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 56: A Moonlit Night Where Light and Darkness Crossed

At a table by the window, where the moonlight peeked in.

“Good evening, Supreme Commander Ouma.”

“…Yeah.”

About ten minutes later, I finally made it to the table where Ouma was sitting.

It had taken a while because the death-row unit, Yatagarasu, kept coming up to talk to me.

They looked so refreshed now.

Everyone was scattered around the hall, happily stuffing their faces and guzzling down booze like crazy.

Good for them.

“Come, Riru. You too.”

“Mm…♡”

I picked up the silver-haired, wolf-eared girl, Riru, and placed her on my lap.

Ah, so warm and soft.

Her tiny body felt like that of a preschooler.

“Heh… (I was the youngest sibling, after all. Having a little sister like this makes me really happy.)”

Hey there, Rouga, sitting there in the corner—

Don’t worry, your little sister is being properly protected by me!

Here, Riru, peace sign!

“Peace~♡”

“Gaah!?”

Ah, Rouga just coughed up blood.

Was he so happy for his sister’s happiness that it made him cough up blood?

Good for him.

“Oh, right. Sorry, Riru. Originally, this seat was supposed to be yours, wasn’t it?”

“Mhm. It’s okay now.”

I apologized while touching the armrest of the chair.

Riru shook her head gently.

“Lord Kanata. Riru… can’t stay with Father anymore.”

She glanced briefly at Ouma, a faint sadness flickering in her eyes.

“F-Father…”

Receiving that look from his former daughter, Ouma’s response was as cold as ever.

“………Hm.”

There was no warmth in his tone.

Not even a single gentle glance.

The Guardian of Japan completely ignored the existence of Riru, the criminal slave.

“Uu…”

Riru looked like she was about to cry.

She clutched my clothes tightly.

It felt so painful to watch.

I thought about taking her small hand and comforting her…

But then—

“…Over at the drinks corner.”

“…!?”

“My butler has prepared some freshly squeezed peach juice.”

“Eh…”

“If you’re interested, go get some.”

He said it—

Still addressing me directly, never once speaking to Riru herself.

“Ouma…”

“Father…!”

Riru’s eyes lit up.

She quickly wiped away the tears that were about to fall, nodded hard, and jumped down from my lap.

“I’ll get some for Lord Kanata too!”

Full of energy again, Riru sprinted off.

Her wagging tail and the way she leapt over the back-bending Shiina made her look just like a little puppy.

“…So she likes peach juice, huh.”

Watching her go, I turned back to Ouma and gave him a wry smile.

“Must be tough, huh—being the ‘symbol of justice and all.'”

“…What are you implying?”

“You can’t show mercy to a criminal. Not under any circumstances. Especially now, when it’s like the whole country’s carrying a camera in their pocket.”

I remembered the servants chasing after my dear friend, Kiraringo, with their phones in hand.

These days, it wasn’t just the danger of Conceptual Spirits you had to watch out for.

With modern technology in their hands, even ordinary people without any spiritual power could wield enough strength to take down those in power.

“Especially you—you’re the blinding light that illuminated postwar Japan. No one expects you to walk alongside the darkness.”

It had become a harsh era for politicians who built their careers on image alone.

In that sense, maybe being a mob was easier.

“You never know where cameras might be lurking. And even if they aren’t, trying to live with two faces—one public, one private—would only make your convictions crumble. Besides, not everyone’s cut out for that kind of double life. …Being a father must be tough.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“There’s someone out there… Someone who arranged it so I could buy your daughter, Riru.”

“…!”

At my words, Ouma’s eyes widened for just a moment.

“Well—technically, they just gave me a little push. The right to join the auction just happened to fall into my lap… On the very same day. And not to a respectable man—but to someone everyone already sees as a monster.”

“…I see. I had no idea. But… that slave, being bought by you—truly unfortunate.”

“Yeah. But if someone else had bought her, it would’ve been way worse.”

“…”

All of Japan had been eager to ruin Riru.

To protect the sanctity of their hope—Ouma Shiranui—they had tried to erase the “stain” that had been cut away from him.

They would have shattered her without hesitation.

Even though it was me—the one who defeated her—who stood here now.

“I really can’t stand it when people try to snatch things away like that. And whoever it was—the one keeping a close eye on Kanata Soranaki—must’ve known that about me, didn’t they?”

Even so.

“They probably thought, ‘Better to let Kanata Soranaki turn her into one of his pawns than let the crowd tear her apart.’ To protect Riru from the claws of the masses.”

“…”

Ouma neither nodded nor denied it.

He simply lifted his glass and quietly drank some water.

…Right.

I should eat too.

Slurp!

(Three plates of pasta gone in 0.000001 seconds.)

“!? The pasta vanished…!? Kanata Soranaki, what did you just do!?”

“More importantly, Ouma Shiranui.”

Tonight’s banquet.

Besides hanging out with Yatagarasu, I had another goal—

To talk with Supreme Commander Ouma about a few things.

“That mock battle during the Reisoushi Qualification Exam… when the TV crews suddenly showed up.”

“…!”

“It was planned from the start to be broadcast publicly, wasn’t it?”

“…”

“So I was right.”

Since he didn’t deny it, that was basically a confession.

I glanced toward Shiina, who had been trying to approach me from earlier.

The moment our eyes met, he suddenly fainted backward into a full bridge pose, twitching all over.

Was he trying to cheer me up?

What a funny guy.

“Shiina mentioned it once before, you know. ‘I’ll be watching Kanata’s exam on TV,’ he said.”

After we parted ways that day, it hit me.

Come to think of it, the Reisoushi Qualification Exam had never been broadcast publicly before.

“You planned to put it on TV from the very start, didn’t you? More precisely—you planned to put me on display.”

“…That damn Shiina. Running his mouth where he shouldn’t.”

Ouma shot a resentful glare at the back-bending Shiina.

Yeah, I figured as much.

“It was a warning, wasn’t it? A move to keep the former United States—the Empire of Libertaria—in check.”

“…”

“Even on the day I was born… that leaked photo. It was all part of the plan. You kept feeding images of my growth to the world, making sure the Empire—and every other enemy nation—grew more and more nervous.”

It looked like that plan had worked out nicely.

Just like fake-wife Setsuna had told me.

Now, all sorts of foreign organizations were after me.

“Ouma Shiranui. With a weapon like me at your side, you could negotiate boldly, couldn’t you?”

“…………”

“And if I got targeted… you could track down the attackers and pin the blame on the nations behind them. Demanding full responsibility in the process. That’s how it was, right?”

“……”

Ouma never said a word.

But he didn’t shake his head either.

Refusing to lie by denying it—that was probably the greatest sincerity he could offer.

“Haa… You really have been using me way too much…”

Sure, they were wary.

Wary that one day I might go out of control.

But that didn’t stop them from using me—milking me for all they could—to boost the nation’s power.

Then, once Japan had grown strong enough, they’d crush the Empire and complete their revenge, standing at the top of the world.

Hah.

And if I happened to die somewhere along the way,

Well, it’d just be one troublesome “seed” gone, right?

“…Do you resent me, Kanata Soranaki? For being so heartless?”

“Nah. I actually kinda like it.”

“…!?”

This time, Ouma’s eyes widened so much he couldn’t even try to hide it.

Was my answer really that surprising?

“Isn’t it fine? If Japan wins, I win too. I’m Japanese, after all. If the economy improves and food gets cheaper and tastier, what’s there to complain about?”

“…That’s quite the funny joke.”

No joke, though.

I’m dead serious.

This second-life body of mine might be crazy strong, but it also burns through calories like mad!

Time for some pizza.

Zupopopopopopon!

(Six slices down in 0.000001 seconds.)

“You’re saying… you’re not even angry about being used?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Because honestly—it was something that had to be done, wasn’t it?”

“……”

I kept talking while making an entire smoked salmon disappear

“The Empire of Libertaria now controls most of the Atlantic nations. If we don’t weaken the Empire—and all the bootlicker countries crawling after it—there’s no telling how long Greater East Asia can even survive.”

—In reality, a few years from now,

The Holy Libertarian Empire would launch its bid for world domination.

That infamous incident, “Ouma versus 100,000 Spirit Conductor Knights,” would happen.

Even though it was a hopeless battle, Ouma would still win—

But his body would be left broken, reduced to something barely alive.

After that, a cold war would drag on for a while.

But eventually, the Empire would move again…

And if another major invasion came,

Japan wouldn’t survive it.

The golden age that Ouma had built would become nothing but a memory.

The Japan I remembered lived under the constant fear of extinction.

“Ahh… (Maybe…that’s why the Supreme-Class Conceptual Spirit [Regression] appeared too…)”

As that thought crossed my mind,

I turned back to the still-mighty Supreme Commander Ouma.

“…You’re annoyingly handsome, you know that?”

“…You’re one to talk.”

He looked like he was still in his twenties.

Hard to imagine someone like him turning into a shriveled mummy someday.

The future really is unpredictable.

“Ouma Shiranui.”

“What?”

“Please—rely on me.”

“…!”

I said it out loud.

Then stood up and reached out my hand—

Toward the mighty hero who was fated to fall in the future.

“Your goal… it’s revenge against the Empire of Libertaria, right? The country that burned down your family, your homeland—everything—thirty years ago, during the Second Spirit Eradication War.”

“…That’s right.”

“And to do that, you want to raise Japan into a mighty nation. That lines up perfectly with what I want too.”

My goal—

Was simply to live a peaceful, laid-back life.

I wanted to use the knowledge from my past life,

To get rid of all the ticking time bombs like [Regression] that could blow Japan to pieces.

If the number and quality of Reisoushi improved along the way,

Then the burden on me would get lighter too.

That way, I could survive without dying—

And enjoy a quiet, peaceful mob life.

“That’s why you should rely on me, Ouma. Rely on this mad hound.”

I held out my hand.

The black bracelet on my wrist gleamed faintly under the light.

“…Kanata.”

Slowly—but surely—

Ouma also raised his hand.

The one wearing the matching white bracelet.

And then—

“Hah—ah, fine. I’ll accept.”

“!?”

“Making a deal with the devil… might not be so bad.”

His hand grasped mine.

Firmly—

Supreme Commander Ouma shook my hand.

Right here, in this moment—

He accepted me.

“Ouma… (WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! IT’S FINALLY HAPPENINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!)”

After being treated like a villain for so long—

At last! Finally! Someone trusted me!

This called for a celebration!

Steak! I needed steak!

Zupopopopopopopopopo!

(One whole cow demolished in 0.000001 seconds.)

“I’m happy, Ouma. Let’s lift Japan to the top of the world together.”

“Yeah, Kanata. And after that—”

Hm?

“I’ll kill you.”

HAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?!?

“You— (What are you even SAYING!?)”

“Your ultimate goal—it’s to ‘rule the world as you see fit,’ isn’t it?”

“You— (WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOOOOOOOOUT!?!?!?)”

Wait…

He was… not entirely wrong?

I mean, yeah—

I was planning to rewrite history a little to make the world easier for me to live in.

But hold on—

Thinking about it like that…

No, no, no, no, no!?

“There’s no need to hide it anymore. Starting with Kirara Houjou, all the followers who drove me crazy—you’ve drawn them into your hands.”

I didn’t draw them in!!

“You even embraced the darkness of the death-row unit, Yatagarasu—swallowed it whole, and ended up ruling them.”

I didn’t rule them either!!

“Ah, but your words aren’t lies. If you raise Japan into a superpower—and then take the throne at the very top—you’ll have the world in your grasp.”

No, no, no!

I don’t want that!

As a mob guy at heart, a seat like that would crush me!

Ouma, you sit there instead!

“Heh… I would’ve been fine with just crushing the Empire of Libertaria. Even if I burned out and died after seeing that, it would’ve been enough. But—”

Ouma Shiranui closed his eyes once—

Then opened them again and stared straight at me.

In those burning eyes, a new light had begun to shine.

“I finally found a reason I can’t allow myself to die. Kanata Soranaki—when you stand at the top of the world, I will protect the world from you!”

Go ahead and protect it all you want!!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Tips]

Rouga, who had been watching the whole time:

“H-Hahaha… hahaha…! ‘Partners to take over the world,’ huh… There’s no way I can squeeze myself between Father and Kanata Soranaki now…”

With those words, he crumbled into dust and vanished.

But since he was a [Werewolf],

He revived immediately under the moonlight.