't come here to play heroes.'