The Hero Who Saved Another World Returns to the Real World
The end of summer during my first year of high school.
On the morning of September 1st, the second semester began, marking the end of the blissful summer vacation and the return to the usual dull gray days of high school life.
I—Oda Shuhei—was suddenly summoned to another world and crossed dimensions.
The world I was summoned to resembled medieval Europe and was called “Orphermaus.”
There, I became a hero, fought intense battles for five years, and defeated the Demon King Canaan, saving the world.
A few days after a grand ceremony celebrating the Demon King’s defeat and the restoration of peace, I found myself in the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.
A massive magic circle was drawn beneath my feet.
“So, Hero-sama, you’re really going to return to your original world, after all.”
Riena, the goddess’s priestess who had traveled with me for five years on the journey to defeat the Demon King, said this with a sorrowful expression, her soft blonde hair swaying.
Despite her youth, Riena was the highest-ranking priestess, capable of receiving divine revelations from the goddess Athena to guide the future.
She was also the one who had summoned me to this world five years ago in accordance with Athena’s divine prophecy.
The white priestess uniform, which clung to her figure in ways that made it hard to know where to look, perfectly complemented her stunningly well-proportioned body.
“I’m sorry, Riena. But I have to return to my original world.”
“I see...”
“I’m an only child. I didn’t have many good memories in that world, but I still don’t want to make my father and mother sad.”
If I, their only child, were to remain here, presumably missing in the original world, my parents would probably grieve until their deaths.
“Your resolve seems firm. I understand. Family bonds are incredibly important, aren’t they? Don’t worry; I’ll take responsibility and raise our child properly.”
“Wait, what!? We didn’t have that kind of relationship! As the hero and the priestess who guided me under the goddess Athena’s prophecy, our relationship was pure, right!?”
“I’ve had feelings for you since the day we met. But I kept them hidden because I thought they’d distract us during the battles.”
“Is that so... Well, I also thought you were amazing, Riena. But I’m sorry. I still have to return to my original world—to Japan.”
“Yes, I understand.”
For a while, Riena and I silently stared at each other.
Memories of the past five years flashed before my eyes like a kaleidoscope.
As soon as I was summoned by Riena, I drew the legendary Holy Sword [Strelka], which only a hero could wield.
After that, I defeated monsters in various places and reclaimed territory for humanity.
I even defeated the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings, and finally, after a fierce battle, I slew the Demon King Canaan, the enemy of humanity.
And through it all, Riena was by my side, supporting me every step of the way.
The summoning magic circle began to emit a pure white light.
The time to part from this world, where I had spent five years, and from Riena, who had shared the journey with me, was approaching.
“Riena, thank you for everything. I couldn’t have defeated the Demon King without you. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Oh, please, what are you saying? If anyone should be thankful, it’s us. We summoned you and asked you to defeat the Demon King, after all.”
“Haha, now that you mention it, you’re right.”
“On behalf of this world, let me express our eternal gratitude to the great hero one more time. Truly, thank you, Hero-sama. I will never forget your kindness.”
My body began to feel weightless.
It was a nostalgic sensation, reminiscent of when I first arrived in this world five years ago.
At the same time, Riena’s figure began to fade.
The ultra-high-difficulty teleportation forbidden magic that transfers someone to another world was activated, and distortions appeared in spacetime.
“Goodbye, Riena! Take care!”
“You too, Hero-sama! Please stay well in your original world! May the great goddess Athena’s blessings and guidance be with you!”
And so,
With Riena’s smile, I crossed worlds once more—
—The weightless sensation faded, and when I opened my eyes, I was in my old bedroom. It was filled with nostalgia, a place I hadn’t seen in five years but had been so familiar to me before.
I quickly checked the smartphone on the desk.
The display read September 1st, 202X, 7:15 a.m.
“Wait, isn’t this the exact day I was transported to the other world? Does this mean no time has passed?”
Looking over my body,
“My body has reverted to how it was five years ago? No, I was a skinny club member back then, but now I’m muscular. My knowledge and physical capabilities as a hero remain, but my physical age has regressed by five years.”
It was a bit too convenient a situation, probably a bonus from the great goddess Athena as a reward for saving the world.
“But yeah, if I suddenly appeared as a 20-year-old, my parents would be surprised.”
I couldn’t help but feel grateful for this consideration.
Out of curiosity, I concentrated lightly and chanted an incantation.
“Goddess Athena, grant me the power of the hero who repels evil—[Goddess Breath].”
A faint silvery aura enveloped my entire body, and the immense power of the hero coursed through me.
“So I can use my hero skills in this world too? Is this also part of the reward?”
In Orphermaus, I had received a powerful blessing from the goddess Athena, which manifested as various hero skills.
[Goddess Breath] was the strongest among them, a combat skill that represented the hero’s power itself.
It seemed that the hero’s power granted by Athena was still intact, even after returning to this world.
Maybe it was thanks to Riena’s prayers as we parted ways.
“But doesn’t this mean I’ve brought otherworldly skills to the real world—isn’t this a cheat?”
Moreover, my skills as the hero who saved a world were literally the strongest.
Running 100 meters in just five seconds, jumping 20 meters effortlessly, and pulverizing a giant boulder with a single punch—these abilities were undeniably top-tier cheats.
It seemed the Holy Sword [Strelka] hadn’t come along, though.
“Well, even if I had the Holy Sword, I’d just get arrested for violating weapons laws. This world doesn’t have any demon kings requiring a Holy Sword anyway, so it’s unnecessary.”
A Holy Sword would be wasted in Japan.
Let the next hero who receives a divine prophecy inherit it.
“After all, I fought as a hero for five years in another world. I think I deserve to take it easy for a while in this world.”
—Just then,
“Shuhei, how long are you going to sleep? Today’s the start of the second semester. You’ll be late for the opening ceremony if you don’t get up soon.”
My mother’s familiar voice called out, and without knocking, she opened my door and came in.