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The next morning.
The skies were overcast, just as if it was about to rain.
Seiji walked out of his apartment and walked to a black luxury car parked nearby. He opened the car door and got on the car.
After saying good morning, he began telling Yui about his conversation with Kamitani from yesterday.
Yui closed her eyes and listened quietly. After he finished talking, she still remained quiet.
Seiji knew that she was thinking, so he didn’t say anything more, and quietly waited.
“Since you’ve already promised him, then do as he says.” After some consideration, Yui spoke up.
“Can Itsuki Kamitani be trusted?” Seiji asked doubtingly.
“Not at all. It’s just that right now, he has no need to lie to you.”
“A person like him probably would lie just because he thinks it’s fun.”
“Indeed, but this time, he’s not lying.”
“…Is it because if he lies one time, it’ll be more difficult to be believed in the future?”
“You could say that.”
“Is it really alright to let him do as he pleases?”
“Right now, I don’t have the time to worry about him.”
“Is it that you don’t have the time, or that you’re intentionally leaving him alone?” Seiji looked directly at Yui.
Yui opened her eyes and glanced at him.
Seiji felt like he understood something from her glance.
But, he still had questions, even more than before.
He swiftly thought over what question he could ask now. And thus, he chose to ask…
“What exactly is the Ecstasy mystical drug?”
This was a mysterious drug that had been spread on a large scale to ordinary people. It could cause those who took the drug to mutate into monsters! Although this drug was also affected by the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, it was also evident that this drug was incredibly dangerous. Why was it being allowed to spread further and further?
Was the Messengers organization so powerful that this illicit mystical drug couldn’t be stopped?
Even if it was impossible to stop, a dangerous drug like this should be suppressed as much as possible. But, Seiji couldn’t see that it was being suppressed at all… What secret was hidden behind this drug?
Something flashed in Yui’s eyes.
“Are you certain that you want to know?”
Right after she said this, Seiji’s system suddenly gave him some conversation options…
[A: I’m not that certain. I’m just curious.]
[B: I’m certain.]
[C: If you can’t say it, then I don’t need to know.]
The best choice seemed like A.
Indicating that he was merely curious, but that he didn’t want to get involved too deeply, seemed most appropriate for his current status and position.
But, sometimes, rather than obeying one’s role, it was also critical to take the first step of one’s own volition.
“I’m certain,” Seiji responded adamantly.
Yui took a deep look at his face.
“In exchange for telling you this information, I need you to do something for me in the future. Are you willing?”
Do something for her?
Seiji didn’t know what she wanted, but he was certain it wouldn’t be for something as simple as cosplaying.
“What would you like me to do?” Seiji inquired.
“Some dirty work. It’s rather risky, but with high rewards as well… But as long as you don’t get your companions involved, they’ll be safe.”
“…What if I get them involved?”
“Then they’ll be under the same amount of risk. However, all the benefits will go to you, unless you choose to share with them.”
Both siblings remained silent for a moment.
“When you refer to dirty work, do you mean killing someone?” Seiji asked calmly.
Yui didn’t respond.
It seemed likely to Seiji that she wanted him to kill someone for her. Even if that wasn’t the case, it would be work of a similar nature.
This was the true darkness in the world.
Seiji was quite clear that not everything in the world was bright and wonderful.
But, did he really need to step into the darkness at this time?
Remaining on the relatively more “light” side, and only stepping into the darkness when it was absolutely necessary, seemed more like what a “good person” should do.
Yet, this darkness had been directly placed before him. Was it really alright to turn around and pretend not to see anything?
Seiji looked directly at Yui.
His blood-related older sister was just as beautiful as always. But when he looked carefully, he also noticed that she seemed to be slightly fatigued.
“If I refuse, will you be able to find someone else to do this dirty work?”
“Of course.”
“Does that include yourself doing this dirty work?”
Yui didn’t answer him once again.
Yet, Seiji already knew the answer.
Seiji smiled, and replied, “I’m willing.”
“…You’re not going to think it over?”
“You need me to do something for you. That’s enough for me.”
“Why do you trust me like this?” Yui asked.
“Are you certain that you want me to say it?” Seiji responded with his own question and a gentle look in his eyes.
Yui was rendered speechless.
Her face turned slightly red and she averted her gaze.
“Ecstasy is actually a vaccine currently under development.” Instead of verbally speaking, Yui spoke with a spell instead.
A vaccine!?
Seiji had never expected to hear such an answer.
“At first, this vaccine was developed with the goal of helping ordinary people become immune to Spirit Worlds’ effects. But, as the vaccine developed, other uses for it were added… The main creator of this vaccine is now a member of the Messengers. What the Messengers are doing by spreading this Ecstasy drug is actually large-scale human experimentation. Although we of Soul Society have also started gathering people to research Ecstasy, the development is very slow—to the point of almost being nonexistent. Judging by the current situation, only the original vaccine inventor will be capable of completing Ecstasy. That’s why, even if we know quite clearly how dangerous this drug is to ordinary people, we can’t stop its spread even though we also know that the Messengers have other intentions in developing Ecstasy.”
Seiji now understood. He nodded to show his understanding.
Although ordinary people weren’t obviously affected by Spirit Worlds yet, it was possible that in the future… No, it was definite that they would be affected!
At such a time, it would be impossible to deal with the situation no matter how large a magical barrier was put up. Perhaps something like a zombie apocalypse would even be an understatement.
In order to protect ordinary people, they needed to have resistance against Spirit Worlds—in other words, this vaccine called Ecstasy.
However, this vaccine was highly difficult to develop. Not only that, the only person who had the knowledge necessary to complete its development was a member of the Messengers!
This was doubtlessly a bad situation.
A vaccine worked by stimulating the human body from the inside, helping the person to become resistant against the same outside force.
However, Ecstasy’s “stimulation” for ordinary humans was far too strong as it would transform those who took it into monsters. It was obviously dangerous to simply allow the Messengers to continue developing this type of mystical drug via large-scale human experimentation. But, if this drug was suppressed, even more lives might be affected in the future… so a difficult decision had to be made.
Soul Society and the other factions all chose to ignore the Ecstasy drug being spread around. As long as the Messengers didn’t cause a huge problem in society with Ecstasy, all the spiritual ability users would tacitly allow Ecstasy’s production and proliferation.
Although Seiji had mentally prepared himself, he still felt a heavy load on his shoulders after learning such a secret.
“What dirty work do you need me to do?” he asked calmly.
“None for now… Just do as Kamitani wants for the time being. Report to me afterwards.”
Seiji felt that there must be some time of tacit agreement between Yui and Kamitani.
Although the former Soul World split into the two new factions of Soul Society and Messengers, members of these two opposing factions were still in secret contact with each other. While they fought each other, they also cooperated with each other occasionally… right?
Seiji inferred all this from the secret of the Ecstasy drug that Yui had told him about. Although she didn’t say that much, what she didn’t say also revealed a lot of information.
If it weren’t for Yui telling him, Seiji never would have imagined that a dangerous drug like Ecstasy was actually a vaccine under development for the sake of ordinary humans.
It was certain that in the future, ordinary people would be affected by Spirit Worlds on a large scale! If there was no measure taken to prevent this, the situation would become even worse!!
The future… Right now, Seiji could only faintly perceive what scary developments it might hold.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it… It could even be said that humans were incredibly skilled at imagining apocalypse.
But, how many people would seriously want to consider the possibility of those things happening in reality, and how it would feel to have an Armageddon befall themselves and the people they cared about?
Imagining such a possible future was incredibly pressuring.
After Seiji returned home, he took a deep breath.
This was the aura of daily life.
The air in his apartment was perfectly ordinary, with nothing abnormal. It was the air he was accustomed to.
Right now, the great majority of people was living their lives as normal. Since it was morning, they would be getting out of bed, washing up, eating breakfast, reading newspapers… and having another ordinary day.
They would never think that their ordinary life was just like a certain quote…
“The so-called ordinary lives that we lead may perhaps actually be a succession of miracles.”