I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 302 Kitada-kun, I want to sit in the "number one" position, can you please step aside? Chisa's determination!
Kei Kitada takes the initiative to challenge Shizumi Minamoto.

At this point in time?
The venue, which had just calmed down, suddenly became agitated again, with a flood of comments pouring out on various live streaming platforms, creating an uproar.

Some found it baffling, some said Kitada Kei was incredibly stupid, and others said they wanted to see rivers of blood...

In short, the average viewer doesn't understand one thing.

Why is it that Kitada Kei is already making a move against Minamoto Shizumizu before Uesugi Tetsu, who is currently the biggest threat and ranked third, has even challenged the top spot?

Chisa also found it very strange.

The girl rested her chin on her hand, glancing at her classmates' discussions on her phone one moment, and then at the spirited young man on the stadium's big screen the next.

She muttered to herself, "Hmm, I always felt that this Kitada contestant wasn't very bright..."

“No, Chisa.” Tamamo, sitting next to her, spoke without the slightest surprise, “That’s normal.”

"normal?"

Chisa didn't understand.

This was clearly a simple multiple-choice question in her eyes, but Kitada Kei chose the option that seemed utterly wrong.

But the knowledgeable older sister actually said that this is normal?
Tamamo placed her brick-sized phone face down on her lap and earnestly admonished her younger sister: "Most ordinary people like us think about things based on emotions or interests."

They're always thinking about how to maximize their profits, get more, and reap more rewards.

At this point, Tamamo raised her hand and pointed to Kitada Kei on the screen, who had already made eye contact with Minamoto Shizumi: "But they are different."

Chisa blinked thoughtfully and asked,

"Are geniuses different?"

Tamamo shook her head: "No, it's the strong who are different."

This answer caught the attention of Hozoin Inrei.

The young monk remained silent, listening attentively.

"The mindset of those strong people is never compatible with ours."

Tamamo scoffed, then snorted unhappily, "These guys are all the same, Yagyu too."

"—Kitada felt that he should challenge the young lady from the Minamoto family at this time, so he immediately did so."

Under Chisa's slightly confused gaze, Tamamo seemed to remember something and began to grit her teeth: "I understand, I understand it all too well."

"These guys who wield swords and knives don't consider the possible consequences at all in order to achieve their goals; they're capable of anything."

At this point, Tamamo quickly turned around and put her hands on Chisa's shoulders, reminding her very seriously, "Chisa-chan, remember this in the future, don't learn bad things from them!"

"oh oh."

Chisa nodded, still a little confused, then couldn't help but ask, "Is this what it means to go astray?"

"Yeah! She's really going astray!"

Tamamo emphasized.

—Because if one's way of thinking becomes like this, then in the days to come, there is a high chance that small dangers will turn into big dangers, and big dangers will turn into life-or-death crises!
Tamamo didn't want her younger sister to constantly find herself in dangerous situations, have blood on her hands, and live a life of constant fear.

How wonderful it would be to be a direct clerk under Nanjo Manami, serving tea and water, moving documents, and handling paperwork in the Special Affairs Office building, just like I am now.

Not only are they of high status and position, but they also won't be subjected to workplace manipulation or disgusted by all sorts of strange colleagues and superiors.

They also have an unshakeable "iron rice bowl" job under the established system and an extremely high level of welfare benefits.

Even if you have to work overtime sometimes, it's nothing compared to the enviable salary and benefits.

Although Chisa is only a small "temporary worker" now, Tamamo can tell that Nanjo Manami still likes her quite a bit.

Yes, my younger sister has great potential!

He's a real civil servant prospect!
Chisa, on the contrary, thought it wasn't "bad," but even kind of cool.

I can carry out my thoughts, unlike myself now who has two, three, four, or five ideas at once, hesitant and timid, wanting to do something but not daring to, yet feeling regretful to give up.

It's simply a case of being indecisive and two-faced.

Chisa was lost in thought, having completely forgotten about taking pictures.

She rubbed her phone, which had been running for hours but still felt no heat, and the thought of becoming Uesugi Tetsuya's apprentice arose in her mind countless times.

But the next moment, the girl's mind was filled with the tragic scenes of many defeated and even pyrrhic victories in the seeding battle.

Such a horrific scene...

Just looking at her made her legs tremble.

Naturally, Chisa hesitated again.

Within two seconds, she realized that her two opposing thoughts had begun a new tug-of-war, just like countless times before.
"Look, here it comes again."

Lost in thought, Chisa asked softly, without a trace of accent,
"Sister, am I really useless?"

It was said to be a question, but the voice sounded more like a murmur in one's heart, only accidentally spoken aloud.

But Tamamo heard it.

Not at all.

Chisa's older sister gave her answer without hesitation.

"—Whether compared to her peers or to the vast majority of people in this society, Chisa is so easy to take care of and so sensible."

Tamamo's tone was neither overly praising nor boastful of her love for her family.

All that exists are statements.

"If Chisa is useless, then 99% of people should disappear from this world."

Tamamo and Chisa pressed their foreheads together.

She gazed into the girl's watery eyes, her tone softening.

"So don't overthink it. If Chisa wants to do anything, just tell your older sister. Your older sister will always support you."

Because all your older sister wants is for you to grow up safely and happily.

Hearing her sister's warm voice, Chisa responded softly.
"Ah."

She felt it was time for her to make a decision.

Chisa turned her head and looked at the two people shining brightly in the center of the arena, looking incredibly handsome.

It's not for being handsome, not for being cool, and not for realizing any of my own ideas or for being able to do whatever I want.

It was for the older sister, when the family didn't want to do anything.

You can say no.

……

In the arena.

Kei Kitada, with his bright eyes, stared directly at Shizumi Minamoto, whose expression remained calm.

buzzing.

In Minamoto no Shizumizu's hand, the three-foot-three-inch demon sword Hotarumaru trembled excitedly.

It has been too long; it has waited far too long.

Now, it's finally time to unsheathe it!

On the other side, Kitada Kei remained calm and composed.

Having realized what he lacked, Kitada Kei has brushed away the dust from his sword heart, restoring its clarity.

Winning or losing is a minor matter.

The key lies in how brilliantly and skillfully one can wield the sword in this battle against Genjiro Shizuri.

I do not seek to surpass others.

I only strive to surpass myself.

In the bustling Sky City Arena, Kitada Kei, like an old-school swordsman, slowly drew his katana from his waist, assumed a fighting stance, and announced his school and name.

"Katori Shinto style, Kitada Kei."

The sword principles that had been scattered throughout the entire venue contracted and finally settled on the katana held by Kitada Kei.

It is neither the prototype of the Sword Domain nor anything else.

Kitada Kei only trusted the three-foot blade in his hand.

After a slight pause, Yuan Jingshui, whose gaze had been unfocused, became serious.

She drew that infamous demonic sword, and amidst the latter's impatient, ecstatic screams, she spoke clearly, word by word.
"Minamoto Shizumizu." Just like in a traditional sword duel, Kitada Kei and Minamoto Shizumizu introduced themselves to each other.

Their gazes, sharp as lightning, clashed directly in the center of the arena, even though they were hundreds of meters apart.

The viewers, who were engrossed in watching, were startled by this scene, but their expressions quickly became even more interested.

Click, click, click...

On the spacious arena, there were no dazzling Yin-Yang techniques, nor the barrage of Qi.

Yes, it was just the two of them walking like ordinary people.

Then comes the almost unadorned, seemingly harmless clash of blades.

Most of the audience scratched their heads, feeling that it was just like watching those duels between kendo masters in the past—they didn't understand it, but it felt very impressive.

Only true masters of swordsmanship watched intently as these two exceptionally skilled swordsmen, who were using only sword techniques, clashed.

Because there's just so much to learn from it!
"Kitada lost."

After only a few moves, Ririko made this judgment decisively.

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow: "This hasn't even really started yet."

"That's true, but it's obvious who will win or lose at a glance," Ririko said, shrugging. "Neither of them has as many strange and unusual moves as Uesugi-kun."

With the air of a grandmaster, Ririko succinctly pointed out: "If it's purely a contest of swordsmanship, then Minamoto Shizumi is definitely a cut above the rest."

A pure contest of swordsmanship...?
Uesugi Tetsu didn't voice this question.

He only looked at Ririko again after he noticed that Kitada Kei, who had lost the battle of a thousand swords, had not used any moves other than swordsmanship.

The girl shrugged, with an expression that said, "Didn't I already say that?"

Uesugi Tetsu opened his mouth, then finally sighed, "This really is... pure..."

— Kitada Kei wanted to determine victory or defeat through swordsmanship, and Minamoto Shizumi was actually willing to compete with him.

"—Is purity even useful?"

Uesugi Tetsuya was stunned when he heard this. He looked around and realized that it was actually Ririko who said it.

?

Uesugi Tetsuya's expression was strange: "It sounds really weird coming from you."

"It was just a casual remark."

After all, when you're defeated, you can't exactly yell at your opponent in a fit of anger and frustration, like, "Your purity is just too low."

They certainly didn't do this just to insist on something like purity.

Ririko stuck out her tongue.

—Ririko has changed. That's right, she must have changed because of Kenshin Tomei's transformation.

In the past, Ririko would only say such things to herself; she really loved the pure act of wielding a sword, the pure progress and improvement.

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself, slightly worried that she might suffer some aftereffects from breaking through in battle.

But after observing for a while, he found that the sword heart that Ririko "presented" to him had become purer, clearer, and more fiery and brighter than before.

It became more like a... real sun that had contained its light.

So, I was just overthinking it?

Having dispelled his doubts, Uesugi Tetsu refocused his attention on the field.

Despite Kitada's defeat, there was little commotion in the arena.

the reason is simple.

Because the barrier to entry is too high, people can't understand it.

Indeed, such a sword duel, where every move is deadly and every strike is incredibly skillful, is something that the general public, who have never been exposed to swordsmanship, cannot appreciate.

However, the comments on the live streaming platform were polarized, with one side analyzing the situation logically and the other saying that Kitada Kei had messed things up and was completely unworthy of his position.

It perfectly matches Uesugi Tetsuya's vision of the internet.

In conclusion, although Kitada Kei lost, he seemed to have gained a lot, as he had a smile on his face.

Yuan Jingshui returned to her seat expressionlessly, as if she were the one who had lost.

Uesugi Tetsuya didn't challenge directly, but waited for the other contestants to start their matches first.

Yanliu, whose mentality collapsed, dropped several places again.

After conserving his energy for a while, Yagyu Akira unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes, securing 25th place with his masterful Yaegaki technique, seemingly having made a breakthrough in the previous battles.

and also……

A slightly unexpected figure caught Uesugi Tetsu's eye.

Kuzuha Chihaya.

At this very moment, the opponent whom he had fought so hard to defeat during their real sword duel was now barely managing to fight for sixtieth place.

Furthermore, it seems that even their sixtieth place is in jeopardy.

Uesugi Tetsu stared at it for a while, and then his body trembled when he realized that a feeling called "boredom" was rising in his heart.

He closed his eyes and sighed softly.

The world changes so fast... it's almost impossible to keep up.

At that moment, the Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist sensed its master's emotions and trembled slightly.

A ray of bright, warm sunlight was precisely released from that sword heart and fell upon him.

In the midst of the noisy silence, Uesugi Tetsuya let out a soft breath, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.

Fortunately, I still have you all.

……

More than an hour passed inside the Sky City Arena, and the vast majority of players had already exhausted their one-time challenge attempts.

Ryuichi Saito easily secured a spot in the top 5, standing like an impregnable wall that blocked all those who dared to challenge him.

Despite suffering nearly ten consecutive defeats, Yan Liu, nicknamed "the easy target," regrouped and returned to the 14th place ranking after showing extraordinary respect for his subsequent opponents.

On the contrary, Tokugawa Haruhiko's face could not be healed, and his mentality was truly broken. He dropped all the way to twenty-second place, becoming the lowest-ranked contestant among the noble families.

Yagyu Chi, on the other hand, unleashed his limit and surpassed himself, winning by a hair's breadth over the twenty-fourth place, and then predictably lost to the twenty-third place.

His high ranking far exceeded the expectations of Shifan Dai, Yuzao, and even himself.

Before the elimination rounds began, Yagyu Akira thought he would be eliminated around 40th or 50th place.

He thought to himself, "I'll have to thank Uesugi-kun and Ririko properly later."

As the final "chicken fight" came to an end, the once bustling venue gradually quieted down, piece by piece.

The number of simultaneous viewers on live streaming platforms and the viewership of television stations have also rebounded.

Compared to just over an hour, it has increased by a full 50% and that's not even all.

Countless gazes within the venue simultaneously fell upon Uesugi Tetsuya.

The miracle fell upon this man, who came from an ordinary background, had no noble blood, and was just like any other ordinary person before the wave arrived, yet repeatedly created miracles.

Expectation, hope, wish, fear, resentment, jealousy...

Too many people, far too many diametrically opposed extreme emotions and thoughts, all fell into Uesugi Tetsuya's heart as his gaze fell upon them.

Then, he gently brushed it away.

Uesugi Tetsu lowered his head.
"Little Jia, are you ready?"

Kaga Kiyomitsu flicked out a half-inch of his clear, cold blade. It neither trembled nor hummed; only a viscous pale white and pitch black swirled within the scabbard.

Then the evil spirit laughed.

Uesugi Tetsu looked up and spoke to the young man who seemed to have become one with the three-foot-long blade in his hand.
"Kitada-kun, I want to sit in the 'number one' position."

The evil spirit, with impeccable manners, asked in respectful language,

"So, could you please move aside?"

Kitada Kei lowered his head and gave a reply that couldn't be more brief.

"No."

(End of this chapter)