Tokyo Trickster

【The Sun】? She raised her eyebrows. Why is he such a chatterbox again? And he is an old man who likes to chat with Amamiya Ren. It is really endless. 【Moderation】From "Kawakami" to Xiao Cong Yu, she gritted her teeth and endured it.

But this man with outstanding speaking ability once created a feat of occupying Amamiya Ren's free time for two weeks. He was dealing with serious and just matters, leaving no room for the girls to intervene.

17-year-old ace: 245. Dongxiang

[Well-known lawyer Naruhodō Ryuichi is suspected of...five crimes including intentional injury and is under police control. 】

Such news was being broadcast on the TV screen on the hotel wall, which still had the protective film on it.

Amamiya Ren sat on a high stool in front of the counter, holding a bowl of his signature beef rice. He looked at the content on the TV screen with a dazed expression.

Is it true that Naruhodō...can lose a lawsuit?

He used a spoon to push away the thick layer of stewed soft beef covering the rice. The steaming hot air carried the mellow aroma of beef fat. In the light, the golden yolk of the runny egg flowed between the white rice and the brown beef, becoming the finishing touch that made the painting three-dimensional.

I started to recall all the information I had collected during this period...

My eyes suddenly fixed on the middle-aged man next to me who was concentrating on shoveling rice into his mouth with chopsticks.

Yoshida Toranosuke. He once became a member of the National Assembly with the help of a nobleman, and entered the center of power with his unique political ideas. Although he had a very impressive speaking eloquence, his strong personality and ideas were not recognized by the masses and his peers, and he even committed many political scandals. He failed in elections many times in the following decades. He was often seen in and out of the mansions of major chaebols, and promoting his political ideals on the streets or in front of car shows.

Amamiya Ren will never forget the details collected from the current affairs news... Before being covered with another meaning by the impression space, the daily work of the trickster is to find ways to defraud money from the powerful.

He thought that Mr. Yoshida was wealthy, at least many chaebols were trying to win him over, so he certainly had plenty of material comforts. But Yoshida Toranosuke's dinner was just a little... He saw that the other person's bowl was filled with rice that barely filled half a bowl, with two slices of braised beef lying alone on the rice.

Yoshida noticed Amamiya Ren's gaze and explained, "Only half full."

Is this the so-called "half-full" experience? Amamiya Ren's first impression of Yoshida went in a strange direction:

Keep half full, and you won't feel drowsy when sitting in the study after dinner, and you don't have to struggle to maintain your public image. Keep half full, your mind is relatively flexible and clear, you know what you like to eat the most, and you always have a lively and urgent expectation for the next delicious food.

"Is Mr. Yoshida maintaining his position?" Amamiya Ren would not trust a politician's one-sided statement. But he could try to believe that the politician might also have a passionate heart. After all, Yoshida Toranosuke's political vision was "a harmonious society (やさしい社會), a bright future (あかるい未来)." This uncle insisted on preaching even when he was booed by passers-by countless times.

What the Phantom Thieves of the Mind urgently need now is support from the political world. This will weaken the influence of Shido Zhengyi in the memory space and prevent the politician who abused cognitive science to carry out assassinations from truly becoming the ruler of Tokyo's memory space.

"It's been maintained recently." Yoshida didn't know that Amamiya Ren had already "considered" him many times in the past moment. The former congressman began to admire Amamiya Ren's rich knowledge accumulation. He wanted to say that this country will become more because of young people like you... He shook his head, it's not appropriate to say such a message. After all, as someone who once stood in the vortex of power, he should understand more deeply than the people how terrible the current "Japan" is.

So the atmosphere in front of the counter fell silent.

Perhaps, he could be a bridge for the Phantom Thieves to gain government support. Amamiya Ren made this plan in his mind, then put down his empty bowl, arranged his chopsticks, and handed a Fukuzawa Yukichi to the boss, "Goodbye."

"I'm sorry for the poor hospitality." was the humble reply.

Yoshida Toranosuke looked at Amamiya Ren's departing back and thought that this boy should be a very famous person, but he could not remember his face clearly.

After Amamiya Ren walked out of the hotel, even the experience of their meeting today was buried deep in her memory.

*

Walking out of the "Niu S House", you can find that there are really more urban men and women on the streets of Shibuya at night. You can often see refreshing fashion gurus, wearing the most fashionable outfits of the season from "VOGUE" and a pair of stylish jewelry. Occasionally they appear in high-end stores and suddenly disappear in the crowd.

The overall style and rhythm of a city ultimately depends on the people living in the city. As a city that has experienced many cultural shocks, Shibuya still retains a complex sense of the times after war and change in terms of both living conditions and culture.

Grind sushi, cherry blossoms, capital, bushido, and high-rise buildings into colorful crumbs, and sprinkle the glare of neon lights as seasoning into a goblet in the dim night to make a glass of sweet and sour red wine that symbolizes prosperity. This is probably Shibuya in Tokyo.

Amamiya Ren followed the crowd towards the "dojo" where the lights were focused.

A "show match" to prove the truth is underway.

Xiaozhong Culture Publishing House's reckless manipulation of public opinion finally forced Dongxiang Ichiraku onto this path where he needed to prove the truth through practice.

With the secret intervention of Shitong Zhengyi, a tsunami that is about to spread to the entire network is about to create its first wave.

Dongxiang Yiersan's mother secretly investigated many times, but could not find any source. All those who knew about it kept silent.

In the face of the impending collapse of power, the model-like genius shogi girl is nothing more than an insignificant sacrifice, a piece of porcelain that can be arbitrarily labeled.

In other words, in order to consolidate his current inflated position, Shitong Zhengyi has resorted to any means necessary.

Amamiya Ren walked into the mall, and the advertising screens in the corridor were all showing a live broadcast of Togo Ichi-san playing against an elderly man, a master of shogi from the previous generation.

I have to say that Dongxiang Yiersan is a very strong girl. Even when facing the foul language of the entire network and the doubts of the crowd, she can still muster up the courage to respond.

but......

The top floor of the mall where the thief took the elevator.

The bodyguards guarding the stadium gate tried to stop him.

Snap. A crisp snap of fingers. The bodyguards returned to their posts and ignored the incident.

Amamiya Ren pushed open the gate and walked into the arena where the game was being played.

"It's time to end this farce." The thief placed his palm on the lens of the live camera.

The "fake ghost story" that he had carefully prepared under the guidance of Beimunizhou during the entire spring vacation was finally exhausted at this moment.

Since he entered Xiaozhongda's spiritual hall, he has understood that the leader of the paparazzi is not sincerely helping Shitong Justice. It is just a relationship of mutual benefit.

But this does not stop him from wanting to end it before the tragedy happens.

In front of the old man who was motionless like a puppet, Amamiya Ren picked up a [King General] and placed it in the palm of Togo Ichi-san's hand.

at the same time.

The picture in the live broadcast room disappeared.

Instead, there was a pitch-black notice.

It has not been uncovered.

There was just a countdown written in scarlet red on the envelope.

【144hours-0minute-0second】.

When Togo Ichiraku raised his head again, Amamiya Ren had disappeared.

There was an invitation in her hand. The [King General] had disappeared without a trace.

"Seven sunsets, when the night cherry blossoms bloom, in the name of thinkers, we will be invited to the thousands of mirrors and lights. We will come and make the heinous criminals repent--"

In the shopping mall on Shibuya Central Street, people stood in the corridors looking at the contents on the advertising screens and fell into unprecedented panic.

This notice letter was not revealed, nor did it specify the object of repentance. However, it completely ignited the Internet, and no one would pay attention to the experience of the so-called beautiful girl host or genius chess player anymore.

The Phantom Thieves of the Heart...

Togo Ichiraku quickly hid the invitation in his hand.

Everything around me has returned to normal.

The competition has been forced to be terminated and the organizers are contacting the Metropolitan Police Department to assist in the investigation.

17-year-old Ace: 246. Morning of Amamiya Ren

The sun sets, the rays of light fade away, and then the long night begins.

The night view of Inokashira Park. People are standing next to the yellow street lights. The simple braids are spread out, and the long black hair is scattered on the shoulders. Hanekawa Tsubasa takes off the large round-frame glasses and looks at Mifune Chihaya who is sitting on the bench.

She reached out and poked the girl's forehead, "It's time to wake up, Miss Mifune."

Only then did Chihaya Mifune realize that she had not completed any of the tasks assigned to her by Hanekawa Tsubasa.

So he quickly stood up and bowed deeply to the high school student who was a few years younger than him.

"No need to apologize, this is what I expected." Hanekawa Tsubasa looked at the dark sky. In a big city at night, it is a luxury to see the starry sky as bright as in the countryside.

When dusk falls, it brings another kind of rebirth to the city. There is no such thing as turning off the lights and stopping the fire, and everything is in complete silence.

People always cheer when the lights come on at night. For many people, night is the best time of the day and the moment they look forward to the most.

Tokyo is a city that never sleeps. The glamorous entertainment venues have replaced the busy workplace. The bustling lights have turned the sky into a dim red, and various street lights and landscape lights are on all night long.

And the image space that turned to it was also a never-ending train shuttling through the tunnel, and it was even more deep red like blood.

This was Chihaya Mifune's first contact with the so-called "other world".

She followed behind Hanekawa Tsubasa with a nervous look on her face, fearing that some horrible monster would suddenly emerge from a corner and bite off her head... After all, her hair was yellow, and coupled with the surrounding environment... it was completely consistent with the death scene of Tomoe Mami in "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

"Don't worry, I will protect you." Hanekawa Tsubasa said this, and waved his hand to make [Metis] send out a strong wind to blow down the shadow that was rushing towards him.

"Is this the legendary on-the-job training?!" Chihaya Mifune shrank her neck in fear.

Hanekawa Tsubasa was standing in the waiting room waiting for the train.

at the same time.

Amamiya Ren was also waiting for the train.

He walked into the night carriage yawning.

Unlike the crowded rush hours in the morning and evening, it seems deserted at this time.

Many times when she was at school, Amamiya Ren would sit on the edge of her bed and look at the trains passing by. Many people were whizzing by in canned fish. There were windows beside them, but no one looked out. It seemed that looking down at the phone, the whole world could be contained in a small screen.

What if public opinion really becomes a power that someone can use recklessly one day? This city's people who are used to blindly following the "present" will probably become "weapons" that he can manipulate.

Amamiya Ren imagined the Tokyo paparazzi chief who was gradually reclaiming his privileges from Shido's righteous indulgence.

Xiao Zhongda is a shrewd and greedy guy. What he is doing is to cut off a bloody piece of flesh and blood from the surveillance of the leaders of the new forces in Congress and then touch the most core areas of this country.

So greedy, so reckless...

The tram has arrived.

The clanging sounds gradually faded away.

Most of the shops in the underground passage have already closed their shutters.

Amamiya Ren hadn't slept for three days. He yawned and bought some oden in a convenience store that was still open. It was curry-flavored fish balls and beef balls.

"Meow." That was the sound. Morgana had been waiting at the exit of the underground passage for a long time.

"Speak human language." The thief looked at his friend who had completely transformed into a cat with disdain. He could make such a delicate meow, so he must have begged for food from passers-by during the day.

"I'm so tired, can I have some fish balls?"

Amamiya Ren still took out a string of fish balls and gave it to him. "How is the intelligence gathering going?"

“A huge success.”

"Very good. I'll go to the izakaya near Sicha and get you a big piece of tuna fat."

Morgana's eyes suddenly lit up.

*

Finished feeding the cat.

The thief groped his way home, it was late at night. He finally reached the door of his house. "Xiao Lian," Lao Qiu suddenly sighed in anger in the living room.

Amamiya Ren pushed open the security door of the apartment and saw Tomori Nao sitting on the sofa in shorts with her legs crossed. A digital camera was placed between her round and straight thighs, and her white feet were placed on the black glass coffee table. The blue veins under her white skin, which was as transparent as frost and snow, were vague, and her nails were dotted on her five fingers like pink pearls, with the arc reflecting a round, jade-like luster. Looking closely, there were faint lines, like the patterns on the surface of the enamel layer of shellfish. Just like sculptors washing and polishing beautiful jade, under the light, it bloomed with a flawless perfection that was as ingenious as nature.

He glanced sideways at the pair of small leather shoes on the entrance, and then at the neatly folded school uniform in the plastic bag. It seemed that this guy had already taken a shower and was ready to stay overnight.

So Amamiya Ren naturally sat next to Tomori Nao, "Where's Shiomi?"

"Asking another girl directly to your girlfriend? How frivolous." Nao Tomori hummed and lay in his arms, her long, slightly misty silver-white hair draped over her shoulders, reflecting a blurry glare under the illumination of the ceiling light.

Amamiya Ren held Tomori Nao in her arms and took out the Switch from under the coffee table. "Would you like to play It Takes Two?"

"I thought you were going to ask me to play some special games."

"Which one?" Amamiya Ren asked knowingly.

"The kind that boys often fantasize about." Nao Tomori's earlobes turned a little red.

I have to say, this is indeed a very beautiful girl. Without any embellishment, she can be compared to those girl idols who step on the spotlight on the stage and face the camera. And her personality is also quite lively and cheerful, with a sense of freedom. Now those lake blue eyes are dodging, clearly revealing the hot feelings like lava flowing from the bottom of her heart.

Suddenly, Amamiya Ren felt a little sore in his waist and abdomen. Yesterday, Lavender had held him in the Velvet Room to teach him how to make desserts for the entire afternoon. Shinobu Oshino's snickering could be heard from the shadows.

"Today... let's forget it today." The thief was sweating profusely.

Only then did Nao Tomori realize how bold she was. Her face became even redder. She stood up to turn on the TV, took the Switch from Ren Amamiya's hand and plugged it into the console dock.

"Then let's play games. Anyway...there's no one living at my house anyway." Nao Tomori played with a strand of hair that fell below her eyebrow.

During this period, Kotone Shiomi moved to an apartment near the Kochu Cultural Society outside. Every day, she would go into the memory space and search for the "single rooms" that had already been created based on the request letters on the Phantom Thieves' website.

So much so that every day there were girls coming to Amamiya Ren's house.

......

Two o'clock in the morning.

Morgana appeared on the balcony of the apartment in the cool evening breeze of late spring.

It glanced through the window at the sleeping boy and girl hugging each other on the sofa, then immediately jumped to the air conditioner outside the opposite side, and then climbed up skillfully. It was going to the apartment that Shiomi Kotone rented near Shibuya to give a tip-off.