I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 490 Experiments and Negotiations

Setagaya Ward,

This is an area where the island nation's 'old aristocracy' gathers.

Many of them were ancestors of samurai or daimyo. Even though they had fallen on hard times a few years ago, they still disdained to squeeze into places like the port area with those "newly emerging nobles".

Now, instead of rushing to the 'Divine Tree District', they continue to stay in this area; led by Yagyu Onoda, they have gradually formed a 'samurai' force: using breathing techniques, that is, 'the application of spiritual energy transformation', as their foundation.

Not far from the Yagyu family home, on a hillside surrounded by trees, there is a mansion.

The mansion occupies a large area and has a very simple and rustic architectural style: ancient white courtyard walls, two wooden gates, and a family crest with three leaves surrounded by a circle on the gate.

Clover.

Without a doubt, this is the Tokugawa residence.

Inside the mansion, ancient cobblestone paths meander and extend, clear ponds are filled with koi, artificial hills and flowing water, cherry blossoms and green bamboo create an atmosphere full of antiquity.

But within this ancient building lies a large amount of high-tech equipment: the ancient style is only the exterior of the Tokugawa family. You should know that when the supernatural power began to spread, the patriarch Tokugawa Mitsunari would go out wearing an exoskeleton armor. Because he often had to use a truck to haul the equipment around, he earned the nickname "bloodthirsty automan".

In the high-tech training ground of the side hall

"Mr. Honkawa, please release an attack spell directly in front of you."

"Okay, I'm going to start."

The middle-aged man wearing an eye mask nodded slightly, then began to form hand seals.

Hand seals are a technique for performing the "Yin-Yang Arts" passed down from the Isoya family—using hand seals to help construct a "technique model," allowing even those with insufficient aptitude to perform various Five Elements techniques.

Those with exceptional talent, or those who directly inherit power, can, of course, clap their hands and summon whatever they want.

But for ordinary people who want to learn new skills, they must honestly build a technical model.

Now that you've become a superhuman, you can't just rely on punches to fight, right?

Besides,

The destructive power of techniques is much greater than that of fists and feet.

The middle-aged man's ten fingers blurred into a series of afterimages, forming one hand seal after another. After completing 44 seals, he finally uttered a low shout:
"Water Dragon Bullet!"

That's right, this is the famous Water Dragon Bullet technique.

This technique is quite powerful, especially in places with water; its power is even more considerable when a natural flow of water is used to enhance it.

but--

The terrifying number of 44 prints made countless people roll their eyes.

Even a wolf-level superhuman can run at a speed comparable to a cheetah sprinting at full speed.

Even if your fingers are incredibly nimble and you can create afterimages when forming hand seals, the 'casting animation' is still too long.

In comparison, the 'Sea Kingdoms' in the southern non-religious waters, if they were to awaken this ability, could launch an attack with a mere flick of their fingers!
Therefore, there are not many people who specialize in practicing this technique.

Conversely, such a huge flaw naturally also has great power:
"Be careful!"

Although he didn't know why the Tokugawa family's daughter wanted him to come and perform this spell blindfolded, the middle-aged man, confident in his spell, reminded her again.

"Roar----"

As the middle-aged man opened his mouth and spat, a surging torrent of water gushed out.

Under his control, it transformed into a gigantic Eastern dragon: baring its fangs and claws, its whiskers and scales gleaming, roaring as it charged forward!
This spell is powerful enough to easily blast away, crush, and deform heavily armored units. In terms of attack power alone, it has even reached the level of a weak tiger; otherwise, no one would bother to learn this troublesome spell.

Rumble!
In the spacious, high-tech training room, a huge water dragon roared straight out. Since he couldn't see, the middle-aged man could only rely on his senses to cast spells forward.

As for what he might hit, that's beyond his control—?!

Wave,

However, the giant water dragon did not hit anything.

Instead, it vanished into thin air!
For middle-aged people, it feels like crashing into a 'sea' without even creating a ripple.

???

"Okay,"

As the Tokugawa family's daughter spoke, the middle-aged man stopped channeling his spiritual energy.

Without spiritual power, the water that appeared out of thin air naturally became like a tree without roots; as it surged forward, it gradually disappeared.

To be precise, it was absorbed into the palm of a right hand!

"Mr. Honkawa, thank you for your hard work."

The voice of the Tokugawa family's daughter rang in my ears again.

"Please come this way."

His eyes were completely covered by an eye patch, but that was no problem for a wolf-level superhuman; guided by the girl's voice, the middle-aged man left the training ground.

This secretive approach is indeed quite off-putting, but the notification of the amount deposited into the account easily dispelled the middle-aged man's dissatisfaction.

Even extraordinary individuals need to eat.

Things are different now than they used to be.
It's no longer the era where wolf-level superhumans can live a life free from financial worries. With the soaring number of superhumans, wolf-level superhumans who want to live a 'carefree' life also need to take on some side jobs from time to time.

After seeing the middle-aged superhuman off, Tokugawa Shizuka quickly returned to the training ground; she closed the door and excitedly took Kamijou Touma's right hand to check it.

"How are you feeling? Can't take it anymore?"

This Mr. Motokawa is a sorcery teacher at Keikaku High School, and his strength is quite considerable among Wolf-level spellcasters. His 44-seal 'Water Dragon Bullet' possesses the attack power of a Weak Tiger-level spellcaster; I wonder what Touma's right hand is capable of.
"I don't feel anything,"

Touma Kamijou answered honestly,

Whether it's flames, wind blades, or water, as long as it's an extraordinary attack, his right hand can easily absorb it.

And there was no strain whatsoever—in fact, these attacks were no different from anything else in front of his right hand.

"Isn't this too scary?"

Tokugawa Shizuka was amazed. Mr. Honkawa's Water Dragon Bullet was the 'strongest' attack that she could find through her connections, yet it was easily absorbed by this right hand.

"You mustn't let anyone else know about this ability, otherwise—"

Being captured and studied is the least of his worries; he'd likely face certain death. With the ability to absorb spells, would any magic-based fighters who rely on their abilities let him go?
The Igoya family, the Hanakain family.

If these two major Onmyoji families were to make a move, it would be a cataclysmic event.

And that one from Heian-kyo...
Thinking about this, Tokugawa Shizuto felt a deep sense of pressure.

"This...it shouldn't be, right?"

Kamijou Touma habitually scratched his head. He knew all too well how terrifying this ability was, but he still harbored some fantasies.

"Why not?"

"If I were an Onmyoji, I'd be the first to chop you down!"

Tokugawa Shizuka rolled her eyes at him, but being a samurai, she wasn't particularly afraid of Kamijou Touma's right hand.

Being able to grab the alloy wire doesn't mean you can grab her knife—even without spiritual power, her well-trained swordsmanship is no joke.

"You're lucky to have met me."

Since he was still a student, Tokugawa Shizuka only talked about it. Not only did she have no intention of killing Kamijou Touma, she also actively offered him advice on how to hide the secret of his right hand.

"Anyway, from now on you just listen to me."

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.

the other side,
New Bunkyo District.

In the laboratory below the pharmaceutical factory in the Third School District.

Clang,

The long sword flew out, spinning as it fell onto the alloy floor; the reflection of the stopped blade showed a blank face, a disappointed face, and a face half-asleep. "How could this be?"

The inspector sent by the Metropolitan Police Department was the one who couldn't hide his disappointment.

The super SWAT officer, who was fighting against Poison Island—no, against Poison Island 00001—tilted his head and gestured to the three supervisors with his eyes.

Should he continue, or can he call it a day?
"continue!"

"Poison Island 00001, pick up the knife."

Under Professor Honjo's orders, 'Bukushima 00001', with his wrist swollen and red, walked over, picked up the long knife, and attacked the superhuman special police officer again.

Clang,

The next second, unsurprisingly, the longsword slipped from his hand.

"Sir, I've already suppressed my spiritual energy to the minimum. Perhaps—"

Even the special police officers couldn't stand it anymore. This 'experimental subject' had absolutely no swordsmanship. He was just instinctively blocking, and he was able to make the other party drop his long sword—he was a complete novice!

In fact, he was not just facing novices, but rather 'newcomers'.

A clone just born from the incubation chamber!

"It turns out that the body and memories alone cannot constitute a complete person."

"So what's missing?"

The superintendent subconsciously questioned Professor Honjo, the project's lead investigator.

The silver-haired, gentle-looking professor coldly uttered two words.

"soul."

?

this.
In this day and age, the existence of souls has long been proven—the evil spirits that roam the city are the lingering echoes of the soul released by the Yamata no Orochi from the 'Yellow Springs', creating chaos, death, and accumulating power.

However, there are almost no abilities or techniques that can influence the soul!
It's easy to disperse an evil spirit, but to influence it is...
They could certainly do that with the 'Eye of God' on their target island, Tokishima.

However, the problem now is how to enable these clones to open the 'eye of God'?
Where do we 'create' souls?

The police officers and inmates were all numb.
The body can be cloned, memories can be copied, but the soul cannot.
The government is completely clueless about spiritual energy research. If they could study the mysteries of the soul, wouldn't it be better to just attack Takamagahara directly?

"Stimulate."

The silver-haired professor uttered another word.
"All kinds of stimulation, physical and mental."

"The only way to create a 'soul' in a short time is to ask Ms. Kiyama for help to input these memories into the memories of other clones through dreams."

?

"you"

Is it some kind of demon?

Upon hearing this, the female police chief, who looked like she hadn't woken up yet, almost cursed.

That's right. Besides the Poison Island 00001 that has been repeatedly battling, or rather, being 'tortured', there are hundreds of other 'Poison Islands' that are constantly growing in the incubation chambers.

It is well known that cloning easily leads to genetic defects; these clones are barely alive, and are born with physical disabilities. Now, all these 'stimulating memories' are being inputted into their minds through dreams—what kind of results will this create?
She didn't want to know, nor did she want to think about it.

Ironically, however, she not only had to know, but also had to be deeply involved in it.

damn it.
"Ms. Kiyama,"

"Our cause is just."

The superintendent noticed her hesitation and spoke up to emphasize it.

"Regardless of any cause and effect, even if we are condemned to eternal damnation, we should not hesitate in the slightest."

"Yes, sir."

The female police chief named 'Kiyama' lowered her eyes.

If you consider yourself righteous, why utter such words as "eternal damnation"?
Clang,

During the conversation between the three,
The long sword in the hand of Poison Island 00001 was knocked away once again.

"continue."

Professor Honjo gave the order,

It's just that the weapon, which costs 18 billion, is even cheaper as production capacity increases—the latest Type 18 wheeled armored vehicle costs 13 billion, and the army placed an order for a thousand units in one go.

There are only more 'poison islands' in this laboratory!

As things stand, the performance of the Tokishima clone can only be described as extremely disappointing.
But if the quality isn't good enough, quantity can make up for it: maybe one or two gene mutations will appear?
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.

Heian Jing,
Brush, X2
Two figures appeared on the street outside the fog.
One of them was a refined middle-aged man with black wings, and the other was Yijiang, who was wearing a tattered black robe with red clouds and looked almost like a beggar at first glance.

With their combined strength, let alone ordinary troops, even a Tiger-level superhuman officer would have a hard time detecting them.

Rather, discovering them is tantamount to death!

Two Dragon-level 'God's Eyes'.
"Two,"

As soon as they stepped into the mist, a 'female samurai' clad in full armor and carrying an extra-long nodachi came towards them.

"My family has been waiting for a long time."

Ghost level.

A glance,
Yijiang then made his judgment.

Their trip to Heian-kyo was entirely impromptu.

However, the other party had already sent a demon-level expert as a welcoming attendant, as if they had known they would come all along. That 'most powerful Onmyoji in history' was indeed unfathomable.

This divination skill alone is enough to gain the upper hand!
"Thank you for your trouble, Demon Blade Princess."

The middle-aged man, 'Great Tengu', slightly raised his hand in greeting. His refined demeanor completely belied his status as a 'Demon King'.

"plz follow me."

Led by this 'Demon Sword Princess', the two stepped into the mist.

Along the way,
Yijiang's gaze swept subtly to his left and right.
The architecture along the way is becoming increasingly similar to that of ancient times, with a large number of wooden and stone buildings replacing reinforced concrete. However, the level of magnificence far exceeds that of normal ancient times, after all, the exquisite carvings and painted lanterns are things that only people with leisure and refined taste would do.

In ancient island nations, most houses were simple thatched or wooden huts with stones on the roofs to protect them from the wind.

If you can't even get enough to eat, where will you find the energy to develop any kind of art or literature?
Besides these antique buildings, there were also many 'monsters' swaggering around like pedestrians. When they saw the two of them, they showed curiosity.

"You two, please come this way."

Soon, led by 'Demon Blade Princess', the two arrived at an elegant courtyard.

Without a doubt, this is the residence of Abe no Seimei.

"We have failed to properly welcome our distinguished guest."

creak

As the gate opened automatically, a high-ranking Onmyoji, who was wielding a brush and ink to create calligraphy and paintings under the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, looked up.

"Please come inside for a chat."

"excuse me."

A refined middle-aged man strode out, and Yijiang naturally followed closely behind.

Ok?
From the courtyard corridor,

His gaze swept over a 'girl' who was lying down drinking;
The other party had a pair of demon horns and wore clothes that would make them look like a 'moving mosaic' if they appeared on TV.

However, the dangerous aura emanating from the other party caused Ie's black pupils to turn red.

Dragon-level?!
(End of this chapter)