Vol-08 Ch 4 – First Walk

Part 1

The next day.

As I arrived at the Ousei Academy for the first day of school, everyone greeted me with the same cheerful attitude. As I took my seat after greeting everyone one by one, Ryo and Shingo-kun came over to me.

"Yuuya! Morning!"

"G-good morning, Yuuya-kun."

"Oh, Ryo and Shingo-kun! Good morning you two."

"Long time no see… feels weird, but it's been a while since we hung out at the beach. Are you enjoying your summer vacation?"

"Yeah. How are you two doing?"

"I went to my grandmother's house and went to a relative's party, so I didn't get to hang out much. Well, I'm glad everyone is doing well."

"I-I've been playing games with the members of the game club. Also, there were a lot of anime in the summer…"

"I see; you're both having fun."

In my case, I haven't even met my parents, let alone my relatives, so it's hard to say. I wonder what everyone is doing now? It must be tough, especially with Yota and Sora…

As I was thinking about this while talking with Ryo and the others, Kaede came in cheerfully.

"Good morning! Long time no see, everyone! How have you been?"

"Good morning, Kaede. A lot of things happened after we went to the beach, but I'm fine."

"Huh? I'm a little curious about the "a lot of things" part. Right? Yukine."

"…Morning."

"Ah, Rin-chan! Yukine-chan!"

Then, Rin and Yukine gathered around my seat, and it became somewhat lively.

…I think it's very nice.

I've never had the pleasure of talking to anyone at school like this before, but it's really fun to catch up on what's going on with everyone and have casual conversations like this.

Just when I thought the battle against Evil was over and I could spend my time in peace, I'm now caught up in a space quarrel.

By the way, I've asked Merl-san to stay home today. I really don't want to let her out of my sight too much, but I guess it can't be helped.

Now that I'm trying to bring something from the other world to use as fuel for the spaceship, there shouldn't be any problems in particular.

Besides, there's Night and the others.

As I was thinking about this, Kaori appeared in our classroom.

"…Ah, everyone!"

"Eh? Kaori! Good morning."

"Yes, good morning! I met Yuuya-san by chance yesterday, but it's been a while since I've seen you all."

After Kaori finished greeting everyone, she secretly asked me.

"By the way, um… the woman who was with Yuuya-san yesterday, is she still…?"

"Hmm? Yes, Merl-san is still at my house. I think she'll be staying at my house until her spaceship is fixed… Well, I heard that Ouma-san knows where to find something that could be used as fuel for the spaceship, so I think it won't be long."

"I-is that so? Um… Nothing has happened, has it?"

"Hmm…?"

What is it… that thing that messed up my house? Or is it the alien attack itself?

There are a lot of crazy things happening around my house at the moment…

As I was pondering the meaning of Kaori's question, Kaede noticed what we were doing.

"Hey, hey, what are you two talking about? It seems like you're whispering to each other…"

"Eh?"

"Oyaoya? Maybe you two are dating in secret?"

"Eh? R-really!?"

Rin commented scandalously, and Kaede, who took the words seriously, shouted in shock.

"T-that's not true! I've got an acquaintance staying at my house right now, and Kaori happened to meet this person yesterday, so we were just talking about it."

"T-that's right!"

Kaori also said that, and for some reason, Kaede showed a deep sense of relief.

"I-I'm so glad… I was just──."

"Just?"

"I-it's nothing! Ahahaha."

She seemed a bit distracted, but if Kaede says so, it's probably best not to ask any more questions. In contrast to Kaede, Rin showed a deliberate look of disappointment.

"What? It's boring."

"Even if you say it's boring…"

"…But, who's this person that's staying at your house?"

As Yukine blurted out, Kaede took up the conversation again.

"T-that's right! The person who's staying at the moment, c-could it be… a woman…?"

"Eh? T-that's… Um… How should I say this…?"

"Ah… Yuuya? You can't fake that already, can you?"

"No way!"

"I-I think I can cover it up…"

Ryo and Shingo-kun have a bitter smile on their faces… but I didn't realize that they knew before I tried to fool them…

"Um… Well, she's temporarily at my house now, the same way that Yuti is at my house."

"Oh. You mean that new transfer student everyone's talking about?"

"I-it's amazing, isn't it? She was popular in the middle school on her first day, and now she's popular in the high school as well…"

"Eh, what happened to Yuti?"

"S-so Yuuya-kun who lives with her doesn't even know about it…"

Well, there is a certain air of unworldliness about Yuti, and her physical abilities, as a disciple of the Bow Saint, are excellent in many ways.

These days, Kaori has taught her the common sense of our world, so she no longer acts in an outrageous manner, but even so, the natural parts she shows at a moment's notice makes people feel more comfortable with her.

In any case, I'm glad that everyone seemed to have accepted her.

Once the conversation went off-topic, I quickly asked everyone about it.

"Well, you said earlier that you were meeting with your relatives, but did anyone else visit you or go out with you?"

Kaori then answered my question with a happy expression on her face.

"Oh, my little sister is coming home tomorrow!"

"Eh, your little sister?"

"Kaori, you have a younger sister?"

Not only me but also everyone else seemed to have never heard of it and were surprised by Kaori's words.

"Yes! My little sister has been following my mother overseas for work, and she's currently attending a school overseas…"

"Your mother also works abroad, huh…"

"…The more I hear about it, the more it sounds like an amazing family."

"It's really amazing."

When Kaede and the others sincerely muttered this, Kaori hurriedly continued.

"N-no! My father and mother are indeed remarkable, but I'm not even close! My sister is also working hard overseas, and as an older sister, I can't afford to lose!"

I think it's already amazing that she can think like that, but I guess that's Kaori's strength.

When family members are accomplished, it's natural to think that you're great too. I think it's hard to think of yourself as separate from your family. It's something I'd like to learn from.

Kaori had been cheerfully talking about welcoming her sister back, but her expression suddenly became cloudy.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"No, it's just that… I'm really happy that my little sister is coming home, but recently my father has been receiving a lot of threatening letters."

"Threatening letters?"

We were all surprised at the unexpected contents. Aren't threatening letters too… disturbing?

"Yes. It demanded money… If my father didn't pay it, his daughter's life would be in danger…"

"I-is that all right?"

"It's okay because nothing has happened yet, but… because of that, we've been increasing the number of guards lately."

"Oh, I see…"

No wonder there were so many people guarding Kaori yesterday.

Fortunately, I've given Kaori a crisis ring, which may be difficult to use at school, but if she wears it regularly, she'll be able to transfer to my house in an instant if something goes wrong. In the meantime, she should be careful while she's at school.

"So, to be safe, I don't really want my little sister to come home… but since we can't see each other very often, and since she's more feisty than me… she doesn't want to lose to the threats…"

"S-she's a pretty amazing sister…"

She didn't want to be defeated by the letters. Kaori also has a strong character, but she has never felt particularly strong-willed, which is strange. In terms of personality, is Kaori like Tsukasa-san? They both seem to be calm and composed.

"When my sister is coming back, my father has prepared proper guards at the airport, so as long as nothing happens to her before she arrives at the airport, I think she will be fine…"

Kaori looked somewhat uneasy, but she seemed to be really looking forward to seeing her sister and seemed happy. I hope everything is fine.

While everyone was giving each other updates, the time for homeroom was approaching, so they went back to their respective classrooms and seats to prepare for their assignments.

Part 2

"Yuuya! What are you doing? Let's go quickly!"

"P-please wait a minute!"

The day after the school day. As promised, I was to go outside the Earth house with Ouma-san in the morning.

Since Ouma-san was finally able to go out, I suggested that we all go out together, including Night and the others, but they decided to stay at home this time so that Ouma-san could enjoy the Earth to his heart's content.

It seems that Yuti had made a promise to her friend on the school day, and she was going to spend the day with her friend. It's just as I thought yesterday – I'm glad to see that she's making friends.

However, Merl-san wanted to observe the Earth again, so the three of us – Ouma-san, Merl-san, and I – decided to go out this time. If the people find out about Ouma-san's identity, Merl-san would erase their memories and information, so it was very reassuring to have her around.

I hurriedly held back Ouma-san, who was about to run outside immediately, and warned him once again.

"Ouma-san! You can't talk when we are outside!"

"Hmm? I know. I will just need to do this anyway."

"Eh?"

Ouma-san suddenly turned his gaze to Merl-san and me and closed his mouth.

But──.

"It's okay to talk like this, right?"

"Whoa!"

This is… Is this a form of telepathy…?

What a surprise, Ouma-san's voice resonated directly into my mind!

Ouma-san's face was full of pride as he looked at us who were surprised.

"Fufun. This way, I could talk without using my mouth, you know?"

"T-that's right. …By the way, can we also talk to each other through the mind?"

"Yes. This time, I cast a spell on Yuuya and the little girl, so it will not be a problem for us to communicate in our minds while we are outside… But, unlike me, if you spend your time in silence, people will look at you strangely, won't they?"

"T-that's true too."

If we just have conversations in our minds, from the other people's perspective, we're just walking in silence. Regardless of whether to talk to Ouma-san or even Merl-san, it will look strange to the people around us if we don't talk to them either.

For now, I'll only talk to Ouma-san when I have to, and I'll try to keep the conversation in through telepathy.

"Well, whatever. The problem is solved now, right? Come on, let's go!"

"O-Ouma-san!"

As soon as we leave the house, I suddenly notice that the people around are looking at Merl-san again.

…Well, that's obvious. For all intents and purposes, she's wearing an advanced outfit that's far from modern fashion…

"Um… Merl-san. I was wondering about this yesterday… Is it possible to change that outfit?"

(Why is that? This equipment is some of the most advanced available in the universe…)

"N-no, um, I mean, on Earth, you'd look very conspicuous in that outfit…"

(Fumu… From my viewpoint, the Earthling's appearance is much more primitive and outdated.)

What the hell. From the space perspective, we're outdated. I don't know what fashion is in space.

(…Well, I guess that's fine. Now, I would like to collect a little data on the clothing around here…)

When Merl-san touched the terminal on her arm several times, there was a light electronic sound, and then suddenly, Merl-san's clothes began to glow!

"Wait… Merl-san!"

(Don't worry. I will instantly delete the memories of anyone who witnesses this scene.)

"Scary!"

As expected, space technology is scary! I'm afraid of memory manipulation and all that.

…There are no side effects to this, right? I'm getting really scared.

As I was terrified by the alien technology, the glow of Merl-san's clothes eventually subsided, and she changed into clothes that looked like something a normal woman would wear.

(I guess it's like this. I've gathered information from the Earth's network, so I don't think it's strange looking…)

"Y-yes. I don't think you'll have any problem looking like that… I didn't know space technology could do that."

(It's not a problem. This terminal collects information, and the nanomachines will automatically change my clothes to match the information.)

"I-I see. By the way, have you already erased the memories of the person who was watching you transform?"

(Yes. As a reminder, Amel's memory manipulation technology is very advanced, so manipulating memories and information will not have any negative effects on anything.)

"I-I see."

Thank goodness! I was wondering what I'd do if she said this had any side effects!

…What can I say? Merl-san and her people's technology seems to have already stepped into the realm of the gods, and in fact, almost anything that happens in the world could be solved with their technology.

However, if Merl-san and her people continue to wage war with the planet Dragonia, it will be terrible if the Earth gets involved in this…

Regardless of that, Merl-san is now dressed in a way that would be appropriate for walking around the Earth. But her hair still emits phosphorescence, so I can't say that she has completely blended in with the people of Earth…

"Hey, what are you doing? Let's get moving!"

As we were talking about Merl-san's clothes, the impatient Ouma-san urged us to hurry. We followed him as he started running.

"──Oh!"

Ouma-san's eyes lit up at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"This is the world where Yuuya lives, huh… The architecture and clothing are different from that world."

"Well, yes. Especially since Japan is prone to earthquakes, many of the buildings are designed to be resistant to earthquakes…"

"Earthquake?"

"Hmm? Does it not exist in the other world? It's like the ground shaking…"

"Mm? Of course, the ground shakes when I walk on it…" ...

"No, it's not like that… It's because the plates are overlapping deep underground, and the impact of them shifting causes the ground to shake. It's a kind of disaster."

"Oh, so there are natural disasters like that…"

It seems that there are no earthquakes in the other world, and Ouma-san had never heard of it. It was the same for Merl-san, who was listening to the conversation with great interest.

(I see. Is it a disaster unique to this planet?)

"Y-yeah, is that what it is…? Well, I don't know about other planets, so I can't say for sure…"

(Right… On our planet, there is a disaster called a "star storm" that occurs periodically.)

"Star storms?"

(Yes. I think it's the same as a tornado on Earth, but it's a disaster where asteroids drifting in space pass by in a spiral, spinning at high speed.)

"Scary!"

I think I'm going to be minced just by touching it. Are you okay with that?

The scale of disasters in space is also very different… Of course, earthquakes are also terrifying, but…

As we proceeded with this conversation, Ouma-san reacted to a car running on the road.

"Mm? Yuuya, what the hell is that? I can't feel any magic in that thing."

"It's a car, you know. It's not powered by magic; it's powered by a fuel called gasoline."

"How can it be powered by anything other than magic…?"

(Well, it's a rather primitive energy source, isn't it? Nowadays, the mainstream is using starlight as energy or even magic power…)

"Heh.. by the way, Merl-san's spaceship doesn't work with that starlight?"

(Yes, unfortunately… I don't have the parts on hand.)

Apparently, that's not going to work.

While I was talking with Merl-san and admiring the alien technology, I suddenly realized something and asked Ouma-san in my mind.

"Speaking of which, Ouma-san, aren't you interested in Merl-san's planet and the spaceship?"

Yes, Merl-san's planet is definitely more civilized than Earth's, and I think it would be much more fun than seeing Earth's civilization…

Then Ouma-san snorted.

"Hmph. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, but… It's boring."

"B-boring?"

"The little girl's planet has advanced to a level of civilization that I find hard to imagine. The technology on her planet is close to the realm of the gods."

(Right. I believe that most things can be done. With our technology, we could extend the lifespan of the people of Earth by a thousand years, and there is no such thing as death by disease on our planet.)

"Eeh?"

T-thousand years, you say…? And there is no such thing as death by disease?

The space is amazing.

"There's nothing interesting about it anymore. In comparison, this Earth where Yuuya lives is a civilization that my imagination can barely catch up with, and every single thing about it is very interesting."

"S-so, that's how it is…"

I don't know about it, but I guess a TV that can project images at a distance is just within the range of Ouma-san's imagination. It's a difficult thing to figure out. From my perspective, all the things on Earth are natural and convenient, but from Merl-san's perspective, they must all be inefficient and inconvenient. Yet, from Merl-san's perspective, these inconveniences may be exquisitely interesting. It's a realm I don't understand anymore.

So with that in mind, Ouma-san and Merl-san continued to walk happily, reacting to everything they saw, but Ouma-san's figure seemed to stand out, and people on the street looked at him with wide eyes.

"Whoa? W-what's that? That pet…"

"Wa… eh? That's the guy who appeared in the magazine, isn't it?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah!"

"What's that animal?"

"I don't know? It's like a monitor lizard, maybe?"

"I see… a monitor… lizard, huh…? I didn't know there were dragon-like reptiles like that…"

"I mean, taking a walk with a lizard like that is rare. Well, a lizard that size probably needs to be taken for a walk."

They looked at him curiously, but fortunately, they didn't seem to be disgusted by him, which was a relief. Some people were not fond of reptiles. Well I don't know if the Genesis Dragon can be classified as a reptile though.

As I was about to reassure myself, one of the people looking at me suddenly opened his mouth in displeasure.

"Don't bring your pets into the city. You're disturbing me…"

"Ah?"

At that moment, Ouma-san's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he tried to put tremendous pressure on the person who had just muttered those words!

I was so panicked that I immediately stopped him in my mind.

"Stop, Ouma-san, stop! You're supposed to be a lizard right now! And yet, if you go out of control here, you'll ruin everything!"

"But, Yuuya. That human said I was disturbing…"

"I understand how you feel, but you have to be patient here!"

"Mm… I'm annoyed, but… I'll leave it at that just this once…"

After one last glare, Ouma-san turned his head away.

Then, it seems that my restraint was just a little too late, and the man who made the remark earlier walked away quickly with a pale face. I'm really sorry…

"Ah! It's a lizard!"

"Eh?"

"Mmm?"

As we continued our walk, we attracted the attention of the people around us. A group of children from the nursery school, who also seemed to be out on a walk, noticed Ouma-san and raised their voices.

The children approached Ouma-san without fear.

"W-what is it?"

"It's Lizard-san!"

"Awesome! Cool!"

"It's so big!"

The nursery school teacher bowed her head apologetically to the bewildered Ouma-san, who was suddenly surrounded by children.

"I-I'm so sorry! The children are…"

"No, no, it's okay."

"Hey, hey! Can I touch it?"

"Me, me! I'll touch it too!"

Then the children shouted to touch Ouma-san, and the teacher looked more and more troubled.

I watched them and talked to Ouma-san in my mind.

"Hey, Ouma-san. The kids want to touch you, is that okay?"

"What? Why should I allow that?"

"But look at the kids. Look at their eyes; they're so excited…"

"Ugh?"

As I said, the children were itching to touch Ouma-san, and their eyes were shining as they stared at him.

As expected, Ouma-san couldn't bear the pure gaze of the children and nodded reluctantly.

"Eei, it can't be helped… However, you must cut it out in moderation! I still want to enjoy the Earth!"

"Thank you."

I thanked Ouma-san and told the nursery school teacher.

"It's okay to touch him. But please don't be too rough."

"I'm really sorry… Look, everyone. Let's take turns stroking it gently."

"""Yes!"""

The children responded cheerfully and took turns touching Ouma-san's body.

"Whoa! So smooth!"

"So cool! It looks like a dragon!"

"It's so thick!"

"H-hey, that's enough, isn't it? Right?"

"Well, well. Just a little more."

"No, but… Hey, kid! Don't grip my tail so hard! Oh, don't touch my horn so carelessly! You'll hurt yourself! Hey, don't get carried away!"

The arrogant and self-righteous Ouma-san faltered in front of the children. After children were satisfied with some touches, they smiled.

"Thank you, Onii-chan!"

"Bye, bye, lizard-san!"

"I'm really sorry… Thank you very much."

"No, no. I'm glad they enjoyed it too."

After waving goodbye to the children and the nursery school teachers, who bowed repeatedly, Ouma-san laid down on the spot, looking exhausted.

"T-those children are fearless… I never thought they would be so unreserved with me…"

"But weren't they cute?"

"…Well, I guess. Unlike those ugly people who have aged unnecessarily, children are pure and good. Well, there's a certain recklessness that comes with being a child."

Mmm, wasted age is… not that there aren't adults like that, but.

A few moments later, Ouma-san got up and began to walk again, regaining his composure.

"Now, we're still going. Follow me closely!"

"Yes, yes."

Merl-san and I followed Ouma-san as he continued on his way.

Part 3

Even after we parted ways with the children from the nursery school, we were often approached by people who wanted to know more about Ouma-san.

Some of them were knowledgeable about reptiles, and they would eagerly ask questions about Ouma-san, who was obviously not a creature of the Earth, but those people were having their memories of Ouma-san erased by the terminal attached to Merl-san's arm.

If left unchecked, it could lead to troublesome situations like, "New species discovered!" and I was grateful for that because it would have turned out to be troublesome. Space technology is really amazing.

While all this was going on, we decided to take a break at a nearby cafe.

Ouma-san wanted a cake, so I bought one and placed it in front of him.

There was a problem with showing Ouma-san eating the cake, so I had him wear a cloak to hide himself. However, from the other people's perspective, it would look as if the cake on the ground was disappearing by itself. Of course, I made sure that the cake would not be visible to others.

"I don't understand why it has to be hidden from view… Umu, delicious!"

(It's really delicious. In terms of nutrition, it's inefficient, and eating too much of it may be harmful to your health, but in terms of taste, it's very good.)

"I-I'm glad you like it."

Ouma-san continued to eat the cake, his mouth covered in cream.

"So, what do you want to do after this? The place is …Well, I don't think you know anything about Earth, but do you want to go somewhere?"

"Umu, yeah… I would prefer to go to a place with a lot of people."

"Eh, a place with a lot of people?"

"Yeah."

I was surprised by Ouma-san's unexpected request. I've always had the impression that he hated being in crowded places.

"Hmm? Don't get me wrong. I don't like noisy places either."

"T-then why?"

"It's simple. I thought it would be fun to go to a place where many people from this world gather."

"I see…"

At the moment, I was taking a walk around my neighborhood, but as Ouma-san said, if we went to a place with a lot of people, there would be a lot to do. I don't know what Ouma-san is really interested in, but if he wants to go, I'll just go along with it.

"I understand. Then, let's go to a place with many people."

"Umu!"

If it were really the case, I might take him to an amusement park, a zoo, or an aquarium, but as expected, it's a bit far from my house, so I'll pass this time. Besides, even if we could get into the park, there is no guarantee that I could take Ouma-san to all the attractions.

So we resumed our walk, and as Ouma-san requested, we came to a busy downtown area…

"O-oh! What's with all the people here? Is there a festival going on?"

"No, it's like this every day."

"Every day? Why?"

"W-why, you ask…?"

Well, thinking purely about it, is it because there are various shopping facilities here?

I've been thinking seriously about the reason why there are so many people in this place, and then Ouma-san spoke into my mind again.

"Hey, Yuuya! What's that?"

"Eh? Oh, that's a large screen."

What interested Ouma-san was the large TV set embedded in the wall of the building. It seemed to be broadcasting the news right now.

"Hoho… this is the kind of thing that can be found on Earth."

(When the technology gets a little more advanced, it'll turn into a hologram.)

"What's that?"

(It's a technology that creates three-dimensional images instead of just projecting them on a screen like that.)

"…I still don't understand your technology. And don't interfere with my enjoyment of the show."

(…I-I'm sorry.)

Merl-san averted her gaze awkwardly as Ouma-san glared at her.

From Merl-san's perspective, the scenery here is probably full of outdated things.

As I was thinking about this, Ouma suddenly asked me.

"By the way, Yuuya. What's a hijacking?"

"Eh?"

I was startled by the sudden outrageous word, but Ouma-san continued to stare at the large screen.

"What was that hijacking on the… large screen? The only thing that's been shown there is something about a hijacking. Is that all they're going to show?"

"N-no, not really like that, but…"

When I turned my attention to the large screen, the newscaster reported that one of the planes heading to Japan had been hijacked.

"Breaking news. Currently, a plane scheduled to arrive at XXX airport has been hijacked──."

"Hijacked."

"Seriously? Isn't that bad?"

"I mean, is that really possible?"

As the people in the surrounding area looked up at the news on the large screen, I had a bad feeling about it.

Then the newscaster confirmed my bad premonition.

"──The hijackers are demanding a ransom from the Houjou family, one of the wealthiest families in Japan, for the people on board the plane."

"!"

Houjou…? Kaori's family!

As I recall, she said her sister was supposed to be back today, but… could it be…

When I was stunned by the content of the news, Ouma-san asked me again.

"What's going on? Yuuya. And what is hijacking anyway?"

"…There are airplanes that fly in the sky carrying people on this planet, and criminals hijack them."

"I see… In other words, the airplane has been hijacked and is in trouble right now. So why are you looking so pale?"

"Err… the plane that's being hijacked right now seems to have Kaori's family, who Ouma-san has also met before, on it…"

I want to go help her somehow. But how should I do that…?

I've no way to fly in the sky. There's a chance that I could use magic, but even while I'm taking the time to do that…

"What are you thinking about? You should just go."

"But how do I get to the sky…?"

"Yuuya. Who do you think is in here?"

"Eh? ──No way!"

As my eyes widened in surprise, Ouma-san grinned at me.

"Well ─ let's enjoy the Earth's blue sky…!"

＊＊＊

──Kasumi Houjou was glaring at one of the hijackers in front of her.

Contrary to Kaori's neat and clean image, Kasumi's short haircut with outer split ends gave her a somewhat lively impression.

In contrast, the hijackers all wore ski masks and were armed with guns.

"…Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, of course I know who you are. You're the daughter of one of the world's wealthiest families, the Houjou family, which has branched out into various fields in Japan, including school management, right? And it's your father's fault for ignoring all the threatening letters we sent him. So, if we kidnap you, we can collect ransom money."

"It won't be that easy."

"Hmph. What an impolite thing to say for a rich girl."

"This is just enough for people like you."

"──Don't piss us off too much, okay? If you want to get home in one piece, that is."

"!"

With the gun pointed at her head, Kasumi wanted to cry out, but she held it back and stared at the hijacker in front of her. She lived abroad with her mother and only had the chance to see her father Tsukasa and her sister Kaori a few times a year when they were on vacation.

Although Tsukasa had told her not to come back this time because of the threatening letters that had been sent to her house, she didn't want to miss this rare opportunity to see her older sister, so she boarded the plane to Japan.

Of course, she had hired an escort to make sure everything was safe on the plane…

However, the hijackers posed not only as passengers but also as a member of the crew, and they neutralized Kasumi's escorts one after another.

Normally, Kasumi had a strong temperament like her mother, but now she was quiet. It was difficult for a junior high school student like Kasumi to remain strong in a situation where even the adults were afraid.

The man holding the gun to her head snorted as Kasumi glared at the criminal with all her might.

"Hah. That was cute. At best, you can be a hostage for us to make money."

Then another man asked a question.

"Hey, if we get the money, are we really going to give her back? I mean, she's so cute when you look at her face; what a waste, right?"

"!?"

The man let out a sigh as Kasumi stiffened in the unpleasant gaze that was suddenly directed at her.

"Hmph… I don't understand how you can lust after a kid like this. Well, I'm not saying I'm going to return her when we get the money. After getting what we want, you can do whatever you want with her."

"Hyahh! I'm getting excited!"

Kasumi stiffened more and more against the man who was giving her the vilest gaze. As the hijackers continued their despicable assault, Kasumi closed her eyes and prayed for help to arrive.

"(Father, Nee-chan, help me…!)"

It was then that Kasumi suddenly noticed the window behind her.

"(If I could just jump out of this window…)"

Even though she knew it was impossible, she couldn't help but think about it as she looked out the window… That's when it happened.

"…..Eh?"

Outside the window, she saw two people, a young man, and a woman, who were in parallel with the horizon.

"Eh, wa… Eh?"

This is in the sky, right? Why are there people? What's really happening?

Kasumi is confused.

One of them, the young man, noticed Kasumi and waved his hand to her with a wry smile.

Kasumi shook her head in panic as the young man waved his hand, catching her by surprise.

What's going on? There was a very handsome man and a woman with strange hair outside the window, but… Is it my hallucination?

As Kasumi continued to be confused on her own, the plane suddenly shook loudly.

"Kyaa!"

"W-what?"

"Hey, just fly this goddamn thing properly!"

The hijackers were also shouting at the sudden shaking when one of them came rushing from the cockpit.

"L-listen! I don't know why, but the plane has landed!"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean it landed…? We're in the sky!"

"B-but it's true! I can't control the plane at all, and it won't move from the spot as if it had landed!"

The hijackers immediately rushed to the window to look out.

Then──.

"W-what the hell is this…?"

"Hey, hey, what's this rugged land?"

"Is it even a land? It's dark purple and… doesn't look right to me!"

The commotion spread not only among the hijackers and Kasumi but also among the other passengers, leading to a huge commotion.

"Tsk… Hey, you bastards! Just go and shut the passengers up!"

"A-alright."

The moment the hijackers tried to rush to the place where the other passengers were──.

"Guaaaaahh?"

"Wa?"

One of the hijackers, who was supposed to be heading towards the passengers just now, was blown back in a big way.

While everyone was confused by the incomprehensible situation, a man approached Kasumi.

It was──.

"Ah, the guy from earlier!"

"Ah, yes."

When Kasumi pointed at him, he smiled as if he was in trouble.

Part 4

──This was before I rushed into the plane.

We moved from the downtown area to a nearby park. With a mischievous smile on his face, Ouma-san proposed a ridiculous idea: he would return to his normal size and make us ride on his back and then he would fly to the bottom of the hijacked plane.

Indeed, if he did that, we can fly through the sky without any problem, but Ouma-san's existence will definitely be exposed…

"What are you worrying about? That little girl's machine can erase human memories, anyway."

(Yes, I can erase it.)

"How can you be so casual?"

Sure, it doesn't matter if there are no side effects! But don't just talk about erasing memories so easily!

"B-but if the hijackers get out of control and crash the plane…"

"Then I would just keep it on my back."

"Wha?"

When I froze at this outrageous statement, Ouma-san continued.

"You remember why I'm this size in the first place, don't you?"

"Y-yes. It's the effect of the [Pill of Large and Small Changes]… Ah!"

"You realized? By taking that pill, I can become even bigger than my original size. If I do that, I will be able to put the plane on my back."

Ouma-san's original form was indeed more than big enough, but if he becomes even bigger… I can't imagine how it would be.

"Of course, if I just place it on my back, the wind will blow it off. I'll use my magic to keep it in place."

"Ouma-san, you're amazing!"

"Fuhahaha! I know, I know! I'm the Genesis Dragon, after all!"

"Ah, that's right!"

"Are you forgetting it?"

No, it's not that I forgot about it, but… I didn't get a chance to see much of what he's capable of as the Genesis Dragon.

"W-well, isn't that nice? Then let's go right to it!"

"Mm… You've seemed to have avoided the question somehow… but that's okay. Then, stay away for a while…!"

When Ouma-san took off his pet clothes, he grew larger and larger on the spot.

The people around us widened their eyes at the sight of Ouma-san's huge size, since he was no longer trying to hide from the people.

"W-what is that?"

"W-what the hell is going on here?"

"N-no way? A dragon?"

"Hey… take a photo!"

As everyone rushed to take pictures and videos, Merl-san jumped on the back of the enlarged Ouma-san and said plainly.

(Okay, I'll erase it then.)

"Eh ── ah…"

"H-huh…?"

The eyes of the people nearby gradually became vacant, and they began to stare blankly. Eh, there are really no side effects, right? This is really okay, isn't it?

"What are you doing? Get on my back now."

(That's right. Their consciousness is clouded by the effects of the memory manipulation right now, but if they wake up again, I'll have to erase their memories again…)

"I-I understand!"

Even if there are no side effects, it would not be good to have your memory manipulated repeatedly.

I hurriedly jumped on Ouma-san's back, and he smiled.

"Now that you're on board. Then──"

"P-please wait! If I don't hold on properly, the wind will──"

Just when I thought Ouma-san had just spread his wings… we were already above the clouds.

"N-no way…"

"Hmph. I'm not just a dragon that you can find anywhere. It's no big deal to soar into the sky like this."

(A-amazing…)

I didn't feel the movement as we flew up into the sky, and in an instant, we were above the clouds.

Merl-san seemed to be surprised and dumbfounded by this.

(W-who the heck is Ouma-san exactly…? How can he fly so high in an instant…?)

"Hmm. There is no way that others can measure who I am, you know? More importantly… I can see it now."

"Eh?"

Ouma-san's words caught my attention and I looked ahead to see a plane.

"Is that the plane that was hijacked?"

"That's right. Ouma-san, can you fly alongside it? I'd like to check the situation inside through the window…"

"Fine."

Ouma-san quietly accelerated and was instantly alongside the plane. The flight was so smooth that I didn't feel the slightest bit of the jerk.

"How's it? What's it like inside…?"

"Um…"

When I looked into the window, I saw a group of men wearing ski masks, holding guns, and walking around, clearly indicating that they were criminals.

"…Yeah, it seems that they are on this plane──"

Just as I was about to say that, I saw a girl notice us outside the window and stare at us in amazement. The girl looked so appalled that I smiled and waved my hand lightly.

The girl followed suit and waved back but then immediately shook her head. Apparently, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. I guess that's understandable. If I were in her shoes, I'd doubt my eyes and brain, too.

"Hmm? Hey, Yuuya. What's the result?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! This is the right plane!"

"I see. Then I'll immediately use binding magic to hold this plane to my back…!"

As soon as he said that, Ouma-san's figure grew larger and larger until it was so huge that it looked like an island.

Then, despite being such a giant, he moved right underneath the plane without making a sound and then floated up to the sky to put the plane on his back.

Ouma-san activated his magic to bind the plane on his back.

"…Umu. The binding was completed without any problems. You take care of the inside."

"U-understood!"

I've had Ouma-san's help up to this point. I can't afford to fail on my part.

As I approached the plane to board it, I noticed something.

"…How am I supposed to get into this plane?"

That's right; I don't have any way to get inside the plane.

If I were to simply break down the door, I could get in, but if I did that, there's a chance that the air pressure or something would suck the things out from the cabin, like in the movies.

Since Merl-san and I are able to stand on Ouma-san's back without any problems, it seems that Ouma-san has taken care of the air pressure and wind pressure, but I want to be sure.

Then, Merl-san opened his mouth.

(You just need to get inside this plane, right?)

"Eh? Ah, yes. Can you do something about it? But even if you do, I'd like to make sure there's no danger to the passengers inside…"

(Please leave this to me. Amel's technology is far ahead of this planet's.)

Space technology is so amazing. No, in this case, is it the planet Amel that's amazing? Anyway, I can only thank Merl-san for her technology.

When Merl-san lightly operated the terminal in place, something like a vortex appeared at the plane's boarding gate.

(If you dive through this, you can get inside.)

"Thank you very much!"

While thanking Merl-san, I hurriedly entered the plane and tried to get to the men with the ski masks I had seen earlier.

As I did so, I walked down the passenger corridor, and everyone's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Merl-san and me.

"W-what?"

"Where did you come from?"

Then, one of the men in a ski mask appeared from the other side of the corridor.

"Wha? Hey, why are you wandering around──"

The man said something as he held up his gun, but I didn't listen to him until the end. I closed the distance between us and unleashed a palm strike on the man's body.

"Guaaaaahhhh!"

"Wha?"

The man was blown away, breaking the walls of the plane and plunging into a certain area. There were other men in ski masks who seemed to be with the man, as well as a girl.

"Ah, the guy from before!"

"Ah, yes."

The girl pointed at me and shouted, to which I responded by raising my hand.

But when the men saw me, they all raised their guns at once. Then, one of them pulled the girl closer and pointed his gun at her.

"Hey, don't move!"

"….."

"Who are you…? Are you some kind of special forces? You've got a lot of nerve coming in here with just two people, huh? I don't know how you got here, but you need to disarm yourself and put your head on the floor. If you don't, this woman will──"

As the man said that, he brought the gun even closer to the girl, and the girl's face tightened with fear.

At that moment, I released all the power from the [Magic Attire], the Evil and [Holy King's Authority]. In an instant, I approached the man who was holding the girl hostage, and I knocked him away and took the girl in my arms.

"Gugyaaahhh!"

"Eh?"

"Are you okay?"

The girl didn't seem to understand what had happened and stared at me in a daze, but eventually, she realized her situation and nodded while her face turning red.

Huh? This girl seems to be somewhat similar to Kaori…

"Could it be that you are Kaori's…?"

"Eh!? D-do you know my sister?"

"Ah, no… ahahaha."

The girl who heard my mumbling opened her eyes and stared at me. I was just surprised that I slipped my mouth.

I laughed at the girl's reaction as if to cover it up, but I had to deal with this situation first. But for now, I'm glad she's okay.

"Merl-san, can I ask you to take care of this girl?"

(Yes, I'll take care of her.)

I left the girl in Merl-san's care and turned my gaze to the hijackers, who were stunned not only by the instantaneous rescue of the hostage but also by the defeat of their comrades.

"Are you the only people left…?"

"Wha? H-hey, you guys! Kill them now!"

"B-but the ransom…"

"It doesn't matter! The plan has failed. We're going to take them all out! Just do it!"

"Y-yeah!"

The men took up what looked like machine guns and fired mercilessly at us.

They were firing wildly without regard for the other passengers or the plane, and if they continued, they might break the plane's windows and cause damage to other passengers.

So I carefully retrieved all the bullets that had been fired.

Now that I've activated my [Magic Attire], Evil, and even [Holy King's Authority], the speed of the bullets is very slow, and I have plenty of time to collect them without causing any damage to my surroundings.

The men were shooting their bullets, and when they finally ran out of ammunition, their faces turned pale.

"H-hey, what's going on with… why are the passengers and the plane unharmed…!"

"H-he's not human… this isn't the world of manga…!"

I may indeed be unreasonable from their perspective. But if I can save someone's life, I wouldn't care for the method.

"──Haah!"

I threw away the bullets I had collected on the spot, and this time I put the men out of their consciousness one after another and finally succeeded in restraining them, including the hijackers who were in the cockpit.

Part 5

"I-I'm so tired…"

After all the hijackers were restrained, and the plane was safely secured, I quickly returned to Ouma-san's with Merl-san and left the place.

"Ah, Merl-san, I'm sorry, but can you please erase the memory of everyone there regarding Ouma-san?"

(Yes. I'll take care of it.)

"Thank you very much! Phew… That's a relief."

This should take care of the cleanup.

Ouma-san seemed to be more satisfied with the air trip than expected, and after defeating the hijackers, we returned and decided to rest at home.

"I didn't expect to move so much…"

In the end, as a result of putting the girl's safety as the top priority, I even activated the [Holy King's Authority] even though there is no Evil anymore.

"But I never thought I'd see Kaori's sister in a situation like that."

I'm glad that I could save everyone, including Kaori's sister, thanks to me activating the [Holy King's Authority].

When I was relaxing at home, Yuti came home from playing with her friends today.

"Returning home. I'm back."

"Oh, welcome back."

"…Question. Yuuya, were you on a plane today?"

"Eh?"

When I froze at the unexpected question, Yuti continued.

"I watched it. When I was playing with Haruna and the others, I heard the news. The hijacking of a plane was already a huge fuss, but now a single young man has defeated the hijackers and solved the problem."

"What?"

That's ridiculous! Merl-san certainly has the memories related to Ouma-san──.

"A… Aaaahhh! Merl-san, when I say "related to Ouma-san," it doesn't include me?"

As I shouted out, Merl-san approached me, tilting her head.

(Is there any problem?)

"Um, you erased the memory related to Ouma-san, right?"

(Yes, that's right. I completely erased all memories related to Ouma-san.)

"About Ouma-san, you say…? C-could it be, though, that about Merl-san and me…?"

(Hmm? I didn't erase it.)

"I knew it, aaaaahhh!"

In other words, she erased the memories relating to Ouma-san, who managed to bind the plane on his back and flew gracefully in the sky, but she did not erase the memory relating to me, who fought the hijackers in the plane.

"Merl-san! Please erase that memory too, right now!"

(…That's going to be difficult.)

"…..Eh?"

(Memories and records need to be erased as soon as possible after the event has taken place. This time, it can't be erased anymore since quite a lot of time has passed already…)

"N-no waaayyy!"

I was hoping for a little more help from space technology…!

"Convinced. I knew it was Yuuya."

"Ugh… W-what should I do… But, now that I think about it, I moved to a place where the passengers were so early, so they didn't see my face that much… right?"

The only people who have seen my face are the hijackers I beat and Kaori's sister, who I rescued. I-it will be fine. I believe it won't be a big deal…!

Even though deep down I felt it was too late, I told myself that.

＊＊＊

"──Kasumi!"

"Father, Nee-chan…!"

When Kasumi Houjou arrived safely at the airport, there were many people there, including the police and the media. In the midst of all this, Kasumi found her father Tsukasa and her sister Kaori first and rushed over to them.

Tsukasa hugged Kasumi tightly.

"I'm glad… I'm really glad…"

"Y-yeah… sorry for worrying you…"

Kasumi, who was usually energetic and strong-willed, was quite gloomy at this moment.

However, Tsukasa shook his head slowly and smiled warmly.

"No, I'm just glad Kasumi is safe."

"Yeah…"

"By the way, I heard that a young man defeated the hijackers?"

When Tsukasa asked, Kasumi's eyes brightened as if her earlier gloominess had been a lie.

"Yes, yes! It's amazing! A very handsome Onii-san and a strange haired Onee-san appeared out of nowhere, and the Onii-san defeated the hijackers in an instant!"

"U-ugh… It's hard to believe, but the other passengers also said they saw a young man and a girl."

Tsukasa could only groan at the unrealistic situation. But Kaori had an idea of the young man and muttered to herself in dismay.

"A woman with unusual hair…? Don't tell me… Yuuya-san…?"

"That Onii-san was so cool! I wonder if we can meet again?"

"Eh?"

Kaori reacted to Kasumi's words, which were muttered in a somewhat dreamy way.

"Hmm? Nee-chan, what's wrong?"

"Eh? I-it's nothing! More importantly, I'm really glad that Kasumi is safe…"

"Yeah, thanks, Nee-chan."

Kasumi smiled embarrassedly, as she hugged Kaori, and told her cheerfully.

"──I'm back!"

""Welcome back!""

In this way, the happiness of the Houjou family was preserved through the efforts of Yuuya.