The Undying Eight Sufferings, The Different Sword Hearts

Ouija board?

Kondō Yūya frowned, "Junior Officer Nanjō, I haven't heard anything about it."

"Because it was a half-star incident," Nanjō Emi said, crossing her arms and yawning. "The only yokai in the entire incident was a half-star resentful Kukuri, and it had already been exorcised by the time we arrived."

She pointed at Uesugi Tetsu, "As for that Ouija board, it was this Uesugi-kun who said something was wrong and suggested we bring it back."

Kondō Yūya was speechless. He usually paid little attention to incidents below two stars, let alone a mere half-star ghost story.

"--Perhaps this Ouija board is very important to Ai Bielie, and she doesn't know we have it, which is why she targeted the two survivors of that incident."

Nanjō Emi: "This explanation is quite reasonable, isn't it?"

No one objected.

Because besides this, there was no other explanation for Ai Bielie's bizarre behavior.

"So after all this trouble," Ririko asked, tapping the table with her finger, "has anyone told us two victims what Ai Bielie actually is? A yokai? A ghost story? Or something else?"

Kondō Yūya was about to refuse, citing that the less they knew, the safer they would be, when Nanjō Emi spoke, "Have you heard of the Eight Sufferings?"

"--Birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, association with the hated, unsatisfied desire, and the five aggregates."

He slammed the table and stood up abruptly, "Junior Officer Nanjō!"

Nanjō Emi, with a blank expression, confronted her superior, "If we don't say it now, are we supposed to say it at their graveside!?"

"They've already had close contact with Ai Bielie, Senior Officer Kondō," Nanjō Emi said, enunciating each word. "You have no right to deprive those involved of their right to know."

Kondō Yūya's face turned red with anger, "You--!"

But he couldn't refute Nanjō Emi's words, as it was one of the basic regulations of the Special Affairs Division.

--[Those who come into contact have the right to know].

Ririko, watching this scene, fell silent. She remembered herself asking Nanjō Emi what the Friendship Club was that night.

But Nanjō Emi's actions now were the complete opposite of that night.

So, even Ririko had to admit--Nanjō Emi was truly responsible, both towards herself and others.

Nanjō Emi stared at her superior, her tone merciless, "Don't treat them like ignorant brats, and don't think you can protect everyone by yourself."

"--Senior Officer Kondō, has too much power given you too much arrogance?"

Kondō Yūya clenched his rough fists, unable to retort.

He slowly sat down, admitting his mistake, "I am very sorry."

Nanjō Emi continued to explain to Uesugi Tetsu and Ririko, "The so-called Eight Sufferings, although a concept proposed by Buddhism, in the human world--or rather, the current world, people's negative emotions have always existed objectively and accumulated."

"And when these negative emotions accumulate to a certain extent, under a certain catalyst, a large portion of them will be extracted and form one of the Eight Sufferings."

At this point, Nanjō Emi also sighed, "This is also why the Eight Sufferings can never be truly killed."

Uesugi Tetsu, who was tired of listening, guessed, "Because even if it is killed, at some point in the future, under a certain catalyst, new Eight Sufferings will be born."

"Yes."

Nanjō Emi nodded.

Uesugi Tetsu didn't know what to say. The name itself sounded like a super big boss, and he had encountered it before even leaving the beginner village.

Kondō Yūya closed his eyes and said, "The Ai Bielie of this generation doesn't seem like a newborn. May I ask how the two of you survived her?"

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at Nanjō Emi, who was smacking her lips beside them and occasionally reaching into her pocket for a cigarette.

If Nanjō-san weren't standing here, he believed Kondō Yūya wouldn't have asked with such a polite tone.

Therefore, Uesugi Tetsu had already thought about how to phrase this on the way.

"Because I brought the treasured sword passed down in my family."

He placed Kaga Kiyomitsu, which was leaning against the chair leg, on the table and slowly drew it out.

Kondō Yūya's pupils contracted, and he blurted out, "Kaga Kiyomitsu?!"

Nanjō Emi, upon hearing the name of this historically famous uchigatana, couldn't help but cast her gaze over, "The one Okita Sōji used? But wasn't it said to be broken?"

Uesugi Tetsu replied fluently, "So it's a replica. However, even so, it can inflict considerable damage on yokai. I've been carrying it with me recently."

His explanation was very reasonable, successfully diverting Kondō Yūya's attention to the uchigatana. He touched and examined it, repeatedly praising it as a good sword.

However, Kaga Kiyomitsu remained still, seemingly unimpressed by Kondō Yūya.

After returning Kaga Kiyomitsu to Uesugi Tetsu, Kondō Yūya reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

Swordsmen are like sea kings; even if they already have a beloved sword, no swordsman would dislike having too many good swords in their hands.

Thus, the pressure shifted to Ririko.

Uesugi Tetsu also looked over.

He was actually quite curious how Ririko managed to defeat Ai Bielie's clone without injury--judging by the Soul Ash that exploded from the clone, it was almost at the level of a one-star yokai.

Even though Ririko's swordsmanship and realm far surpassed his, her physical abilities were still within the scope of an ordinary person.

Ririko said, "I didn't kill that clone; she voluntarily dissipated because she realized she couldn't affect me."

"Impossible," Kondō Yūya interrupted. "Even with a mere clone, Ai Bielie can control dozens, even hundreds, of ordinary people simultaneously. Only those who achieve a Clear Sword Heart, far beyond the reach of ordinary people, can escape its control."

"That's why I'm not an ordinary person."

Ririko met Kondō Yūya's gaze, her eyes as calm as an abyss. "Clear Sword Heart? I have that too."

The conference room fell silent.

Uesugi Tetsu stifled a laugh, thinking, Ririko's showing off again, both sophisticated and satisfying—you think Clear Sword Heart is difficult? Well, sorry, I have it too.

Kondō Yūya didn't need to discern whether Ririko was telling the truth or not.

The moment their eyes met, he had already glimpsed the girl's brilliant sword heart, which was constantly honing itself and slowly expanding.

It was just like a vibrant, newborn star!

Unlike his own "subtlety" that could perceive all things in the world, this... Miss Tokugawa Ririko's approach to cultivating her sword heart seemed more self-focused and purer.

"Become stronger."

That was all.

This purity caused her spirit and consciousness to become purer and vaster with each passing moment.

However, if left unchecked, if allowed to expand without control—

At that point, her excessively powerful spirit would not only destroy herself but also annihilate everyone around her who was drawn in by this dazzling brilliance.

A hint of worry crossed Kondō Yūya's face as he shifted his gaze away from Ririko's eyes. He blinked when he saw the girl's youthful face.

He suddenly realized that Tokugawa Ririko was apparently just a high school student?

"Forgive my presumption, Miss Tokugawa, how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"And your mentor?"

"If I had to say, the instructor of our school's Kendo Club, Kondō Hideya, could be considered one."

Kondō Yūya's thoughts faltered upon hearing his older brother's name in an unexpected place.

He remembered his brother wasn't he supposed to have gone into teaching physical education because he lacked talent in the extraordinary path? To this day, he was still only at the level of 'man and sword as one'...

—In other words, Tokugawa Ririko had broken through this insurmountable barrier, which had crushed countless others, all by herself, without ever coming into contact with any extraordinary techniques?!

And she was only eighteen.

Realizing this, Kondō Yūya swallowed with difficulty, his voice subconsciously softening.

"Miss Tokugawa, would you be willing to join the Special Affairs Division? I can be your half-mentor."

Hearing this, Tokugawa Ririko frowned.