Tsugumasa (meaning: order and thriving) Senju (meaning: teacher) is a 21-year-old friend of Naofumi Iwatani. He is 5'10" and has as much physique as a baseball player. He has pale skin, dark black hair, brown eyes, a few piercings in his ears, and a dragon tattoo on his right arm. When they were in high school, Tsugumasa was well known for his antics as a troublemaker—often picking fights with tough guys or defending people from them. He had protected Naofumi maybe once or twice, bumping into him at an arcade or the library at school. They established a friendship over some anime and games, often hanging out at Naofumi's place. When they graduated, Naofumi made sure to start his journey through college, while Tsugumasa decided to work at his dad's butchery.

The story begins after one year of no contact with one another due to their busy schedules.

Chapter 1: Involuntary Servitude

Breathing in the last of his cigarette, Tsugumasa Senju extinguished it and tossed it into the cigarette disposal before heading into the public library. He remembered he was supposed to meet with Naofumi today because it had been almost a year since they'd seen each other.

'Sure hope he's not lost in thought, don't want to scare the pants off him again,' He thought to himself. Tsugumasa continued passed the main desk and walked toward the fiction section, spotting Naofumi after a moment. He smiled. Seeing Naofumi made so many memories come flooding back into his mind. Tsugumasa stepped closer to Naofumi.

"Yo, NaoNao," He greeted Naofumi with a childhood nickname, which made him do a double-take and look at Tsugumasa.

"Tsugu? Oh man, I forgot we were meeting here today, sorry," He apologized, "Ow! What was that for?!" he then got flicked on the forehead by Tsugumasa.

"Don't forget dum-dum. You'll do bad at studying if you do," Tsugumasa chuckled. Naofumi rubbed his forehead with a frown.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, Tsugu," he grumbled with a smile, "It's been too long since we've talked." Tsugumasa nodded in response.

Looking at Naofumi's hands, they were preoccupied with a book he had retrieved from the bookshelf. It had a sword, spear, bow, and shield emblazoned on the cover.

"Is that some fantasy novel? Looks cool," Tsugumasa observed, curious about the book.

"Oh, yeah, I was about to check it out. I guess we can crack it open quickly to see what it's about," Naofumi affirmed, then opened the book, "'The Four cardinal heroes. The Sword, The Bow, The Spear, and The Shield.' Wait, how can there be a shield hero?"

"He can protect others from harm, essentially being a hero that tanks attacks and supports their allies," Tsugumasa answered Naofumi, clearing some confusion for him.

"'These heroes must defeat the Waves of Catastrophe that bring demons and evil creatures from other worlds to save the world.' Huh, alright. Let's read about the heroes then," Naofumi said, then flipped through the heroes with Tsugumasa. Once they finally got to the Shield Hero, it was blank.

"Aw, that sucks. Misprint?" Tsugumasa asked, turning the page to see another person in the book. "Huh?! Dude, why am I in the book?!" Tsugumasa exclaimed, seeing his face. Abruptly, before they could react, a bright light emanated from the book and blinded them as they started to fall unconscious.

Tsugumasa felt like he was falling through a long abyss, bright and dark, full of a kaleidoscope of colors that mixed and blended faster than he could comprehend. A wall approached him extremely fast as he screamed, fearing death from the extreme splat that was going to occur. He waited, but it never happened. As he opened his eyes, he suddenly fell again and landed on a hard stone floor that knocked the wind out of his lungs. He didn't feel pain.

"Ho-oh god. Ah, fuck," Tsugumasa complained, feeling like he was going to bruise. He opened his eyes again to see what was probably a room inside of an RPG game, similar to a summoning circle from that fantasy game Naofumi played a lot as a kid.

Suddenly, the cultists had come into Tsugumasa's view, which made him abruptly stand up and prepare to fight. Due to the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he could perceive things much more clearly as four others were on the floor across the ground. One was Naofumi.

"The summoning was a success!" One of the cultists, no, priests, said, "Oh heroes, won't you please save our world?!" Tsugumasa flinched at the man's heightened voice, noticing he had one of those accents that belonged in a cathedral with the pope.

"What's going on?" Asked one of the guys on the floor, now standing. He had long blonde hair and reminded Tsugumasa of those preppy boys from the colleges.

"There will be plenty of time to explain. The King of Melromarc must see you now. You are the Four Cardinal Heroes?" The prominent priest gaped, looking at Tsugumasa like he had a second head.

"Wait, so that means we're in that book we tried to read... so that means-" He thought, quickly snapping his view to the other summoned people. "The guy with long blonde hair has the spear, the guy with short blond hair has the bow, the kid with black hair has the sword, Naofumi has the shield, so, what do I have?" Tsugumasa glanced down, seeing no weapon in his hands. "I should have known. The book said the four cardinal heroes."

"There seems to be an extra summon amongst the heroes. We must inform the King immediately. Please come to the throne room, heroes," The lead priest pleaded, extending his arm to the now-open double doors.

"Now hold on, we aren't going to do this for free," The spear said, a smirk on his face as the bow nodded.

"Yeah, we expect to get paid." It seemed the Sword finished the thought of those three heroes, which immediately enraged Tsugumasa.

"Are you idiots fucking stupid?! We're in a new world, plucked from our existence, and you want to act like petty fucking children who want some more allowance money?!" He yelled at them, surprising everyone, including Naofumi.

"Tsugu, calm down! It's going to be fine, and we'll figure things out," Naofumi said, rushing to Tsugumasa's side, "Let's just listen to the King and figure it out with them, ok?" His rage quelled, and the burning passion was more substantial than he'd felt before.

"Perhaps emotions tie into our abilities here? Shit, I gotta keep myself in check then," Tsugumasa thought to himself. He visibly cooled down and felt weak, holding onto Naofumi for support.

"The Shield Hero is right," The priest began, "Please follow us and try to keep hold of yourself." The priest looked worried, but his eyes showed he was more confused than anything. Tsugumasa couldn't pay attention too much, feeling ill as he clutched onto Naofumi even more.

"I feel weak," he stated, then looked at the other heroes, "Sorry, I don't feel like myself." He could see the other heroes seemed to have conflicted feelings but nodded anyway. The priests lead them through a hallway, then up a few flights of stairs. Tsugumasa felt even worse, dry heaving a couple of times as they climbed higher. "I need air... please," he bagged, a pale tone to his voice. One of the priests quickly came over and used his staff on him, apparently scanning for a sickness.

"You seem to be suffering from Sudden Magic Influx. Here, drink this potion," The priest said and handed Tsugumasa a small flask, "It may ease your symptoms for now. After talking with the King, you should eat and rest early. Your body needs to regulate the magic that you possess now." Tsugumasa didn't hesitate, throwing back the drink passed his tongue and swallowing it. He could feel Naofumi's hand rubbing circles into his back, calming him even more.

"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely to the priest, who nodded. The group climbed the staircase, coming to a large window showing the outside world. It looked like the paintings of the renaissance. The air felt humid and warm, tickling his throat and making him cough a couple of times.

"Let's keep going, and you're in no shape to look at the cool stuff right now, Tsugu," Naofumi urged him along with the group, not falling behind too far. In no time, they made it up to the next level and up to a pair of massive doors.

"Must be the throne room," Tsugumasa thought idly as the four guards pushed the doors open for the heroes. The sudden change in scenery flooded his mind, and a grand throne room filled his vision. It could fit several apartments and a small playground with plenty of room for yards. There were large balconies with draped banners and flags, most with the weapons of the heroes or a sigil he couldn't identify too well. There weren't many people in the room, just staff, and guards here and there. Tsugumasa looked to one of the groups of servants, his legs feeling weak again.

"Could I get a chair, please?" He asked politely, and then a man hurriedly grabbed a chair from the side of the room for Tsugumasa. He turned to thank him and saw that he was already walking away, but a maid seemed to step forward and take his place.

"I can take care of him from here, sir Shield Hero," she stated, a kind voice emanating from her as she took Naofumi's place to keep me sitting upright. Naofumi was now to my right, his face stricken with worry.

"Thank you," Tsugumasa weakly said, earning a small radiant smile from the maid and the male that had returned to the side of the room. He turned his attention back to the throne with the aid of the maid, steering his head with her delicate hands holding his head. The King looked like your average dopey old man in a King's outfit, but Tsugumasa couldn't complain much. He was in a different world now, after all.

"So, you are the four heroes of legend?" He started, "And one extra summon? Perhaps we are blessed." His voice was similar to a few actors Tsugumasa had heard, but he couldn't quite place it. "State your names, heroes, so that we know who you are," The King demanded, his voice booming slightly. It seemed the King's gaze was toward the Spear Hero, so it looked like he was supposed to start the round of introductions. The maid suddenly pulled Tsugumasa up, helping him sit properly with a gentle strength he hadn't felt before.

"My name is Motoyasu Kitamura, a 21-year-old college student at your service," The Spear stated, then winked at a few maids in a cluster, making some squirm in excitement.

"Alright, then it's my turn," The Bow started, "I am Itsuki Kawasumi, a 17-year-old high school student." The Sword held his weapon out proudly, though it shook from his unfamiliarity with handling the blade.

"I am Ren Amaki, a 16-year-old high school student," he stated, his voice cracking with puberty, which made some of the maids giggle and caused his face to go red. The King looked toward Tsugumasa, waiting for him to give his name.

"Sir, I can tell him what you want to say," she offered, and he nodded.

"Tsugumasa Senju, a 22-year-old butcher," He told her, making her smile wide as she cleared her throat.

"His name is Tsugumasa Senju, a butcher at the age of 22," she stated while he nodded slowly.

"Damn, I can't believe I feel like this. Maybe I should stop smoking," Tsugumasa thought to himself. He saw Naofumi start to introduce himself, but the King cut him off.

"Motoyasu, Itsuki, Ren, and Tsugumasa." He could feel his blood boil again, a vein twitching on his head as he struggled to get up and yell at the King for forgetting his friend, but Naofumi beat him to it.

"Um, your highness? You spoke over me." The King glared at Naofumi for a fraction of a second, but that's all Tsugumasa needed as he could see through the facade of the King's now apologetic face.

"My apologies Shield Hero, I seem to be forgetful in my age," he stated, matter of factly and without any hint of remorse for what he said. Naofumi nodded, which threw Tsugumasa off a bit.

"How did you not notice NaoNao?!" He thought to himself.

"My name is Naofumi Iwatani, a 20-year-old college student," he stated, but the King seemed to be disinterested and fake coughed into his fist.

"Well, heroes, I am King Aultcray, the 32nd. We have summoned you to Melromarc's capital, Castle Town, to protect our world from the Waves of Catastrophe," He stated. His speech used an authoritative tone. Tsugumasa glanced at Naofumi's gloomy face, realizing he wasn't recognized as the others were.

"Will we be paid, your highness?" Ren asked, his young voice not cracking this time.

"Yes, you will be compensated as you defeat each wave until they have been destroyed entirely," The King answered, though Tsugumasa expected some drawback.

"Can we go home when we complete this quest?" Itsuki asked. The King nodded and raised his hand in offer to the heroes.

"We know you will be able to return to where you came from once you have finished defeating the Waves. However, we do not know of the ritual to do so at this time. Due to the lack of information, it is suspect that you may be with us for quite some time, maybe even years," The King finished, nodding to himself at the end as if he was confirming his own beliefs.

"What a fucking liar. He's going to keep us until we die. I can feel it," Tsugumasa thought to himself.

"Now, heroes, observe your statuses and tell us what you see," The King commanded, baffling a few of the heroes, except for Ren.

"What, you guys didn't notice the icon in the corner of your vision? Focus on it," He stated proudly, getting a coo or two from a couple of maids. Tsugumasa tried to do what the kid said, and then he saw a menu jump in front of him, making him jump in the seat as the maid held him so he wouldn't fall or get hurt.

"Be careful, sir," She whispered in his ear, making him feel calm and steady his breathing.

Name: Tsugumasa Senju

Age: 22

Level: 1

Class: Battlemage

Weapon(s): None

Armor: Otherworldly clothes

[Warning: You are currently experiencing illness from absorbing too much magic. Sudden Magic Influx will hinder all stats and abilities until cured.]

"Whoa..." Tsugumasa whispered, catching the attention of his maid again, making her hold his head softly.

"Sir, would you like to tell me your information ahead of time so that you can conserve your energy for later?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Class: Battlemage, Level 1, currently ill from absorbing too much magic," He finished, his throat no longer allowing him to speak. The King glanced to the maid by Tsugumasa and nodded, wordlessly telling her to provide the information. The maid nodded gently and stroked his hair a few times, making him sigh in relief.

"Sir seems to be a battlemage, level 1. However, he is currently ill and needs rest. The magic of this world is too much for him to handle at this time," she stated eloquently, getting a nod from the King. Tsugumasa glanced at the other heroes, seeing them wear pity and shame on their faces.

"I guess they feel bad for me now," he thought, frowning at the floor. Naofumi patted him on the shoulder and smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I bet they have good healers to take care of you, Tsugu," He said with hope, making Tsugumasu nod with a weak smile.

"It is devastating to hear that our world's magic has caused you such harm and illness just by being brought to end the Waves. I am humiliated at the nature of our magic for having struck you with such a sickness. You have my sincerest condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery, Lord Senju," the King Apologized, making Tsugumasa blink.

"Wait, that was genuine?! How?! He hurt my friend just a second ago, and he's sorry to me?!" He thought angrily, his vision blurring for a moment. He started to slump over but was caught by the maid again, with the aid of Naofumi.

"Come on, Tsugu, you're gonna be fine," Naofumi told him, then turned to the maid, "I think he needs to lie down now. He's looking paler than paper." The maid nodded in agreement, then looked to the King for permission. He stood from his throne, then raised his voice.

"My loyal subjects, see that Lord Senju gets the greatest care possible in the castle infirmary." The male servant from before and the maid helped Tsugumasu to his feet, quickly taking him out of the throne room and down several hallways.

Once he had laid on a bed in the infirmary, he felt the world slipping from his vision. Some fear gripped his heart, making his hand grasp for something to hold. Tsugumasa felt a soft hand hold his own, then a wash of pleasant energy rained over his body from a nearby source. Before he knew it, he had blacked out and felt nothing but the embrace of sleep.