I loaded the geek game

This world.

Countermeasures Office.

The cold morning light streamed through the blinds, etching pale streaks on the desk. Masao Nagatomo looked up from the pile of files, a dull, stabbing pain shooting through the back of his neck—

He spent the night here again.

The coffee cup on the corner of the table was empty, with dried brown stains clinging to its sides.

Nagatomo first rubbed the back of his neck, which ached from falling asleep at his desk, and then mechanically flipped through the documents on the desk, the sound of paper rubbing together being particularly jarring in the empty office.

"Yes, there's still a lot of work to be done."

There is still much to be done, so we cannot let our guard down.

Changyou has been working with exceptional enthusiasm these past few days.

Although he is the type of person who works hard, lately he has been working at a high intensity like a tireless machine, and today is the third night he has spent in the countermeasures room.

"what--"

Changyou got up, stretched his stiff body a little, and then went to the bathroom to wash up.

The water feels cold to the touch and makes one feel numb.

Nagatomo looked at the mirror in front of the pool—a neat buzz cut, a square and resolute face, and well-defined, muscular arms with obvious signs of exercise. The reflection in the mirror looked exactly the same as always.

But perhaps because of staying up late these past two days, Changyou's eyes were not as bright as usual, his eye sockets were a bit sunken, and his eyeballs were bloodshot.

popping.

"Wake up." Nagatomo patted his cheeks with wet hands, water droplets dripping down his chin. "Something good has been happening lately."

Yes, something good is happening.

These days, by reviewing reports from various localities, it is clear that the frequency of strange tales and disturbances in different regions has shown a downward trend, unlike in the past.

Nagatomo knows that the increase in the frequency of malicious ghost stories in the past two years is due to the "Oma-o-Mae sacrificial ritual".

Some in the countermeasures office analyzed that the recent suppression of this trend was likely due to the intervention of a force no less powerful than the "Omni-Talisman Ritual" in the mortal world.

The source of this positive force is currently unknown, but such a change is a great thing.

For the exorcists who were struggling, this was like seeing the dawn before sunrise.

Besides that, there's one more thing—

Nagatomo met Kamiyagawa, who hadn't been seen for a long time.

Kamiya-kun looks to be in good shape.

Kamiyagawa, hailed as "unparalleled in his time," is widely recognized in the exorcism industry as the most likely candidate to end the "out-of-control ghost story activities," and is the hope of the entire industry.

It's certainly a good thing to see him safe and sound.

After a quick wash, Masao Nagatomo turned and went to the break room, intending to make himself another cup of coffee.

At the corner, a young clerk carrying documents called out to him.

"Nagatomo-senpai!" The clerk jogged up to catch up. "This is a copy of the report from Saitama Prefecture; we need your..."

Nagatomo instinctively took the document: "I'll deliver it to Kisei-sensei right away—"

The words stopped abruptly.

The corridor suddenly became eerily quiet. The young clerk was at a loss, her fingers trembling slightly, and the edges of the documents were crumpled.

There was a moment of silence between the two sides.

"Feel sorry."

Finally, Masao Nagatomo took the documents from the clerk, patted her gently on the shoulder, and walked away slowly.

Yes... Mr. Yuki is no longer here.

I still vividly remember the sight of clusters of white chrysanthemums blooming at last week's funeral.

It was at the funeral of Mackenyu that Masao Nagatomo met Kamiyagawa, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

After Makenyu Yuuki died, people unexpectedly found a will while sorting through his belongings. No one could have imagined that the always cheerful and reliable Mr. Yuuki would make a will for himself.

In his will, he made simple arrangements for the distribution of his estate.

He divided all his assets into three parts, and judging from the description in the will, his original intention seemed to be to leave it all to his descendants. One part went to Kamiyagawa, another to Nagatomo Masao, and the last part, which was written in a messy hand, was finally written as "[To the Countermeasures Office]".

It's unclear what his reasons were for writing this, but exorcists are inherently a high-risk profession; you never know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.

However, it can be confirmed that this will was made a long time ago.

After all, once GENIE Studio was established, Kamiyagawa no longer needed any financial support from anyone else.

……

Nagatomo Masao returned to his office, dejected and listless, clutching the documents, before slumping into his chair.

"Nagatomo." The spirit behind him slowly materialized, hovering beside Nagatomo.

"Senior, do you think... if I had been able to get back in time on that day at Mount Osore, would things have been different?"

"What good will it do you to go back? Things might get even worse." The spirit drew an arc in the air, its voice unusually stern and blunt, but then it comforted him, "Changyou, this isn't your fault. The captain wouldn't want to see you like this; he would want us to be proud of him. You have to pull yourself together. You have to take a good look for the captain—take a good look at this world he fought so hard to protect, until the day all the bad things are over."

"I know, so I..."

"No, Nagatomo, you're pushing yourself too hard right now. You need to rest and catch your breath. Go see Sayuri; she must be worried about you too. Also, go see your mother; she's in her hometown in Iwate, right?"

"My mother? But she doesn't remember me."

Nagatomo shook his head; the effects of his past "disappearance" still lingered on him.

"You've seen the captain's will. In it, he stipulated that if he died, he wished to leave his estate to his descendants. The captain divided his estate into three parts: one for Kamiyagawa, one for you, and the last part... that's the one he hesitated to decide..."

He was once an exorcist in the Countermeasures Office, and the spirit who assisted Shinken Yuusuke in the creation of the spirit. His voice echoed in Nagatomo's mind, gentle yet hoarse.

"Senior, you mean...?"

"Yes. I think you and your mother will recognize each other someday."

……

Eternal life.

In the shrine of Takamagahara.

The vermilion torii gate was shrouded in shimmering light. Behind it, massive and heavy stone steps rose steeply, ascending all the way to the top of the shrine, where they met the glittering starry sky. There, shrouded in nebulae, stood a majestic and towering throne.

The steps behind the torii gate, as well as the shrine on the upper level, all appeared in Takamagahara after the Kamiya River accepted the remains of Takemikazuchi.

Kamiya River, which already contains the remains of two gods, would undoubtedly be classified as an S-rank if it were classified according to the rating system given by the previous "Kwaidan Monogatari".

"If I sit on that divine throne, I'll be the ruler of all gods and spirits, won't I?"

Kamiya stood beside the torii gate, looking up.

Perhaps once he becomes the ruler of all gods and spirits, the calamities of the Yellow Springs will end.

But not yet.

Kamiyagawa has one more thing to do.

According to the instructions given by Abe no Seimei's spirit that he had seen before, before ascending to the position of the ruler of all gods and spirits, Kamiya should go to the "ruins" to see the crossroads who are trapped there.

According to Seimei, as long as one meets the person who crossed the sea to the east, one can learn a deeper truth related to Takamagahara.

Now, possessing two divine remains, Kamiya River can travel relatively safely through the "Ruins," much like Tsukuyomi once did—so it's time to meet the one who has only been heard of but never seen before, the one who crossed the sea to the east. (End of Chapter)