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 42: Bye-Bye Human Rights, Rouga!!!

Chapter 42: Bye-Bye Human Rights, Rouga!!!

“It’s over.”

The battle was done.

As pieces of the shattered canopy fluttered down, I landed, crimson particles still streaming from my spiritual gear.

“Good work. Return to normal, Hellbirds.”

“Chirp chirp.”

“Chirp… chirp?”

With that bizarre chirping sound, the twelve deadly blades began to morph back.

They converged into my hands, reforming into the shape of a sleek briefcase.

The Pseudo-Halo floating above my head also faded away.

‘KANATA MAMAAAA! LET’S TALK MORRRREEE!’

“Next time, [Hihiirokane].”

That weird Conceptual Spirit was still yapping.

I’d see it soon enough anyway—I was planning to visit the Spirit Science Research Lab to recharge its spiritual power.

‘WAAAAHHHH!!! MAMAAAAA!!! MAAHHH—’

The obnoxious voice cut off.

Ha. Noisy and creepy… Yeah, there’s really nothing good about it.

“Brother!”

While I was thinking about that freakish spirit, the silver wolf girl, Riru, ran forward.

She headed toward a charred, blackened hunk of flesh.

From the remains of the exploded giant wolf, a burnt, human-shaped figure emerged.

“Ugh… ah… ahhh…?”

“!? Brother, you’re conscious?!”

“Ri… ru…?”

It was Rouga Shiranui.

He looked like a lump of overcooked hamburger meat, but he had turned back into a human.

“You’re lucky.”

I stepped closer.

Riru flinched with a terrified, “Wahii!?” and Rouga let out a panicked, “Ah… Aaahhh!?”

How rude.

“Rouga. Until just now, you were on the verge of becoming a full Conceptual Spirit. Your existence had nearly fallen into negative reality.”

Conceptual Spirits are non-physical lifeforms.

In the material world, they’re like illusions.

Because of that, they can defy physical laws—sometimes their power increases absurdly depending on people’s belief in them, while other times they vanish the moment they feel satisfied.

They’re incredibly unstable.

“Then I hit you with the Phantom Particle Destruction Beam, which destabilized your existence even further. The result? You snapped back into being human.”

Honestly, I didn’t know if it would work.

The Phantom Particle Destruction Beam itself is considered sketchy even in the Spiritcraft world.

The scholar who proposed it, Saina Hiraga, may be a top-level expert, but everyone thinks she’s crazy.

I just tried it because the idea popped into my head.

“Alright then, shall we continue the fight?”

““!?””

As the audience of Reisoushis froze in shock and the TV reporter rushed forward with excitement, I turned to the siblings.

“I don’t know your reasons. But you want to kill Kanata Soranaki, don’t you?”

“Hii!?”

“Then let’s finish this…! This is a mock battle for the Spirit Conductor Qualification Exam. A deathmatch until one of us is utterly crushed. So—”

Since the brother was defeated. 

“It’s your turn now, Riru.”

“N-No, please stop!”

As I said that, the charred figure shielded Riru with his body.

It was Rouga.

With his burnt, crumbling limbs, he protected his sister.

“She didn’t do anything wrong! I surrender! I was the one who ruined the duel and kicked your brother…!”

“Brother…!”

“I-I was frustrated… I couldn’t stand it! Kanata Soranaki! Because of you… my adoptive father, the great Ouma Shiranui, started to change…! He never listened to us, but he listened to you…!”

Ouma Shiranui changed because of me…?

I didn’t understand.

That man hates my guts. How could I have influenced him?

“I don’t get it,”

But regardless—

“You attacked me just because you ‘didn’t like it’?”

“Ugh…!”

“You ruined a duel and kicked someone’s family for such a selfish reason?”

I stared at Rouga in disbelief.

—This reminded me of something from my first life.

These two siblings weren’t very popular back then, either.

It’s strange, really.

Even if they’re demi-humans, they’re still the prince and princess of Ouma Shiranui.

That alone should’ve earned them a following. And yet…

“You really are lucky. You’re rough and reckless, but somehow you’ve managed to skirt the law. You’ve lived your life like that…”

As I muttered, Rouga suddenly screamed, “Shut up!”

His voice trembled, like he was spitting out blood.

“I can tell with my werewolf instincts! There are only two types of humans who get involved with us! The ones who secretly look down on demi-humans, and the ones who suck up to us because we’re the Boss’s kids!”

He glared at me with his scorched, weary eyes.

In my first life, I’d only heard bad things about this prince.

Now, he was finally letting out his true feelings.

“I hate it! I hate them! What’s wrong with pushing those people away!? What’s wrong with telling them to piss off and die!? Why should I have to put up with them!?”

So that’s what was eating away at him.

But still—

“Yeah, it’s wrong.”

“!?”

I understood how he felt. But there was no debate to be had here.

“Barking and yelling just because you’re angry won’t change anything. It won’t make things better for you. In fact, it’ll just make people treat you worse. You’re a stupid wolf.”

“What did you say…!?”

“You’re a [Werewolf], aren’t you? Then learn to blend into society. Use deception, use sweet words.”

You’re not just a wolf—you’re a [Werewolf].

That means you have a human’s intelligence. Use it to figure out what people want to hear.

“If you don’t like someone, give them your biggest smile.”

“Huh…?”

“Use that instinct of yours wisely. Let them breathe in the sweet air. Fill their lungs with it.”

If you do that—

“They’ll become your slaves.”

“!?”

You already have the status of Ouma’s adopted son.

If you’d played your cards right, your reputation could have completely turned around.

“Y-You’re… saying some scary stuff…!”

“Oh? Are you scared they’ll find out?”

“N-No, that’s not—”

“Even if they do, it doesn’t matter. If you’re the source of their addiction, why would your dependents destroy the very thing they rely on? Use words, power, and money to ease their struggles. Let them get so comfortable that they can’t escape.”

“!?”

I stepped closer to Rouga.

Maybe it was because I’d unleashed my anger and fought with everything I had — but now, I felt fantastic.

It was like a fog had finally lifted.

With that clarity, I looked down at Rouga and smiled.

“Should I be kind to you, too?”

“!?”

He stepped back. But I didn’t let him escape, closing the distance.

“After what you did, you’ll be condemned for sure. You and your sister.”

“Ugh…!”

Michio isn’t even qualified as a Reisoushi. He’s just a regular person.

For a Reisoushi to harm a civilian is a serious crime.

And you attacked a child, during a critical national exam, when he was already beaten down. Sigh.

“That’s a full house of crimes. They could execute you as a Medium.”

“!?”

What a disaster. So much anxiety ahead.

“This is why people hate demi-humans — you’ll be insulted, scorned, and maybe even hanged for this. You and your sister.”

“That can’t…”

“But don’t worry!”

I clapped my hands, drawing Rouga’s attention back to me.

“I’ll forgive you for this little outburst.”

“What…?!”

“I’ll defend you. I’ll protect you from those who insult you. Kanata Soranaki will be on your side!”

“…!”

It’s alright now. Everything’s fine.

“I understand. You did this because you’re stressed from not knowing how to deal with people, right? But you don’t have to worry anymore. I’ll be there to help you. Doesn’t that sound easy?”

“Uh… ah…”

“Oh, and your father, Ouma Shiranui, doesn’t listen to his kids, does he?”

“!?”

How sad.

You couldn’t fit into society, and your father was a workaholic. No wonder you ended up so twisted.

“But—”

I spoke gently, taking Rouga’s hand in mine.

“I’ll listen to everything you have to say.”

“…!?!”

“I’ll free you from all your worries… won’t that be nice?”

“Uh… ahhh…!”

Rouga stumbled back, almost reflexively.

But his eyes were lost. Riru’s were the same — she whimpered, “Uuuh…!” and looked at me with fear, yet there was a hint of longing in her gaze.

They were starting to think that the future Kanata Soranaki offered was tempting… even if just a little.

Ah, how adorable.

Just a little more, and they’ll fall completely.

“Come on, you two. The fight’s over. Let’s get along. Let’s talk about the future together.”

“The… future?”

“Yes. This Kanata Soranaki will make you both happ—”

Just as I was reaching out my hand—

“—That’s enough.”

The ground in front of me exploded.

A deafening roar and a flash of lightning burst forth.

In the dazzling glow of purple lightning, a man appeared.

“You really are a dangerous menace, Kanata Soranaki.”

“Ouma Shiranui.”

The Supreme Commander of the Spirit Conductor Agency—the Protector of the Nation, Ouma Shiranui—now stood in my way.

“I understand the situation… Professor Moyoko called me, sobbing.”

When Ouma looked toward the corner of the arena, there was Moyoko wailing, “I don’t care about supervising anymore! Parents should handle this!”

The black-suited guy was awkwardly patting her head, trying to calm her down.

Honestly, I felt bad for her… in many ways.

“Well, well, Commander Ouma. Is this like when a kid gets in trouble and the parent gets called to the school?”

“Hmph… You’re quite talkative today.”

“I’m in a good mood.”

The duel’s interruption was irritating, but completely wrecking them afterward was a lot of fun.

Ah—

“Your kids sure had some great screams.”

“…………”

Silence. But I could feel it.

Ouma’s fighting spirit flared even hotter.

“…I understand now. You are, without question, my mortal enemy.”

Ouma’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Oh? So, shall we do this?”

I tightened my grip on the case.

“Yes, I want to say I’ll kill you—however.”

“?”

Ouma drew his sword at lightning speed. The blade flashed, flesh tore, and blood splattered.

But it wasn’t mine.

“Gahhh…!? B-Boss… Father!?”

“Brother!?”

It was Rouga.

With that swift draw, his charred limbs flew through the air.

“Father, what are you doing…!?”

“The neutralization of a law-breaking Reisoushi—Medium—is complete.”

“Wha… Me?”

“With that vitality of yours, you’ll serve well as a shield to test unknown Conceptual Spirits. From now on, you’re ‘Criminal No. RO-58.’ You’ll join the atonement slave squad, Yatagarasu.”

“Noooooooo—!?!”

…Sigh. So it ended like this after all.

“Harsh as always, even with your own children. I was willing to forgive them, you know.”

“There are no exceptions. The authority to decide the fate of a Reisoushi rests with me, Ouma Shiranui.”

Cold, but fair.

I glanced toward the source of all the excitement.

The TV reporter, dragging along a cameraman, was shouting, “Breaking news! Commander Ouma Shiranui has punished the suspect Rouga! All his human rights have been stripped away, and he’s been sent to the Yatagarasu with over an 80% fatality rate!”

Well, it was a big scoop.

“Furthermore, the criminal Riru Shiranui will also stand trial as a Medium. Even considering her early teens, her crimes cannot be excused.”

“F-Father…!”

It was inevitable. If Ouma showed leniency here, both the faith in him and Japan’s order would have crumbled.

The Holy Libertarian Empire, which sought to overthrow Ouma and take control of Japan, would’ve won effortlessly.

“As expected from the nation’s protector. A perfect conclusion. You really are good at protecting the country, aren’t you?”

“…”

Ouma silently hoisted his now-criminal family members.

“…Kanata Soranaki. Weve wronged your brother beyond redemption.”

Gripping the frozen Riru by the arm, Ouma Shiranui turned his back and said:

“I will make a formal statement to the Soranaki family later. I swear to offer any compensation required.”

“Understood. Until next time, then.”

“Yeah.”

And with that, he vanished.

Compensation, huh? I wonder what we’ll ask for.

Though it’ll probably be up to my father, Michitaka.

“Well, at any rate—”

I stretched my arms and let out a relaxed sigh.

Then, I turned to Moyoko and smiled.

“The qualification exam is over, isn’t it?”

“LIKE HELL IT’S OVER~~~~~!?!?!”

She screamed at me with everything she had.

“There are still groups left to take the exam! But thanks to your Kaiju-level battle in that dome, everyone was scared out of their minds, wondering if they’d get hit by stray attacks and die! They all ran away with pale faces!”

“Ahhh…”

Now that she mentioned it, the kids did evacuate.

Even the ones doing the physical ability tests in the second half disappeared somewhere.

“Alright—I get it.”

Honestly, everything that happened was Rouga’s fault.

But I’m the bigger person here. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll take all the blame and handle this.

“W-What do you mean by that? What are you planning?”

“I’ll go and gather the kids myself.”

“That’ll just cause more panic, STOP ITTTTT—!”

Moyoko clung to me desperately. 

There, there.

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[Tips]

Five minutes later, a now-calm Kanata:

“W-Wait, I sounded way too evil. My words were so evil…! My words were so evil…! My words were so evil…! I-I didn’t mean it like that~~~! I swear I didn’t…!”

The public:

“He’s way too evil… This guy’s seriously terrifying…”

Shiina:

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

KANATA, I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!

YOU’RE THE EMBODIMENT OF EVIL I’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF!!!!!!

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF CHAOS 

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

YAAAYYYYY!”

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Next Time: The Final Chapter of the Exam Arc!

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