Episode 1: Summoned to Another World, and Then Returned
One day, at a certain time, a calamity flew to Earth from space. It was, so to speak, an alien invasion. To be precise, they were unknown life forms. They would later be named Ibinom.
The bodies of the Ibinom were truly unknown, and it was extremely difficult to kill them with existing weaponry. Moreover, due to their extraordinary numbers, humanity had no chance of victory.
When America was defeated first, followed by Russia, China, and Great Britain, the world headed towards ruin.
Amidst this, when the American military, which had continued to resist, defeated an Ibinom, a soldier was bathed in the Ibinom’s bodily fluids. The fluid the American soldier was exposed to was later identified as blood.
The Ibinom’s blood had a significant impact on the human body. Among the soldiers bathed in the blood, some died as if from an allergic reaction, while others were born as Gifted, possessing Special Abilities that could not be explained by modern science.
The Gifted could shoot flames from their hands, easily incinerating the Ibinom that were difficult to kill with modern weapons. Other soldiers manipulated cold air to freeze the Ibinom. There were even soldiers who tore Ibinom apart with Telekinesis.
Humanity rejoiced at this report, but at the same time, they were troubled about what to do. By taking Ibinom blood into their bodies, they could acquire Special Abilities. However, it was also a gamble. After all, there were cases of people dying from rejection.
In other words, it was a matter of compatibility. If incompatible, one would die. If compatible, one could obtain Special Abilities.
After agonizing over what to do, they decided that to survive the current threat of the Ibinom, they had no choice but to take in Ibinom blood. Humanity, with no time for human experimentation, took a huge gamble.
The population, already reduced by the Ibinom, decreased further, but humanity gained new power. This new breed of humans, awakened to Special Abilities, made rapid advancements and succeeded in repelling the Ibinom.
However, that was not the end of it.
The Ibinom’s blood had also affected beings other than humans. Organisms, from plants to insects, had undergone evolution. Troublesomely, they had become more ferocious and aggressive towards humanity.
Realizing they couldn’t possibly fight everything, humanity decided to build defensive systems in cities and other areas, securing zones of survival.
Many years passed since then. Although not to the same extent as before, the human population increased, and peace was restored. Fortunately, Special Abilities seemed to be hereditary, and now most of humanity had awakened to them. However, a parent’s Gift was not always inherited by their child.
Now, the world was striving to protect this peaceful time by nurturing children who had awakened to Special Abilities. They established institutions to train boys and girls with Special Abilities, raising warriors to protect their countries.
This story begins as one boy enrolls in an Esper Academy in Japan, an institution that educates and nurtures Gifted individuals with Special Abilities.
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“So, starting today, I’m a student here too, huh~”
The boy looked up at a very large school building. It was the Seventh Esper Academy, one of Japan’s prided educational institutions for the Gifted. The boy, whose enrollment at such a Seventh Esper Academy had been decided, felt his chest pound with anticipation, excited for the new school life that was about to begin.
“Alright, let’s g—Buberaah!”
The moment he tried to cross the crosswalk, a truck came barreling from the side at high speed, and the boy’s consciousness ended there. In a different sense, the boy had ‘passed on’.
However, the boy, who should have met his end there, was fortunately summoned to another world.
From then on, the boy’s life became an epic one.
Suddenly summoned to a fantasy world of swords and magic, he was ordered to subjugate the Demon Lord, subjected to harsh training every day, and this continued for a whole year.
After undergoing a year of combat training, the boy set out on a journey to subjugate the Demon Lord with meager funds and few companions.
The journey was extremely arduous; he saved many villages, towns, and countries, and fought formidable enemies time and again. Though he came close to death many times, the boy succeeded in subjugating the Demon Lord after two years.
“Hero. You have done well to subjugate the Demon Lord. I shall grant you a reward. If you wish, I can also send you back to your original world.”
“Eh? I can return?”
“Mm. We originally possessed the magic for both summoning and repatriation. If you wish it, I will return you to your original world. What will you do?”
Hearing this, the boy pondered. Certainly, this world wasn’t bad, but compared to his original world, it was inconvenient in many ways. Moreover, there was the post-war cleanup, such as reconstructing the towns destroyed by the Demon Lord. Once that was over, he might, if things went poorly, become a tool of war. The Hero was now the strongest being in the world. It was unlikely they wouldn’t make use of him.
However, one thing worried him: the fact that he had been hit by a truck and died. If he returned to his original world only to find himself dead, it would be meaningless. And so, wondering what to do, the boy decided to ask.
“Um, Your Majesty the King. In my original world, wouldn’t I be considered dead?”
“If that’s the case, there is no problem. You are probably alive.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. We cannot summon those who are already dead.”
“I see…”
Thinking lightly that it would be fine to return then, the boy decided to go back.
“Then, I would like you to return me to my original world.”
“Very well. We shall begin preparations at once.”
After that, for a while, the boy went around saying goodbye to the people he had become involved with in this world. There were women among them, but unfortunately, none of them seemed to hold any affection for him. Consoling himself that it was better than being disliked, the boy finished saying his farewells to everyone he had known.
And so, with the preparations for his repatriation complete, the boy was to return to his original world. The boy’s life in another world, a mere three years that felt both long and short, came to an end.
When the boy returned to his original world and woke up, he found himself lying in a hospital bed, attached to a respirator. The boy had no idea what was going on, but his eyes met with a nurse who seemed to be on her rounds.
Afterward, a doctor came and explained the situation. Apparently, the boy had been hit by a truck, suffered serious injuries, and had been unconscious.
Hearing this, the boy wondered if the events in the other world had all been a dream. Alone in his hospital room, the boy chanted a spell. Then, a ball of light appeared in his palm, and the boy became certain.
“It wasn’t a dream…!”
And so, the boy returned to his original world, Japan, bringing with him the magic and experience he had cultivated for three years in another world.