But a moment later, Uesugi Tetsu walked into the elevator as if nothing had happened, turned around, and watched the old man and the young man's figures gradually disappear into the blazing sunlight at the doorway.

Since the other party used such a sophisticated method of transmitting sound, he certainly didn't want to make any excessive reaction that would let other people know that he had said those words to him.

Uesugi Tetsu's response was quite good.

However, Tokugawa Motoyasu didn't hear anything about it at all, but still casually asked Tokugawa Ryuji as he walked out of the Special Affairs Office building.

"Long Er, what did you just say to that kid?"

“I told him to get away from my little sister,” Tokugawa Ryuji replied with a cold sneer. “Such a mediocre status and bloodline will only harm my little sister.”

"Hmm... Ryuji, there's really no need to be so direct."

After the driver opened the car door, Tokugawa Motoyasu, who had gotten into the car, said with a smile, "If Uesugi Tetsu has enough potential, it's not impossible for him to marry into the Tokugawa family."

Ryuji Tokugawa, who boarded the train from the other side, nodded after a moment of imperceptible stiffness: "Ryuji will keep in mind his great-grandfather's teachings."

The old man couldn't stop laughing.

"Good boy, good boy."

……

Once inside the elevator, Uesugi Tetsu recalled the young man who had walked past him and secretly passed on a message, and his right hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword.

This is an instinctive reaction that is almost impossible to suppress.

At first glance, the young man might seem like an ordinary person, but once Uesugi Tetsu recalled it and delved deeper, he could clearly perceive the suffocating pressure and aura emanating from him.

Just thinking about it made Uesugi Tetsuya feel breathless.

This wasn't about how strong the opponent was, but rather that they had absolutely no chance of winning, and weren't even sure if they had a chance to escape.

Because the young man felt much stronger than Shingo Kujo, whom he had met before, who had leveled a small hill with a single Yin-Yang technique.

It might even be more powerful than Tokugawa Hoshi.

Among hundreds and thousands of ghosts and gods, he should be among the top tier, practically invincible.

There's another familiar feeling...

Uesugi Tetsu had felt it in Ririko before—yes, it was the sword domain belonging to a swordsman.

This young man is not only the strongest among the demons and gods, but also at least a swordsman of the same level as Ririko in terms of swordsmanship!

Uesugi Tetsuya took a silent breath.

If you think about it that way, wouldn't the target range be narrowed down by a huge amount?

Among the younger generation, who else could achieve such an almost outrageous feat, know Ririko, and say such things to themselves?

It's either Ririko's second or eldest brother.

Uesugi Tetsu rarely heard Ririko talk about her second brother, so the young man from earlier must have been her eldest brother.

Tokugawa Ryuji.

That old man walking in front of Tokugawa Ryuji...

What are they doing at the Special Affairs Office building at this time?

Uesugi Tetsu rubbed his fingers, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

After the elevator doors opened with a ding, Uesugi Tetsu walked straight towards Nanjo Aimi's office.

dong dong dong.

crunch.

A small head peeked out from behind the heavy, soundproof wooden door, flashing a businesslike smile.

Chisa opened the door.

But when she looked up and saw who was knocking, the slight hesitation that had been hidden beneath Chisa's smile vanished instantly.

"Huh? Uesugi-kun?"

She blinked her big eyes and quickly pushed open the wooden door, gesturing for Uesugi Tetsu to come in.

Uesugi Tetsuya, who was surprised that a child laborer had opened the door, first glanced at Nanjo Manami and the documents on her desk before smiling at Chisa.

"Chisa-chan, you've become quite skilled at your job in just a few days."

"Hehe, no, not really~"

The girl blushed slightly, then hurriedly brought over a chair: "Please sit down, Uesugi-nii."

Uesugi Tetsuya didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. Afterwards, he heard Nanjo Ai-mi speak to him.

"Chisa is very adaptable and has completely mastered this high-intensity clerical work."

"That's a good thing."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded: "But compared to this..."

"Um, Uesugi-san and Nanjo-sama, you two talk first!"

The perceptive Chisa immediately sensed that what was about to happen was something she shouldn't hear, so she took the initiative to leave the office: "Matsu-nee needs my help!"

With a bang, the door slammed shut again.

Nanjo Ai-mi shrugged: "See, I told you, she's completely got it under control."

At such a young age, she has mastered the ultimate secret of this country—reading the air—that no one can do without. Chisa-chan… It’s not just terrifying, it’s downright terrifying!

Uesugi Tetsu smiled and shook his head, then said seriously,

“Nanjo-nee, I ran into an old man and a young man when I went upstairs just now. I suspect that the young man is Tokugawa Ryuji of the Tokugawa family.”

“That’s Tokugawa Ryuji.” Nanjo Manami didn’t keep them in suspense and directly confirmed Uesugi Tetsu’s statement. “That old man is also the current head of the Tokugawa family, Tokugawa Motoyasu.”

"Tokugawa Motoyasu?"

Uesugi Tetsuya was taken aback upon hearing this strange name.

Then he immediately realized that the old man who was on his deathbed and could barely walk was Ririko, and also the "great-grandfather" that Tokugawa Haruhiko had mentioned.

This old man, apart from his clothes, looks no different from an ordinary old man at first glance.

No wonder.

If Tokugawa were to become the ruler, it would be no simple matter.

Upon learning the identities of the two individuals, the office fell silent for a moment.

Uesugi Tetsu was thinking.

Should we tell Ririko about the arrival of these two from the Tokugawa family in Tokyo?

He was worried that if he told her, he wouldn't be able to stop the impulsive Ririko... but she was an adult and should know about this.

After a brief hesitation, Uesugi Tetsuya decided that he should at least let Ririko know about this.

Nanjo Manami saw through Uesugi Tetsuya's thoughts, so she tapped the table with her finger to attract his attention before speaking.

“I already told Ririko about this before you came up here, and she has the right to know.”

"Thanks……"

Uesugi Tetsu instinctively wanted to thank her, but then realized what Nanjo Manami had said: "Huh? What did she say?"

“She didn’t say much.” Nanjo Manami shrugged. “‘I understand,’ that was her exact words.”

"There's no need to worry about her doing anything stupid."

Nanjo Manami clicked the mouse and then turned the screen back: "Look, he's currently kicking and punching in the group stage, being a strict father to someone else."

In the live broadcast, Ririko, dressed in a white combat suit, didn't even draw the bamboo sword at her waist, relying solely on her fists and physical skills to beat up her opponent who refused to admit defeat.

On the screen, Ririko's opponent had been beaten black and blue, with blood and teeth scattered all over the ground, looking worse than a sandbag that had served for ten years.

Even so, he still managed to stand up, his consciousness swaying, and took a strange, awkward stance with his katana.

Uesugi Tetsuya knew that Ririko would show no mercy to such a respectable opponent.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but silently mourn for the boy on the stage for half a second.

"Moreover, during the seeding battle, Ririko is a participant," Nanjo Manami said calmly. "With the backing of the Special Affairs Bureau, at least during this period, the Tokugawa family cannot do anything to her."

After saying this, Uesugi Tetsu understood what Tokugawa Ryuji meant when he said it.

Should we run away with Ririko...?

"It's a good thing that you don't act impulsively."

Uesugi Tetsu breathed a sigh of relief: "I was afraid that if she found out about this, she would come to see him with a knife without saying a word, wanting to kill the old man with one blow, but she failed. That would really be a disaster."

"Thanks, Nanjo-nee."

"Harmful."

Nanjo Ai waved her hand.

Uesugi Tetsu then fell into deep thought—this "great-grandfather" had clearly set his sights on Ririko, and had even gone to Tokyo to test Nanjo-nee's attitude towards Ririko.

So the moment when we officially draw our swords against Tokugawa lord may not be far off.

Before that, the first thing to do is to distinguish between friend and foe within the Tokugawa clan.

First of all, Tokugawa Hoshi will definitely help Ririko, that goes without saying; Tokugawa Haruhiko will also definitely be with that old man.

As for Tokugawa Ryuji, whom we just met... emotionally speaking, he is probably on Ririko's side.

However, there is a high probability that he will become the next Tokugawa leader. Considering this, as well as the attitudes of Tokugawa Ryuji and that old man, it's hard to say.

Needless to say, the majority of the Tokugawa clan's internal power undoubtedly supports the current head of the family.

Uesugi Tetsu's expression darkened.

From this perspective, almost no one stands behind Ririko; at most, it's just a few younger people who have watched her grow up.

strength.

What I need now is to improve my skills.

Whether it's a seeding battle or a dispute that may come in the near future.

Of course, Uesugi Tetsuya hadn't forgotten his original purpose for coming to the Special Affairs Department.

He asked, "Nanjo-nee, I heard that the Special Affairs Department has built a new high-concentration spiritual energy training room?"

"I just had a Taoist master who happened to be passing by fix it up a couple of days ago. It's the only one with a hundred times the concentration of spiritual energy, right next to the place you stayed before. Want to get it done?"

Nanjo Manami wasn't surprised that he was so well-informed.

“Okay!” Uesugi Tetsuya nodded immediately.

"After you go in, I'll add another boost by increasing the spiritual energy concentration inside to two hundred times. There's been an abundance of spiritual energy lately, more than we can use."

Nanjo Manami snapped her fingers: "Your mastery of spirit control is quite high, you shouldn't be overwhelmed."

"However... if you can't suck it all in, just open your mouth, don't let it explode inside."

Is it really possible for a person to be burst apart by spiritual energy?

Uesugi Tetsuya shuddered at the thought of that scene.

He stood up, but then stopped, as if remembering something, and turned back to ask,

"By the way, Chisa's decision..."

"She's probably still hesitating."

Nanjo Manami leaned back in the soft chair and yawned.

"I'm torn between becoming a top-notch, safe clerk who can also make significant contributions, and a superhuman who, despite great effort, might end up with nothing."

In short, give your child more time.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. After Nanjo Ai said "Come in," Chisa, carrying a paper bag, opened the door.

She glanced at Uesugi Tetsuya, who was turning around and meeting Nanjo Manami's gaze, and asked softly.

"What's wrong?"

"No, Chisa, thank you for your hard work."

Nanjo Ai pointed to her legs, indicating to put the things there, and then suggested to the girl, "Chisa, didn't your sister come to Tokyo too?"

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like