Published: September 10, 2025
※Corrected typos on 2017/2/21.
※Partial revisions made on 2017/2/21.
※This time, the perspective is from hero Hayato.
“It seems the time that God Parion connects the worlds is limited. I’m about to go now.”
A gentle light descended from the heavens and wrapped around me.
While my companions and Satou watched over me, my body floated into the air and my vision was swallowed by the light.
I faintly heard the agonized voices of Lean and the others calling my name.
—Sorry, Lean.
I apologized to my comrades in my heart.
“Gratitude, hero.”
A voice mixed with noise, like a radio slightly out of tune, reached my ears.
This cute, childish voice was that of God Parion.
At the same time, images flowed into my mind, expressing her feelings.
Apparently, she was thankful for my demon king subjugation.
I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn’t see the young goddess’s figure through the whitewashed vision.
“Farewell, apologies.”
—Don’t worry about it. I was the one who chose this.
I shook my head at the apologetic thoughts of God Parion.
“Bliss, future, blessings.”
—Yeah, I’ll make sure to be happy enough so that Lean and the others I parted with won’t have to worry.
In response to my words, the young goddess sent back an image of a smiling face.
That’s right, children have to smile!
◇
“Where is this—”
When I came to, I was standing on stone pavement.
—The shrine grounds?
Right! This is the shrine where I was summoned.
“I’m back…”
I ran down the stairs.
I passed through the arch formed by the vermilion torii gate and dashed out onto a road smelling of exhaust fumes.
“Kyah!”
From the side, I heard a girl’s scream.
It seemed my sudden appearance startled her.
“Sorry—Tachibana!”
“—Eh? Masaki-kun?”
I found my childhood friend with a loli face—Yumiri Tachibana—and, without thinking, gently embraced her slender, young body.
“Hey, wait, Hayato-chan! This kind of thing should be in a more romantic place!”
Yumiri’s flustered words made me choke back sobs from nostalgia and I couldn’t stop crying.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Hey, Hayato-chan!”
“Yumiri, Yumiri, I’m home. I was able to come back.”
While I cried embarrassingly, Yumiri looked confused but gently held me.
◇
“Here you go, Pekari. You like it, right?”
“Ah, thanks. I never thought I’d get to drink Pekari again—”
Looking at the sports drink offered to me, tears welled up once more, and Yumiri pressed a handkerchief to my face.
Maybe because I hugged her earlier, Yumiri’s cheeks looked flushed.
“—Huh?”
“What now?”
Yumiri furrowed her brows suspiciously.
“Why are you wearing a sailor uniform?”
She didn’t have a cosplay hobby.
“You were just… (….) at school with me a moment ago, weren’t you?”
—Just now?
I stared into Yumiri’s eyes.
“W-what?”
Yumiri crossed her arms defensively in front of her body.
She seemed suspiciously agitated, but I only noticed that after I got home.
At that moment, something more important occupied my mind.
“What’s the year, month, and day now?”
“Huh?”
I grabbed Yumiri’s shoulders and asked.
“Tell me!”
“U-um… March 3rd, 2013. Want to know the time too? It’s 12:15.”
I didn’t remember the exact time, but the date was definitely correct.
Today (…) was the day I was summoned (…).
“Time magic isn’t supposed to exist though…”
“Come on, I told you to drop the chuunibyou stuff in middle school! Are you relapsing?”
Yumiri scolded me for my muttering, but I ignored her and kept patting my face.
“Are you really okay?”
“Mirror! Do you have a mirror?”
“Yes, here.”
Worried, Yumiri handed me a mirror, and I looked at my reflection.
—It was me as a high school student.
“Huh? Come to think of it, why are you wearing a suit? A part-time job interview?”
“It’s a long story—”
I felt cheerful because of the young goddess’s surprise and told Yumiri about my adventures in another world.
At first, she didn’t believe me at all, but when I crushed four coins folded into quarters using just finger strength, she was convinced.