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～

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Chapter 55: The Crow Takes Flight

At the banquet hall.

“Whew… (Yeah, that was probably a mistake.)”

I was feeling a tiny bit of regret.

From the moment I heard Riru was being sold, to the duel with Kirara Houjou and her crew…

I may have kinda… snapped and gone a little air-headed again.

Being rough is a no-go, right~?

Normally, I’d hate the idea of a duel.

But this time I was all fired up and accepted it way too easily.

“W-Wait! You’ve got it all wrong, okay!? I—Kirara Houjou—have always been loyal to Lord Ouma! T-There were circumstances behind this, I swear…!”

The one yelling at the nearby servants right now was none other than Kirara Houjou—

Who had been dragged along by me to help deliver the drinks.

Whew, that was close.

After winning the duel, I managed to calm down a bit.

And instead of dishing out something crazy,

I gave Kirara and the rest of Ouma’s loyal Reisoushi a gentle little punishment:

“Just prepare some booze and help carry it.”

Hehe.

I bet everyone was super relieved.

“Kanata didn’t go full psycho with the punishment! He really is a good guy!”

Nice save, me.

Let’s keep that good guy rep rolling, shall we?

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“Ghh… Kanata Soranaki…!”

Uh-oh.

Now she’s glaring at me with watery eyes?

Ahh, I get it.

The punishment itself was light, but losing the duel still stings, huh?

Kirara’s got some serious drive. I respect that.

“Relax.”

I stepped closer and gave her a light hug around the waist—

Just enough for the servants to see.

A gesture of goodwill! A friendly hug!

“Wha—what are you doing!?”

“If you’re up for it, why don’t we have another passionate night like today? (I’m totally up for a rematch anytime!)”

“Whaaaaaat!?”

Oh, now she’s all flustered.

Did my generosity just move her to tears?

Even the servants are freaking out a bit.

Probably thinking, “Wait, Kanata Soranaki’s actually a chill and friendly dude!?”

Alright then—let’s sell the image a little more.

Time to hit her with a nickname.

“You really did a great job out there, Kiraringo.”

“K-Kira-ringo!?”

Well, girls like sweet stuff, right?

I figured she might like it.

My nickname game is dangerously good.

What do you think, dear servants?

Servants whispering:

“Wait… did Kanata Soranaki just call her by a nickname like that…!?”

“The noble Lady Kirara Houjou—known for her dignity—has fallen that far!?”

“Maybe she told him to call her that…?”

“Of course she did. There’s no way the brilliant and calculating Kanata Soranaki would come up with a cutesy, brain-melting nickname like a lovestruck college couple.”

“Besides, Miss Kirara’s been too picky with her standards and ended up 29 and still single. If she ever fell hard for someone, she’d totally be the type to demand nicknames like that…”

“She looks like a perfect blonde heiress with a triple-digit bust, but in the end she’s just a 29-year-old sad woman still chasing after Commander Ouma like he’s a prince…”

“Knew she’d snap someday.”

“Biologically, women around their late twenties hit what’s known as the ‘peak of thirst’ period, y’know?”

“So Kanata Soranaki… aimed for the perfect low-IQ moment of her thirsty phase to make his move…!?”

“This is the art of war…!”

“It’s a classic move—when the idealistic high-spec woman gets completely undone by a good-looking dark younger guy…!”

“To think that Lord Ouma’s biggest supporters, led by Kirara Houjou herself, have all ended up under Kanata’s control…!”

“I’m posting this on social media: ‘Kirara Houjou got totally brainwashed by Kanata, calls herself Kiraringo, and now she’s in full-blown swoon mode.’”

“I’ve lost all respect for you, Miss Kiraringo…”

“Also, that nickname is tragic, Lady Kiraringo…”

Sounds like they’re gossiping in hushed voices again.

Well, I keep catching little bits about my ‘naming sense’ here and there, so I’m guessing they’re impressed.

Heh. Obviously.

“T-This is all a misunderstanding~~!! I-It’s all Kanata Soranaki’s trap, I swear!”

“Oh yeah, Kiraringo. Next time, even if you’re super excited, try not to go attacking people in the red-light district, okay? It’s pretty crowded over there, you know—Yoshiwara, and all.”

“WHAAAAA!?!?”

Even with friends, I give fair warnings.

That’s just how good of a person I am.

A true role model—kind enough to scold his friends properly.

Look, even the servants are whispering:

“She attacked him in the red-light district!?” “Wait, Kanata Soranaki’s technically still a baby!?” “So it wasn’t a case of good turning evil… it was just evil joining hands with evil…!?”

They’re all stunned by Kiraringo’s wild behavior.

“I-It’s not like that! That’s not what happened!”

“It’s not a lie, though, is it? You did jump me.”

“W-Well… that part is true, but still!”

Oh? She admitted it?

How honest. Good girl.

Even the servants looked touched by her honesty.

“It was true…!?” “Lady Kiraringo’s seriously insane…” “A 29-year-old throwing herself at a 0-year-old…!?” “I’ve been recording this whole time… Is it okay to leak this legendary scene online…?”

“Ahhh, aaahhh~! Why is this happening to meeeee!?”

Kirara Houjou fled the scene in tears, and the other Reisoushi scrambled after her in a panic.

The servants, now clearly fans, gave chase yelling: “““Please let us interview you! We’ll sell it to the news!”””

“Heh… (Bye-bye, Kiraringo squad.)”

Hehe. I get it.

I may be a baby on the outside,

But I’m all grown up inside.

So when someone younger lectures you—even if you know they’re right—

It still stings. I totally understand.

But hey—give it a day.

Once they cool down, they’ll probably go: “Thanks for setting us straight, Kanata! You’re such a kind soul!”

And the public?

They’ll be praising the Kiraringo squad for reflecting on their actions.

“The future of Japan is looking bright…”

Welp.

Good deeds are done—

Time to eat! ♪

◆　◇　◆

“““Lord Kanataaa!”””

Just as I was about to grab some food before heading over to Ouma’s seat—whoosh—A wave of beautifully plated dishes suddenly appeared around me.

Huh? What’s this?

“““Please, help yourself!!”””

“Oh?”

The ones offering me the plates were members of the death-row unit Yatagarasu.

Whoa, what’s going on here?

Honestly, I was half-expecting a bunch of thuggish delinquents,

But they’re… surprisingly thoughtful? What’s happening?

“You guys being considerate or something?”

“Yes, sir!! We seriously respect you, Kanata-paisen (senior/senpai)!! Taking control of that Ouma fangirl Kirara? That’s next-level, man!! And bringing Riru back like a trophy to show the boss? Too cool!!”

The one shouting that enthusiastically was a red-haired girl with twin tails,

Dressed in a black uniform with red stripes.

She gave off that peppy, cheerful junior vibe.

“Hehehe! Paisen-paisen…!”

Well…

Except for her completely dead eyes that made it look like she’d lost her soul somewhere along the way.

Cute twin tails or not, she was giving major “fallen stag beetle” energy.

Kind of terrifying, honestly.

“Oh! I’m Criminal No. Ha-021! But everyone in the squad just calls me Honey, sir!”

“I see. That’s a cute nickname. You also look pretty young, though.”

Maybe early teens?

Getting tossed into Yatagarasu at that age?

Yeah… that’s seriously messed up.

“Ahaha, well, when it comes to being young, I can’t beat you, Kanata-paisen. You’re literally a baby.”

Fair enough.

“So yeah, like, about half a year ago I was still out in the real world. Just a regular student at Spirit Conductor Academy, y’know?”

“I see, I see.”

“But then… ahaha, I kinda got labeled ‘the weird kid who can’t read the room’ in class. Got bullied a little. …So I blew them all up. And that’s how I got tossed into Yatagarasu~!”

She scratched her head with an awkward grin.

Yikes. That escalated real fast.

Yep—still terrifying.

Sure, it was retaliation, but even revenge has a line.

No wonder she’s considered a death-row criminal.

But then—

“You did well.”

“Eh?”

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

A small gesture of encouragement.

“You held on. I’m proud of you, Honey.”

“Ah… Ahahaha~ Well, of course you’d say that, Kanata-paisen! You’re a total villain too! The other Yatagarasu members also said stuff like, ‘Great job turning those bullies into mince meat!’ and praised me~!”

“No.”

“Eh?”

“I’m not praising you for how brutally you killed them. Anyone—even an insect—can destroy a body.”

That’s not what matters.

“I’m praising you for the fact that… you stood up and fought back, all on your own.”

“…!”

That’s the real point here.

They were many. You were one.

You fought alone against the crowd.

Sure, someone might say, “You could’ve found help” or “There were other ways”.

But those are the words of clueless people looking back from the outside—

Not the ones who actually lived it.

“P-Paisen, what are you even saying…?”

“I’m praising you. And more than that—I’m acknowledging you.”

“Wha—?”

You really did well, handling it all by yourself.

Even the Ultra Principal Lady Moyoko, who’s a Special-Class Reisoushi managing multiple schools while traveling the world, can’t just drop everything to help a single student in trouble.

In the end, only the person in the situation knows the full story.

And in that moment—she was completely alone.

“Honey. When you were cornered, when the world was closing in on you… your world must’ve felt like it only had you in it. That’s why you snapped and did what you did, right?”

“y-yeah…”

“You did great! You’re a hero!”

“W-Wha…!?”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“s-stop that! I… I killed people, you know!?”

“Yeah, you did. But—you didn’t kill yourself, did you?”

“I… I-I…”

Then you have something to be proud of.

I placed a hand firmly on her back and gently pushed her forward,

Bringing her into the spotlight so everyone could see.

“Now, look at her, Yatagarasu.”

“““…!?”””

“What are you all even praising her for? For being brutal? For how she killed?”

“““…!!”””

“No. What’s truly worth praising—is her courage.”

“““…!!”””

Forget the cruelty. That doesn’t matter.

What matters is that light she held onto in the darkness.

That is what deserves to be seen.

“The outcome may have been a tragedy. Society probably sees her as a criminal now. But still—this girl stood up. All on her own, she faced countless enemies. She went to war… to protect her future from being twisted. So tell me—how can we not praise that?”

“K-Kanata-paisen…!”

Courage—

The will to stand against an unfair reality.

That’s something beyond good or evil.

If you’re human, it’s a concept worth taking pride in.

“Yeah, blowing people up is a serious crime. It makes sense that society would condemn her. But before that—before the explosion—there was a small spark inside her. A choice to fight back. And that decision… that will to fight—how can anyone say it was wrong!?”

Let me say it clearly.

“She stood up against a world that tried to break her. She is a hero—one who should stand tall with pride!”

As I said that, Honey’s body trembled.

“y-you mean… the me that fought back… wasn’t wrong…!?”

Tears poured from her once-lifeless eyes.

As if all the tension in her body finally released, she collapsed to her knees.

“I-I always regretted it… The others in Yatagarasu praised me for going all out and killing big… But I never felt happy about it! I kept thinking, wasn’t there a better way? I just… I didn’t know what else to do… but…!”

Honey gave a weak smile, looking up at me slowly.

“paisen…” she whispered.

“I… I might’ve gone too far with the whole blowing-them-up thing…”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“But—choosing to kill the ones who cornered me instead of killing myself… That courage wasn’t wrong, right!?”

Hah. What a silly question.

“Of course not! Even if society won’t accept you—I, Kanata Soranaki, will!”

“Paisen!!”

She threw herself into my arms, overcome with emotion.

There, there. Good girl. So lovable.

“Honestly, I was scared of you, Kanata-paisen…! But everyone admired how evil you seemed, and I didn’t want them calling me ‘out of touch’ again…!”

“Haha. You don’t have to force yourself to be bad. Just be honest and live the way you want.”

“Yes! And right now, I honestly really like you, Paisen!”

Well, I’m flattered.

If she were an adult woman, I’d be even more flattered, but hey.

“There, there… (So this girl also… died in the last life, huh?)”

With an 80% death rate, most Yatagarasu members probably didn’t make it.

She must’ve vanished without me ever knowing.

But now… I’ve learned that someone like her existed in this world.

And I’m glad I did.

“Lord Kanataaa…!”

“Great Kanataaaaa…!”

While I comforted the tearful Honey, soft voices echoed from the crowd around us.

I turned to look—

Yatagarasu was watching.

The same group that used to brag about being ruthless, now stood there with faces like they’d just realized something important.

Like they’d finally remembered what it meant to be human.

“I-I… the first person I ever killed was my own parent! they were abusive as fuck… total scum!”

One of them confessed in a quiet, trembling voice.

“after that, I spiraled. I gave up on everything and went full villain… but—was that moment, when I chose to kill my parents to survive—was that something I should be proud of…!?”

A man covered in tattoos looked to me, searching for an answer.

So I gave it to him.

“Yeah. That’s right. You did what you had to… You fought to stay alive. That’s something to be proud of.”

“kh… Y-Yes, sir…!”

He dropped to his knees, overwhelmed—”No one’s ever said something like that to me before…”

His voice was barely a whisper.

“I… I wasn’t wrong either…!?”

This time it was a woman’s voice, trembling with emotion.

“I-I ran away after killing my classmates who bullied me… Then I became a Medium and figured it didn’t matter how many more people I killed after that… But—was it okay to not hate myself for that first time…!?”

A pale woman with deep bags under her eyes looked up at me, pleading.

Of course I’ll answer.

“That’s right. You weren’t wrong.”

“…!”

“If I’d been there back then… I would’ve held you close and protected you. I’m sorry I wasn’t.”

“sniffle…! N-No… Just hearing you say that is more than enough…!”

She, too, fell to her knees, crying.

I gently cradled her face as she pressed it to my chest.

“L-Lord Kanata… I’m the opposite…! I didn’t have that kind of courage… I couldn’t even fight back…!”

Another voice—this time, a man filled with shame.

“Back when my parents told me to go shoplift, I… I just did it. I couldn’t stand up to that messed-up reality, so I ended up turning into a piece of shit…! Compared to that, Honey’s incredible… She’s nothing like me, huh…?”

The big guy looked at Honey with eyes full of regret and admiration.

Hey now—what are you even saying?

“You fought too, didn’t you?”

“Huh…?”

“Yeah, maybe your path got twisted along the way. But you still kept going, right? Maybe you hurt others to survive… But you didn’t choose to die, did you?”

“…”

“That alone is worth being proud of. You were your own kind of hero, in your own story.”

And then—WAAAAHHH!

The man burst into sobs, bawling like a little kid.

There, there. Come here.

Let me pat your head. You’ve earned it.

“If I hadn’t been attacked that day, maybe I…”

“My parents were part of this crazy medium cult—!”

“I was raised to believe I’d be worthless unless I became the head of the family,

and that’s why I… did that to my talented little brother…!”

One by one, the criminals began confessing.

They spoke about the turning points—the moments when their lives took a dark turn.

To some, that might sound like making excuses.

Maybe it is.

They’re not things you’d want to say in front of the people they’ve hurt.

“I did something bad because of X or Y”—

It might sound like trying to dodge responsibility.

But even so…

“I see… You’ve been through a lot. You all really did your best, didn’t you?”

The truth is—every villain, no matter how terrible,

Must have had someone…

An ‘enemy’ who twisted them into what they became.

“Hey… all of you.”

…!

I called out to the 64 members of the death-row unit, Yatagarasu.

“Relax. I’m not here to lecture you. I’m not that high and mighty. But still—listen.”

Except for Rouga, who was curled up in the corner looking completely hollow, and Shiina, who was doing an accidental backbend while twitching and muttering, “Ka-Kana-ta… Kana…!?” in a half-awake daze—

I looked at the rest of them.

“If you ever feel regret for what you’ve become… If there are nights when guilt eats away at you… then in those moments—hold onto that pain. But even so, keep facing forward. Because right now, the way you’re living… that’s something to be proud of.”

“““…!”””

They all seemed to realize something in that moment.

Yes.

The reason I invited Yatagarasu to this banquet…

It’s because I respect them.

I know they’re criminals.

I know they’ve done terrible things.

Honestly, yeah—they scare me.

But even so…

They’re strong.

They’re reliable.

“Your role… is to be the first to charge into battle against the most dangerous spiritual cults and the unknown threats of Conceptual Spirits. Do you realize how many Reisoushi have been saved because of that? And in turn—how many civilians have been protected by your actions? Honey, do you know the answer?”

“Eh? N-No idea, Paisen…!”

“Exactly. The number is so large you can’t know. You’ve saved more people than you can count.”

That’s why I don’t blame you.

I don’t care if you’re twisted, or broken, or rough around the edges.

“The lives you’ve taken since you were forced down this path—they’re far outnumbered by the lives you’ve saved. Dozens, hundreds—maybe even thousands more. And above all else—I, Kanata Soranaki, am alive today because of you. You’ve saved me, right here and now.”

“““Lord Kanata…!?”””

That’s why I owe you my thanks.

I say it with all my heart.

And with that, they wept even harder.

Tears flowed freely, their hardened hearts momentarily softened.

Honestly… they’re kind of a handful.

“But listen, Yatagarasu. You’re all worthy of pride… However—among you, I know there are those who’ve come to enjoy violence. Who love the thrill of cruelty like it’s second nature, right?”

…

Many of them lowered their heads in silence.
And that’s fine.
There’s no shame in it.
You don’t need to hide that part of yourself.

“I’m not here to deny that part of you. In fact—I say, let it out. Let it all out.”

“““—!?”””

Yes, those twisted urges, those dark instincts you’ve kept inside—

They may have grown from pain or trauma.

But if you learn to harness them, to control them rather than be controlled by them,

They can become your strength.

Not to harm the innocent, but to protect others with the ferocity of someone who understands the edge between good and evil better than anyone.

A warrior who knows darkness—

Can strike it down better than one who’s never seen it.

“Those same kinds of ‘enemies’ who showed up in your lives… The scum of the earth. Filthy organizations that make your blood boil. When you’re up against that kind of garbage—who cares how cruel you get? Who’s gonna complain?”

In fact, I asked them to imagine it.

“Picture this—A genius, filthy-rich, high-class Medium who spent decades crafting some evil master plan. And then you show up, laughing your head off as you trample their life’s work into the dirt—Wouldn’t that feel amazing!?”

“““…!!”””

“Or hey—how about fooling the masses? Say you’re just itching to get violent, but instead of admitting it, you go, ‘I’m fighting for justice!’ Then beat the crap out of evil people while the crowd cheers for you—Wouldn’t that be fun!?”

“““Gh…!!”””

“And someone gets saved in the process! Isn’t that just a beautiful way to live!?”

Their eyes lit up.

I could see it—the spark of hope.

“You should be proud of yourselves. It’s okay to live with your head held high.”

Everything comes down to how you see it.

If they learn to take pride in themselves—

If they learn to enjoy the work they do—

Then their whole motivation changes.

And for a Reisoushi, whose strength is tied to their very soul,

That kind of shift can unlock incredible power.

“So I say—Own the evil that started your story. Own the evil you’ll carry forward. Even if no one else does… I’ll be on your side.”