I breathed a sigh as I received a message telling me to stop Kouki from using a military-use suit to weed the garden. For starters, Kouki wasn’t the violent type. Well, that was part of it, but mostly I was sighing over the conference that was about to take place. To summarize, my efforts to protect Kouki had ended in failure.
I had never dreamed that he’d ever use the weapons we had at home. When the incident had occurred, Shuuichi and his subordinates had acted swiftly so that no real harm was done; but one misstep could have resulted in the loss of many human lives. In the end, Shuuichi had revealed Kouki’s secret to his superiors as a secret intelligence agent.
The chaos that had followed was a real sight to behold.
“That’s right, the new theories, weapon systems, and pharmaceuticals I’ve published up to now were all the work of a young child,” I’d told them.
To keep society from being thrown into confusion, none of the details were ever made public. The real problem was, which nation did Kouki and his outstanding talents really belong to? That question had placed us on the verge of an outbreak of an armed conflict.
Finally, there was the summons I’d received today from the United Nations. I feared that Kouki’s fate had already been decided. I still didn’t know what was to happen.
What if the world decided that Kouki was dangerous and decided to eliminate him? If such a decision was made, I would fight it with the full extent of my power. Shuuichi had promised to do the same. Shuuichi even had people among his own subordinates trying to protect Kouki—mostly female personnel, much to my dissatisfaction as his mother.
Shuuichi’s unit would no doubt rise up in arms. Even so, I would always be the one to protect my son. I opened the door to the conference room with determination in my heart...
✦ ✦ ✦
A lone woman entered the conference room. She seemed to understand the nature of the declaration this conference was to make as she walked straight toward the stand filled with confidence and pride.
So this is Miki Arakawa... The woman who holds the reins and controls Kouki Arakawa, the renowned demon child. She had lent her name to almost every notable research institution, and was the originator of the most important military secrets of each nation. Demon Lord Miki Arakawa... Just how many scientists would be willing to join this woman’s cause if she were to speak the words?
Her husband, Shuuichi Arakawa, was no small fry, either. There was no way that he or his subordinates would surface. They were monsters known for having accomplished a seemingly impossible top-secret operation to bring down a nation-state, albeit a small one, using a single squad. Even a great country like the United States would be greatly damaged by making an enemy out of the Arakawa family.
I spoke to Mrs. Arakawa in the most cheerful voice I could muster in spite of my anxiety and the pain in my stomach, which seemed to be about to lose its contents.
“I’m glad you could make it, Mrs. Arakawa. We’re grateful to you for traveling so far when you must be so busy.”
She raised one eyebrow slightly, and acknowledged me with the slightest of nods.
Well, give me a little more than that!! Are you sure that’s a good idea? We’re here to decide on your son’s future. I’d expect you to be a little more friendly. Actually, you’re scaring me, so please stop looking at me like I’m an insect! I think I’m going to be sick. I was feeling ill from the pressure my nation and the world had placed on me.
The Russian Prime Minister was looking serious, but his legs were trembling under the desk, too. The president of China had been drinking ridiculous amounts of water since a moment ago.
Please, somebody, trade places with me and chair this conference! I thought frantically. Otherwise, I think I’m going to have an ulcer before we’re through here.
Why is everyone avoiding my gaze...? This is bad. I need to calm down.
“For what business have you summoned me here?” she asked coldly.
Oh no! She seems upset. I hastily came up with a response.
“We’d like to inform you of a decision made with regard to our handling of your son.”
This is the end... Now her face looks like the face of real demon lord. My beautiful daughter Mary, your daddy might not be coming home tonight. It seems I’ll be laid to rest here in the Far East. Be a good girl for Mommy when Daddy is gone...
“Before that, might I make a brief statement?” the boy’s mother asked.
Looks like I’m about to die. I haven’t finished thinking about what to put in the letter to my daughter, but if I interrupt this woman now, I don’t think she’ll even allow me to write the letter; so I’d better let her finish.
“Thank you,” the woman said. “First, I’d like to talk about what’s possible. If Kouki were to take technological development seriously, I think he could build a perpetual motion device using items lying around our kitchen; and using a few items from the supermarket, he could build something far more powerful than the fusion reactor I built.”
That much was probably true. The most incredible thing about him was his ability to make advancements using existing items. I’d normally sneer at such an idea, but if it was him, it just might happen.
“So what do you suppose would happen if Kouki were to feel as though he’d been abandoned by the world?” she asked.
Huh? Us abandon him? What’s she saying...? We’ve already reached a point where the world’s technology could fall into stagnation without him. How could we abandon someone so precious?
“Suppose you make a foolish decision and try to eliminate Kouki...” she went on.
Now I see! This is bad! She’s got it all wrong!
Expecting there’d be trouble unless something was done, I interrupted her in a serious tone.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Suppose you make a foolish decision and try to eliminate Kouki...” As I tried to finish my sentence with determination, the president put up his hands and interrupted me.
“I have a seven-year-old daughter. Her name is Mary. She’s incredibly cute and I’m very proud of her.” He spoke those words from out of nowhere.
What does that have to do with the situation? I stopped talking and let him continue.
“But just last month, I learned she was suffering from childhood cancer. My family was in deep despair... I cursed God asking him why my Mary should suffer from such a disease.”
It wasn’t something particularly unusual. It could happen to any household. But if Kouki were to suffer from such disease, would I be able to face the fact calmly?
“Fortunately, Mary was cured four days later. By sheer coincidence, a new treatment pod had just been installed in the nearest hospital.”
Come to think of it, I had heard that anti-cancer treatment pods were being installed for civilian use. The president’s daughter had probably been lucky to have the opportunity to use one, but Mary had nothing to do with their plans for Kouki. As I became irritated and opened my mouth to speak, I was silenced...
“The name of the treatment pod was ‘Type-ARAKAWA.’ Mrs. Arakawa... the pod was proposed by your son. I can’t deny that there are those who call your son a demon, but make no mistake: to my family, he is an angel. People all around the world use his creations to some extent. If we eliminated him now, we wouldn’t be able to go on living. Indeed, I suspect that such unseemly human ideas would be a problem for an angel like your son.”
I felt that there was hope. Perhaps rather than abandoning Kouki, the world would embrace him? My thoughts were confirmed by the president’s next words.
“Well, then, I shall read to you our declaration.”
The president’s expression ceased to be that of a father and returned to being that of a conference facilitator as he read the document.
“The members of the United Nations forbid nation-states from interfering with Kouki Arakawa. We declare that his individual freedom is to be respected, and whichever country he wishes to belong to, we will not interfere. However, Kouki Arakawa’s ethics are a cause for concern. Thus, upon starting his high school education, he is to enroll at the International Science and Technology Academy in Japan where he will develop the ethics of a scientist and researcher.”
That day, an important pact, never featured in any public history book, was made. The pact was signed by all members of the United Nations and was known as the “Arakawa Pact.”
January 4, 2102: The Arakawa Pact Takes Immediate Effect.
That day would be remembered as the day the world embraced Kouki.