Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

Her eyelashes trembled, the spiritual jade in her heart radiated warmth, and a crack appeared in her vision, which then shattered rapidly. The figure vanished without a trace along with the fragments.

"Hallucination?"

In front of Taki, there was a lone chair with a potted plant on it, a bright red spider lily swaying in the breeze.

Hallucinations are clearly caused by it.

Passing the potted plants, I entered the company that occupied this entire floor of the office building. Right at the entrance, everything was scattered, chaotic, and fragmented.

The evening breeze howled in through the window with a large hole, making the sheets of paper flutter wildly.

On the ground, a group of company executives were lying or sitting haphazardly.

They were disoriented, their eyes were vacant, and they were making incomprehensible noises, as if they were trapped in some kind of collective hallucination. They looked much like the woman she had saved downstairs.

And then an unexpected person appeared, wearing a classic blue and red bodysuit, looking at him with a slightly nervous expression.

“Island?” Taki didn’t speak, but sent a private message.

“It’s me,” Oshima replied helplessly in a private message.

Taki observed his surroundings and could clearly see a ring of shockwave marks on the ground centered on the island.

It's clear that it's quite powerful.

Strangely enough, ordinary people did not seem to suffer any harm as a result.

"Did you make that noise just now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"You didn't hurt anyone, so there's no need to apologize."

"Huh? Didn't I do this to them?" Oshima thought these people were stunned by him.

Although the ability description mentions that the shockwaves upon his appearance will only harm villains, he doesn't know what criteria are used to judge villains.

Is forcing people to work overtime a capital offense? Should team building activities or meetings that take up rest time be punished severely?

Takii continued sending private messages: "The authorities are coming soon, do you have a way to leave?"

"Yes, almost there." Oshima untied the last person from the restraints; the five minutes were up.

He stood up, stared at Taki for a few seconds, and then vanished in the blink of an eye.

From an outsider's perspective, the two maintained a distance of six or seven meters, remained silent, and stood guard against each other for two or three minutes.

After Oshima left, Taki ignored those who were still trapped in their illusions, walked into the office area, and strolled around before coming out.

There were no sacrificial symbols left inside. It seems that Iwasaki did all this just to lure her in. Two people were thrown downstairs, one died, and the rest are here.

So the meaning of his last words is quite clear: that red spider lily is related to the soul and is inextricably linked to the authorities.

She knew that the authorities had been keeping things from her, which wasn't surprising. However, since they didn't say anything, she wouldn't press them unless necessary; this was a tacit understanding between them.

Without rashly touching the spider lily, she turned on her device, and the liaison officer's voice came through her earpiece.

"Ms. Muramasa, it seems we just discovered that vigilantes have entered the scene?"

He has already left.

Have you detected any demonic mist?

"He was not found, there were no signs of sacrifice at the scene, and the hostage is still alive."

"That's great! We'll arrange for an ambulance. Thank you for your help!"

"There is a spider lily left here, which has caused them to fall into an illusion. The people you have arranged need to be careful."

"Yes, we will handle it properly, please rest assured."

That's about enough for now. Taki found a seat, pondered her conversation with Iwasaki, opened "Moon's" private messages, and after a moment's thought, sent her a message asking about the progress of organizing the clues.

[Moon: We're making progress, but it's a big deal. I think we need a full meeting.]

[Moon: Everyone must prepare for the next game. Or more precisely, be fully prepared for the reality that will be revealed.]

Experienced players can develop a strange premonition about a character's death, betrayal, or future based on just a few words or phrases in the game's storyline.

This could certainly be considered a deliberate leak from the screenwriter, and coincidentally, the games they are currently playing all have a hidden thread connecting them, which gradually becomes clearer as each game is introduced.

It's also like a script design.

When the underlying plot becomes clear enough, it ceases to be an underlying plot and becomes a reality that is about to unfold.

It's hard to say whether reality is also part of the 'unknowable' game.

But at least according to the principles of the Players' Mutual Aid Association, the power gained in the game is 'unknowable' and is given to them to use in order to quell disasters in the real world.

Even if it's just for your own sake, you must find a way to keep the disaster under control.

under night.

Between the buildings, black mist took shape in the shadows, transforming into Ringwraiths, which slowly emerged from the darkness, illuminated by the faint moonlight.

A flash of red light appeared, and Renault, dressed in all black, appeared before Iwasaki.

"Nice to meet you, Hao. I wonder if my gift is enough to show my sincerity?" Renault's gaze quickly swept over Iwasaki, it seemed he hadn't gotten his hands on the Broken Fire Pill.

Do you think that directly seizing it would be a losing proposition?

Actually, the commotion that Takii discovered at Honmyoji Temple was not caused by Iwasaki, but by Reno.

After seeing Takii obtain the Fire-Breaking Pill, he knew he couldn't get it, and that the opportunity was gone. So he simply revealed the information to Iwasaki.

Iwasaki would create chaos near Taki's home to lure her there.

"What do you want?" Iwasaki understood that there is no such thing as a free lunch, especially not from an egoist.

"I just want to be a fence-sitter who can play both sides," Renault shrugged slightly. "The Players' Mutual Aid Association's restrictions on players are a bit too strict, aren't they?"

"You don't have to join, just like me."

“It’s a pity I don’t have your strength, and if I don’t join, how will Hao Sang have another source of information?” Renault didn’t seem to care about Iwasaki’s rigid reply, and spoke with a relaxed tone.

Iwasaki stared at him with his dark face for a long time. Renault met his gaze calmly, but unfortunately, he couldn't find Iwasaki's eyes anywhere.

"I will pay you 10 points for your intelligence. Tell me everything you have gathered about other players."

Renault sighed and shook his head: "I know the logic of asking for an exorbitant price, but aren't you going a bit too far?"

"Okay, 10 points. Tell me where they are now." That was Iwasaki's real purpose.

Renault didn't say it directly, but instead sent a private message: "Okay, please transfer the money in time. I hope our next collaboration will be an even bigger deal."

He can only benefit from chaos.

The power imbalance among players is too severe now, and he doesn't mind giving up some petty gains for the sake of greater benefits.

Just like the so-called aid between countries, the cost is only hidden beneath the surface.

[Mori: Knights are in Osaka, Tsukishima and Shima are in Tokyo]

Iwasaki got the information he wanted.

Muramasa Takii has already agreed not to show his face, and the Knight is not in Tokyo, so the only supernatural being who could appear to hinder his actions is "Island," whom he has never met before.

Based on our previous interactions, Yue is someone who values ​​his life highly, so it's highly unlikely he'll appear.

The risks of the operation have been reduced considerably.

"Thank you." Iwasaki dissipated into black mist again, disappearing without a trace into the shadows of the building.

"You're welcome," Renault muttered to himself, glancing at his private messages.

[Moon: There will be an all-hands meeting in the player lobby tonight. Please be there promptly at 2 PM.]

Meeting?

That's quite unusual.

They only held one formal meeting when they were selecting the president.

[Mori: Received]

He flew quickly between buildings and finally disappeared in the direction of Shinjuku. When he reappeared, he was in a bar, drunk, and took a taxi back to his residence.

At two o'clock, Renault entered the lobby right on time.

Everyone else has arrived.

"Sorry, sorry, I just found some time." Renault chuckled, scratching his samurai helmet.

"It's alright. This meeting was held rather hastily. Although it could be held a few days later, I think it's better not to delay important matters, even if they are still far away from us."

Uesugi, who was the host of the meeting, cleared his throat twice and began to speak.

"Let's get straight to the point. We've gone through four games so far, and I think even if you haven't actually played some of them, you're familiar with the storylines."

No one spoke; they listened silently to Uesugi's story.

Oshima, however, seemed lost in thought.

"Then everyone must have noticed that there is a mysterious figure in every game."

"In The Subway, he is the mysterious cave master, and at the same time, he is the master of Zhu Hai."

"In 'Escape from the Other Shore,' the identities of the Onmyoji we control are shrouded in mystery, as is the contract we made with Orochi."

"Who gave the demon sword to the Third Muramasa? Who made Senji Muramasa sign a contract with the demon sword?"

"In 'The Heart of Ninja,' who sent the clothes to Ban Deng? And who was the Onmyoji who stopped her?"

As players, their perspectives, compared to those of Shin Higashiyama, lack a lot of information.

Based on the existing clues, it is still possible to piece together some possibilities.

"We don't know what this Onmyoji family has done, but every disaster is related to them! At this rate of discovery, in the next game or the one after that, we will most likely face the conspiracy of this Onmyoji family! A scheme that has been planned for hundreds of years!"

"The Demon Blade and the Crimson Skeleton are nothing more than appetizers, or rather, scraps, in this scheme!"

Everyone frowned.

This appetizer is already quite filling, how much more would the main course be?

Oshima struggled to control his breathing.

Of all the people present, he was the most nervous.

After purchasing the previous game information from Uesugi, he immediately began to study it carefully.

Then, unsurprisingly, I came across information about "Escape from the Other Shore." The plot itself wasn't anything special, but the real-world supplementary information that came with it sent chills down my spine.

The information mentions that before its death, the Great Serpent cursed the descendants of Onmyoji to suffer the pain of being devoured by ten thousand serpents, unable to live or die.

Isn't this describing him and his mother?!

Adding to that the snake bone, there's virtually no doubt that he and his mother are descendants of that Onmyoji.

just

He really doesn't know anything!

What kind of centuries-old plan is this? I've never even heard of it!

Before being chosen as a player, he was just a coward who ridiculously wanted to become a delinquent in order to test his courage, but in the end he didn't even dare to participate in the test of courage, although it saved his life.

But listening to Uesugi's confident and well-reasoned speculation, he couldn't help but start to doubt himself.

Perhaps their family is just one branch, and there is still a main family that is carrying out this "evil plan"?

Oshima suddenly felt that his life had become bleak.

Chapter 202: Under the Dark Clouds

Is it possible that the Onmyoji's plan has actually failed?

Taking advantage of the pause in Uesugi's speech, Oshima timidly raised his hand and spoke.

Renault was the first to nod in agreement: "Island is right. Since Orochi mentioned that the Onmyoji broke the five-hundred-year agreement and even cast a curse on his descendants before his death, it means that the Onmyoji's plan has likely failed."

Upon hearing this, Oshima gave him a grateful look.

"What if the Onmyoji never intended to keep their promise in the first place?" Nobi, with his extensive experience in JRPG games, asked. "Or what if the destruction caused by the remnants of the cursed swords, the Higanbana, and the demon sword was all part of the plan?"

Oshima was speechless, which was the worst possible outcome, demonstrating that his ancestors were truly ruthless.