Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V4 Chapter 68: "We’re Not Really Overlapping, Are We?"

Chapter 68: “We’re Not Really Overlapping, Are We?”

After finishing their beef bowls, Poseidon grabbed some cold barley tea from the fridge and poured everyone a glass.

“Phew… that hits the spot.”

“You sound like someone who just finished a beer.”

“I haven’t had barley tea in forever! Feels like summer!”

“It’s a little early for that.”

As soon as Kazuto emptied his glass, Poseidon silently refilled it without a word.

“Thanks.”

“Think nothing of it, dooon! By the way, Kazuchan—you caught quite a bit today, didn’t you, doon?“

“Yeah, rockfish and black sea bream. Want to take a look?”

“Let’s see it, doooon!“

It must be a fisherman’s instinct—

Kazuto, like any angler, was more than ready to show off his catch.

He opened his cooler box with a rare smug grin on his face.

“Hmm, hmm. Very nice rockfish and black sea bream, doon! Come next month, the rockfish will be even bigger, but these are perfect for simmered dishes, dooon!“

“Simmered, huh? Oh, but…”

Kazuto’s expression suddenly turned somber.

Noticing the shift, Natsuki and Poseidon exchanged a look and leaned in slightly.

“My brother just passed away… So it feels wrong asking my mom to cook them.”

“…Ah, yeah. That’s… tough.”

“I may not be the best parent, dooon, but a parent always wants to see their child living normally, doon. Especially during hard times.”

“…Posei-san…”

“But I also understand how a child might not want to burden their parent, dooon.“

Kazuto’s parents at the Miyahara household seemed somewhat relieved after Yuto’s passing—

But of course, that didn’t mean they were happy about losing their son.

They were probably still in shock…

Still feeling the weight of that loss.

No one could say for sure if they’d ever get back to living life as usual.

“Then come over to my place.”

“Natsuki-kun?”

“My mom was worried about you too. And honestly, I think it’d do you good to have a noisy, cheerful dinner.”

“…Natsuki-kun.”

“Oh—Posei-san, you wanna come too?”

“…As much as I’d like to, I think me showing up would be a bit too much, dooon.“

“But I mean, Satan, Leviathan, Lucifer… even Odin and Thor were there yesterday.”

“…People always say stuff about the gods from Greek mythology, but let’s be real—gods and demons from other mythologies are just as wild, dooon!“

“Can’t argue with that,” Natsuki and Kazuto said with wry smiles.

“You’re not about to tell me Zeus-san is on Earth too, right?”

“If you mean Zeus, he’s working as a caregiver at a retirement home in Mukaijima City, dooon.“

“That’s… actually kind of amazing! I mean, yeah, he’s got some trashy legends attached to him, but if he’s really working as a caregiver now—I kinda respect that! Wait, hold on—he’s in Mukaijima too!? What is this city!?”

“…Seriously.”

Zeus working in elder care was honestly kind of admirable—

But the bigger mystery was still…

Why is everyone in this city!?

“Whether it’s demons or gods—they always—huh?”

“Natsuki-kun?”

“A god’s approaching.”

“Wait, what? A god? You mean someone other than Posei-san?”

“Yeah. And judging by the pressure I’m feeling… this one’s seriously strong.”

As cold sweat formed on Natsuki’s brow, Poseidon gave a slow nod.

“…Lately, a certain god’s been picking a fight with me, dooon. Of all times, for them to show up while Nacchan and Kazuchan are visiting… What terrible timing, dooon. I apologize, dooon.“

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for, Posei-san. I don’t care which god this is—if they’ve got the guts to mess with our buddy Posei-san, Then I’ve got no problem slicing that courage into thin strips as a courtesy.”

Before Kazuto or Poseidon could stop him, Natsuki stood up and headed straight for the door.

The moment he stepped outside the tackle shop,

He came face-to-face with a broad-shouldered, well-built middle-aged man.

“Hey, Poseidon! You keep going around calling yourself ‘Posei-Posei,’ and now people are confusing your vibe with mine!”

“Oi, you! I don’t care which god you are, but don’t go picking fights with Posei-san!”

“What’s with this brat!? I’m not picking a fight—I’m lodging a formal complaint!“

“A formal complaint, huh? Yeah, that’s what guys like you always say before they start talking a bunch of nonsense. So tell me—what exactly did Posei-san do wrong!?”

“I’m Hotei! And just to make it easy for everyone in Japan—I’m the Hotei from the Seven Lucky Gods! Poseidon’s got a perfectly fine name, but he keeps calling himself ‘Posei-Posei,’ and now our characters are starting to overlap!”

“…You were a big-shot all along!? This Nacchan’s been kind of rude, huh? Silly me!”

Realizing it was Hotei—the same god often featured in New Year’s decorations—

Natsuki, who’d been all fired up just moments ago, quickly shifted gears and tried to play it off with a goofy smile.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

It’s not really that their characters overlap—

If anything, Poseidon’s the one with the extra flavor.

But hey, from Hotei’s perspective, that just didn’t sit right.

Hotei’s role ends here. He’ll be heading home after this.

A quick announcement!

Volume 02 of the manga “The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest” releases on Wednesday, September 27!

I’d be thrilled if you gave it a read. Thank you so much for your support!