Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

The following day at noon.

Yesterday's torrential rains officially kicked off Tokyo's rainy season.

After a day of rain, the intensity of the rain subsided, but the area affected expanded, almost covering the entire Tokyo metropolitan area.

Raindrops tapped against the window. Inside, the television news was solemnly broadcasting the follow-up reports of the Defense Minister's assassination at yesterday's press conference, repeatedly cutting to the chaotic scene at the time.

The host analyzed this shocking and heinous incident in a somber and official tone.

The scene then switched to a televised address from the Prime Minister's official residence. The Prime Minister stood behind the podium, his expression more solemn than usual, carefully choosing his words as he read his prepared speech.

"We are deeply saddened and outraged that Minister Kihara was subjected to such a despicable and violent attack while performing his official duties. We are especially saddened by the irresponsible and extreme violence perpetrated by certain forces."

It was clear that even the Prime Minister felt uneasy and dissatisfied with this excessive act of assassination, which was completely breaking the rules of the game.

In short, those organizations will never be able to get rid of this blame.

Kosuke Iwasaki sat at the dining table, eating his lunch calmly, like a patient recovering from a serious illness, completely different from the demonic fog that had stirred up a bloody storm yesterday.

The caregiver, Goto, sat to his side, her movements slightly restrained. Her gaze would occasionally drift to the television screen before quickly returning to it, her lips tightly pressed together.

Natsumi Tokura wasn't watching the news at all; the light from her phone screen shone on her haggard face.

The screen played video clips from passersby at different angles, all of which were images of the terrifying black cloud that had hung over the Summoning Society yesterday.

Therefore, having already not slept the night before the dark clouds appeared, she went another day without closing her eyes.

Her fingers slid and paused mechanically, her eyes fixed intently, as if trying to pry out any trace of Iwasaki Miyabi from the swirling ink.

The combination of staying up late and being under immense mental stress left her with dark circles under her eyes, making her look like a string stretched to its limit.

Goto glanced at her worriedly and whispered, "Miss Tokura, the food is getting cold."

"Ok?"

Shi Cang responded blankly, his eyes still on his phone. He unconsciously picked up a piece of food from the empty bowl with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and chewed on the air.

Goto couldn't help but advise again, "Your health will collapse if you keep doing this. Why don't you take a rest? You can watch the video later."

Shicang shook his head, his voice dry and hoarse: "No. Some videos may be deleted by the authorities soon."

She repeatedly dragged the progress bar of a blurry distant video, trying to see a change at a certain moment at the edge of the dark clouds.

Iwasaki, who had been silent until now, spoke, turning his gaze to Tokura: "If Miyako really is the Demon Mist..."

"Then she can easily find us if she wants to. The fact that she's not coming to find us now is naturally her reason, most likely because she's worried about implicating us. After all, once Ya shows that she values ​​us, it's not a good thing for either her or us."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the television broadcast.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shi Cang's haggard face, and continued with a slightly cruel tone, "But, if Ya is indeed Yao Wu, can you accept what she has done so far?"

Shicang's fingers froze.

The phone screen went dark, revealing her bewildered face.

Accept? She had never thought about that question. In her mind, Ya had always been a woman who hated evil and was full of chivalry.

The demonic mist's actions—killing, sacrificing, and creating panic—were all so unfamiliar that they chilled her to the bone.

She shook her head instinctively, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper: "I...I don't know. Ya wouldn't hurt the innocent, but the Demon Mist."

She didn't finish her sentence, her chaotic thoughts choking in her throat. What if Ya's mind was clouded by her abilities? Was this a price she paid, not her own wish? In the end, it was still her who carried out the orders.

"Miss Tokura!"

Goto's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension. She quickly interrupted the dangerous topic, afraid that Tokura might say something offensive to Youmu that would anger Iwasaki.

So he stood up and almost forcibly pulled Shicang's arm, "Look how bad you look! If you keep going like this, you'll collapse from exhaustion before you even find any clues! Listen to me, go take a hot bath to relax, don't think about anything, clear your mind! Hot water is the best way to soothe your nerves!"

Without a word, she half-pushed and half-persuaded the absent-minded Shikura away from the stagnant atmosphere of the restaurant and hurriedly headed towards the bathroom.

Iwasaki was the only one left at the table. He picked up a piece of fish and calmly looked back at the television screen.

Yesterday, he was testing his new ability to manipulate souls, controlling that female reporter to attack the Defense Minister. That reporter was a right-wing extremist, and with his abilities, getting her a handgun and getting her through security wouldn't have been difficult.

The main reason for killing the Minister of Defense was to test his abilities, and also because he genuinely didn't think much of him.

In conclusion, the ability to manipulate souls is indeed quite unfair.

Of course, the mental energy consumed during manipulation varies greatly depending on the object's resistance, distance, difficulty of the action, and time.

If he were to use this ability on other extraordinary beings, it would probably only cause them to be momentarily disoriented, but that would be enough.

Today was the day for the settlement of points in "Heart of the Ninja". After eating, he went back to his room alone and entered the player lobby.

Kosuke Iwasaki's black mist figure appeared silently in his designated seat.

Almost simultaneously, the previously relaxed atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

The players quickly focused their wary and inquisitive gazes on him.

Iwasaki ignored this completely. He confirmed that he had received the 30 points from "The Heart of Ninja". He didn't look at anyone or say a word during the whole process. The moment he finished receiving the points, he left.

It wasn't until a dozen seconds after Iwasaki left that the frozen air in the hall seemed to begin to move again.

Uesugi let out a long sigh, shaking his head with a wry smile: "I can no longer understand his strength after yesterday's battle. It felt even stronger than Zhu Hai's back then."

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

Those dark clouds that blot out the sky are probably not just for show; the Demon Mist's combat power is definitely the strongest among the players right now, or at least, the most difficult to kill.

Renault touched his jaw shield and pretended to analyze, "Didn't the official announcement declare victory? Although it's definitely exaggerated, they wouldn't dare to make such a claim without some basis. I guess the military's actions yesterday caused him some trouble, like he got injured."

His words carried a deliberate lightness, attempting to dilute the shadow left by Iwasaki.

Nobita stared at the empty space where Iwasaki had disappeared, without saying a word.

He has been clearing out some extremists in Osaka these past few days as well.

Compared to Iwasaki, who patiently crushed ants with his fingertips, Iwasaki simply picked up a kettle of boiling water and poured it over the anthill.

The efficiency is worlds apart, and the methods are worlds apart; even extremists wouldn't dare call themselves extremists after seeing this.

However, Nobi himself was somewhat surprised that he did not feel as strong aversion as he had expected for Iwasaki's actions at the Shokonsha yesterday.

Perhaps it was during the game "Subway" that the "heroic spirits" dressed in old military uniforms who repeatedly disemboweled him had already left an indelible shadow and trauma in his heart.

Since it was his first time playing the game, his memory of it was the most vivid.

Muramasa Taki and Oshima Umeta's seats were empty; they were not present.

However, Takii was online yesterday, and she didn't seem to have any particular feelings about the fate of the Summoning Society and the people in it.

To her, being reduced to ashes in the flames along with the Summoning Society was, in her view, the deserved and fitting end for those people.

Moreover, strictly speaking, she did lend a hand indirectly.

If we have to divide players into factions, currently all players are basically leaning to the left.

Except for Renault.

This guy has the Wings of Chaos; he tilts his wings whichever way is profitable. In his eyes, everything in the world has a corresponding price.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing that the Demon Mist has become stronger. He has always tried to avoid direct conflict with the authorities, and he even joined forces with us to fight the Demon Blade. In short, he is willing to maintain order." Nobi cheered up. "I will return to Tokyo in the next two days. If I'm not mistaken, this game should also refresh on the 5th."

Speaking of the new game, Uesugi's good mood, which was initially good because he had earned 50 points, vanished instantly.

Her gaming talent seems to only be effective in "informal games".

In the actual game, her prized talents in chasing and mazes have extremely limited use.

Uesugi shook his head, clearing his mind of those wild thoughts, and quickly changed to a small longevity pill to calm his nerves and prevent himself from kicking out prematurely.

Your health is the foundation of any game!

If you accidentally run out of lifespan and die, then you've really lost out big time.

Extraordinary Countermeasures Department.

Leon watched the replay of the Prime Minister's speech on the screen, and then looked at the appointment and dismissal notice he had just received.

The notice read:

[For her heroic actions during the Kyoto Titan Incident, successfully rescuing multiple survivors before they transformed into Titans at the Nishiki Hotel, demonstrating exceptional ability and a strong sense of responsibility, Genji Himeko, the former leader of the Seventh Investigation Team, has been promoted to Executive Director of the Extraordinary Measures Department.]

Former Executive Director Leon Hasegawa has been promoted to Acting Director.

The Prime Minister acted with astonishing speed. During the vacuum period following the sudden death of the Defense Minister, under the pretext of recognizing the merits of the Kyoto Incident, he swiftly pushed Himeko Minamoto, an investigator with a certain official family background, recognized abilities, and who was purely Japanese, into the position of Executive Minister.

Meanwhile, the propaganda machine has been started.

Online, photos and brief reports of Genkiko's deeds began to appear on a large scale, showing her leading a team of workers to escape from a hotel in Kyoto, participating in rescue efforts in the post-war ruins, and helping the wounded. These photos and reports portrayed her as a calm, professional, and elite official who stepped forward in times of crisis.

The intention was all too clear: the Prime Minister did not want to see the increasingly important Department of Extraordinary Measures completely controlled by Leon, a pseudo-Japanese.

However, since a suitable candidate could not be found to fill the position immediately, they pushed Genji Himeko to the forefront, at least to maintain the Japanese side's presence and some say in name, and to avoid being marginalized.

Leon picked up his coffee and took a sip.

The fact that the other party voluntarily handed over the nominal supreme command of the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department to him was, to some extent, equivalent to giving up direct leadership and ceding more space to Ami in order to ask them not to take advantage of his vulnerability.

This deal is definitely a win-win for Ame.

Everyone can understand that once the Supernatural Countermeasures Department is completely controlled, the Japanese side's enthusiasm will be greatly dampened, and things like procrastination will be inevitable. Therefore, appropriately preserving the other side's rights is a win-win approach.

One Minamoto no Himeko can't cause a big stir; she might not even be able to convince the internal investigation team.

At least Leon's gaze shifted from the personnel notice to another file in the office.

Ping Sheng Dragon

What he was really interested in was this Japanese man.

Since the establishment of the investigation team, almost all the valuable and groundbreaking clues have come from the team led by Ping Shenglong.

Whether it was tracking the knight's early movements or analyzing the extraordinary logic behind his behavior, Ping Shenglong's keen sense of smell and thinking put him far ahead of other investigators.

In particular, several investigation teams were specifically organized by Aramco officials.

Those guys, despite receiving hefty stipends, always exude a condescending and aloof air. Their reports are full of boasting, but they offer very little substance that touches on the core issues.

You can't expect them to have a deep understanding of the intricacies of Japanese society or the logic behind those extraordinary events; they're just as knowledgeable as they are about which bars have high-quality girls who are easy to pick up.

Leon put down his coffee cup and tapped his index finger lightly on Ping Shenglong's name.

Genjiro was the prime minister's chosen figurehead. But Leon needed a truly effective tool, a capable assistant who could delve into this land and uncover the secrets hidden in the shadows.

It would be even better if he could leave work on time.

Therefore, it's time to end the investigation of Heisei Ryu. Training him and making him our eyes and hands within the Japanese investigative force is the best option at present.

As for Minamoto no Himeko? Let her play her heroic role well in the spotlight.

Those in positions of power always believe they can control the double-edged sword of public sentiment.

How is Hirosue Eri adapting to the new environment?

He picked up the internal phone and called the researcher currently in charge of the Divine Flower.

“Excellent. According to Dr. Mila’s records, Hirosue Eri’s compatibility with Shinka is far greater than that of Dr. Mila herself, and she can get more responses from Shinka.”

The researcher's tone was quite excited.

"She even wanted to conduct a fusion experiment, but we determined that the risk was too high. From the body data of Dr. Mi Lai at that time, we can see that the energy transmitted from the divine flower to his body was like cancer cells, which could not be suppressed and spread wildly, which eventually led to his body becoming tree-like and his death."

“We were worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle that energy either, so we stopped her from getting too high—uh! Ms. Hirosue! Please don’t do that!”

A commotion came from the other end of the phone.

Then, after only a few seconds, it suddenly became quiet again.

"I want to lead the adaptation experiments on the Divine Flower myself. If you agree, I can tell you something." It was Hirosue Eri's voice coming from the other end of the phone.

"." Leon tapped on the computer, and the screen showed the laboratory where Yingli was located.

The blonde girl was holding a phone, propping her elbow up with one hand, and staring intently at the monitor.

The divine flower remained motionless in its original central position, while the potted plants placed around it grew wildly, their branches and vines spreading out, forcibly squeezing the researchers in the room into a corner, creating a threatening atmosphere.

Leon wasn't angry; instead, he showed a slightly surprised look in his eyes.

"I promise."

“Okay.” Under the surveillance, the girl was somewhat surprised; in fact, her conditions were negotiable.

The other party's sudden generosity rendered all her prior preparations futile.

"The divine flower suggested that we plant more spider lilies recently. I can feel that this is a reminder from Him to mankind out of His benevolence and kindness."