Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 4: The Hall of Trials

**Chapter 4: The Hall of Trials**

The Hall of Trials was unlike anything Yuuji had imagined. As soon as the massive doors closed behind him, the world shifted. The long corridor stretched out impossibly far, its walls lined with statues of ancient heroes, each one weathered and cracked by the passage of time. Torches flickered with ghostly blue flames, casting long shadows across the stone floor. The air felt heavy, as though charged with ancient magic, and every step Yuuji took echoed eerily through the hall.

His knight, archer, and mage followed closely behind him, their eyes scanning the area for danger. They seemed calm, but Yuuji’s nerves were frayed. His heart pounded with a mix of fear and anticipation. This wasn’t like the battles he’d faced before. Here, in this sacred place, it felt like the walls themselves were watching, judging his every move.

"Stay sharp," Yuuji muttered, though it was mostly for his own benefit. His summons didn’t need to be reminded.

As they walked, Yuuji's mind raced. The idea that this place could test him on more than just combat ability made him uneasy. Malakar had warned him that the Hall of Trials was not only about fighting monsters but also about facing his inner doubts. *How am I supposed to handle that?* he wondered. Back home, when things got tough, he usually just buried himself in his games or distracted himself with anime. But here, there was no escape. He had to face whatever was coming, head-on.

The corridor eventually opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling stretching far above like the inside of a cathedral. In the center of the room stood a towering stone pedestal, atop which floated a glowing, ethereal orb. Yuuji approached cautiously, the light of the orb casting strange patterns on the ground. His instincts told him this was the start of the trial.

As he stepped closer, the orb pulsed, and a voice—deep and ancient—echoed through the chamber.

"Welcome, Summoner of Another World. You who wield the power of gacha, your trial begins now."

Yuuji swallowed hard, glancing at his summons for reassurance. The knight tightened his grip on his sword, the archer nocked an arrow, and the mage’s hands glowed faintly with magic. They were ready. He just hoped he was too.

"Uh, okay," Yuuji called out to the disembodied voice. "What kind of trial are we talking about here?"

"The Trial of Leadership," the voice responded, its tone carrying the weight of countless centuries. "You are a summoner, but a true hero must lead. To command others is not just to give orders—it is to understand their hearts, to bear their burdens, and to stand with them in the face of darkness. In this trial, you will learn what it means to lead… or fall to despair."

Before Yuuji could respond, the orb shattered, its pieces dissolving into the air. The ground beneath him trembled, and suddenly, a thick fog began to rise from the floor, swirling around his feet and quickly enveloping the entire chamber. His summons tensed, looking around as the fog grew denser, obscuring everything from view.

Yuuji's heart pounded as he lost sight of his allies. “Hey, where’d you guys go?” he shouted, panic rising in his chest.

There was no response. The fog was thick, impenetrable. Yuuji reached out blindly, but his hand found nothing but empty air. He was completely alone.

“Okay, stay calm. This is part of the trial,” Yuuji muttered to himself, trying to slow his racing thoughts. *But why would they separate me from my summons?* Without them, he was defenseless. He had no weapons, no fighting skills of his own. What was he supposed to do?

As if in answer to his unspoken question, the fog shifted, and figures began to materialize before him—humanoid shapes, vague and shadowy at first, but growing clearer by the second. Yuuji’s breath caught in his throat as he recognized them.

It was his classmates. The people from his world. The ones he had left behind.

His heart clenched. This couldn’t be real. His friends stood there, staring at him with cold, accusing eyes. The one at the front—his best friend, Ryo—stepped forward, his voice like ice.

“So, this is where you ended up, huh?” Ryo said, his tone sharp. “Off playing hero while the rest of us are stuck back home, living our lives. Must be nice.”

Yuuji’s stomach twisted. “Ryo… no, it’s not like that. I didn’t choose to come here.”

“But you stayed,” Ryo shot back. “You didn’t even try to come back, did you? You’ve been pulled into some fantasy world, living your dream, while we’re still struggling.”

Yuuji shook his head, trying to find the right words. “It’s not a dream. I was brought here because this world needs me. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

“Need you?!” Another voice chimed in—it was Ayumi, a girl from his class. “They could’ve summoned anyone, but they picked you? Why? You’ve never even done anything in the real world. Why should you be the one to save this place?”

“I—I don’t know,” Yuuji stammered, feeling the weight of their words pressing down on him. “I’m just trying to survive.”

“Survive?” Ryo spat. “What do you know about survival? You’ve always run away, Yuuji. Run away from your responsibilities, your friends, everything. How are you supposed to save anyone here when you couldn’t even face your own life back home?”

The fog closed in tighter, their voices echoing in Yuuji’s mind, growing louder and more relentless. His chest tightened. Everything they were saying cut deep. Back home, he had always felt like he didn’t belong, like he was just going through the motions. Games were his escape, a way to avoid dealing with the pressure of real life. And now, in this world, he had to face that same fear all over again.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Yuuji whispered, his voice cracking.

But the voices kept coming, their accusations swirling around him, tearing at his confidence.

“You can’t lead. You’ll fail. You’ll let them all die.”

Yuuji’s knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, the fog swirling around him like a suffocating blanket. His head spun, and for a moment, he thought about giving up, about letting the fog consume him. Maybe the voices were right. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this. Maybe he really was just running away again.

But then, through the haze, a new voice called out—a voice he recognized.

“Master!”

It was the knight.

Yuuji blinked, his head snapping up. Through the fog, he could see the faint outline of his summoned knight, standing tall, his sword glowing faintly in the gloom.

“Master, do not listen to the shadows. You are stronger than this.”

The voice was steady, unwavering. And something about it—something about knowing that the knight still believed in him, even when he didn’t believe in himself—lit a small spark of hope in Yuuji’s chest.

He forced himself to stand, his legs shaking. “You’re right,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. “I can’t give up. Not yet.”

The fog swirled again, the voices of his classmates growing more distant, their forms fading into nothingness. Yuuji took a deep breath, steeling himself. The trial wasn’t over yet, but he knew one thing for sure: if he was going to lead, he had to start by believing in himself.

With renewed determination, Yuuji took a step forward, his summons reappearing beside him, their presence like a shield against the darkness. The fog began to lift, revealing a path ahead, lined with flickering blue torches.

“Let’s keep going,” Yuuji said quietly, his voice steadier now. “I’m not done yet.”

And with that, they pressed on, deeper into the Hall of Trials, ready to face whatever came next.