Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"This guy looks to be only in his early twenties, yet he's already a police inspector? Is he from some powerful family? Or does he have special talents, perhaps from some special operations department?"

The position of "inspector" in Sakuradamon is neither high nor low. It is not a big official position. After all, this is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. You can throw a brick in here and it will hit a whole bunch of inspectors.

The position of police inspector is the starting point for the professional police force in Japan—elite police officers who pass the "National Class A Civil Service Examination" begin as police inspectors.

It is also the end point for non-professional groups - police officers who only took local exams and came from local civil service backgrounds could only reach the position of police inspector at the peak of their careers.

But Ryunosuke Akutagawa was so young that if he weren't wearing such a formal trench coat and top hat, Kiyoshi Uesugi would even think he was younger than himself.

This aroused his suspicions, but he did not reveal his true intentions. Instead, he greeted Ryunosuke Akutagawa with a normal expression and even made a small joke.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa didn't take Uesugi Kiyoshi's teasing to heart. He didn't respond, but instead opened his notebook, twirled a pen, and gave Uesugi Kiyoshi a meaningful look before slowly speaking.

"I won't ask those pointless questions about basic information. I did some research on you before I came, Uesugi-kun."

"You come from a clean family, have no criminal record, and were an outstanding student with a good reputation. I heard your dream university is the University of Tokyo? Maybe we'll become alumni in the future."

Judging from this, it seems that Ryunosuke Akutagawa graduated from the University of Tokyo—a diploma that serves as a stepping stone to the upper echelons of Japanese society.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's smile was amiable and his tone gentle, instantly making strangers feel good, like a spring breeze. He was also quite skillful in speaking, using flattery and saying what others liked to say, which was very helpful in closing the distance with people he met for the first time.

Uesugi Kiyoshi wasn't buying it.

A fake smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

“There, Inspector Akutagawa is already capable of handling things on his own at such a young age. He is a true prodigy. I am but a firefly, and I dare not compete with the bright moon.”

"Inspector Akutagawa, just ask me whatever you want. I will tell you everything I know and I will not hide anything from you."

The two exchanged forced smiles, looking like two little foxes scheming against each other—neither of them were easy to deal with.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa stroked his smooth chin, nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully, "In that case, I'll get straight to the point, Uesugi-kun—"

"I want to know how you killed Yokota. Would you mind telling me?"

Uesugi Seiichi raised an eyebrow, his fox-like eyes narrowed, and the smile on his face turned somewhat cold. As expected, those who are kind do not come.

They just slapped a murder charge on you right off the bat?

He didn't panic or argue, nor did he retaliate angrily. Instead, he spoke in his usual calm tone.

"Inspector Akutagawa may have misunderstood something. I did not kill Mr. Yokota. I only acted in self-defense."

“I explained what happened to a police officer at the scene. When I went to visit him, I was met with a bloody scene of hell. There were corpses and remains everywhere. Mr. Yokota was kneeling and worshipping an empty shrine. His face was strange, as if he was possessed by a ghost. When he saw me come in, he attacked me with a knife without saying a word. I had no choice but to fight back.”

“During the fight, I successfully disarmed Mr. Yokota and left a wound on his back. I also slashed him in the chest with a wooden sword, but that was definitely not enough to kill an adult male on the spot. I am a kendo practitioner, Inspector Akutagawa, and I am very confident in this.”

"As for Mr. Yokota's death, I can't explain it. During the battle, he suddenly became contorted in pain and his whole body was enveloped in strange mist. He struggled and rolled on the ground a few times and then stopped moving. I was seriously injured by Mr. Yokota at the time, and my physical condition was very bad. After getting a moment to catch my breath, I immediately called the police."

“I believe all the evidence at the scene can confirm what I said, and Kyoko can also be my witness.”

“I do not believe that Mr. Yokota’s death is related to me. If you do not think so, and can provide conclusive evidence to prove that I caused Mr. Yokota’s death, then I will not argue. I am willing to plead guilty and pay the price for my actions.”

"But can you really produce any evidence?"

"So, Inspector Akutagawa, if you're still going to use those manipulative tactics to try and pin charges on me, put psychological pressure on me to confess unjustly, you should save your breath."

"I'm not the kind of ignorant child you imagine!"

"I also work to earn money, so I'm a taxpayer. You're a police officer, and I have an obligation to cooperate with your work, but please be a little more respectful." -- This is actually nonsense. Students don't have to pay taxes for part-time jobs. This is just Uesugi Kiyoshi making things up to gain the upper hand in terms of his presence.

"I'm willing to talk to you, both professionally and personally, but if you're not sincere, I won't say another word until the lawyer arrives."

Uesugi Kiyoshi first recounted what had happened, vehemently denying any involvement in Yokota's death and glossing over the cause of Yokota's death by feigning ignorance—all of which seemed quite believable, provided he was truly an ordinary person.

Then, he spoke sarcastically to Ryunosuke Akutagawa, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, and his attitude hardened.

There's no way around it; kind people are often taken advantage of. If he acts too timidly, it would be a sign of his insecurity. Only by making reasonable and well-founded statements without any sense of guilt can one gain people's trust.

If Ryunosuke Akutagawa hadn't known Uesugi Kiyoshi's background, he might have been speechless after being challenged like that.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa clicked his tongue twice, his pen pausing on the notebook, spreading ink smudges.

He squinted, leaned back in his chair, and looked amused.

"A lawyer? Uesugi-kun seems to be living in poverty. You can't afford those top lawyers. Are you going to apply for legal aid? Forgive my bluntness, but the lawyers the government allocates for legal aid are all novices, and their level is really average. He can afford to wait, but can you?"

"What about your studies? What about your reputation? What about your bright future?"

"Although this is my first time meeting Uesugi-kun, I would like to presume to say that this is merely my personal judgment, and I apologize if it offends you!"

"I don't think Uesugi-kun, who can so readily draw his sword against an enemy, is someone who believes in the law."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa remained completely unaffected by Kiyoshi Uesugi's rhythm and momentum in speaking, and for a moment, the atmosphere between the two became somewhat confrontational.

Uesugi Kiyoshi's smile vanished, his face turning ashen as he stared intently into Akutagawa Ryunosuke's smiling eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

Then, he slowly shook his head and spoke, word by word.

"No, you're wrong, Inspector Akutagawa."

"I am a law-abiding citizen, and I believe in the law."

"only."

"I don't trust some of the people who enforce the law."

"For example, you?"

Chapter 31 Part-time job

In Japan, where "restraint," "humility," and "politeness" are highly valued, Uesugi Kiyoshi's words were essentially an insult directed at someone.

Seemingly sensing the heavy atmosphere, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's smile grew wider. He shook his head slightly, but his expression did not become tense.

"Relax, Uesugi-kun, I am not your enemy."

"."

"At least not now."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa shrugged, signaling to Kiyoshi Uesugi to calm down, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Alright, alright, since you're so resistant, let's change the subject."

"First of all, Uesugi-kun, please explain why you were at Yokota's residence at that time. Don't tell me it was on your way home."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa became serious and asked a question that sounded like something a police officer would ask during an interrogation.

Uesugi Kiyoshi already had these answers in mind, so he answered them without hesitation.

“Because Xingzi told me that her uncle has become very strange in the past few months and has some very strange worship behavior. She is also often scolded by her aunt at home. I was afraid that she was being wronged, so I decided to send her home. If there is an opportunity, I would like to talk to her uncle and aunt and try to change their attitude towards Xingzi.”

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's smile turned gossipy, and he drawled out an "Oh" with a drawn-out, rhythmic tone.

"Then, if I may ask, what is the relationship between Nohara Kyoko and Uesugi-kun?"

"Xingzi just confessed her feelings to me at noon today."

Uesugi Kiyoshi played a word game, neither admitting nor denying Akutagawa Ryunosuke's question.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa, however, wore an "I understand" expression, his demeanor becoming ambiguous.

"Hmm, a hero rescuing a damsel in distress? That's certainly something a boy of this age would do."

"So, I understand why you were there. Your motive for taking action—you said it was in self-defense, which makes sense. Yokota is indeed a murderer, and probably a madman as well."

"Don't worry, you're a smart person. I can't pin the murder charge on you. Even if I wanted to make things difficult for you, it would only cause you some trouble. I wouldn't do something meaningless. We don't have any deep-seated hatred for each other."

"What I want to understand is how you killed—"

"Oh, sorry, how did you defeat Yokota?"

Having stated his ultimate goal, Ryunosuke Akutagawa stared intently at Kiyoshi Uesugi, awaiting his answer.

That's right, he came here for two reasons.

First, he needs to get a general idea of ​​Uesugi Kiyoshi's strength and determine whether his abilities are related to demons or gods. This is very important.

Secondly, after understanding Uesugi Kiyoshi's strength, he needed to consider how to recruit such a promising talent into the organization, so that he wouldn't benefit someone else.

Uesugi Kiyoya was prepared for this problem.

"I possess the complete authorization certificate of the Shinkage-ryu school. I have been practicing swordsmanship since I was a child, and it has been more than ten years. If I don't even have the basic ability to fight, it would be a waste of all the hard work I have put in over the years."

As he said this, Uesugi Kiyoshi displayed just the right amount of youthful arrogance, his expression completely matter-of-fact.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa shook his head slightly, seemingly disagreeing with Kiyoshi Uesugi's statement.

“Kendo has its limits, Uesugi-kun. I know many colleagues in the police system who are proficient in kendo, not the competitive kind, but the genuine ancient style of kendo for killing.”

"So-called swordsmanship is nothing more than the skill of killing, and the time when the skill of killing can be effective is when the physical qualities of both parties are roughly equal."

"The autopsy results for Yokotano and the results of the on-site investigation are out. Based on the damage he caused, we have conducted a basic threat assessment of him."

"It's hard to estimate his exact physical strength, but this person's speed and strength are probably more than three times that of an average person—you're a martial artist, so I don't need to elaborate on what that means, right?"

"In a fighting tournament, if the two fighters are not in the same weight class, the outcome is not in doubt. Given such a huge difference in physical ability, you think you can just use kendo to get by? That's a huge underestimation of people."

"I won't make things difficult for you, Uesugi-kun. Just tell me how you defeated Yokota, and you can leave, as can your little girlfriend."

"Is my request unreasonable?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi frowned, remained silent for a few seconds, and then gently shook his head.

“I have nothing to say, Inspector Akutagawa. As I said before, I did not kill Mr. Yokota. He may have had some kind of problem. Suddenly, many wounds opened up on his body, blood gushed out, and he collapsed suddenly.”

"Moreover, his condition was very strange. If I may be so bold, he was no longer human at that time."

“Strange horns even grew on his forehead; I once thought it was my hallucination.”

"That's all I know. No matter how many questions you ask, I can't say anything else."

Uesugi Kiyoshi had grown tired of using honorifics when addressing Akutagawa Ryunosuke. He always felt that Inspector Akutagawa was a bit strange; the questions he asked were not the kind of questions a normal police officer should ask.

He even felt that Ryunosuke Akutagawa seemed more interested in him than Yokota.

This was not a good sign; he sensed trouble brewing.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa also found Uesugi Kiyoshi's stubbornness somewhat troublesome—this boy was unyielding and slippery, unlike a typical fifteen or sixteen-year-old high school student.

He was incredibly tactful in his speech; if I hadn't already known his background, I probably wouldn't have noticed anything amiss and would have been easily fooled.

He sighed, glanced at his watch, and decided that continuing this entanglement would probably yield no results, so he decided to get straight to the point.

“I understand. I can understand that Uesugi-kun is wary of me. In that case, I’ll be frank with you.”