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Volume 6 Chapter 146

Return and Reincarnation

I returned to the white realm.
Before me stood the Creator God and the Goddess of Memory.
「It seems you parted safely」
「Yes, thank you very much」
「It’s alright for Tina’s memories to remain as they are?」
「Yes, she said she won’t forget me」
「Hehe, I understand. It’s good that Tina’s devoted to you」
「Haruto, you said you’ll come back to this world again…… but I have no such plans. Transferring the same individual multiple times wears down their soul, you see」
「Oh, well……. I think it should be okay」
Only the Creator God can transfer individuals to another world. If the Creator God doesn’t transfer me, then there’s no possibility of me coming here again.
However, when I reunited with Tina,『I』 had a strong intuition that 『I』 would definitely return to this world.
「I see. Well, if you do come back, it’s possible that when you die, the god of the other world might send your soul back here」
Is something like that really possible?
Although I can’t use my intuition right now, I have a feeling that 『I』might be able to return this way.
「Even if you come back, you won’t be able to inherit your status as a hero. But you’ve saved the world I love and helped many people. So, I’ll grant you a little bit of my blessing」
「Oh, thank you!」
「Don’t get too excited. It’s not a powerful blessing since I can’t put too much on you, not knowing when you’ll arrive」
「That’s fine. By the way, what kind of blessing will you give me?」
「Well, hmm, I’ve already said plenty. Just keep looking forward to it when you return to this world」
After that,『I』 returned to the original world with the help of the Creator God.

──＊＊＊──

Familiar park.
A familiar group of four was walking towards me.
That group—- consisting of Takato and others, whom『I』fought alongside in the other world for about half a year, walked by in silence.
At this time,『I』had lost the memory of being in the other world for three years. Takato and the others had their memories of the other world sealed by the Creator God.
I turned around somehow.
Takato was looking at me too
Our eyes met.
A few seconds later, we turned towards our respective paths.
「Takato, what’s wrong?」
「Well, somehow… a little」
「Is your body trembling? Are you okay?」
「I think I’m okay」
「Y-You’re sweating like crazy!」
「I wonder… Lately, I’ve been having dreams where someone punches me with a force that could make half of my face disappear」
「「「Wha-What!?」」」
── I heard such a conversation from behind.
「Having half of your face disappear, isn’t that dangerous?」
I unintentionally murmured.
Completely forgetting that『I』was the one who did it.
I continued walking home without looking back.
I stopped at a pedestrian crossing. On the other side of the road, a five-year-old girl stood.
The girl was dressed entirely in black clothes, and for some reason—- I couldn’t remember her face well.
When the pedestrian signal turned green, I proceeded.
I passed by the girl in black.
The girl stopped at the pedestrian crossing.
As『I』crossed the pedestrian crossing, I glanced back at her. She was still standing around the middle of the crossing.
── Seriously!?
『I』started running.
Because a car was approaching the girl at full speed.
Even though the traffic signal on the car’s side was red, it was coming at a speed that would never allow it to stop before the pedestrian crossing.
I dashed towards the pedestrian crossing to push the girl out of the way. Although she fell forward, she managed to reach the pavement. I hope she isn’t injured……
Meanwhile,『I』was──
The car was getting closer to me.
I felt like I was experiencing that slow-motion thing where the world slows down just before you die.
I could see inside the car.
The driver was asleep.
Damn it! Falling asleep while driving!?
No wonder the car didn’t slow down despite me jumping in its way.
As the mass of metal approached, I at least tried to turn my gaze to check on the girl I saved.
The girl who had fallen to the ground had raised her upper body and was looking at me.
I was relieved that she didn’t seem to be hurt.
Just hen I thought that──
「Giggle」
A sound filled with so much malice that it didn’t seem of this world leaked from the girl’s mouth.
That was the last thing 『I』 heard before my consciousness faded.

──＊＊＊──

I found myself in a completely white space.
In front of me was the Goddess of Memory.
I regained the memories that I had handed over to the goddess.
By receiving the returned memories from the goddess and recalling my own memories, I finally understood.
I was the 『Guardian Hero』.
The『hero』that Tina had fallen in love with.
And I was reborn in this world soon after returning to my world, having been killed・by・the・Evil・God・and・reincarnated.
Just a little while had passed in my world, but it seemed like a hundred years had passed here.
「Welcome back, Haruto」
「Goddess, I…….」
「Yes, I can only say my condolences」
I was consoled by the goddess with pity in her eyes. She was probably referring to the fact that I had died soon after returning to my world.
Perhaps she thought I held a grudge against the Evil God.
No, that’s not it.
What I want to say to the Evil God right now is just one word.
『Thanks』.
The・Evil・God・allowed ・me・to・be・reborn.
Allowed me to reunite with Tina.
Gave me time to spend with Tina.
Gave me another chance to have Tina fall in love with me.
So, right now—- I only feel gratitude.
Even though I was scared of dying, if I ever meet the Evil God, I’ll say, 『Thank you!』 and knock his lights out.
Anyway, I was happy.
The Guardian Hero was Haruto, and Haruto was me, and I was the Guardian Hero.
Yeah, I don’t really understand when I say it myself, but I was just so happy to realize that 『I』 was the one Tina loved in this world.
When I heard that Tina liked the Guardian Hero, I admit I was pretty jealous.
But now, I understood that the Guardian Hero she liked was me.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
「It seems…… you look happy」
「Yes!」
「Well, that’s good. But, um, I’ll return this as well」
Saying that, the goddess handed me two rings. The rings I made from Hihiirokane.
「Is that okay?」
「Yeah. I only kept them to prevent Tina from remembering your name」
「Thank you!」
「Then, your contract with me is over now. Stay well」