"Long ago, there was a great clash between the dimensions."
"Two beings of ultimate power sought to destroy each other. One of Light, one of Dark."
"Their fight was cruel and unending, but after a long battle, the being of Light emerged victorious."
"Once the being of Light was the victor of the duel, it used the space between dimensions to forge a place where all things could live in peace, no matter who or what they were."
"His kingdom built, all the being needed now were subjects to rule over. And so, it tore open the gate between worlds and sought out those who were without a home."
"With its help, these people became the first inhabitants of Frammentato. And the being that founded the kingdom was forever known as the Mountain King."
Life Shard Library (Day)
"And that's the story." a girl said, closing a book with a burgundy cover. She has brown hair and wears a green and yellow tank top, as well as a pair of black pants. In front of her were several small children, entranced by the tale of their home's creation. Suddenly, the girl's phone began to ring. "Excuse me, kids. I have to take this." She walked away from the children and answered the call. "Go for Verdant."
"Ivy, this is Dominic." a male voice said from the other end of the line. "Connor said he had something to show us at his house. Gregory's coming too." The call ended after that.
'This isn't good.' Ivy thought to herself as she walked toward the library's exit. If she was getting a message during her work hours, then it had to be urgent. Opening the library doors, she was once again greeted with the lush green landscape and pitch-black sky of the Life Shard.
Frammentato was split into 10 Shards, all representing a different Element. The kingdom was built this way in order to accommodate every possible kind of inhabitant.
Thankfully, there was a Portal located just two buildings down from the library. Ivy entered and used her magic to start the Portal, immediately sending her to the Dark Shard in a flash of light. Unlike the Life Shard, which was covered in lush plantlife, the Dark Shard was more barren. It was mostly cold stone, but there were a few buildings made of precious materials. There was also the occasional crystal of Petrified Darkness growing from the earth.
Ivy ran across the road until she reached a large white mansion. Approaching the porch, she knocked on the door. The door opened soon after, and on the other side was a teenage boy. He has black hair ending in blue tips and wears a cyan snow jacket and gray pants. His blue eyes were covered by clear glasses. "Hey, Ivy." he said, letting the girl into the house.
"So, what did Connor want to talk about, Gregory?" Ivy asked, entering the foyer.
"Dunno. He just said that there was something the team needed to see." Gregory explained, leading his friend to the basement. Deep beneath the ground floor of the mansion was a chamber lined with books and candles. In the center were two boys. One had white hair and green eyes, along with a black t-shirt and grey jeans. The other was a blonde with green eyes, as well as a red jacket and a white undershirt, accompanied by torn jeans. "Hey, what did you need us for?" Gregory asked.
"Ivy, Gregory. You need to see this." Connor, the white-haired boy, said. He stepped slightly to the left, revealing a pedestal he and Dominic were looking at. Resting on the pedestal was a white book with four weapons displayed on the cover. A shield, a sword, a bow, and a spear.
"A book?" Ivy asked, confused.
"Not just a book." Dominic, the blonde, said. "Connor and I found this thing in the Magic Shard library. It's a catalyst for a summoning spell."
"Why would someone put a summoning spell on a book?" Gregory asked.
"It has to do with the story within." Connor said, using his magic to open the book telekinetically. "It's about a world ravaged by waves of interdimensional monsters, or just "Waves". Apparently, the world this book speaks of summons four heroes in times of need, each with a legendary magic weapon."
"So, the summoning spell on this book is supposed to send these heroes to fight the Waves?" Ivy asked.
"Yeah." Dominic confirmed. "Connor and I have a plan. We'll send him through the summoning spell, and once he gets the chance, he'll open a Portal for us to enter through."
"Why him?" Gregory asked.
"I'm the only one of us who can open Portals to and from Frammentato without outside help." Connor reminded everyone. "Once I make myself familiar with this new world, I'll let you all join me. Are you all ready?"
The group looked at each other, all understanding what had to be done. "We're ready." Ivy said, determined.
"Then it's decided. Let's save a world!" Connor said, smiling. He put a hand on the book, causing the summoning spell to trigger. In a flash of bright light, the boy vanished.
Summoning Room (Afternoon)
He landed on his feet, blinking away the burning sensation in his eyes. Upon rubbing his eyes to soothe them, he felt something metal attached to his arm. His eyes glowed a faint green once he realized what the object was. A small shield with a green gemstone embedded in the center. 'What in the Super Nut?' he wondered as an old man in a robe addressed him.
"Please, save our world, Oh Heroes!" the man pleaded.
"What the hell!?" a new voice asked in outrage. The boy turned to his left to see three teenage boys, each holding a weapon with a gemstone. The one who spoke had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, as well as a long spear. There was also another blonde who was a bit shorter than everyone else in the room, likely due to youth. He held tightly onto a bow. Finally, there was a very serious looking boy with black hair and a sword.
'The four weapons.' Connor realized.
"What do you mean by that?" the bowman asked, looking around the dark room.
"Let me guess. Your world is being terrorized by Waves of monsters and destruction, so you summoned us, right?" the Connor said calmly, surprising the mages.
"T-that's exactly right!" the old man said. "It was said that the Heroes possessed knowledge of our world already. Our world teeters on the brink of destruction. Please, save us Heroes!"
"I refuse." the spear-wielder said, surprising Connor and the mages.
"Likewise." the Bowslinger said, seconding his fellow blonde.
"You took us from our homes without our consent. Don't you feel guilty?" the Knight scolded, making the mages take a few steps back. "And what happens when we finish? You just dump us back with no reward?"
"How are you willing to accommodate us? Depending on your answer, we might end up your enemies." the Sentinel threatened, pointing his Spear at the mages.
Having enough of this bullsheep, Connor stepped in. He stood between his fellow 'Heroes' and the mages, trying to prevent any bloodshed. "Or, we can listen to their cries for help and then make a decision. You know, like a SANE person would!" he yelled, quieting everyone else in the room.
After a few moments of silence, one of the mages spoke up. "Yes, we can take you to our King. He'll be able to explain things much better than us, and he has much to offer you all!"
"And that's how you negotiate." the Connor said with a smug look on his face.
"Watch the attitude, smartass." the sword-wielder said, clearly angry at the boy's actions.
"Yeah. If you try anything else, that shield ain't gonna protect you." the spear-user said, glaring.
The boy ignored him however, and turned to face the mages. "Lead the way." he said, following the group as they walked up a set of stairs. As they ascended the staircase, he managed to catch a glimpse of a painting. It showed an old man, likely the King, and a woman with purple hair. The Queen, perhaps? Beside them were two girls, the older one having red hair, and the younger one having blue hair. It wasn't hard to deduce that they were the Princesses of this kingdom.
Utilizing a Spacial Rift, the boy retrieved the book that brought him to this world. Checking the pages to see if there was anything on the land's royalty, he found out that Melromarc, the kingdom he had been summoned to, was a matriarchy. He also found that the youngest child was in line for the throne instead of the eldest. The reason why wasn't written down, but he felt confident that he'd find out sooner or later.
"Watcha reading?" the Bowslinger asked.
"A book I came here with." Connor lied. It was probably best if he kept his magic a secret until he got a better understanding of this world's use of it.
"Do you mind if I borrow it sometime?" the Bowslinger asked.
"Yes." the Sorcerer deadpanned, disappointing the young 'Hero'.
Eventually, the group reached the Throne Room. There were two thrones, one of which was quite smaller than the other. That was where the King sat. Above them and to the right was a place for nobles to observe, most likely in the event of a trial or execution. The annoyed look the King gave to the Shield Hero did not go unnoticed by him.
"So, these are the Heroes." the King said, looking over all four of them. "I am King Aultcray Melromarc the Thirty-second. Heroes, name yourselves."
The Knight went first, talking like he was the most important person in the room. "Amaki Ren. 16 years old. Highschooler."
The Sentinel went next. "The name is Kitamura Motoyasu. 21, and a college student."
"I guess I'm next." the Bowslinger said meekly. "Kawasumi Itsuki. 17 years old. Highschooler."
"Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki, eh?" the King said, blatantly disregarding the most powerful being on the planet.
'Two can play this game.' Connor boy thought as he cleared his throat. "Pardon, but I think you missed one."
The King glared at him, displeased. "I apologize. I suppose my mind has gone a bit with my age. Please, state your name."
"Connor Schnee. 18 years old. I'm a high-school graduate." he introduced, fibbing a bit at that last part. He never officially graduated from Beacon, and he wasn't sure it counted as a high school.
The man went on to give the same explanation the Sorcerer read about. Waves, Heroes, etc. The other three 'Heroes' demanded money, despite not knowing anything about this world's currency. The King's advisor promised each of them a reward, but the specifics of said reward were vague.
"Now then. Heroes, why don't you check your Statuses?" the King asked, confusing two of them.
"Don't tell me you guys didn't notice." Ren said condescendingly. Sighing, he explained. "There's a small dot in the corner of your vision. Try focusing on it."
Status Magic was also present in Frammentato, and as he expected, Connor's highest stat was Magic Attack, with Defense as a close second.
"Level 1? Seriously?" Motoyasu complained.
"How are we supposed to fight like this?" Itsuki asked.
"Not too reassuring." Ren stated, a contemplative look on his face. "For now, we'll need to grind Levels."
"Right. So we'll form a Party and-" Motoyasu's idea was cut off by the King.
"Pardon the interruption, Heroes. But you will be forming separate teams." the man said. "According to the records, the Legendary Weapons interfere with their own growth when in close proximity with another of their kind."
'Interesting.' Connor said to himself. Once he got the chance, he would examine the Shield on his arm. The gem in the center of it was oddly similar to the one on his own weapon, after all. It's a good thing he already decided to bring his teammates here.
"Dusk will arrive soon." the King told the 'Heroes'. "You should rest well tonight and embark in the morning. We shall assemble companions for your adventures by then."
A lady then walked up to the 'Heroes.' "I shall guide you to your rooms. This way, please."
Connor and the other three followed her, curious about this strange world they found themselves in. He smiled as his eyes glowed a faint green. 'This is going to be very interesting.' he thought as he once more walked into the Dark.
Heroes' Bedroom (Night)
The four Heroes were escorted to a guest room, and were given meals by the castle's servants while they rested. While the Bow, Sword, and Spear Heroes ate together and exchanged stories, Connor sequestered himself to the balcony. To make sure he didn't miss any potentially vital information coming from his 'comrades', he kept the door open. So far, nothing of substance.
"They treat us pretty well here. Not really surprising since we're their Heroes, right?" Motoyasu said with a smile. "The girl who brought us here was kinda cute too."
"The food tastes strange, but not in a bad way." Itsuki noted.
"I gotta say, this place has the same concept as Emerald Online. Even the food's the same." Motoyasu said, confusing the other 'Heroes'.
"What kind of game is Emerald Online?" Itsuki asked.
"You don't know it? It's a very popular game in Japan right now. I've been playing for a while now." Motoyasu explained.
"What are you talking about? This isn't an online game, this is clearly based on a console game called Dimension Web." Itsuki argued.
"No, it's not." Ren disagreed. "This world is an RPG. It's practically identical to Brave Star Online."
Connor couldn't understand a word of what they were saying. While he did play online games every once in a while, he was oblivious to whatever a 'Dimension Web' was. After a few minutes of arguing, the three decided to test something by asking eachother various questions.
"Who's the current president of America?"
"Who won WW2?"
"Who is the prime minister of Japan?"
"When did Full House go off the air?"
The trio all answered differently each time, leading them all to the same conclusion. "Looks like we really do come from different Japans." Itsuki said, taking a seat.
"I thought we might've been from different regions, not different worlds!" Motoyasu complained. "Wait, what about you?" he asked, turning to Connor. The Sorcerer was less invested in the conversation due to the fact that he was already aware of the Multiverse and the countless worlds that were a part of it. But he was curious to see how they'd react.
"My home is far stranger than the ones you inhabited." Connor explained. "I come from a world called Frammentato, or the Fractured Kingdom. It's a realm hidden between dimensions. Much like this world, magic flows like water in every piece of the land."
"You have to be joking, right?" Motoyasu asked, not believing the Sorcerer's story.
Sighing, Connor held out his hand and formed a blob of darkness. Each of the three heroes recoiled in shock. However, Itsuki's reaction seemed more forced than the others. "Everything in Frammentato, including the citizens, is imbued with magical powers. Mine in particular are centered around the Dark Element."
"Do we need to worry about you?" Ren asked, suspicious.
"Just because I draw power from The Darkness doesn't mean I'm a bad person." Connor explained. "Although, I don't blame you for being wary."
"I'm sorry." Ren said, ashamed. But he still didn't completely trust his fellow Hero.
"It's okay." Connor said with a wave of his hand. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll take a bit of a walk." The Sorcerer waited a few seconds before opening the door and leaving.
Castle Library (Night)
Since the royal library was locked, Connor broke in with a Spacial Rift. Since there weren't any magical warding systems, it was far easier than he expected. Once inside, he used telekinesis to bring all of the history books to him before sitting down at a table.
The first book was about the various kingdoms of this world. Faubrey, Melromarc, Siltvelt, Shieldfreeden, Zeltoble, and Q'ten Lo. Faubrey interested him the most, as it was the most technologically advanced thanks to a previous Hero. As for the others, it seemed that Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden were governed by Demihumans. A species that the Schnee assumed were a mixture of animal and human, like the Faunus. And, much like what used to be the reality for Faunus, Demihumans were enslaved and discriminated against. It also appeared that Melromarc in particular wasn't only the most dangerous place for a Demihuman, but the kingdom was actually proud of this fact.
His eyes glowing bright green, Connor gripped the book tightly until it decayed into ashes. Black smoke filled the room, intoxicating almost everything it touched. Had anybody else been in the library, their bodies would've rotted from the inside out. When the smoke cleared, the mage was gone.
Throne Room (Day)
After they had breakfast, the four Heroes gathered before Aultcray to meet their new companions. Although, after reading that history book, Connor was apprehensive to team up with anyone from this kingdom. He wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps.
Standing in front of the king were 12 people, all of which were dressed in either armor or magically protected clothing. The boy recognized one of them, a red haired woman with green eyes, as the princess.
'I'll need to keep my guard up around her. If she was denied the throne, then she's most likely a troublemaker for the king and queen.' Connor deduced, remembering how a similar situation happened with his sister.
"As we discussed yesterday, I have called for others to assist you on your journey." Aultcray said, gesturing to the 12 volunteers. "Now, choose the Hero you would like to travel with!" he said, prompting the volunteers to walk to the Hero of their choice. Motoyasu ended up with four, one of which was the princess. Ren had five team members, something the other Heroes considered as overkill. Itsuki got three, which Motoyasu would laugh about later. As for Connor, he had nobody who wanted to follow him.
'Of course.' the Schnee thought to himself. Not like he needed anybody from this world at his side.
"I must admit, I did not foresee this. But I cannot force the adventurers to alter their choices." the king said, lying through his teeth. Suddenly, a robed person approached Aultcray and whispered something into his ear. "It appears that a rumor has been going around as of late." the king said as the advisor left, both of them smirking. "It seems that while the other Heroes have a firm grasp on our world's rules, the Shield Hero is ignorant of our ways."
The four knew what this meant. Somebody was listening to them last night while they conversed.
Turning around, Connor proceeded to walk toward the front door. He had no reason to stay any longer than he had to. But before he could make it to the door, the princess spoke up. "Excuse me, but would you allow me to join the Shield Hero's Party?"
"What? Are you sure?" Motoyasu asked, unsure if he heard his teammate correctly.
"Of course. A person traveling on his own is quite lonely. And besides, he'll need someone to help him if he can't deal damage." the woman said, convincing the blonde spearman. "I'm Myne Sophia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Hero."
'Clever. If I refuse you, it'll seem like I have a death wish. But if I accept your offer, then things will just get more dangerous for me.' Connor thought to himself as he stared at Myne's hand, held out for him to shake. 'But, keeping an eye on you is far more important than that.' "Okay, then. Welcome to the team." he said, shaking the princess' hand. Unknown to her, a small tendril of Dark Matter slithered it's way up her arm from Connor's palm.
He wouldn't allow his guard to fall even for a second. This world depended on his success.