Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 13, Section 13: Ueda Hiroshi

"Is this guy really that weak?"

Higashiyama Shin slowly extinguished the fire in his eyes, unable to resist making a sarcastic remark.

He was initially worried that the paper figure's spiritual power was limited and might not be able to control the situation, so he prepared to give this uncooperative person a warning. But just now, he hadn't even used half of his power, so how did that ghost figure just disappear?

He was certain that it was completely gone. As soon as the ghostly figure disappeared, the dense yin energy in the old school building began to dissipate, and the already damaged formation completely collapsed.

So, was he too strong, or was his opponent too weak?
He picked up the teacher's certificate and looked at the name on it.

"really."

He had a guess when the charred figure called out Ueda Hiroshi's name, and now he was just sure that his guess was correct.

【Tetsuro Muto】

This charred figure is the same person he fought in the game "Switch," Tetsuro Muto. The protagonist he was controlling in the game was Ueda Yoshi, a name given to him by Tetsuro Muto after he was adopted.

Even the timing matches up.

The game is set shortly after the war, and the wooden school building he hallucinates outside the door matches this time period.

"interesting."

So, he wasn't playing a game, but rather a real historical event?

And coincidentally, this incident happened right where he was studying.

"Ueda? Are you there?" Higashiyama Shin looked around, ignoring Hosokawa, who was still unconscious.

After a while, the cries for help from the person who had fallen outside finally reached the outside world after the formation shattered, attracting the attention of the security personnel, and a flurry of footsteps began to approach.

Thank you, brother.

From a corner, the weak voice of a little boy could be heard.

"Then tell me where the secret room is?"

Shinichi Higashiyama cuts straight to the point: even if the perfect ending isn't the real ending, the locked room should still exist, and it's highly likely that Ueda died inside it.

Do you know Muto's secret room? Please follow me.

A blurry child figure appeared at the doorway and waved to Higashiyama Shin.

Compared to the mentally unstable Muto, Ueda displayed more humanity.

Dongshan was not afraid at all. He followed him, avoiding the direction from which the guards were coming, and walked towards the back of the old teaching building.

[The secret room is right below here. Um, if possible, brother, could you please bury my remains back in Komaru Village, Mie Prefecture?]

The illusory figure was somewhat elusive, as if it might disappear at any moment.

"Wait, I have something I need to ask you." Higashiyama Shin pulled out an umbrella.

Want to leave? Higashiyama Shin still has a lot of questions to ask.

This child died so young, without ever having tried working. A life without working is incomplete, so Dongshan will reluctantly help him fill that void in his life.

Ueda looked at the umbrella and felt a strong longing, as if he could nourish his soul and stay in the world forever if he went inside.

Can I?

He asked the question cautiously, with both a longing for the world and a fear of being deceived.

"Come in." Higashiyama Shin opened the Soul-Gathering Umbrella.

Without further hesitation, Ueda flew under the umbrella and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Higashiyama Shin put away the umbrella, used his Spirit-Nourishing Fire Eye to look at the ground, and quickly found the entrance to the secret chamber, which was covered by a thick layer of soil and had completely blended into the surroundings.

He dug through the soil with his bare hands, found the handle, and pulled it open. A dark, sealed chamber appeared before him, and a putrid smell assaulted his nostrils. Higashiyama Shin quickly blocked out his sense of smell.

Seeing in the dark is one of the most basic abilities of the Spirit-Nourishing Fire Eye. He leaped in and landed next to the stone platform. His body was as light as paper, and he didn't even leave a footprint on the dusty ground.

Looking around, the layout inside was exactly the same as what you see in the game.

There were just a few more skeletons, one large and two small.

The large skeleton sat on an iron seat, while two smaller skeletons huddled in opposite corners, one close to the seat and the other away from the other two skeletons.

He walked purposefully to the table, where an ancient thread-bound book lay—the "Soul Nourishing Classic."

Despite being over a century old, the pages can still be turned, and the writing is still relatively clear, not turning to dust over time, so it is probably made of special materials.

The reason he wanted to find Muto's secret chamber was because of this "Soul Nourishing Scripture".

The memories he had of the contents of the Soul Nourishing Scripture that he saw in the game disappeared automatically after the game ended. He never expected to have the opportunity to find them in reality.

Muto's highest level of Soul Master should be no more than four stars, yet he was able to learn part of the "Soul Nourishing Scripture." There's no reason why Higashiyama Shin, a five-star Soul Master, couldn't learn it.

"How come there are two children's skeletons? Ueda, which one is yours?"

This is it!

Ueda manipulated the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, pointing it towards the solitary skeleton in one of the corners.

Higashiyama carefully collected Ueda's remains in a bag. Without any hesitation, he leaped out of the secret room, glanced at the old school building that was now in disarray, and put the entrance to the secret room back in place. However, the dirt on it was already messy, and no matter how he cleaned it up, it would be discovered. So he simply ignored it, and under the cover of night, turned and left.

"Brother, where are you going?"

In the living room, Higashiyama, who was playing with his beloved 8, saw his older brother preparing to leave. He stood up and said, somewhat guiltily, "I... I've already finished the workbook and previewed the lesson."

Their school actually assigns quite a bit of homework, after all, it's a private college, but today is the first day of school, so there was no homework assigned.

The school also pays close attention to academic performance. Teachers sometimes arrange for students to form study groups and assign homework that requires multiple people to work together.

Fortunately, I don't have to attend classes on Saturdays like some other private colleges.

Many students at the school attend after-school tutoring classes with the goal of going to university, but Higashiyama Shin doesn't need to, and Higashiyama Toku doesn't want to go.

"Want to go for a walk?" Higashiyama Shin asked as he turned around after changing his shoes in the entryway.

Upon hearing that it was a walk, Dongshan shook his head. He found robbing, shooting, and completing missions in the game much more interesting than a walk.

Unsurprised, Higashiyama Shin casually grabbed an eco-friendly bag and a black umbrella and walked out the door.

The purpose of the walk was actually to receive the skeletons and soul-gathering umbrellas brought back by the paper figures.

Once the Soul-Gathering Umbrella has collected a soul, it cannot be put back into the dedicated space for storing reward items; it can only be carried on one's person.

Obviously, the paper figure currently has no way to return to his room without being noticed. In addition, the paper figure's appearance looks very strange in the light, which can easily attract other people's attention. Therefore, the best way is for him to control the paper figure to put the things in a secluded place and then retrieve them himself.

Good evening, Mr. Higashiyama.

"Good evening, Uncle Sakamoto."

In the lobby on the first floor, Natsuki Otsuka had already finished get off work. The person in charge of the apartment security team was Sakamoto, a very energetic man in his fifties or sixties. I heard that he had been a detective, but I don't know if it's true.

After exchanging greetings, Shinichi Higashiyama strolled leisurely toward the nearby Rikugi Park.

(End of this chapter)