"Ahhh," the boy groaned softly, covering his head.

It was just like any other day—after school, he walked home alone. Well, honestly, he had no friends to walk with.

As he wandered, he somehow got lost and ended up in an unfamiliar alley.

He could brush it off as zoning out on his phone and taking a wrong turn. It had happened before.

He pushed up his non-prescription glasses, calmly turned around, and prepared to leave.

Just then, a bright light flared behind him. He spun back to see its source.

A Magic Circle!

A Magic Circle had appeared on the ground!

The glowing light was definitely from this mysterious Magic Circle!

The boy thought it was a prank. "Do they really think a pre-made Magic Circle can scare me? I just didn’t notice it earlier. You can’t fool me with some electrified prop!"

Hahaha.

As a 21st-century, well-rounded ape—I mean, new-era teenager—he declared loudly: "Even if I read novels in class every day, I don’t believe in real magic. And even if this is a real Magic Circle leading to a world of swords and magic, I won’t go through!"

Heroes, Dark Lords, and the Hero’s harem—this was the dream of so many chuunibyou teens.

"Hmph, don’t think I don’t watch prank shows. Lately, the hottest trend is using Magic Circles to trick chuunibyou boys. When they jump in, a crew pops out yelling ‘prank show!’ I love those. So..."

He turned toward the alley entrance, pointing at the sky: "I won’t fall for it!"

He lifted his chin, puffed out his chest, and strode forward confidently.

His foot stepped into nothingness. Looking down, he saw an identical Magic Circle beneath him—his foot had already vanished into it.

His forward momentum couldn’t be stopped.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" With that scream, his whole body toppled into the Magic Circle.

"Hah... hah... You think this will trick me? You underestimate me."

He spoke to the Magic Circle mere centimeters from his face.

In crisis, he displayed unprecedented reflexes. Just before falling in, he braced his hands against both walls.

"Lucky this alley’s narrow. That was close—I almost fell in."

As he spoke, he slowly climbed up the walls. He knew if he didn’t stand before his arms gave out, he’d still drop into the eerie Magic Circle.

Gradually, he pulled himself upright.

"Could this be real? Is there really another world?" He was almost free—soon he wouldn’t need the walls. His arms ached terribly, but it was nearly over.

"Meow~"

A cat’s meow reached his ears. His body lurched—he felt something step on his back.

His trembling arms lost strength under the weight. He fell back into the Magic Circle, this time without catching the walls.

"Meow~"

That meow was the last sound he heard from this world.

"Where did that cat come from? I—"

His final thought unfinished, he tumbled in.

After he entered, the alley vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

"Meow~"

...

"Servant Saber, I have come in response to your summons. I ask you—are you my Master?"

The boy opened his eyes to a dim Magic Circle on the ground, himself inside it. He’d never forget this Magic Circle—the one that had swallowed him.

Seeing it, his first instinct wasn’t to look around but to keep his head down and say those words.

Why he said it, even he didn’t know. Probably because without those words, it wouldn’t feel like a proper summoning.

Feeling the cold, unfamiliar floor, he realized one thing: whether this was a prank or real magic, he couldn’t show fear.

He plopped down on the icy surface. His hand, which had covered his head, now ran through his hair. Slowly, he lifted his head, closed his eyes, and struck a cool pose.

"Hey, is it a bit cold here? Mind turning on the AC? Or is this place... winter...?"

As he spoke, he opened his eyes.

This must be a problem with my glasses. Yeah, they’re just dirty. That’s it—I need to wipe them.

He took off his glasses, wiped them on his shirt, and put them back on. Still the same.

He removed them again, breathed on the lenses, wiped them thoroughly, and put them on. Still no change.

"Human, have you had enough fun?!"

A deep, commanding voice boomed before him.

The boy shuddered involuntarily, eyes fixed on the "person" who spoke.

This figure stood over two meters tall, clad in heavy armor, holding his helmet. But the armor didn’t look majestic—it radiated a grotesque terror.

Shoulder guards bore snarling wolf heads. The chest plate was carved with an unknown beast. A tattered cape hung behind, clamped at his waist. The helmet’s eyes flashed red light relentlessly, making the boy clutch his clothes tightly.

Most importantly, this "person" had two curved horns growing from his head.

This isn’t how transmigration is supposed to work. If this is a dream, I swear I’ll never keep a cat again!!!