Once the Curse of Reversed Likability Was Lifted, My Party Members Became Unbearably Heavy once the Curse of Reversed Likability Was Lifted, My Party Members Became Unbearably Heavy
On the crowded subway platform at dusk, where people jostled each other on their way home from work, Amagi Ren, returning from high school, stared blankly at the tracks before him.
โโI have gym class tomorrow, so I have to remember my gym clothes.
Just as he was lost in such trivial everyday thoughts,
โKyaaaah!!โ
A shrill girl’s scream pierced the air.ใGlancing in that direction, he saw a high school girl lying on the tracksโperhaps pushed by the crowd, or having slipped. Even worse, the train lights were approaching the platform from the distance.
Reflexively, Ren leaped onto the tracks. He shoved the girl into the recessed area directly beneath the platform.
Then, the world was painted white.
โฆThere was no pain.ใBut he couldn’t breathe.
Sound, lightโeverything receded. More than regret, there was a strange acceptance. Only the warmth of the hand that had tried to protect someone lingered.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar grassland.
Mountain ranges visible in the distance, the scent of wind. The air was clear.
Looking up, the sky was covered in dark clouds.ใThe surroundings were faintly dark, but it didn’t seem to be night.
Looking down at his own body, he wasn’t wearing his school uniform, but a rough shirt.
โโฆAm I dead?โ
His own voice, spoken aloud, sounded unusually clear. And he realized immediately. His body felt light. His heart was beating. His breath was deep.
He was alive.
Ren looked up at the sky and couldn’t move for a while.
He should have died, run over by the subway. Yet here he was. Had he been given a chanceโฆ to restart his life?
As these thoughts swirled, a faint voice mingled with the wind.
An unfamiliar language. Yet, strangely, he understood its meaning. A voice echoed deep within his mind.
‘Hero. To save the world, I shall grant you power.’
Suddenly, particles of light danced around his body.
Ren instinctively closed his eyes. After the light subsided, he felt overwhelmed as if a massive amount of information flooded his brain, yet his mind felt strangely sharp.
โโโReincarnationโโโ.
โโฆI see. So, back then, I died protecting someoneโฆ and that’s why I’ve been reincarnated here now.โ
The strange light granted me โknowledge of this worldโ and โpower.โ
This world seems completely different from the last one.
Monsters run rampant here, and adventurers slay them with swords and magicโit’s like a fantasy world straight out of a manga. And as this dark cloud indicates, the Demon King’s threat is wreaking havoc.
โThen this time, I’ll prove myself. I’ll protect someone, live properly, and this time, I won’t regret it.โ
The moment those words left his mouth, the wind blew.
As if the world itself welcomed him. Ren began walking slowly.
Then, the years leading up to the Demon King’s defeat were truly filled with all sorts of things.
It was during the time he was still floundering around in this world that he met Celia.
In the first frontier village I visited, she was a sister at the church.
Seeing me wounded after shielding a child from monsters that attacked the village, she shed tears.
Following this incident, she began accompanying me on my journey, claiming it was a divine revelation.
Her prayers were always gentle, as if forgiving the โhuman frailtyโ within me.
The next to join our party was Rina.
She possessed extraordinary swordsmanship talent from the moment we met, and our encounter stemmed from fighting at a town martial arts festival.
She was a member of the Knights, and during her time there, we had even fought together against the Demon King’s army.
However, after clashing with higher-ups, she ended up joining us on our journey to defeat the Demon King.
Despite her clumsiness, she cared for her comrades more than anyone. I witnessed countless times how she’d be the first to rush to anyone’s side whenever someone fell.
The very last to join our party was Noel, then a candidate for the court mage. She was hailed as the greatest genius in the magical city of Alferia, her entry into the court mages considered a certainty.
She started traveling with us after pleading with meโthen recognized by the king as a heroโto let her join the journey for the sake of researching ancient magic.
At first, she seemed standoffish, as if reluctantly tagging along for her research. But gradually, she opened up and truly became a member of the party.
By the standards of my past life, she was the very definition of tsundere.
Recalling those days of travel, Ren now stood before a certain spring.
The โSacred Springโโa place Celia had once spoken of during their journey. A land where divine blessings lingered, said to purify any curse.
โSomeday, if the time comesโฆ go there. The โWater of the Godsโ will heal any curse that befalls you.โ
Recalling these words, Ren had set out for the Sacred Spring and finally discovered it.
โโฆIt really was here.โ
Nearly a month had passed since Ren defeated the Demon King and received the curse.
Before him spread a mirror-like spring. The surrounding plants softly glowed, and the air was crystal clear. It was a scene straight out of myth.
โThankfully, the rumors about me haven’t reached the villages far from the capital yetโฆ Though the curse hasn’t been lifted, so the reception was pretty rough.โ
Ren removed his shoes and gently stepped into the water. A cool sensation brushed his skin, enveloping his entire body.
In that instant, he felt the heavy weight deep within his chest slip away.
โโฆHuh? Already? No way.โ
The tension drained from his shoulders, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
Standing at the center of the spring, a faint light began to overflow from deep within his body. It wasn’t pain or heatโjust a pleasant warmth. At the edge of his vision, the black mist-like substance began to fade.
He could feel the โReversing Curseโ that had clung to him for so long dissolving into the light.
“โฆHaha, seriously?ใHaha, feels a bit too easy, doesn’t it?”
The face reflected on the water’s surface looked somehow bright. A genuine smile I hadn’t seen in a long time.
โNow, I can finally meet themโฆ everyone.โ
I was certain the curse was broken. Expectation and relief welled up deep within my chest.
Ren scooped up water from the spring, raised it to the sky, and drank it all in one gulp.
A gentle breeze blew. The forest trees rustled, and birds took flight once more.
โAlright, let’s return to the capital. I’ll clear up the misunderstandingโฆ apologize, laugh, and travel with everyone again.โ
With that, Ren stood up, his face beaming with a full smile.
This better not be it lol, they barely even did anything worth regretting