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The Rising of Tanaka – 60 Part 2

Pasifista

「I’m sorry…, O little sister of mine. Please forgive this incompetent brother of yours who died in the middle of his ambition.」

　Tanaka-san’s eyebrows twitched. And then, the moment the eldest demon brother readied his spear hand at his own throat and was about to pierce through it–.

「Looks like you misunderstood something. You stupid prick!」

「Buruuoaaaa!」

　Tanaka-san’s love slap flew into action. Its extreme might sent the eldest demon brother twirling, soaring into the sky. Drawing a huge parabola as he was, he then rolled on the ground after several grand bounces.

「B, big broooo!!」

　The younger demon brothers rushed towards the eldest demon brother. Toward the demon siblings who were displaying such brotherly love, Tanaka bellowed.

「Even though you told your little brothers to live on, why are you so eager to die?! Dying is the last thing you should do!」

　What a passionate man. It was true that Tanaka was about to enact their punishment. However, he had no shred of intention of enacting any excessive punishment. All he wanted to do was try lightening up the hearts of the sinners, a truly man-like act. As proof of this, didn’t he react furiously toward the demon who wished to choose death as atonement?

　He definitely did not stop the demon in order to satisfy his own ambition in response to the ‘little sister’ keyword. There was no way the thought such as, ‘He’s a handsome demon, so his little sister must be a pretty cute demon herself,’ would ever cross his mind. Even if it hadn’t been for the ‘little sister’ remark, he definitely wasn’t intending to give a push to the elbow of the arm that was about to pierce the eldest demon brother’s neck under the thought of ‘handsome man must die!’. Even if Tanaka-san’s nose was flaring. There was no way for our powerful, cool, and kind-hearted hero, Tanaka-san, to ever move for such a selfish reason. Worthily a man who inspired others to wish to become his follower.

「Umm, how should I put it…. I kind of understand what you’re trying to say, but at this rate, he’s going to end up dying, isn’t he?」

　Tanaka came to his senses at Curryman’s words.

「Oops, looks like my anger got the better of me…. Good grief, he’s a handsome man so I kind of accidentally put a bit too much power into it.」

　Tanaka performed the old school dense hero style good grief in a place where no one could hear. Despite how vast the world was, the only person who could pull off this move at this moment would undoubtedly be this man. He was a man who never compromised in his craft to the bitter end. At any rate, Tanaka rushed over to the twitching and spasming demon and casted healing magic.

「Ha! What in the world am I…?」

　The resurrected eldest demon brother seemed to have a bit of memory disorder. Thinking that now was the right time for it, the one who forcefully made his way forward was Tanaka-san.

「Listen well! That action of yours of choosing death as atonement might seem righteous at a glance. But keep in mind that it was nothing but a selfish escapade.」

「Wha! I was not in the least intending to run away! It’s just that the sins we have committed are simply too great. I can’t think of anything worthy of atoning those sins with. That’s why I’m going to atone for it with my everything, with my life–.」

「Silence!」

　Tanaka interrupted the continuation of his words. He was displaying zeal like that of someone who was about to be promoted into a medium-ranked councillor.

「If you truly wish to atone for your sins, why are you trying to commit another sin? Why can’t you realize that that selfish escapade of yours will only cause grief for your little brothers–, for your little sister! Once you are dead, there is no longer anything you can do to atone for it, you know?!」

　With a flashing face, Tanaka threatened the eldest demon brother.

「You too have to live on and atone! If you find your sins too heavy and don’t know how to atone for them with, ask me!」

　He was starting to lose track of what he was even saying himself, but at any rate Tanaka tried to somehow get through it with a flash. Left everything to the flashing momentum. It was too hot of a flash. Talk about a persistent flash!

「W, what should I do…?」

「Stop acting like a spoiled brat!」

　Despite being the one who told him to ask, such words. He’d let his momentum surge too freely. Noticing the awkward air around him, first of all Tanaka coughed.

「Ahem… Listen well. It can be said that I am shouldering the future of the people here now. And then, sooner or later, I’ll surely become a man who stands shouldering way more demons and even the Demon Kingdom itself.」

「Demon Kingdom….」

「Yes, the Demon Kingdom. Try imagining the future of all demons I have to shoulder. Do you think its weight is any lighter than the weight of the sins you’re shouldering? The path I’m treading is by no means a gently-sloping one. It will surely be jam-packed with myriads of trials bestowed by the will of the world. Moreover, those trials will not be limited only to me, but may extend to even those whom I shoulder.」

　Tanaka walked toward a small rock nearby and put one foot on it. What he was gazing at was the sun shining through the gap of the forest. With his cloak fluttering in the wind, he pointed to himself with a thumbs-up.

「Follow me. If there is a place worthy of your atonement, it’d be none other than my back.」

　The eldest demon brother could not keep up with the sheer scale of the conversation. But there was one thing he was sure of. And that was, the man in front of him was an incredibly great being. And…

「You have the power in you. The power to save the slipping lives.」

　A ray of light shone through the eldest demon brother’s heart. It was the path to redemption. The eldest demon brother made a decision and bowed his head.

「We brothers. For the sake of the future of all demons, we’d like to ask for permission to accompany you on your path.」

　Following the eldest demon brother, the younger brothers bowed their heads as well. New comrades were hereby born there.

　And then, this action of Tanaka, as he randomly deceived the three on the spur of the momentum, wound up altering the future greatly… perhaps.

　The only thing that was clear now was that on Tanaka’s face, which no one could see as he was showing his back to everyone there, his nostril was flaring up with anticipation for this little sister character, whom he had yet to see.