"Oww...just what the hell happened?"

Serena leaked an anguished voice from the pain on her bottom, which was the price for the sudden event to which she couldn't even react.

It was outside of common sense, against logic.

21 years old, a university student. She was working as a part-time animal trainer in a zoo which her uncle manages. She loves animals ever since she was a child.

Like usual, when she was working while feeding her best pal, Leona, the lion, she suddenly saw the ground they were standing on was glowing dimly.

"Wh-what is this? What's happening?!" A voice beside her exclaimed in shock.

When she turned around, she saw four people; two girls and two boys, Zoo visitors. They looked like High school students.

Then another change occurs. At the center of the glowing floor, a blue disk encompassing the area around them appeared.

From the middle of the disk, beams of light began to form a picture---It looked like two broadswords forming an 'X' pattern with a snake swirling around them.

"Two swords and a snake?...Is it some kind of crest?" Serena frowned while looking vigilant.

And then they noticed that it wasn't just a picture but a three dimension sculpture made of golden light. That strengthened their impression that it was indeed a crest.

“Is this some kind of performance of the Zoo?” One of the boys asked.

“I don’t think so…” A girl answered as panic flashed across her face.

Just what is happening…?

Serena was bewildered; she suddenly grabbed Leona’s fur that was currently eating in anxiety.

As she pondered over that question, all of a sudden the overflowing light blinded her eyes.

"Something's wrong--?!"

Feeling a sense of abnormality, a moment faster than they could move the light filled their vision.

As though swallowed by the light, three girls along with the two boys nearby and one lion lost consciousness.

--- ---

It happened extremely sudden without any sort of warning beforehand. Sure, she had forecast that something is wrong with the sudden appearance of that crest-looking thing but it was too sudden to prepare herself.

The floor was hard. Probably stone paving or tiles. Falling flat on her backside, her tailbone was in anguish.

Beside her was one of her best pals; the lion, Leona.

Although Leona was a Lion, a beast but Serena had been with her ever since she was a cub. Although it was unbelievable, Leona treated Serena as one of her family or friend together with that one other boy…

Feeling relieved that Leona was beside her; Serena then raised her head and began examining her surroundings.

An overly tall ceiling, marble pillars arranged in lines and a red carpet underneath. Like those from what she has seen in Hollywood through TV screens, it looked luxurious.

Serena calmly analyzed the scene in front of her. Where she was now looked like some sort of a Hall or something. There also stood people she had never seen before.

On both sides, there were soldiers who were wearing majestic armors while standing uniformly at attention, Priest and some people wearing an expensive looking robe with various colors. These strange people looked like they just came out from fairytales.

What's more eye-catching was the beautiful girl wearing a beautiful white dress making her looked like a real princess – though probably was, in fact, a real princess.

A middle-aged man with a medium build sitting on a beautiful throne. His age was probably in the 30s or 40 something. He was wearing a red cape as thick as a coat and a golden crown on top of his head.

He was sitting majestically that made even Serena guessed it immediately. He's a King.

Next to him was a young, gentle-looking woman around thirty years of age and was sitting on the same-looking majestic throne. She was wearing a luxurious dress out from a fairytale and was also wearing a crown on top of her head.

She's probably the Queen.

There was also a prime minister looking man mixed in among them. He looked stern like those professors wearing round glasses and would glare at you when you’re not listening in class or not doing your projects or thesis…

It was indubitably a royal palace audience hall...or something like that.

Something straight out from fairytales, novels or even in any RPG opening scenes. Serena thought to herself.

Leona beside her seemed to have already fixed her own confusion since she immediately stood in front of Serena while baring her fangs towards the unknown strange people as if saying 'Whoever tried to hurt her will die'.

Seeing her acting like this, Serena couldn't help but felt a warmth inside surge inside her. She fought the urge to smile and then checked the surroundings by looking around. Although she has already formed her own suspicion, she still needed to confirm it. She also needed to find an escape route if things would go messy.

Looking outside through the window, she could see the mountain range in the distance and not just the ground. Thus, she concluded that she was up fairly high.

This is troublesome. She thought.

Jumping outside the window seems to be a foolish action.

Examining every corner, Serena could see that place seems to have been based on a middle-aged European concept. The ceiling was supported by various pillars and had unfamiliar, strange drawings on it. There were mysterious drawings or maybe it was some sort of writing as it was quite similar to Ancient Egyptian picture writing; Hieroglyphics.

The picture writings were quite similar to what Serena saw in the Rosetta stone.

Oh right, something about...Demonic! Serena thought.

Looking down, she saw a magic circle-like thing drawn on the floor. It was like from those magical girl shows or RPG games.

… Obviously, strange-looking foreign people, an unfamiliar scenery, and a magic circle.

Serena could more or less confirm her suspicions. And the beautiful girl that looks like a princess confirmed it with her words.

"I-I welcome you, Heroes!

Yeah, definitely. This was a so-called different world. And just like from popular novels, Serena and the others were summoned from this world.

What a clichéd development…

The priests, as well as the people wearing robes, cheered merrily. Frolicking with "Yes!!" and "It was a success!!" as they ignored the six of them including Leona.

However, Serena noticed that they all looked rather exhausted and they were sweating huge beads of sweat as if they had just run a marathon. There were even some who were panting like dogs while sitting on the floor but each of them still has a big smile as if they just accomplished something great.

On the other hand, the princess-like girl had long blonde hair down to her waist, which made it unthinkable for her to be Japanese or Chinese but more on a western appearance. Overall, Serena thought she was pretty, had big eyes and adorable facial features.

She was without a doubt eye-catching beauty coupled with her presence which was quite remarkable even though there were people who also wore a dress like her.

Same as the surrounding men, the girl, although felt frightened by Leona who was looking at her with hostility, she still showed a broad smile. Looking at them, she bowed her head very, very deeply and said,

"Please save our kingdom!"

And behind the girl, all of the people present in the hall except the King and Queen fell down on one knee with their heads lowered.

"... Please protect our people, oh Heroes from another world."

Serena would never have imagined that she would experience something like this.

Although Serena had been rather composed so far, a part of her was still anxious. Usually, in a situation like this, people who were summoned would never be able to return to their world.

If that's the case, that would be bad… Serena though. Worry and Anxiety filled her mind. Did she close the gas stove when she left?

No, that’s not the time for that but what would happen to her mother?

Serena was panicking inside.

The others besides her seemed to feel the same from being suddenly summoned as their faces showed that they couldn't keep up with what was happening to them. Then one of them finally spoke.

"H-Heroes? Wh-What do you mean? Can you explain?"

One of the guys in the group asked. He had bleach hair like some sort of a delinquent, but he was exuding an earnest expression and gentle aura.

The girl lowered her head flustered at the guy's question.

"Ah! My apologies! We will explain this matter immediately."

She looked rather apologetic as she said that. On a closer inspection, she appeared rather pale. It was hard to tell from her smile earlier, but like the surrounding people who looked like priest and magicians, she was sweating from the face as well, probably exhausted from the summoning.

"I'm Delouria’s kingdom's, Princess Alice. This world is called 'Fantasia' and as you can see this is different from everybody's world. All of you were summoned here by the hero summoning ceremony, heading our desperate call."

She is really a princess. Serena thought.

She picks up the hem of her skirt and bows elegantly while she gives a self-introduction. The boys blushed, fascinated and even the other girls were captivated too.

---Of course, except Leona and Serena who was just looking at her with indifferent eyes.

--- ---