Q.What is something that even a great hero who can slay dragons with a single stroke cannot do?

A.Making friends

"Hah―!!"

Thud!!

In the ice-locked cave, a dragon's head lay rolling.

The dragon collapses weakly after having lost its head which causes a rumble.

(Phew... For now, I managed to defeat the dungeon master safely...)

A young man with a lingering sense of youth lets out a sigh of white breath.

He is "Akizuki Yuito." He is a twenty-one-year-old explorer this year.

If he were to roughly explain an explorer, it's a job where he explores alternate dimensions and brings back resources.

Enter an alternate dimension called a dungeon, fight monsters known as monsters, and bring back resources.

He is still at work.

That ice cave is a dungeon.

The dragon that was defeated was the guardian of the dungeon.

Yuito silently sheaths the sword.

"...Are you all okay?"

"Ah, yes..."

Yuito turned around and called out.

There were four young men and women there. Not members of Yuito's party... or anything like that.

(I saw you were in a pinch, so I couldn't help but step in... but for now, I hope you didn't get seriously hurt.)

It's the party that was fighting the dragon first.

They were just strangers who happened to meet by chance.

(But, this might be an opportunity...)

Yuito's eyes sparkle brightly.

(I might be able to make friends...!!)

Making friends.

That is a challenge that even Yuito, who can slice a dragon in half with a single strike, cannot achieve.

Days of relentless training since childhood.

Thanks to that, he often missed school.

He sacrificed his social life to gain strength, but as a consequence, his communication skills are at rock bottom.

He had completed his training during high school, but it was already too late.

By that time, he had become a typical loner, reading light novels in the corner of the classroom.

Furthermore, once he becomes a working adult, opportunities to make friends will disappear.

The contacts registered on his smartphone are only family and work-related.

(I'll put an end to this solitary life today...!! My favorability should be high since I saved them from the dragon... This might be the chance to become friends...!!)

Rescue a beautiful girl in a dungeon and dive into a romantic comedy route. It's a common development in light novels.

Well, this time it has nothing to do with romantic comedies, but his popularity should still be high.

Maybe, as a thank you, he might be invited to dinner.

As Yuito's heart raced with excitement, a young man who seemed to be the party leader gave a slight nod.

"Thank you for your help..."

"Oh, no... please don't mind me...?"

Is something off? Are they keeping their distance from him?

The young man who expressed his gratitude seems strange.

For some reason, sweat is running down his forehead. He is staring intently at Yuito without taking his eyes off.

It's like a hiker who has encountered a bear.

"...Could it be... Akizuki Yuito-san of S-rank?"

"...Yes."

He was exposed!?

A scream echoes in his mind.

This is bad. Very bad.

The young man moved subtly, positioning himself as if to protect the party members from Yuito.

He's completely on guard.

(Oh no... I'm being looked at with such wary eyes... I'm one of the more sane S-rank explorers!!)

S-rank explorer.

They are at the top rank even among explorers. Very strong people.

However, the ones generally popular with the public are the A-rank explorers.

The explorers also aim for an A-rank.

Why is that?

The reason is simple.

S-rank explorers are a "gathering of crazy abnormal people."

Suddenly snapping and tearing through the mountain, the "old-timer."

A "combat maniac" who folds buildings and swings them around.

Out of spite of being cheated on, the "Menhera Healer" stabbed their lover's organs 126 times.

The "Mad Sorcerer" alters the seabed terrain under the guise of an experiment.

Because he was thrown into such a group of abnormal people, Yuito was also labeled as a "dangerous person."

Even the party that saved him from the dragon is frightened upon learning that Yuito is S-rank.

If anything, he was looking at Yuito with the same eyes he would use to look at a dragon.

Being treated like a monster.

(...This is impossible. I can't make friends with him... There's no point in scaring him, so I'll quietly walk away.)

Yuito said, "Well then, I'll go destroy the core..." and left the mixed-gender party.

The young man let out a sigh of relief.

When they hear about an S-rank explorer, most people get scared and keep their distance.

It's a common pattern he has experienced many times.

(Haa, I'm lonely... I want friends...)

The sound of solitary footsteps echoes.

The sound is heading towards the innermost part of the dungeon.

There was a large sphere floating there. It looked like a round Rubik's Cube.

This is the core of the dungeon.

If he destroys the core, the dungeon will disappear.

Normally, he wouldn't destroy a dungeon that is a treasure trove of resources, but this time it's an exception.

He has been asked by the country to destroy it.

Without making a sound, Yuito swung his sword, and the core was sliced in half.

Light bursts forth from the crack in the core. His vision is dyed completely white.

If the visibility clears up, he should be able to get out of the dungeon.

Until the visibility clears up, it's boring. Yuito stares blankly into the distance.

(I guess my last chance to make friends was probably during high school...)

Back then, he didn't even have the title of S-rank.

A typical guy you find anywhere is just a bit gloomy.

He was just an ordinary student.

If it were during his student days, he might have been able to make friends.

"I wanted to hang out with friends. Go to karaoke, go to the beach. As for love... it might be too difficult for me..."

He wanted to spend his youth.

Regretting the past now, when it's too late.

"I wish I could go back to my student days..."

That murmur was drowned out by the torrent of light.

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

"...Where is this place?"

When he realized it, Yuito was standing in the cityscape.

The entrance to the dungeon had appeared on the sea. Once he destroys the core, it should return to the sea.

However, the cityscape where Yuito is actually standing is unfamiliar. No, it's familiar.

(Oh, right. This is the route I used to take to school when I was in high school...)

Since he commuted back and forth every day, he was able to remember it easily.

But, why this town?

Yuito looked around hesitantly, glancing around. A large display attached to the building caught his eye.

The display shows a news program.

"April 7th, our first topic. It has been announced that the world's tallest radio tower, built in the Exploration City, will be open to the public at the end of this month. Locally, visitors are coming to see it before the opening…"

Yuito's eyes widened while watching the news.

(Why... that radio tower was supposed to be demolished... and what's this about it being open to the public at the end of this month? The radio tower was open to the public about five years ago, right when I started high school... I wonder if I can find out anything by looking it up on my phone...)

If he's in trouble, he should just ask on his smartphone.

If it's something written on the internet, he can understand it right away.

Yuito took out his smartphone from his pocket and his eyes widened again.

(...This is the smartphone I used during my student days. Why, how!?)

The smartphone he took out of his pocket was something he used in the past.

It should be resting deep in the closet now.

Even when he opens his smartphone, all that comes up are old records.

The smartphone calendar shows five years ago.

The videos posted on the video site are all from five years ago.

The game being marketed as a new release is also five years old.

No matter how much information he searches for, all he finds is past information.

"The internet is broken!"

Unless this is some kind of delusion that a tech-illiterate character would say, the possible reasons are limited.

When he abruptly turned off the smartphone screen, Yuito's face appeared on the dark screen.

He feels like that face is looking more youthful too.

(The world... no, me? Does that mean I've gone back to the past?)

Is he being set up for a grand prank?

That possibility was denied in an instant.

Yuito doesn't have any friends who would pull off an elaborate prank on him.

It's a sad reality.

Maybe, he has really gone back five years back to his high school days.

The cause is unknown.

Is it because he destroyed the dungeon core under the circumstances?

Since he can't figure it out even if he thinks about it, he'll just organize the current situation for now.

(If I believe the news, it's now April 7th, and the high school entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow... The day after tomorrow is the entrance ceremony. I remember walking to the school two days before the entrance ceremony to check the route to school…!!）

Yuito, who was checking the date, hurriedly ran out.

Two days before the entrance ceremony. That day is something he can never forget.

That day, Yuito was taking a walk to check the way to school.

―On the way, a hit-and-run accident occurred.

The victim was a girl who was supposed to attend the same school.

It seems that a truck that was driving while distracted ran a red light and crashed into the crosswalk.

The female victim died instantly.

When Yuito, who was walking nearby, heard the noise and rushed over, it was already too late.

The incident was reported by the school and even made it to a small online news outlet.

(If it's really April 7th, five years ago... it should be just before that incident happened!!)

If this isn't an elaborate prank, he might be able to help that girl.

He remembers the location of the accident.

Every time he passes through the school route, he sees the crosswalk adorned with flowers and drinks.

"―!?!"

As he turned the corner, the sight that met his eyes took Yuito's breath away.

A truck barreling onto the crosswalk. A young boy, around elementary school age, staring wide-eyed at the truck. A high school girl rushed to help the boy.

At this rate, the girl who pushed the boy will be hit by a truck and die.

Exactly, it was just before that accident.

He can't make it in time.

The distance between Yuito and the accident scene is about fifty meters.

Running fifty meters in an instant and somehow dealing with the truck is impossible.

Even if he is an explorer delving into dungeons and fighting monsters, it is impossible by any reasonable standard.

―However, Yuito was an S-rank explorer.

When evaluating an S-rank, people will probably say the same thing.

"S-rankers are abnormal people who don't follow common sense."

Swoosh!!

A sharp, high-pitched sound that seemed to slice through the air echoed.

In the next moment, the truck was cut in half.

Yuito was standing in front of the girl who was about to be run over.

Yuito didn't have a weapon.

A single strike with the edge of his hand. If it's just slicing through a truck, he doesn't even need a weapon.

Crash!! Rattle rattle rattle!!

The torn truck soared through the air and flew backward.

The boxes of cargo tumble around, but Yuito deftly pushes them aside to protect the girl and the boy.

Yuito looked back while looking at the truck.

"Um... are you okay?"

A girl with her mouth agape was looking up at Yuito.

Chapter 1: The Strongest Loner