I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 245 The finals are over, the regional champions are revealed! The Qiansha Brand Little Bull and Horse team, the preliminary list, is packed with strong contenders!

[Tsuki-suna-chan: Yes, ma'am.jpg]

Without saying a word, Uesugi Tetsu sent a salute emoji, then closed the screen after clicking to accept the file.

—You can look at this list anytime, even on the bus back to Arakawa Ward.

But the regional finals of the seeding battle are about to begin, and Yagyu-kun will be playing soon.

Which is more important is probably self-evident to Uesugi Tetsuya.

"I'm coming!"

Tamamo nudged Uesugi Tetsuya with her elbow, making him turn his gaze around.

As a rhythmic and stressful sound rang out, the lights in the entire arena suddenly dimmed, except for the path leading to the central ring, which was illuminated by a dim, cold white light.

The first to take the stage is Yagyu Akira's opponent.

The narrator's slightly hoarse, deep voice echoed throughout the venue through the expensive sound system.

"With a roar that shatters the enemy's courage, and with that nodachi in his hand, he will shatter all obstacles! Who can stop him from claiming the title of 'Shizuoka Prefecture Leader'!"

"Let's first welcome our contestant—Kawakami Ryoto, from the Nodachi Jigen-ryu school!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the passage on the right was illuminated by dazzling white lights, creating a starlight path leading to the center of the arena.

Suddenly, a loud cheer came from directly opposite Uesugi Tetsuya and Tamamo. Most of the cheerers were wearing the same kimono, probably fellow disciples from the same dojo.

"To be honest, the atmosphere here is pretty good."

Under Uesugi Tetsu's gaze, the heavy automatic door slowly opened.

A young man emerged from the darkness behind the door, carrying a nearly six-foot-long nodachi on his back, his fists clenched, his cheeks flushed, clearly unable to contain his excitement.

—The Nodachi Self-Manifestation Style, also known as the "Medicine Pill Self-Manifestation Style," is also called the "Demon Howl Style" on the modern internet.

Unlike the Natural Rishin-ryu or Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, which emphasize techniques, footwork, and the study of various sword techniques, this ancient swordsmanship school focuses on a bold and unrestrained style.

To put it bluntly, it means it has great strength, high stats, and can charge forward without thinking.

First, he raises his nodachi, which is at least 1.5 meters long, then roars and charges forward. If an enemy stands in his way, he cleaves off one head; if there are ten enemies, he cleaves off ten heads.

Its main selling point is its impressive momentum.

However... this boy named "Kawakami Ryoto" doesn't look like a savage at all.

Tamamo, standing nearby, gave a surprised "oh."
"So it was Kawakami who made it to the finals."

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow: "You know him?"

"I met him once during a mission with Yagyu. He's a nice guy, just a bit naive."

Tamamo stroked his chin, striking a pose like a high monk: "I thought he would be eliminated in the quarterfinals."

She crouched down, opened her phone and scrolled through it, then suddenly realized, "So it turns out that Liu Sheng and three other players I was optimistic about were grouped together, making it a death zone."

This means that Kawakami, who comes from the Nodachi Jigen-ryu school, is lucky.

Uesugi Tetsu felt that was not the case.

Under the keen observation of the discerning eye, Uesugi Tetsu believed that although Kawakami-kun was not particularly powerful, he was still a level above Akiyama Mei, who had gone to the City of Chaos with him.

In other words, they barely reached the level of the Hojo clan's white and black preparations on paper.

But data is data; the real outcome is not determined by such things alone.

Once Kawakami reached the center of the ring, the commentator's voice rang out again.
"His blade is like a raging fire, his heart like ice frozen for eternity! Can nothing shake his will?!"

"Next, let's welcome—Yagyu Atsushi, a contestant from the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu school!"

Under the bright red light, with his hand gently resting on the hilt of his sword and his face calm, Yagyu Chi walked steadily forward onto the arena.

He didn't even see Tamamo and Uesugi Tetsu, who were waving to him from the stands.

Having taken in the condition of the two, Uesugi Tetsuya made a judgment.
"I'm afraid, Yagyu-kun is going to win."

"Huh?" Tamamo was stunned. "The fight hasn't even started yet, how do you know the outcome, Uesugi-sama? Is this some kind of blind monk's prediction?"

Uesugi Tetsuya was speechless for a moment. Tamamo surfed the internet every day, and her mouth was full of cheesy jokes.

"It's very simple, just look at their mindset."

He held up his finger: "Kawakami was very excited, his hands were even trembling."

"—And what about Yagyu-kun? He didn't even notice our presence, which means he had already entered a state of flow, or zone, before he even entered the arena."

"Yagyu-kun wants to win more than anyone else."

Uesugi Tetsu calmly asserted, "Given that the two are roughly equal in strength, I think the outcome is self-evident."

Tamamo blinked and chuckled.
"So it turns out that Yagyu wasn't pretending not to see us and acting like a master after all."

Uesugi Tetsu rolled his eyes and stopped talking.

Inside the venue, all the lights came on again after the entrance was over, but the brightness on the ring was still much higher than the surrounding area, making it easier for everyone to see.

After Yagyu Akira and Kawakami Ryoto exchanged fists, the commentator roared with passion.

—After that, the commentary could only be heard on online platforms.

"I hereby declare the Eastern Region Seeding Tournament - Shizuoka Prefecture Division Match - Now Begins!"

The entire venue fell silent suddenly, and the sound of Yagyu Akira drawing his sword could be clearly heard.

……

Tamamo held her breath and concentrated.

She discovered that after the match started, the situation on the field was exactly as Uesugi Tetsu had described.

Kawakami Ryoto initially gained the upper hand due to his school of martial arts, but he quickly became exhausted from his excessive and aggressive sword attacks.

Next, after reading his opponent's movements, Yagyu Akira would slowly exert pressure, gradually widening the encirclement and forcing Kawakami Ryoto into a predicament where he couldn't even swing his sword.

The outcome of the match was decided halfway through.

However, Yagyu Chi remained steady and methodical, and did not reveal a single flaw until his opponent was knocked unconscious.

The Eastern Region Seeding Tournament final in Shizuoka Prefecture ended in the seventeenth minute.

"Yay! Yagyu really won!" Tamamo cheered, raising her hand after the referee announced the victory. "The Uesugi monk's prediction was really right!"

On the arena, Yagyu Akira, his face covered in blood, bowed slightly to Kawakami Ryoto, who was lying on the ground, and then sheathed his sword after letting out a long sigh.

However, Yagyu Akira's expression remained calm, showing no sign of the joy one should have felt after receiving the title of "Top Scholar of Shizuoka Prefecture".

It was as if he hadn't won at all.

Uesugi Tetsu looked around and found that only a small number of his fellow practitioners or disciples who also practiced swordsmanship and kendo were cheering after the referee announced the winner.

They thoroughly enjoyed watching the details and maneuvers of the two men's exchange, and had even recorded many of them, planning to return and continue their research.

Uesugi Tetsuya also secretly learned a few tricks from it.

Even the disciples who were also disciples of the Nodachi Jigenryu style showed expressions of admiration.

However, most ordinary viewers sighed and found it extremely boring.

Aside from Kawakami's initial roar and sprint, which was somewhat interesting, the rest of the match was almost entirely just a silent clash of swords.

—Swing your sword? I can do that in Sekiro too!
"This style of play is practical but not very entertaining."

As Uesugi Tetsu thought this, he looked at Yagyu Akira's determined eyes, silently picked up the heavy trophy, and bathed in the golden rain.

At this point, an audience member complained, "What Shizuoka Prefecture final? They're making such a big deal out of it. If you ask me, we'd be better off watching a blockbuster movie..."

Someone else chimed in, "By the way, if that 'Uesugi Tetsu,' whose moves are both so cool and stylish, were to come, he could easily defeat both of them together!"

The audience erupted in excitement at the mere mention of Uesugi Tetsuya's name.

Since those who can come here are at least ordinary people who have some interest in swordsmanship and the extraordinary, they have most likely watched the wildly popular Uesugi Tetsuya edits.

The people below chimed in, saying that if Uesugi Tetsuya came, they could easily win the match and it would definitely be exciting, making the afternoon incredibly worthwhile.

"I don't think so."

Amidst the murmurs, Uesugi Tetsu calmly said, "We'll only know who wins and who loses after they've actually fought."

His voice was clear and bright, reaching the ears of everyone below.

The audience members who were having a heated discussion below were all taken aback.

A young audience member looked up, saw the black mask and sunglasses, and raised an eyebrow: "Who else are you but buddy? You dare to question Uesugi Tetsuya, who's on par with the geniuses of those legendary big families?" Uesugi Tetsuya was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Is he already ranked alongside Yuan Jingshui and Jiujieyuan Jin?

When did this happen?
Why didn't he know?
More snickers came from below: "Uesugi Tetsu might not be able to beat this Yagyu and Kawakami, bro, are you kidding me?"

"—So who are you to even begin to say? How dare you question Uesugi Tetsuya?"

Such words came from below.

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at Tamamo, who was covering her mouth with both hands, struggling to suppress a laugh, and looked at her with some confusion.

How could my popularity on Dianping (a Chinese social networking platform) increase so much in just two days?
Although he didn't quite understand, Uesugi Tetsu still took off the mask and sunglasses he was using to disguise himself amidst many provocative gazes, and then hung the Hannya Mask on his waist.

Meeting the gazes of the group that went from astonishment to disbelief, and finally to blankness, he raised an eyebrow: "I am Uesugi Tetsu."

Its aura, now mostly restrained, was slightly suppressed.

"What, can't I have a question?"

The cacophony of voices below immediately ceased, and the audience fell silent.

No one spoke again.

Tamamo finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing: "I really regret not filming what just happened..."

"I'm just unhappy that they've exaggerated my abilities." Uesugi Tetsu removed his mask and shrugged. "They're quite good at creating idols online."

After witnessing Yagyu Chi say, "The next goal is to reach the top 32 in the seeding tournament across the entire eastern region," Shi Fandai withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.

He looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, who had just finished complaining to Tamamo.

Shi Fan Dai spoke slowly: "Although Yagyu has grown, he is still far behind... Uesugi-kun."

He paused, then said meaningfully,

"The seeding battle is in your hands now."

Uesugi Tetsu naturally knew that Shihan Dai wanted him to go all out, so he nodded.

"The great era is about to begin, and the current gap is only temporary."

Watching Yagyu Chi bow to all the audience in gratitude before slowly leaving, Uesugi Tetsu smiled and said, "An elite like Yagyu-kun is sure to achieve great things in the future."

Shi Fan raised his eyebrows: "That's right."

"Lord Saionji, I must return to Tokyo soon."

Uesugi Tetsu opened his mouth,
"There are only three or four days left until the preliminary rounds, I need to take some time to calm down."

Teacher Fan hesitated for a moment: "If it's the preliminary selection, young friend, aren't you just going through the motions?"

"Only by maintaining a sense of hunger can one avoid being eliminated by this era."

Uesugi Tetsu answered.

—If it were just a preliminary selection, we could send Jia himself.

After all, the only condition for passing the preliminary selection, or rather, the seeding battle, is to kill a puppet with the same strength at the peak of two and a half stars.

Unlike many other contestants, the selected "seeds" can directly enter the knockout stage after defeating the puppet.

Instead of participating in the numerous and complex Swiss-system races.

Shi Fan smiled and said, "Then I look forward to the duel between you and that little fellow from the Yuan family."

"I will not disappoint Lord Saionji."

Uesugi Tetsu bowed.

After a brief farewell, he put his mask and sunglasses back on and left the venue.

……

It was still the same free shuttle bus from the Special Affairs Department.

"I can understand why Yagyu-kun is here, since he needs to go to Tokyo to register first. So what are you doing here?"

On the soft chair, Uesugi Tetsu squinted at Tamamo, who was already wearing a large sun hat and a dress, switching into vacation mode.

The latter crossed his arms and chuckled.

"This is Yagyu's first time competing in a big city like Tokyo. Can we not come and watch?"

Uesugi Tetsu sneered: "I think you're just using this as an excuse to come to Tokyo for fun."

"How can the affairs of scholars be called an excuse..."

Tamamo offered a haphazard argument, but stopped after realizing it was ineffective.

Let's just accept it as the default.

Let her have fun. She's been working at a high intensity for six months, can't she even take a break?

"Uesugi-kun." Yagyu Akira took a slight breath, looked him straight in the eye, and extended his left hand. "I look forward to your guidance in the seeding battle."

"I should be the one saying that."

Uesugi Tetsu shook hands with him gently and smiled: "I haven't won anything in the seeding battles yet."

Standing in the middle, Tamamo stuck out her tongue: "Hehehe, what are you two trying to prove by acting all high and mighty in front of me?"

"Oh my god, is this considered pretending?"

After shaking hands, Yagyu Chi closed his eyes and lay down on the chair, seemingly exhausted.

Uesugi Tetsu occasionally bickered with Tamamo, who was in a lot of empty chatter, and then opened Line.

[Nanjo Manami: Image.jpg]

In the picture, Chisa, wearing a special affairs uniform, is crouching down, preparing to pick up a pile of documents that is almost half the height of her legs.

The girl's forehead was covered in glistening beads of sweat; she was working hard and seemed to have been working for quite some time.

[Nanjo Manami: Ding-dong! I've received a Chisa brand calf/pony!]

[Tsuki-suna-chan: ?]

[Tsuki-suna-chan: Nanjo-nee, do you realize that you're seriously violating the Child Labor Law by ordering elementary school students around like this?]

[Moon Sand Sauce: Also, I didn't send her here to learn skills from you, did I? You just want her to move documents and files? Sweating Soybean.jpg]

[Nanjo Manami: She did it willingly, what could I do? *shrugs*]

Uesugi Tetsuya remained silent for a moment.

Given Chisa's personality, if she saw Shizuma Manatsu covered in sweat from exhaustion, she would indeed offer to share some of the tasks she could manage.

[Nanjo Manami: Actually, I think you're more suited to be Chisa's teacher.]

[Tsuki-suna-chan: Me? I doubt she'd be interested...]

[Nanjo Manami: ?]

[Nanjo Manami: What I mean is, Chisa wants to acknowledge you as her master.]

[Tsukisuna-chan: Me? I'm nowhere near as strong as Nanjo-nee!]

[Nanjo Manami: Master, what does this thing have to do with strength? Her liking you is the fundamental thing.]

Uesugi Tetsu knew which kind of liking Nanjo Manami was referring to.

He did vaguely sense something like that, but he hadn't paid attention to it before and wasn't sure.

[Moon Sand Sauce: That seems to make some sense.]

[Tsuki-suna-chan: But I'm not very good at teaching.]

[Nanjo Manami: Then just give her two books and let her learn by herself. She can ask questions if she doesn't understand something.]

[Tsuki-suna-chan: ...]

Forget it, the boat will naturally go straight when it reaches the bridge.

After telling Nanjo Aimi that he would arrive that evening, Uesugi Tetsuya began looking at the list that had been sent earlier.

After waiting for the loop to finish spinning, the Excel spreadsheet finished loading.

Above them were the names and surnames of Uesugi Tetsuya, some of whom he had seen before, and others of whom he had never seen before, but who were very famous!
[Ryuichi Saito, Kai Takizawa, Shizumi Minamoto, Arashi Tsuchimikado, Haruhiko Tokugawa...]

(End of this chapter)