ch61-ch80 · 077-ch77

Chapter 77: Reincarnated in Another World

Where am I?

A room I don't recognize.

A pure white room with nothing in it.

Nothing but two white doors, one in front and one behind.

Why am I here?

(If I remember right, I...)

I remember making it back to the campsite on Floor 15.

No, maybe it was Floor 14? I'd hit my limit there, and I thought I'd take a little break...

What happened again, now?

I remember being awfully cold.

So I thought I'd rest until the sun came up.

It's warm now, though.

Still, there's nothing here...

"—!"

At some point, a girl is standing right next to me.

"Mizuki? Why?"

It's my classmate, Mizuki Saori.

"Eh? Not her? The Goddess, then? Well then, I'm not wrong, am I?"

A beauty as always.

She lives up to being called the Goddess at school.

"You're saying you're not my classmate Mizuki Saori? But you're wearing a uniform, though."

Huh? I'm in a uniform too. Since when?

Why is Mizuki shaking her head?

"I don't really get it, but... Mizuki, do you have any idea what the situation is right now?"

Huh? I'm talking to her just fine.

Even though with Mizuki, I normally get so nervous I can't get the words out...

"Eh? I died? Mizuki too? Why?"

No, no, I should have had about 30 percent of my HP left.

Wait, why would Mizuki be dead, and why is she here of all places?

"Mizuki isn't dead? Oh, is that so? Eh? I'm not actually dead either? What? A mix-up? I'm here because a hole opened in the dimensional wall?"

Apparently I'm not dead, but through some mix-up, I've ended up in the world of the dead.

"That's a problem, though. I have to go back, after all..."

Why was that, again?

"I can't go back? Why? Because I'm officially registered as dead?"

"Registered as dead, therefore registered as unable to return"—unbelievable bureaucratic busywork.

"Eh? Reincarnation in another world? As a special exception, since it was a mix-up? You really do talk like a goddess, you know. Eh? You really ARE a goddess? I see—so Mizuki was a goddess all along..."

She's shaking her head again.

Is something still off?

But hold on—if I can't go back, am I even allowed to go to another world?

But something about this...

Hearing that I get to be reincarnated in another world doesn't make me happy at all.

Like I've forgotten something?

"What kind of world is it? Mm-hm, mm-hm. It has status and skills, and I can use magic there too. And if I go now, I can even receive a special skill. I see."

Ooh, right—I can't use magic.

In my new world, I'll become a mage, then.

Now for the special skill?

"Mm-hm, mm-hm. The special skill is one that connects space to space and lets you teleport? Feels like I've heard about that somewhere before."

Where was it, I wonder?

"Wh—"

Mizuki reaches out her right hand and gently brushes beside my left eye.

For a moment, my heart skips.

Huh? I can see out of my left eye now.

Though it's odd I couldn't see out of it until now, in the world of the dead of all places...

Still, Mizuki has such an exquisitely made face.

Truly a goddess.

But for some reason, she looks sad.

It's the face she sometimes shows at school, too.

If it could be helped, I'd rather she kept smiling.

I want Kasumi-san to keep smiling...

"Ah."

I remember now.

That's right.

Kasumi-san.

I have to get back to Kasumi-san.

I cleared Floor 30.

Next, I'll take Kasumi-san to Floor 30.

And then, together...

...I can't go back, can I.

Because I'm registered as dead...

I hurriedly turn my back to her.

Because I'm crying.

I thought being reincarnated in another world was supposed to feel more exciting.

I'm not happy at all.

"Isn't there a Demon Lord or something? Isn't there some way I get to go home if I defeat the Demon Lord?"

Right.

It's the standard plot.

Defeat the Demon Lord and you get to go home. That's how it always goes.

"Eh? No good? You can prepare a Demon Lord, but even if I beat it, I still can't go home? I see... Ah, no, don't bother preparing one. It would only cause trouble for the locals..."

I see... I really can't come back...

No good. I'm about to start sobbing out loud.

"...I'm going now. Take care, Mizuki. You stay well too."

I'm sorry, Kasumi-san.

I break into a run, open the white door, and step through.

"Huh?"

There's no ground.

I'm falling.

There's no bottom in sight.

I can hear Mizuki saying something.

"Eh? It wasn't this door?"

I keep falling.

Down and down, forever...

"Nooooo—"

︙

︙

I jolt awake.

"...Mizuki?"

"Mizuki?... Um, this person is alive!"

"Whoa. He is. Seriously, what is wrong with your scout skill? He's alive!"

"Whaaaaat? There was no reaction until just this second. I couldn't even hear his heartbeat...?"

"If we can't trust our scout, isn't this party kind of screwed?"

"Now, now, calm down. He's bleeding a lot—we should treat him first."

Amazing. Otherworlders.

Which means the girl in front of me is my first otherworlder.

And the first otherworlder is a bride candidate, you know.

Hmm—a swordswoman girl in light armor.

Someone dressed like that is definitely an otherworlder.

Brown hair, and hot pants under her armor?

Why are her legs out? Other worlds are wild.

These thighs, though... why do they look familiar?

"Hey. You look terrible. And there's way too much blood on your clothes. No wonder they thought you were dead. Check your status. Have you got any HP left?"

The big guy standing behind me speaks up.

"S-status? You can see it?"

"What are you on about? Of course you can. Hmm, this doesn't look good."

Well, sure, maybe in an otherworld seeing it is a given.

"Pardon me, then. 【Status】"

Name: Kasugano Haruki

Job: 【Charge Shielder】【Charge Spearman】【Scout】

Lv: 30

HP: 600/2250

MP: 0/600

Strength: 120

Endurance: 150

Agility: 105

Magic: 60

Skill: 【Gate】【Charge・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】【Charge・Spear・Aiming】【Presence Concealment】【Presence Detection】new【Scouting】【Night Vision】

Skill Points: 9

"It really showed up. As expected of another world."

"Another world? What's he on about? Hasn't this guy been off since a minute ago?"

"Now, now. So how much HP does he have left?"

"Oh, 600."

"See? Totally fine. Geez, don't scare me like that."

Under 30 percent is pretty dire, actually?!

The woman behind the big guy presses in close to look.

She's the only one with black hair.

Is black hair rare for otherworlders?

But her lips are bright red.

A thigh-baring swordswoman and a fully made-up scout, huh...

"As expected of otherworlders."

"Otherworlder? Eh? What do you mean?"

"Um... isn't HE the otherworlder? And from an otherworlder's point of view, wouldn't we be the ones who look like otherworlders?"

I see—Ms. Thighs is pretty sharp.

From the otherworlders' perspective, I'm the otherworlder, huh.

Seems I'm the abnormal one here.

"For real? Otherworlders actually exist?"

This one has a foul mouth.

A playboy by the look of him?

So other worlds have playboys too.

But they do seem to know the concept of an "otherworlder."

"What are you all going on about? He just hit his head and he's confused."

The big guy rebukes them.

"Now, now—more importantly, what about all that blood? Is it serious?"

The one who's been worrying about me this whole time is a tall, lanky man.

He's pointing at my clothes.

"It's a nosebleed. It wouldn't stop. Ah—it's stopped now, actually."

I don't know whether it's because of 【Presence Detection】, or because I've been keeping 【Presence Concealment】 and 【Night Vision】 running this whole time, but every time I cross a 'Floor Gate,' 【Presence Detection】 reactivates, and that's what brings the nosebleed back.

It seems to have stopped for now.

Huh? My left eye can see too.

I touch around above my eye—it's still swollen.

Seeing this, they must have thought I'd hit my head.

"Ah, and how does my back look? I can't see it myself."

I turn around and have them check the wound on my back.

"Eek!"

"Isn't THIS wound the scary one?!"

"Now, now, calm down. It's a clean cut, but the wound itself isn't deep. It's still bleeding, but... he's not going to die. Still, we should head back quickly and get it treated."

Seems I'm fine, then.

"I see. Is there anywhere around that treats wounds?"

"Huh? There are 【Healer】s at the Association, like always?"

"A church? Like, of the Goddess faith?"

This being another world, the church might be charging extortionate treatment fees in the Goddess's name.

"This guy is seriously messed up. Let's just hurry up and get him back."

Apparently they'll take me to the first town.

The playboy's sudden kindness.

Otherworld playboys are tsundere.

"Haruki."

Hm? Did I give my name?

And at some point, another otherworlder has appeared...

Amazing.

She looks exactly like Sato-san.