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The flowers, believing they could showcase their colors and spread their fragrance all year round, are akin to the youth who think their own youth will last forever.

The nature of a power holder is the same; they do not consider the moment they may lose their power, and as time passes, they struggle to imagine themselves falling apart like flowers that wilt and drop.

Uchikawa Ryosuke was no different.

“The more you dig, the more scandals you uncover.”

Rise frowned slightly at the thought of Uchikawa Ryosuke.

This was because, in her quest to eradicate Uchikawa Ryosuke’s power and end his life as a politician, she discovered an enormous amount of scandals.

Scandals so terrible that they warranted the prefix ‘incredible’; they were truly shocking.

Just as if to compensate for his dreary and exhausting school days filled only with activities and studies to craft a luxurious line for his resume, Uchikawa Ryosuke, as soon as he became a politician, indulged in every kind of debauchery.

He flitted from woman to woman as if to forget his past of not being able to date, and as if that wasn’t enough, he even contacted Murata Ryuunosuke to join clubs and enjoy a life of indulgence.

Family?

Of course, it was shattered.

He had long become a mere window-dressing couple with the woman he entered into an arranged marriage with, living in the same building but on entirely different floors. Moreover, they had grown so distant that they wouldn’t even react when bringing lovers home.

Children?

He did have a young son.

However, Uchikawa Ryosuke’s wife rarely cared for the child, seeing her husband’s face reflected in her son’s, which she despised. Uchikawa Ryosuke didn’t show much affection either and sent the child to his in-laws, using his busy schedule as a politician as an excuse.

Yet recently, perhaps influenced by some incident, he had begun to frequently visit his in-laws, showing his face to his son more often…

But who knows…

Could it truly be that he was awakened to paternal feelings?

“Perhaps he has so much going on that he doesn’t even realize what rumors are trailing him.”

To Jinsung’s eyes, Uchikawa Ryosuke’s frequent visits to his in-laws to see his son looked less like the awakening of a father’s love and more like a desperate attempt to regain the power he was gradually losing by borrowing the strength of his family.

Power.

Power derived from status.

The power that comes from the name of a politician, standing above the ignorant masses and leading them.

“Moreover, he likely has no energy left to concern himself with rumors.”

For a politician, power was absolute.

As long as you had power, you could have anything you wanted.

If you had power, you could grasp everything!

From primal pleasures to dazzling wealth that sparkled like gold.

From the youthful woman with blooming youth to subordinates who would eagerly bow to your wishes and exert their strength.

You could obtain all of that—all the things everyone desires!

But to say that you could obtain everything with power means that without power, you would lose everything.

The women he could once choose would laugh at him, the flatterers would leave without a glance, and his amassed wealth would slip away like sand between his fingers.

“Will I even care if everything I’ve built comes crashing down, and the secure future I carefully cultivated shatters, while all I get is a few rumors about my misdeeds?”

“Hoh, that makes sense.”

Rise chuckled knowingly at Jinsung’s words.

“The people connected to Elder Murata Ryuunosuke have disregarded him, and other politicians, seeing the situation, are wary of him too. As that awareness spreads, those with money and power are also turning away…”

Those who cling to power are more sensitive to its trends than anyone.

Naturally, it was normal to avoid those who were unable to wield their power, those who have cut ties, and those deemed useless.

“Moreover, that person is feeling the losses even more acutely than when they were in their prime.”

The higher one rises, the greater the shock when falling.

Having held the strings of strong power behind the scenes, many flocked to capitalize on his scraps, lavishing him with expensive gifts, with some even suggesting he divorce his current wife to remarry into another clan.

But now?

The crowds that once swarmed have vanished, no shadows could be found, and not even regular communication would come; when he desperately tried to meet them, he would be turned away with a grim face or outright refused.

And even when he tried to build new connections, the fact that everyone was avoiding Uchikawa Ryosuke was somehow made known to them.

Thus, Uchikawa Ryosuke’s once-strong connections crumbled completely, and even new attempts at creating ties either shattered just before completion or were severed right after.

And with the situation deteriorating like this, it was only natural for his clan to begin shunning Uchikawa Ryosuke.

How could they welcome someone so utterly incompetent who would sink their clan to the depths of despair instead of elevating it?

For that reason, even if Uchikawa Ryosuke visited claiming to see his son, he was received coldly, and his clan silently contemplated severing ties if the situation worsened.

It was all a result of his own actions.

“That foolish man must pay the price for betraying the Deity.”

As Rise thought of Uchikawa Ryosuke’s downfall, a sinister smile crept across her face.

But then she quickly realized Jinsung was beside her and reflexively adjusted her expression, embarrassed at showing such a dismal side.

She then gave a coy smile, twirling a lock of her long hair around her finger while avoiding eye contact.

“Right. He must pay for that betrayal. But since we’ve decided on a bait, it must show its worth.”

* * *

Have you ever heard the sound of downfall approaching?

Have you ever felt despair entwine with time, tightening around your neck?

Uchikawa Ryosuke was experiencing the paralyzing sensation of the nightmarish future pressing down on him in real-time.

It felt like a boulder weighing over a thousand pounds was placed on his chest, and even if he tried to eat, it felt like he was chewing on sand, devoid of any taste. When he absentmindedly scratched his head, countless strands of hair tangled around his fingers, and when he tried to relieve himself in the bathroom, the stress drove him to urinate blood-red and bright as a ruby.

Even drinking water made him feel as if someone was tightening his throat, making it hard to swallow, and in the building left to him after his wife returned to her family, the only thing he could see were ghosts flitting around.

“Hmm, hmmhmmhmm.”

Should this be called an unfortunate mishap or a fortunate misfortune?

In essence, he should have been crushed under the loneliness and sense of loss that come from being alone in a vast space.

But thanks to the ‘Spirit Vision’ gifted to him by that oddly out-of-place individual, the next Shinto Priest or Deity, he could see the ghosts flitting about and didn’t feel entirely lonely.

Of course, instead of feeling lonely, it filled him with the horrifying imagination that he, too, could become like those souls…

But what does it matter?

What truly terrifies him is the fear of losing everything he possesses in the future.

“What the hell am I…”

Uchikawa Ryosuke stared blankly towards the bathroom.

When he turned his head to look, his strange turquoise pupils reflected something flitting about in the darkened bathroom.

“What on earth…”

A gaunt, skeletal man, emaciated as if only skin covered bones, danced before the sink.

The man, grotesquely swaying, left streaks with his filthy bare feet upon the walls as he continued to dance.

Uchikawa Ryosuke watched in silence before shifting his gaze to the window.

As he directed his attention there, thick blackout curtains kept rising and falling.

Even with the window tightly shut, the middle and top portions of the curtains bulged as if strong winds were blowing, swelling and retreating, sometimes even resembling human faces that moved left and right, scanning the room.

“What did I do wrong?”

Ryosuke uttered words filled with regret while observing the ghosts performing before him in silence.

But regrets, no matter how quickly they arise, come too late.

Ryosuke trembled with grief-laden regret and the certainty of his doomed future.

Was it cold because the ghosts surrounded him?

Or was it cold because he hadn’t turned on the heating?

Or perhaps it was because he was reminded of a future devoid of warmth?

He let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Haha…”

All those who once connected with Elder Murata Ryuunosuke turned away from him.

Even those who could not reach him distanced themselves from his downfall.

The politicians ignored him.

The power holders turned away from him.

The businessmen disregarded him.

Even those who once claimed to be his lovers.

Those journalists who provided flattering articles.

The aristocrats he had maintained friendships with since childhood.

The countless people he met throughout his career.

None wished to contact him anymore.

Moreover, the cause of his current state also ignored him.

Or perhaps, they might not have ignored him at all.

He hadn’t directly approached the Onmyoji nor had he received any promises of cooperation with them.

He had merely tried a half-hearted probe and ended up offending the Deity.

To the Onmyoji’s perspective, it was merely the antics of a politician who stumbled on his own.

“Ahaha…”

Moreover, asking the Onmyoji for help would be meaningless.

Uchikawa Ryosuke held no significance to them.

To put it bluntly, he was simply useless.

If he wielded substantial power, they might help him out.

But he was devoid of worth, reputation, and connections; even if they were to assist him, it would be difficult to put it to effective use.

He didn’t possess any outstanding skills or qualities that couldn’t be substituted.

What reason would the Onmyoji have to help him?

No one would come to Uchikawa Ryosuke’s aid.

Now, only one thing remained for him.

To descend to the same level as those he had so long looked down upon.

“If only someone would save me… I’d be willing to do anything…”

So he yearned.

For his superiority to remain intact.

For him not to become like the people he so disdainfully looked down upon.

For someone to rescue him from this future filled with nothing but despair.

“Anyone, save me… and I’ll give you anything…”

 

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