Part 1
—I got another SSR! Look, it's the wind archer! Starting level with double passive!
—No way! That's some serious luck, wind elves are strong!
—Pff, you guys are so naïve... Behold my SSS character!
—No way, he's got the thunder cat samurai girl!
—That's right, thunder cats are the best, hehe.
The classroom buzzed with energy, loud and completely unnecessary.
Kaito Amakawa rested his chin on his arm and stared out the window.
Outside, the trees swayed gently in the wind.
Inside, everyone was glued to their phones.
Celestaris: Gacha Fantasy RPG.
The closed beta that had exploded across forums, social media—and now, inside his own classroom.
—They say only a hundred people in Japan were chosen as testers —someone said.
—I heard that if you make it into the top 10 during beta, you get an exclusive legendary skin at launch.
—My cousin has a friend who works at the company. They said the game's so immersive it feels like it literally pulls you in...
Everyone laughed.
Kaito didn't.
He hadn't been invited to the beta...
And his phone wasn't even new enough to run the game.
So, he went back to watching the wind in the trees.
—Hey, Amakawa! —someone shouted from the group—. What class would you pick if you got in?
—...Swordsman —he replied without thinking.
—Swordsman? Boring!
More laughter.
He didn't reply. He never did.
When the bell rang, everyone bolted from the room like they were escaping. Kaito packed his things calmly.
It was Friday. And, as always, he had nowhere to go but home.
He arrived with his uniform stained and his shoulder scraped, after a fight with a classmate who had mocked his only friend.
Kaito wasn't the kind of person who ran from a fight.
On the contrary—he always stood up for the weak, even though he was one of them.
His sense of justice constantly dragged him into trouble others preferred to avoid.
He dropped his backpack on the couch, next to the dark TV screen.
His mother wasn't home.
Only a note next to the dinner plate, already cold.
"Sorry, son. I had to go back to the office. Celestaris development is eating up all my time with upgrades."
"I'll make it up to you another day. Love, Mom."
The food was untouched, still slightly warm to the touch.
But beneath the plate, there was another note written in red marker:
"I left you a gift in your room. Take good care of it."
The TV played a news report about political scandals and statistics nobody cared about.
The house was silent. Empty.
Kaito ate slowly.
He was alone.
But his thoughts weren't on the food… They were on the gift from his mother.
In his room, the glow from his monitor lit the desk.
On top, a stack of notebooks, flyers from clubs he never joined… and a single sheet with red letters at the top:
Second Term Evaluation: "Kaito Amakawa — Good kid, no defined potential."
He stared at it for a moment.
Then sighed.
He took off his school jacket. Lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Just once… I wish I had a real chance."
Suddenly, he remembered the message.
—Oh, right… what did Mom leave me?
He checked his dresser, next to the perfume bottles, and found a small box wrapped in silver paper.
When he opened it, his eyes widened slightly.
A brand-new phone. Latest generation.
And underneath it, a download code with a logo he recognized instantly:
Celestaris.
It came with ten free pulls and guaranteed the signature weapon if you got an SSS character, along with extra open-world bonuses.
Beneath the code, another note. This one written in his mother's rushed handwriting:
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend more time with you, son. Things have been hectic ever since your father left, and we never got to go to the baseball stadium like I promised."
"I know this doesn't make up for it, but I wanted to give you something special. It's a beta tester pass the company gave us."
From his room, Kaito could see the small altar dedicated to his father.
He remembered the days when the three of them would go to the stadium together to watch their favorite team.
Those were simpler times. Happier times.
A complete family.
—Mom… —he whispered, his voice trembling as he wiped his tears with the back of his hand—. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve a mother this kind…
Kaito carefully powered on the new phone and used the code his mother had given him to download the app.
The screen lit up with a soft blue glow. The logo appeared at the center:
Celestaris – Beta Closed Version 1.0.0
The loading screen displayed a brilliant illustration: a silver moon over a sea of stars, and the silhouettes of heroes marching toward an endless tower.
Then the text appeared:
"The world of Celestaris, blessed by the moon goddess Mizuki…
A land of adventure, where heroes rise to fight the shadows lurking in men's hearts."
Below it, a blinking message:
Welcome, Tester!
Thank you for participating in the Celestaris closed beta.
You have been chosen by the moon.
—"Chosen by the moon…" —Kaito repeated softly, with a mix of doubt and curiosity.
It sounded ridiculous.
And yet… something inside him stirred.
He moved through the menus. The design was stunning: animated illustrations, an epic soundtrack, visual effects worthy of a blockbuster.
And then he saw it—the summon button:
[Initial Pull – 10 Free Summons]
Kaito stared at it in silence.
It was just a game.
Just a distraction.
But for some reason… that button felt heavier than it should have.
He placed his thumb on the screen.
—I hope I get something good… an SSS swordsman would be nice, —he whispered with a faint smile.
And he tapped the button, hoping that, just this once, luck would be on his side.
The screen flashed.
The sound faded.
His room vanished.
The entire world… ceased to exist.
A white light enveloped him—thick and warm, like ethereal fabric pulling him away from his reality.
The next thing he felt was the wind.
But not the wind from his city.
This was a warm breeze, scented with incense and ancient stone, carrying the faint echo of distant chanting.
He opened his eyes.
He was no longer in his room.
He stood atop a marble circle in the center of a vast chamber, surrounded by crystal columns that reflected the light pouring through a stained glass window shaped like a full moon.
All around him, hooded figures whispered prayers in hushed tones.
The ceiling arched high above, adorned with symbols he couldn't understand.
Everything smelled of incense, damp stone… and something divine.
He was no longer in his world.
He had been summoned… to a place unknown.
—Welcome to the Kingdom of Estelaris, heroes chosen by Mizuki, —a figure in ceremonial robes declared, his voice echoing between the columns.
The man stepped forward. His presence was commanding, his face stern.
—My name is Marcel Delacroix. I am the High Pontiff of the Church of our benevolent moon goddess, Mizuki.
Kaito turned his head, still disoriented.
In front of him stood three other teenagers about his age… and a girl who looked younger than all of them.
Their expressions ranged from shock to confusion… and fear.
One of the boys, with dark gray hair and sharp eyes, stepped forward.
—What's going on? —asked the boy tensely—. I was at home, playing on my phone, and suddenly I appeared in this… unfamiliar place?
The others nodded silently, as if they shared the same confusion.
The youngest girl, with wide eyes and straight hair, looked down and clutched the sleeve of her hoodie tightly.
—I'm scared… —she whispered—. I was playing with my brother's phone… and now I'm here. I want to go back to him…
One of the acolytes approached the High Pontiff and whispered in his ear:
—Don't you think this is a mistake? The king isn't present… and these heroes seem younger than the usual summoned.
Marcel Delacroix remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the five youths gathered before the altar. Their white robes, their confused faces, their trembling hands…
—What's done is done, —he replied softly—. We have Mizuki's blessing. And the king authorized the ritual.
He drew a deep breath. Then, he stepped toward the newcomers with a calm expression—almost paternal.
—There's no need to worry, —he said aloud, so everyone could hear—. You have been chosen by the goddess of the moon.
—And very soon… you will receive your divine weapon.
Behind the altar, a soft glow began to emerge.
The ceremony… had only just begun.