Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 200, Section 198: Passing the Torch

School clubs are full of lunatics!
Muramasa Takii knew before that Komagome Academy was full of talented people, with outstanding talents and brilliant minds.

But at that time she mainly stayed in her comfort zone and only participated in the literature department, so it wasn't until she came into contact with other clubs today that she truly understood the meaning of it.

There wasn't a single decent person in there, which has led her to see everyone as an oddball now. No wonder the authorities gave up on a thorough investigation; they must have been driven to the brink of collapse by the investigation.

First, the head of the archery club spoke eloquently and subtly persuaded her to try shooting more than fifty different bows. The next second, a banner was put up that read, "Inside is a display of the ninth generation Muramasa's official bow. You can try it out yourself if you join the club," in order to attract more people.

After learning about Haruko Minamikawa's actions, the swimming club president was greatly inspired and shamelessly asked Taki Muramasa to soak his feet in the pool water, declaring that they would not change the pool water from now on, treating it as a sacred pool and vowing to protect it to the death, and that the school should build another one themselves.

Takii could no longer hold back. He cleaved the pool water in two with a single stroke, sending the waves crashing down on the swimmers and leaving in a huff.

The swimming club has been awarded the title of the worst club, and it is estimated that there will be a wave of resignations the next day. It will fall from its perennial third place position, and the kendo club will benefit from this.

"Go to Honmyoji Temple."

"Understood, Ms. Muramasa."

Sitting in the official car arranged for her, Taki felt that she probably wouldn't be able to find out anything from the school.

I decided to abandon the investigation plan, which can be seen as making peace with myself both physically and mentally.

Besides her school schedule, she also made an appointment with Honmyoji Temple today to subtly inquire about the protagonist of "Shinobi Heart," Banto.

As a weapon master, she was curious about the Broken Fire Pill and wanted to know where that sword ended up.

Was it lost in the castle tower, or was it found by Hosei and buried with Banto's ashes?

Upon arriving at Honmyoji Temple, Nichijo was already waiting at the entrance.

I hadn't seen him for half a month, and he looked much thinner, exuding a Buddhist air of detachment from worldly affairs.

"On behalf of Venerable Facheng and my master, I thank Benefactor Muramasa for personally ending the calamity of the demon sword. Namo Myoho Renge Kyo." Richeng sighed and led Taki into the temple.

“I am the one who needs to thank them; they saved the Muramasa family.” Taki looked around the temple; there were no major changes.

If I had to say something, it would be that there are so many surveillance cameras around that no corner is left untouched.

"You must have some questions you need answered, benefactor. Please ask, this humble monk will answer to the best of my knowledge." Upon entering the reception room, the monk invited Takii to sit down. Before serving tea, he handed him a can of oolong tea. "This was left behind by the police who stayed there earlier. They didn't take it. There are still many left."

Takii and Richeng were fairly familiar with each other, so there was no need for formalities: "I'd like to know, besides the ancient texts, is there any other information about Hosei and the demon sword that has been passed down?"

After listening, Ri Cheng shook his head: "The police have asked about this many times, and I have searched again and again, but there is really nothing. Master Facheng disappeared as if he vanished into thin air, leaving no record except for that book."

Takii knew roughly why.

After defeating the Fourth Muramasa and capturing the demon sword, Hosei changed his Buddhist name for some unknown reason.

Was Honmyoji Temple here rebuilt after the Great Fire of Meireki?

"That's right. Back then, Honmyoji Temple was completely destroyed by the Great Fire of the Ming Dynasty. It was the disciples of the original temple who rebuilt Honmyoji Temple. However, this is not the original site."

Are there any ancient tombs remaining inside the temple?

Ri Cheng repeated softly, "Ancient tombs, of course we have them. Would you like me to take you to see them?"

Since Takii didn't bring it up, he didn't ask why.

Before it got dark, Nichijo led Takii through the cemetery in the temple, but after walking around for a while, it was already dark, and they still couldn't find the tomb of the Lantern-bearer.

There are some unmarked monuments among them. Could the lamp-bearer be one of them?
She suddenly thought of something: "Is there a place in Honmyoji Temple where the predecessors instructed that lamps should always be kept lit?"

Ri Cheng was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized: "Yes, there is a small stele for an ever-burning lamp near the main hall. It is said that it was erected by the ancestors who founded the temple, requiring the lamp to never go out and to burn eternally throughout the night."

Upon hearing this, Taki knew she hadn't guessed wrong.

She had seen the location Ri Cheng had mentioned, but she had never given it much thought or paid any special attention to it.

The two walked to the eternally burning stone tablet, on one side of which was a dilapidated oil lamp that was still burning.

Judging from the marks, it has been replaced multiple times. There are frequent cleaning marks around the floor, forming a worn area.

[May the lamp burn eternally, and may the torch be passed on even when the fire is extinguished.]

The inscription on the monument contains these eight characters. If you haven't played the game, you would only think it's a kind of admonition about passing on the torch. You would never guess that Ban Deng and her Duan Huo Wan are buried underneath.

After standing in front of the monument for a few seconds, Takii no longer wanted to dig out the Duanhuomaru. She felt that it was the best ending for the sword to rest peacefully in the ground with its owner.

She just didn't want to dig, but other players might want to.

Compared to falling into the hands of other ill-intentioned players, the little bit of guilt I felt after digging it out was nothing.

After thinking it over and over, she looked around at the cameras and dialed Leon's number.

Half an hour later, an experienced construction team arrived and began carefully working without saying a word. After some effort, they dug out a jar of ashes and a worn-out katana.

She held the Fire-Breaking Pill in her hand and felt a slight surge of energy.

This was something that none of the weapons she forged possessed, so much so that when she held it in her hand, it seemed to have an extra energy that other weapons did not have.

Concentrating her mind, she subtly moved her thoughts, causing the candlelight in the temple to flicker around her.

It can't be called fire control, but it at least has some influence and has some potential for growth.

The nine-character inscription on the hilt of the knife is still faintly discernible; it is unknown whether any trace of its spiritual essence remains.

He had the urn put back in its original place, the stone tablet was reset, and Taki held the knife, looking at the four characters "Passing on the Torch" on the tablet. He wasn't sure if he was deceiving himself, but he had a different feeling than before.

Perhaps when Fa Cheng buried this knife, he guessed that one day, Duanhuomaru would see the light of day again.

He hopes that the person who wields this knife will inherit Ban Deng's spirit of stepping forward in critical moments to eliminate harm for the people.

Takii's ears twitched, and she looked toward a dark corner on the temple roof where some noises had just come from, but quickly disappeared after she noticed them.

Sure enough, other players have already set their sights on this place, possibly Demon Mist or other players.

This is not surprising. The relationship between players is now like that of hunters in a dark forest. Even if they have a cooperative relationship on the surface, no one dares to let their guard down completely.

If you don't seize an opportunity to improve your strength, then when others improve their strength, it means you are at greater risk.

This forces them to prevent other players from obtaining opportunities they don't want themselves.

Even if it's difficult to stop, it's best to let this opportunity fall into the hands of a player you know well.

Nobita established the Players' Mutual Aid Association to prevent the spread of this chain of suspicion and to foster more trust among players.

It's having some effect now, but the underlying logic remains unchanged. When the temptation is strong enough, the alliance is as fragile as rotten rust.

“Master Richeng, I apologize for disturbing you today.”

"Helping you is also helping all living beings."

Taki took his leave of Hijiki and returned to a residence not far from the school.

The villa in the port area was too far away, so when she needed to go to school, she lived in a detached house she had previously rented in Bunkyo Ward.

It has now been purchased by the official organization and given to her as a gift.

In the car, as she examined the Fireball in her hand, the phone rang urgently. "Ms. Muramasa, the presence of the Demon Mist has been detected near you. It has occupied an office building and taken a group of high-ranking officials hostage."

Takii couldn't help but put down her phone and glance at the time displayed: past midnight.

A meeting? Now?

Taki opened the window and looked at the office building pointed to on the other end of the phone. With her sharp eyes, she quickly spotted a figure being thrown down from a high place, and the wind carried a faint howl.

Yao Wu has rarely made a high-profile appearance recently, probably because he doesn't want to have too much of a falling out with Muramasa. Even when he is discovered, he doesn't confront him but quickly disappears from the scene, avoiding the possibility of a direct confrontation with Taki.

And now, his sudden and coincident public appearance near her is clearly aimed at her.

The purpose is self-evident.

So, was it the demonic mist that just revealed its whereabouts at Honmyoji Temple?
"Okay, I'll go over now."

Taki asked the driver to change the destination and pulled out his personal protective equipment.

Demon Cutter, Hook, Kunai, and now we need to add a Fire-Slaying Pill.

The car stopped downstairs at the office building, which was already surrounded by the superhuman assault force, and the Talos squad was on its way.

"Ms. Muramasa, we can confirm that the demonic mist is still on the eighteenth floor, holding twenty employees of a company hostage. There should still be eighteen people alive." The on-site commander had only spoken halfway when a scream rang out and another person was thrown down.

With lightning speed, Takii swung the grappling hook to catch the streetlight and leaped up to catch the middle-aged woman who was falling at high speed.

The streetlights were bent under the weight of the weight, and only Taki's superb stress-relieving skills prevented them from breaking.

The woman was panting heavily, her eyes unfocused. Suddenly, she grabbed a street lamp and refused to let go, babbling incoherently.

Now that she had been rescued, Taki didn't care about anything else. She grabbed a spare rope, hung her on the bent lamppost, and then lowered herself back to the ground.

The officers instinctively clapped, as a heartfelt tribute to this dramatic, cinematic scene.

"She seems a little mentally unstable. Let her hang there for a while."

"Uh, okay, Ms. Muramasa, is there anything we can do to assist you?" The on-site commander turned his gaze away from the woman on the streetlight, feeling anxious, afraid that Taki might actually need something.

"Send me the 3D map." Takii activated the holographic function on her wristwatch and clicked to receive.

The on-site commander breathed a sigh of relief and quickly sent the map over remotely.

"Once the Talos team arrives, they will instruct you to protect the scene and prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching."

The official weapon against the demonic mist has been developed, and a special Y-shaped assault team has been established, consisting of some members of the Talos squad plus support personnel.

"Yes, I promise to complete the mission!"

The on-site commander saluted, even though Muramasa Takii did not actually have command authority.

But the reality is that even if his superiors were on site, he wouldn't dare disobey their orders.

There was nothing wrong with what he did.

Takii flicked his grappling hook, entered through a broken window on one of the floors, and disappeared.

"Captain, should we bring that woman down?" The subordinate saw Taki enter the office building, took two steps closer, and pointed at the woman under the streetlight.

"Didn't you hear what Ms. Muramasa said? Tell her to hang it for a while." The commander strictly followed the order.

"How long do you mean by 'hanging for a while'?"

"At least fifteen minutes." The commander figured out a suitable time. "Besides, isn't this position quite suitable for someone like her?"

In the office building, Taki quickly rushed upwards, but before she reached the eighteenth floor, she encountered Iwasaki blocking her way.

He was not in a demonic mist form, but a physical figure standing at the top of the stairs, his face dark and unfathomable under the emergency lights.

“‘Zheng,’ would you like to make a deal?” Iwasaki asked.

"If you want the Firebreaker, then forget about it." Taki shook his head, turned off his electronic devices, strapped the Firebreaker to his back, and held the Demon Slayer in his hand.

Iwasaki paused for a few seconds: "I have a guess. The difficulty of the next game will be increased, and correspondingly, the disasters that occur in reality will be more intense than ever before."

"What's the basis?"

"A game intuition."

"You probably don't play that many games."

Iwasaki wasn't too surprised to hear this.

Taki knew his true identity; he had anticipated this.

It was precisely because he remained undisclosed during this period that he was willing to appear and negotiate a deal with Taki.

"That's not a small amount. If we want to stop that disaster, we'll probably need the cooperation of all the players." Iwasaki's words were essentially a deception.

"If you want to exchange your efforts for the Fire-Breaking Pill, aren't you being a bit too greedy?"

Giving away the weapon she created herself was the limit of what she could do to aid the enemy, because the weapon did indeed have a backdoor that prevented it from being used against her personally.

The Fire-Breaking Pill clearly possesses certain growth potential and extraordinary attributes, and giving it to Iwasaki would greatly enhance his combat power.

“Maintaining the existing human order is good for all of us. If we really face complete annihilation, I will naturally take action.” Iwasaki shook his head. If everyone dies, where will he get supplies for sacrifices?

Now he understands the importance of sustainability and avoiding overexploitation to prevent scaring away gangsters or unscrupulous capitalists.

"So what do you want to say?" Takii remained vigilant.

"For this temporary cooperation, I need to sacrifice a group of people. If you give up trying to stop me, I will take the initiative to appear when the great disaster strikes and stand on the same side as you."

"Are you so sure that the so-called great disaster will happen?" Takii didn't expect that the other party really seemed to have given up on demanding the Fire-Breaking Pill.

"pretty close."

"Whom do you want to sacrifice?" For Iwasaki to propose such a deal so solemnly, those people must be of great importance, and he will probably make a big scene.

Iwasaki gently shook his head: "I can't tell you for now, but it won't be the Emperor or the Prime Minister, and it has nothing to do with you."

Takii frowned.

Most of the people Iwasaki killed had verifiable crimes, and while there were innocent victims, they were few in number. This is why she, who leans towards order, could tolerate their existence.

As for the major disaster he mentioned, "Yue" had also vaguely expressed concern, but had not yet finished organizing the clues.

"I may refrain from acting, but I cannot guarantee that others will not act. The premise is that you are killing a guilty person."

In the end, Taki agreed to the deal.

“That’s enough.” Iwasaki nodded. “That person is indeed guilty.”

"And their sins are grave."

(End of this chapter)