Chapter 32: Move, Get Moving

Minazuki stood by, his attention split between the two people conversing inside Senso-ji Temple and the movements of Ryo Yamada.

This industrious little bee had been swift; having just received his mission, he had returned to Tokyo and happened to choose the Hanazono Inari Shrine in Ueno Park. By coincidence, he had crossed paths with Shinichi Kudo and his companions.

"Be careful. He is no ordinary person; he carries... the aura of the dead."

Inside her mind, Minamoto no Raiko issued a warning to Miku. Miku glanced sideways at the hooded man, and her heart skipped a beat. The "aura of the dead" did not sound like anything good. Fortunately, after standing in place for a few minutes, he left on his own. Miku let out a sigh of relief, then asked Minamoto no Raiko with a tone of uncertainty, "Will there be more people like him in the future?"

"I can feel the spiritual power of the world reviving. I fear that in the foreseeable future, gods and demons will descend once more."

Miku bit her lip. This was too heavy for a student who only cared about passing her exams. If such a world were to truly emerge, what would they do? She looked at her sisters: Ichika and Nino were discussing cosmetics, while Yotsuba was curious about the taste of the meat buns Itsuki had bought from a newly opened shop. She had considered telling them about the existence of gods and demons, but she had no proof; they would likely only worry that something was wrong with her head. Moreover, they were just ordinary people—mere ants in the face of gods and demons. If only she possessed the power of a general like Minamoto no Raiko to slay demons, perhaps everything would be different...

"You can!" Minamoto no Raiko’s voice in her mind suddenly turned excited. "If Miku wants to learn, I can teach you. I will certainly make Miku stronger."

"Is that really possible?"

"Of course!"

Setting aside the matching excitement of Miku and Minamoto no Raiko, Ryo Yamada, having just stepped out of the shrine, looked back at the path he had taken.

"Did that girl just discover me? Is she also an transcendent?"

Having experienced several killings, he was certain that her gaze had held shock and terror. However, since she had not exposed him, he figured... he wasn't sure if there would be trouble. Ryo Yamada shook his head slightly. Everyone he had killed was someone who had attacked him or committed grievous sins; he could not bring himself to harm such innocent people.

"Tokyo is truly a place where hidden tigers and crouching dragons reside. I must be more careful in my next move."

At Senso-ji, Minamoto no Raiko’s offer to mentor Miku was, of course, guided by Minazuki. The resident Tsuchigumo was currently "recovering" his strength and recruiting followers. In this short time, he had recruited not only the Karasu-tengu but also several other demons from nearby Chiba, preparing to incite a Hyakki Yagyō—the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

The Night Parade had no fixed form, but any demon capable of commanding a hundred ghosts was an incredibly powerful entity, and the Tsuchigumo fit that description. With the demon side working so hard, the human side naturally could not afford to fall behind. The black mist that had been scattered earlier had mostly manifested into demons, and various forms of chaos were about to strike. As for the battlefield...

"Tokyo. It must be Tokyo," Minazuki said.

After all, Japan’s population was so densely concentrated. The Tokyo metropolitan area and the Osaka metropolitan area held seventy percent of the nation's population. Most foreign tourists stayed in these two places, and a modernized metropolis perfectly suited the conditions for a Night Parade intended to intimidate the world.

"However, the human side’s martial strength is still lacking."

At the very least, they needed the capability to fight their way through a crowd of minions to reach the boss. With only Chiriku, Minamoto no Raiko, and Miku, they were too thin. It was time for his avatars to take action.

***

Inside the Metropolitan Police Department, Commissioner Hakuba, having returned from Senso-ji, looked at the three team members who had rejoined the force. The satisfaction in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Ishikawa Koshi, Saito Fushi, and Inoue Matsumoto—three excellent officers who had returned from Osaka and faced the Tsuchigumo head-on. Especially Ishikawa Koshi; as the captain, he had shown extraordinary courage by drawing his gun to fire at such a great demon during their first encounter.

"Hmph, those bastards in Kansai, daring to detain the brave officers of the Metropolitan Police. I’ll deal with you sooner or later."

"I apologize, Commissioner. I failed the mission," Ishikawa said, his expression filled with self-reproach.

The purpose of the trip to Osaka had been to gather intelligence, not to be bullied by police from Tokyo. In these days, they had learned about the Tsuchigumo’s actions from various sources. Over half the population of Yamabe County had perished—an undoubtedly tragic price to pay.

Commissioner Hakuba stepped forward, straightened the ties of the three men, and said solemnly, "You cannot be blamed for this. To dare to draw your weapons and fight back against such an existence—you are heroes!"

Stepping back, the Commissioner asked in a deep voice, "In my capacity as Commissioner, I invite you to join the newly established Transcendent Division. This division will report directly to me. All resources will be supplied to the Transcendent Division on a priority basis. You will have the most elite teammates and the finest equipment. You carry the future of this country on your shoulders!"

These heartfelt words instantly stirred the young Saito Fushi. Not just him, but Inoue Matsumoto and Ishikawa Koshi were also deeply moved. This was a promise from the Commissioner, and one could imagine the immense power that would come with joining such a department. However, immense power also carried immense risk. Dealing with transcendent beings was the greatest risk of all. Having faced the Tsuchigumo, they understood clearly that such monsters were not the feast that the "big shots" sitting in Tokyo coveted; on the contrary, in the eyes of the transcendent, the powerful and the ordinary were no different—both were weaklings that could be crushed with a single poke.

The two veteran officers immediately understood the Commissioner's intent: they were the greatest assets, having faced such transcendents and returned alive. Their choice was, of course:

"I will join!"

Commissioner Hakuba nodded in satisfaction and introduced Asakawa Yuuya, who had been standing silently to the side.

"This is the first Chief of the Transcendent Division, Superintendent Asakawa. Aside from the Tsuchigumo incident, he has participated in every transcendent event the department has faced so far. The transcendent materials obtained in recent incidents were all recovered by teams he personally led."

The three men looked on with profound respect. They knew the Commissioner was building up Asakawa Yuuya’s reputation, but regardless of his actual strength, the fact that he had faced so many transcendent events and survived was the greatest proof of his capability.

Extraordinary courage!

Selecting Asakawa Yuuya as the head of the Transcendent Division had naturally been obstructed by various factions; everyone could see the importance of this position in the future. But Commissioner Hakuba had silenced the competition with one sentence:

"The Transcendent Division requires someone who leads from the front. Which of your candidates can do that? Who can face demons multiple times like Superintendent Asakawa and not die? If you can find one, I will personally elevate them to Chief of the Transcendent Division!"

Commissioner Hakuba knew this was only a temporary retreat; when interests aligned or if Asakawa Yuuya showed a weakness, those hyenas would return. However, he had no time to deal with them now; his mind was clouded with frustration over the conversation at Senso-ji.

A great demon... if great demons like the Tsuchigumo appeared one after another, could they hold their ground now that the gods had yet to appear? One had to remember that the Tsuchigumo of that day... had been sealed for a thousand years! Yet, even such a being was not among the three most famous demons in Japan.

"Literature has no first, martial arts has no second"—it was a simple enough principle. Especially for demons known for their martial prowess, yet even in such circumstances, certain demons had always occupied a place on the list.

Thinking of this, the joy of establishing the Transcendent Division vanished.

"Oh, gods..."

He felt bitter. Why was it that apart from the Holy Kannon enlightening Master Chiriku, the gods of other shrines had no reaction? And then there was the news of the Yellow Springs. He wondered whether he should disclose it. Once these powerful figures learned of the destination of human souls after death, would it trigger a massive upheaval?