Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V6 Chapter 01

Chapter 01: “Isn’t This Just Me Coming Home?” ①

“I’m hooome!”
“I’m back too, ya know!”

Natsuki returned to his house in Mukaijima City, swinging the front door open energetically.

It was just past 5 PM, and his stomach was already starting to growl.

“Oh, welcome back.”
“Leviako-san, I’m back!”

The one who greeted Natsuki and Koume was Leviathan, casually chewing on an ice cream.

Dressed in half-pants and a hoodie, Leviathan had, in just a few days, blended into the Yura household as if he had always belonged there.

“…Oi, why the hell are you acting like you’re one of the Yura family and just living here like it’s normal!?”
“Huh? I am part of the Yura family—Leviako Yura, the eldest daughter.”
“Shut it, second son!”
“I said eldest daughter! Also, I’m the little sister type, so keep that in mind, okay?”
“So annoying! You’re not a little sister—you’re some fossil-level sea monster! Even a coelacanth looks younger than you!”

Leaving Koume and Leviathan bickering like close friends, Natsuki slipped off his shoes.

“Natsuki-chan, welcome back. But first, go wash your hands and gargle properly.”
“Okaaay… wait—why is Satan wearing a frilly apron and acting like the mom here?”

Natsuki immediately shot a comment at Satan, who stood there holding a ladle, wearing a pink apron over his white suit.

Meanwhile, his actual mother still seemed to be at work and hadn’t returned yet.

“Tonight’s dinner is Mama Satan’s special hamburger steak!”
“…It’s made with normal Earth meat, right?”
“Not from the demon world.”
“Why can’t you just say ‘yes’ normally?”
“I don’t want to lie to my future son!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So where’s the meat from?”
“Jack and Nancy brought it back as a souvenir from space. Ah, don’t worry—it’s apparently cow-type meat.”
“There are so many problems with that! What do you mean ‘cow-type’!? I just got back from a serious battle in Kyoto, I’m exhausted—don’t make me deal with this!”
“…Alright, fine. I’ll remake it with normal ground beef. Go wash up and change first.”
“Yeaah.”

Just as Satan told him, Natsuki went to the sink to rinse his mouth and wash his hands.

Even though he’d only been away for a day, everything in the house felt strangely nostalgic.

Like he had been gone much longer.

Maybe it was because, after spending six whole years in another world and finally returning, he had barely stayed home for three weeks before heading off to Kyoto again.

When he left, he hadn’t felt anything in particular.

But after fighting a powerful enemy like Ibaraki Doji and making it back alive…

Maybe now, he was finally able to relax.

“Hey, Koume-chan, Leviako-san—Mama Satan’s special hamburger steak is almost ready, so quit fighting like it’s a game and get inside already.”

“Seriously? That damn old man… he finally took over the kitchen!? Well… he has always been good at cooking.”
“Satan’s really good at cooking, yeah. I tried copying him once, but I messed up the heat and ended up wiping out a whole city… so now I just use the microwave. Ding—done.”
“How does that even happen!?”

Leaving Leviathan’s questionable past aside, Koume also washed up and headed into the living room.

“Ah, Ginko-san, Jack, Nancy—I’m back!”
“I’m back too, ya know!”

Natsuki and Koume greeted everyone gathered around the round table, watching TV like a normal family.

“Welcome back, my friend. How was Kyoto?”
“Super exhausting. But I’m glad I went.”
“That’s good to hear. Come, take a seat.”
“Thanks.”

Natsuki sat down next to Jack.

“Welcome back, Natsuki-kun, Koume-san.”
“Nancy-san, I’m back!”
“Mm. I’m back as well.”

Nancy greeted them with a gentle smile, her voice warm and welcoming.

“I know Natsuki-kun didn’t go to Kyoto for sightseeing, but… Kyoto really is a wonderful place, isn’t it?”
“Even from a space perspective, Kyoto’s that special?”
“Absolutely! Though… there are just so many people…”
“Ahh yeah, the crowds are insane. I only went out to grab souvenirs, but it was packed.”
“At Kyoto Station, Natsuki got swallowed by a wave of aunties and ended up lost.”
“Hey, that did happen, but… that’s not the main issue. There are also a lot of tourists from space, and it’s not like aliens always get along…”
“Ohhh, that’s the problem!?”
“If things go bad, you could end up with alien vs alien battles breaking out in Kyoto. Even after being freed from Ibaraki Doji, the local psychic folks are probably on the verge of tears.”

After chatting about such random things, Natsuki and Koume finally decided it was time to face reality.

“By the way—”
“…I’ve been trying to ignore it, but…”

They both glanced over.

At the end of their gaze—

Ginko Aoyama, in a tracksuit, completely drunk, clutching a bottle of beer while slumped face-down on the round table.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

A hint about the guest god appearing in Chapter 6!

—Paooon.