This is a story about a boy who went everywhere. For him it was at the end of April two years ago. Like everyone else, the boy and his family were preparing to travel together after a long time before the Golden Week. After school finished, the boy was returning in a hurry because he was looking forward to the trip. But then, suddenly, something happened. He felt as if he was being sucked in or as if he was falling and the end result was that he was transferred somewhere unknown to him.
As far as the eye can see, he was surrounded by wilderness and this made him panic. His personality didn’t let him shriek or scream, although he was still dazed by this sudden turn of events. Eventually, coming to his senses, he was at a loss as to what to do next so he kept standing there in a daze. With no knowledge of survival and technology of any kind nowhere to be seen , this 13-year-old young boy wandered around. Even though he had his cellphone, there was no signal. The forest in front of him was full of plants he had never seen before.
A horned butterfly. A rabbit spewing fire. Monstrous birds the size of jet planes danced through the sky. Even though he desperately tried tricking himself into thinking that what he was seeing wasn’t real, eventually he realized all of his efforts were futile. At that moment a huge monstrous bird appeared. Overcome by fear, he ran and it was lucky that by pure chance he ran out of the forest. But this is where his luck stopped. He was relieved that he escaped the forest and the bird, but consequentially, reality hit him straight in the face. To be more precise, he had no choice but to admit it. This was a different world than the one he knew.
While he was seeing small animals, he could still deceive himself, since he doesn’t know all that exist in his world. However, it was impossible to not know of the existence of such a huge bird. There was only one thing left to do, so he finally accepted his new reality, the fact that he arrived in a different world. Walking away from the forest, he was likely to be crushed by the anxiety that rumbled inside him. Endless questions appeared in his mind.
Why did I come to a different world? What should I do now? Can I meet a person here? Would they help me if I met them? To begin with, are there any people in this world? How should I explain why am I here and what happened to me?
This train of thought only served to increase his anxiety so he forced himself to think about something else, namely, protecting himself. Yet, his mind didn’t listen so his feelings and anxiety were pushed back to a corner of his mind by a different kind of anxiety. The seed of it has been planted as soon as he thought of it and there was no taking his mind off of it. One singular question.
————Can I return?
That house. Can I return to that house where my parents and siblings wait for me?
Even though he felt great despair, at the same time he was excited, thrilled to be in this new world, grateful for a break from the boring daily routine. Thinking of it, he started feeling as a protagonist in an anime or manga, but that cooled off in a moment or so. It was out of character, him thinking that way. He wasn’t a child who dreamt of or believed in such a thing. Reflecting upon this “protagonist“ idea that surfaced in his mind, he felt it was a nice way to escape from the reality and despair of his current situation.
——No, I’m sure that it’s not necessary——-for someone to summon me to save this world.
He knew he couldn’t get drunk on such stupid ideas. Lost in his thoughts, he was relieved when he found what looked like a small rural village. But this feeling of relief and relaxation washed away in less than five minutes. Why? Because he knew Japanese, and it was natural that they use a different language here. After all, this is a different world and not a location where the knowledge and common sense of his world were used. So it was normal, and almost certain that there existed a different language in use here.
Salvation came to him in form of their appearance, since they looked like ”humans“. His communication skills were lousy and gestures didn’t seem to go through well enough. Also, there was no reason to employ a Japanese high school student with no special training or skills whatsoever. To the people in the village he was just a weak kid who couldn’t communicate.
His misfortune couldn’t get worse. The language of this world is unified. Races using different languages were hostile to humans. Translation magic exists, but it is not available in such rural villages because they don’t transmit it there. Further on, in this world where Japanese language doesn’t exist, there is no reason for it to be translated. What made it even more creepy was that his appearance was akin to their own.
In the end, he had to leave the village or better said, he was driven out. The boy’s day to day life from that point on couldn’t be called praiseworthy. There were people that helped him. He did make some acquaintances and he became friends with others. Thankfully, because of them he was able to learn the words and rules of this new world. Unfortunately, his behaviour, that of an otherworlder, led to this incident and the number of people that became unhappy or died was not limited to one or two. (Editor’s note: The incident in question is the same one from the prologue.)
This resulted in his inability to settle anywhere. Wandering around the world for 2 years, he was looking for a way to return. It’s all because he was the cause. He shouldn’t have been there. If he wasn’t there no one would have died, no one would be unfortunate. Since there was no reason why he was in this world, it was horrible for him to involve himself with anyone. He became desperate to go home, but returning to a different world, to his original one, it was always only a pipe dream here. Even with the excellent magic culture spreading daily, the wall between worlds has yet to be breached. Different knowledge and technology were needed so it could be accomplished.
Not even a single hint was found, so he couldn’t help it, he gave up. He had to give up on it. Even listening to famous scholars and magicians, even turning over the whole library with the greatest amount of books, even investigating ancient ruins, even checking all the legends. It couldn’t be found, the means to return was nowhere to be found.
From the time he made the decision to give up, a nonchalant attitude awoke in him and the boy learned the technology and knowledge to live in this new world without a problem so he could take up permanent residence here. His decision was to live quietly in seclusion. This lifestyle satisfied his newfound self. It was hard for him to discern if it was out of comfort or resignation but he hardened his resolve to live in this world.
————–And suddenly, the boy was at a loss for words. The means for him to go home have been found.
Instead of rejoicing and a feeling of pleasantness, he had a feeling that someone was pulling his leg, making a prank at him. Even though he could have built friendships, his trauma made him keep everyone at a certain length, distant from him. This distance resulted in his inability to settle down anywhere, and there was no place where he could return. As atonement for what he caused, he kept piling up good deeds which in turn only enlarged the emptiness he felt inside. Even if he wanted to run away, there was no place he could escape to. Many, many times he cried as he dreamt of his home and family.
———–I want to return
Even trivial memories of his parents and siblings raised his nostalgia and hurt like hell. No matter what he tried to do to find this way home, there was no positive feedback, so he gave up in desperation. No one could imagine the feelings of a boy prepared to do anything. In the end he was convinced it was a joke and anger started swelling up inside him. Even in this unreasonable rage, he still thought that if there was a way to return he honestly wanted to find it. At the same time a danger of staying in this world presented itself, thus further strengthening his resolve to return.
And once the boy found out his way home is inside Satan’s treasury, he———–
Satan’s soldiers stationed inside the castle were running and searching for the intruder throughout the castle. Groups were formed and blocked the entrances and exits from the castle. The castle itself was now dimly lit from a number of small windows. After cutting off all ins and outs with guards, the intruder has now become a cornered mouse. This was going on inside everyone’s heads while the masked person, the very intruder they were looking for, slipped past them as if he knew all of their moves from the start. Finally, he stopped in front of a certain place.
The huge door seemed too solid and heavy for a single assassin to open it because this peculiar door had no doorknob, handle or even a gap in the『door』. Without ever realizing it, you would simply walk by this “door“ and never know its true identity, unless you were somehow properly informed. The patterns on the wall represent the real door and the entrance to the room. With a casual wave of his hand, he threw Satan’s blood on the patterns, and the door began trembling until it finally opened. It was almost as if it welcomed him.
「…………」(Assassin)
Although he was informed about the system requiring blood beforehand, he wondered if it was that good of a crime prevention system. However, here it is, a room that doesn’t become available without the blood of Satan himself. All things aside, it is truly difficult unless there is a stronger person than Satan since it is no small feat to “wound Satan“. What he accomplished earlier, most people would shrug it off as a trick or a farce, and this assassin, regrettably, also had no self-awareness even though he pulled it off so easily.
Once the door opens enough for a single person and he enters and closes it from the inside, the room can become a safety zone. Unless Satan himself were to open it, no one would find him here.
—————But, there was still one possibility, that of a person who knows of it existence. If such a person notices the blood…
『Fu…….I’m tired』(Assassin)
He’s safe if he doesn’t make any loud noises, since only those can be heard outside. Gaining a sense of security, the assassin lets out a sigh for the first time. However, it was a neutral sound from which one couldn’t recognize neither his age nor his gender. The assassin placed his hand in front of the mask and made a movement one would make to remove it. Stunningly, the mask disappeared, and the face hiding beneath was finally revealed.
「—I sometimes forget since we’re united」(Assassin)
Complaining aloud, while sighing and turning around, it was, terrifyingly, a child. A boy of a 『Japanese』appearance with long messy black hair and dark brown eyes. Neither short nor tall, possessing a thin, slender body, this boy doesn’t have an aspiration for showing his physique. Considering his mediocre appearance, no one would take him for an assassin without his black garments. If he got mixed in a crowd, you were more than likely to lose him.
Therefore, in this room, he can’t help but be outstandingly noticeable.
The room held a number of dazzling gold and brilliant jewellery, piled up enough to fill the room. Satan’s treasure storage. The one place where generations of Satans throughout history amassed gold, wealth and various magical tools as both trump cards to use and priceless treasure. Standing in front of it, the ordinary black boy really stood out so he started looking here and there for something, in an effort to not waste more time.
「………Hey, Girou. How do you expect me to find it in THIS.」(Shin)
The floor of the treasury could not be seen from the mass of treasure accumulated inside. Straining his eyes, he saw swords, armour, and a dangerous-looking mask buried in a heap of gold. He was complaining in his mind to the man who wasn’t even here, since he has to think of a way to efficiently look for the thing. Neither gold nor silver is what this boy wants. Looking at the treasure, there was no desire for money in his heart. He felt nothing in this place where you could take all the money your heart desires.
「Before……enter and advance in a straight line….it’s there…….does that mean over that mountain of gold, haaaa」(Shin)
Looking at this mountain of gold that could last for hundreds of lifetimes, he sighs again. He ascended the golden mountain by slowly jumping and then descended on the other side. It was there as he told, his objective was waiting for him in the indicated place. Well no, it was actually enshrined.
「Everything is so simple and only that is showy」(Shin)
On top of a regal pedestal of gold lies, displayed in plain sight, an ordinary pendant. It made for a surprising contrast of proportions, in terms of wealth. The pendant had a normal chain and on its end was a clear sphere with blue liquid shaking within.
「It’s shaking?
Aaa, aren’t the soldiers working hard.
I’ll be found here ahead of schedule if I don’t hurry.」(Shin)
He shuddered from all the vibrations of soldiers that were moving around. He took the pendant and immediately wore it on his neck. It nestled next to a crescent-shaped pendant which was already on his neck. There was a spirit cloth tied in a mantle around his neck, which he neatly placed on the ground and expanded it to cover the treasures so he could stand on top of it. It had complex geometric patterns and magic was already running through it.
「Don’t worry. I’ve fixed the coordinate axis. The times I’ve done the experiments number in the tens. All that’s left is to actually transition later with this.
But still, let’s enjoy whether or not this will be successful.」(Shin)
As he muttered the explanation to someone, the boy made a tense and stiffed expression. Even though preliminary preparations are perfect, his anxiety of a failure doesn’t go away. It’s even worse since the anxiety from searching for a way home strengthens it. When he thought he couldn’t return anymore, he had given up on it but now that a way has been found, he can’t help but try it.
「……The reason isn’t this world here with its bad living conditions. It’s because it’s annoying that I’m here, when this isn’t a place where I should be.」(Shin)
In his mind he kept seeing the view of the town where he was born. Memories of his childhood. Memories of his family and home. Memories of everyday friends he was on good terms with. That’s the place where he belongs, so he clenched the two pendants and renewed his determination. This pendant was the jewel that contained massive amounts of magical power that generations upon generations of Satans have been storing inside it. As if signalling the activation, it began emitting a faint light and squeezing the magical power from within it.
「Return……I will definitely, return!!」(Shin)
He nearly lost hope and gave up from the strange floating sensation that teleportation magic had. It was his family from whom he had been separated for two years, that kept him holding on. Meet. I want to meet them. He cries in hope to meet them again, no matter what it takes. He was wrapped in light and suddenly, he disappeared.
——From the different world by the name of 「Farandia」.
…..
………..
……………………
…………………………………..
………………………………………………And finally, he arrived.
He was convinced he would certainly return. The destination he arrived in was a lonely forest near a street. His first glimmer of hope came in the form of an artificial light on that street and then he noticed the concrete road he had not touched in a long time. Then, there was a group of black-haired Japanese people that cannot be found in Farandia. License plates on SUVs with japanese numbers and signs with japanese writings. Everything was screaming 『Japanese』for certain and when it hit him, he “almost“ cried. “Almost“, because something happened out of the blue.
「Don’t move!」(Soldier)
Even the hard, coarse Japanese voice filled the boy’s heart with something. That all disappeared with the appearance of a black muzzle being pointed at him. It was amazing that he was able to feel nostalgic in this kind of situation.
What’s going on?
His heart was in turmoil between excitement and confusion at the developing situation before his eyes. It’s good that he was able to meet people and moreover, he was lucky that he returned to his motherland safely. If only there wasn’t the fact that he was surrounded by the JSDF upon his return. (Editor’s note: JSDF = Japanese Self Defense Forces)
「2218, we’re taking you in under suspicion of crossing worlds without permission.」(Soldier)
——What!?
——In April this year, the boy returned. Unfortunately for him, fortunately for the world—–
Time will fly a little bit from here.