Miroku: "Miroku ......, turn to your right this time and shut up for a while.
"As you wish.

　He's awfully straightforward, this guy.

　As Miroku spun around and turned sideways as instructed, a mask with a regretful expression appeared in front of me with a bitten lip. His eyes were lit with a red-burning fire.


''WOW! Seven, you've become so beautiful. Are you a sub-character?

Yeah, well. It's been a while, 0k4NN (Okan).

...... It's been a very, very long time since I've heard that call. It brings tears to my eyes. You are still a SEVEN, aren't you?


　Mr. Okan said with great admiration.

　But how did he know I was a Seven?


How do you know I'm SEVEN?

'I was watching, in Miroku. In the last game, I thought of it when I scored the Ginshou with a Ryuoh fake. I thought that you were absolutely seven. There's no one else who can do it so beautifully.

...... I'm glad to hear that.


　I'm glad. Really.

　Even in the eyes of a former world ranker, I haven't lost my edge. I didn't realize how happy I was just to see that again.


4W-29L-1D, I remember everything about my match with you, I was a fan of yours. I was a fan of yours.

I remember it all, too. I was impressed with the way he thought of things.

'I'm so happy for you ....... Very much ......


　Mr. Okan said this in a trembling voice, and was silent for a while.

　Then, with a huff, he takes a breath and starts talking again.


Ah, what a pity. If I were still alive, I could have won this game.

How did you die?

Miroku beat us to it.

...... It is.

No, don't get me wrong. I wanted to fight. I really wanted to show you Hiruko's style. And I want to see the Miroku style. I was in love with the Japanese sword, the art of battoujutsu.


　I know how you feel.
　I know how you feel, I know how you feel.

　But ...... is not going to die because of that.


It's very interesting to me. I'm sure you'll find the Möbius Online game very interesting. I'm sure that's why I risked my life. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it. That's how much it was worth, and I think that's why I risked my life.

I know. I know, but it's not worth dying for.

But seven of them are here, and seven of them are dead. Isn't it?

............

I'm dead. Maybe I've been drinking too much ...... I don't really remember my last days.


　It's not.
　I'm not talking about that shitty world.

　I'm not talking about the best of both worlds if you don't die in the best of both worlds: ......

　And then...
　I don't know why.

　I can't help but feel a little bit of regret surging through me.

　Where would I be now if I hadn't killed myself in there?
　Even though I know it's useless to think about it, the other me speaks to me earnestly.

　No matter what kind of world I'm in, it's the end of the world when I die.
　To die is to give up on infinite possibilities.

　My potential was definitely destroyed in that moment.


I thought to myself, "Well, you know what? It's not about how much you regret, it's about how proud you are of yourself when you die. My favorite saying is "The way we die is the way we live. The way you scatter is the way you live. When I came to this world, I finally got to die with honor. And that's what I want the people of ...... to know about it.


　And yet, this person.

　He has a very regretful look on his face, and yet this guy.

　What a refreshing way to say .......


...... The way you scatter is the way you live. How well you can die?

That's right. It's much, much further in the future for you. I think so, but you have to remember that. That's right.

I'll never forget it. You died honorably. You died fighting, risking your life for the Battoujutsu. That's not possible. ......

　...... no such thing.


Isn't that great? ......!


Oh, thank God. Now, you have nothing to worry about... ......



　............ is gone.


　I've come of age.


　I'm sure there were plenty of other things I wanted to talk about. About the incarnation, about the past, about the present. A lot of things, really.

　But Mr. Okan said only one thing, that he had died honorably, and then he was gone.


　There is no more Mr. Shaka or Mr. Okan in this world.

　...... It's a wonder.
　How strange.

　I'm sure they are gone. Now, right in front of me.

　But he's still alive. They are indeed alive, they are. They're alive in my mind. And I knew that the knowledge of Buddhism passed down to Miroku, the skill of the Battoujutsu, was proof that they were alive.

　That absurd, crazy, illogical, idiot-in-the-making, but burning hot, soul-stirring, quivering, strong will is burning inside me.

'You do it too!' And I'm screaming at you to bust my heart out.

　You're dead, you're already dead, and you're no more alive than this.

　They were pleasant men.

I'm glad I came to .......

　Really.


　I've seen the dead.

　I've seen two dead people on this island.

　That's enough to get me to say from the bottom of my heart.

　It's been an amazing trip...






"You're still at it, guys: ......

　Evening.

　When we return to the Kabuto Bashi-ryu dojo with Miroku, Toukichirou and his friends are still arguing with each other.

　Miroku doesn't want to scare them unnecessarily, so he has them transform into Hitogata. Incidentally, the person in question proudly referred to this ability as "Tsukumagami" or something like that, but when I checked the skill section, I found that it was just an ordinary skill called "Humanized Transformation". The effect is the same as Anko's "Dark Transformation".


Oh, the Second Triple Crown!　You'll be back at the right place--


　Toukichirou turned around and greeted me with a smile ......, but when his gaze turned to Miroku right behind me, Toukichirou's expression instantly snapped and stiffened.

''Well, well, well, no way, mi, mi, Miroku-sama, then ......!


　Miroku replies quietly with his meditative eyes.

'Nen-sama,'



　Immediately after - everyone in the dojo sat down on the spot without a voice and bowed their heads.


''Awesome.''

　They're scared shitless. What the hell did you do to him?

Second!　You will not talk like that, Miroku.

　As I hectoringly poke Miroku in the shoulder, Akaneko looks up just a bit to give me a heads up.

　Then Miroku opens one eye thinly and breaks the silence.


'Keep your mouth shut, girl. He has become my master. This is not an outsider's business.

To ............?

　There was a dumb voice, not unlike that of a red cat.

　She must have been really surprised. He forgot to bow his head and opened his mouth with a gaping mouth, letting go.

　When I looked around, I saw that everyone in the dojo had a similar look on their faces.


'You, why are you so scared?　You didn't want anything to do with those guys on the island, did you?

'No.' No, I was plucking out the unseemly evil. Weeds deplete the soil of its nutrients and attract unwanted insects.

Oh.


　That's it.

　If Miroku has been doing that since long before these guys were born, it's no wonder he's so scared. Maybe it was passed down from generation to generation by their ancestors who saw what Miroku did: "Don't disobey Miroku-sama alone".

　The gods that don't touch you don't haunt you. ...... That makes sense.



'Well, that's okay. So what happened to the story?

............


　They ignored me.

　No, in this case it would be more accurate to say that I was too afraid to raise my head or open my mouth.


"Who will not answer me? The Lord is asking.

　Numbly, Miroku opens his mouth for me.

　Then Toukichirou breaks the silence on behalf of me.


''Ha!　Due to a number of problems on the island, including the issue of the Kabobashi stream, it has been decided to temporarily postpone trade with the mainland. ......


　...... Foregoing.

　After all this discussion, the conclusion we came to was foregone.


Ha. ......

　I see now, I get it.
　The nature of this island, the nature of the Eight Nation.

　That's not good enough.

　From now on, there will be no more Miroku or Akaneko on this island.

　If that happens, the rest will only continue to decline.
　No, the decline has already begun. It's been years, or decades, or even hundreds of years if you're not careful.

　It's not fun at all. There is no one who seems to be having any fun at all.

　Forgive me if I'm being a bit pushy, but we're going to have to open up the country.


"Toukichirou, I can't allow that. You will take the lead in selling iron sand exports, steel manufacturing methods, and sword-making methods to the continent. I will lend you all the initial investment. And increase the number of ships to the continent tenfold. I don't want to cut down on strangers. I don't reject anyone who comes or goes, but follow the example of the Daikoku style and open the door wide.


　I say.

　After a moment of silence, the dojo suddenly buzzed.

　Shouts fly from everywhere. Inside the dojo, most of the opposition is in the dojo. Only Toukichirou, Mamushi, Akaneko, Masamune, and Azami are the only ones who are quietly watching.


You're kidding!　That's none of your business!

　Someone made a crack at me.

　I wondered what it was all about.

　It's none of my business.　Are you sure you're not mistaken?


Hey, man. Did you just say it's none of your business?

　When I ask him, he clams up. You cowardly son of a b*tc*.


"Don't get it wrong. I don't think I'm doing you guys any favors.

　Then why? We would all think so.


　The answer is simple.

　Very simple.


"I don't like you guys holed up in an island and pissed off at everything, so I'm just going to go in there and destroy it.


　Everyone exclaims.



'Aha!' And the pit bull laughed in a snarky voice as he clapped his hands.