Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 578, A Chance Encounter with Ma Youxiang at the Horse Farm
P.S.: The temperature suddenly dropped sharply today, and the Emperor couldn't hold it in and started coughing a bit. So today, I'll be sharing everyone's favorite two-in-one 4500-word long chapter that's flexible, steady, and on the rise!

While Uesugi Muneyuki and Mai-senpai were chatting, the three girls had already finished choosing their clothes and came out.

Taozi chose a sweet berry-inspired vintage-style dress reminiscent of Fontainebleau. Her sweet and charming face radiated the innocence of a country girl, untouched by the glitz and glamour of the big city. When she looked at Mai-senpai with a shy yet yearning expression, her eyes sparkling as she asked if it looked good but lacked the courage to speak, her adorable appearance truly resembled a plump peach, just like her name suggests, making one want to take a bite.

Eisa Ikeda chose a porcelain-white layered tulle dress with Heathrow patterns. Her temperament was different from Momoko Ozono's. Her transparency was mixed with a delicate and refined air, and she had a pair of expressive eyes. Compared to Momoko Ozono, she was more outgoing, but she didn't talk much. When she saw Muneyuki Uesugi and Mai Shirakawa looking over, she subtly stepped back with her round-toed leather shoes and white lace-trimmed socks, and lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.

As for Saito Asuka, the girl chose a soft, sweet Alice in Wonderland-style camel wool dress, which, combined with her incredibly cute little face, made her super adorable. Having been used to being subservient at Sakata Bridge and finding it difficult to fit in at school, she suddenly became awesome after meeting Mai-like two little apprentices, Asuka. Her base attack power increased by 180%... cough cough. In short, her temperament instantly changed from "Little Bird" to "Boss Bird".

Mai-senpai paid the bill, and the three girls' outfits cost a total of over 69,000 yen, but this amount of money didn't matter to Mai-senpai.

Feeling satisfied as she left the outlet mall, Mai Shirakawa checked the time, clapped her hands, and announced, "Next, let's go horseback riding! I've already booked a ride at a very famous horse farm nearby."

The girls immediately responded to the suggestion.

Saito Asuka, in particular, had her eyes light up when she heard that they were going horseback riding. More importantly, in front of her two obviously "newer" juniors, Ozono Momoko and Ikeda Eisa, she finally felt that she was no longer the ignorant and passive little sister who was passively accepting arrangements, but a "veteran" who could put on airs as a senior.

On the way to the horse farm, Asuka straightened her small frame and began to give Momoko and Eisa a "preachy lecture":
"Momoko-chan (Momoko), when we get to the horse farm, don't shout or yell. Be calm, okay? Horses are very sensitive animals."

"Eisa-chan, when you lead the horse, you have to be gentle, like this..." she said, gesturing as she spoke, her little face full of seriousness and a kind of forced maturity.

Momoko Oozo listened with wide, round eyes and an expression of admiration, nodding repeatedly, "Yes! Asuka-senpai! I understand!"

Eisa Ikeda also quietly echoed, "Thank you for your guidance, Asuka-senpai."

Seeing her two juniors being so "well-behaved and obedient," Asuka's vanity was greatly satisfied. She felt very pleased with herself, and even raised her chin slightly. Her spoiled yet adorable senior appearance made Shirakawa Mai and Uesugi Muneyuki, who were sitting in the front row, smile knowingly when they saw it in the rearview mirror.

Karuizawa's horse farm sits on the edge of a vast meadow, backed by rolling green mountains. The air is filled with the fresh scents of grass, earth, and horses, a truly wild and natural atmosphere. Rows of neat stables stand in orderly rows, where several glossy horses stroll leisurely or graze peacefully. In the distance, tourists, led by instructors, ride slowly along forest paths, creating a tranquil vacation scene.

After completing the formalities, they waited in the rest area for further arrangements.

Asuka was still enthusiastically explaining the precautions for riding horses to Momoko and Eisa (though she herself only had a vague understanding), and the two juniors remained humble and eager to learn. Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai, on the other hand, sat leisurely in white wicker chairs nearby, sipping chilled lemonade and enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

Just then, a woman dressed in standard riding attire, with a tall and elegant figure and outstanding demeanor, walked over from the other side of the riding arena. She took off her riding hat, revealing a delicate yet spirited face, with a surprised smile on her face.

"Mr. Uesugi? Mai-sama? And... is this Saito-san? What a coincidence!"

The person who arrived was none other than Sugai Yuka, the captain of Akasaka46, who was known as "Miss".

She had clearly just finished riding a horse, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, but her demeanor remained calm and elegant.

"Sugai-san?" Uesugi Muneyuki was also a little surprised, then stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Yes, what a coincidence, you're here for vacation in Karuizawa too?"

Among the members of Akasaka46, two girls are recognized as coming from privileged backgrounds. One of them, known as "Miss Sugai," is Sugai Yuka. Her family has a seat at the Kasumigaseki Kasumigaseki Kaikan. Like Uesugi Muneyuki, she is of noble birth. However, compared to Uesugi Muneyuki, whose ancestors were the famous Uesugi Kenshin and Uesugi Kagekatsu, her family is much less well-known.

Even so, she attended Gakushuin, a school exclusively for the nobility. She once casually mentioned on a variety show that she spent her summers vacationing in Karuizawa (a summer resort for the elite) and enjoyed horseback riding (an aristocratic sport). It was later discovered that her horse had once belonged to a prince of the imperial family, which is why she was nicknamed "Miss."

“Yes, I came here to relax with my family.” Sugai Yuka responded politely, then nodded to Shirakawa Mai and Saito Asuka, her gaze sweeping kindly over Ozono Momoko and Ikeda Eisa, who were looking at her curiously.

Looking at the elegant Akashizaka captain before her, Uesugi Muneyuki, recalling the recent surge in popularity of her group, couldn't help but tease her, and with a smile like an elder caring for a younger person, she said, "Speaking of which, Sugai-san, Keyakizaka is really riding high lately. As the captain, you must have felt what 'superstardom' means these days, right? Have you been surrounded by people on the street?"

With 48 falling, 46 is full. In the past few months, Akasaka has really become a hit, appearing on prime-time variety shows on major TV stations. Especially Hirate, this year has been hailed by the media as the "Year of Hirate", and the era of idols has also been hailed as the "Era of Hirate".

Times have changed. Adults and the old-fashioned elites have gradually discovered that the entertainment industry and idol business are quite profitable, so naturally some people will get involved.

Upon hearing this, Yuka Sugai gave a very standard, proper, yet slightly proud "young lady" smile.

She nodded slightly, her tone both humble and confidently assertive: "Mr. Uesugi is right. Thanks to the love and support of all our fans, our group is indeed...super popular lately." She used the slightly comedic yet powerful phrase "super popular," which, combined with her serious and elegant expression, created a wonderfully unexpected and endearing contrast.

Yuka Sugai's words contained no exaggerated boasting, only a calm statement of facts and pride in the team's achievements. The composure and confidence that emanated from within perfectly exemplified the demeanor of a "heiress of a noble family."

This conversation made everyone laugh, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed.

Mai Shirakawa had no interest in saying anything more to Yuka Sugai, and simply nodded.

Asuka also temporarily put aside her senior's airs and looked at the famous "Akairosaka" captain with curiosity.

Sunlight streamed onto the grass of the horse farm, and the horses in the distance snorted softly. Celebrities from different groups and backgrounds met by chance at this resort, chatting about their recent lives, creating a leisurely and fun summer scene full of Karuizawa's unique charm. After a few words, the girls, led by the equestrians and grooms, went to visit the stables, leaving Mai-senpai and Uesugi Muneyuki behind, sipping iced lemonade. She stared at Uesugi Muneyuki for a moment, smiling without speaking, a playful glint in her bright, beautiful face: "Seriously, junior, if you weren't with Watanabe Minami, would Sugai Yuuka have been considered by your family?"

"This is an unexpected path. It's possible, if I were still the same person I was back then... the same person you saw at Tokiwa High School. It's quite possible." Uesugi Muneyuki pursed her lips, looking at Sugai Yuuka, who was riding on the field in white riding breeches and brown riding boots, and smiled, "Senpai should still remember what I looked like back then, right?"

However, Uesugi Muneyuki's question stumped Shirakawa Mai.

"Um...this...I..." Although she was a student at Tokiwa High School, she went to school no more than ten times a year. Who knew what Uesugi Muneyuki was really like back then? She had been following him all along because he was a fabrication!

As expected, Uesugi Muneyuki also noticed Mai-senpai's embarrassment and felt a little strange: "Senpai, is there anything you want to say?"

"I have nothing more to say, junior, please act quickly!" Senior Mai immediately put on a sorrowful expression: "Do you still remember what happened in the past?"

"All that happened in the past... in the past?" Uesugi Muneyuki didn't quite understand. Actually, his deepest impression of high school life was still Mikoto.

"Well, whether it's Watanabe Minami or Sugai Yuka, my junior can never marry me. After all, I'm from another world. We can only be secret lovers without any official status, just a pair of star-crossed lovers."

Mai-senpai feigned sadness, but there was still a smile in her eyes.

"No, actually, if our relationship had started earlier, the old man probably wouldn't have hesitated to sell me off and make me marry into your shrine alliance," Uesugi Muneyuki retorted. "Then it would be Shirakawa Muneyuki."

"Haha, actually, I think the same as the Watanabe family. Uesugi Mai sounds better. Let's name our descendants Uesugi Eiri!"

Mai-senpai easily changed the subject, and the two chatted and laughed for a few more minutes. After observing the atmosphere around them, their expressions gradually became serious, and they activated their invisibility abilities.

“Kishibe Masaomi must be over 80 years old this year. He was among the first batch of university students in postwar Japan, even before your grandfather. He studied at Kyoto University in the Kansai region, majoring in Ryokan Studies and Comparative Religion.” Senior Mai quietly shared her findings.

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded slowly.

Mai-senpai continued speaking.

As one of the first university students after the war, Masaomi Kishibe should have been a pride of the times. However, he lost both his parents at a young age and barely survived with the help of distant relatives, which led to his withdrawn and introverted personality. He was said to be an "oddball" because everyone, whether in alumni associations, neighborhoods, or companies, was willing to accept him. However, Kishibe longed to integrate into the group, but found it difficult to truly do so. His emotional connection with others was not aligned.

"Remember that Kansai ruins excavation we talked about before? The one that ended up attracting US military bombardment?" Mai-senpai said in a low voice, "I investigated. Kishibe was one of the assistant professors who participated in the excavation. He was the only one who survived the entire expedition. The other members of the archaeological team who were with Kishibe went mad, mutated, or were torn apart the moment they came into contact with these indescribable beings. The screams, splattered blood, and twisted limbs created a hellish scene."

"The excavation of the ruins also attracted a fight among my master's group. It is very likely that they were fighting for a chance to become a new god, but in the end, almost all of them died."

No one knows what happened, but afterwards, Kishibe founded the "Unification Church," using his personal experience of "loneliness" as a starting point to attract souls who shared his past suffering.

The Unification Church's doctrines cleverly exploit the existential anxieties of modern people. It defines "loneliness" as a pathology, "self" as a defect that needs to be healed, and promises to eliminate all suffering through "returning to the whole."

With the establishment of the Unification Church, Masaomi Kishibe began to infiltrate universities and politics, using the donations and resources of the believers to excavate many ancient tombs in the Kansai region. The unearthed remains of the new gods became the tools for him to bestow "favors".

“It is said that the former prime minister and his entire family are connected to the Unification Church.” Senior Mai frowned. “But it seems that the power of the planes and artillery that the US military deployed that time was so profound that it made him afraid. It also seems that Kishibe did not have any idea of ​​ruling or politics. Like many beings in the underworld, he regarded the surface world as just a means and place to obtain resources, and he tried to keep a low profile.”

“Even the Prime Minister?!” Uesugi Muneyuki’s pupils dilated slightly. “No wonder. According to our previous investigation, at least several members of parliament are also involved with this Unification Church leader, Suo Masao, and that Secretary-General Yuasa… What exactly is he trying to do?”

"I don't know, but without a doubt, he must have achieved some results in the past few years." Senior Mai said in a low voice, "By the way, you should know that whether it's 48 or 46, Suo Yuasa is behind them, and even Yoshimoto Kogyo in Kansai, and ultimately it's connected to this Kishibe Nishimo-sama, right?"

"So, I have a guess." The senior student gestured towards Momoko Oozo, who was trying to ride a horse in the distance, and said, "I mean, is it possible that, like me... Kishibe's goal is to cast a wide net through idol and entertainment industry auditions like Yoshimoto Kogyo and 4846 to find suitable 'inheritance,' 'experimental subjects,' and 'cauldrons'?"

"!!!" Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes darted around, thinking it was very likely: "Mai, you've found the blind spot!"

"But unfortunately, that's all I know. However, I do have an idea..." Senior Mai crossed one of her long, slender, snow-white legs, her five feet, as white as silkworms and painted with bright red nail polish, gently hooked the toes of her sandals and swayed slightly: "Perhaps, to understand the secret of 4846, we need to find a breakthrough from one person."

"Who?" Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment, then understood: "You mean, Sakura?"

“Yes, it’s her!” Senior Mai nodded solemnly. “After everything that’s happened, especially the Yamaguchi Maho incident and the Financial Services Agency storm, she not only gained the trust of YKC’s management but also received more opportunities to participate in operational affairs. If we can have her assist in the investigation, we should be able to find out something… but…”

"You might have to sacrifice your looks again, junior," Mai-senpai said meaningfully. "You can't do without something on me!"

Uesugi Muneyuki: "???"

What does "no leverage" mean?
Does my senior mean I should give Sakura something to use against me?
What does it mean? ? ?
(End of this chapter)