Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V5 Chapter 54: “How About a Greeting Blow?” ①

Chapter 54: “How About a Greeting Blow?” ①

“So then, Shinonon—which one do we kill first, the Abe clan or Ibaraki Doji?”

“Uh, um… what’s the right call here?”

Shinonome, who had been crying just moments before, now looked completely baffled.

After a beat of thought, he finally gave Natsuki his answer.

“I think we should take out Ibaraki Doji first. I can crush the Abe clan on my own if I have to, but if we hit them first, the oni will catch on to our moves.”

“Got it! Alright then, off to Underground Kyoto we go! Let’s do this!”

“Then allow me to guide you—to the realm where oni and youkai run wild… Underground Kyoto!”

With that, Tamamo-no-Mae slid aside the tonkatsu restaurant’s paper door—

And on the other side was pure night.

“Fwooooaaah! Amazing!”

“Fufufu. Truth is, this tonkatsu place is a VIP spot used by top-tier Kyoto youkai like myself and Shuten Doji. Thanks to that, it connects easily to other realms.”

Grabbing his shoes from the hallway, Natsuki dove straight into the otherworld.

“Foooooohhhhhh! A crimson full moon against the pitch-black sky! Perfect! Just thinking about destroying this whole world has me fired up!”

“Please don’t destroy it!?”

“Kidding! Hero joke! Totally a hero joke!”

Floating in midair, Natsuki took in the otherworld’s view.

The city, ringed by mountains and threaded with rivers, looked like something straight out of Heian-era Kyoto—only with random scraps of modern life stitched in, which gave it a strange, chaotic vibe.

He could clearly see youkai going about their daily lives like ordinary people… and oni gnawing on cows and pigs as if it were an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“Hmm. Looks like there aren’t any kappas here. Great, that makes things simpler.”

“…Your eyesight’s impressive, isn’t it?”

“I’m a Hero. Sparkle!”

“…Did you just say ‘sparkle’ out loud while trying to look cool? That’s a first. Well, never mind. See that samurai manor over there?”

To the north rose a huge mountain, and at its base loomed an enormous samurai-style mansion.

“So that’s where Ibaraki Doji’s holed up, huh? I can feel a ridiculous amount of spiritual pressure coming from there. Yeah… looks like I’m gonna have to go all out.”

“…The fact you can sense Ibaraki Doji’s power and still say that is terrifying, you know. If I threw caution to the wind, maybe I could take her down too… but even then, it’d be a coin toss. That’s why I don’t just charge in recklessly.”

“You don’t need to fight, Tamamo-chan. Fighting’s just something idiots do—idiots like me—hurting people because that’s all we know how to do.”

“…You really are a dangerous one. Still, once this is over, you should come visit at your leisure. From what I see… Nacchan, you’re in need of a real rest.”

“Yeah. When this is all done, I’ll come by and take it easy next time.”

Natsuki gave Tamamo-no-Mae a bright smile, then called out to his trusty partner.

(Holy Sword-san! Your cue!)

(I know, I know. Time to slaughter the criminal who attacked Little Shota Natsuki, right?)

(Technically correct, but also very much NOT the way I’d phrase it! And can you please stop calling me ‘Shota’?! I didn’t want to hear that kind of word coming from a legendary otherworldly holy sword!)

(But I’ve read those books rotten women like…)

(Don’t you dare read that stuff!)

Still bickering through telepathy, Natsuki reached into thin air and drew out the Holy Sword.

It practically hummed with excitement, crackling with purple lightning and brimming with energy.

“Oh-ho… What incredible power. Few blades in existence could rival that.”

“Right? This is my pride and joy—my partner.”

Natsuki tossed the sword lightly into the air, caught it by the hilt like a spear, and began pouring magic into it.

“I’m starting at fifty percent, baby!!!”

“Wha—wai—”

“DIIIIE, YOU DAMN ONI SCUM! THIS IS FOR LITTLE NACCHAN AND LITTLE MADOKA-CHAN!”

He poured every ounce of magic into the blade. The Holy Sword’s purple lightning flared and condensed into blinding thunderbolts—then Natsuki hurled it with all his might.

—In the next instant, the entire center of Ibaraki Doji’s samurai mansion detonated in a massive explosion.

“…Kids these days are terrifying. Ah—oops, I just said that out loud.”

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Opening strike? Absolutely crucial! ESSENTIAL! NON-NEGOTIABLE!