Who is the true protagonist of a wedding?
I dare say there isn't a single soul in this world who doesn't know the answer to that question.
Indeed, the protagonists of a wedding are the people 'getting married.'
In other words, the groom and the bride.
Because of this, there is a social agreement that guests attending a wedding should wear modest clothing so as not to outshine the couple.
It's not that I don't know this. Of course, I do.
In the first place, with the number of people around me who have gotten married, how could I not?
However, I am certain that at this very wedding, I am more extravagant than anyone else here.
There are several reasons for this, but to look at the two biggest: first, I am wearing the Nether King's Raiment.
The clothes themselves are spectacular, but the fact that this is a Shinden-shiki ceremony plays a major role as well.
As you might have guessed from the name, a Shinden-shiki is literally a wedding performed before the gods.
It basically means, "We're getting married today, so please look after us~."
But for the guests who came to see the groom and bride join in an eternal bond before the gods, seeing a literal pseudo-Buddha sitting there with a halo of light behind his head... there's no way they wouldn't be distracted.
"Could that be...?"
"No way. Is it really...?"
"But no matter how you look at it..."
Yes, and that leads to the second reason. The halo. When you're sporting a ring of light behind your head, it's bound to draw attention.
Of course, I didn't come dressed like this to ruin Furufushi's wedding.
While clothing serves to cover one's shame and protect the body, it also serves to display a person's status and office.
In other words, I have come to this place not as the Captain of Squad 4, but as the Nether King, the Progenitor of the Five Noble Families, and their sole Head.
It's a bit embarrassing to say this myself, as if I'm bragging, but it's effectively no different from a god suddenly showing up at a wedding to offer congratulations.
At first, the focus might be on me, but once I congratulate Furufushi, all that attention shifts to her.
People will think, "Who is she that a god would personally come to congratulate her?" and "She's much more amazing than I thought." That sort of thing.
While this action might not be purely beneficial, it's a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, so I can at least do this much for her.
'By the way...'
Whirrrrrrr—...
Just how do I get rid of this halo that's burning fiercely behind my head right now?
It's true I wore this with the intent to draw a little attention, but I didn't expect a halo to actually manifest. I'm quite flustered.
Moreover, it's lukewarm; to anyone looking, it's clearly real fire.
No, wait, it feels lukewarm to me, but for other people, wouldn't it be agonizing?
I doubt Jomon would have been that thoughtless when making it, but this is a fairly old work he created back when he was still in the middle of his reform.
Thinking about it that way, it wasn't an impossible scenario, which made me quite worried.
I wanted to give my adopted daughter some prestige, not cause a public nuisance.
Glancing around, I saw that people were still just staring at me like I was some rare spectacle.
They didn't seem to be suffering from burns—hell, they didn't even seem to feel the heat.
Ah, so this heat is only felt by me?
Dammit, he really did make this to screw with me.
With a sour expression, I scratched my head. Feeling as though a hot pack had been placed on the back of my hand, I pulled away and dusted it off.
'As long as it doesn't affect anyone else, I guess it's fine.'
Compared to the Heat-Induced Hell, this level of warmth is like lying on a heated floor.
Still, I'll have to tell him to take this damn halo off later. Thinking that, I crossed my arms.
Soon after, the ceremony began. Led by the Kannushi (Head Priest) and followed by two Miko (Shrine Maidens), Furufushi and Hijiri entered, shielded by a red wagasa (paper umbrella).
As a side note, the priest and the maidens caught sight of me and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads, their hands shaking so violently I thought they might collapse. I pretended not to notice.
"...!?"
Of course, Furufushi, who was following behind, didn't say anything, but as soon as she saw me, her one eye bulged, cursing me out with her gaze. Hijiri wore an expression similar to the priest and the maidens.
Surprising, isn't it? This is who your foster father is, and this is who your father-in-law is.
Thinking that, I gave a light wave of my hand in greeting.
"...!!"
Whoa, look at that murderous glare. I should bolt as soon as the main ceremony is over.
Holding that thought, I slowly lowered my hand.
"E-hem! Well then. First, we shall read the invocation..."
From the reading of the invocation to the nuptial speech, the exchange of vows, the Sakazukigoto (sharing of sake cups), and the Tamakushi (ritual offering), traditional Japanese weddings take longer than expected. It was a bit tiring, but I quietly kept my place until the end.
And then, once the ceremony concluded, I stood before Furufushi, leaving behind the priest and maidens who were dripping with cold sweat.
She seemed to have calmed down slightly; instead of cursing me with her eyes, she looked at me with a skeptical expression. I chuckled.
"How was it? Surprised?"
"Yeah. I was seriously shocked. Did you really have to dress so flashily? What are you trying to do, outshining the bride?"
"Hey, I came all this way to congratulate you, and this is the reaction I get?"
"No, dressing flashier than me makes it look like you came to sabotage the wedding, not celebrate it. More importantly, what's that fireball behind your head? Kido?"
"As if. It's just a slightly bright torch."
We exchanged a few jokes with a laugh, and after giving her one final congratulation, I prepared to leave.
"You're just leaving? What about the reception?"
"You want me to attend the reception dressed like this? Have you no conscience?"
"Since when did you care about that? Just eat and go."
"There's someone waiting for me at home, so I have to get back. There will be plenty of other chances to eat together later."
With those final words and a light smile, I left those preparing for the reception behind and walked out of the Kuchiki estate.
How should I put it...? A marriage is certainly something to celebrate, but knowing we won't see each other as often makes me feel a bit bittersweet.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, this feeling is absolutely not because I have romantic feelings for Furufushi.
If I had such feelings to begin with, I never would have taken her in as a foster daughter.
The feeling I'm experiencing now isn't that. It's more like... seeing off a friend who is transferring to a distant school.
We can still stay in touch and see each other if we make time, but since we're both busy, we won't be able to meet much anymore. It's similar to that.
"Nothing lasts forever, but time sure flies."
Even centuries can pass by so quickly.
How much time do I have left? Just how much time has been granted to me? Does it even have an end to begin with?
Drunk on current happiness, I recalled something I had briefly forgotten.
My solitary life where I must bid farewell to everything, a life burdened with a cycle of waiting and parting for all eternity.
"I didn't think I'd be troubled by this thought again after all this time."
Thanks to the reception being held at the Kuchiki estate, the road home was quiet and perfect for meditation, so I closed my eyes and walked slowly.
Yes, in the past, the world has asked me this question while snatching away things that felt like they would last forever.
If nothing remains by your side, what meaning does your life have?
It was a problem I had already answered within myself many times, so I opened my eyes with a smirk.
'It's fine even if there's no meaning. I simply live in the moment so that I won't have any regrets even if I die right now.'
I simply live as 'myself.'
That is my philosophy of life.
So stop clinging to me and get lost.
I found the answer to that pathetic philosophical question ages ago.
I flicked away the black ants that were crawling up my shoulder.
Good grief, you really are persistent. Seeing how much you're fussing just because I used a name once, you must have been preparing this with intent.
"Sigh, better get home."
Since I took the day off for the wedding anyway, there's no problem with going straight home.
In other words, today is a day where I can legally slack off.
"I'll go home and get some good rest... but I better do something about this halo first."
The back of my head was starting to feel like it was being heated under the midsummer sun, so I immediately leaped up and entered the Soul King Palace.
And, perfectly timed, Jomon was working on the broken Hyosamto.
"Hey, Jomon."
"Hm? Mast—er, EEIEK!? Cough...!? Choke, wheeze! Gah!!"
What's with him? Why is he so startled?
It had been a long time since I'd seen Jomon that surprised, so as I blinked in confusion, Jomon, who had been coughing incessantly, collapsed with his face bright red.
"Hey, hey, breathe. Breathe. You're gonna die at this rate, man."
"Gasp...! Huff, wheeze...!"
After I thumped him on the back for a bit, Jomon eventually caught his breath and let out a sigh so heavy it could have collapsed the ground.
"S-So, hmph! Clear throat!! So. Why are you suddenly wearing those clothes?"
"I dressed up a bit for my foster daughter's wedding. But why were you so shocked?"
"Of course I'm shocked. This is the first time you've worn those clothes since the groundbreaking ceremony after creating the second Hell. It gave me a real fright."
"It's just clothes, why are you making such a fuss?"
"They might look like just clothes to you, but my past is woven into them. For a moment, I thought this entire moment was just a fleeting dream and that I was still floating in the Hell of Black Darkness."
I guess if that's a trauma, it's a trauma.
Well, he brought it on himself.
"Anyway, I came to ask you to take this halo off my head. Can you do it?"
"Yes, that's simple enough. Please wait a moment."
Jomon said that and moved behind me, beginning to wave his hands in the air.
At first glance, it looked like meaningless flailing, but a closer look revealed a pattern, and closing my eyes allowed me to feel the flow of Spirit Particles. Confirming he was actually doing something, I closed my eyes and waited.
The reason for closing my eyes was simple. It's a halo.
Having this behind your head actually makes your eyes sting quite a bit.
"By the way, an adopted daughter's wedding. Though I cannot attend personally, I should at least offer my congratulations from here."
"True. Thanks for the sentiment."
"If it were your wedding, Master, I would have gone in person. It's quite a shame. Come to think of it, Master, have you never held a wedding ceremony? I've never heard a word about it, so I was confused."
My wedding...?
Wait a minute. Did I... have a wedding ceremony?
Thinking about the cohabitation and the pregnancy, it was basically a common-law marriage... but we haven't actually had a wedding ceremony yet.
'I'm screwed.'
The halo wasn't the problem here.