Next———– After seeing off the departing Takao sisters, Kashima turned her face toward me.

[Hmm…… how should I put it…… ever since we were summoned until today, Hijiri-san has always felt very much like “Hijiri-san”, you know? Ah, of course, compared to when you were in our original world, I do feel like you’ve become a lot easier to talk to but……]

[From my perspective though, you’ve changed quite a bit too, Kashima.]

[R- Really? But to me, Mimori-kun also feels like——– your overall impression has changed a lot……?]

[In my case, this is more like my true nature showing.]

[Ah, but, you know!? Both versions of you are still properly “Mimori-kun” to me!?]

Thereupon, Kashima formed a somewhat complicated smile.

Like she was hesitating over whether to ask something———-

“But maybe I’ll gather my courage and ask anyway.”

That was the kind of expression she had.

[———-Hey, Mimori-kun. Do you think…… people can change?]

[Are you talking about Sogou?]

[No…… I mean something broader than that.]

[……Hard to say. I think a person’s true nature———- what they are at their core doesn’t really change that easily. Especially the fundamental part.]

When I answered so———- Kashima’s smile grew even more complex.

[……Was that a strange answer?]

[Ah! S- Sorry…… no, that’s not it! Um———]

Kashima let out a small, soft laugh.

[I was just thinking…… that’s the same answer Asagi-san gave.]

[Well…… she’s on that side too, after all.]

Apparently, Kashima had once talked with Asagi, back when she was still alive, about whether people can change.

[Though, more than ninety percent of it was just me listening to Asagi-san talk……]

“Ahaha……”, Kashima scratched her cheek awkwardly with a wry smile.

According to her, this is what Asagi had said:

“Hah? No way people can change. Just like those self-help books and seminars, it’s nothing more than a momentary illusion that makes you feel like you’ve changed. You watch some tragic news, feel bad for a few minutes, then go right back to laughing at dumb shorts. No matter what happens, a person’s essence doesn’t change. Let me ask you, Kobato, do you really think those narcissistic losers back in our world, the ones who only blame others and complain about everything they don’t like, are going to sincerely face their own trashy nature and reform? Do you think those delusional idiots with no empathy, who can’t even distinguish between themselves and others, or those psychopaths who keep exploiting people and committing crimes, are suddenly going to have a genuine change of heart and be reborn as better people? No——– that’s impossible. Those kinds of idiots don’t even realize they’re garbage in the first place. They’re overly optimistic about themselves. That’s why they don’t change. No———– they can’t change. Even if they think they will, give it some time and they’ll end up doing the same things again. So Poppo-chan, you should also stop living in that naive little fantasy world of yours, alright?”

[……………………]

I could understand what she was trying to say, but……

……wasn’t that way too negative, Ikusaba Asagi?

And besides, she was only talking about the worst kinds of people.

———–Well, I could imagine how it went.

Kashima probably said something idealistic at the time, and that annoyed her enough to go that far.

More importantly……

[Kashima…… how did you remember everything Asagi said back then almost word for word……?]

[A- Ahaha…… Asagi-san’s way of thinking and her perspective left a really strong impression on me. Though I’m not completely sure it’s perfectly accurate……]

Even so, most people wouldn’t remember it that clearly……

Kashima’s expression turned nostalgic.

[Maybe it’s because I kept thinking about what Asagi-san said. The way she viewed the world…… it was full of things I had never considered before……]

As if looking back into the past, Kashima closed her eyes.

[You see———– I’ve always liked novels. I think I enjoyed encountering values and sensibilities that didn’t exist within me. You know…… I- I’m pretty shy, right? But…… in the world of stories, even someone like me can safely experience other people’s perspectives and feelings. So…… talking with Asagi-san felt kind of like that too……]

That’s why———–

She hadn’t actually disliked those conversations with Asagi.

Kashima Kobato gave off the strong impression of being a timid girl.

And she probably was.

But at the same time…… there was something unexpectedly resilient about her too.

[Mimori-kun, about what we were talking about earlier…… I think people can change.]

[……I’d like to hear more about that.]

“Thank you”, Kashima said softly.

And then……

[Status Open.]

For some reason, she called up her status screen.

Of course, by design, I couldn’t see her status.

[These are clearly divided into “Status” and “Skills”, right?]

[Yeah.]

[You see, I think things like MP and other stats represent a person’s foundation…… in other words, something like their unchangeable essence or nature, their roots. The numbers can go up or down, but the fundamental part can’t really be changed. The same goes for Hero Rank. As far as I know, no one has ever had their rank itself change. Rank is…… well, it’s kind of like what Asagi-san called the “parent gacha”.]

“Parent gacha”

A meme-like term that started circulating online at some point.

The idea being that your life is entirely determined by whether your parents are a “hit” or a “miss”.

For example, whether your parents are wealthy.

Whether your genes, affecting physical traits, are good.

Whether your brain’s tendencies or potential health issues are favorable.

Whether your parents are abusive.

If you got a miss in that “gacha”, you’re stuck as a loser with a failed roll.

If you got a hit, you’re destined for a happy life.

If your parents’ rank is low———- your life is over.

That was the general idea.

[So Hero Rank is the same…… an unchangeable kind of social hierarchy, huh?]

“But……”, Kashima continued.

[I also think rank might not actually matter that much. For example…… Asagi-san wasn’t a high-ranked Hero, but she awakened an incredible Inherent Skill, right? And…… just because someone had a high rank…… I don’t think that means they didn’t suffer in this world.]

[I see.]

That was true.

Objectively speaking, not every high-ranked Hero ended up succeeding in this world.

On the contrary, some were ruined because of the power they gained.

[So, going back to whether people can change…… things like Status and Rank can’t fundamentally be changed. But———- skills are different.]

That did ring a bell.

As I sorted through my memories……

[Yeah……Skill level-ups weren’t linked to the kind of level-ups that raise your stats.]

From what I’d heard from Itsuki and the other Heroes, Skills had even stranger properties.

When someone was cornered———– or when their emotions surged strongly……

They would evolve, or new Skills would be acquired, as if responding to that.

There might have been some correlation with usage or level……

However———– there was no clear pattern.

At that point, Kashima smiled softly, almost like she was praying.

As if she wished for this to be true.

[What Asagi-san and Mimori-kun mean by “people can’t change” probably refers to those base stats…… but we can learn new skills, experiment with them, refine the ones we have…… in those areas, I think we can change.]

[——————-]

[So I don’t think either of you are wrong. I also believe that a person’s core doesn’t really change. But…… the tree that grows from those roots, and the buds and flowers on its branches…… those can change, don’t you think?]

At that moment, Kashima suddenly snapped out of it.

Perhaps she felt embarrassed for getting carried away.

Flustered, she switched to a modest, self-conscious smile.

[Ah…… o- of course, I mean, it’s just an example…… or rather, it’s my own interpretation……]

……Maybe.

If Kashima said something like that, Asagi might have gotten annoyed.

But I think that’s what makes her different from Asagi.

Asagi believed one’s entire life is determined by the unchangeable rank.

But according to Kashima, that’s not everything.

There are things you can’t change———- and things you can.

[Kashima.]

[U- Unn……]

[That…… might have been something I hadn’t quite seen.]

[Eh?]

I let out a small, genuine smile.

[Somehow…… you’re amazing.]

[Eh!? R- Really……? To hear Mimori-kun say that…… it feels…… k- kind of weird…… haha……]

A D-rank Hero, considered low-ranked, yet who had mastered a Inherent Skill.

And a Hero who had turned a conversation with the monster known as Ikusaba Asagi into a “study”.

Kashima Kobato———— turns out she’s not someone to be underestimated.

[Ahh.]

Kashima flinched in surprise.

[T- The time! I have to go soon……]

Alright then.

Kashima turned her back to me.

And even with her back toward me, she spoke.

[……If Mimori-kun were to stay here, maybe Asagi-san wouldn’t feel lonely. But…… I’ll miss her a little. And I’ll miss not being able to talk with you now that we can talk normally. So…… just like Itsuki-san told Eve-san, I won’t say goodbye yet, okay? So……]

Kashima clasped her hands behind her back and turned around gracefully.

[Hopefully…… we’ll meet again someday, somewhere———— Mimori Touka-kun.]

The smile Kashima Kobato left behind felt like a bud sensing the arrival of spring, just beginning to bloom————– a smile that whispered the arrival of a small but undeniable change.

▽

That place exists within Enoh’s royal castle.

It’s the very spot where we, the Heroes from Another World, were once summoned.

Now, it even carries a nostalgic sense of familiarity.

At the bottom of those stairs, I had been discarded.

Now, in the place where we were summoned, my classmates from Class 2-C and our homeroom teacher are present.

They wear the same clothes as when we were summoned.

Well…… a few of them have gone missing since then.

Even the goddess present here is different.

Homeroom teacher Zakurogi bowed deeply.

[T- This time…… we’ve caused you a great deal of trouble…… t- trouble? I- It’s fine, right, Sogou? It’s not strange, is it?]

[As a leading message to an apology, I don’t see any particular problem.]

[I- I see…… errr, thank you…… truly, for returning me and the students of this class safely to our original world…… we are grateful———– Thank you very much.]

Saying this, Zakurogi bowed deeply once more to the standing Thesis and Loqierra.

Thesis spoke first:

[It is we who should express gratitude, Sensei. Rather, it is we who have caused inconvenience through insufficient oversight of Vysis.]

Zakurogi’s embarrassment deepened at Thesis’ words.

[N- No, no! Please don’t mention it……! I’m just thankful to be able to return in one piece…… ah, no…… considering the students who lost their lives, maybe I shouldn’t even say that……]

Faced with the two goddesses, Zakurogi appeared unusually terrified.

The torment endured at the hands of Vysis within this castle must have left him a severe trauma.

[……………………]

“Maybe it’s better not to erase the teacher’s memory.”

Hijiri had jokingly suggested once…… and it didn’t seem entirely off the mark.

Incidentally, I had received an apology directly from Zakurogi not long ago.

Yet, it didn’t feel like a warm reconciliation.

Zakurogi was utterly intimidated by me.

Perhaps because he recognized that Thesis and Loqierra as my backing.

It seemed he feared that if he upset me, he would suffer the same fate again.

Even receiving an apology from Zakurogi didn’t leave much of a real impression.

It was as if a stranger were apologizing.

Or rather———– to be honest, I didn’t particularly care about Zakurogi.

[……………………]

From a high vantage point, I now observe the site where the Repatriation Ceremony will be held.

Hidden from their view by the angle.

Hijiri and the others know I will not be directly present at the ceremony.

Truthfully, my classmates must be feeling awkward.

Up to this day, several of them have apologized to me.

Though not as excessively as Zakurogi, most are overly tense.

Probably———– feeling the same way I did toward Zakurogi.

They likely still see me as a different person, leaving a strange impression.

For that reason, I decided not to attend the Repatriation Ceremony.

Meeting Hijiri and the others in that room ahead of time was partly for this reason.

In the first place……

“Even though it’s unlikely, if by chance you accidentally returned together, it would be a disaster.”

Loqierra had said that, so only the two goddesses performed the farewell in that room.

Deities cannot transfer between worlds of different dimensional axes.

Even if attempted, Vysis’ research must first be completed.

No, even if that research was completed, there’s no guarantee of success.

However———– because of this, Thesis and Loqierra are safe from such “what-ifs”.

At that moment……

[Um, Sogou-san…… it seems Mimori-kun isn’t here……]

Cautiously, Minamino Moe asked Sogou.

[Actually, Mimori-kun will be returning later, after everyone else.]

[Eh? R- Really……?]

[That’s because Mimori-kun still has something he needs to do in this world…… Isn’t that right?]

Thesis prompted Sogou to speak.

The deity pair had also been briefed about me.

[As deities, there are a few more tasks here that we’d like him to assist with. Once that’s done, he will return, so please rest assured.]

Memories of everyone except the four retaining memories will be erased.

So no one will question why “Mimori Touka didn’t return” afterward.

[Therefore, please be at ease.]

Sogou reassured Minamino.

[I- I see…… that makes sense…… Mimori-kun really helped a lot…… and people in this world seem to rely on him greatly.]

Minamino said, convinced.

Incidentally, Suou Kayako stayed tightly by Sogou’s side.

……They’re incredibly close now, those two.

And standing out awkwardly at this moment is———-

[By the way, Class Rep…… Kirihara is returning frozen like this?]

This was Murota Erii, formerly of the Kirihara group.

Sogou replied, “Don’t worry, the ice will disappear.”

Murota looked uneasy, as if something were caught in her teeth.

[But…… even if Kirihara returns to the original world like this…… wouldn’t he be like before…… honestly, dealing with him might be tough……]

They believed memories would remain.

So such worries are understandable.

Other students seem to be trying not to focus on Kirihara as much as possible.

Visually, it was surreal.

Behind the group of students, Kirihara stood upright, frozen in ice.

Thereupon, Thesis spoke.

[Well then———— shall we begin the Repatriation Ceremony?]

Loqierra followed.

[Everyone, make sure you have nothing left behind!]

Nearly all the items brought during summoning are contained within the returning circle.

A body and belongings inspection had also been conducted immediately beforehand.

To prevent items from this world from being taken back.

Dimensional distortions can be corrected with the origin element.

But, as a precaution, they followed custom.

After all, it would be troublesome if some strange object was brought back and in the original world,

“Ancient OOPArt discovered!?”

……It might turn out something like that.

[———————-]

As Thesis began the incantation———— a pale blue light raced across the floor, forming the spell circle.

[We can…… really go back now……?]

Some students whispered anxiously.

The summoning had been sudden.

Now, with their return imminent, the classmates began to voice their thoughts aloud:

[W- What should I first do when I get back?]

[I might have missed some anime…… I wonder how long it’s been?]

[My parents must be worried…… I want to see them……]

[I wanna eat Japanese food!]

[I want to do all my skincare!]

[……I don’t want to talk to Kirihara after we get back.]

[I wonder what will happen to the funerals of those who died……]

They began listing all the things they’d do or think about once back.

□

…………., ————Uncle, Aunt.

I’m sorry I couldn’t choose to return.

But…… meeting you both———

……I believe that was the biggest “hit” of my life.

From the bottom of my heart, I do.

That’s why…… thank you.

If possible, I hope you can forget me someday———-

……and live a peaceful…… joyful…… and happy life.

……Well, I have a feeling you’re not the kind of people who could forget easily———–

I somehow just know that……

…………………………………………

I…… truly loved you both.

▽

I noticed Hijiri looking up towards my direction.

I thought I had muffled my presence but……

She’s thorough to the very end.

I relaxed the corner of my mouth and raised my hand lightly in response.

———-See you.

Hijiri returned my smile and——— just slightly nodded.

Eventually, white light surged forth…… enveloping the space.

——————- ……………… ——————-

……and then, the light finally subsided.

On the teleportation circle———– there was no one left.

Nothing remained.

Only Thesis and Loqierra stood side by side in front of the circle.

[……They’re gone huh.]

The space was silent.

Their presence felt almost like a dream, or an illusion, for just a moment.

It was that quiet here now.

I lingered for a while, staring at the spot where they had just been.

Before long…… I quietly left that place behind.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep