Volume 4 Chapter 1/2 – Yamanoi Shrine 1/ Yamanoi Shrine 2 (Double Stalker)

| Kyosuke Todo

Saturday afternoon.

I set out alone for a long-awaited journey through my hometown. Miwa, Yuma, and Kyoko were still asleep.

Well, that’s to be expected.

After going all out like that… their legs should be… fine? Or maybe they’re recovering. I did cast a healing spell.

After using a cleansing spell, I tidied my hair, threw on some random clothes, and wandered aimlessly, listening to music through my now-nostalgic wireless headphones.

It’s a bit of rehab, to get myself used to this world again.

It feels like I’m really in the world Artlily mentioned. There’s no dissonance between my memories and what I see, but… I can’t imagine Miwa and the others doing the things they did.

Plus, what I heard from Tomoka doesn’t seem like something from a peaceful world. Even otherworldly bandits would pale in comparison. Not the kind of thing a middle schooler would think up—completely wild.

I thought this world would be safer.

In the end, I have no idea if this is my original world, a gender-reversed world, an apocalyptic overlord’s world, or some parallel Earth that’s a blend of all three. I know one thing: I know nothing.

But I have no choice but to live here.

Perhaps that’s why I naturally found myself heading toward the local shrine.

I thought maybe, to mark a fresh start, it might be good to pay my respects at a shrine.

When the princess miko received the oracle, she said it could only have been the voice of a god. Even if the Saint summoned me, surely gods must exist.

So, it feels right to offer my prayers. That’s what I thought.

Then again, the concept of gods differs between here and there. Well, shrines aren’t so much for asking favors as they are for expressing gratitude and making reports.

That’s it. I’ll report my return to the god here.

Thinking about that, I arrived at Yamanoi Shrine. I used to come here a lot in elementary school. It’s been about ten years… nostalgic.

The shrine has always been tucked away in a wooded hill overlooking the town. Other than the caretaker coming to clean twice a month, it’s usually empty, with just a small office, an offering box, and a bench.

Nothing has changed.

For some reason, I never had many male friends growing up. When I played house with Aika, the other boys would quietly slip away.

That was also when she declared, “This is Kyō-chan’s room!” I still wonder how she thought she’d get in there. Normally, you wouldn’t understand such things.

So, it was mostly Jun and Michiru who were close to me. Sometimes we’d come here together. Oddly enough, though, we never came as a trio.

Both of them gave me chocolates on Valentine’s Day. I remember feeling moved, thinking, “So this is friendship chocolate.”

We drifted apart after moving to different middle schools, didn’t we?

Now that I think about it, my memory of sixth grade is a bit fuzzy. I wonder why.

Should I cast an enlightenment spell on myself? No… let’s not. I’ve said it many times, but that intense urge to claw at the back of my eyes is just too much. I’ll stop.

While I didn’t use an enlightenment spell, I found myself instinctively using a detection spell. Even though I’d known this shrine forever, I reflexively cast it when facing any structure. I dislike surprises like arrows. If it were a fortress, I’d be considering a strategy to conquer it.

My reflexes are a mystery to me now. But at least I’ve learned they weaken against friendly intentions, and I restrained myself before heading out. I’m functioning at about a middle-schooler’s level. Safe enough.

Now, it’s time for rehab.

My detection has picked up on two people.

It’s a Saturday at a shrine. If they were worshippers, that would make sense. But I can’t see anyone within my line of sight. Probing a bit more, I find them to the left of the main shrine building, between it and the small office. I can tell they’re together and watching me.

Could they be priests?

Maybe they’re on guard for offering thieves?

Oh well.

First things first—time to pray. Two bows, two claps, one bow.

◆　◇　◆

| Kyosuke Todo

After finishing my prayer, I found myself with nothing much to do, so I sat on a bench in the shade near the small office. From here, I could see the entire town.

The library, sports center, bowling alley, public pool, golf course, the Tsurigane Bridge, my old elementary and middle schools, Tenyo Station, the shopping arcade, and the clock tower… It all looked like nothing had changed.

As I gazed over the town from this hill, shaded from the sun, I thought about it all with a distant feeling. The sky was a clear blue, with tall, towering clouds in the background. It’s summer.

Peaceful…

It feels almost like a lie that I was ever in another world.

Thinking back on it now…

To be honest, I didn’t have time to reflect on any of this until just now.

There were plenty of unexpected events in the other world, but I never thought they’d continue here, too.

Kuroie once told me, “You’re like a walking merchant of mishaps. Seriously, get it together. Just understand that already.” Heh.

…The hero who saves everyone…

——But then, who is going to save the hero Kyosuke?

That’s what Marie had once said to me.

When I told her that my only salvation would be returning to my original world, she looked as though she’d swallowed something bitter.

…But if I didn’t think that way, I wouldn’t have been able to grow stronger.

Yes.

When I was summoned, I was haunted by my feelings for Aika and Miwa and consumed by despair. I just wanted to escape.

That’s why I was summoned.

The world I was brought to was far more violent than Japan. For someone as broken as I was, it was unbearable, and my sense of gloom grew with each day.

The Saint, who had summoned me, told me that I couldn’t become strong while lying to myself; I wouldn’t be able to become a hero like this. She told me not to fight to run away, but to fight for the power to return home.

Thanks to her devotion, I gradually gained strength.

That was five years ago.

And now, here I am. I made it back, Rutoa.

◆

…Hmm?

I heard something.

It didn’t sound like an argument, but there was a serious conversation going on.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw two small figures deep in discussion, both with intense expressions.

One of them, wearing a cap, looked vaguely familiar… Could it be, Shutou-san?

The four-leaf clover jogged my memory. She was in both elementary and middle school with me. She had that same charm as before but had grown even cuter.

The other was a girl with shoulder-length black hair, a teal ribbon tied just above her left ear. Black hair, that celadon ribbon… I’ve seen that somewhere before…

They seemed troubled, so I figured I’d call out to them.

“What’re you up to?”

“You’re a perv!”

“You’re a creep!”

…Wait, what!?

Startled by my sudden voice, they both jumped up like startled cats, clinging to each other and blurting out such words.

Was that supposed to be an explanation of their hugging? Or an accusation of me peeking at two girls embracing?

Which is it!?

And in the process of embracing, they accidentally tossed their smartphones, which skidded right to my feet.

“……”

“……”

The two of them froze in silence, still holding each other, with beads of sweat pouring down their faces.

And there was a lot of sweat.

Even though summer was approaching, we were in a forested area with a cool breeze. Was it cold sweat?

It’s been a while since anyone looked this terrified of me… Somehow, it feels like I’ve become a bandit myself.

Though, ironically, I was the one scaring bandits in the other world. I could usually tell from their eyes if they were up to something, so I’d cut them down without listening to excuses.

Marie used to pull back, telling me to at least hear their side… Haha.

Anyway, let’s pick these up for them. …Wait, what?

On the ribbon girl’s phone, there was a photo of me with Aika in a café.

And on Shutou-san’s phone, there was a picture of me using magic.