I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 246 Elimination Round Spots: 128 Seats, The Method for the Return of Lord Erchi, The Key to Advancing to the Ranks of Demon God!
The first few familiar names are fine.

But what the heck are "Tsuchimikado" and "Kamo"?

Tsuchimikado is actually a direct descendant of Abe no Seimei, the great Onmyōji of the Heian period, and his lineage has been passed down for over a thousand years.

Moreover, the Tsuchimikado family even received strong support from the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period, establishing the "Tsuchimikado Shinto" and holding real power over the entire Onmyoryo (Bureau of Yin and Yang).

Although Tsuchimikado Shinto was later abolished, even a glimpse into its rich history, gleaned from its widely known past, reveals its profound and enduring legacy.

The Kamo clan, though not as famous as the Tsuchimikado clan, is also an ancient family of Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) that has been passed down from the Heian period to the present day.

These two families alone are enough to put them on par with the "Three Great Families" who have mastered the Four Extremes Breathing Method.

More importantly, Uesugi Tetsu had never heard of "Tsuchimikado Arashi" or "Kamo Teruichi" before.

In other words, these two have been cultivating in seclusion in the mountains for so long, and all information about them except their names is unknown.

This is not unusual.

Before the revival of heaven and earth five hundred years ago, all the Onmyoji families announced the closure of their mountains, making the three words "Onmyoji" a vague and ethereal legend.

It is precisely because of this that the name of the Great Onmyoji Che has spread so widely and quickly.

After memorizing the names of these contestants who clearly came from various Onmyoji families, Uesugi Tetsu continued reading.

Among them are core disciples from various schools and sects, as well as grassroots geniuses discovered by the Special Affairs Bureau.

The last part of the table provides a general overview of the seeding process and its rules.

—Forty-nine seeds were selected from the 23 wards of Tokyo.

—In the “local seeding battles” in the surrounding areas, which are already mostly over, the players who finish in the top four in their respective regions will enjoy the same rights as the seeds from the Tokyo region.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government comprises 26 cities, 5 towns, and 8 villages, as well as Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, and finally Shizuoka Prefecture.

Except for Tokyo, which has nine qualifying spots due to its large number of municipalities, all other prefectures have their top four teams directly enter the knockout stage.

As a result, only 42 of the 128 available spots in the knockout stage were left vacant.

Tens of thousands of contestants from the eastern region, capable of defeating peak two-star puppets, will compete in round after round of fierce battles for these meager forty-two seats.

During the seeding battle, multiple god-like beings skilled in medicine will be stationed around the arena.

Even if you accidentally blow your opponent's head off, it doesn't matter, as long as you're not completely annihilated, you can always come back.

"But I remember that Shizuoka Prefecture should be in the Chubu region, right?"

Uesugi Tetsu opened Google and searched again, and found that it was indeed the case.

But for some reason, Shizuoka Prefecture was also included in the seeding battle in the eastern region.

Perhaps because there are no such large-scale competitions in the Chubu region, the Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Office took the initiative to apply to join?
After reading through the long list that followed, Uesugi Tetsu glanced at Yagyu Akira, who was already fast asleep beside him.

Now, Yagyu-kun and his former rival Kawakami-kun are both standing on the same stage as him.

Furthermore, they don't need to beat up a two-star peak puppet to prove they have at least three-star strength, rather than entering the elimination rounds purely through office politics and backroom deals.

In addition, Kuzunoha Chihaya of Oborogetsudo, whom he had previously defeated in the True Sword Trial, was also on this list.

She happened to be fourth in Kanagawa Prefecture.

As for the other two members of Oborogetsudo... Little Brother Crow was eliminated when he was among the top 32 in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Now that Xiaoyue Lan is wearing a uniform and has become one of Nanjo-nee's lackeys, she has no time to participate in this competition.

Huh?
When he scanned the list for the second time and confirmed that no powerful opponents had been missed, Uesugi Tetsu realized that Kujouin Kin, whom he had encountered in the Sengoku Secret Realm, was not there.

If they had just participated, they would have been at least a top-three seed in the competition, or even a strong contender for the championship, and could easily have gained a lot of cultivation resources.

But the other party had not registered at all.

He then realized what was happening.

It turns out that the "Buddhist-like" attitude circulating online is not just a persona of Kyuuketsuin Kin, but a fact.

During the rest of the journey, Uesugi Tetsu searched for the names in his mind on Google and the Special Affairs Bureau app, trying to gather as much relevant intelligence and information as possible.

Of course, she also remembered to tell Huijue on Line that she had returned to Tokyo.

……

After a rather long few hours, the shuttle bus stopped on the side of the road opposite the Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Office.

Uesugi Tetsu turned his gaze from the screen to the window and saw the new moon already hanging in the sky.

And there was that old van bathed in silver light—in the Eye of Deciphering, steam was still slowly rising from the hood of the van, probably because Shizuma Manatsu had just parked it not long ago.

"Get up."

Yagyu Chi opened his eyes the instant the shuttle bus stopped, stood up, and shook Tamamo, whose drool had dripped onto his collar.

"Uh... uh!? What's wrong? What happened?!"

Tamamo suddenly woke up and subconsciously took out her work machine from her pocket. A smooth combo was about to be activated when she opened the "Emergency Plan Notification".

On the other side, Uesugi Tetsu quickly took the phone away from the screen, which had already turned red, and pointed outside: "We've arrived."

After saying that, he handed the phone back to the dazed Tamamo.

"oh oh……"

It took Tamamo a while to snap out of her bizarre dream. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"I haven't quite switched out of work mode yet, sorry..."

"It's okay, maintaining a sense of crisis is a good thing."

Uesugi Tetsu got out of the car and shrugged at her: "After all, in this damn world, no one can predict what will happen next."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Uesugi Tetsu noticed that Tamamo, who had just slightly raised her head, opened her mouth wide and stammered, "Uesugi-nii-san! Look up at your head!"

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked up as she spoke.

Then, we saw the shuttle-shaped flying object that was at least a thousand meters above the ground, its surface shimmering with Buddhist symbols and Sanskrit characters.

The next moment, a humanoid object enveloped in golden light fell from above.

It charged straight toward them at an astonishing speed!
Even from a great distance, Uesugi Tetsuya clearly felt the chilling threat and placed his hand on Kaga Kiyomitsu. Kaga Kiyomitsu took a half step back, his brow twitching violently.
"Nanjo-nee! Don't you care about airspace?!"

Before the words were even finished, the golden light streaked across the sky with a dazzling trail of flame and landed in front of Uesugi Tetsuya and the other two.

The anticipated commotion and battle did not occur.

Tamamo, who had taken a full two and a half steps back, peeked out from behind Uesugi Tetsu and Yagyu Akira.

The golden light slowly faded away.

The first thing that appeared was a face she was quite familiar with.

—The white T-shirt features a large image of Hatsune Miku holding a green onion.

Tamamo's tense expression froze.

She tilted her head, looking extremely puzzled.

—You mean, someone who jumped from a height of hundreds of meters without making a sound was wearing Miku's ita-style outfit?
Two seconds later, the golden light completely disappeared, revealing the bald young man with a slightly surprised expression.

He was looking at Uesugi Tetsuya when he spoke with a smile.
“Uesugi, it’s been a long time—we really are destined to meet.”

Uesugi Tetsuya, who was already preparing the Mumei Sword, was speechless for a moment. He sighed, "Master... your way of making an appearance is truly unique."

"And another thing." Uesugi Tetsu looked up and noticed that the shuttle-shaped aircraft had disappeared. "What was that thing in the sky just now?"

"Oh, you saw it, benefactor?"

Huijue thought for a moment and then gave a rough answer.
"Simply put, it is a product that combines modern technology with Buddhism, or it can be understood as a combination with Yin-Yang techniques. The Special Affairs Department is trying to explore this direction."

Uesugi Che understood.

This is a new type of weapon that the Special Affairs Bureau wants to combine with technology and spiritual energy to create, but it is still largely in the experimental stage.

Without pressing further, Uesugi Tetsu realized that the man before him seemed somewhat different from before. He still didn't exude any demonic aura or oppressive power, so his overall strength shouldn't have changed fundamentally.

So, has your mindset changed?
Because of his previous experience with the Wanxiang Branch, Uesugi Tetsu's mental state has been greatly improved, making him quite sensitive to this aspect.

The reason why we haven't advanced to the Hundred Refinements stage is that we haven't found, or rather, formed, a completely suitable "Embryo of the Heart".

The embryonic form of the heart is extremely important for cultivating one's mental state. It lays the foundation for one's future direction and also influences the formation of one's sword heart.

— Huijue's state of mind was already higher than Lili's before. Now that he has improved again, hasn't he already reached the final stage equivalent to the Sword Heart Clarity?

Uesugi Tetsu felt he should take a deep breath.

The innate Dao body is terrifyingly powerful.

Huijue noticed the change in Uesugi Tetsu's gaze and smiled, "You've changed a lot, benefactor."

"Each each other."

After replying, Uesugi Tetsu turned to Yagyu Chi, who was still hesitating, and said, "This is Master Huijue from the Buddhist sect, you could call him my friend."

Hearing his words, Yagyu Chi finally lowered his guard and, after greeting Huijue, walked into the Special Affairs Department building.

"A Buddhist master?" Tamamo and Miku on the anime costume exchanged glances, and she exclaimed, "Really?"

Huijue had faced similar questions thousands or even tens of thousands of times on a daily basis, but he didn't say much, only giving Tamamo a warm smile.

Then, he looked at Uesugi Tetsuya with great seriousness: "Uesugi, please let me see the condition of your shikigami first."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded and took out the Jizo statue wrapped in flowing golden Sanskrit characters.

Before he could even hand it over, he saw Huijue's pupils suddenly shrink.

"Such immense willpower..."

Suddenly, a sense of astonishment appeared in Huijue's words.

Huijue carefully took the Ksitigarbha statue, almost speaking, but ultimately swallowed his questions and focused his gaze on his hands.

Tamamo blinked, and after noticing the tense atmosphere between the two, she didn't say anything more, but instead ran to a slightly farther place and started taking pictures.

A few minutes later, Huijue let out a heavy sigh: "Given the current situation, this humble monk believes we can first take him to some large temples to eliminate the overflowing power of his vows."

In this way, at least the slow erosion of your shikigami by the power of your will can be stopped.

Uesugi Tetsuya was taken aback: "Even though Nisha has already sealed herself away, is the power of will still eroding her will?"

“That’s true.” Huijue sighed helplessly. “If the seal were performed under normal circumstances, all the dynamics would naturally become static.”

"But the power of vows contained in this Ksitigarbha statue is so immense that even the seal cannot completely stop the erosion."

Uesugi Tetsu remained silent.

Huijue continued, "As for what follows, even I dare not try it recklessly, because I have never seen such a special situation before."

He subconsciously asked in confusion, "The control over the power of will is quite strict right now, so how could this situation of coming into contact with an extremely large amount of will power happen..."

Halfway through the conversation, Huijue realized that this was going to involve things that shouldn't be said, so he stopped the conversation on his own.

Huijue sighed, "Uesugi, your shikigami loves you very much..."

"This humble monk finds it hard to imagine what kind of will she mustered to withstand such a terrifying baptism of will and then seal herself within it."

"In short, Uesugi, your Jizo statue will have to stay with me for a while."

Huijue said frankly: "First, we must eliminate the superficial vows, then discuss with many masters, and look through the historical records to find ideas."

After a brief silence, Uesugi Tetsu nodded slowly: "Then, thank you for your trouble, Master."

“This is a good deed.” The Sanskrit characters in Huijue’s hand flickered, dimming the light on the surface of the Ksitigarbha statue. “If it can be resolved perfectly, it will be meritorious.”

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head and thanked Huijue once more.

Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, they were interrupted by a voice from not far away.

"I was wondering who was going to cause trouble, turns out it was the two of you."

Following the familiar tone, Uesugi Tetsu looked and saw Nanjo Aimi, who hadn't changed a bit—her uniform was still neat, her dark circles were still deep, and her work demeanor was still sharp.

She dismissed the gatekeeper who had been watching the two for a long time, and waved to them.

"What are you doing blocking the doorway? Come in."

The two readily accepted the good advice.

As for Tamamo, she had already run to the convenience store a hundred meters away, saying that she hadn't eaten dinner and wanted to buy some late-night snacks.

"I'm sorry to trouble you to make a trip to Tokyo, Master..."

"Trouble? Huijue was going to come anyway."

The three walked and talked in the lobby of the Special Affairs Department.

With a clattering sound as she stepped on the marble floor, Nanjo Manami pressed the elevator button and said, "Eikaku is also one of the referees for this seeding match."

referee?

Uesugi Tetsuya sensed the aura again and found that Huijue was indeed not a ghost or god.

He asked, puzzled, "If we have to say, shouldn't Master Huijue also be considered a contestant?"

After entering the elevator, Nanjo Manami shook her head.

“Although Huijue is not yet a ghost or god, strictly speaking, he belongs to the ‘previous generation.’ It would be a bit unfair for him to participate in the seeding battle.”

While working, she explained clearly: "They are similar to the eldest brothers and sisters of the three major families. Although most of them are ghosts and gods, some of them are still one step away from becoming one."

Even so, that's why they didn't participate in the seeding battle.

Huijue smiled and explained, "The realm of ghosts and gods, though as difficult as ascending to heaven, is not the final destination... it is merely a segment of a long journey."

As he spoke, Huijue let out a soft sigh of relief.

"My accumulation is still insufficient, and I am missing one crucial thing from the image in my mind."

He looked at Nanjo Aimin: "Sometimes, I really envy Nanjo Aimin. She has first-rate talent and is not bothered by such mundane matters."

Huijue then shifted his gaze: "Even Uesugi, you don't lack anything..."

Although I don't understand what "key thing" I lack to get closer to ghosts and gods.

But he understood.

—Right now, Huijue should be able to advance smoothly to the level of a ghost or god if he just wanted to, but he can't achieve a "perfect advancement" because of the key thing he mentioned.

Therefore, Huijue, who is considered a quasi-deity, would naturally not participate in the seed war.

……

At this moment, in the lobby on the first floor of the Special Affairs Office.

Ririko, who was called in by Runa Kitano to be her tutor, stepped through the door and on her way to the elevator, she unexpectedly encountered a girl holding a document that was taller than a person.

The girl walked unsteadily, but because there was no one else in the hall, she could only move her feet with great difficulty by herself.

Faced with this situation, Ririko felt she had to lend a hand.

This special affairs department... how come they even recruit child laborers?

Without even saying hello, Ririko grabbed most of the documents and, when they reached the elevator, asked the girl which floor she wanted to go to.

"The office of Nanjo Tai's subordinate."

The girl opened her big, bright eyes, smiled at her, and uttered a sentence packed with information.

"Find Uesugi-san."

(End of this chapter)