kscans

Chapter 8 - Don’t Look Away

t/n: sorry for not posting anything the past month. been a very busy month. the start and end of the year is usually very hectic. gong xi fa cai nin nian kuai le to theose who celebrate lunar new year.

"Let’s talk about Katsuage Ultimate (Fate Frightening Foolery)."

"Oji-san, ri…ght?" (t/n: oji-san dayo…ne?)

He had a vacant look on his face, as if he was feverish, but I had to talk about "Fate Frightening Foolery" (coercive magic). This was a technique I developed during my first battle with Hades-kun when I was on the verge of kicking the bucket. Trapped in a huge coffin of death formed by authority, with no glimmer of light in the ignorant darkness, I was in a desperate situation. "Oh man, this might be it this time…" Just then, I had a sudden question.

"What the heck is giving death, anyway?"

When you think about it, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s understandable that you die when your heart is ripped out or your head is crushed because there’s a process, a reason that leads to death. So, what about the instant death moves used by gods like Hades? They’re gods, so that’s true. But there should be some detailed reasoning behind it. That’s when I remembered the old woman’s (not 89 at the time) words.

"In romance stories and stuff, they often talk about ‘Fate’ and meeting, right? I hate that."
"Is it because you became an old lady without having a ‘Fateful’ encounter?" (t/n: used lady instead of woman on purpose, because…you know…)
"Die."
"How awful."
"They use the word ‘Fate’ too lightly. Not just in romance stories, but in all kinds of fiction."

Is she a malicious complainer or what? I thought, while listening to her.

"They talk about changing ‘Fate’ so easily. Even gods can’t truly control ‘Fate’."

Yes, even gods. Even gods, the old woman (who was younger than now) said. Maybe those death gods are only interfering with ‘Fate’ related to death. So, I decided to twist my ‘Fate’. It’s vague and invisible, but ‘Fate’ definitely exists. So, I punched it. I kept punching it persistently until I put it in tears. It’s not like it has a personality, so the expression "put in tears" is a bit off… but well, let’s prioritize clarity. And so, I safely won the first battle against Hades. I could say I won thanks to the old woman (who was younger but still an old woman), so I went to thank her afterwards.

"What the heck are you doing… Seriously, just die already."

Yeah, well, it’s actually a dangerous move. It’s not just a backlash; there’s a good chance it could change into something on a global scale. Fortunately, the rebound at that time came back to me, but I was warned not to use it again. Well, I did use it at the last minute, but I improved it so that the recoil would come back to me.

"Hey, what’s going on…? What happened first?"

…Damn it, I can’t look away anymore.

"No, it’s not… I have to say something else first."

Stop it, please…

"――――Thank you for helping me, Oji-san."

That smile was so much like hers. The faded blue spring regained its color with tremendous force.

(I’m totally a mess…)

That girl from the good old days! I don’t want to be a middle-aged man who feels a pang of nostalgia for her daughter!! And what am I going to do… That girl, that boy who seems lost! This is definitely the start of a new story. Maybe if I hadn’t intervened, his power would have awakened? I feel something budding… Ugh, I feel like I’m going to vomit… but I can’t just not explain anything.

"Don’t worry. It’s an adult’s duty to help children."
"You’re trying to act cool… even though you came running to me desperately shouting my name."

…You’re surprisingly observant, huh?

"What? Are you perhaps interested in me, Oji-san?"

She pokes me in the stomach with her elbow. "Interested in" is… already a pretty outdated term even when I was a student. (t/n: ホの字 -> Ho no ji, the Ho is a pun of ホモ->Homo)

"Don’t tease the grown-ups. For now, Rika-chan and…you."
"Y-yess!"
"I’m sure there are a lot of things you want to ask, and I also have an obligation to explain. You probably can’t believe in a strange old man who suddenly appeared…"
"No, I believe you."

The boy said with a straight eyes.

"I don’t know anything about you. Not even your name or what you do."

But, he smiled.

"I can believe in an old man who was so desperate to help someone in trouble."

Gotcha! My heart was just shot through by guilt, not in a romantic sense! The recoil from Fate Frightening Foolery is nothing compared to the pain I’m feeling right now. Aaahhh… I’m being burned by youth, by innocence, by kindness…

"…Thanks. Sorry to ask so soon, but can I have a little time?"
"Sure."
"Okay."

After a brief introduction, I teleported with the two of them to the inn where Hikaru was staying. By the way, the boy’s name is Hikaru Akatsuki (Dawn of Light). His name even sounds sparkling in a good way, and it kind of got me down.

"Hide-san? Could it be…"

The receptionist, a flashy guy widened his eyes a bit. Well, it’s easy to guess since we teleported here. The flashy guy gave us the key to the reception room.

"Sorry about that."
"No, what should we do? Should we contact the mutual aid group?"
"Hmm… wait a minute. I have some things to take care of."
"~Ssu. I’ll prepare the amulets then."
"Yeah, please do."

If it’s come to this, I can’t not tell Chika about it. Or rather, she probably won’t let it go. Right now, I am the only contact she has with the other side, but there’s been no contact on her smartphone. Probably because I sealed it when we were living on the surface. Anyway, I texted her to meet tonight and put away my phone.

"Now then."

When we arrived at the reception room, I urged the two of them to sit down and handed them some tea I bought on the way.

"So, do you guys like to watch manga or anime? Specifically, modern fantasy with battles and stuff."
"Yeah."
"The Monday release of the weekly manga magazine is the only salvation at the beginning of a gloomy week."
"Well, that makes it easy. Most of the elements that appear in those kinds of stories also exist in real life, even if they don’t catch the eye of people living on the surface."
"So, are you a person from the underworld, Oji-san?"
"Not really. I’m not a pure resident. As far as I am concerned, the surface is my world."

When I told them I was a department manager at a certain company, they nodded, saying it seemed like a typical salaryman.

"Um, what’s going to happen to us? Will our memories be erased… or something?"
"If you just wandered in, that would be the case. But it’s not that simple for you. You two are special humans with extraordinary powers."

There aren’t many, but there are a certain number of people with the potential to survive in the underworld. If they don’t awaken, they can live out their lives, but once they do, it’s a different story. Especially since the two of them are exceptional individuals.

"If it’s completely sealed off, I could just let you go home, but that’s impossible for you two. You’re starting to open up what was closed because you’re attracting those monsters."
"Why is that?"
"Because you attract creatures like the one you saw earlier. To avoid becoming their prey, you have to become strong enough to defend yourselves."

Sealing like Chika-chan does is also an option, of course. But that’s after you’ve gained some strength. Chika-chan probably has it set up so she can release the seal in case of emergency. You can only seal your power once you have mastered the art of fighting.

"Wow, that’s great! It’s like something out of a manga or something!"
"…"

It seems like she’s happy to get a little distance from her gloomy daily life. Rika-chan looks happy. On the other hand, Hikaru-kun looks serious as he hangs his head. He seems okay.

"Well, it’s not like it’s going to happen right away. There’s also preparation to be done. Can I get Hikaru-kun’s contact information for now?"
"Sure."

I took out my smartphone, and we exchanged contact information.

"Well, that’s it for today. It’s not going to sink in if we talk for too long. And don’t forget to get an amulet from the flashy guy at the reception when you leave."

It’s not permanent, and it’s not that strong. But they should receive one that’s good enough to live normally for about a month.

"Got it. If you’re going home, Rika-chan, don’t forget to get an amulet."
"Okay."
"…That was light. Well, whatever. For now, it’s safe to stay here, so if you’re scared, just stay put."

Saying that, I was about to leave the room, but then…

"Oji-san."

I was called back. I turned around and looked at her.

"…When I was attacked by that weird thing, I was screaming for help in my mind."
"Yeah."
"…For some reason, I was picturing your face."
"…?"
"And then, you really came to help me."

She stood up and came close to me.

"I was happy. Thank you, Oji-san. You were really cool."

She stretched up and gently kissed my cheek.

"Hehe… Well, see you later!"

She slipped past me, and Rika-chan left the room. Left behind, I…

"Guhhh!?"

I fell to my knees.

"Ugh, I’m gonna die… I’m going to die…"

With all these guilty feelings and emotions, I feel like I’m about to kick the bucket any moment now…