Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 5: Bonds of Strength

**Chapter 5: Bonds of Strength**

The fog had lifted, but Yuuji could still feel its lingering weight in his chest, as if the doubt it had stirred inside him was not so easily shaken off. He kept moving forward, though, flanked by his knight, archer, and mage, each of them silent but resolute. The torches flickering along the path seemed to stretch endlessly ahead, leading deeper into the unknown.

Yuuji’s mind kept circling back to the words of his classmates—those haunting accusations. The fog had been an illusion, he knew that now, but the emotions it dredged up had felt too real. Their doubts mirrored his own. *Am I really strong enough for this?* The power to summon allies was incredible, but Yuuji couldn’t escape the fact that, without them, he was just an ordinary guy.

His knight, ever vigilant, seemed to notice Yuuji’s unease. “Master, you did well to overcome the illusions of the first trial,” he said, his voice deep and reassuring. “The darkness preyed upon your insecurities, but you stood firm.”

Yuuji forced a smile. “Thanks, but it wasn’t just me. You guys brought me back.” He glanced at the knight, then at the archer and mage. “I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

The knight bowed his head slightly. “That is the nature of our bond, Master. We are your strength, just as you are ours.”

Yuuji blinked, taken aback by the knight’s words. He hadn’t really thought of it that way. He had always seen his summons as game characters, tools he could use to fight battles. But here, in this world, they were more than that. They were real beings, with wills of their own. And they trusted him—trusted him to lead them.

Before Yuuji could dwell on the thought, the path opened into another vast chamber. This one was darker than the last, its ceiling obscured by shadows. The air was thick with tension, as if the room itself was holding its breath. At the center stood a massive stone archway, covered in glowing runes, with a swirling vortex of black and purple energy within. It hummed with power, sending ripples of magic across the chamber.

Yuuji approached cautiously, his summons at his side. “Another trial?” he muttered, eyeing the swirling vortex.

The voice from before returned, echoing through the chamber. “The Trial of Unity begins now. Summoner, you must prove that your bond with your allies is not one of command alone, but of trust and shared purpose. Only by working together can you overcome what lies ahead.”

The vortex pulsed, and suddenly, three figures stepped out from the swirling energy. Yuuji’s breath caught in his throat. They were exact copies of his knight, archer, and mage—but these versions were darker, twisted by shadow. Their eyes glowed with malevolent energy, and their weapons crackled with dark magic.

Yuuji’s heart raced. “Shadow versions? Seriously?”

The twisted knight raised his sword, its flames now a sickly green, while the shadowy archer nocked an arrow and the mage’s hands crackled with dark lightning. They looked powerful—dangerously so.

The real knight stepped forward, his flaming sword ready. “Master, these impostors are not to be taken lightly. They mirror our strength.”

Yuuji clenched his fists. This wasn’t just a regular battle. The trial was testing their bond, their ability to work as a team. He couldn’t just give orders and hope for the best. He had to trust his summons, rely on them not just as tools but as equals.

“Okay,” Yuuji said, taking a deep breath. “We fight together. But this time, we do it as a team.”

The knight, archer, and mage nodded in unison, and the battle began.

The shadow knight lunged first, swinging his massive sword with brutal strength. The real knight met him head-on, their blades clashing with a deafening ring. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows, the fiery sword clashing against its shadowy counterpart. Yuuji could see the strain in his knight’s movements—the shadow knight was just as strong, if not stronger.

“Hold him off! We’ll deal with the others!” Yuuji shouted, turning to the archer. “Target the shadow archer. We can’t let them get the upper hand with ranged attacks.”

The archer nodded and loosed a flurry of arrows, each one aimed with deadly precision. The shadow archer responded in kind, and soon the air was filled with streaking arrows, each one narrowly missing or striking their mark. It was a duel of speed and accuracy, and Yuuji knew they couldn’t afford to lose.

Meanwhile, the mage was locked in a deadly standoff with her shadowy counterpart. Lightning crackled between them as they hurled spells at one another, the chamber lighting up with each powerful blast of magic. The ground beneath them scorched and cracked, the intensity of their duel shaking the room.

Yuuji watched in awe, but also in growing anxiety. The battle was evenly matched, and for the first time, he realized that his role wasn’t just to command from the sidelines. He had to think like a leader, anticipate what his team needed.

“Knight! Fall back a little, let the mage cover you!” Yuuji shouted, his mind racing. “Mage, use that thunderstorm spell to disrupt the shadow knight’s attacks!”

The mage nodded, her hands glowing with power. She raised them high, and a storm of lightning bolts crashed down from the ceiling, striking the shadow knight and forcing him back. It wasn’t enough to finish him, but it gave the real knight the opening he needed.

With a swift strike, the knight drove his flaming sword deep into his shadow counterpart’s chest. The shadow knight let out a guttural roar before dissolving into smoke, his form breaking apart under the weight of Yuuji’s strategy and his team’s combined strength.

Yuuji didn’t have time to celebrate. The shadow archer was still firing relentlessly, her dark arrows pinning his archer down. “Archer! Aim for the weak points—go for her bowstring!”

His archer nodded, refocusing his aim. With a sharp, precise shot, he severed the shadow archer’s bowstring, leaving her vulnerable. A second later, the archer’s final arrow pierced her chest, and she too dissolved into shadowy mist.

That left only the mages. Yuuji’s mage had held her ground, but the shadow mage was relentless, her dark magic surging stronger with each attack. Yuuji knew he had to act fast.

“Mage!” he called out. “Use that spell you’ve been holding back. Let’s end this now!”

The mage hesitated for only a second before unleashing her most powerful spell. A massive torrent of wind and lightning erupted from her hands, enveloping the shadow mage in a swirling storm of energy. The shadow mage screamed as the spell tore through her, disintegrating her into nothingness.

As the final enemy fell, the chamber fell silent, the dark energy dissipating. Yuuji let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

The voice returned, softer now. “You have proven your unity. Together, you are stronger than you could ever be alone.”

Yuuji glanced at his summons, his heart swelling with a strange sense of pride. He had done it. No, *they* had done it—together. The trial wasn’t just about his strength or even his summons’ power. It was about their bond, their trust in one another.

The chamber shifted again, and the stone archway lit up with a soft, golden glow. The trial was over, and they had passed.

As Yuuji and his team moved toward the archway, ready to continue deeper into the Hall of Trials, a thought lingered in his mind. *Maybe I’m not as powerless as I thought. Maybe I really can do this.*

With that hope in his heart, Yuuji stepped through the archway, ready for whatever came next.