As I fell, all I could remember was hitting the ground. And as I slowly slipped toward unconsciousness, memories of the stories my granddad once told me surfaced tales of towering trees, winding rivers, and hundreds of stars that shimmered across the night sky, a true marvel indeed. I had never seen such wonders myself and had always found them hard to believe, terms I had only ever encountered in schoolbooks.
So why am I remembering this now, you might ask? Truth be told, the moment I woke, all my senses were alert. I could hear the whispers and cracking beneath my weight, the soft, rustling symphony that danced in my ears. My palms sank into the earth, which was cold and soft, as if blades pressed between my fingers, sharp yet strangely ticklish. And in that instant, as I felt the world so intensely, the memories I had shared with my granddad gushed into my mind, vivid and alive.
And once I opened my eyes, it finally struck me.
"We ain't at school."
Yep, that's right—I said we.
Sigh.
The angry-looking one on my left is known as Shibuki Katsumi, a real powerhouse of a fighter. The guy on my right… well, I don't know much about him except that he aced all the mock exams and took first place in the class rankings—Akira Tomoda.
Honestly, that's about all I can say about these two idiots. Other than the fact that they've known each other since middle school and are ridiculously loud whenever they're together. I could probably say more, but considering the fact that I'm a loner, I'd rather not.
Sigh… what a pain.
But there was one thing that stood out to me.
As I looked up, I saw the clear blue sky stretching endlessly above us. The grass swayed gently in the wind, whispering as it brushed against itself. And then… something moved in the distance.
Something flying toward us.
Nah… it can't be. It's way too small to make out. I'm probably just imagining things.
But as I continued observing our surroundings, one thing became painfully clear.
We definitely weren't in Japan anymore.
I don't know what happened or why we're in this situation. But if we're going to figure it out, it's probably best to start from the beginning.
But before that…
Let me explain the world we live in.
It's the year 2026—the era of heroes.
After the sudden manifestation of supernatural powers across humanity, the world advanced nearly two hundred years in technology and human evolution. Cities became smarter, medicine became faster, and machines grew more powerful.
But even with all that progress, one thing stood above everything else.
Heroes.
Across the world, heroes compete in a global tournament known simply as The Rankings. Fans vote, governments observe, and the strongest heroes rise to the top. Fame, money, and influence follow those who rank high enough.
Because of them, society feels safer.
Or at least… that's what people like to believe.
Children born with these supernatural gifts are sent to special academies around the world—schools designed to train students to control their powers safely so that no one gets hurt… including themselves.
And unfortunately, I'm one of those students. I don't have anything against it ...but honestly it's a pain
My name is Ao Sora, and I attend the prestigious Nova Hero Academy.
There's nothing particularly interesting about me. I'm just an average sixteen-year-old with average looks, no exciting hobbies, and a strong preference for keeping to myself.
Oh, right… my ability.
It's called "Dash Point."
Basically, it lets me launch myself from one point to another at ridiculous speeds.
Sounds cool, right?
Well… not exactly.
The problem is that if I'm not careful, I'll crash into something and end up with a body full of broken bones. On top of that, I can only move in a straight line each time I use it.
No fancy turns.
No mid-air control.
Just one reckless dash and hope I don't die.
So yeah.
Pretty useless.
That's why I gave up on becoming a hero a long time ago.
Anyway … just a few minutes after our homeroom teacher left, something unprecedented happened.
Even I was speechless.
A fight—between a villain and a hero—erupted right in front of us.
And here's the insane part: despite the chaos, the hero controlled everything perfectly. The classroom stayed mostly intact, and all twenty of us were completely safe.
The two landed in the classroom with a force that shattered the window. The impact itself made the other windows tremble and crack—but no one was hurt. It was like watching a storm contained in a bubble.
The fight lasted… five seconds.
The villain attacked with a wide-range strike that could have leveled the room, but the hero reacted instantly. With one perfectly timed punch, he sent the villain flying out the window. As the villain shot through the air, the world seemed to warp—the air itself cracked, like it was made of glass. It glowed a faint purple, deepening in color as the punch carried the villain toward the ground outside.
And just like that… it was over and before I knew it I'm here.
I glanced at the two idiots beside me:
Shibuki Katsumi, glaring like he wanted to fight something immediately, and Akira Tomoda, calm and observing… as if he was analyzing the air crack itself.
Wait are they fighting?
Damnit. What a pain, I approached the two idiots… I mean, fellow classmates.
And Before I knew it, we were sitting down, discussing what had just happened, how we were going to get home, and—most importantly—where we even were.
Katsumi, normally a hothead, was surprisingly calm. Of course, that was only because his ability kept him conscious.
Together with Akira, who was calm as always, we came to a terrifying conclusion: we were in another world.
I wanted to laugh, but the look in their eyes told me they weren't joking.
"It's hard to believe," I said. "But explain it again."
Katsumi explained, precise that. "We weren't sucked into the purple glow. The air itself cracked—and once it broke across the classroom, it gave the illusion that walls, desks, and even the whiteboard broke too. But they didn't. It was more like a mirror cracking, showing multiple reflections. Once it shattered, we all fell into a black void… falling through the fractured air from the sky."
I froze. "Wait… what? The sky? Why didn't we see it? And how the hell did we survive a fall like that?"
Katsumi shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't expect this either. But my ability lets me wrap myself in a special energy I release from my body. I can also reinforce anything I touch with it. That was how I could stay conscious.
Akira's calm voice cut in. "I've never heard of air cracking, but I have read a theory that space and time can tear… though that would take a massive amount of energy. Enough to power a city—maybe more."
I blinked. "Wait… you mean that guy's punch generated that much power?"
Katsumi shook his head. "I highly doubt it, but… his power was insane."
Akira nodded. "Yeah. If it was pure energy like that, we'd be dead instantly. At least we're together, now we won't need to search for each other. First, we should find somewhere to rest and gather information."
Katsumi laughed. "About that… the whole class fell too Akira. And we all split into different locations."
"Do we… find them?" I asked nervously.
"Yes," Akira said calmly. "In order to get home, we'll need everyone's help. We can't leave them behind."
"Could they survive the fall?" I asked, worried.
Katsumi smirked. "Of course. We're heroes in training. But we won't be able to find them—they're too far away. We'll locate them eventually… hahaha."
Akira tilted his head thoughtfully. "Mmm… hey, Katsumi, as we fell, did you notice…"
Before he could finish, a voice cut through the conversation.
"Hey guys… guys!"
"The two continued talking."
"Hey, dumdasses!"
Katsumi jumped. "What the hell you say… what the—"
Akira looked up with us, and I followed.
"What is that?" I whispered.
Katsumi squinted. "Looks… like a plane?"
But as it got closer, we realized it wasn't a plane.
"Oh shit…" Akira muttered.
None of us could have imagined what was
coming.
A dragon, massive and terrifying, was flying straight toward us.