Volume 1 - CH 3.1

‘Hero Creation Project.’

It was a large-scale project led by the sage, Alicia Edwards. (T/N: アリシア゠エドワーズ)

The plan was to produce a hero capable of killing the Witch of Calamity and send them out to the world as an agent of God. In truth, it was just the church’s attempt to gain more power by gaining the achievement of killing the witch.

But, the plan ran into various difficulties.

To begin with, gathering enough children that had talent for exorcism was difficult.

Although they managed to gather a hundred children from all over the continent, not many of them managed to survive. Some of them had their bodies broken down from the physical enhancements used for the project. Some of them had their spirits crushed because they couldn’t endure the side effects of the drugs used for the project. Some of them were ruthlessly killed by the demons during their training. Some of them were afflicted with mental traumas they couldn’t recover from.

And so, ninety nine of the children became useless and Sage Alicia almost gave up on the project. But one particular boy persisted through. He managed to grow rapidly and eventually managed to achieve the goal the sage had set.

As the boy was originally an uncultured young orphan, Sage Alicia taught the boy everything he needed to know to be a man worthy of being God’s chosen hero.

She decreed to him.

‘Vanquish evil, save others.’

And so,

God brought salvation to the world where people mourned because of the witch.

The church announced that He had chosen a hero to drive the evil witch away and save the world.

And the name of said hero was Grey Handlet.

He was the church’s masterpiece, an existence that was created only to kill the witch.

*   *   *

“…You’re such a sinful man, aren’t you?”

Shinji, who was lying his cheek on the table in front of me, said that in disgust.

“I don’t want you, of all people, to tell me that.”

I had just finished recounting what happened with Hina last night.

“Oi oi, normal childhood friends wouldn’t lay down in the same bed, under the same blanket, when they became high school students, you know?”

This was the case of a pot calling the kettle black.

“You misunderstood something. Yes, we laid down under the same blanket, but she left before we did anything else.”

“Elaborate on the ‘anything else’ part.”

“Look, we’re like family, we won’t be doing what you’re thinking about.”

“That’s what you think, she might think otherwise.”

“Of course not. Or else, why would she even get into the blanket in the first place?”

I didn’t need to prove anything to him. Yes, sometimes, I was conscious of Hina as a girl, but at the end of the day, she was like a sibling to me and I believed that she also thought the same as me.

“…This guy…”

For some reason, Shinji looked at me with a disgusted look.

“I want to beat the cr*p out of you so badly, right now.”

“What? Why?”

“Not only you’re playing with Hina’s heart, you’re playing with Shiina Mai’s heart too.”

“What the hell are you on about? I did none of that.”

“Why are all the beautiful girls flocking around you? This isn’t fair!”

“…I don’t want to hear that from you!”

He shrugged his soldiers.

“Let me set this straight, I’m more popular than you and I look better than you.”

“Oh, shut the f**k up.”

“However, why are all the prettiest looking girls flocking around you?”

I furrowed my brows. What the hell was this guy even talking about?

“I’ll spell it out for you. In our class, Shiina Mai, Kirishima Hina and Shindou Yuuka, then there’s that first year, your co-worker, Kawasaki Saya. They’re all top tier beauties and I wouldn’t doubt it if someone were to tell me that they’re actually idols.”

“How the hell do you even know about my co-worker…”

That was just creepy.

Well then again, Kawasaki went to this school too, so I guess it wouldn’t be strange for him to know her.

“Well, let’s just say that my information network is wide.”

He waved his hand, told me that he wanted to get some drinks and went outside.

I let him go without saying anything.

It was currently lunch break and I had already finished my lunch, but there was still time to spare.

…Since that was the case, should I just play a game?

I took out my phone and opened a certain RPG game.

The game felt strangely realistic to me because it was similar to my previous life.

Thanks to my memories, I had a way to enjoy the game on my own despite the differences in setting compared to my previous life.

By the way, the school forbade us to bring our phones, but they didn’t actually enforce it strictly.

Of course, if you were to use it during the classes, they would confiscate it, but if you were to use it during the lunch break like this, no one would reprimand you for it. In fact, some of my classmates were watching something on their phones for a while now.

That was why I decided to play a game today but, sadly, I couldn’t concentrate on playing because of a certain someone.

“I see. You like novels, huh? I read some famous ones sometimes too.”

“Y-Yes… I could read novels on my own, so…”

The witch was talking with Hina and I was listening silently to their conversation.

“E-Especially light novels… I love them… A-Ah, sorry, do you know what a light novel is? Y-You probably don’t know, right? I-It’s a novel with anime-esque artstyle on it… N-No, that’s not it… H-How should I describe it… U-Um, sorry, I rambled on…”

The witch started rambling on her own, but in the middle, she started stuttering and her voice faded little by little.

Hina looked at her with a wry smile and said, “You can take your time if it’s that difficult to explain.”

The witch only laughed shyly in response.

“Uwah…”

I had to remind myself that this girl was the Witch of Calamity.

After that, the conversation, though I didn’t know if I could call it as one, continued. Hina managed to skillfully handle the witch’s poor communication skill, as expected of her. If it was any other person, they’d left her the moment she started her light-speed otaku speech.

I asked Hina to take care of the witch yesterday and she said that she was planning to do it anyway. But in the end, no matter how much Hina tried to accommodate her, the situation won’t improve if her communication skill doesn’t improve anytime soon. This situation was troubling…

I hope that the witch would be able to find someone she could trust in this life.

It would be sad if she were to live under the assumption that everyone in this world was her enemy, like she did in the past.

*   *   *

As I was having difficulties keeping myself awake in classes, everything had ended for the day before I knew it.

Because I didn’t catch a cold, I decided to come to school, but my condition still wasn’t great. Though, I still could do my part-time job, no problem. Hina would probably scold me again, but it wasn’t like I’m torturing myself or anything, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Unlike my previous life, my current body was more fragile, but I only needed to adjust to it.

That aside,

“Oi, Witch, what the hell were you up to yesterday?”

When I inquired her about the familiar, the witch, who had her head propped up on the table, slowly raised her head.

“…What? Are you mad that I found out you’ve been flirting around with a first year?”

“Who’s flirting?! You know that’s not what I’m talking about! Why were you stalking me?!”

“It’s my duty as your nemesis to stalk you to learn of your weaknesses.”

“Can you stop doing that, please?”

Ignoring my complaint, the witch yawned.

“…Wait, were you sleeping? Girl, you’re just transferred in, listen to the class properly.”

“…Unlike you, I’m smart. Even if I slack off a little, I won’t get into any trouble.”

The witch rubbed her forehead and asked me,

“So, why are you bugging me? Is it about the curse again? I told you to do it once every three days, right?”

“I don’t mind if we’re doing it every day.”

“…No can do. I know that it takes a lot to even attempt to dispel that kind of curse from my body. If I don’t give you time to rest, you’ll break down. I mean, yesterday took a toll on you, didn’t it?”

She was right, my body still felt uncomfortable.

Like she said, I became like this because I was treating her curse yesterday.

But, this much fatigue was nothing. It wouldn’t hinder my daily life.

Besides, I was really worried about her condition. The curse seemed to erode more part of her soul compared to back in our previous life.

Was it really okay for us to take our time like this?

“Is everything going to be alright?”

“If I keep treating you, will you eventually get better?”

She responded to my question with silence.

I couldn’t see her expression from where I stood because she was looking downwards. After a while, she asked with an emotionless voice.

“…What if I say no?”

The witch gradually raised her face. The face that was staring at me looked like she was about to break down.

“What are you going to do if I tell you that what you’re doing is nothing more than first aid?”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll find a way to help you for real this time.”

“…What if I tell you that a way to help me exists and it requires you to sacrifice your lifespan?”

“Just that? Well, I don’t like the idea, but if that’s what it takes to save the world, yeah sure, I’ll do it. I thought it’d be something big, but if it’s just that… How are you going to do it, though? What kind of magic will you use?”

“…”

She didn’t answer me for some reason.

“Witch?”

“…Idiot, that was a rhetorical question. Things aren’t that simple.”

“Is that so? Oh well…”

“Forget about it, get away from me quickly. We’ll do the treatment again the day after tomorrow, so don’t talk to me until then. I don’t want to see your face everyday, it’s an eyesore.”

“Don’t bring my face into this!”

She snorted and left.

For some reason, she seemed to be in a bad mood. Then again, that was her default state.

“…Guess I’ll go home.”

I walked out of the classroom and went to the parking lot.

Like yesterday, it was still boiling hot outside. The intense sunlight was burning my skin.

I tried to fan myself with my hand, but it did nothing to reduce the heat.

“Are you going to work again today?”

When I was on my way, Hina called me out from behind.

“H-Hina?! I only have a four hour shift today, so I’ll be fine!”

She had already changed into her club uniform. Her smooth, juicy thighs were laid bare for me to see.

“…Why are you freaking out?”

She furrowed her brows in suspicion.

Because I was scared of her anger, I was flustered when she called out to me and that made my voice crack when I answered her question.

“Whatever. So you didn’t take a day off?”

“I mean, if I were to suddenly do that, it’ll trouble the manager…”

I didn’t want to increase the manager’s worries.

After Kawasaki decided to take a break, we became more short-staffed than we already were.

“…Please don’t overdo it.”

“I know. Don’t worry, I won’t do something that I’m unable to do.”

I didn’t really understand what Hina was trying to say to me, but I knew that she was worried about me. I mean, I’ve never pushed myself too hard. I knew my own limit.

The current me was merely an ordinary high school boy. There was a lot I couldn’t do, so I only did what I could do.

“Don’t worry too much about me, okay?”

I stroked her head.

For some reason, she went quiet after that. Come to think of it, when was the last time I patted her head?

“…W-Well, I won’t worry too much about you. You’re uselessly strong.”

She averted her gaze away with a ‘hmph’.

“What do you mean by uselessly strong? Are you mocking me?”

“I meant what I meant. All those strengths and you didn’t even join any clubs. You’re just a lump of muscle now, you know that?”

“Oh shut it! Oi, don’t punch me in the stomach!”

“Woah, your abs are as amazing as always…”

I tried to get her away from my stomach.

“Isn’t it about time for your club activities to start? Why are you dawdling here?”

Hina left the parking lot in a hurry.

She was a rowdy girl as always. Thanks to her, my days didn’t feel boring.

“…Hm.”

Then, I felt a presence behind me, so I turned around to face them.

There was a black haired girl hiding behind a tree.

Was she trying to hide or something? What the hell was she doing, anyway?

“…Whatever.”

If she was actually trying to hide, I guess I should just let her be.

I got on my bike and started pedaling leisurely.

Along the way, I passed through the residential area, wide paddy fields, various roadways and a park filled with children energetically playing around. It took five minutes for me to get to where I was from school. At that moment, I stopped my bike.

…And heard the sound of a bike falling from behind me.

When I turned around, I could see a black haired girl trying to hide her face behind a pole. There was an upside down bike near her feet.

“O-Oi, are you okay?”

I didn’t expect something like this would happen. I ran to the witch’s side in a hurry.

It seemed like she had been following me from school.

Did she seriously think that I wouldn’t notice her?

“What are you doing, even?…”

She hid her face with her hands.

“I, you, know not… Go…”

“Uh, no.”

I sighed at the witch, who muttered such dumb things with a fake voice.

“Look, even if it isn’t you, I’ll still help anyone who fells off a bike like this. They could be injured and all. C’mon, let me take a look at you.”

Reluctantly, she revealed her pouting face to me.

“…What? You want to say something to me?”

I fixed the witch’s fallen bike’s position and said,

“Of course, your stalking aside, there’s no way I won’t have something to say to you after this kind of thing happened…”

The witch suddenly crouched down, trying to hide her bleeding knee.

“I knew it, you hurt yourself.”

“This is nothing.”

“Lucky for you, the park is nearby. We can wash it off there.”

“I told you, this is nothing.”

“This is not nothing. This is not our previous life, don’t make light of small wounds like this.”

She could fix it with healing magic back then, but that simply wasn’t the case anymore.

I carried the bicycle to the park with the witch following me behind. She was unusually docile this time. Probably because she was embarrassed since she hurt herself after failing an attempt to tail me.

In any case, we couldn’t leave her wound like that, so I helped her to wash the soil off it.

“Does it hurt?”

“…I don’t feel a thing.”

Her expression didn’t change, so I’d assume that her words were true.

“Alright, it’s clean. Let me put some disinfectant on it.”

“Why are you carrying that around?”

“There’s no harm in carrying it around.”

“I know, but why? Normal people wouldn’t do that.”

“Is that so? Well, whatever, a useful thing is useful.”

“…You never change, Hero.”

“Could you stop calling me that? I don’t want people to treat me like a chuunibyou.”

Maybe I should stop calling her ‘witch’ from now on too.

“Does it matter? It’s just the two of us here.”

The witch let out a cough.

“Besides, I don’t want to call you by name. I refuse it with every fiber of my being.”

“Is that so?…”

Well, I understood her feelings. We were enemies after all.

It wasn’t like us to be overly familiar with each other. After all, we weren’t in that kind of relationship.

“Even though our status is different now, our relationship stays the same.”

The witch continued,

“Also, you’re not a hero anymore. You’re just a normal high school student. There’s no reason for you to help other people anymore. Are you still disillusioned from the fact that you used to be a hero in your past life? Is that why you’re doing all this?”

“…What are you talking about?”

I laughed at her words.

“This is just a small thing, not really something I’d consider as ‘helping’. Besides, giving first aid to someone who needs it is a normal thing to do, everyone in this country does it. This is the best thing I can do considering the circumstances too.”

“…The best thing you can do, huh?”

“…What’s with your tone?”

The witch stared right into my eyes. Her tone sounded like she saw right through me and that felt unpleasant.

Before I could ask her what was on her mind, she opened her mouth.

“I knew it. You’re still thinking that you have to help other people even when you’re reincarnated in another world. Even though you don’t have your power anymore.”

“What?”

I tried to refute her words, but I couldn’t manage to say anything else.

Maybe her words were true… All this time, I haven’t been thinking about it much.

I wanted to help people because that was the right thing to do.

Back in that world and in this world, that was always the case for me.

“…Is there a problem with that?”

Was it wrong for me to do the right thing?

I furrowed my brows as I asked her that. The witch just looked at me with a gaze that looked as if she was pitying me.

“…Your mind is still trapped in that world. And, like in that world, the word ‘Hero’ is engraved to your soul like a curse. That’s why you have that crazy obsession to help other people around you… Don’t you realize that you’re an anomaly to people in this world?”

“Crazy obsession? You’re exaggerating–”

“Look at yourself and say that again. Only lunatics would help other people without minding their own condition. Yes, there are kind people who’d help other people around them too, but they wouldn’t do more than necessary. They’d only do it to the best of their abilities. Yes, to the best of their abilities.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Don’t you realize that your standard is distorted? I thought that being reincarnated in another world would fix it, but it seems like you’re a lost cause.”

I couldn’t understand what she was talking about and what was the reason why she said all this to me.

I was raised to live as a hero, so it couldn’t be helped that my standard would be different from normal people’s standard. After all, I was born to be different from normal people. That was all there to it, nothing worth discussing at all.

“You’re right, helping people is the right thing to do, but the thing is, you don’t have to do it. That’s common sense, that’s what normal people believe… Only you would think that helping people is something that someone must do… I’ll ask you once again, you realized that you aren’t a hero anymore, right?”

The witch lowered her gaze and stared at my leg.

“Yesterday, when you helped that girl, you hurted your leg, didn’t you?”

“…What about it?”

I replied as I flopped my leg slightly. I could still feel the pain.

“Normal people wouldn’t think of doing something as reckless as you, but you did that without hesitation. I’m sure that you’ll still do it even if you know that you’re going to suffer more injuries than a mere sprained ankle.”

“…I have a good reason to do it. If she were to actually fall, her head would bump into a table. Since I could prevent it, I did it.”

Compared to someone’s life, a sprained ankle was nothing.

Even a child knew that.

“I guess you’re right.”

As if she could read my thoughts, the witch continued,

“You made the right decision at that time, but I’m sure that you’ll do the same even if you know that she’ll only get a few scratches.”

“…Stop talking as if you know me that well.”

“Oh, I know. How many times did you think we tried to kill each other in that world?”

The witch smiled widely.

“You will still do it and will continue to do the same thing even if you have to pay with your life as the price. Just like back then…”