Hariyama-san, Center of the World Chapter 4.1

Hariyama-san, Center of the Miracles (Genre: "Medley")

 

 

Hey, Muu.   “What is it, Lulu?”   Have you heard… this urban legend?   “Which one?”   You know… the story about… the back-alley demon king…     One time, a bunch of delinquents gathered in an alleyway picked a fight with a single boy.   The delinquents tried to intimidate him into giving up his money, but the boy quietly asked, “…Are you guys heroes?”   Was he crazy?  When the delinquents exchanged glances, a salaryman who looked completely out of place in the alleyway yelled, “I am a hero!  Release those poor innocent civilians, you demon!”   They thought he was calling them demons, but the delinquents immediately realized they were wrong.   In his hand, the salaryman clutched a large knife such as would be used on a camping trip – and its tip was pointed straight at the boy.   The delinquents were overcome by an ominous feeling and fled, but–   They immediately heard a scream coming from the alleyway.  However, they realized that it was not the boy’s voice, but the salaryman’s.   And when they timidly returned to the alleyway, there was no longer anyone there.  All that was to be found was the salaryman’s knife… and a large pool of blood spreading across the ground.   The delinquents stiffened reflexively at the strange sight.  That dull, emotionless voice weighed coldly on their minds.   “Are you guys… heroes?”     According to rumor, the salaryman was a lunatic who played too many online games and had completely lost his ability to differentiate between games and reality.  On the other hand, the boy who was killing those would-be “heroes” was another lunatic who also played online games, but as a player killer who targeted other players – one feared by heroes as the so-called “demon king”.   The murders repeated over and over.   Until the day the heroes defeated the demon king, over and over.   Until the day the level-up chime reached the demon king’s ears in the real world, over and over–     So, Muu.  There’s something about this urban legend that makes it really different from all the others, right?   “…What’s so different about it?”   This urban legend… is only popular in our town… only in Tokorozawa.  I looked it up on the Internet… but it hasn’t spread at all.  It’s not mentioned on any urban legend sites.   “…But there are rumors about it in this town.”   Right.  So… this urban legend has only just been born.  

 

Maybe… even now, in this town… this urban legend–

Chapter end