The one gripping the wheel of the rented light van was me, the only adult.
The three high school students were enjoying the long-awaited drive, snacking and playing games in their seats.
The campsite we aimed for was located in a certain mountain area.
It wasn’t a public campground; it was a mountain owned by my maternal relatives.
Rather than a cottage, there was just one cabin, making it a quiet place.
Since my relatives were gradually developing the mountain with plans to move there eventually, there were some flat areas suitable for camping.
The cabin had sleeping space, a water source, and even a toilet and shower, so we could spend time there comfortably.
I had borrowed the cabin’s key for the Golden Week on the condition that we help with mowing and cutting trees around the area.
(We finally had enough manpower. I’ll leave the mowing to them.)
My solo camping was interrupted.
It was probably wrong to think that this much effort wouldn’t be too much of a punishment.
On the familiar mountain roads, my car suddenly bounced up violently in an empty space.
“What the…?!”
Screams erupted.
I gripped the steering wheel tightly in a panic. I had no idea what was happening. I was enveloped in a dazzling light.
What is this light? It wasn’t the headlights. It seemed to overflow from the ground, and I couldn’t make sense of it.
It felt like a strong force was pinning my body to the seat. I couldn’t move.
Desperately trying to turn my gaze toward the three of them, I was stunned.
“You guys…?”
“Huh? What is this?!”
“No way… Are we being called by the light…?”
“…Ugh…! This can’t be happening, what is…?”
Enveloped in light, the bodies of the three began to fade away. They were disappearing. I couldn’t understand what was happening.
I had to somehow hold them back.
With all my might, I managed to stretch out one hand.
Just as I reached for Akimi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, intending to grab his arm, the car suddenly bounced, as if it couldn’t withstand the shock, and flipped over.
“…!”
Thanks to the seatbelt, I wasn’t thrown out, but unfortunately, the light van, having rolled over once, flew over the guardrail.
(It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! My whole body is in excruciating pain…)
I regained consciousness, prompted by a stabbing pain. My body throbbed with pain, but somehow, I managed to lift my heavy eyelids.
The red in my vision was probably from a wound on my head or above my eyes, where blood was flowing.
(I fell from that cliff. It’s no surprise I got hurt…)
The car was still overturned. It must have fallen all the way down the cliff. I could see the ground. A few trees, apparently caught up in the fall, lay nearby.
I slowly turned my neck to check the passenger seat. No one was there. The seatbelt was still fastened, as if they had just slipped out.
(No blood is on the ground. It’s okay, Akimi isn’t hurt…)
It seemed impossible to sit up, so I checked the two behind me using the rearview mirror. Neither of them was visible. Their seatbelts were likely in the same state.
What happened to them? Did they both master the art of escaping from their restraints?
Even trying to deflect with humor was reaching its limits.
The pain… I couldn’t quite understand it.
The intense pain I felt earlier somehow morphed into a sensation like a cold heat.
The sound of my own breathing felt strangely loud.
(Okay, I’ll stop escaping reality. I’ve been shocked enough for a lifetime. I’m fine, probably.)
I slowly lowered my gaze, surrendering to despair. It was painful, and I accepted that.
A tree trunk about the size of my arm had pierced through my chest, breaking the front windshield.
As soon as I understood, I coughed and spat out blood.
Dizziness hit me. I felt cold. I was extremely sleepy. I wondered what had happened to them.
I was worried, but for some reason, someone deep down whispered that it would be okay.
The flood of light that caused the accident.
I felt resentful, but for some reason, I didn’t think of it as something bad. Rather, it felt sacred, tranquil──…
Just as my consciousness was fading, I felt once again enveloped in the same solemn light.
“…Hey, wake up. Open your eyes. I’ll bring you back to life.”
Someone whispered in my ear.
A childish voice, like that of a young child. Who could it be? Perhaps one of my little relatives? The youngest is Hina, who is five. No, it was a boy’s voice, so it must be Ryuuji, who is seven.
“I’m neither Hina nor Ryuuji. Just wake up. You’re not in pain anymore, right?”
“…Huh, that’s true. I’m not in pain.”
With a snap, everything in front of me brightened.
It seemed I had been lying on my back, and a magnificent blue sky spread out before me. I blinked slowly and gently tried to sit up.
“My injuries are gone? My clothes are different, and I’m all alone in a grassy field beneath a blue sky, with a talking Kesaran Pasaran in front of me… Could it be that I’m dead?”
“Indeed, you are dead! But I’m not a Kesaran Pasaran!”
I stared intently at the white fluff bouncing around in indignation.
It looked like a large dandelion fluff, white and fluffy. Yeah, it definitely looked like a Kesaran Pasaran. I wanted to touch it.
“That’s not what I’m saying! I’m the creator god of this world! I think you should be more respectful just because I’m a soul from a different world!”
“A soul from another world? What do you mean?”
As I frowned, the Kesaran Pasaran, claiming to be a god, spoke excitedly.
“This is a different dimension from the Earth you lived on. It’s a world that resembles yours but is different, a dimension that never intersects, a world beyond the light.”
“…Why am I in such a world? No, was I dead? Am I just a soul now…?”
I stared blankly at my palm.
I was wearing a white pajama-like outfit that I didn’t like at all; was that because it was the afterlife?
It was certain that I died in that accident, but why was I in a different world?
As I pondered vaguely, I suddenly remembered.
“…Could it be that the three who were with me are in this different world too?”
“Correct! Actually, I originally summoned those three to save this world as heroes!”
With a cheerful smile, it was revealed to me.
I frowned at the unpleasant premonition. This sounded like a scenario I had heard somewhere before.
I remembered that my middle school cousin had been obsessed with a fantasy novel. It was said to be a popular light novel, and he had told me its content──…
“No way. I can’t believe that the reason I died was because of the collateral damage from summoning those heroes!”
“Correct answer!! As a prize, I’ll bring you back to life!”
I grabbed the happily bouncing Kesaran Pasaran and took a deep breath.
“You’re the root cause of all this, aren’t you?!”
