Chapter – 50
Adachi’s Soul
Mukai sat on the sofa in the reception room, silently listening to the Underworld King’s story.
“…Why did something like that happen…?”
Mukai was left speechless, his voice failing him.
“It was about eighteen years ago.
You remember that period, don’t you? When this country was repeatedly struck by virus outbreaks, followed by continuous natural disasters, and was practically paralyzed for years?”
That was when Mukai had been in middle school.
“Yes, I remember.
But things recovered pretty quickly after that.”
The unending disasters had suddenly ceased for no apparent reason.
People began calling the country mysterious, and it was also around then that the Ōsawa Empire was born—Mukai remembered that clearly.
“There is a reason for it…
This country has long contained many distortions.
Most notably from the era of war.
Even now, more than a hundred years after the war ended, the taboo that was violated remains a part of its hidden, dark history.”
The Underworld King paused, then continued as if carefully choosing his words.
“The barrier destroyed by wartime bombings was forcibly suppressed by the nation through violating taboos.
Several decades after the war, that darkness erupted all at once.
And because it had been left unattended for so long, it manifested as natural disasters.
“At the time, I was overwhelmed with my own duties and failed to notice their reckless actions.
The one who was caught up in it all was Adachi-kun.
“There are people who believe that once they stand atop power, anything they do is permitted.
No matter how cruel it may be, they think it is justified under the name of ‘justice.’
Far too many people think that way.”
The Underworld King pressed his lips into a tight line.
Cruel… things?
Seeing Mukai frown, the Underworld King let out a small sigh.
“If he had grown into a large body like yours, he might have been able to control it.
But Adachi-kun was born physically small.
Even compared to others his age, he was frail, and short in stature.
“What that means… I believe you can understand.”
“Then why,” Mukai asked, “knowing he had such an abnormal spiritual sensitivity, was he chosen as a special exception?”
“…There is atonement involved—for having taken love from him.
And there is also the sin that I could only watch over him while he remained in the mortal world.
“That thing… is extremely difficult to remove, and his soul cannot be reborn.
At the very least, I wanted to let him live as a human, even if he was already dead.
“He is a child who learned how to smile only after death.
Here, with all of you, he is learning what it means to enjoy things.
Sixteen years as a human being.
Could you not understand that this time, too, is part of his life?”
Having said only that, the Underworld King fell silent.
With that soul, rebirth was impossible—he should have been incinerated immediately.
The reason Adachi’s abilities far surpassed those of other special cases was because of that very soul.
What exactly was the Underworld King trying to hide?
It seemed he had no intention of saying more.
“…I understand,” Mukai said quietly.
“For now, as long as he has that ring, Adachi-kun’s rampage can be stopped, correct?”
Mukai let out a small sigh.
At that moment—
“Ah… ah… don’t come… no—stop!!”
Adachi’s scream echoed through the room, and the two of them rushed out of the reception room.
“Adachi-kun!!”
Mukai grabbed Adachi’s shoulders as he groaned, clutching his head on the sofa.
“Ah… ah… Mu–Mukai…?”
Adachi looked around, and when he seemed to realize where he was, his eyes darted between Mukai and the Underworld King.
Then, his face deathly pale, he suddenly burst into loud sobs, crying like a small child gasping for breath.
The Underworld King sat down beside him on the edge of the sofa and gently rubbed Adachi’s back.
Makino-kun, even without parents, had grown up freely and knew how to rely on others in moderation.
But Adachi-kun did not know how to depend on anyone.
That difference was enormous.
Knowing the environment in which Adachi-kun had been raised made his behavior up until now understandable.
How should they watch over him from now on?
The Underworld King did not wish to reveal everything, and Mukai could do nothing but stand there, watching Adachi cry helplessly.
