I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 376 The Prison Break
"Director, why did you give it to me?"

Holding the long, cracked, and mangled knife in her hands, the policewoman looked bewildered.

Returning from Mount Fuji to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, the two men and one spider arrived at the training ground: and the impatient Kawai Mai couldn't help but ask this question.

She's not a swordsman.

Using an extraordinary sword would be a waste!
"You're the only main force left in the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department. If you don't use them, who will?"

Director Zhuya waved her hand impatiently.

Actually, there should be another powerful figure under his command.

However, since the other party is unwilling to reveal their identity, then so be it.

"Quickly master this weapon, then break through to the Demon rank!"

What the Metropolitan Police Department needs most right now is a Demon-level powerhouse who can keep things under control.

"Huh? Breakthrough to Ghost level?"

"There's no other way, if it's just me—"

Thinking of the Holy Son in the River of Three Crossings, wielding the newly acquired extraordinary sword 'Thousand Blades', Kawai Mai took a deep breath.

He took a stance and slashed at the steel dummy in front of him.

"Hey!"

叮、

Wow~~
Fragments were scattered all over the ground, leaving only the hilt of the sword in his hand.

???

"General Manager,"

"call--"

Director Zhu Ya put her hand to her forehead as she looked at the young policewoman who was so nervous she was about to cry.

"Use spiritual power,"

"Use spiritual power to control it!"

Sigh, isn't it a bit too much to ask Mai to use it?

However, the people the Metropolitan Police Department could rely on, such as Wataru Tanimura, Hoshino Tanimura, Kazuka Iori, and Seiko Fuji, were either dead or had already left. Although Chief Inspector Takeya had the 'Explosive Blade' in his hand, he was, after all, the commander-in-chief and couldn't always be at the forefront; besides, the government didn't want to see him charging ahead.

If he dies, who will take over this mess?
Director Zhuya, who can't afford to die,

We can only train Mayi.

"Mai, I will give you all kinds of extraordinary resources."

Director Zhu Ya knelt down and patted the policewoman on the shoulder as she squatted on the ground, frantically gathering up the shards scattered everywhere.

So, do your best; and also, don't—

"Director, we have new intelligence!"

Just then, the clerk rushed over, interrupting the director's rare moment of tenderness.

?

He composed himself and stood up.

"How did these two get together again?"

After receiving the information from the clerk, Director Zhuya felt a headache coming on as soon as she glanced at it.

Above are two mysterious figures dressed in black robes with red clouds and wearing wind chimes on their hats—yet they are not mysterious at all!
One 'mysterious figure' moved with venomous snakes circling him, while another 'mysterious figure' wielded a large, door-like sword. Although it was missing its tip, its unique shape belied its decapitation blade!

“Nine Void Shakes Love, Filial Piety. Asura.”

Wait a minute, these two have known each other for a long time, and they used to have an employer-employee relationship.

Rubbing her temples, Director Zhuya began to think.

As expected, it was Jiu Kong Yao Ai who saved Xiao and even cured him;
The reason is all too obvious: it's definitely to deal with Abe no Seimei or Orochi.

Some time ago, Jiu Kong Yao Ai and Titch collaborated, but were tricked; however, Jiu Kong used a clone to participate in the operation, which is how he luckily escaped.

It seems that Jiukong Yaoai has ultimately chosen an 'acquaintance' as its partner?
In fact, the battle between Takashi and Busujima was also because of this guy.
"Don't worry about them,"

Although anyone who isn't blind knows who these two people are;

But since they're going to 'pretend,' the government should play along and pretend to be unaware.

Let those two do whatever they want. Anyway, they're not Japanese, so whatever they do has nothing to do with Japan. If they can cause some trouble for Abe no Seimei, that would be even better.

"Yes, the decapitation sword really can 'regenerate'."

Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Xiao, who called himself 'Shura', had a large door-shaped sword missing its tip.

The missing piece is significantly less than the broken knife in the Metropolitan Police Department's possession: Excellent! Then this piece of material belongs to the Metropolitan Police Department. What should we use it to forge?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Tuao,

Darwin.

"Don't push! Line up!"

Police officers, wearing bulletproof vests and helmets and carrying submachine guns, walked along while shouting sternly.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's forces wreaked havoc in the northern seas. Some time ago, due to the betrayal of a certain "world's most wanted criminal," a Commonwealth admiral, the island nation's Extraordinary Countermeasures Department, a "Shichibukai," and thousands of extraordinary individuals were forever lost in the mist.

It not only buried a large number of extraordinary individuals, but also almost completely wiped out the morale of the Allied Forces.

Immediately afterwards, the powerful demons of the Nine-Tailed Fox forces launched attacks in all directions, destroying a large number of the allied forces' armories and logistics bases, and even reaching as far as Australia itself.

In such a situation, the resulting social chaos goes without saying; various breakdowns, suicides, armed robberies, and arson incidents occur frequently, and the police are granted extremely flexible powers of command to fire their weapons.

"Hey!"

"What are you doing—"

"Halt! Someone's stealing supplies!"

A sudden commotion broke out at the front of the line for humanitarian aid supplies.

A thin, brown-skinned boy, carrying a bag of flour, squeezed out of the line and rushed out with his head down!
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

They hadn't run very far,

The whistling bullet made him shudder violently, and he fell straight to the ground.

Blood began to spread, staining the flour he was holding in his arms.

"Damn monkey!"

The white police officer who fired the shot cursed viciously.
His gaze swept over the restless crowd, like ice water poured over everyone's heads.

"queue!"

"Anyone who dares to rob will be shot dead on the spot!"

The pale-faced people in the group all lowered their heads.

It is not difficult to tell from their skin color that these people are refugees from island nations, Africa, and Indonesia.

The massive influx of refugees brought extremely cheap labor; however, even with the continuous construction and operation of factories, it was impossible to employ so many people.

Without a job, the money in your hands becomes worthless; after living off your savings, what can you do besides receiving relief food?
Theft, robbery, and even murder.

"If you don't want to obediently receive relief supplies, then join the army!"

"Or sign up as a volunteer!"

"That way, your family will still have enough to eat—"

Upon hearing the white police officer's words, the long line fell silent. "Join the army?"
Let alone the fact that ordinary people like them could even fight the demons with firearms, that's questionable. The daily news reports are either about cities being destroyed by powerful demons or battlegrounds being overwhelmed by demon hordes.
What's the difference between joining the army now and courting death?
As for the 'volunteers,' it's even darker. They recruit only teenagers under the age of 18. Once they sign a 'lifetime responsibility' contract, their fate no longer belongs to themselves, but to various research institutions under the Australian government.

But what can we do?
The Commonwealth suffered repeated defeats and would have collapsed long ago if it hadn't had no option to surrender.

In such situations, the power of police and other violent institutions is amplified to an extreme: anyone who dares to resist will be shot on the spot! Especially for 'non-resident refugees', a single argument or a glance can become a reason for being shot.

human rights,

How many bullets can it stop?

United Nations,
How many divisions are there? And how many extraordinary individuals?
The long queue continued silently as people waited to receive supplies that were barely enough to make ends meet.

As long as they can survive, no one wants to consider joining the army or having their relatives become 'volunteers'.

But what does an ordinary person's so-called perseverance mean in the face of a gun if they encounter illness, accidents, or even threats from local gangs?
Therefore, this city is never short of 'volunteers', who either passively or actively enter military camps and then disappear into some secret laboratory or incinerator.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Thump, thump, thump! Bare-handed punches sent sandbags weighing over ten tons swaying violently. The giant dumbbells, as exaggerated as those in comics, were just ordinary exercise equipment here. A group of teenagers in green surgical gowns were unleashing their pent-up energy and a little sweat.

Snap, snap, snap,

"Okay, kids."

The person in the white coat with black-rimmed glasses clapped their hands.

"Today's workout is over. It's time to go back to your room and rest."

"Tsk, how boring."

Bang! !

The huge dumbbell was carelessly thrown on the ground, leaving a dent in the metal floor.

"Training every day, shouldn't training be for real combat?"

Some of the teenagers muttered to themselves while glancing at the professor wearing black-rimmed glasses, their probing intent obvious!

The younger the child, the more they follow their instincts: they observe the expressions of these 'controllers,' these 'adults'; as their strength grows, their biological instincts constantly influence them, trying to acquire more resources for life.

And freedom and power.
Unfortunately, they couldn't glean any information from the doctor's face, and in the end, they all obediently returned to their rooms in the living area.

"Did you see that? The expressions on those kids' faces~~"

When the man in the white coat with black-rimmed glasses returned to the command room, his colleague, who was leaning back in his chair, turned around.

"They think they can overthrow us; the seeds of rebellion are sprouting."

“Because they are the ‘strong’,”

The doctor adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and sat down.

"The genes of organisms dictate that the stronger members of a group will instinctively plunder, dominate, and acquire mating rights."

Unconsciously, those teenagers had already realized their power surpassed that of the laboratory personnel controlling them. Therefore, they would test the waters with words and actions, attempting to gain more rights—something even monkeys understand, an instinct determined by their biological genes.

Many people believe that brainwashing is magical and can gain them willing slaves.

However, unless you point out the 'mind control' technique, or directly interfere with, influence, or destroy the thinking center in a person's brain, don't expect to have 100% control over anyone.

Even training a dog can result in being bitten, let alone a person who is constantly changing?
The lab's managers, two people in white coats, were prepared for this situation.

"If this drags on any longer, these guys will either flee or riot. So—"

Their gazes fell upon the boys and girls who were returning to their rooms.
The talkative man in the white coat sat up.

"It's time to end it."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"It's time to begin!"

It was still that same storage room, where a group of teenagers were eager to get started.

The boy with tousled hair, Xia Yin, spoke first, his eyes, though surrounded by dark circles, gleaming with excitement.

"I've dug to the location Xiaocang specified. We can leave this lab right away through the ventilation ducts there!"

"it is good!"

The chubby boy clashed his fists and palms together, producing a crisp sound.

"I will crush any obstacles I encounter along the way—"

"The day has finally come,"

Xiao Cang, a girl with two braids, also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Once we get to that place, we will be free."

The other two nodded, their faces showing delight.

free!

Moreover, they have all awakened extraordinary abilities and are true 'wolf-level' superhumans: as long as they leave this laboratory, they can live a good life anywhere.

And there are also parents, siblings, and other family members outside. May everyone be able to live happily together!
Not everyone who came here was betrayed by their family.

Many of them were 'voluntary'.

"Without further ado, everyone go and make your final preparations; we'll set off in half an hour."

After Xiao Cang finished speaking, she found that no one had moved.

What else is needed?

Xia Yin, with her tousled hair and dark circles under her eyes, smiled.

"We have been preparing for this day."

"cough,"

The spiky-haired boy, Yi Jiang, coughed at the door.
"Ogura, can you come with me for a moment?"

?

"Oh~~"

"You wouldn't happen to be...?"

"Haha, half an hour."

Amidst the cheers of the other boys and girls, Xiao Cang, with her double braids, blushed and fled from the storage room.

"Really, what could be the matter at this time?"

After leaving the storage room, the girl took a few deep breaths to calm her turbulent emotions.

"Is such that,"

The spiky-haired boy in front scratched his head, then gritted his teeth and took out his other hand, which he had been hiding behind his back, and held it out in front of the girl.

"I remember you said you liked fresh flowers, these are the ones I picked last night."

In the boy's hand was a cluster of golden flowers.

???

"You really do have the ability to leave this laboratory!"

The girl with the double braids was taken aback at first, then her expression turned serious.

"Yes, yes,"

The boy named Yijiang tilted his head shyly.
His ability is called 'Mayfly Technique', which allows him to merge his body with the earth and vegetation, thus achieving high-speed movement. By intervening in the roots of plants existing in the ground and in organic networks such as underground water, he can move at high speed to any location.

In addition to his extraordinary physique, any prison cell would be easily accessible to him once he dug through the metal floor.

He was holding a bunch of acacia flowers.

These flowers are numerous and densely packed, forming a spherical shape, resembling clusters of tiny dandelions; their vibrant golden appearance makes them ideal for potted plants or indoor decoration.

It is also the national flower of Australia, and can be seen everywhere in this land.

"It smells so good!"

The girl with the braided hair took the flowers from the embarrassed boy and sniffed them.

Acacia extract has a distinctive fragrance and is often used in the production of perfumes, giving it a naturally pleasant aroma.

"As long as you like it,"

With her spiky hair, Yijiang patted her chest and assured him,

"After we go out, I'll pick a big bunch for you, no, I want to plant a whole patch of them where we live!"

This is practically a confession.

"We'll talk about it once we get outside,"

Rolling her eyes at the spiky-haired girl waving her arms and legs in front of her, the girl named 'Xiaocang' pointed to the storage room not far away.

"Those guys are peeping, honestly~~"

"Well, let's go back."

The excited boy with the spiky hair was the first to take a step forward.

The girl following behind lowered her eyes.

Acacia,
The flower's meaning is: fleeting happiness!

(End of this chapter)