''Nah, not natto.'' A young Japanese boy with jet black hair said to himself in a quiet tone. His mean-looking amber eyes switched to the next cup noodle on the shelf and picked it up along with a bag of chips.

With his items in hand, he walked up to the cashier. After scanning the snacks, the cashier opened his mouth to tell him the price. ''That'll be 363 yen.'' Subaru reached out for his wallet inside his pocket.

'Oh, a grooved-edge ten.' He put the grooved edge back into the wallet.

After paying for the snacks, he left the store. The door made a beeping sound as he exited. But when he took a few steps forward, the world distorted just a second. Or so he thought

''I guess anyone's eyes would be tired after holing up in their room gaming all day.'' He lifted his right hand and rubbed it on his eye. But when he tried to open them back, a white blinded him for a few seconds.

After Subaru's sight came back, he wasn't on the sidewalk. Instead, he was in some kind of cave filled with deep violet-colored crystals. The crystals radiated a gentle purple glow, illuminating the cave just enough for Subaru to see what was in front of him.

His eyes widened in shock. First, he turned his head towards his left and then to the right. 'What's going on?' He thought to himself with confusion.

To understand if he was dreaming or not, he gently put his hand on one of the crystals. It pulsed beneath his hand and started to glow brighter. Along with it, the others started to turn brighter too.

'This stuff isn't fake, which means...' A light of excitement filled the young boy's amber eyes. ''So that means. I've been summoned into a parallel world?!'' His loud cry echoed inside the cavern.

''Everything is good and all, but why a cave? And where is the cute girl that summoned me?!'' He asked with a shout. But no response came.

He turned his eyes to the only path inside the cave.

''Wait, maybe I'll get something like an Excalibur or something like a weapon only a chosen hero can use.'' Subaru started considering the possibilities. I mean, he got isekaid he will be a hero for sure, right?

As he walked further, something big inside the cave started to move. As it moved the cave started to shake like a quake was happening.

It only lasted a few seconds.

Subaru gulped down his saliva and continued his path. ''It's nothing bad, right?'' Subaru tried to comfort himself.

After a minute or two walking, he encountered a door.

Subaru lifted his arm to open the door. But no matter how much he pushed, it just didn't move. ''The hell am I going to now?'' He whispered as he pulled his arms back.

*CRACK*

''Huh?''

*CRACK**CRACK*

After a flurry of cracks, the door shattered into many pieces. They looked like salt to some extent but purple.

''I guess I continue this way.'' He murmured quietly and took a step inside.

A sharp pain entered his legs and arms. More specifically his joints and right over his heart. The unknown pressure forced him to kneel.

''Argh!'' He let out a grunt of pain.

He felt like if he tried to move or do something, his arms and legs would just snap, and Subaru very much didn't want that to happen.

''How did you enter my cave?'' The young boy's ears picked a voice that was coming directly in front of him.

Subaru tried to raise his head to look at the figure but as he tried to move his neck, the pressure climbed there and started to press down his neck.

''I don't know! I was just buying snacks for the night, and then I was suddenly in here!''

'Not lying, there's no reason to keep him bound.' And the pressure on Subaru's body was released. ''Then introduce yourself.'' Subaru noticed that the figure's voice didn't hold the hostile tone it had just a few seconds ago. Instead, it held a more neutral tone.

To give his introduction, Subaru jumped back on his feet, -almost falling on the floor again in the process- and struck up a ridiculous pose, ''My name is Natsuki Subaru, I have no idea where I'm or what to do.'' After giving a bright introduction about himself, there was a few seconds of awkward silence.

''And my name is Dracul, The Great Spirit of Yin.''

A giant pair of dark purple eyes, with a purple glint in them. The second thing that caught Subaru's eyes was the horns on his head. The Dragon had four horns that radiated the same color as its eyes.

The Great Spirit was twenty-five-meter tall and had dark steel-like scales that covered his entire body. He also had a ten-meter-long tail that was covered in sharp purple spikes.

Dracul lowered his head to be more on Subaru's level. ''Subaru, I want you to tell me how you came here.''

''Well, as I said I was just shopping for some snacks. After I paid for them, I left the shop, and then boom, a white light hit my eyes, I closed them and I was in your cave.''

''So you got teleported…'' 'Why would anyone bring him here of all places.'

''Are you from the northern lands?'' He inquired.

''What? No, I'm from an island on the far east.''

''There's not an island on the east. Beyond the Lugunica, there is only the great waterfall.''

''What?! There isn't?'' Subaru shouted with shock.

''But don't worry, I know that you aren't lying.'' Dracul reassured.

''How? Are reading my mind or something?''

''Something similar to that, and if you lied I would have crushed you.''

''So brutal. Where are we anyway?''

''You are in the inhabited lands. The north part of the continent.''

''I have no idea if that's a good thing or a bad thing.''

Dracul silently looked at him. Thinking. ''Subaru can you tell me the name of the place you came from.''

''It's Japan. But what are you going to do with that?'' Dracul didn't answer that question. He was just silent for a few moments.

''There isn't a place on the east called Japan…'' He waited for a few seconds before continuing. ''Do you remember any more detail?''

''No.''

''...''

''Can I ask you a few things?'' Subaru asked while being a little reserved.

''Go ahead.''

''Why did you slam me to the ground when I first entered?''

''I thought you were a threat.'' He answered with honesty. ''When you just appeared out of thin air and woke me up, it made me feel a little uneasy. I think you can understand. And I won't repeat it again if you are wondering, it was a one-time thing. You can relax.''

''It's nice knowing that. That feeling was something awful.''

''That's why I did that.''

''Whatever, I want to ask you something.''

''Just say what you want to say.'' He replied with a slight annoyance.

''Can you teach me magic?'' Subaru asked with glowing excitement in his eyes.

''No.'' But Dracul shut him off quickly.

''Why?!'' Subaru cried out.

''Your gate is weak, your mana is low-mediocre at best. I doubt you can even cast a low-level properly.''

''I'll accept that as your apology for almost snapping my limbs.''

''Why would I want your forgiveness?'' He asked bluntly.

''Come on now, don't be like that Draco.''

Dracul let out a sigh, he doubted this was going to be a pretty sight. ''Let's start with the first step then,''

''Yes!'' Subaru whisper-shouted at himself.

''Your first lesson will be about opening your gate and trying to control your shamak. Shamak is the most basic shadow magic, or yin if you prefer. It blocks your target's senses.'' The Black Dragon gave a superficial description. He was about to continue before getting interrupted by Subaru.

''Wait, am I debuffer?!'' Subaru yell-asking the Dragon.

''Is it about not dealing damage?'' Dracul asked gently.

''Your guess is correct. Can't you teach me something that deals damage?''

''Your affinity is yin Subaru. You won't be able to do anything with your affinity if you don't learn shamak.'' He calmly explained, kind of like a teacher. ''Now let's get back at your first step.''

''Imagine a door, a passage for your inner energy to pass through. Now open the gate very little. A small, thin black smoke goes through the passage. Now spread that smoke, Shamak.'' Dracul finished the instructions.

''Nyom, Nyom, Nyom…'' Subaru started making himself a ''magic sound effect'' as Dracul watched him carefully with a deep glint in his purple eyes.

''Shamak!''

''This fool,'' Dracul groaned. ''El Shar.''

Before Subaru's dark smoke cloud could go out of control, Dracul casted a spell that prevented Subaru's gate from getting overloaded. Since Subaru was a complete novice, Dracul easily cut his connection with his gate and mana.

As for Subaru's shamak, it was one of the worst shamak he saw in his thousands of years of life.

''Hey, how was my shamak? It was amazing, wasn't it? How was compared to the others?'' Subaru looked like an eager puppy waiting for his owner to praise it.''

''First of all, your shamak was a mess. Second, your control over your gate was terrible, third, if it wasn't for my spell you would have blown yourself up into a black cloud of smoke.'' With every statement made, Subaru's hopes got slammed to the floor.

''Oww~, can't you be more gentle with your words,'' Subaru whined. ''And what do you mean ''blown up into a smoke'' shouldn't learning magic should be safe?''

''Firstly, no. Secondly, I never said learning magic is safe. But you don't have to worry about blowing yourself up while I am around.''

''If that's the case, let's try aga-''

''That's a no.''

''Oh come on! Just because I messed up once doesn't mean I won't get better.''

''We will continue on with the magic lessons later. I want you to tell me more about ''Japan'' in the meantime.'' The Black Dragon requested with a curious glint in his eyes.

''That's fine by me, but why?'' Subaru asked, feeling a little confused.

''There's none besides my curiosity.''

''Got it,'' Subaru gave thumbs up towards Dracul, ''Where do you want me to start?''

''Why don't we start from the basics? It'll be easier to grasp.''

''Okay then let's…'' And the black-haired boy tried to explain the basics. Like how there wasn't any 'real' magic there and how they relied on technology.

I remade chapters 1 and 2 and fused them together, that's all. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and sorry for 1 year of absence. I'll also rewrite the now chapter 2 for it to fit better.

Have a better day than me.