Vol-12 Ch 1 – Different World Exchange

Part 1

Although it was decided that Lexia was going to study at Ousei Academy, there were many things I couldn't do on my own. So, just as I did with Yuti, I decided to ask Kaori for advice, and after school, I approached her.

"Kaori!"

"Yuuya-san! What's wrong?"

"Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about…"

"What do you want to talk about?"

I look around, lower my voice a little and tell Kaori.

"Um… Do you remember Lexia-san and Luna?"

"Yes, of course, I remember them. Lexia-san was… the princess of the other world, right?"

"Yeah. It seems that… Lexia-san wants to study in this world…"

"Eh?"

As expected, Kaori also raised her voice, probably because she was not expecting it.

Then the people around us looked at us in surprise, and Kaori hurriedly dropped her voice.

"Study in this world… Do you mean that she will be living in this world?"

"Yes, that's right."

"U-um… We can't stop Lexia-san and the others, of course, but will it be alright? Lexia-san is a princess, isn't she…?"

"It doesn't seem to matter. Rather, Lexia-san's father, the King, has allowed it… Well, he has given me a lot of conditions."

"Conditions?"

"Yeah. I will take care of her at my house, along with Yuti."

"At Yuuya-san's house? W-why?"

The moment I said I would take care of Lexia-san and the others, Kaori rushed over to me.

But when she noticed the stares from the people around us again, she moved away from me with an embarrassed look on her face.

"I-I'm sorry… I was just surprised… B-but how did that happen?"

"It seems that the King feels it is safer if she's with me, I guess."

"That… That may be true, but…"

Kaori has a complicated expression on her face after hearing my explanation.

Well, that's just natural. Even now, I live with a girl named Yuti, and soon Lexia-san and the others will join us.

From the outside, it's natural to worry that something might go wrong.

I'm also worried about many things… and Arnold-sama told me to be very careful and not to do anything strange…

Kaori, deep in thought, eventually let out a sigh.

"Sigh… I understand. As long as the conversation has already been decided, there's nothing I can say… So, you're talking about studying abroad, but what will you do about the school?"

"Um… I don't know if it's a good idea to discuss this kind of thing… but is it possible for them to study at Ousei Academy?"

Normally, there is no way you can immediately study abroad when asked in this way.

However, if this Ousei Academy is no good, the Nittei Academy is the only other school that I know of or can introduce them to…

Lexia-san and the others said they wanted to study at the same school as me, and more importantly, Arnold-sama made it a condition of their study abroad that they be safe. In that sense, if they could attend the Ousei Academy with me, I would be able to protect Lexia-san in case something were to happen.

Besides, Lexia-san and the others were here to study abroad to learn about the culture of this planet. In that sense, Ousei Academy would be the perfect place for them to challenge themselves and experience a variety of things.

However, there is no doubt that I am asking for something reckless.

If it doesn't work, I will have to think of some other means…

When I thought so, Kaori said as if nothing was wrong.

"I understand. Then, I'll take care of the transfer procedures."

"Eh? I-is that alright?"

I was surprised at how easily she accepted my request, but she smiled at me.

"Yes. Above all, it's a request from Yuuya-san!"

"A request from me, you say… but I'm not really that important…"

No, that's not true! Thanks to Yuuya-san's active role in this school, my father also said that his work as board chairman is going well."

"Huh…"

Kaori's father, Tsukasa-san, is indeed the board chairman of Ousei Academy, but I didn't think I had any influence on that work.

"Anyway, Yuuya-san, don't worry about it! I'll take care of the formalities on my end."

"Thank you so much…!"

It is thanks to Kaori that I was able to enter this school.

I really can't stand up against Kaori…

"So, I'm going to ask you again, but I was wondering if you could help Lexia-san and the others prepare the daily necessities they will need to live in this world, just like you did with Yuti…"

"No problem! We also need to prepare our school uniforms, so let's get them together then!"

I was able to get Kaori to cooperate with me, and we made arrangements to bring Lexia-san and the others back to Earth.

＊＊＊

"Kaori! Long time no see!"

"Have you been well?"

"Lexia-san, Luna-san! Long time no see!"

Lexia-san and Luna arrived safely at the Earth through the door in my house.

The three of them were delighted to see each other after a long time. For a moment, Lexia-san looked at me and began to talk with Kaori in a hushed voice.

"…Kaori. Now that I've come to live in this world like this, I won't show any mercy to you as a rival from now on, okay?"

"Hmph! As I thought, Lexia-san is here for that reason…"

"Yes, of course!"

"That can't be true… W-well, it's one of the main reasons for her, but I hope she can learn a lot of things in this world and use them for the development of her own country."

"…I see. But I'm not going to lose, either…!"

"Yes, that's what I want!"

There seem to be some sparks flying between the three of them, but… I don't sense anything serious in that atmosphere. What in the world are they talking about…?

"Well, for the time being, we've prepared what we can in advance, so all that remains is to prepare the clothes that you two need to be measured for, such as your sizes."

"Yes, please!"

"The only clothes I have from this world are the ones I got from Mai before. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of things there will be."

I followed Kaori as she prepared the clothes for Lexia-san and Luna.

"Ara, these are so cute! What do you think, Yuuya-sama?"

"Hey, Yuuya! Not only Lexia but… M-me too…"

"U-uh… It really suits you…?"

"Geez! I wish you'd call me cute."

After trying on one outfit after another at the clothing store, Lexia-san and Luna asked for my opinion every time.

To be honest, shopping with women is a very high hurdle for me, but when I am asked to give feedback on their clothes, it is a very difficult thing for me to do.

Above all, from a few moments ago, there was a great deal of staring from those around me.

"Hey, that…"

"A-amazing! Are they celebrities?"

"They are all beautiful, and the man is handsome… Well, it's a pleasure to the eye."

"Kuh! That guy… I-I'm so jealous!"

Some of the men glared at me as if they were about to shed tears of blood, which was very scary.

I was so terrified that I could not relax as I stayed vigilant about my surroundings in case something happened to Lexia-san and the others.

Thus, as we finished shopping with my nerves on edge, the last thing to do was to try on the Ousei Academy uniforms that Kaori had prepared for them.

"Wow…! This outfit is so cute!"

"Y-yeah. Um, Kaori. Are you really going to wear this kind of clothes to school?"

"Yes, we do. If it's a different school, the uniform will be different again…"

"I see…"

"There are a lot of pretty uniforms in the academies of our world, but the uniforms of the academies attended by royalty and nobility are strangely formal, difficult to move around in, and troublesome."

"Kaori and the other students who attend the school all wear the same uniform, right?　 That part is different from ours."

"Heh…"

I was surprised at Luna's explanation.

Since it is a school, I thought there would be no major differences in appearance, only something different to represent each grade level, even if the designs were different.

But listening to Lexia-san and Luna, it seems that there are quite a few differences.

As I was thinking about this, Lexia-san smiled mischievously and turned her gaze toward me.

"So, what do you think? Does this uniform suit me?"

"O-of course, it looks good on you."

"Then… Am I cute?"

"Ugh! I-it's cute…"

"Fufu! Yuuya-sama said I'm cute! Now we have no choice but to get married!"

"Eehh?"

"You forced him to say it. In addition, he never said that you are cute. He said you were cute in your uniform."

"What did you say?"

"Ahaha… They're so lively, aren't you?"

"R-right."

Lexia-san pressed Luna and showered her with one complaint after another.

But Luna brushed Lexia-san off and did not seem to respond at all.

──This is how the preparations for Lexia-san's and Luna's study abroad program ended without incident.

Part 2

A few days after the shopping trip with Lexia-san and the others.

Thanks to Kaori's efforts to talk to Tsukasa-san about the transfer and to follow up on the procedures, it was officially decided that Lexia-san and Luna would be studying at our school.

After that, just as with Yuti, Lexia-san and Luna also acquired the [Language Comprehension] skill under Kaori's guidance before they started their school life.

As for speaking the language, apparently due to the effects of the [Doorway to Another World], it was not a problem from the start, so all they had to do was to learn to read and write.

Thinking about it, I tried to find out more about the door before Lexia-san and Luna came to visit, but I put it off until later. I need to look into it properly eventually.

And so the preparations proceeded smoothly, and finally, it was the first day of their study abroad program.

At first, Lexia was ready to study in the same class as Yuuya, but because of her age, she ended up in middle school. She cried and ended up in the same class as Yuti.

On the other hand, Luna, being the same age as Yuuya, was placed in the same class as him.

"No fair, no fair, no fair! I want to be in the same class as Yuuya-sama too!"

"Hmph… you'd better give up like a grown-up."

"Mukiii! Why is Luna in the same class as Yuuya-sama?"

"That's because we are the same age. Oops, that means Lexia is going to be my junior."

"Kiiiiii!"

After being teased a bunch, Lexia looked seriously frustrated, but in the end, she managed to swallow the reality of the situation and found her own satisfaction.

"…This can't be helped. Besides, being a junior means that… Yes! I can call Yuuya-sama Yuuya-senpai! That's just great!"

Lexia was positive to no end.

After this agonizing rebuttal, the two students decided to go to their classes, and it was their first day of school.

"Hi, everyone. Take your seats!"

Yanagi-sensei, who had been assigned as Yuti's and Lexia's homeroom teacher, asked the students to sit down in a calm tone.

"Before we start homeroom, I'd like to introduce you to a foreign student who will be joining us today."

"!?"

Yuti's classmates were astonished at the completely unexpected situation.

"A foreign exchange student! I wonder what kind of student it is?"

"I wonder if the foreign student will have different hair color like Yuti-san…"

"I'm looking forward to it!"

While each student was looking forward to the discussion, Yuti's friend Haruna called out to Yuti in an excited tone.

"Hey, hey! Sensei said it was a foreign exchange student! As a fellow foreigner, are you curious about it too, Yuti-san?"

"Hmm? Negative. I already know."

"Eh? D-do you already know the person who is coming today?"

"Affirmative."

"What kind of──"

"Yes, come in then!"

The moment Haruna was about to ask Yuti a series of questions, a female student came into the classroom after receiving a signal from Yanagi-sensei.

That student had beautiful overflowing blonde hair and clear azure eyes, and the Ousei Academy uniform fits her well.

Seeing such a student──Lexia, Yuti's class fell silent.

Overwhelmed by Lexia's presence, the silence continued, and Lexia bowed gracefully without seeming to mind it.

"Nice to meet you. I am Lexia von Arcelia. There is still a lot I don't know about this country, but I look forward to learning with you."

Then, raising her head, Lexia added as if remembering something.

"Ah, also! Yuuya-sama, who is in high school, is my fiancée! Best regards to you♪"

"Eh."

The class froze at the words told so casually.

And then──.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhh!"

A loud voice echoed through the middle school building.

＊＊＊

"Hmm!? W-what's that? It seems like a terrible misunderstanding just occurred somewhere…"

Today is Lexia-san and Luna's first day of study in Japan.

At least, there seemed to be no information about Lexia-san and Luna in the high school yet, and as the morning hours passed by as usual, I was struck by a strange chill.

While I was twisting my neck because I had no idea what the chill was, Sawada-sensei entered the class.

"Alright, I'd like to start homeroom, but there's actually a new transfer student coming into this class."

"Eehh?"

"By the way, the transfer student is a foreigner and an exchange student as well."

"Eehhhh?"

The sudden information about the foreign student caused a stir in the class.

"T-transfer student…"

"How can I put it? There seems to be a lot happening since Yuuya-kun…?"

"I was surprised at the time of Merl-san's arrival."

"I wonder what kind of student is coming?"

"It's a foreigner, isn't it? It's rare──and so was Merl-san."

While everyone was speculating about the new student they had not seen yet, Merl tilted her head.

"Is it rare to have a transfer student?"

"Hmm… it is certainly rare."

In most cases, students move from one school to another for family reasons, but I think it is unusual for high school students to transfer to another school. Unlike junior high school, each school will have its own examinations.

However, this time, rather than the rarity of the transfer students themselves, everyone seems to be surprised by the fact that transfer students are coming to this class in succession.

Normally, the classes would have been divided into more separate classes, but Kaori must have been very considerate and put everyone in the same class.

"By the way, it's someone Merl knows, too, you know?"

"Eh, is that so?"

As we were talking in this way, Sawada-sensei clapped her hands.

"Yes, yes, calm down. I can't introduce the foreign student to you until then, can I? Now, you can come in."

"──Excuse me."

Prompted by Sawada-sensei, a female student entered the room.

The girl with shining silver hair had an interesting appearance and was beautifully dressed in the uniform of Ousei Academy.

The whole class fell silent at the sight of this somewhat unrealistic beauty.

Without paying any attention to the state of the class, the girl──Luna, opened her mouth.

"I'm Luna. I'm new to all of this, but I'm looking forward to working with you."

"Yes, so Luna will be studying with you in this class from today, and I hope you'll be ready for it."

"….."

"Hey, kids? I know Luna is beautiful, and you're admiring her, but it's time for you to come back to reality."

"Huh?"

"Good grief… Right, let's decide where Luna's seat should be… You can sit next to Merl. Look, there's the blue-haired girl over there."

"I understand."

Aside from me knowing about Luna's transfer, Merl is surprised to see her.

Luna walked over to us and whispered quietly.

"Yuuya, Merl. Take care of me from now on, okay?"

"Hahaha…"

I don't know what will happen now, but I can only give a wry smile.

＊＊＊

"Lu-Luna-san! What country is Luna-san from?"

"Wow, your skin is so beautiful…"

"Hey, hey, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Have you decided what club you're going to join?"

"U-um…"

After homeroom was over and it was time for a break, many students came to Luna to ask her questions.

Luna faltered under the pressure of her classmates, not expecting them to be so interested in her.

Luna had been living her life as an assassin… and now she was being overwhelmed by other high school students of her age.

It might be very confusing for her, but this change in the environment could be a very good thing.

While I was thinking about this after observing Luna, Ryo and the others came over.

"Whew… our class often gets people who stand out in some way, doesn't it?"

"T-that's right. The first is Yuuya-kun, and then Merl-san and Luna-san…"

"Are we that conspicuous?"

"No, you're really conspicuous."

As for me, I just want to live my life in peace, but that's not always possible, and as a result, I've been involved in many events and troubles.

However, unlike in the past, I don't feel uncomfortable about this, so I'm enjoying my life as it is for what it's worth.

Then Luna finally couldn't stand the pressure of everyone and turned her gaze toward me.

"Yu-Yuuya! Help me!"

"Ah…"

"Eh?"

I had not told anyone in the class that Luna and I knew each other, although I had not been hiding it, so Luna's words startled everyone in the class.

Kaede then asked the question that represented everyone's doubts.

"C-could it be that… Yuuya-kun and Luna-san are acquaintances…?"

"Um… well, yes… I guess."

"Yes. I'm staying at Yuuya's house."

"Hey, Luna-san!"

"Eeeeeehhhhhh!?"

The whole class screamed at Luna's words.

Sheesh… this is the same thing that also happened with Yuti…!

I don't have anything to hide, but the fact that Luna is living in my house is enough information to cause misunderstandings.

In fact, everyone seemed to have started making all sorts of assumptions, and it got noisy.

"Yu-Yuuya-kun? What does it mean that Luna-san is staying with you?"

"You see… Luna is currently staying at my house, or so to say…"

"What kind of connection do you have?"

"…I-it just happened…?"

"Is that too harsh an excuse…?"

Rin gave me a puzzled look when I managed to squeeze out an answer.

That being said, I can't talk about the other world and have no way to explain it.

Then, Luna dropped another bomb, wondering what she would think when she saw Kaede's astonished look.

"By the way, Yuuya and I have quite a deep relationship."

"D-d-d-d-deep relationship!?"

"Luna-san!"

Why do you talk in such a confusing way?

It's true that we trained together in the Great Devil's Nest in the other world, but you don't have to say it like that…!

When I looked at Kaede, it seemed as if her soul had been drained from her mouth, as if she had been burned out, but everyone else's reaction was different.

"A-as expected of Yuuya-kun… I didn't know you had already made a move on Luna-san…"

"Well… It can't be helped if it's Yuuya; I guess it's understandable…"

"'Kuh! I'm so jealous… For you to have such a deep relationship with a beautiful silver-haired girl!"

"Um, it's a misunderstanding! Everyone has misunderstood me!"

I desperately tried my best to speak up and clear up everyone's misunderstandings.

Perhaps it was because of this that by the end of the break, everyone seemed convinced that Luna and I didn't have that kind of relationship.

In the end it was only that some people, such as Kaede, still seem to have doubts about it…

"I-I'm tired…"

"Mm… you don't have to deny it so desperately, do you? It's really hurting me too."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry! But it would be a problem for Luna if such misunderstandings were to occur."

I don't know what she meant by that comment, but it must have been a nuisance to Luna if someone thought of her as my lover.

"…That low self-esteem is really Yuuya's bad point."

"Eh?"

"It's nothing. Anyway! Since Yuya is the senior here. You're going to teach me a lot, okay?"

"O-okay."

──The class became lively again after welcoming Luna as a foreign exchange student.

＊＊＊

Homeroom was over, and it was time to go home.

Just as we were about to leave, Sawada-sensei announced something to the class as if she had just recalled something.

"Oh, yes, that's right. Recently, there have been some suspicious incidents here and there in the vicinity of the school, so be careful not to get involved. If you do encounter anything suspicious, be sure to call your teacher, okay?"

"Suspicious incidents?"

I twist my head, not knowing what she is talking about, and Yukine tells me.

"…Recently, there have been some strange incidents in the city, such as buildings being damaged and things that were supposed to be there disappearing. Have you heard about it?"

"I-I've never heard of that before. But that means there's someone who did it… and it was done by that suspicious person, right?"

"…I think so too, but they haven't come up with any evidence. The area that was also damaged had surveillance cameras installed, but nothing was caught on camera, and yet only things were stolen."

"T-that kind of thing… can't be true…"

How can something be stolen and the surveillance cameras don't even show the culprit?

No way, you're saying it's the work of a ghost?

Then Merl thought the same thing and denied it with an impatient look.

"I-I can't believe in such an unscientific existence. There is no such thing as a… ghost…!"

Merl may want to deny the existence of ghosts, but both Merl and I have encountered real ones in the amusement park's haunted house. I was really surprised at that time…

Well, there are people from the other world and aliens, so it's not so much of a surprise if you think about it calmly.

As I involuntarily look away, Yukine turns her gaze toward me.

"…So, I'm going to investigate this mysterious phenomenon… what do you think?"

"M-mysterious phenomenon? And you're looking into it?"

"…Since it's a big deal, why don't you and Merl-san and Luna-san join me and look into it together?"

"M-me too!?"

"Hmm… that's fine, but why me too?"

Luna has not yet become that close to Yukine, so she seems to be questioning the fact that she was invited.

"…Since you live in the same house as Yuuya, I was wondering if it would be better for us to work together. Besides, in order to investigate this mysterious phenomenon, we will look around various places in the city, and Luna-san probably doesn't know that much about this city yet, so I'll serve as your guide as well."

"I-I see."

It is true that Luna has only been in this world for a short period.

In that sense, I was grateful that we could look around the city together, regardless of whether or not we seriously investigate the mysterious phenomenon.

"If that's what you mean, I'd be grateful too. However, may I invite someone else to join us?"

"Ah, Lexia-san?"

"Yes. …It would be very noisy if she found out that I left her and went out with you."

"Hahaha…"

I could easily imagine Lexia-san complaining about it, and I couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

Yukine nodded to Luna's words.

"…It's okay, anyway, let's call on others, and we can all look around the city together."

In this way, Yukine called out to various people, and as a result, the usual group of people, such as Kaede, Rin, Ryo, and Shingo-kun, gathered together.

Part 3

My name is Lexia von Arcelia! It's nice to meet you!"

After school.

When everyone gathered to begin the investigation of the mysterious phenomenon proposed by Yukine, Lexia-san, and Yuti, whom Luna had called in advance, were present.

They also decided to ask Kaori to join the investigation team, and before long, the group had grown fairly large.

Seeing Lexia, the princess of another world, Ryo and the others squinted in dazzlement.

"A-amazing…! What is this aura…?"

"Y-yes…! I'm just standing here, but I'm overwhelmed…!"

"Hahaha…!"

It may seem a bit exaggerated, but the actual atmosphere around Lexia-san is somewhat overwhelming and makes you realize that she really is a princess.

Then, seeing such a Lexia, Kaede looked somewhat anxious.

"U-um… Lexia-san is also living in Yuuya-kun's house, correct…?"

"Oh, Y-yes. That's right, but… just like Luna, it's a homestay!"

"I understand that, but… Mmm…"

"Hahaha! Kaede, you don't have to be so pouty! You know, isn't it good if you can turn things around from here?"

"R-Rin-chan!? What do you mean by turning things around… Ah, that's right, but…!"

While such an exchange was taking place, Kaori also had a difficult expression on her face.

"…To move so boldly… does it mean that both Lexia-san and Luna-san are that serious about it…?"

"Kaori? What's wrong?"

"Ah! N-no, it's nothing at all! More importantly, it's fun to go out with everyone like this!"

"Yes, that's right. This is what Japanese JK should be all about."

"…Merl, as usual, where do you get that eccentric information from…?"

At any rate, I was looking forward to it, too, because it was a new experience for me to play after school with such a large group of people.

"But then, it would have been nice if Akira had been with us too."

"Certainly! I think he's the type of guy who wants to be a part of this kind of fun, but he's kind of busy every day!"

Akira was also invited to participate in this investigation, but he seemed to have something to do and was returning home with tears in his eyes.

Ryo was right. He always seems to be busy.

As each of us gathered in this way to deepen our friendship, Yukine opened her mouth.

"…We're all here now, so let's get going."

"Y-yeah! I'm a little scared, but with this number of people…"

"As usual, Kaede is scared. But have you decided where to go?"

"…Yeah. There's actually this mysterious phenomenon happening right next to the school, so I thought we'd go check it out there."

This time, the investigation was to find the cause of the mysterious phenomena, but it also included the purpose of showing Lexia-san and Luna around the city. There is nothing wrong with that, but I have some concerns about the mysterious phenomena.

I called out to Kuro, the 'Evil' power lurking in my body.

"(Hey, Kuro. I wonder if it's possible for an evil beast to be summoned to this world like before?)"

"Huh? Well, that's not going to happen in a normal way, though. But it has actually appeared before. It would not be surprising if it appeared in this world again by some chance."

"(As I thought…)"

I wondered if an evil beast might be involved in this mysterious phenomenon.

If the identity of the culprit was unknown even after such a public uproar, it no longer seemed as if the crime was committed by human hands.

And if it really was the work of an evil beast, I couldn't just leave it at that.

While I was making a difficult face, Yuti looked at me curiously.

"Question. What's wrong?"

"Hmm? A-ah, nothing."

"Hey, Yuuya! Let's go first."

"Yes!"

For now, I put off thinking about difficult things and followed Yukine to the site where the mysterious phenomenon had occurred.

On the way there, Lexia-san came up next to me and smiled.

"Hey, what do you think of me in my uniform? Yuuya-senpai?"

"S-senpai?"

"Isn't that right? I'm in the grade below Yuuya-sama. In that case, it's normal for me to call you 'senpai,' isn't it?"

"T-that's true, but…"

"Then I'm a senior too, Lexia."

"Luna is Luna!"

"Hey, why?"

Kaede and the others were surprised to see the two of them continue to argue, but Yuti, who was enrolled in the same middle school as Lexia-san, looked at me with a tilted head.

"Question. Yuuya, a senior?"

"Heh? W-well, in terms of position, yes…"

"Yuuya-senpai… Strange."

"Strange, you say…?"

Certainly, it is strange to be suddenly called senpai by Yuti since she had never called me senpai before.

That should be the same for Lexia-san, but from Lexia-san's point of view, she seemed to enjoy calling me senpai.

"I see… that the hierarchical relationship on Earth is formed in this way."

"No, it's not that this is the only way…"

"But you are saying that those in the grade above yours should be called senpai, right?"

"That's true, but…"

As for Merl, she was also trying to acquire a lot of information in order to somehow fit in with the Earth's culture. Whether that direction is correct or not.

After walking around happily like that, we finally arrived at our destination.

"…I believe it's somewhere around here."

It was a back alley with few pedestrians, a place I would not normally pass by.

The area was littered with trash, and to be honest, it was hard to tell that a mysterious phenomenon had occurred here.

"It's kind of a dirty place…"

"…Is this the way back alleys are in every country? It still doesn't seem as bleak as it does over there, and it's better."

"What a comparison…"

While Lexia-san frowns, Luna, who has lived in the underworld as an assassin belonging to the Dark Guild, seems to think nothing of this back alley.

As we continue down the narrow alleyway, Yukine suddenly stops.

"…Ah."

"Hii!?"

Ryo looked at the place where Yukine stopped and shouted in surprise.

Caught by the voice, we turned our gaze…

"W-what is this…?"

"Claw marks…?"

There were sharp claw marks carved into the concrete wall as if some giant creature had gone wild here.

"Hey, hey, are you telling me there's a bear in the city?"

"E-even so, isn't it too big?"

Shingo-kun was right. The claw marks were too big to be from a bear. After all, the marks left by the marks were much longer than our height.

Then Merl touched the claw marks.

After examining something, she whispered to me in a whisper so that Ryo and the others could not hear.

"…It's strange. These claw marks don't seem to match the claws of any creature on Earth that exists in my database…"

"Then again, maybe it's not an earthly creature, but the work of some otherworldly creature? That would be an evil beast or…"

"Negative. It's not the size of an evil beast. And I don't feel any remnants of 'Evil.' It's a different creature."

"I think Yuti is right. There's no sign of evil around here."

Not only Yuti but also Kuro had denied the possibility of the work of evil beasts.

In this case, it would be better to think that these claw marks were caused by another being, different from the evil beast.

If so, what kind of creature could have made these scratches…?

As I contemplated various things in front of the claw marks, Kaede, who had been quietly keeping quiet, opened her mouth.

"H-hey, why don't we go home now…? L-look! We could check it out like this! Right?"

"Kaede says, but what about Yukine?"

"…That's right. I don't think we can find out anything by looking any further."

"T-that's glad to hear…!

"Geez… If you're so scared, you shouldn't have followed us at all."

"Eehh? Rin-chan, that's terrible!"

We decided to leave the back alley as we realized that we had nothing to gain from it.

"Ara? Are we done with this place?"

"I guess so. I don't think we're going to find out anything more by staying here…"

"Hmm… I don't know about it, but are there creatures in this world that can leave those claw marks?"

"No way! I've never seen claw marks that big before!"

"Hmm? Then what are those claw marks, then?"

Lexia-san and the others seemed to find the place itself, a back alley on Earth, unusual, and looked around, but for the moment, there was no point in staying here, so we agreed to leave.

"Right! Now that we're all here, let's all go somewhere and have fun!"

"Oh! That sounds great! With this many people, maybe a sports center?"

"O-or maybe karaoke?"

While everyone was talking about what to do, we were about to leave the back alley… that's when it happened.

"!?"

Suddenly, I felt a terrible chill, and a cold sweat broke out on my back. How can I describe it? I felt an irresistible sense of disgust.

I was bewildered by the sudden situation, and it seemed that I was not the only one who was feeling this sensation.

"W-what is that?"

"Suddenly, I feel cold…"

"…Maybe we hit the jackpot?"

"What do you mean, jackpot?"

Yukine was the only one who spoke carefree, but everyone looked around and was on the lookout.

Luna was also protecting Lexia-san behind her back, and before long, she was also preparing her weapon, a string.

"…Yuuya, do you know what this presence is?"

"N-no. I've never felt this kind of presence before either…"

"I'll tell you one thing; there's no sign of an Evil beast or an evil beast."

If Kuro says so, then this chill must be caused by a totally unknown entity.

I looked at Merl, who was operating a device attached to her left arm while hiding from Ryo and the others.

"…It's strange. I don't see any particular life forms in the vicinity…"

I've been trying as well with my [Presence Detection] skill, and there are no reactions around me that seem to be that.

To get out of this situation, for the time being, we try to get out of the back alley.

At that time──.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"!?"

Suddenly, a monster we had never seen before appeared right in front of us!

The monster had the physique of a seemingly elementary school student at first glance, but its head was bald and clean, it wore no clothing on its body, its belly was greatly swollen, and its entire body was covered with reddish-black skin.

The most distinctive feature of its body is its claws, which are unusually long and sharp, disproportionately so for a childlike figure.

Because the claws were so huge, the monster in front of us was walking while dragging its claws.

The sudden appearance of this unknown monster made everyone in the place gasp in awe.

Then, the monster turned its sunken eyes toward us.

"──"

"Kuh!"

"Yuuya!"

It was almost a reflex.

As soon as I quickly thrust the bag in my hand in front of my body, the monster pierced the bag with its claws!

"Hah!

"Kii!"

After blocking the monster's attack, I threw the bag away, and at the same time, I flung myself at the monster and slammed a kick into its torso.

The monster was blown away by my kick, and I shouted to everyone while it was still in the air.

"Everyone, run!"

"R-run, you say…!"

"──Kishaaaaaa!"

"Shocked. Yuuya's kick didn't work at all!"

The monster in front of us did not seem to have suffered any damage at all, although I thought I had released the kick with a lot of force.

However, even if I tried to fight the monster, Kaede and the others would be caught in the middle of it, and I couldn't take out my sword or spear in the middle of the city.

What should I do…!

Part 4

What should I do…!

Then Merl quickly operated the device attached to her arm, and the next moment, Kaede and the others suddenly collapsed on the spot.

"H-huh? I'm suddenly sleepy…"

"I-I have to get away from here…"

The next instant, the group suddenly collapsed in this place.

"Due to an emergency situation, I have temporarily put everyone to sleep. At the same time, I have also sent out a radio signal to inhibit recognition, so it is safe to fight here!"

"Thank you…!"

Thanks to Merl, we confirmed that we could fight, and we each readied our weapons.

"Kaori, Lexia-san! You two watch over everyone who's sleeping!"

"A-alright!"

"Leave it to me!"

We were going to face the monster while the two who didn't have the strength to fight were watching Kaede and the others.

At that time, I activated my [Identification] skill…

"Wha-? It's been blocked!

I was surprised that my skill did not work.

While I was surprised, Luna shouted.

"Yuuya, it's coming!"

"Kishaaaaa!"

"At one time. We'll take it down for now."

Yuti foresaw the movement of the monster and tried to release an arrow, but…

"!? Confused. I can't predict it…?"

"Eh?"

"…Change. Shifting to a normal attack."

Unexpectedly, even Yuti's foresight could not be used, but Yuti quickly calmed her agitation and fired a sharp arrow.

However, the monster blocked the attack by using its own claws as a shield.

Moreover, even though the claw was hit when it was used as a shield, even Yuti's arrow, which flew at a furious pace, did not seem to do any damage at all.

However, the fact that the claws were huge meant that the opponent's vision was also blocked, and Luna did not miss that opportunity.

"Take this! Spiral!"

The countless threads that Luna unleashed were combined into one, and they spun at great speed, heading toward the monster.

This attack is a vicious technique that not only pierces the opponent's body but also inflicts even more damage by tearing up the inside…

"Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"What?"

The attack, which was released by precisely exploiting an opening in the monster, did indeed reach the monster's body.

However, Luna's threads did not penetrate the monster's body and dissipated on the spot.

"How can this be? My attack doesn't work?"

"Then how about this!"

Then Merl raised a small knife she had taken from somewhere and thrust it at the monster's claws.

"This is a mono-molecular knife! With this, any armor can be──"

"Kishaaaaaaa!"

"Kyaaaah!"

"Merl!"

Surprisingly, Merl's knife was repelled without being able to inflict even a scratch.

Merl was blown away by the monster's swing of its arm, but after adjusting her stance in mid-air, she landed safely.

"No way… such an attack couldn't get through at all!"

"If physical attacks don't work, then…!"

I quickly deployed my Magic Armor, clothed my body with magic power, and attacked again with the [Omni-Sword] in my hands.

I thought I could definitely finish it this time with the reinforcement from the magic power and the effect of the [Omni-Sword], but──.

"Kishaaaaaaa!"

"Kuh!"

Suddenly, the monster screamed.

The shockwave from its voice had a physical impact, causing the surrounding walls to crack and the windows of the building to shatter.

But even as I endured the shockwave, I managed to get within the monster's chest and drew my sword──.

"Eh?"

The [Omni Sword] did not slice through the monster's body but passed through it as if it had just slashed through a cloud.

In the same way, I had fought with wraiths in the other world as opponents that were ineffective using physical attacks.

However, I could inflict damage on it using the weapons inherited from Zenovis-san, such as the [Omni-Sword], or with attacks infused with magical power.

However, this monster could not be damaged even by Zenovis-san's weapons, let alone by magic power.

The [Omni-Sword] should be able to cut any object as long as the target is present, but it was as if the monster in front of us didn't exist.

If I exerted any more power, the surrounding area would be in a terrible state, so I was fighting while purposely saving my strength, but I could no longer afford to do so.

Therefore, as the remaining means, I also invoked Holy Evil Creation and divine authority and attacked the monster…

"Kishaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Not even the divine authority can get through, let alone the Holy Evil Creation…!"

Despite the fact that I had used a kind of all-powerful divine authority, to my surprise, it was completely unable to get through to the monster.

However, since the opponent's attacks could penetrate us, we were left on the defensive.

"Hey, Yuuya! We're not going to get anywhere if we keep going like this…!"

"Yes, but…!"

I couldn't think of a way out of this situation, and I was desperately trying to think of something to do.

"Ugh!"

"Yuuya!"

Suddenly, I felt a heat rising from the depths of my body.

While I was puzzled by the sudden situation, the heat gradually filled my whole body and overflowed out of my body.

Then, a strange purple aura began to rise from my body.

It was as if I was reacting to the monster in front of me…

"W-what is this…?"

I don't know why, but I felt this is the second time I manifested this power.

But I was sure I had never seen this kind of power before.

The purple aura that erupted from my body shimmered and wrapped around the [Omni-Sword] as it was.

I was surprised by the suddenness of it, but Luna and the others were watching me even more surprised.

"Yu-Yuuya… what is that power…?"

"F-for some reason, I can't stop my body from shaking…!"

"Fear. When I see that power, I shudder…"

"Eh?"

As for me, it was kind of eerie that an unidentified aura started rising from my body, but I didn't have the same feelings of fear as Luna and the others.

However, it seems that Luna and the others were not the only ones who felt fear from this aura, and the monster in front of us, which had been on the rampage, changed its behavior.

"Ki-kishaaaaaa…"

It began to back away as if frightened by this purple power.

…I don't know what's happening, but with this power…!

When I charged at it with all my strength in my hand holding the [Omni-Sword], the monster showed a sign of running away for the first time in this battle and showed its back to me.

I didn't miss that opportunity and swung down with my [Omni-Sword], and I was able to cut the monster, on which our previous attacks were ineffective, in half.

"Ki-kiki-kii──…"

And the monster, whose body had been cut, crumbled and disappeared like ashes on the spot.

"I-is it over…?"

For a while, I held up the [Omni-Sword] and remained vigilant, but there was no sign of the monster's revival.

The purple aura that covered my body just a few minutes ago disappeared as if nothing had happened.

"What in the world was that power…?"

"Yuuya-sama─!"

As I stared dumbfounded at my hands, Lexia-san and Kaori came running up to me.

"Yuuya-sama! Are you okay?"

"Eh? Ah, yes. I'm fine, but… where's Kaede and the others?"

"Kaede-san and the others are safe!"

Kaori's words brought me some relief.

But…

"This devastation… what should we do…?"

The back alley was in pretty bad shape because the fight against the monster was more difficult than expected.

"Oh, yes! Maybe I can do this much with my divine authority…"

When I activated my divine authority with thought and turned my attention to the surroundings, the surrounding walls and ground, which had been so battered and bruised, were instantly restored to their original state.

Seeing this, Lexia-san and Kaori's eyes widened.

"Yuuya-sama, when did you acquire such power?"

"T-that's amazing… Is that also magic…?"

"N-no, this is a different kind of power…"

"…You are getting stronger and stronger without me even knowing it."

Whether or not I got stronger, there was no doubt that I had acquired much power.

However, it is certain that the divine authority of me and Iris-san, and others are not as all-powerful as that of the observers living in the heavenly realm.

Observers can even create life with this divine authority, but we do not have such power.

This is probably the result of the fact that the observers had to stop being human once and for all.

But even so, it seems that even my divine authority can do things like restore buildings like this to their original state with no problem.

"Let's leave this place for now."

"Right. Let's use the anti-gravity device to carry everyone away while activating the radio waves that inhibit recognition."

If we stayed here too long, there was no guarantee that the monster would not appear again, so we slipped out of the back alley and rested in a nearby park, waiting for everyone to wake up.

"…Hmm? H-huh? Where am I?"

"Oh, you're awake?"

"Huh? Yu-Yuuya-kun!"

When I called out to Kaede, who was the first to wake up, she jumped up in a panic.

Perhaps caught by the voice, everyone else wakes up as well.

"Hmm? W-was I asleep?"

"Nn! What is it? Why am I here…?"

"A-as I recall, Yukine-san suggested that we go to see where the mysterious phenomenon occurred…"

"A-ahaaaahhh! Yes! What happened to that mysterious creature?"

Kaede looked around in a panic as she remembered that monster.

In fact, Merl had put everyone to sleep in an emergency, but the memory of seeing the monster could not be erased.

Hearing Kaede's words, Rin and the others also remembered that time and hurriedly looked around…

"H-huh? This place, the park?"

Yeah. That creature has… vanished."

"Vanished, you say…?"

"…Too bad. I wanted to take a picture."

"Unbelievable!"

For the time being, we kept it under wraps that we had defeated the monster, and the story went in the direction of the monster's spontaneous disappearance… How could Yukine say such a thing after what happened before? …She must have a lot of guts.

Anyway, after what happened, I didn't feel like hanging out anymore, so we decided to part ways here.

＊＊＊

"──That's what happened."

"Monster, huh…"

"Woof?"

"Fugoo."

"Pii!"

When I returned home, I told Ouma-san and the others about today's incident, but he looked at me in a somewhat suspicious way.

"An unknown monster, neither an evil beast nor anything else, suddenly appeared in the city? I didn't feel any such presence, you know?"

"Eh, you didn't notice it, Ouma-san?"

"Oh. Isn't it just your imagination?"

"It's not my imagination… I actually fought with it…"

Certainly, Ouma-san would be able to sense immediately if an evil beast appeared on Earth in the state of being in this house.

Even Ouma-san, who has that much power, could not detect the monster this time.

"I'm not lying! I had a pretty tough time with it!"

"T-that's right. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Affirmative."

"I can't believe it…?"

Lexia-san and the others told him so, but Ouma-san still didn't believe it.

As I tried to figure out how I could get him to believe me, that mysterious purple aura suddenly overflowed from my body!

"E-eeh? Why all of a sudden?"

"Yu-Yuuya? What is that power…?"

Ouma-san didn't seem to know about this power and looked at me with an astonished expression.

I noticed that the purple aura overflowing from my body was reacting to something.

Earlier it was shimmering as if rising from my body, but now it was flowing in that direction as if being pulled by something.

"Over here…?"

"H-hey!"

As if guided by the purple aura, I arrived at the storage room where the [Door to Another World] was placed.

There were a lot of mysterious things that Grandpa had collected in the room.

Then, I saw what looked like a very old scroll on a shelf in the storage room.

It seemed that the purple aura was responding to this scroll.

Lexia-san and the others looked at me with interest as I moved as if guided by the purple aura.

And when I reach for the scroll──.

"Hohoho! It's been a long time since I've been in this world──Cough, cough, cough! Eh, what's with all the dust?"

The purple aura and the old scroll reacted with each other, and suddenly a man appeared in the storage room.