Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

"Ueda? Are you there?" Higashiyama Shin looked around, ignoring Hosokawa, who was still unconscious.

After a while, the cries for help from the person who had fallen outside finally reached the outside world after the formation shattered, attracting the attention of the security personnel, and a flurry of footsteps began to approach.

Thank you, brother.

From a corner, the weak voice of a little boy could be heard.

"Then tell me where the secret room is?"

Shinichi Higashiyama cuts straight to the point: even if the perfect ending isn't the real ending, the locked room should still exist, and it's highly likely that Ueda died inside it.

Do you know Muto's secret room? Please follow me.

A blurry child figure appeared at the doorway and waved to Higashiyama Shin.

Compared to the mentally unstable Muto, Ueda displayed more humanity.

Dongshan was not afraid at all. He followed him, avoiding the direction from which the guards were coming, and walked towards the back of the old teaching building.

[The secret room is right below here. Um, if possible, brother, could you please bury my remains back in Komaru Village, Mie Prefecture?]

The illusory figure was somewhat elusive, as if it might disappear at any moment.

"Wait, I have something I need to ask you." Higashiyama Shin pulled out an umbrella.

Want to leave? Higashiyama Shin still has a lot of questions to ask.

This child died so young, without ever having tried working. A life without working is incomplete, so Dongshan will reluctantly help him fill that void in his life.

Ueda looked at the umbrella and felt a strong longing, as if he could nourish his soul and stay in the world forever if he went inside.

Can I?

He asked the question cautiously, with both a longing for the world and a fear of being deceived.

"Come in." Higashiyama Shin opened the Soul-Gathering Umbrella.

Without further hesitation, Ueda flew under the umbrella and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Dongshan Shen put away his umbrella, used his Spirit-Nourishing Fire Eye to look at the ground, and quickly found the entrance to the secret chamber, which was covered by a thick layer of soil and had completely blended into the surroundings.

He dug through the soil with his bare hands, found the handle, and pulled it open. A dark, sealed chamber appeared before him, and a putrid smell assaulted his nostrils. Higashiyama Shin quickly blocked out his sense of smell.

Seeing in the dark is one of the most basic abilities of the Spirit-Nourishing Fire Eye. He leaped in and landed next to the stone platform. His body was as light as paper, and he didn't even leave a footprint on the dusty ground.

Looking around, the layout inside was exactly the same as what you see in the game.

There were just a few more skeletons, one large and two small.

The large skeleton sat on an iron seat, while two smaller skeletons huddled in opposite corners, one close to the seat and the other away from the other two skeletons.

He walked purposefully to the table, where an ancient thread-bound book lay—the "Soul Nourishing Classic."

Despite being over a century old, the pages can still be turned, and the writing is still relatively clear, not turning to dust over time, so it is probably made of special materials.

The reason he wanted to find Muto's secret chamber was because of this "Soul Nourishing Scripture".

The memories he had of the contents of the Soul Nourishing Scripture that he saw in the game disappeared automatically after the game ended. He never expected to have the opportunity to find them in reality.

Muto's highest level of Soul Master should be no more than four stars, yet he was able to learn part of the "Soul Nourishing Scripture." There's no reason why Higashiyama Shin, a five-star Soul Master, couldn't learn it.

"How come there are two children's skeletons? Ueda, which one is yours?"

This is it!

Ueda manipulated the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, pointing it towards the solitary skeleton in one of the corners.

Higashiyama carefully collected Ueda's remains in a bag. Without any hesitation, he leaped out of the secret room, glanced at the old school building that was now in disarray, and put the entrance to the secret room back in place. However, the dirt on it was already messy, and no matter how he cleaned it up, it would be discovered. So he simply ignored it, and under the cover of night, turned and left.

"Brother, where are you going?"

In the living room, Higashiyama, who was playing with his beloved 8, saw his older brother preparing to leave. He stood up and said, somewhat guiltily, "I... I've already finished the workbook and previewed the lesson."

Their school actually assigns quite a bit of homework, after all, it's a private college, but today is the first day of school, so there was no homework assigned.

The school also pays close attention to academic performance. Teachers sometimes arrange for students to form study groups and assign homework that requires multiple people to work together.

Fortunately, I don't have to attend classes on Saturdays like some other private colleges.

Many students at the school attend after-school tutoring classes with the goal of going to university, but Higashiyama Shin doesn't need to, and Higashiyama Toku doesn't want to go.

"Want to go for a walk?" Higashiyama Shin asked as he turned around after changing his shoes in the entryway.

Upon hearing that it was a walk, Dongshan shook his head. He found robbing, shooting, and completing missions in the game much more interesting than a walk.

Unsurprised, Higashiyama Shin casually grabbed an eco-friendly bag and a black umbrella and walked out the door.

The purpose of the walk was actually to receive the skeletons and soul-gathering umbrellas brought back by the paper figures.

Once the Soul-Gathering Umbrella has collected a soul, it cannot be put back into the dedicated space for storing reward items; it can only be carried on one's person.

Obviously, the paper figure currently has no way to return to his room without being noticed. In addition, the paper figure's appearance looks very strange in the light, which can easily attract other people's attention. Therefore, the best way is for him to control the paper figure to put the things in a secluded place and then retrieve them himself.

Good evening, Mr. Higashiyama.

"Good evening, Uncle Sakamoto."

In the lobby on the first floor, Natsuki Otsuka had already finished get off work. The person in charge of the apartment security team was Sakamoto, a very energetic man in his fifties or sixties. I heard that he had been a detective, but I don't know if it's true.

After exchanging greetings, Shinichi Higashiyama strolled leisurely toward the nearby Rikugi Park.

Chapter 14: A Night of Injustice

Although Bunkyo Ward is not considered a core area of ​​Tokyo, it is adjacent to Chiyoda Ward. There are many schools in the ward, and the security conditions are relatively good. In fact, it can be said to be one of the safest wards in Tokyo.

Otherwise, just look at Kabukicho in Shinjuku Ward, the "physical security" of Adachi Ward, and even the areas around high-traffic places like Akihabara, Kanda, and Marunouchi in Chiyoda, and you'll know what it means to be surrounded by experts.

Higashiyama Shin's father bought a house here precisely because of this and the strong "academic atmosphere."

Although, that workaholic only goes home a handful of times.

It's clear they don't understand that family education is more important than the so-called academic atmosphere.

It's only because he has the transmigrator, Higashiyama Shin, that he's able to ruin both accounts long ago.

The April nights were a little chilly, but it didn't bother him.

At this moment, he was multitasking, having already manipulated the paper figure to place the item in a corner of the park. He still had 20% of his spiritual power left, enough to sustain him until he reached the park at a normal walking pace.

The park was generally quiet at night. There were some night runners around the loop, and a few teenagers and homeless people gathered inside, but not many. The teenagers only used it as a temporary meeting point and would go to other places when it got late.

The park has few surveillance cameras, so using the Spirit-Eye, Shin Higashiyama bypassed the close-range surveillance and other people, and walked all the way to the loose woods near the baseball field, successfully obtaining the skeleton and the Soul-Gathering Umbrella.

The paper figure still had a little spiritual power left, but he didn't intend to manipulate it to do anything. He simply told it to dig a hole by the lake and bury the black umbrella that Higashiyama Shin had brought, and then find a place where no one could see it and let it spontaneously combust into ashes.

Pat the Soul-Gathering Umbrella, and let Ueda inside turn the umbrella black.

Ueda obediently did as he was told.

Although they looked different, Ueda could tell that the strange person from before was the same person as the older brother in front of him.

"Brother, is this color right?"

"Ah."

Where are we going?

Ueda Yasushi had been taken away by Muto and used as a vessel, and even though he died, the psychological trauma remained.

"Go back to my home first. Mie Prefecture is a bit far. I'll find a time to bury your remains."

It's okay, no rush. Thank you. If it's not possible, burying it here is fine too.

Ueda said weakly, his tone humble.

Higashiyama Shin isn't in a hurry. It's only Monday, and Mie Prefecture is near Nagoya, not exactly close. He'll have to wait until Saturday or Sunday to use a trip as an excuse to take his younger brother there, but he might not be free this weekend.

(For convenience, the dates of the seven celestial bodies will not be used unless there is a special need.)

It is indeed possible that he will bury Ueda's remains back in Mie Prefecture this week, but it is unlikely that he will go to Mie Prefecture to bury Ueda's remains this week.

Just wait.

He's just that despicable.

On his way back, he stopped by a nearby convenience store and bought a lot of snacks as a cover.

While he was leisurely selecting snacks...

A tiny little commotion occurred at Komagome Academy.

"What the hell? Say that again?!"

The principal of Komagome Academy had just finished a banquet and was planning to go to Kabukicho for a massage to aid digestion, but after turning on his phone, he saw a bunch of missed calls. He quickly called back, and after listening to the report, he broke out in a cold sweat, the alcohol instantly sobering him up. He felt as if the sky was falling on him!

What?! I was just having dinner and you're telling me there's been a serious incident at school that left three dead and four injured?!

Are you crazy or am I crazy?

I glanced at the date, April 4th, and it's not April Fool's Day!

But after his subordinates repeatedly confirmed his concerns in an anxious tone, he finally accepted this disastrous start, almost to the point of cardiac arrest.

It was only the first day of school, and he was giving a safety speech at the opening ceremony that morning, and then someone died that night, damn it!

They shouldn't have chosen this date to start school!

"Did you call the police?"

"One of the security guards was being irresponsible and called the police immediately."

"Contact Mr. Shimazu of the Board of Education. Please cooperate fully with the police to ensure the injured students receive the best possible treatment. I'm back now."

Before the principal could even sort out his chaotic thoughts after hanging up the phone, another call came in.

"Chairman! It's me!"

He could only answer the phone and deal with the chairman's questioning while abandoning his car, hailing a taxi nearby, and rushing back to the school.

Wuwuwu——

Several police cars and ambulances stopped downstairs at the old teaching building, their rotating flashing lights turning the blooming cherry blossoms red and blue.

Blue and white police tape has been put up, and police are protecting the scene and collecting evidence from the deceased. Medical personnel are bringing out the injured and providing emergency treatment.

Two of them sustained more serious injuries: one suffered a head injury and was unconscious, while the other suffered a fracture from a fall. They had already been taken to the hospital. The other two sustained less serious injuries and, after receiving basic treatment, were immediately questioned by the police on the spot.

The police had no choice but to be so eager to obtain information, because by then the casualty figures had already been tallied.

Three dead and four injured.

This is undoubtedly an extremely heinous criminal offense.

Especially since the deceased were all minors, if not handled properly, it will inevitably attract a lot of attention and discussion from the public.

But is this bizarre death and strange scene really a murder that a human could commit?

"Where is the principal of Komagome Academy? Hasn't he arrived yet?"

"The school's head teacher just contacted him and he'll be here soon."

"The chairman of the board of directors of Komagome Academy also called."

"Pass this to Minister Iwaki. I don't care about this. Tell him to urge the principal to come over as soon as possible."

"Section Chief, the Education Committee members have arrived."

"What's the point of them coming?"

"They said it was to ensure the safety of the students."

"To prevent the situation from escalating, right? But now that three people have died, it's not something they can cover up just because they want to."

Inside the old teaching building, after listening to his subordinates' report, the head of the First Investigation Division, Taira no Ryu, once again fixed his gaze on Inoue, who was curled up on the floor, his eyes bulging, and one hand still tightly gripping his own throat even in death.

Ping Shenglong frowned, rubbing an unlit cigarette with his right hand.

"It can be preliminarily determined that the deceased's hands were either deliberately placed after death, or he himself strangled himself, resulting in mechanical asphyxiation. However, such a thing is theoretically difficult to achieve."

The forensic doctor cut off a piece of something resembling cling film and covered the incomplete, charred handprint on Inoue's shoulder for protection. Then he stood up, went to Heisei Ryu's side, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Theoretically speaking, if the force is strong enough in an instant, a person can break their own neck. Of course, this is just a theory, and his cause of death was suffocation, which is difficult to prove even theoretically."

"As a person gradually loses oxygen, the muscles in their arms will inevitably relax until they fall into a coma, and their hands will completely lose strength."

"So, how exactly did he manage to keep his neck tightly clenched while unconscious?"