kscans

Chapter 153 - The Worst Kind of Dream Come True

"Hmm."

Alongside his public business ventures, Yanagi scrutinized the information he'd had gathered on Kyoto. It wasn't just due to his contract to serve as one of Satou's private soldiers. The issue was an inconvenient one for Yanagi personally.

"So diligent," Onisaki murmured, sounding impressed. He'd been nonchalantly sipping his tea, paying little mind to Yanagi's intense focus.

"This concerns you too, you know."

"?"

Onisaki tilted his head. Back when he led his own organization, perhaps, but now he was just a lone cross-dresser. How could the clandestine movements in Kyoto possibly have anything to do with him?

"Why did I ever..."

"I'm tired of hearing you complain."

Ever since he started working with Onisaki, Yanagi had found himself wondering the same thing over and over. Why had he never been able to achieve a decisive victory against this man? He had no regrets, yet a separate feeling of vexation still welled up inside him.

"Just explain it to me already."

"Hmph. Fine. Listen. Consider Satou Hideo's current position. If he makes a move in this incident, it will stir up trouble in both the surface world and the underworld."

What Yanagi explained was the same concern the Chairman had expressed to Satou. Though less than half a year had passed since his return to the underworld, Yanagi never did things by halves once he decided to act. Since that battle, he had greedily investigated the underworld's state of affairs, down to the most trivial fads and trends. That was why he understood just how precarious the current situation was.

"To be honest, I couldn't care less what happens to the underworld. No matter who seizes power, Satou Hideo's absolute authority will not be shaken."

The position of Satou, the man backing him, was secure. His own activities would likely not be affected.

"The problem is the surface world."

"Won't it just make the underworld more active? Why would that affect the surface?"

"Satou Hideo may act like a lunatic, but he is a surprisingly earnest man."

"That's true. I heard from Mama he's working hard as a regular employee. That little brat has really grown up, hasn't he?"

Onisaki laughed. "It makes me a little happy, you know?" Yanagi continued, exasperated with Onisaki's attitude.

"That's right. He lives a perfectly respectable life as a member of society."

He works diligently as an employee, fulfilling his duty to labor. He pays his taxes from the money he earns, fulfilling his duty as a taxpayer. He has no children, so the duty of education can be set aside, but one could call him a model citizen.

"In other words, he belongs to the state."

"Uh huh."

"Though from his perspective, it's probably something he could easily cast aside if it came down to it."

Conversely, it also meant that without a reason, he would not leave the community that is the nation.

"Forcing Satou Hideo to submit through sheer power would be impossible. But the possibility that the flow of events could make him change his allegiance... does exist."

"Wait, don't tell me."

"Yes. A war on the surface."

All they would have to do is seize Japan's sovereignty and change the name on the sign.

"If it comes to war, the very people I wish to help will be sacrificed."

"I suppose that wouldn't be entirely unrelated to me either."

"You see?"

"But wait. If it turns into a war, won't that boy have something to say about it?"

Those of the underworld do not involve themselves in the conflicts of the surface. It is an unwritten rule shared across the world. But would Satou abide by it?

"We're not talking about some minor political dispute, right? This is a war on a level that could determine Japan's fate."

It would undoubtedly affect the children Satou holds so dear.

"They're under his protection, so I'm sure they would never die."

But their healthy development would certainly be hindered. Would that man ever permit such a thing? Satou Hideo cannot fight for a belief. He cannot fight for a great cause. For a man who lives so aimlessly, such grand principles are things of a distant world. Yet Onisaki knew all too well that this same lack of firm conviction also made him dangerous. And Yanagi knew it too.

"Yes. That is another one of my concerns."

Satou might get fed up with everything and resort to solving it all with violence. For Yanagi, that was another contingency to consider.

"What do you think would happen if he were to crush everything with his power?"

"What do you mean..."

"In a way, your old ambition and mine would be fulfilled."

The power Satou Hideo possesses is so immense that even if everyone else combined their strength, they could not even touch his feet. One could say that equals absolute order. It was what Onisaki once sought. However, the lazy Satou would never establish laws. At most, he would tell people not to bother his life. Then would things be so different from how they are now? Not at all.

"In the surface world, there is no single, absolute peak."

There are strong nations and great powers, but none are mighty enough to make all other countries bow before them. In other words, an absolute ruler, something that has never existed in recorded history, would be born. And this ruler would only be interested in what happens in his immediate vicinity.

"It would definitely get 'wild'."

As long as one did not incur Satou Hideo's wrath, anything would be permissible. The birth of an absolute ruler would simultaneously issue the worst kind of indulgence. If that happened, the distinction between the surface and the underworld would cease to matter. If someone from the underworld ruled the world, it would only be natural for underworld denizens to wield their power openly. And if the power of the underworld could be wielded freely, many problems like food self-sufficiency and medical care would be solved. With Satou in Japan, the country could get by just fine without relying on other nations.

"Japan will become the eye of the storm."

Those from the underworld who harbor ambitions and desires will venture out from Japan. Japan is Satou Hideo's personal garden and cannot be ravaged, but other places are fair game.

"The same goes for the gods. If the border between the surface and the underworld vanished, they would surely move to reclaim their former power."

What awaits is uncontrollable chaos. It was what Yanagi once sought.

"Is it possible that the current situation is, like, really bad?"

"That's what I've been saying from the start, you fool."

Yanagi lit a cigarette as if to dispel his irritation.

"Those outdated old fools have really brought a troublesome spark into the world."

The people in Kyoto have no idea what this situation will trigger. As Yanagi grumbled, Onisaki asked a question.

"I don't know much about what's going on in the west. What's it like?"

"Let's see. If I were to explain it in terms you would understand..."

After a moment's thought, Yanagi began.

"You know how people from Kyoto sometimes joke that Kyoto is still the capital?"

"Oh, yes."

"You can assume they're a bunch of idiots who seriously believe that."

"What? It's the Reiwa era, you know. Reiwa. In this day and age, you're telling me..."

"It's possible. The leadership in Kyoto is a gathering of old men who have extended their lives by several hundred years."

"So they haven't adapted and updated with the times. But..."

"You think the younger generation is different? Anyone like that would have left moldy old Kyoto long ago."

Though they are obstinate old men, they still rule Kyoto's underworld, so their power is not to be underestimated. Staging a coup to change the status quo would be a considerable struggle. It would be far better to give up on Kyoto and go somewhere else.

"Do you really think the majority would be young people full of such reverence for the elderly that they'd want to deal with old men with mold growing on their brains?"

"No, I suppose not."

Onisaki let out a deep sigh.

"I know it'll be tough, but do your best."

"You don't have to tell me."

"Of course, if there's anything I can do to help, I will. Oh, how about I let you squeeze my boobs?"

"Drop dead."

The two are great friends