Chapter 12
During this period, war always came unexpectedly. Rokudo Mukuro could always see the soldiers here going to the battlefield exhausted, then dying, being wounded, and returning exhausted and on the verge of death.
On this island, supplies were scarce and medical equipment was almost nonexistent, as if these soldiers had been abandoned by the government.
But it was also at this time that Rokudo Mukuro discovered Yosano Akiko's special ability, "Please Don't Die." It is a beautiful and warm name, and its effect is almost miraculous. It is an extremely rare healing ability that requires the recipient to be on the verge of death and then restores them to their healthiest state.
Rokudo Mukuro had to admit that this ability was incredibly powerful; one could even say that Yosano Akiko was born for the battlefield. She could repeatedly revive warriors who didn't die on the spot, allowing them to return to the battlefield once more.
"The Undying Legion," the words flashed through Rokudo Mukuro's mind. Wasn't that the Undying Legion? As long as Yosano Akiko was there, this army would theoretically exist forever.
But this is only in theory; Rokudo Mukuro is the one who understands people's hearts best. During this time, he observed the soldiers in the base and discovered their fear and hatred towards Yosano Akiko. He even gave her the nickname "Angel of Death."
Therefore, Rokudo Mukuro also learned that these soldiers had been crushed in the dark and hopeless war. Yosano Akiko could heal their bodies and give them a second life, but she could not heal their hearts.
At the very beginning, every soldier was filled with the belief that they would win the battle and return home with honor to see their loved ones. With Yosano Akiko's support, they were invincible.
However, if one side has someone with superpowers, how can the other side not? And with the addition of someone with superpowers, how can the war end quickly? It will only turn into an endless despair.
Because of Yosano Akiko's presence, the warriors will constantly experience a cycle of fighting, being wounded, receiving near-death treatment, and fighting again.
In these dark and hopeless days, who could endure such a life? Soldiers are human beings, not machines; they have their own emotions, and they too can break down and despair. No one wants to experience death repeatedly.
"It's already like this, why don't they retreat?" Rokudo Mukuro looked at Yosano Akiko and Tachihara in the room. He knew the answer, of course. It must be because the government was pursuing those insane profits.
"...Yeah, why not retreat? This isn't a war anymore, it's just using lives to fill a hole!" Eleven-year-old Yosano Akiko felt it was her fault: "Is it because of my existence, because of my special ability, that the soldiers are forced onto the battlefield time and time again, driven to despair! It's all because..."
Akiko Yosano's expression was heartbreaking. Her eyes, which should have been bright and innocent, had become dull and lifeless in the war, filled with despair.
“Akiko!” Tachihara interrupted Yosano Akiko’s self-reproach. “This is not your fault. Your ability is amazing. It has given many soldiers a second life and made them hope to live and go home! We are very grateful to you.”
Tachihara looked at Yosano Akiko intently, his eyes filled with affection. In his eyes, Akiko was not some "angel of death," but a little girl who was only eleven years old, his sister.
Yosano Akiko stared at him blankly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Because of you, we can survive. Everything will be alright... everything will be alright..." Tachihara's last words were to comfort Yosano Akiko, and also seemed to be to comfort himself.
Rokudo Mukuro looked at Tachihara with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. This guy was clearly on the verge of his own mental defenses collapsing, yet he was still comforting others.
"Why did this war even happen? I hate battlefields!" Rokudo Mukuro was still subtly trying to extract information.
"This is a global war involving many countries. Therefore, we must persevere for the sake of our families behind us," Tachihara said firmly.
"So how exactly was this war started?"
"The greed of the higher-ups, the interests of the nation, and the power struggles among politicians." Li Yuan's eyes darted around, but he still gave his answer.
"Will the war really end?" Yosano Akiko then asked.
"Of course..."
"Hey! Tachihara-kun, the situation at the front is critical! We have to go!" A soldier knocked on the door and said loudly to Tachihara.
"Yes, I'll be right there."
Tachihara stood up, patted Yosano Akiko and Rokudo Mukuro on the head with tenderness in his eyes, and then picked up his equipment and left without hesitation.
After Tachihara left, Yosano Akiko fell into anxiety again.
"Sister, you're so young, why are you going to the battlefield?" Rokudo Mukuro was very puzzled. Had the Japanese government in this world become so corrupt? Sending an eleven-year-old girl to the battlefield, were they a national government or a Mafia?
No, even the Mafia, someone like Sawada Tsunayoshi, wouldn't send an underage child into battle.
“I was working at my family’s confectionery shop, but they found out about my special ability, so that bastard Mori Ougai forcibly recruited me.” As she spoke, her eyes turned fierce. “That perverted bastard Mori Ougai!”
"Does my sister dislike Dr. Mori?"
“Of course! If it weren’t for him, how could I…” Yosano Akiko’s eyes reddened.
Rokudo Mukuro found it hard to understand: "Sister, isn't the conscription order your country's policy? And going to the battlefield to save people was your own choice, wasn't it?" Mori Ougai was at most taking advantage of a child's kindness, maximizing her role to protect more people.
"This is clearly a problem caused by a corrupt and incompetent government!"
Mori Ōgai's biggest problem was that he treated Yosano Akiko, the soldiers on the island, and even himself as pawns, willing to sacrifice everything that could be sacrificed in order to achieve his own goals.
You could call him ruthless, or even cold-blooded and cruel, but those on his side have to admit that his actions were correct. Sacrificing a minority to protect the vast majority is the most rational approach for a politician.
Ultimately, he didn't start this war. Even if Mori Ougai hadn't summoned Yosano Akiko, her abilities wouldn't have been spared; at this point, the battlefield was her final destination.
This was Rokudo Mukuro's own thought; he would never blame any one person for his misfortunes. For example, if the Estraneo family had conducted human experiments on him, he would plant a seed of hatred in his heart and, given the opportunity, destroy all the Mafia in the world.
Of course, in the end, it wasn't destroyed, but if you can't beat them, join them—join a family that can change all the Mafia in the world. In fact, Sawada Tsunayoshi certainly didn't disappoint him.
If Rokudo Mukuro were Yosano Akiko, what would he do?
Rokudo Mukuro thought about it seriously. Based on Tachihara's evasive attitude when answering questions earlier, he roughly understood that Japan was definitely one of the countries that started this war, and now they were unwilling to withdraw from the war in advance for the sake of so-called interests, and did not want to be a defeated country.
Whether it's Yosano Akiko, the soldiers, or even Mori Ōgai, they are all pawns in the government's game against other countries.
Therefore, if it were him, he would definitely incite all the soldiers to rebel, seize control of the government's top leadership, and grasp the reins of the country's discourse. Since he's already so corrupt, why not step down and let him take charge!
Rokudo Mukuro will always be Rokudo Mukuro; ruthlessness—those two words are etched into his very bones.
Yosano Akiko remained silent, unsure how to answer the question. Initially, she was genuinely happy to go to the battlefield; it was an honor to contribute to her country.
In her eyes, soldiers who fought for their country were heroes, and she was proud to have saved so many heroes.
But the longer it went on, the more confused she became.
Why did her own country start a war? Were they really heroes? Watching the soldiers sink into despair and confusion, she looked at her own hands with doubt. Was what she did right?
Even though Mori Ougai said she was an angel, and Tachihara-kun said she saved others, she was still very confused.
What is the right thing for her to do?
Seeing Yosano Akiko fall silent, Rokudo Mukuro's lips curled into a smile; the fish was about to take the bait.
The situation in this war is already quite clear, isn't it? Why bother struggling anymore? Right now, he's just trying to give it a push from behind, after all, he's already tired of this island.
"Sister, I have special abilities too." Rokudo Mukuro used genjutsu to create a barrier to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
Upon hearing Rokudo Mukuro's words, Yosano Akiko looked up in surprise. She hadn't expected that Rokudo Mukuro also had superpowers.
"Why didn't you say so before?" Yosano Akiko asked with some doubt, while also becoming wary, since everyone was afraid of something unexpected happening during wartime.
"I noticed Dr. Mori was giving me strange looks before, so I didn't dare say anything. But now I want to tell you, sister. Sister, my ability allows me to hide my form and presence!" Rokudo Mukuro said somewhat boastfully.
"Yes, that's amazing!" Eleven-year-old Yosano Akiko praised Rokudo Mukuro with a smile, looking at him who was even younger than her.
"Sister, I did something bad before..." Rokudo Mukuro cautiously looked up at her.
Yosano Akiko took good care of Rokudo Mukuro during this time, treating him like a younger brother. So Rokudo Mukuro wanted to pull this girl back from the brink of despair.
"What did you do?" Seeing Rokudo Mukuro's pitiful expression, Yosano Akiko also became serious.
"I passed by Dr. Mori's room earlier and heard strange noises coming from inside." Rokudo Mukuro paused for a moment. He wasn't lying about this. Yosano Akiko nodded as well. Mori Ougai was a pervert; how could she not know what he was doing in his room?!
"So, I used my superpowers to sneak in and take a look..."
"What?! You went in! Did you see anything that could give you a sty? Did it notice you? Did it do anything to you?" Yosano Akiko looked at him nervously.
Rokudo Mukuro twitched his lips. So, what kind of image does Mori Ougai have in your mind?
A note from the author:
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