I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

"I must have been out of my mind to get married... I should work a few more years and then retire. Anyway, with Mafuyu becoming a warning officer, he can easily protect me."

"Don't talk about me."

She waved her hand: "How are things going between you and that girl?"

"—Her surname is Tokugawa."

Nanjo Ai-mi was stunned for a long time.

After a long silence, she could only sigh softly.

"Then do your best, Uesugi-kun."

……

Five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

With a wealth of achievements, Shizuma Mafuyu became the renowned Superintendent General of Police, while Nanjo Manami remained a police inspector.

In addition, the name of "Tiger of the Metropolitan Police Department" Uesugi Tetsu is well-known throughout Tokyo and even the eastern region.

Over the past five years, Tokyo's crime rate has dropped by a full ten percent because of this man.

In the office, the mature and intellectual Shizuma Mafuyu spoke earnestly to the man before her.

"If it were Uesugi-kun, he could definitely become a Superintendent General... That's what I think."

"No, Mafuyu-nee."

Uesugi Tetsu took off his police cap and placed it on the wooden table: "I just don't want to disappoint those who are still waiting for me."

"Is that right?"

"Is such that."

Shizuma Mafuyu stood up and bowed slightly to him, just as she had done when they first met.

"Well then, I wish you a safe journey, Uesugi-kun."

—Stepping out of the Metropolitan Police Department, twelve years after their parting under that cherry blossom tree, Uesugi Tetsu dialed that familiar yet unfamiliar number for the first time.

After an anxious and agonizing wait, the call was finally answered.

A voice spoke softly from the other end, giving an address that was very, very far away.

Uesugi Tetsu calmly responded, and then, just like every night for the past long period of time, he rushed over with all his might.

Until I saw that familiar back view that hadn't changed at all.

"Lilizi——"

He took a deep breath, trembling, and finally answered the question from the girl who had just graduated from high school twelve years ago.

……

[Branch 1: The Correct Answer Twelve Years Late]

From the chaos, a new branch extends out from countless surging possibilities.

Then, in a daze, Uesugi Tetsu opened his eyes again and looked at the heavy, dusty token in his hand.

The words “Walking” are engraved on it in an ancient style.

Chapter 229 The Story of Walking and the Demon King, the End of All Branches and Possibilities!

Kyoto, headquarters of the Yin-Yang Bureau.

Since Tokyo fell three years ago under the simultaneous onslaught of the five sufferings of love, separation, birth, old age, sickness, and death, this place has become the capital and military center of the nation.

The population density outside the headquarters area is frighteningly high, making it seem exceptionally lively. However, as soon as you get close to the Yin-Yang Bureau headquarters, you'll find that there are guards every three steps and sentries every five steps.

The monks, their faces covered in iron and wielding sharp weapons, patrolled silently, while a dozen or so illusory figures occasionally flitted through the shadows.

There was silence.

Amidst this strict patrol, signs symbolizing extremely high status were lowered, and a meeting that could potentially determine the fate of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, was being held.

Before the government envoys, representatives of the three major families, and representatives of the ancient Onmyoji families, the aged man, the Grand Onmyo Master of the Onmyo Bureau and also a great Onmyoji, placed his hands on the table and spoke thus.

“During the period when the eternal world ceases to merge with the present world, he is the greatest threat to Kyoto.”

"The biggest threat?"

Among the Onmyoji families, a young man laughed: "No matter how great the threat, can it be greater than any of the world's existing powers?"

"of course."

Yin Yang Da Yun waved his hand.

The spiritual energy flickered, forming lines of text and clear images in mid-air.

"—For more than three years, he has been using unknown means to travel freely between the mortal world and the real world, launching terrorist attacks in different cities."

For this reason, it not only caused economic losses exceeding tens of billions of yen, but also directly resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of superhumans, as well as countless indirect casualties.

The young man fell silent.

A deathly silence fell over the makeshift meeting room.

"besides."

An envoy from the government spoke, conveying a message from above: "Nanjo Manami, who once belonged to the Bureau of Yin and Yang, has openly betrayed the present world and chosen to side with the side of the eternal world."

The envoy, mimicking the cold tone of the text, said...

"This is utterly disgraceful!"

"Leaving aside Nanjo Aimi for now, no matter what, she can't cause any big trouble on her own." The representative of the Minamoto family spoke up, tapping the table with his hand. "The key is that person, and that inexplicably appearing country in the Eternal World."

"They appeared out of nowhere, grew stronger out of nowhere, and inexplicably signed non-aggression pacts with those worldly powers."

The Tokugawa representative raised his indifferent eyes.

"Its existence has led many people to have wicked thoughts."

The government envoy asked, "That person, shouldn't they have been a human from this world... So, have you tried to recruit them? Or at least mediate a conflict with them?"

The envoy emphasized that,

"We can offer very generous terms."

Then Yin Yang Da Yun laughed: "We tried this idea more than two years ago."

Since Yin Yang Da Yun has spoken in this way, it means that this idea has undoubtedly failed.

Completely.

“Then send a joint army to wipe them out.” The Tokugawa representative lowered his eyes. “The old patriarch said that you can borrow the Star.”

Yin Yang Da Yun's expression first showed a slight joy, but then he sighed repeatedly: "I thank the old patriarch for his generosity on behalf of the Yin Yang Bureau... but if we could pinpoint the other party's location accurately, we would have done so long ago."

"It's as if the other side has the ability to predict the future—every time we send out a small force, it gets wiped out, but if we send in real experts, they return empty-handed."

Yin Yang Da Yun was quite helpless.

Even the demonic forces of the mortal world have never truly located that person's position relative to his kingdom.

In the corner, the elderly man representing Tsuchimikado put down the bamboo skewer in his hand and spoke solemnly.

“He poses a far greater threat than the factory owners’ combat units right in front of us, and needs to be eliminated as soon as possible.”

Everyone present looked at the blood-red to black bamboo skewer placed on the table, and couldn't help but show solemn expressions.

Even the representatives who were initially drowsy sat up straight and adopted a listening posture.

The government envoy breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. He was about to speak again when he was interrupted by a faint female voice.

"But that person said he was doing the right thing."

The messenger looked in that direction and saw a woman holding a scepter and with her eyes covered by a black cloth.

The sign in front of her seat silenced the messenger.

——【Yin-Yang Power Assistance · Kujo Tsubaki】.

Kujo Tsubaki said softly, "So, perhaps we can give him some more time..."

"Kujo Gonsuke, you are too kind."

The old man coldly interrupted her, slamming his fist heavily on the table: "You need to know, we are the ones in the right, the Onmyoji Bureau and the official authorities are!"

Kujo Tsubaki did not reply.

She simply shut her mouth calmly, no longer doing anything futile.

She never expected the Yin-Yang Bureau to be "correct," but she always strived to be "as correct as possible."

Now it seems that she's almost unable to do even something like that.

At this moment, someone scoffed impatiently, releasing a powerful aura: "After talking for so long... then, Your Excellency, what is that person's name?"

"--walk."

Yin Yang Dayun spoke in a hoarse voice: "He suddenly appeared three years ago, but the deeper we investigate, the more we find that behind many things from five years ago, ten years ago, and even decades or hundreds of years ago, there are traces of his presence."

"Are you kidding?"

The man who had just scoffed froze, his face filled with astonishment.

You know, there aren't many people in the world who are over a hundred years old, let alone someone who was behind some major events back then.

The information also states that the person walking around looks no more than a few decades old.

How old are you?

So what is he? Is he a true god who has survived from nearly two hundred years ago to the present day?

"But the good news is that a reputable and well-informed businessman offered us his position."

Yin Yang Da Yun waved his hand again, and a map of the mortal world appeared before everyone's eyes.

He held up his finger.

"Three days later, Xingzou will appear here alone, supposedly to meet a celestial craftsman... and when Xingzou leaves his kingdom, he will be at his weakest."

Even an ordinary ghost or deity cannot match it.

"Commissioner Haruhiko, you must take this opportunity to kill him."

Tokugawa Haruhiko, a five-star specialist at the Onmyōryō, raised an eyebrow, revealing a rare look of interest.

He grinned and nodded: "Leave it to me."

Even ghosts and gods can do it.

For him, there was no possibility of failure in such a task.

After giving his final instructions, Tokugawa Haruhiko confidently pushed open the conference room door and disappeared into the thick darkness along with the powerful ninjas who had been hiding in the shadows for who knows how long.

……

What brought the dying Tokugawa Haruhiko back to his senses was the relaxed conversation of a man and a woman.

"Nanjo-nee, you must have made this yourself..."

The woman feeding him stuck out her tongue: "Sorry, I was so hungry last night that I couldn't help but eat an extra box."

She glanced at him and said, "Actually... my cooking skills are not bad, right?"

On the wooden chair, the exhausted man struggled to swallow the awful food, and after a few seconds, he reluctantly said...

"Yeah, not bad."

The woman then curled her lips into a smile.

Upon opening his eyes, Tokugawa Haruhiko woke up almost instantly.

His eyes widened in terror, his heart nearly stopping.

He stared intently at the white-haired woman holding the lunchbox and spoon.

Upon seeing her gaze, he couldn't help but shrink back, only to find himself completely bound and unable to move even a finger.

asphyxia.

Tokugawa Haruhiko will never forget that moment.