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 48: Setsuna Kirisame’s Reflection / Let’s Get Along with 'Yatagarasu'!

Chapter 48: Setsuna Kirisame’s Reflection / Let’s Get Along with ‘Yatagarasu’!

—Splash.

On the night she became a “bride,” Setsuna Kirisame soaked in the Soranaki household’s bath.

It was a spacious, open-air hot spring in a traditional Japanese style. Steam rose from the water, filling the air with warmth. The smooth wooden edges of the tub provided a gentle surface as she leaned back, the natural texture soothing against her skin.

“…fuh.”

The heat seeped deep into her body, melting away the exhaustion and tension from the day.

This bath was incredible.

Even though the Soranaki family ranked at the lowest level among Reisoushi households, their estate was built on prime land in Saitama, blessed with natural hot springs. The subtle, earthy scent of the mineral-rich waters was luxurious in a way that any woman would appreciate.

“Now that I think about it… Hinako Soranaki looks so young, doesn’t she? Maybe it’s because of this bath…?”

She let her thoughts drift as she gazed up at the moon.

 A gust of wind blew through the night.

Her pale, ice-blue hair was tied up, leaving the nape of her neck exposed. The cold air playfully brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. But as soon as she sank her shoulders deeper into the warm water, an indescribable sense of comfort washed over her.

Warm, soothing, and strangely amusing.

 It was as if the hot spring wasn’t just relaxing her body—it was melting away all the burdens clinging to her heart.

“Fufu… This really is a great bath.”

A soft smile naturally formed on her lips.

After spending about a week at the Soranaki household before, Setsuna had secretly come to love this bath.

“But to think…”

She exhaled a long breath, the heat of the bath mixing with her sigh.

“That I… would end up becoming a bride in this household…”

It all started with a frantic phone call from her adorable but foolish little sister, Sharo.

“Save me! Kanata Soranaki is going to kill me!”

That was what Sharo had screamed over the phone.

Without hesitation, Setsuna had rushed to her side.

Looking back now, it was obvious that Sharo had exaggerated—no, outright lied. That foolish little sister of hers was both adorable and ridiculous in equal measure. And because of her antics, Kanata Soranaki had been dragged into unnecessary trouble.

Sorry about that.

But at the time, Setsuna’s impression of Kanata was nothing short of monstrous.

He had taken down Ujimaro Godaiin, a Class-1 Reisoushi, barehanded. He had even engaged in a death-stare duel with Ouma Shiranui, the fearsome hero, and managed to hold his ground.

She had been terrified of him.

In fact, as someone from the Kirisame family—one of Japan’s protectors—she had even agreed with the discussion about his possible elimination.

“…And then…”

Her thoughts drifted back.

Kanata Soranaki was born on April 1st—

And that night, Setsuna had seen a terrible dream.

She couldn’t remember the details. But she knew that in that dream, her little sister, Sharo, had died an unspeakably gruesome death.

…That foolish girl.

She had tried to gain glory through sheer recklessness, only to meet a brutal end.

Her name became a joke, mocked by everyone.

Setsuna couldn’t recall exactly how things had reached that point.

She couldn’t remember—

But…

“—Come on now, cheer up, Sharo. You’ll pass eventually. You’re a daughter of the prestigious Kirisame family, and more importantly, you’re my little sister.”

Somewhere in that dream… Setsuna had said those words to her dejected younger sister.

It was the worst thing she could have said.

Even if it was just a dream version of herself—how utterly foolish.

“You’re a daughter of the Kirisame family… and the sister of a genius like me.”

That was what she had implied.

She had placed unnecessary pressure on Sharo, whether she meant to or not.

And then… Sharo lost control.

The result was her death.

In other words—

The one who had killed Sharo in that dream was none other than Setsuna herself.

“…Haah.”

It really was a nightmare. Just thinking about it made her heart sink.

The dream had shifted, showing glimpses of a distant future—

And as she expected, it was bleak.

Her future self had lost everything.

She was hollow, her emotions drained, her face devoid of life. She never fell in love with anyone, nor did she care to.

She had become the Ice Queen in the truest sense, carrying out her duties in cold detachment.

And then—

Twelve massive wings of light, rising from Shibuya, spread across the world, melting everything in their path.

She had simply watched.

She hadn’t even tried to resist.

Because by that point, nothing had mattered anymore.

The girl who had killed her own sister and turned her into a laughingstock—

That kind of person deserved to disappear.

“That’s why I panicked.”

She clenched her fist under the water.

“Maybe that dream was a premonition. If things kept going like this… Sharo would be killed.”

That’s why she had attacked the Soranaki household.

She had accepted the possibility of death, fully prepared to fight the terrifying Kanata Soranaki.

There’s no way I’ll let Sharo be killed.

Even if she couldn’t win, she was determined to buy her enough time to escape.

But—

“Kanata… he didn’t kill Sharo. He didn’t kill me either. Instead, he just forgave us so easily…”

That was when she realized.

She had been completely mistaken.

Kanata Soranaki was a monster—

But he wasn’t the kind of person who would mercilessly kill someone without reason.

“He’s ridiculously strong. Maybe to him, we were just insignificant bugs not even worth stepping on. Or… maybe he thought we’d be useful as pawns.”

Either way, Setsuna and Sharo had been spared entirely by his mercy.

“If he hadn’t forgiven us…”

She shuddered as her thoughts drifted to Rouga and Riru—

The adopted children of the Shiranui family.

If things had gone just a little differently, she and Sharo could have ended up just like them—

Destroyed. Cast out of society.

Just imagining it made her face pale.

She sank deeper into the warm water, letting the heat wash over her.

“Kanata might still use that incident against us one day—if we ever defy him, he could easily say, ‘Do as I say, or I’ll expose everything,’ and with those mismatched crimson-and-gold eyes that held an undeniable darkness, a cunning and calculating mind might very well be hiding such a scheme… but—”

The days she spent with him were… surprisingly refreshing.

Setsuna was a prodigy.

Not just any prodigy—she was the girl chosen to inherit the prestigious Kirisame family.

Throughout her life, there had never been anyone her age, let alone younger than her, who was stronger.

Everyone always stepped aside for her.

But Kanata was different.

He was overwhelmingly superior.

He tossed her around without a second thought, and when she shouted in frustration, he had the audacity to call her a sow.

A younger boy—no, an actual baby—talking to her like that? How infuriating.

So, determined to assert herself as the older one, she fought back—

And he smacked her across the chest.

She had never experienced such humiliation before.

And yet… at the same time, it was exhilarating.

He treated her so roughly.

Unlike everyone else, who treated her like some delicate ice flower, he handled her without hesitation.

Even Ouma Shiranui, as wild as he was, still treated her with a certain level of respect.

But Kanata—

Kanata treated her like she was just a regular girl.

For Setsuna, who had spent her entire youth as a perfect noblewoman, every interaction with him was a first.

She had never met a boy like him before.

He was stimulating in ways she had never imagined.

“But, still… auu…!”

As those thoughts filled her mind, her pale cheeks turned red.

And it wasn’t because of the heat from the bath.

“Grandpa Kagero… this is so embarrassing…”

Even if it was the result of various schemes stacking on top of each other—

“To think he would actually make me marry Kanata…!”

◆　◇　◆

“Man, yesterday was rough.”

Setsuna ended up getting lightheaded from the bath and collapsed.

Well, since she’s a Reisoushi, she was back to normal by morning, but still.

She told me a lot of things—how I got classified as a Special-Class, how multiple organizations were after me—but honestly, that was the most shocking part.

“Take care, everyone.”

And so, morning came.

I stood outside, seeing off my family and Maro.

Mom and Dad were heading to the Spirit Conductor Agency Headquarters in Tokyo.

Michio and Hinami were heading back to Izumo Spirit Academy in Shimane.

“Father and Mother will get there quickly by car, but Brother Michio and Sister Hinami have it tough, huh? They have to take a plane. You guys okay traveling alone as kids?”

“”Says the literal baby!””

Both of them yelled at me at the same time.

Geez. I was just worried about them.

“Sorry, sorry. (Shimane is so far… I hope we don’t grow distant again…)”

Reisoushi were required to attend schools far away from home.

It was a system put in place to maintain fairness.

If noble families sent their kids to academies in their own territories, they’d end up living like pampered little kings.

They could gather their local followers, build up influence, and if they started pressuring strict teachers? That’d be a nightmare.

It had happened many times before.

That’s why, after Ouma Shiranui became the Supreme Commander, all Spirit Academies became boarding schools.

“Mr. Maro, thank you for everything.”

I gave a deep bow to Maro, who had a large furoshiki bundle slung over his shoulder.

He was still going to stop by occasionally for surveillance duty, but even so… it felt a little lonely.

After all, we had spent over a week together. Right, Mr. Maro?

“Hohohohoooo! Finally, I am free from the evil brat who demanded mountains of food every single day! This is a glorious day indeed de ojaru~~!”

“Eh?”

“Ahhh, how delightful! Well then, adieu!”

…And just like that, Maro left without looking back.

Man, he was the same as always.

Oh, wait—he was getting showered with goodbyes from the neighborhood ladies.

Meanwhile, I was still being watched with suspicion!

“Fufu, that’s just like Lord Maro. He made sure the farewell didn’t get too gloomy.” 

My dad, Michikata, smiled as he said that.

Yeah, no. I really don’t think that’s what he was going for.

“Kanata, take care of yourself. And Lady Setsuna, I’m counting on you to look after him.”

“Y-Yes! U-Um… Leave it to me, Father-in-law!“

Setsuna stood beside me, stiffly addressing my dad.

Wow, she’s really going all in on this fake wife thing.

…Oh, right. My parents actually believed this marriage was real.

Damn, she was good at acting.

“Ufufuu~! To think I’d gain such an adorable daughter! Thanks to you, Kanata, my happiness just keeps growing!♡”

“Adorable…? O-Oh no, Lady Hin—Mother-in-law, that’s too much…!”

“Kyaaa~~!! She called me Mother-in-law! How absolutely precious!”

“Awawawa!?”

Hinako, my very high-energy mom, practically tackled Setsuna into a hug.

Well… at least she looked happy.

I’d do my best to make sure she never fell into despair like she did in my past life.

“Tch… I won’t lose to you, Kanata…!”

And then there was my older brother, Michio.

He was glaring at me, eyes brimming with tears.

Apparently, the fact that I had outranked him as a Reisoushi and got married before him had hit him hard.

“Brother Michio, I’m sure you’re quite popular yourself. I bet plenty of noble families have already approached you with marriage proposals.”

“Hmph! Those were all conditions for me marrying into their families! And the women they offered me were all selected based on rank!“

Whoa. He was pissed.

“But you, Kanata!? You—somehow ended up with Setsuna Kirisame, the ‘Ice Princess’—a top-class noble, a genius, and an absolute beauty?! No one ever handed me someone of that caliber! This is pure jealousy!!”

…Dude, you’re starting to sound a little gross.

“Tch. Fine, there’s no use complaining… but damn it, Kanata, I blame you…! For all I know, she could have been matched with me instead…!”

“—That would never happen.”

Setsuna cut him off, her tone ice-cold.

She fixed Michio with a stare sharp enough to freeze the air around her.

“Eh? Wha…?”

“You openly talk about ranks when referring to women, as if we’re objects? Even for a child, that’s quite the remark.”

“A-Ah!? N-No, that’s not what I—”

“Disgusting.”

She didn’t even let him finish.

“What kind of woman would want to spend her life with a boy like you? If Kanata is like the shimmering moonlight, then right now, you’re nothing but the grime on a dirty wall. Ugh, how unpleasant. Even looking at you makes me feel filthy. Perhaps you should clean yourself up a little?”

“H-Hguuuh!?”

…Damn. Michio was getting absolutely destroyed.

Getting scolded by Dad was terrifying, but getting verbally dismantled by a woman? That was a whole different level of scary.

“More importantly, I haven’t forgotten what you said about my little sister, Sharo.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, you disgraceful fool.“

“Hiiih!?”

…And there it was—overkill.

“I-I-I’m so, so sorry…! I-I’ll apologize to Sharo when I get back to the academy…!”

“Good. Make sure you don’t mistake arrogance for dignity again.”

“Y-Yes…”

With his spirit completely shattered, Michio lowered his head in defeat.

In my past life, I don’t think he ever reflected on anything.

At this rate, he might actually cleanse himself of all that nasty personality gunk.

“Ugh… Kanata… your wife is really something. She seemed like such a cheerful girl around you, but…”

“Yes. She’s a truly wonderful wife. (Well, according to Setsuna, this whole marriage is fake, though.)”

Most likely, once things settled down, this so-called marriage would be annulled.

Kagerou, the head of the Kirisame family and a Reisoushi for seventy years, would never actually give his granddaughter to a monster like me.

“S-S-S-Such a compliment, I c-c-can’t—!”

Setsuna started smacking my back—sixteen times per second.

Damn, she really was a top-tier Class-1.

If I didn’t have my second-life body, I might’ve actually collapsed.

Whoever ends up marrying her for real is gonna need some serious endurance.

“Anyway, Sister Hinami, take care as well.”

“Uuuu…!”

No response.

She was still clinging to Mom, her teary eyes glaring at me.

“Are you really that upset about failing the exam?”

“O-Obviously!! And it’s all your fault for making Sharo stronger!! Waaahhh!!”

…And there she goes again.

Come on, Sister, you’re only ten years old!

Barely anyone passes the exam at that age. If even one person manages to do it in a year, it’s considered a rare case.

“Waaaahhh! I wanted to pass super early with Michio and flex on all the talentless losers with a smug face~~!”

…That was the worst possible reason.

Wow.

At first, I kinda felt bad, thinking, “She was supposed to pass in my first life, so maybe it’s my fault things changed…” but now? Yeah, I don’t care anymore.

Like, come on. I didn’t even pass until I was eighteen.

I could analyze my opponents’ abilities perfectly during mock battles, but my spiritual energy was trash, so I’d run out of stamina before I could deal enough damage.

I failed over and over because of that.

And here she was, whining, despite already having an A-rank spiritual power level. Tch.

“Haaah, kids these days…”

“Says the literal zero-year-old!?”

…Oops. That one slipped out loud.

Then—

“Waaah! Stupid, stupid, stupid!! I’m gonna post on social media—‘My baby brother is ZERO years old, and he already brought home a busty woman! #PleaseShare #BabyMakingBabies’! There, take that!”

She snapped a photo of us and ran off.

STOP IT, YOU FILTHY SISTER.

“Haha… Michio and Hinami will be sitting with us until we reach the airport. I guess I’ll have to teach them a few things before we part ways…”

Dad sighed with a tired smile.

Hinami and Michio both flinched at his words—“Eep!”

Well, this was the first time in a long while they’d be spending extended time with him.

Might as well take it slow, grab a snack, and enjoy the ride until their flight.

“Oh, right, Kanata. About that runaway incident with the demi-human boy, Rouga—Lord Ouma Shiranui personally called to apologize.”

Dad casually tapped the pocket where he kept his phone.

Yeah… he’s personally connected to Ouma Shiranui, the Supreme Commander of the Spirit Conductor Agency.

That’s not something I ever could’ve imagined back in my first life.

“Since you handled the situation properly, things were settled. That young man has already been judged, so I have no complaints. But—Lord Ouma still insisted on offering some form of compensation. …What do you want to do?”

Dad looked at me seriously.

Even Michio turned toward me and said, “I don’t really care. I was just too weak, that’s all.”

“You only got kicked, Michio. But Rouga and that girl, Riru—they came here to kill Kanata. Even if he didn’t get a single scratch, he’s still the biggest victim here.”

Huh. So I get to decide.

In that case—

“Then, Father, please tell Supreme Commander Ouma this—“Let’s have a meal at your estate.”“

“Wait—just a meal…? That’s all you want?”

“Yes. Preferably buffet-style. I eat quite a lot, after all. I expect something extravagant and delicious.”

Ever since I got this second-life body, food has tasted amazing.

Partly because I get hungry so damn fast—

But also, my baby tongue is just that sensitive.

I can taste every little detail of the flavor.

“…Alright. I’ll let him know. But Kanata, I won’t tell you to push for more, but… settling for something so cheap—”

“I am a generous person, after all. Ah, but please add one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

There were some people I really wanted to get along with.

Especially since when top-tier Conceptual Spirits like [Erasure] show up, those guys are always the first ones thrown onto the battlefield.

“The death row unit—Yatagarasu.”

“!?”

“Could you invite them to the meal as well?”

After all— 

I’m such a nice guy.

I’d love for those folks to enjoy a delicious meal, too.

“Let’s all eat together, like good friends, alright?”

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[Tips]

Reactions to Kanata’s “Let’s all eat together like good friends” regarding inviting Yatagarasu to dinner:

Ouma: (?!??!?!!??!?!?!!?!!?!?!!?!?!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!!?)

Setsuna: (In what way is he “generous“? This man is insanely and strategically evil…!)

Kanata: (I just wanna be friends~.)

Shina: “FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!??!

K-K-K-K-K-Kanata wants to eat with—WITH—YATAGARASU, THE GUYS WHO ALL WANT TO KILL THAT MORON OUMA?!?!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH THIS IS THE BEST THING EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR—!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S GONNA BE A TOTAL NIGHTMARE FOR OUMA!!! IT’S GONNA BE THE GREATEST DINNER PARTY IN HISTORY AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH KANATA IS A GODGODGODGODGODGODGODGOD!!!!!!!”

Yatagarasu folks: (So this… is true evil…?!)

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