The lunch period at Hanazono High School was, as always, a carefully orchestrated social hierarchy made manifest. The cafeteria buzzed with the particular energy of teenagers performing their roles.
Yuri Akabane had long since removed herself from this theater entirely.
She sat in the back corner of classroom 2 B, her bento box open before her. In her other hand, she held the latest volume of *Reincarnated as a Villainess, I'll Rewrite My Fate!* The irony of reading an isekai manga while eating alone was not lost on her.
"Did you see what Yuri's wearing today? Same uniform as yesterday, I bet."
The whisper came from somewhere behind her. Yuri's grip on her manga tightened imperceptibly, but she didn't turn around. That was the survival strategy.
She was halfway through a panel when the world shattered.
The air itself seemed to scream. A brilliant crimson light erupted from the center of the classroom floor, geometric patterns spiraling outward. The fluorescent lights flickered and died as the magic circle grew brighter.
"What the hell!" someone shouted.
Students scrambled backward. Yuri's manga slipped from her fingers as she stood. The light was blinding now, and the air hummed with a pressure that made her teeth ache.
Then the world *pulled*.
It felt like being yanked through a too small tube. Yuri's stomach lurched violently, her vision swimming. She tried to scream, but her voice was lost in the roar.
And then, with a final flash, it stopped.
Yuri stumbled, her knees hitting something hard. She blinked rapidly.
The classroom was gone.
In its place stood a throne room. Vaulted ceilings stretched impossibly high overhead. Stained glass windows cast multicolored light across the marble floor.
At the far end of the room, seated upon a throne of silver and gold, was a king. Beside him stood a young woman with long pink hair.
But it was the figure standing before the throne who commanded attention.
She was tall, with snow white hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes were the color of fresh blood. She wore elegant white and gold robes.
"W what..." stammered Kenji Yamada, the soccer captain. "Where are we?"
The question opened the floodgates. Twenty one students erupted into confused chatter.
"This has to be a prank!"
"Someone drugged the cafeteria food!"
"Everybody calm DOWN!" Aiko Tanaka, the student council president, raised her voice. "Panicking won't help. We need to..."
"Peace, young heroes."
The white haired woman's voice cut through the chaos. The students fell silent.
She smiled. "I am Nemesis, Goddess of Balance and Retribution. You may call me Neme." She gestured gracefully. "This is King Thors Argent of the Kingdom of Vermillion, and his eldest daughter, Princess Norn Argent."
The king inclined his head. The princess's smile widened.
"Kingdom?" repeated Hiro Suzuki. "Goddess? Is this some kind of elaborate cosplay convention?"
"I'm afraid not." Neme's expression grew grave. "Your world and ours exist in parallel dimensions. We have summoned you here because our realm faces a threat of unprecedented magnitude."
She raised one hand. Images formed in the air. A barren wasteland. Twisted creatures. Cities burning.
"The Demon King Therian Lucifera has risen. His armies pour forth, corrupting our lands. We stand on the brink of total annihilation."
The images shifted, showing scorched earth and empty armor.
"That's terrible," whispered Yumi Nakamura. "But what does that have to do with us?"
Neme's smile returned. "Everything. You are the Prophesied Heroes. Each of you carries the potential for greatness. You are our hope."
Yuri felt something cold settle in her stomach. She knew this story. She also knew what happened to the extras.
"Prophesied heroes?" Takeshi Kobayashi sounded interested. "Like, with special powers?"
"Indeed." Neme gestured. A pedestal rose from the floor, bearing a crystal orb that pulsed with light. "This is the Seer's Orb. When touched, it reveals your Hero Status. It will show us the strength you carry within."
The students exchanged glances.
"Who wishes to go first?" asked King Thors.
Predictably, Kenji stepped forward. His hand touched the orb, and it flared.
"Hero Class: Sword Saint," Neme announced. "Skills: Heaven's Edge, Battle Precognition, Weapon Mastery. Truly exceptional."
Kenji grinned. The others surged forward.
One by one, they touched the orb.
"Hero Class: Holy Knight!"
"Hero Class: Arcane Sovereign!"
"Hero Class: Divine Archer!"
The popular girls went next. Aiko received the Tactician class. Mika Yoshida became a Beastmaster. Risa Tanaka was designated a Mystic Dancer.
The middle tier students followed, receiving respectable support roles.
Then came the less popular students. They received the oddball classes. A Plague Doctor. An Alchemist. A Rune Scribe.
And then there was no one left.
Except Yuri.
She'd been standing at the back, desperately hoping to be forgotten.
Neme's crimson eyes found her anyway.
"My dear, you haven't touched the orb yet."
Twenty pairs of eyes turned to stare.
"Oh, typical," drawled Mika. "Yuri's always clinging to her betters."
Yuri kept her eyes fixed on the floor. She stepped forward and reached out.
"Wait." Neme's voice was sharp. She stared at something only she could see. "This can't be right. There are supposed to be twenty heroes. Not twenty one."
The throne room fell silent.
King Thors leaned forward. "An extra summon? How unprecedented."
"She probably just piggybacked along," said Aiko dismissively.
"Perhaps execution is in order?" The king stroked his beard.
Yuri's blood turned to ice.
Then King Thors laughed. "I jest, of course! One more hero couldn't hurt. Go ahead, child."
With shaking hands, Yuri pressed her palm against the crystal.
The light was weak. Flickering.
"Hero Class: Outlander," Neme read, her voice flat. "Skill: Gacha Summoning."
Silence.
"What's Gacha Summoning?" asked Kenji.
"A rare skill," Neme admitted. "It allows the user to randomly summon items or creatures from other dimensions. However..." She trailed off.
"However what?" Princess Norn asked sweetly.
"It's generally considered useless. The randomness makes it unreliable. The quality is typically poor. It's a skill more suited to entertainment than combat."
The words hit Yuri like physical blows.
"Perhaps a demonstration?" suggested the king.
Yuri swallowed. "I... I don't know how."
"Simply will it," Neme instructed.
Closing her eyes, Yuri reached inward. She found the skill and activated it.
Light flashed. Two objects materialized and clattered to the floor.
A rusted frying pan.
A broken dagger.
Someone snickered. Then someone else. Within seconds, half the class was laughing.
"Oh my god, a frying pan?"
"Is she supposed to cook the demons?"
Neme's mask slipped. Her expression was cold. "Well. That is unfortunate."
She turned to the king. "Your Majesty, what would you have us do with this anomaly?"
The laughter died. Yuri felt the weight of judgment.
"Please," she whispered. "I just want to go home."
"Go home?" Mika laughed. "You couldn't even be a proper hero. Why would they waste magic sending you back?"
"Yeah," chimed in Takeshi. "You're useless here and you were useless back home."
King Thors stroked his beard. "Perhaps that execution joke had merit."
"No!" Yuri's voice cracked. "Please, I'll do anything! I can be useful!"
"Your Majesty, if I may?"
Princess Norn rose and glided forward. She smiled gently at Yuri before turning to her father.
"Our heroes will need servants. Someone to handle their mundane needs. This girl could serve in that capacity."
Neme's expression brightened. "What a splendid idea! Practical and efficient."
King Thors nodded. "Very well. Girl..."
"My name is Yuri Akabane."
"Girl," he continued, ignoring her, "you have two choices. Serve as attendant to the heroes and the royal house, or die where you stand. Choose now."
He raised his hand. Spectral axes materialized above Yuri's head.
Tears blurred her vision. "I'll serve. Please."
The axes vanished.
Neme approached, producing a collar of black silvery metal with esoteric shimering runes carved into it's surface.
"This is an Enchanted Collar of Servitude. It will ensure your compliance. Bow your head."
Yuri bowed. The collar snapped into place around her neck.
"There we are." Neme sounded bright. "I do hope you'll be useful."
The class erupted in cheers, already moving on.
Princess Norn clapped her hands. "Now, shall I show you all to your accommodations?"
She led the way. The students followed eagerly. Yuri trailed behind.
They arrived at a sprawling complex of buildings. "These are the Heroes' Quarters," Norn announced. "Each of you will have your own suite."
The students rushed forward. The rooms were palatial.
"This is incredible!"
"I feel like royalty!"
Yuri stood awkwardly in the courtyard.
"Hey," called Risa, smirking. "Where are you staying, Yuri?"
All eyes turned to her.
"I... there are only twenty rooms. Where should I..."
Princess Norn laughed. "Oh, you sweet thing. This accommodation is for heroes. You're not a hero, are you?"
"Then where..."
"The servant quarters, of course."
Mika stepped forward. "Yeah, get out of our sight. This is a place for heroes, not parasites."
The other students murmured agreement.
"Guards," Princess Norn called sweetly. "Please escort our new servant to her proper quarters."
Two armored men appeared. Their hands closed around Yuri's arms. They marched her away.
They walked down increasingly plain corridors until they reached the servants' area. It was a converted stable. Wooden bunks. Thin blankets. A communal washing area.
The guards deposited her on a bunk and left.
Yuri sat in the gathering darkness, trembling.
"Well, well. How the mighty have fallen."
Princess Norn stood in the doorway. Alone.
"Your Highness," Yuri started, scrambling up. "Please, I can be useful..."
"Be silent."
The command hit like a physical force. The collar grew warm. Yuri's jaw snapped shut.
Norn glided forward, her sweetness gone. Her expression was cold and cruel.
"Let me explain something, trash. You were a mistake. We can't send you back. So we make do."
She circled Yuri. "That collar forces complete obedience to anyone registered to it. Myself, my father, and all twenty heroes. You cannot refuse. You cannot remove it. You cannot escape."
Yuri's hands flew to the collar, pulling desperately.
"You're not a person anymore. You're property. A slave."
"Please," Yuri gasped. "I have a family. A mother..."
"You have nothing." Norn's smile was sharp. "And you need a proper name. 'Yuri Akabane' is too dignified."
She tapped her chin. "Eris. Yes. Eris, goddess of chaos. Fitting. And no surname. Dogs don't need surnames."
"No! My name is Yuri! I'm a person!"
The slap came without warning. Stars exploded across Yuri's vision.
"You have what I give you, slave."
The princess grabbed Yuri by the hair, forcing eye contact. Then her fist drove into Yuri's stomach.
Yuri doubled over, gasping.
"You will learn your place. Or you will suffer."
Norn released her. Yuri collapsed onto the floor.
"Guards! Bring in the senior servants."
Three figures entered. A young man with dark hair and haunted eyes, and two women. All wore similar collars. All kept their gazes down.
"This is Eris. She's new property. Teach her. Make sure she understands. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Your Highness," they chorused flatly.
"Wonderful." Norn smoothed her dress. "I'll need a shower now. I can practically feel the pig stink from being near this filth."
She swept out.
The three servants stood silent until her footsteps faded. Then the young man knelt beside Yuri.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
But sorry didn't change anything.
Yuri curled into a ball on the cold floor. The collar felt heavier than iron.
Somewhere above, her classmates celebrated.
Somewhere above, Princess Norn washed away the memory.
Somewhere above, the world continued, indifferent.
In the darkness, surrounded by strangers wearing the same collar, Yuri Akabane finally fell apart.
The girl who read about heroines overcoming adversity would have found the irony crushing.
But that girl was gone.
Only Eris remained