I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 38: Awakening of the Killing Intent

Chapter 38: Awakening of the Killing Intent

“Mr. Hebizuka, head of the family! Is it true you threatened those boys and rigged the match?!”

“Ugh, s-shut up, you nosy reporters! If you air that, I’ll have you killed!”

“So, you’re trying to pressure the media, huh!? Is that it? Did you all hear that just now, folks!?”

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

Surrounded by the TV crew, Hebizuka’s dad was sweating bullets.

He grabbed his son Shagana, who was being carried by the medical team, and fled the scene like his life depended on it.

Wow, things are gonna get messy for the Hebizuka family now.

“Looks like the Hebizuka family is in for a rough time.”

“…Didn’t you basically destroy them indirectly?”

Moyoko gave me a tired, judgmental look.

I don’t get it. All I wanted was for Yamada and Tanaka to be happy!

“What a mess. And that was just the first match…”

Moyoko let out a deep sigh.

The black-suited agent carrying her on his shoulders was panting heavily, gasping, “Hahhh! Hahhh!” like he was hyperventilating.

Gross.

“Anyway, I’ll announce the results later. Now then, the next match is…”

A black-suited agent quickly prepared a draw box.

Moyoko plunged her tiny hand inside and pulled out a slip. The names on it were ‘Suzuki’ and ‘Shogo Muramasa.’

“Yes! It’s my turn! Cheer me on, Azaka!”

“Y-Yeah! Go for it, Shogo!”

Shogo stepped forward, radiating main character energy.

Oh, if he steps away now…

“Azaka, that means you’ll be standing next to me, right?”

“Eeeeeek?!”

Azaka Toudou, the shy beauty, let out a panicked scream.

As a 23-year-old guy on the inside, I really don’t need a middle school girl freaking out around me. It makes me feel like I’m committing a crime or something… Please stop.

“Hey, Kanata Soranaki! Quit picking on my childhood friend, or I’m going to knock you out!”

“Hey, hey, Muramasa, Kanata’s not your opponent this time. Let’s get this moving. Suzuki vs. Shogo Muramasa, match start—!”

And so, the mock battles continued smoothly.

Oh, and by the way, every time someone draws a name, the other examinees look at me with absolute terror. And when they realize they don’t have to fight me, they sigh in relief.

Please stop treating me like a monster…!

◆　◇　◆

By the time the sun started to set, things were moving along well.

“Alright, the next match is… hmm?!”

Moyoko looked surprised when she saw the names on the slip she drew.

“Talk about fate! The next match is Michio Soranaki vs. Kanata Soranaki!”

““!””

Michio and I locked eyes at the same time.

…So, I’m really going to fight my big brother. What a twist of fate.

I guess I’ll just give him a casual wave.

“Tchhhh!”

Wow, that was a serious tongue click.

He’s always in such a bad mood. If he keeps that up, he’s never gonna grow taller.

Even in my past life, since he and my sister Hinami were semi-identical twins, he had a slender, feminine build and never got much taller.

“Alright, both of you, take your positions.”

““Yes.””

Well, time for the match.

We stepped into the large, chalk-drawn circle, standing several meters apart, and locked eyes.

“Kanata… You’re nothing but an obstacle in my starring role!”

His hostility was through the roof. His spiritual energy surged with intensity, and a fierce wind whipped around the field.

“Haha… (I never thought the day would come when he would glare at me like this.)”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

In my past life, I was just a background character. Because of our age gap, we hardly even spoke.

Every time we met, it was always stuff like:

“Stay in your lane, you loser.”

“Don’t get in the way of the star— me.”

That’s all I ever heard. So now—

“This is getting kinda fun. I never imagined I’d get a chance to punch my dear brother.”

“Tch, don’t get cocky. You’re the one who’s gonna get punched, Kanata…!”

I let my spiritual energy surge as well. The pressure in the air intensified, and the spectators instinctively backed away.

“Gnnnnngh…?! They’re already at each other’s throats, and it hasn’t even started yet…!”

Moyoko clung tightly to a black-suited agent’s hair to keep from getting blown away.

Finally, she shouted, “Alright, you two—!” and gave the signal to start the match.

“Michio Soranaki vs. Kanata Soranaki, match start—!!!”

The moment the signal went off, Michio charged straight at me, using the wind like a booster to close the distance in an instant.

“I won’t drag this out! I’ll end it with my first few strikes!”

I swung a backfist counter at high speed.

The timing was perfect. My fist was about to smash into Michio’s face—

Wait, did his head just fly off?

No.

“A decoy, huh?”

I quickly raised the case behind me.

In the blink of an eye, a massive impact slammed into the case.

If it hadn’t been made from the fantasy metal [Hihiirokane], it would’ve shattered.

“Tch, you blocked it…!”

I turned around and saw Michio standing there, smoke rising from his clenched fist. He immediately backed off.

The Michio I’d hit in the neck faded away into mist.

I see now…

“You used the wind spirit, [Sylph], for Spirit Hosting.”

“Y-You knew about my spirit?!”

“We are family, after all. (Well, technically, I know from future knowledge.)”

A girl woven from green wind appeared by his side.

That’s [Sylph]. One of the Four Great Spirits believed to exist in 16th-century Europe. She dances gracefully on wings of air and can create clouds freely.

So that decoy earlier was made from a cloud.

“That’s impressive. If it was just a cloud shaped like a human, I wouldn’t be fooled. But the colors were perfect. You didn’t just tint it… No, it’s more advanced than that. You actually adjusted the way light refracts inside the cloud layer, reflecting your image like a mirror, didn’t you?”

“Stop figuring it out so fast! What are you, anyway? You were just born!”

Sorry, but on the inside, I’m pretty experienced.

I spent my past life observing situations to survive, so I’m confident in seeing through tricks like this.

“Tch, you even noticed my ambush… You’ve got sharp instincts. In that case, try this!”

Michio scattered a bunch of paper talismans into the air.

Then he formed a gesture with his fingers.

“Charm Crafting, activate! Confuse him, [Sylph]!”

Something strange happened. All the talismans transformed into dozens of identical Michios.

He spread [Sylph] across them, creating a whole army of cloud clones.

They danced around, making it impossible to tell which one was the real Michio.

““”And now—!!!”””

All the Michios raised their hands and unleashed violent gusts of wind at me!

Every single one of them attacked at the same time. These weren’t just decoys—they could fight too.

In that case—

“Object Imbuing, activate! [Ittan-momen]!”

“Can I strangle ‘em nowwwww?!”

The scarf around my neck stretched out like a dome, its tip stabbing into the ground.

Michio flinched, his eyes narrowing. “What the—?!”

“You hosted a cloth-based Conceptual Spirit and turned it into both a wind barrier and an anchor…!”

“Exactly. Now I won’t get blown away or even feel the wind.”

I could just stay like this and wait it out.

My internal spiritual energy control isn’t great, so my techniques burn through energy fast, but I’ve got a massive pool to draw from.

Like the story of the wolf and the three little pigs, I can just endure it. Once Michio tires out, I win.

But…

This mock battle is all about showing off our techniques. Winning in a boring way isn’t the point.

So—

“Spirit Hosting, activate! Let’s go, [Blank Shot]!”

“—!”

I hosted [Blank Shot] within myself.

Then I raised my leg high into the air.

“‘Tremor’!”

The moment my foot slammed down, a deafening BOOOOOOM!!! exploded through the field.

A massive shockwave rippled out, and the ground split apart with a loud crack!

“““Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh—?!”””

Michio and his clones screamed as they were blasted by the shockwave.

They were flung into the air, scattering in all directions, and all the clones vanished.

At last, a battered boy tumbled to the ground. It was the real Michio.

“Guhhh… Aghhh… W-What the hell was that?! That was basically a weapon!”

“By hosting [Blank Shot], I amplified the shock and sound of my stomp.”

This was a technique I couldn’t pull off in my previous life.

Increasing the shockwave also meant increasing the strain on my own body.

If I hadn’t reconstructed my physical structure and packed my body full of spiritual energy in this second life, I’d never be able to handle it.

“I still haven’t shown you Charm Crafting or Curse Wielding. I’m going all out, so brace yourself.”

“Hah, are you trying to kill me…?”

“I won’t hold back, but I’ll make sure not to hit any vital spots. Besides, I know you can handle it, Brother.”

As I said that, he slowly staggered to his feet and let out a sharp, “Tch!”

“You damn brat… Because of you, my starring role is in shambles!”

“Well… yeah.”

I do feel bad about that.

Because of all the misunderstandings, I’m treated like some evil monster. It’s definitely caused problems for my family.

“Sorry for being seen as the bad guy.”

I apologized sincerely, but he—

“Ha? That doesn’t matter at all.”

“…?”

Michio gave me a look that screamed, What are you talking about?

“There’s nothing wrong with living as a villain. As long as you don’t break the law, do whatever you want!”

Wait, but I’m not living like a villain…!

“There’s no need to worry about others. You and I were born with exceptional talent. That means we’re destined to be sent to the harshest battlefields.”

“…”

Yeah, that makes sense.

It’s like the responsibility of the privileged — Noblesse Oblige. The stronger you get, the stronger the enemies you’re expected to face.

“The reason I don’t like you is because, even though you’re my little brother, you’re more talented than I am. Everyone’s so focused on ‘Kanata Soranaki’ that no one notices me anymore. I don’t care about your personality.”

“…Brother.”

“I’m going to live however I want too. I won’t suck up to weaklings or even the strong. I believe I’m the strongest, and I’ll prove it! I’ll defeat the Special-Class and even you with everything I’ve got!”

I see now… so that’s how he feels.

“And until the day I’m killed by a worthy opponent, I’m going to live with my head held high! That’s the way of Michio Soranaki!”

I always thought my brother was just an arrogant jerk.

But now I get it—the more talented you are, the more trials you face.

He knew that, and he decided to shine as brightly as he could until the end.

I understand you now.

“I get it. …But that’s not exactly the most admirable way to live. Insulting Mother on top of it makes you a real jerk.”

“Ugh…”

“But I’m glad. You may be a jerk, but at least you’re not a shallow idiot like Hebizuka.”

There it was — his hidden side, his own philosophy. Something I never knew in my first life.

Maybe because I’ve reached his level in this second life, he finally decided to share it with me.

“I’m glad you have a strong conviction. Is that why Big Sister Hinami is such a pain too?”

“No clue about her. She only comes alive when she’s spreading gossip like a little rat. That’s just a hobby for her.”

“Ugh… what trash.”

Understanding Hinami seems like it’d be tough…

Maybe if there’s a third life and I’m born a girl, I’ll get it?

Not that I want to understand her…

“Hmph, taking your sweet time. Thanks to that, I’ve caught my breath…!”

Michio pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it tightly around his right fist, taking a ready stance.

“Object Imbuing, activate! Let’s do it, [Sylph]!”

The wind spirit girl nodded with a smile and disappeared into the handkerchief.

Immediately, Michio’s right hand was surrounded by a swirling vortex, like a gauntlet made of a miniature hurricane.

“I’ve focused all the wind’s power into my right hand. Even you won’t be able to withstand this, Kanata!”

“Wow, as expected of my brother. You’re really going for the win…!”

“Of course! I’m the protagonist!”

Michio squared up, facing me head-on.

Come to think of it, while everyone else is terrified of me, he’s been consistently aiming his hostility right at me.

I should probably hate getting this kind of hostility from my own family, but… right now, it makes me feel kind of happy.

“Kanata, here I come—!!!”

“Alright!”

We both dashed forward at the same time.

“I’m going to win no matter what—!!!”

Just as we were about to clash, two determined brothers ready to face off—

“Outta my way, brat.”

…A wolf-eared man suddenly appeared and kicked Michio hard in the side.

Huh?

“Gahhh…!”

Michio coughed up stomach acid as he was sent tumbling across the ground.

The man who did it looked down at him with disgust.

“Stay down, kid. —Well now, nice to meet you, Kanata Soranaki. The name’s Rouga Shiranui, and I’m here to—”

Hold on, what?

“—What do you think you’re doing?”

My vision went red.