Chapter 999. Noon Sunshine / Power of the State

「 W-Wait a second. What the hell did you say?! Like, killing us… 」

Kenmochi Yuugo says while sweat floats in his forehead.

「 I-I don’t believe you!? Such threats won’t work on me! Besides, this is weird! Pressuring the operating company of our accounts, deletion, and cutting off our lines, those are all crimes! 」

「 Of course, we know that from the start 」

I speak in a low tone.

「 Don’t fuck with me!! There are things in this society where you can’t do it! You don’t even understand that, huh?! 」

「 T-That’s right! You need to follow the rules of society! Common sense! 」

The lawyer also shouts at me.

「 Huh, uhm, seriously, what’s going to happen to us? 」

Kobayakawa’s confused.

「 For now, I’m sealing off your mouth. If you return home now, you’ll only become an inconvenience to us, right? 」

Just as they said earlier, they can have their telecommunication cut off but they can just go to an internet cafe and try to expose our crimes.

No, they will go to the police first.

They will gather reporters from various internet sites.

「 Try to cool down your anger. Do you even know what’s going on? 」

Yoshikawa, a retired police officer glares at me.

「 Japan is a constitutional state! No matter how wealthy and powerful Kouzuki house maybe, they have a line they cannot cross 」

The room quiets down.

「 Are you saying that you’re crossing that line? 」

I…

「 If that line exists, then I already crossed it so many times 」

I shot Cesario Viola to death.

I helped out in the premeditated murder of Shirasaka Sousuke as a member of the Black Forest.

I never reported any of the deaths I’ve seen before me to the police.

Even the shoot-out in the Kansai this morning, I used the Miko power to make them do that.

Because of that, Rie and Eri’s parents, and Tendou Sadao’s group all died together with their boss.

I raped a lot of girls, starting from Yukino.

Furthermore, I turned a few of the girls into my personal sex slave.

I’m definitely a criminal

I live my life understanding that.

「 I mean, “the line you cannot cross” doesn’t exist in the real world 」

I think.

「 What are you talking about?! There are rules in society, law! 」

Kenmochi shouts, but…

「 Who created those rules?! Why do you need to follow the law? 」

I asked looking straight at Kenmochi.

「 I-Isn’t that obvious?! If you’re living in this country, then you have to follow the rules of the country! Follow the law! Isn’t that obvious? 」

「 Oh, Kenmochi-san, your goal is to use methods that the law barely allows, right?! 」

Right, this guy’s reason is…

“As long as it’s not illegal, anything goes”

Therefore, he brought a lawyer, a former police officer, and an internet journalist

He brought them to the Kouzuki mansion.

It’s all to threaten us while barely reaching threats.

「 Isn’t that obvious? There are rules. That’s why it’s natural to push until the very limit of that rule! 」

Kenmochi said.

「 I see. If I had a company on the surface world where it needs to follow the rules, then I won’t be a match against Kenmochi-san 」

If it’s on the surface.

An idiot like me would just die in a blink of an eye.

Not even understanding what are the rules that surround me.

「 But you see, I’m a man from the other side, where the rules don’t matter 」

I laughed at the four adults.

「 I don’t participate in the game with your rules. No, I won’t even participate in the game itself. All I do is crush the barrier right in front of me 」

「 Indeed. Kenmochi-san, coming from the conversation earlier, you think that everything is a game, don’t you? That’s why you are so fussed about winning 」

Nagisa smiles.

「 And this time, your game’s purpose is to make the Kouzuki hows bow their head to you. And, once you accomplish your goal, you will use that as a seed for next time, trying to coax the Kouzuki house all the time, don’t you? Although, it’s more of trying to make Kouzuki house to work for the convenience of your business or something 」

Nagisa’s right.

If we handed over the Kurama sisters to Kenmochi.

Then, Kenmochi will continue to haunt us all the time.

「 You want to play games where you always win, don’t you? 」

Nagisa said. Kenmochi became speechless.

「 But, we never played the game with you from the start. You talk about killing and dying earlier but that’s not it. Our choices for you are life or death from the start. If we let you run loose, you’re going to bite us to death. We talked to you aware of that 」

I said.

「 Wait a second. Just what do you think of the rules and laws of society?

「 T-That’s right?! You just ignore all of it, and deciding to kill or let people live! That’s not allowed! 」

The lawyer complains to me.

「 So, who forbids us? Who decides the rules of the society as you call it? And, who will protect it? 」

I asked them directly.

「 Are you stupid?! Shouldn’t you be following it?! 」

Kenmochi replies, but…

「 So what?! 」

Then.

「 The rules and laws of society changes within countries. What is against the law and is a social taboo in one country may well be a normal practice in another 」

Michi said.

「 No, wait, don’t all the countries have a constant rule 」

Kenmochi refuted.

「 Then, what is it? Please give us an example. 」

「 T-That’s…for example, isn’t it a constant rule among humanity where you can’t kill people? 」

Michi;

「 I wonder? For example, it’s not a crime when a soldier kills a soldier during the war. A police officer can shoot a criminal who owns a gun 」

「 Isn’t that a case-by-case basis? 」

「 Yes, it’s not a constant rule 」

Michi speaks coldly.

「 Most countries have abolished the death penalty but there are still countries that use it as maximum punishment. That’s not different from the act of killing people. And the person who executes the death penalty isn’t accused of the crime 」

「 No, starting with the UN, various international organizations in the world are acting every day to abolish the death penalty! 」

The lawyer tells Michi.

「 The society’s moving towards the abolition of the death penalty! 」

Michi;

「 Are you sure about that? Do you think that international organization powers are that big? Does Western Europe’s ideology really spread out that much? There are still countries that kill those who have different races or religions. Even with the reason that people can’t kill others, that doesn’t make it a constant rule for humanity 」

Err.

「 Moori-san, you’re going too wide with your talk, the whole world doesn’t really matter. We’re in Japan, and so, we should follow the rules of Japan! Let’s direct this to common sense! 」

Kenmochi told the lawyer.

「 Y-You’re right. Japan is a constitutional state. It’s a country that has to follow the rules and laws of society. And that’s why your claims are weird! 」

The lawyer summarized.

I…

「 What is a country? Why do we have to follow the rules the country decided? 」

I ask purposely.

「 Hey, are you seriously an idiot?! 」

Kenmochi.

「 Isn’t that obvious, it’s because you’re Japanese! 」

Err.

「 Then, the foreigners who are in Japan don’t need to follow the law? 」

Kenmochi’s the idiot one.

「 No, that’s not it, but, huh? 」

Then.

「 I-If you can’t follow the law, t-the police will arrest you! 」

Kobayakawa says.

「 Once the police catch you, you’ll be put in the trial, and in the worst case, you’ll get in prison, even when you don’t, once the society discovers that the police arrested you before, you’ll get fired from your job, get talked from behind, and receive harsh punishment from the society! 」

「 Yeah, that’s how it is with the ordinary people 」

Yoshikawa agrees with Kobayakawa’s opinion.

「 There are a lot of people who commit crimes when the police aren’t watching. They ignore the speed limit, they pee outdoors, those are crimes 」

「 Indeed. Japanese people violate their law in their everyday life

Nagisa said.

「 Hey, stop trying to make murder and urinating outdoors a similar degree of crime! 」

Kenmochi objects, but…

「 Oh, what’s different? Both of them are laws that say that it’s a criminal act if you do it in Japan, right? Using your logic, Japanese people had to follow that law no matter what, right? 」

Nagisa smiles.

「 In the end, the laws and the societal rules are just tools used to make the people live in peace 」

Michi said.

「 But, just because it’s a tool doesn’t mean that people like you don’t have to follow it, you don’t have the authority to ignore it 」

「 Yeah, ordinary people don’t 」

I replied coldly.

「 But you see, we can’t survive if we follow those rules. Of course, we don’t see it in the right way. We’re definitely the bad guys. We know the risks of living this way 」

If it’s exposed that we’ve been ignoring the rules of the society, then…

The fuss of how we can’t stay in Japan anymore will not cool off.

Even other countries will not accept us.

We will have to live similar to Kyouko-san, an international criminal.

「 Even so, that’s our only way to live 」

「 Why? 」

Kenmochi asks.

「 In a world where you have to follow the rules someone decided, then you’re no match to those who make it. Following the rules means getting under their control. Of course, if you’re an ordinary person, then it is easy, safe. However, we’re different 」

I looked at Misuzu.

「 We live in a world where the rules decided by those who make it are no longer suiting us. That doesn’t mean that the country should make the rule for us, besides, they don’t even know the real state of our worlds 」

The rules of the country are created for the sake of the ordinary citizen.

We’re not fit for that.

「 We will never be able to meet the rules of this country. Most of it is already past its deadline. I mean, the country has a lot of things they can’t handle 」

If we entrust this to the country, Shirasaka Sousuke will still be alive. And, he will continue to use his poisoned fangs on other women.

If we entrust Cesario Viola to this country, he would be escaping outside the country.

The Takakura sisters wouldn’t be able to escape the control of the Kansai Yakuza.

「 That’s why we’re working independently. If we don’t destroy the other party ourselves, they will 」

「 It’s not a game, our only choice is to take out the people we can’t coexist. It’s all for our survival 」

Nagisa said.

「 The foundation of the country is sheer power 」

Michi said.

「 Within the country’s domain, the law is valid, 10,000 yen bill has a value of 10,000 yen. It’s all the power of the state. The power of the state establishes it. If you talk of the opposite, it’s the only reason why it exists 」

The power of the state.

「 The police and the court have their power to protect the law of the common people, it’s not because they have to uphold the law 」

「 Indeed. Japan is a constitutional state and so their law is strong, but countries that change anything from an order of a powerful person also exist 」

Torii-san mutters.

「 Yes, a constitutional state can protect the law for their citizens because it’s the country’s power, and in case of a man controlled state, then it’s under the powerful person’s control 」

「 That means, the police, military…if you can hold down the powers of the country, they will do as you say 」

Michi explained. Nagisa added.

「 Yes. It’s got nothing to do with the ethics and moral sense of the citizens. Naturally, in a constitutional state, the citizens can elect someone to send in on their diet as their representative, someone who listens to their opinion. If the country does something against their will, they can refuse. However, for why the citizens have to follow the rules…

It’s because it’s troublesome to get arrested and charged guilty.

「 Indeed, if the police don’t capture you, you wouldn’t want to pay the consumption tax next week at all 」

Torii-san nods.

「 That’s right, the state is a power 」

Michi speaks once again.

「 When it’s domestic, it’s the police force, when it’s outside the country, it’s the military force, there is a base for the direct power. And that mighty power controls the citizens, molding one country, but if they lose that power, any country will fall to ruin 」

「 Kenmochi-san, you are just a piece of the group that protects the power of that country 」

Nagisa said.

「 All you do is follow the rules. You make success in business by doing everything that is not in the rules, barely going against it, don’t you? I think that it’s amazing. But, you’re not deviating from the rules, which means that you follow the rules defined by the country. That’s not adventurous at all. All you do is protect the bigger power 」

Kenmochi Yuugo’s dumbfounded.

「 W-What the heck?! If you’re not going to follow the law, then you’re just the same as businesses that exploit their employees! 」

Then.

「 We’re not the same as them. We’re taking that much risk and so the pay is high. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a job 」

Nagisa’s right. The prostitutes participating in the Black Forest Brothel Minaho-neesan’s managing receive a huge sum as a reward.

It’s all so they could start their own business after their retirement.

『 Even Kouzuki SS has one of the highest pay and benefits for its employees. 』

Shou-neechan’s voice comes from the ceiling speaker.

「 If not, you can’t gather talented people. Loyal people too 」

You need to give favorable pay if you want to gather good people.

I…

「 In the end, we show respect to the power that the country has. Since we don’t want to leave Japan, we want to follow the laws of Japan and the rules of society as much as possible. We never do anything that would cause a fuss in public. But… 」

I looked at Kenmochi and his group.

「 We’re going to do everything for our survival. No matter how cruel it is 」

「 What do you intend to do with us? 」

Kenmochi speaks worriedly.

「 Wait a second! I-I have a family! 」

The lawyer screams.

「 Yeah, I also have my family. They’re precious to me! 」

「 That’s right, you get it, don’t you? If I die now, my family will be sad 」

「 Well we do, but I won’t put my family in danger just so your family doesn’t get sad 」

That’s right, it’s a life-and-death problem.

「 Wait a second, are you serious about killing them off? 」

Torii-san looked at me with a surprised face.

「 What else can we do? If we just let them go, they will surely expose us 」

「 All you have to do is make them promise that they’ll never tell anyone about this! 」

「 No, they will. I know that 」

「 Indeed, the personality of a person doesn’t change that quickly, I don’t think that Kenmochi-san can fix his talkative nature for the rest of his life 」

Nagisa smiles.

「 K-Kenmochi-san, l-let’s escape while we have time 」

Kobayakawa says in a panic.

「 Are you stupid?! Do you not know how many bodyguards they have outside the room? 」

「 Then, let’s take the children as hostages. We have the young lady of the Kouzuki house in here! 」

「 Are you stupid! That’s a crime! 」

「 No, shouldn’t we prioritize our safety first and head to a safe location?! 」

Moori said.

「 It can’t be helped. If the other side is going with their threats, we have to become pushy when dealing with them! 」

The former police officer says.

「 Okay, let’s go capture the Kouzuki house’s daughter first! 」

As soon as Kenmochi says that…

「 Haaaa!!! 」

Michi’s Qi overpowers the four men.

「 Hiiiii!?! 」

Kenmochi lost his strength and sits down.

『 Okay, I have the latest news 』

Shou-neechan speaks brightly from the ceiling.

『 Kenmochi Yuugo-san’s father contacted us, saying that he’s cutting off his son 』

Huh?

『 Of course. It’s never good for business to turn Kouzuki house and other nobility into enemies 』

Yeah, Kenmochi Yuugo’s father is doing a solid business apart from his son.

『 We also have gathered evidence where Kenmochi Yuugo-san uses the foreign investment fund to make the Kurama house fall. It says that you’re the man who made the plan of gathering foreign investor funds, demolish the Kurama Kaku, and construct a new high-rise hotel instead 』

The foreign investor has withdrawn while the construction is on the way and that put the Kurama house in a predicament.

Then, Kenmochi, Misato-san’s fiance, will offer their funds.

His plan is a complete takeover of the Kurama house.

『 Since it’s all the foreign investor through you, you’re not directly involved, and so, Japan’s law cannot pass judgment on you. But, the nobility of Japan cannot forgive you. Everyone knows the truth 』

The Kurama Kaku is a precious place for the nobility.

And that Kenmochi reeled the head of the Kurama house and demolished the building.

Now that he’s an enemy of the nobility, Kenmochi’s father had to abandon his son to protect his company.

「 Well then, I think it’s my turn now 」

Luna speaks to me.

「 What do we do with these people, Nii-san? 」

「 Let’s see 」

I looked at the four men.

「 I did say that I’m going to kill you four but… 」

The four looked at me startled.

「 I’m not going as far as taking away your life, but… 」

I…

「 I’m going to erase all your memories of this conversation and socially murder you 」