Songs in the Void

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom.

After the awkward ending to the meeting where Ishtar explained the situation to the teachers and students, it was decided that the students would fight alongside the humans of this world. However, as normal high school teachers and students, they had no fighting experience in such a situation. So, the Holy Church decided to hand the youngsters' training over to the Heiligh Kingdom.

And that decision was probably for the best. James had made it quite clear that Ishtar had lied to them when he said that his god would send them back home after they protected the human race. So, all the students were rather wary of him, though not to the same extent as Tatsuo, Sumire, James, and Hajime were.

Another thing to take note of was the divide that had appeared between the students after James called Kouki out. Not to say that the class was so divided that two factions were created. But there were clearly people who the students gravitated towards in the class now.

Naturally, Hajime was in Tatsuo's camp while Ryutaro was Kouki's most staunch supporter. Students like Daisuke, his three friends, and Eri also chose to gravitate around Kouki because of their respective dislike for Tatsuo, James, and Hajime. Eri even managed to drag her best friend, Taniguchi Suzu, a short girl, about the same height as Aiko, with a petite figure, shoulder-length brown hair styled into twin tails and big, lively, light brown eyes, over to Kouki's side, as well.

Unfortunately, this divide made things difficult for the two class beauties, Kaori and Shizuku. Especially for Kaori, who wanted to be closer to Hajime. Yet, she did not want to be apart from her best friend, Shizuku. As for Shizuku, she agreed with what Tatsuo and James said in principle. But she was closer to Kouki than she was to the other two.

Despite all the issues that seemed to pop up from that short meeting, Ishtar lead the group of young people out of the church. And when they emerged, they all saw that they were standing somewhere that must be quite high in the sky, as they could see the clouds if they looked out from where they stood.

Not giving the students and teachers the chance to bask in the atmosphere, Ishtar led them to a circular platform that was big enough to hold several hundred people. On the platform, there was what appeared to be an intricate magic circle engraved into its surface.

Then, once they were all onboard, Ishtar put his palms together as if he were about to pray.

"[The Road That Leads to Salvation, Open for the People. Tendou]." Ishgar chanted.

Immediately afterwards the magic circle started to shine, and the platform started to move as if it were on a rope way.

Meanwhile, almost everyone else standing on the platform got excited after seeing real magic for the first time. Then, after the platform passed through the cloud layer, the excited cheers turned into impressed ah's.

Below was a large castle town, which was the capital of the Heiligh Kingdom. And the medieval architecture was quite novel to everyone, including Tatsuo, James, and Sumire, who all lived in modern worlds before they started their adventures in world travel.

Seeing the spectacle the church was putting on; Hajime could not help laughing internally. It was clear they were presenting the hero and his companions as descending from heaven. But what he really found funny was that they were trying to present the members of the Holy Church in the same light.

When the platform reached its destination, it landed on the top of the Heiligh Castle's roof. Then, Ishtar led everyone to disembark and travel through the castle until they reached the throne room. However, the decorations in the castle's corridors, although they were quite opulent, they could in no way compare to those in the Holy Church's Grand Cathedral, showing that the church had a higher status in this land.

Along the way, everyone who saw the group looked at them with respect and awe. And these were all palace maids and knights assigned to the royal castle, so it was easy to see what kind of status the summoned hero and his companions had in the Heiligh Kingdom.

When the group eventually reached the throne room, without a word, the guards standing outside of the room opened the doors and allowed the group to enter. Seeing this, most of the students were quite nervous. Naturally, this did not include Tatsuo, James, or Kouki. Meanwhile, Ishtar walked in as if he were the true owner of this place.

'*Sigh* Most countries that put religion first usually meet a bad end in my world.' Tatsuo thought to himself while watching the way Ishtar strutted around. 'The only reason this kingdom hasn't fell is because of their fake god who can actually exert their influence on the world with the fake angels he created.'

Upon entering the throne room, the group walked on the luxurious red carpet that led from the doors to the throne. While the teachers and students stopped in front of the throne, Ishtar walked directly to the man sitting upon it, who everyone assumed to be the king, and held his right hand out in front of him.

And to prove what several of the students and teachers were thinking, the king gently reached out for Ishtar's hand before kissing it on the knuckles, showing who the true rulers of the Heiligh Kingdom were.

After putting on that little show, Ishtar stepped to the side and did not speak. Meanwhile, the king, a middle-aged man of average height with dark brown hair and beard, and blue eyes, introduced himself as Elihied S.B. Heiligh.

Following the king's introduction, a beautiful middle-aged, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman named Luluaria introduced herself as the queen. Then, a boy, around ten years of age, who seemed to have fallen in love with Kaori at first sight, introduced himself as the Crowned Prince, Lundel. Lastly, a fourteen or fifteen year old girl, who everyone could tell would be a stunning beauty in the future, with long, flowing golden blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes wearing a friendly smile introduced herself as Lilianna, the first princes of the kingdom.

Like her younger brother, she also seemed to be completely infatuated with someone in the crowd. However, she was not as obvious about it as Lundel. However, from the way she occasionally stole glances at Tatsuo with a slight blush on her cheeks, it was not hard to tell, either.

After the royal family introduced themselves, it was the high-ranking military and civil officers', who stood on the right and left sides of the hall, respectively, turns to introduce themselves. After that, the king announced that the group would begin their training the following day.

After that, a banquet was held to welcome the saviors of the human race, giving everyone a chance to unwind. Then, everyone was assigned a room, and they were told to get some sleep before the training began in the morning.

The rooms were what would be expected of a fantasy world, luxuriously crafted wooden furniture, and a large, canopy bed in the middle of the room. However, not everyone went to sleep right away after exploring their rooms for a short while. In fact, most of them gathered in twos, threes, and fours to discuss their impressions of everything they experienced today.

Tatsuo, Sumire, and James were no exceptions, as they all gathered in Tatsuo's room shortly after they spent a few minutes in their own rooms.

"So, what do you guys think?" Tatsuo asked after he sat down with the other two.

Although there was no context, Sumire and James knew exactly what Tatsuo was asking them. So, after exchanging glances, Sumire was the first to respond.

"I can't feel much of a difference." Sumire replied in a solemn tone. "I'm still as physically strong as I was. But I can't circulate my mana… at all. Like, the mana here is different, or something."

"I'm pretty much in the same boat." James added. "I can still circulate my Demonic Power, though. But it's really sluggish, as if the world is rejecting it."

"Well, I expected as much." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "I would probably be in the same boat as you two if it weren't for the gift I received from the [Dimensional Chat] for being its admin."

"Huh?" Sumire intoned in confusion.

"When the chat showed up, I received a gift pack." Tatsuo continued. "While most of the stuff I got was pretty inconsequential, the last item in the pack was pretty impressive."

"Stop hyping it up." James said while rolling his eyes. "Just tell us what you got, already."

Raising his hand in surrender, Tatsuo smiled wryly at James' annoyance.

"[Universal energy Veins]." Tatsuo said slowly.

"Damn…" James muttered. "Those cost almost ten million Coins. What kind of luck is that?"

Sumire, on the other hand, opened her eyes wide in surprise. At the same time, Tatsuo only shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyway, I'm guessing your [Energy] will adapt to the world over time." Tatsuo said. He then turned to Sumire as he continued. "And the reason James can circulate his demonic power while you can't is because you're human. Remember, humans in this world can't use their mana without magic circles. But it passively enhances their bodies."

"*Sigh* I know." Sumire replied. "That means I won't be able to use my skills in this world."

"We'll just have to devise the correct magic circles for them." Tatsuo replied with a smile.

"It could be that you need the correct equipment, too." James added. "Shield Mastery is pretty useless without a shield, after all."

"That might be true." Sumire said while nodding slowly. "We'll just have to see when training starts."

The three continued to talk about what they could expect from this world for a while longer before Sumire and James returned to their rooms. James did get a laugh out of the fact that Sumire pecked Tatsuo on the cheek, then turned completely red, before leaving his room, though.

The next day, all the teachers and students were asked to gather on the castle's training grounds just after dawn. Already waiting there were several of the people they met at the banquet the night before. These people consisted of knights and royal court mages, who would be in charge of their training.

"Good morning, everyone." A tall, well-built man wearing a full suit of plate armor with short, spiky, dark brown hair, a matching short beard, and dark blue eyes, said, gathering everyone's attention on himself. "In case any of you forgot, my name is Meld Loggin, though you all can just call me Meld. And I will be in charge of your training."

While Meld was speaking, his assistant, or rather second in command, led the rest of the instructors to hand everyone a 3" by 5" metal plate.

"Alright, did everyone get one of these?" Meld asked while holding up a similar metal plate after all the instructors returned to his side. "These are called Status Plates. They do exactly what their names would suggest. They show the owner's status. Also, they act as Identification in this world. So, under no circumstances should you lose it."

Meld then went on to explain that these Status Plates were lost magic technology, known as an artifact. Meaning, humans had no way of creating them on their own. But there were quite a few in the world thanks to the blessing of Lord Ehit.

"Anyway, there are magic carvings on the plate." Meld continued after trying to bring everyone a bit closer. "If you drop some of your blood on the plate, those carvings will bind the plate to you and show your status. Now, everyone come and take one of these needles to bind your plates."

Reaching that point, Meld gestured to one of the men standing next to him, who was holding a cup filled with needles.

"Are those needles sterile?" Tatsuo muttered while walking towards the man with the needles.

Most students who heard Tatsuo's question were apprehensive to poke themselves with the needles. However, James, could not help but start laughing. Meanwhile, those who opposed Tatsuo and James glared at them as if they were making fools of themselves.

Despite all that, everyone took a needle and poked their fingers before dripping a drop of blood onto the Status Plate in their hands. Meanwhile, Meld explained what they should expect to see after the Status Plate activated.

"Has everyone seen their Status?" Meld asked after seeing the expressions on everyone's faces. Then, he nodded in satisfaction when everyone gave an affirmative answer. "Good, then I'll start to explain. First, I'll talk about Level. Your Level will increase as your stats increase. And those stats, Strength, Vitality, Resistance, Agility, Magic, and Magic Resistance will rise as you train or use them in real life situations."

'That's right, no leveling up by killing mobs here, either.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'Why can't I go to a normal RPG world were killing things makes you stronger?'

When everyone nodded in understanding, Meld continued.

"Level represents the potential of humanity." Meld said. "The highest anyone can reach is one hundred. Though, it's nearly impossible for anyone's level to rise that high. Oh, and though we don't' know the specifics behind it, people with higher magic stats generally improve faster. Stats can be increased through the use of magic or magic items, as well."

Hearing that, everyone finally looked at their Status Plate to see their own statuses. And Tatsuo, Sumire, and James were no exceptions. However, they were all stopped in their tracks when Meld continued speaking.

This time, he explained about Classes. Everyone would receive a Class according to their talents, and those Classes were divided into combat and non-combat classes. He also mentioned that receiving a combat class was rarer than receiving a non-combat class.

After that, Meld explained about the stats. Howe the average person had tens as their stats, and that the higher the stats at level one, the higher a person's overall potential.

Hearing that, most of those present were elated. However, Hajime was not among them. And that was because his stats looked like this…

{Status Plate

Name: Nagumo Hajime

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Level: 1

Class: Synergist

Stats

Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Resistance: 10

Agility: 10

Magic: 10

Magic Resistance: 10

Skills

-Transmutation

-Language Comprehension}

To make Hajime feel even worse, Meld asked everyone to line up so he could take a look at their statuses. That way, he and the other instructors would be able to make specialized training plans for everyone. And to no one's surprise, Kouki was the first in line with his Status Plate stretched out for appraisal. And this is what his Status Plate said.

{Status Plate

Name: Amanogawa Kouki

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Level: 1

Class: Hero

Stats

Strength: 100

Vitality: 100

Resistance: 100

Agility: 100

Magic: 100

Magic Resistance: 100

Skills

Aptitude: All Elements

Resist: All Elements

Resist: Physical

Sword Mastery

Complex Magic

Herculean Strength

Quick Movements

Foresight

High-Speed Movement

Sign Perception

Magic Perception

Limit Break

Language Comprehension}

When Meld announced Kouki's status, everyone was amazed. Meld had already explained that the average person had ten in all their stats. Yet, Kouki was ten time stronger than the average person.

"You'll definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the future." Meld said in a tone filled with admiration. "Only Level 1, yet your stats are already half of mine. And I'm already Level 62."

Kouki smiled proudly as he received his Status Plate from Meld. Then, he stepped to the side to let the others have their turns, as well. And it was obvious to see that he was enjoying all the admiring gazes from the other students.

Kouki was not the only one of the students with impressive stats. IN fact, Kaori, Shizuku, and Ryutaro had stats that were among the best, as well, with at least one stat reaching ninety while the others averaged around 80. The other students all have stats that averaged around 78 to 80, as well.

Eventually, it was Tatsuo's turn to hand Meld his Status Plate. And when Meld saw it, he was thoroughly dumbfounded by what he saw.

"How is this possible?" Meld asked while vigorously wiping his eyes.

Seeing and Hearing Meld's reaction, Tatsuo smirked. However, no one other than Meld and the other instructors could see it. All his classmates and teachers, who were standing behind him, had no idea what could have happened.

"What's wrong, Meld-San?" Daisuke asked in a gloating tone. "Are his stats really that bad? *Sigh* It's too bad, I had high hopes for Soramoto. But I guess not everyone can be excellent. Hahahaha!"

Not only Daisuke, but his friends, Saito, Reiichi, and Shinji also burst into uproarious laughter. And although they did not show their joy as blatantly as Daisuke and his friends, most of the males in the class were gloating internally, as well. Tatsuo had taken so much of the girls' attention because of his looks. He could not be perfect in everything, right?

Unfortunately, they were happy a little too soon.

All the laughter and ridicule pulled Meld out of his daze. The, he shot a glance at everyone who ridiculed Tatsuo before reading his Status Plate aloud for everyone to hear.

{Status Plate

Name: Soramoto Tatsuo

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Level: 1

Class: Space Rogue, Synergist

Stats

Strength: 195

Vitality: 202

Resistance: 205

Agility: 220

Magic: 250

Magic Resistance: 245

Skills

Aptitude: Space

Resist: All Elements

Resist: Physical

Dagger Mastery

Complex Magic

Magic Circle Creation

Transmutation

Quick Movements

High-Speed Movement

Lightning-Speed Movement

Foresight

Herculean Strength

Sign Perception

Magic Perception

Limit Break

Language Comprehension}

By the time Meld finished reading, the entire training field had fallen into an oppressive silence. However, the assessment had to continue. And things got even worse when James' Status Plate was read, as his stats were even higher than Tatsuo's. Though, he did not have as many skills. He also only had one Class.

The third person to have higher stats than Kouki, who should have had the best starting stats of everyone present was Sumire. And all though hers were not as outrageous as Tatsuo's, who averaged over 200, and James, who averaged over 400, hers were still at a respectable average of 180, or so.

In fact, everyone was so dumbfounded the scene of Daisuke and his friends ridiculing Hajime from the canon never happened. Instead, the students were given the rest of the day off so that the instructors could formulate training plans for everyone… And get over the shock they just experienced because of the three abnormal new recruits.