Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 57

Chapter 57 – I Learned About an Urban Legend (Part 4)

“…Um, are you guys okay?”

In a deserted alley a short distance away from where I encountered the "hero," I gently shook the bodies of the unconscious boys I had put to sleep.

“Ugh… Where are we?”

“Why the hell are we lying on the ground like this…?”

Their reactions were all similar—confused, unable to comprehend their current situation.

(…Just to be sure, I should double-check.)

I focused on the silver-haired boy who had tried to punch the pink hero-suit, and activated my skill: [Appraisal].

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Yokoi Seiji – Human – Age 16

Status: Disoriented, mild nausea and headache

Note: He was subjected to memory alteration and brainwashing (specifically, to coerce a target). Physical condition is poor.

A first-year student at ■■ High School. Dyed his hair with friends on a whim during summer break.

Due to embarrassment and the approaching new term, plans to return his hair to its original color.

No history of juvenile delinquency.

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Considering that appraisal and the fact that their school is known to be relatively strict, it’s safe to assume they’re just ordinary students fooling around during summer vacation—trying to play “delinquent” for fun.

But the most critical detail was that line: “Memory alteration and brainwashing.”

“I’ve called an ambulance for you, so just wait here for now.”

“Ah, thanks. By the way, do you know why we collapsed here?”

“―――No, I was just on my way to do some shopping when I saw you guys lying here and called 119.”

“…I see. …Damn it, I remember coming out of the karaoke place and then nothing.”

As we talked, several ambulances arrived, and EMTs poured out of them.

“We received a report about people collapsed in this area—”

“Over here!”

I waved my hand, and the EMTs smoothly lifted the boys onto stretchers and carried them off.

Of course, these "paramedics" were actually agents from the organization Alicia works for, disguised as first responders. The boys would be taken to one of the organization’s front companies—a hospital—for medical examination and information gathering.

Still, judging by the [Appraisal] results, I doubt they'll extract anything especially useful.

(That means the next step is to investigate…)

I activated [Tracking and Detection Magic], targeting the water-based tracking beacon I’d hidden on the pink hero suit.

I expected it to show a location somewhere remote—maybe an abandoned building on the outskirts or deep in the mountains…

“…Huh?”

But the tracking data, combined with the contents of the letter that hero suit gave to the boy, caused me to blurt out a dumbfounded sound.

The reason?

The tracking beacon I’d attached was now stationary—at an altitude 20,000 meters above sea level, far above even the cruising height of a commercial airliner.

◇◇◇

“Welcome back, Onii-san.”

When I returned home from the supermarket, Kana was waiting for me at the front door with her arms crossed, smiling sweetly.

“It only takes, what, ten minutes to get to that supermarket? So why were you gone for an entire hour, hmm?”

…Yeah, I figured she’d be pissed. And she’s totally pissed.

“…Stuff happened, okay? Anyway, here—put this in the freezer.”

I handed her the soy sauce and vinegar she’d asked for, along with a bundle of red-lidded ice cream that’s normally outside the reach of a high school student’s wallet.

“Wha—no way!? You really bought it!?”

“Leave me one of the strawberry ones. You can have the rest.”

“Yaaay!”

Watching her bounce off to the kitchen all cheery and carefree, I sighed and muttered:

“So simple it’s almost cute.”

With her mood successfully restored, I headed to my room.

“Phew…”

I took a sip of sports drink from my [Item Box], then grabbed my phone and called someone I needed to talk to.

“Hello? Got a minute? I’ve got a few questions…”

“Sure, I was planning to talk to you anyway.”

The voice on the other end—Alicia’s—sounded vaguely irritated.

“Let me get straight to the point. You’re planning to get involved in this again, aren’t you?”

“…I probably wouldn’t have, if I hadn’t seen that hero suit with my own eyes. Probably. Maybe.”

“So you’re fully involved now.”

She sighed heavily.

“Even if I told you to back off, you wouldn’t listen. And honestly, we don’t have the means to stop you. Besides, we’re seriously lacking information on those hero-suit weirdos. We could really use another set of hands.”

“So that means—”

“I’ll share the investigation data. But don’t even think about switching sides.”

After another sigh, she gave her consent.

That was the first hurdle cleared.

“Alright then. First question—what’s the condition of those boys you picked up?”

“Aside from some nausea and headaches, perfectly healthy. The only concern is their temporary memory loss.”

Yeah, I’d already figured as much from [Appraisal].

“…So what exactly did they forget?”

“From around two hours ago—the time they left the karaoke place near the station. We’ve confirmed that via nearby security footage.”

That matched what the boys had mumbled earlier.

So now the big question:

“Do we know what they did after that?”

“Yes. They went straight to the blackmail scene you mentioned—like they were under hypnosis or something.”

“Did they know the victim?”

“No. Zero contact, no history, nothing at all.”

Then it’s likely…

“This whole thing was staged by the hero-suit group… A complete setup?”

“Highly likely. In fact, we’re operating under that assumption.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lately, we’ve had a surge of blackmail attempts and attempted assaults among youth—about fifteen cases per day. All of them have been interrupted by those hero suits. The perpetrators often show signs of memory tampering or hypnosis. And none of the victims have any prior contact with their attackers. Even weirder—every victim has disappeared afterward. Suspicious, right?”

Fifteen such incidents a day in peaceful Japan, all stopped by the same strange group? Yeah, you can’t call that a coincidence.

…Though that tracking beacon being 20,000 meters up might mean they are reacting to real incidents.

But if the attackers were under hypnosis, then something’s definitely off.

“Just to confirm—have you tried tracking the devices the videos were uploaded from?”

“Of course. But the origin points are all nonsense—completely bogus. Even when investigated on-site, there’s nothing there.”

So basically… they're completely in the dark.

Which means…

“If we can’t figure it out by analyzing the evidence, we’ll just have to go ask them directly.”

“Ask them? That’s easier said than done. You can’t just—”

“Relax. I’ve already got a way to storm their base.”

I sent Alicia the message from that letter and outlined my infiltration plan over our chat app.

“…Alright. I’ll take a chance on your gamble.”

She was first confused, then sighed, and finally gave in.

“So, when are we doing this?”

“Tomorrow at 3 a.m. Best to act while things are fresh.”

“Got it. I’ll prep the gear. You do your best to raise the success rate, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

With that, I ended the call with Alicia.

“Alright… let’s get to work.”

I summoned a water sphere using [Water Magic] and began crafting it into a puppet that closely resembled the boy who had been coerced earlier.

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📝 Translator’s Notes:

Yokoi Seiji’s background (no prior record, dyed hair, good school) contrasts sharply with his recent behavior, reinforcing the unnatural influence of memory tampering.

The 20,000-meter altitude tracking point hints at either airborne or space-based operations—a shocking twist.

Kana’s reaction is a charming comedic beat used to ground the supernatural tension with slice-of-life family warmth.

The conversation with Alicia hints at a deeper network and potential urban legend conspiracy.

“マッチポンプ” (match-pump) is a Japanese slang term that means “creating a problem just to fix it yourself” (i.e., hero suits staging crimes to look like heroes).

🧩 Themes & Foreshadowing:

Urban legends and "hero" mythos are potentially being weaponized.

Advanced manipulation—both psychological and technological—is in play.

The protagonist is clearly more capable than a regular student, indicating hidden past or training.

The story builds tension between publicly celebrated figures (hero suits) and the hidden truth 

behind their actions.