Returnee from Another World - Chapter 2: Colors

Chapter 2: Colors

The red of 【Anger】【Excitement】.

The black of 【Disgust】【Hostility】.

The gray of 【Sadness】【Pain】.

At a glance, that’s about how it feels.

Judging the color of an aura is tricky.

I generally categorize people’s emotions into nine colors: red, blue, yellow, green, pink, purple, gray, white, and black.

To be precise, though, the red hues of 【Anger】 and 【Excitement】 are technically the same color family, but with subtle differences. That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn from experience.

However, distinguishing those differences accurately is tough, so I tend to interpret red hues loosely as either 【Anger】 or 【Excitement】.

Emotions shift constantly, and typically, at least three or four colors overlap in what I see. That said, each color remains distinct, never blending into a new shade.

Also, I’m just guessing that a certain color corresponds to a specific emotion—there’s no solid proof.

After all, even the person experiencing the emotion doesn’t fully understand it 100% of the time, so how could someone like me, an outsider, verify it?

Still, I like to think I’m onto something.

I first noticed this ability during a brawl at a tavern I stopped by.

I’d been aware of auras before then, but I assumed they were a normal phenomenon in that world, visible to everyone else as well.

In other words, I thought that’s just how living beings worked there.

But when I saw people who had been cloaked in green auras, enjoying their drinks and chatter, suddenly turn bright red as a fistfight broke out—cheered on by the crowd, who also turned red—I realized the connection.

At the time, I vaguely thought, “So, auras turn red when people get excited, huh?”

“What’re you staring at me for? It’s creepy.”

Ayano, perhaps suspicious of my stunned gaze, glared at me sharply.

She probably thought I was leering at her. That’s a complete misunderstanding.

But I had bigger concerns.

According to the book Arugabana, only memories could be brought back to the past.

However, there was a workaround.

If you placed an item in a basket woven from the mane of a bicorn and prana grass, the source of magical energy, and kept it on your person, you could bring that one item back with you. After much deliberation, I chose a magical barrier talisman.

Everything else would be lost. Even so, I wanted to return to Japan so badly that I was willing to throw away everything of value.

That was my mindset, so I was thrown into confusion. I had assumed those abilities existed only because I was in that other world. Even if they weren’t tied to that world, they shouldn’t have manifested until eight years from now.

“No, I was just wondering why you’re so soaked. You shouldn’t get that wet just coming from your place.”

“If you get it, then hurry up and get me a towel. Or is it fine if I come in dripping wet? ‘Cause I will.”

I grabbed a bath towel from the bathroom and tossed it to Ayano.

She draped it over her head and started drying her hair.

Ignoring her, I returned to the living room alone, lost in thought, trying to make sense of things. I could faintly hear Ayano’s footsteps in the hallway. She was probably heading to the bathroom.

I couldn’t sense any flow of mana in the air.

I wasn’t particularly skilled at magic, but in that world, I could always feel the flow of mana.

To put it simply, that was the most basic skill. Without it, you couldn’t even use magic properly. Sensing mana flow was also critical for evasion.

In that world, the difference in survival rates between those skilled at detecting mana and those who weren’t was significant. That’s why I trained so hard to master it.

Just to be sure, I tried a basic breeze spell. It’s an introductory magic with little practical use but relatively easy to learn.

“No good, huh.”

As expected, I couldn’t draw or shape mana at all.

I tried it on a whim, but there was no response whatsoever. It’s only natural, but this world likely lacks the magical elements or spirits needed for mana.

What about the dimensional storage?

After confirming Ayano’s presence had moved toward the bathroom, I reached into empty air.

There was a sensation.

With a shudder, as if tearing through the air, my beloved sword, Lady Bird, materialized.

A short sword with a 50 cm blade, forged from the spine of a true ancestor vampire. Like its living counterpart, it craved blood, absorbing any that splattered on it. The way it soaked up blood resembled the spots on a ladybug’s back, which is why I named it Lady Bird.

“So this still works…”

I lightly pressed Lady Bird against my left palm and drew it across.

A thin line of blood welled up, staining the blade red. Lady Bird quivered with delight, rapidly absorbing the blood. Seeing this, I quickly returned the vampire sword to the dimensional storage.

Its bloodlust is, in a way, insatiable.

If left unchecked, it could drain someone dry, which was a problem. It was also picky, barely acknowledging the blood of wild animals. It preferred human blood.

However, the more blood it consumed, the sharper its edge became.

I didn’t cut too deeply.

Normally, a wound like this would take two or three days to heal fully. But looking at the already-closing cut, I was certain: my unique abilities hadn’t been lost.

I couldn’t help but grin.

The dimensional storage is a treasure trove. It’s overflowing with minerals, plants, and creature remains I gathered for alchemy.

Since time doesn’t pass in the dimensional storage, items don’t degrade, so I threw in everything I could find—precious materials and even mundane things like random pebbles.

After all, its capacity is practically limitless. I haven’t tested its limits, so I can’t say for sure…

I slightly regretted not collecting more precious metals or gems.

No, there’s probably enough in there to last ten lifetimes. But knowing I can’t get more makes me feel like I missed out.

I was itching to test more things, but Ayano’s approaching footsteps forced me to stop.

Lady Bird was safely stored away. I hadn’t taken out anything too dangerous.

After confirming that, I deliberately sprawled out on the sofa.

“Lend me some clothes. Anything clean will do.”

That was the first thing out of Ayano’s mouth when she entered the living room.

No thanks, no apologies.

If we were lovers or something close, it might make sense. But we’re just childhood friends—ones who’ve started to drift apart, no less. She must realize that.

Unfazed, she plugged in the hairdryer she brought from the bathroom, sat on a different sofa, and started drying her hair.

Yeah, I remember now—she was always like this.

Unrestrained, arrogant, and confident.

She acts like it’s only natural for others to do things for her, never doubting it for a second. I don’t know if she’s conscious of it, but she carries herself like a queen.

And it’s not just with me—she’s like that with everyone. Even Sakaki’s group fawns over her. At least, they did until the summer of our third year…

Glancing at her aura, I saw the gray of 【Sadness】【Pain】 fading, while the blue of 【Relief】【Calm】 was gradually growing.

Yet the black of 【Disgust】【Hostility】 and the red of 【Anger】【Excitement】 remained as intense as ever.

Since the blue of 【Relief】【Calm】 was increasing but the red stayed strong, that emotion was likely 【Anger】 rather than 【Excitement】.

“There should be some sweats in the closet; I’ll grab them later. So, what happened?”

“Nothing…”

“Look, I’m not dying to hear your drama, but it’s tough to deal with you showing up out of nowhere and just demanding to be let in. Give me something.”

“…I fought with my mom and stormed out. I went to Shiori’s place, but she wasn’t there. So I came here. Got it?”

At first, the name Shiori didn’t ring a bell. A new friend she got close to recently, maybe?

Then I recalled there was a girl named Shiori in Sakaki’s group. She liked the same flashy, gal-like style as Ayano, if I remember right.

The threads of memory slowly wove together.

I remembered this event had happened in the past too.

Yeah, back then, I got fed up with Ayano ranting and taking it out on me, and I ended up pushing her away.

“So, what’s the plan? Sneak back home once your mom’s asleep?”

“I dunno. I might crash here.”