The Hero Who Returned Remains the Strongest in the Modern World - Chapter 97

Side: Morishita Maria

—I’ve been bullied in the past.

I was the type of child that would sit in the corner of the classroom alone and draw manga.

And then, when I was around 6th year in primary school I was hospitalized for half a year due to lung disease.

It wasn’t a serious condition however, it was a bit of a complicated disease so to recover completely I needed to completely rest… Such was the step taken.

So, I always drew pictures in my sketchbook even in the hospital room.

I had nothing else to do so if I could just draw then it was fine, well it certainly was more enjoyable than going to school and being bullied…

And then, a certain day after two weeks passing from hospitalization.

“Oi, you.”

A girl from the next bed to mine had called me out.

She was three years older than me… She was in her 2nd year of junior high school. She should’ve been one year younger than my Onii-chan.

“What?”

“Aren’t you tired of drawing every day?”

“I’m not tired.”

“Fuun… Can you let me see it?”

She received my sketchbook, and flipped the pages that were filled with words.

“Anime sketchings… is it?”

“Strange, isn’t it? Everyone in class is saying it’s gross.”

“No, I don’t think that.”

“Why?”

“You like this, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“I won’t berate something which people love seriously.”

I felt my heart throbbing fast and it like it was grabbed by those words.

“But, I’m extremely clumsy and I’m being made fun of by everyone in class.”

“Despite that, you didn’t quit drawing. You didn’t give up on what you loved. Am I wrong?”

After thinking for a bit, I said.

“Well, it ended up like that somehow.”

She said with a huge smile to my words.

“I think that’s worthy of admiration.”

“But, I’m extremely clumsy? I think that I have no talent either.”

“Talent… Hey, what’s your name?”

I thought for a bit and then I told her my name.

“It is Morishita Maria.”

“Hey, Maria-chan?”

“Don’t quit what you love. Isn’t that what people call talent?”

My heart was once again grabbed.

「……」

“Tears? Hey, what’s wrong?”

That’s right, somehow from her words I was filled with emotions and tears came out.

“Nobody had said that to me…”

“Un…”

“If I say my feelings honestly now… I think I’m happy…”

“Is that so?”

「……」

「……」

“Ehm, Onee-san? What’s your name?”

“Maki… Sakanoue Maki.”

“Is it okay to call you Maki-ane from now won?”

There may have been a rise in my tension.

Truthfully, I was happy.

Anyhow, I said those words to Sakanoue.

After that.

Several days later, I found that Maki-ane has leukemia.

Her condition was considerably bad and then three months later she had to be placed in the ICU.

I can say that reality is stranger than novels because after several days of being discharged from the hospital I was met with a traffic accident.

I was hit by a truck and crashed my abdomen on the guardrail several dozen meters behind me.

I checked that my internal organs were broken and I was aware of death looming, and then—-

Before my eyes the God of Death appeared.

“Kishishi… I’m Domin, mokyu. If you become a magical girl then I can save the current you.”

A bear mascot-like doll… No, there was clearly a mascot standing.

“Now, do you want to live, moki? Or do you want to die, moki?”

The mascot was smiling adorably.

I saw my own abdomen—My internal organs had been spilled out and it wouldn’t be long.

Now, this is disturbing.

What’s disturbing, it’s the numbness spreading from the abdomen without feeling pain.

Aah, this is not good.

I’ve already gone past where pain is the indicator that your life is in danger.

That’s why, numbness is being signaled to the brain.

Due to that goosebumps ran up my whole body.

Basically, I understood that certainly death was nearing.

While spitting blood I spoke.

“I want to live… I.. don’t want… to die yet.”

“Do you understand that you’ll live as a Magical Girl?”

I don’t know at all what he’s talking about.

Even… If this is the devil’s contract.

I nodded clearly to the mascot that called himself Domin.

“I’ve heard and will fulfill your wish. From today onwards you’re a Magical Girl.”

At the same time the mascot Domin finished talking my internal organs that should’ve been spilled out were restored in a blink of an eye, and then—

—I don’t understand how much time has passed but, a girl that appeared all of a sudden at the traffic incident and was looking at the collapsed me sadly.

“Maki…ane?”

“You came to this world, too.”

“How? Maki-ane’s leukemia…”

*Furu, furu* Maki-ane shook her head left and right.

“Yeah, certainly to the public I’ve achieved a miraculous recovery. But, the reality is… I’ve survived in exchange for bargaining my soul away to the Devil… Is what it is.”

“Devil?”

Maki-ane was looking at the Mascot Domin like it was filth.

“Haha, I’m the Devil? That is unthinkable. You do remember that I saved your life?”

“You appall me. Those who know the importance of life are why they are so attached to it. That’s why you scouted me when I was being sent to the terminal room.”

“Hey, hey, rather than won’t you give a lecture to the new recruit?”

Maki-ane made an indescribable expression.

“There’s that, too. Welcome to the world of Magical Girls—”

Maki-ane shook her head left and right in acceptance.

“No, to the world of human shuras.”

She said only that and laughed sadly.

I’m going on vacation from tomorrow till the 10th so there won’t be any chapters till I come back.