Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 16

 Chapter 16: I Was Asked to Hunt a Monster (Part 1)

"Phew..."

After homeroom ended, I somehow managed to escape from my classmates, who had been crowding around me.

With the note from Kuon Kyori in hand, I headed to the location she had written down.

"So this is the place..."

The destination was a small room tucked away in the corner of the club building.

On the door, in modest lettering, were the words "Literature Club."

Wait, our school had a Literature Club?

"Alright..."

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me..."

As I cautiously opened the door, Kuon Kyori was there, sitting seiza-style on a tatami mat in the back of the room.

Uh... what should I do here?

Should I take off my shoes and sit seiza-style too?

No, wait—what's the point of this meeting in the first place?

As these thoughts ran through my head, Kyori suddenly bowed deeply, placing three fingers on the floor.

"Thank you so much for saving me last night."

...Huh?

Wait. What?

How does she know it was me?

"Your watch."

Still puzzled, I followed her gaze as she pointed at my bag.

"The digital watch you brought today is the same one the person who saved me last night was wearing. And that alarm—it was the same sound."

"Ahh..."

Now that she mentioned it, it finally clicked.

I had worn that digital watch to alert me when my recognition-blocking magic would wear off.

If I only needed to check the time, a phone would’ve been fine.

But since I was doing reckless stuff, I figured a watch would be more durable in case of any trouble.

...Well, guess that backfired on me.

"Yeah, I was the one who saved you yesterday. So, did you call me here just to say thanks?"

"That’s..."

If it was just to thank me, she could’ve done that in the classroom without revealing the whole truth.

Sure, maybe she didn’t want to draw attention, but if that were the case, she wouldn’t have boldly slipped me a note like that.

In other words—there was another reason she called me here.

"…You’re right. It wouldn’t be fair to deceive you now."

Saying that, Kyori deeply bowed her head once more.

"Please. Lend me your strength to hunt down the youma (monsters) infesting this town!"

And with that, she begged for my help.

◇◇◇

According to legend, this country has been home to various youma (monsters) since ancient times.

These creatures thrived on human fear, growing their territories by preying on people.

To fight against them, some individuals gained special powers, becoming what is known as exorcists (taimashi).

Kuon Kyori was a descendant of an exorcist clan and had been fighting youma in secret, night after night.

And now, a powerful youma, recently freed from its seal, was hiding somewhere in this town.

"I don’t have the power to defeat it in my current state. Please, will you help me protect this city? Of course, I will compensate you."

Wait… this world is that packed with fantasy elements?

I mean, sure, I saw it with my own eyes, so I guess Kyori’s story is legit…

(‘Appraisal’)

───

Kuon Kyori | Human | 16 years old

Status: Minor cuts and bruises on arms, knees, and shoulders. Sweating. In a state of extreme tension.

Additional Info: Sustained injuries and exhaustion from battling an oni, as per orders from her clan.

Currently feeling anxious about whether her story will be believed or if she will be perceived as a threat and killed.

───

Judging by these results, she isn’t lying or trying to trick me.

At the very least, she is an abnormal existence, someone tied to the fantasy side of things, and one of the few people who now know about my abilities.

For now, it might be a good idea to cooperate—partially to keep an eye on her and anyone else like her.

And if things get dicey…

"Alright. I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I’ll do what I can."

"Really!? Thank you so much!"

Hearing my response, Kyori's tense expression softened with relief.

"That said… I need to confirm something. You are human, right?"

For a moment, I didn’t understand the question.

But then, recalling what she had witnessed me do, her words made sense.

After all, a normal person wouldn’t be able to:

Summon ice out of nowhere,

Uppercut a creature weighing several hundred kilograms into the air,

Teleport instantly to another location.

So, of course, she’d be suspicious.

"I consider myself a pure human, through and through."

"Then… how do you possess such power?"

Well… considering she's part of the supernatural world, she should be safe to confide in.

She probably wouldn’t go around screaming about it either.

"Do you remember the gas explosion incident at ■■ Middle School two years ago?"

"Yes. It was all over the news. I recall… 25 students lost their lives."

"Yeah. But that’s not the truth. That day, every student in that classroom—except for me—was summoned to another world."

"…Another world?"

Kuon looked completely bewildered, as if she couldn’t make sense of what I was saying.

Well, I guess that’s understandable.

If someone suddenly told me, “I was summoned to another world,” I’d be just as confused.

"Kuon, have you ever played an RPG before?"

"Uh… I’ve never played one myself, but I do know they’re games where you defeat monsters, get stronger, and go fight the Demon Lord."

"Good, that makes this easier to explain. The world I was about to be summoned to… was exactly like one of those games. A world with skills, stats, and a Demon Lord, just like in an RPG."

She must have started to grasp what I was trying to say.

With an expression of shock and disbelief, Kuon looked at me.

"On that day, while everyone else was summoned to another world… for some reason, I was left behind. But in exchange, I gained something—game-like stats, skills, and the power to level up."

After saying that, I activated ‘Item Box’ and pulled out a sports drink.

Taking a sip, I quenched my dry throat as Kuon stared at me in stunned silence.

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