Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V3 Chapter 31

Chapter 31: “Isn’t the Demonic Sword Stronger?” ①

Natsuki deliberately did not swing the demonic sword twice and instead kicked Seishiro in the solar plexus with his toe.

“Gah!?”

As Seishiro bent over, Natsuki reached out with his free hand, grabbed his arm, and forcibly took the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi from him.

“G-Give it…”

Before Seishiro could finish saying “give it back,” Natsuki slashed the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi three times with the Blade of Eternal Darkness, destroying it.

Though the divine essence wasn’t entirely erased, severing the link between Seishiro and the sword was enough.

(…Somehow, he was mentally influenced, wasn’t he? He must have been looking for a replacement after Ginko-san took his spirit sword, but it seems like he chose a not-so-great one? Or maybe he was forced to choose it?)

“Hey, you. Come to your senses already!”

Natsuki grabbed Seishiro by the collar and punched his face a few times with a fist infused with magic power.

Seishiro’s face, which was bleeding from the nose and had a cut lip, now had a different light in it.

“Alright! You’re back to normal. Now, just to be sure and because you attacked Ginko-san, and for putting Ren and Yusuke-kun in danger, —Hero Punch!”

“Gupeh!”

As a form of discipline, he hit his cheek with just enough force to not be fatal.

From behind, he heard Senju’s voice, “That really hurts, you know,” but he ignored it.

Natsuki, shaking his hand, turned his face towards Ginko.

“Ginko-san, since it seems like you were a bit at fault too, I’ll let it slide this time. But, if you’re not satisfied, I can always kill him.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you, Natsuki-kun!”

When Ginko shook her head, Natsuki sheathed the Blade of Eternal Darkness.

“Well, it seems like you’ve had your fair share of bad experiences, but just forget about them. I can’t hang out with you, but go have a drink or something.”

“…I don’t have any friends to drink with.”

“That’s sad. Hey, Senju-san, do you like alcohol?”

“Of course, I do!”

“What about you, Yusuke-kun?”

“Well, just a bit.”

“That’s quite a few drinkers. And Ren?”

“I’ve never had a drink before.”

“Well then, let’s have a drink together! Ginko-san and Koume-chan drink a lot, and we’ll join up with Jack and Nancy, and invite Alphonse-san too! Of course, I’ll have a cola!”

Senju nodded, and Ren and Yusuke exchanged glances and smiled.

Ginko and Koume raised their hands in a cheer, shouting, “Sake!”

The atmosphere was certainly different from when they had been fighting.

“…You guys are… interesting people.”

“Yeah, we’re a fun group.”

“I’m a stiff person. I have no friends, no one to drink with. So, I’m a little envious.”

“That’s why you should join us for a drink. We can listen to your complaints. Oh, wait.”

“What is it?”

Natsuki remembered something and rummaged through the item box, searching for something.

After a while, he exclaimed,

“Oh, found it!”

He pulled out a Western sword. 

It was a longsword, but the magical power it held was intimidating.

“This is a Demonic Sword, as powerful as the one I gave to Ginko-san. I still have a few more.”

“Wait! Please wait! The Demonic Sword should go to this, Ginko-chan! I’m the Demonic Sword’s handler, after all!”

“Ginko-san, you make things complicated, so no! One of the reasons for this mess is that you took the spirit sword, so as a family, we need to apologize!”

“No way, I was targeted for assassination! I was nearly killed socially too! And now that I think about it, I haven’t done anything in return!”

With that, Ginko ran up and drop-kicked Seishiro.

As Seishiro rolled on the ground, Ginko nodded in satisfaction,

“Let’s call it even with that.”

Seishiro, who had stood up, had a strained expression on his face.

“Y-you’re always like this. In the demon-slaying class, you had no teamwork and only thought about yourself! I fought you because I was worried that you’d end up getting caught off guard and dying someday!”

“I was stronger, so I took the spirit sword and named it Spirit Sword Hanako-chan!”

“Damn itt!”

“But, why did you wait until now?”

“That’s what I’m curious about too! Wasn’t Ginko a high school girl ages ago?”

“It wasn’t that long ago! Just a few years!”

Natsuki and the others were also curious about Ginko’s question. 

Why “now”?

“…I was training for several years. But I realized that my abilities without the Spirit Sword were just average. It took me time to understand that I was strong only because of the Spirit Sword.”

“So, you went for the divine sword?”

“Any strong weapon would do. I heard the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi was at the Institute’s branch. When I visited the branch, I felt like something was calling me… From there, my memory is a bit fuzzy.”

“It seems the divine sword has a vague will. It probably called out to you.”

“…It’s pathetic. I need to start my training all over again. I’m sorry, Ginko Aoyama. And to all of you, I sincerely apologize.”

With the divine sword’s influence gone, Seishiro kneeled on the ground and apologized.

He was probably a good person at heart.

He fought Ginko over the spirit sword for her sake, but unfortunately, Ginko was stronger.

“I don’t need an old man’s apology! It’s a bit unsatisfying, but feeling like a princess saved by a prince is good enough for me.”

“…Thank you.”

“For now, please stand up. Even if you forgot, having a former teacher kneel doesn’t feel good. I’ll apologize too. Back then, I couldn’t see a lot of things. But I won’t give back the spirit sword Hanako since it’s now contracted with me.”

Ginko responded to Seishiro’s apology with her own.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ginko is apologizing. She must be an imposter.”

“Where’s the real Ginko-san? Give back my family, my Ginko-san!”

“You two are awful!”

Seishiro chuckled.

He had been consumed by revenge, but now he felt relieved.

He was truly glad that, even as a former teacher, he didn’t have to hurt his student.

“Oh, right. About this demonic sword.”

“Huh? Are you really giving it to me?”

—Thump.

Seishiro’s heart skipped a beat.

Natsuki gave a thumbs up and a satisfied smile.

“Yep, I’m giving it to you.”

As Natsuki tried to hand the demonic sword to Seishiro, there was a sound of clapping.

“Hey, hey, I’m moved. A student and teacher reconciling and forming a friendship. Ah, it’s great to live a long life. Susa-susa.”

Natsuki and the others quickly turned to look at the source of the voice.

No one had noticed him. 

It was impossible. 

They hadn’t sensed anything.

“Hey, quite a wonderful night, isnt it? Susa-susa!”

A man in his thirties, wearing sandals and a jinbei, laughed with an unfamiliar phrase at the end of his sentence.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Who is he!?

In Aomori,

Mammon: “Compared to me, who has spent more than ninety percent of my life on mammon-mammon, it’s shallow. Too shallow.”

Samatan: “What are you suddenly talking about?”

Mammon: “There is no phrase more wonderful than the one Samael-sama thought of for me!”

Samatan: “I don’t get it. Stop making that smug face. And stop looking so proud.”

If you enjoyed this, please follow, review, and leave comments. It would be a great encouragement. Thank you very much!