kscans

Chapter 200 - That's That

...

The children sent to the Satou residence on Okutama Island looked at each other, wondering what to do. It was only natural. They had been dropped here suddenly with little explanation. Under normal circumstances, they might have handled it a bit better, but today was different. So much had happened, truly so much. A murky, unsettled feeling lingered in their minds. After a short silence, Rika was the first to speak.

"For now, let's take a bath, shall we?"

"Ah, yeah, you're right. I'll use the shower by the pool, so Rika-chan and the others can use the large bath."

"I'm not really in the mood for a long soak either. I think I'll use a private one."

Hikaru and Sakuya said their pieces and started toward the private shower rooms set up near the pool.

"Wait a second. What about a change of clothes...?"

What are we going to do, Rika was about to ask.

"Whoa!"

The eyes of the bust of Yukichi that Hikaru was holding, Super Yukichi-kun, suddenly lit up. Apparently, it was telling him to use it. It was only then that Hikaru, to his horror, realized he had been about to take it with him to the shower. He was shocked that his mind had been that out of it.

"O-okay, well, I'll try making a request."

Hikaru spoke to hide his inner turmoil, placing Yukichi-kun on the table and addressing it timidly.

"Um, a sweatsuit, a shirt, and underwear... please?"
"Do you have a preference for color or brand?"

"N-not really."

As soon as he answered, a brand new sweatsuit and underwear appeared. He wondered if the size would be right, but it seemed fine. Apparently, it could figure that out without being told.

"Looks like it works, for now. Okay, my turn."

"W-wait a second."

Even if it was new and sealed, a girl's underwear was still awkward. Hikaru tried to say so, but Rika paid him no mind and stated her request briefly. The items appeared just like before.

"Oh, so it's considerate like that."

They had appeared inside a paper bag so the contents were not visible. Seeing that it wouldn't be a problem, Sarna made her request as well, and the two of them headed to the bath, clothes in hand.

...

"The bath here is so convenient, isn't it? It fills up with hot water in an instant."

Rika started the conversation while undressing in the changing room. She too had been scarred by this mission, but she felt Sarna was in worse shape, so she was trying to be considerate.

"Yes, it is. It's so convenient... I'm a little scared of going back to my old life."

Sarna gave a slightly awkward laugh. Unbeknownst to Rika, Sarna Diadokos was a being far more deeply immersed in the Supernatural World than she was. If you were to ask then if her current absentminded state was an act, it was not.

I'm supposed to be much closer to the darkness than everyone else, and yet...

On this mission, Sarna had lost herself. She flew into a rage and was about to wield her power over death before Rika stopped her. She had tried to kill someone who couldn't fight back, all in a fit of emotion. That was something a Death God should never do. She understood that logically, but she couldn't control her feelings. Weakness. Fragility. Sarna's rational side perceived this failure as such, but that was not the case. It was a product of her many interactions with others and the growth of her heart. It was not something that should ever be denied.

...

They rinsed off and submerged themselves in the large tub. The warmth that enveloped their exhausted minds and bodies felt somewhat unpleasant right now. Even so, they lacked the energy to quickly wash up and get out.

"I thought I understood, you know."

Rika murmured, staring up at the ceiling.

"Uncle said the Supernatural World was like something out of a manga or anime. So I figured it would have all the usual tropes... Yeah, I really thought I understood."

The darkness of humanity was a classic, time-honored wall for protagonists to run into after a smooth journey.

"We were so protected."

"Even now, they are still protecting us, aren't they."

"Yeah."

Neither Chika nor Satou had said much. Not even a word of comfort. All they said was the simple fact, "You can't go back to your everyday lives with faces like that." But in a way, that was a relief. If they had been offered some clumsy platitudes, they surely would not have been able to remain calm.

"We're so lucky."

"Yes."

The conversation died. It was about an hour later when they finally got out of the bath. When the two returned to the living room, Hikaru and Sakuya were already back, sitting on the sofa and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Should we get something to eat? We still haven't had dinner."

"You're right. I'll make something then."

"No... I don't think I could taste anything elaborate right now."

"How about some cup ramen?"

Everyone agreed to Sarna's suggestion. They shuffled over to the kitchen and opened the cupboard reserved for instant foods, finding it jam packed with ramen and udon. Normally they would have cheerfully debated which one to pick, but they were in no mood for that. The four of them grabbed something at random, poured hot water in turns, and returned to the living room with drinks in hand.

"What was the right thing to do?"

Hikaru began as he ate his ramen. To an outsider his words were insufficient, but the other three understood what he meant without him needing to say more. This time, the four of them had neutralized the kidnappers without killing them and handed them over to the Mutual Aid Society. Criminals handed over to the Society are eventually released, unless they are exceptionally vile. That is because even scum has its uses. But what if they commit another crime after being released? Shouldn't they have been killed? The Mutual Aid Society does implement measures to prevent recidivism, but even those are not absolute. There are plenty of loopholes.

"The Mutual Aid Society does not condemn killing. The authority over life and death is entrusted to the members who handle the situation."

Yoshino had not commented on the rightness of their actions, only telling them that.

"How to face the pain of choosing. I suppose that is the challenge we've been given."

The Surface World is simple. You just have to live according to the rules. It's not that you're never faced with important decisions, but the choice between life and death rarely comes up. To make it in the Supernatural World must also mean to keep on choosing.

"I wonder if the ideal would be to completely break their spirit so they never think of committing a crime again."

"Like Uncle?"

Rika's response to Sakuya's words was met with a curtain of silence. The various acts of retribution by Satou, chronicled in the gossip magazines of the Supernatural World, were all about breaking spirits without killing. But was the goal to prevent the perpetrators from reoffending? No, absolutely not.

"Yeah, no, not that."

There was so much they didn't understand, but some things were certain.