I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 20 Collar
The police officers left.
Only after the scent of the four policemen had completely dissipated did Tanimura Watari feel relieved.

"Woooooo~~"

The girl in his arms struggled again, but with her ordinary strength, she was no match for Tanimura Wataru, not even a kitten.

"Listen carefully, I will let you go."

"But you can't yell, understand?"

After the girl whose mouth was covered by one hand nodded, Tanimura Wataru released his hand as promised.

“Hoo~Hoo~~”

As expected, the girl did not try to shout for help. Instead, after catching her breath, she turned her head in surprise to look at the window.

"This is the third floor!"

"How did you get up here?"

Hey, isn't this the right time to talk about this?

Faced with the girl's surprise mixed with excitement, Wataru Tanimura was speechless.

The girl, whom he had released, quickly walked to the window and peeked out.

"No ladder needed, how amazing!"

brush,

Just as she turned around, sharp, dagger-like claws stopped in front of the girl, silencing her excited words.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Didn't you ever consider that I might kill you?"

Looking at the girl in front of him, whose face stiffened and who was now trembling under the threat, Tanimura Wataru sighed inwardly and finally lowered his finger.

"The world is not as wonderful as you imagine. The consequence of seeking thrills is being crushed to pieces."

"Forget everything that's happening right now, focusing on your studies is what you should be doing."

"What? He sounds just like my dad."

The girl's soft mutterings, the familiar words, made Tanimura Wataru's expression change.

"sorry!"

Seeing that the bearded man in front of her looked unwell, the girl with the Hime-style haircut quickly put her hands together in apology.

"Do you...do you need money? I only have a few thousand in pocket money."

Seemingly realizing that the person in front of her was not a 'good person,' the girl clumsily pulled out her pink wallet.

"No, you don't need to apologize."

"I don't want your money either."

Lowering his eyes, this was the first time Tanimura Wataru's tone had been so gentle since he gained 'demon power'.

像、

so similar.

The girl in front of him looked very much like his sister, Akemi Tanimura.

Of course, as the older brother, Wataru Tanimura could still tell the difference between the two at a glance.

But both the tone of voice and the actions made him feel dazed.

Even this rough-around-the-edges personality is exactly like 'Akemi'.

"I broke into your home without permission, and I'm the one who should apologize."

I walked to the window and paused.

The burly Tanimura Ferry turned his head again.

"Tokyo will be very turbulent during this period. Don't go out at night, and don't leave your windows open."

brush,

finished,

He jumped out of the window again.

She landed lightly in the alley, pulled up her hood, and disappeared into the night in a flash.

As for whether the other party would call the police, Tanimura Watari didn't really care.

To put it bluntly, the reason he was avoiding the police was simply because he didn't want to cause trouble, not because he was afraid of the police.

An ordinary pistol posed no threat to him. "What a strange guy,"

Looking down through the window, the girl with the traditional Hime cut, also known as the 'princess' hairstyle, muttered something, but obediently closed the window and sat down to study.

She appears to be a normal high school girl, at least according to Tanimura Wataru, who is observing from the shadows.

Enjoy your youth to the fullest.

A girl like 'Akami'.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"it is good!"

"The first step of the plan has been a success!"

In Chiyoda Ward, on a floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Chief Inspector Takemasa delivered a powerful punch.

The surveillance footage clearly shows Tanimura Wataru's departing figure, as well as his last glance and the silent opening and closing of his lips.

This office was specially set up as the 'Collar Project'. All personnel have undergone rigorous screening and their ancestors for three generations are from the island nation. They have no personal relationships with any foreigners—or to put it more bluntly, no personal relationships with Americans.

These individuals include psychologists, micro-expression experts, and lip-reading masters.
All they had to do was analyze every word and action of someone named 'Tanimura Wataru', then build a mental model to 'predict' his next move.

"Don't get too excited, Director."

Iori Kazuka, standing next to her, habitually poured cold water on her boss.

"This is only the first time we've tried; we're still a long way from success."

"Yihua, has anyone ever told you that if you had said less, you would have been promoted long ago?"

"Yes, you mentioned it when you demoted me last time, Director."

Iori Kazuka, dressed as a biker gang leader, answered without any hesitation, making even her boss shake his head.

Although he acknowledged Yi Hua's abilities, his loose tongue... he deserved his demotion!
"In short, 'Mingmei' successfully made contact with the enemy and was not killed on the spot, which is undoubtedly a great victory. This is all thanks to you, Yihua!"

"You flatter me, Director."

Looking at the room plastered with various photos of 'Tanimura Watari', countless surveillance videos constantly tracking the figure moving through the city, and 'Akemi' diligently doing her homework, Iori Kazuka, as the proposer of the plan, still couldn't help but feel fear of the power of the state.

That's right,

This was all a 'show' arranged by the Metropolitan Police Department.

Whether it's the disabled members forcibly trapped in place, the electrician repairing the sewer lines, or the patrol officers' routes...
The stages were all meticulously arranged to create a place for the 'male and female protagonists' to meet!

Tanimura Watanabe, and 'Akimei'!
The dead cannot be brought back to life, at least not by the island nation's government.

However, finding a girl who is seven or even nine parts similar to 'Akami Tanimura' is not a problem.

Faced with the fully mobilized state machinery, a thorough search was conducted, and in a short time, a girl with facial features similar to 'Mingmei' was found.

Driven by national righteousness, the girl readily agreed. Then came the intense rehearsals and various precautions: although to professionals, the girl's performance was full of flaws, she was not facing a veteran actor, but a college student who had suddenly gained extraordinary powers.

"Perhaps this kind of raw acting is closer to reality?"

"That makes sense. An overly meticulous performance can backfire."

Several performance experts are discussing how, since being informed of their job duties, they have cut off all contact with the outside world and understand the importance of their work.

That's a 'monster'. No, it should be called a 'superhuman'!
If it gets out of control, given the destructive power of the other party, it will immediately cause huge casualties.

Therefore, they cannot overlook any detail or expression, striving to subdue the other party in a 'gentle' way.

That girl 'Mingmei',
It's the 'collar' that the government prepared for Tanimura Ferry.

Given Tanimura Watari's current wariness and hostility towards the government, rash contact would only lead to conflict. —If force doesn't work, then try a softer approach. Everyone has a weakness, and Tanimura Watari's weakness is undoubtedly his sister.

The real Akemi Tanimura is dead, so let's 'create' another one for her!
"Tanimura Watari returned to the underground,"

Numerous cameras have been urgently installed around the manhole covers throughout Adachi Ward.

In the previous battle in Kita-Senju-cho 1-chome, Tanimura Wataru's bloodstains disappeared at the sewer entrance. The reason the government did not send anyone down to search was that they were waiting for the other party to show himself.

This time, they not only want to use Tanimura Watari for the government's purposes, but also to secretly investigate the supernatural beings lurking in the island nation through him!
In Kita-Senju town, experienced experts have discovered a second battlefield:
Traces of battle between Wataru Tanimura and other 'supernatural' beings!

The government originally thought that the superhuman who created the fog was a companion of Tanimura Wataru, who was covering his escape.

However, judging from those traces, the other party was actually targeting Tanimura Wataru! And judging from the traces left behind, it is clear that Tanimura Wataru suffered a great loss.

Considering the circumstances surrounding the Black Hawk helicopter crash in America, there might have been even more extraordinary individuals involved!

Therefore, it is even more important to investigate what those unknown supernatural beings are plotting.

(End of this chapter)