Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

Forge Room.

The signboard, slanting and tattered, seemed to reflect the declining status of swords in this era. Since the Meiji Restoration, the katana's position in Japan had plummeted. It transitioned from a brutal weapon of slaughter to a mere decorative showpiece, adorned by high-ranking figures and military officers as a symbol of their exalted status. Now, the katana couldn't even uphold this diminished role.

Sunaga Takashi stepped into the overgrown courtyard. On the veranda of a distinctly Japanese-style mansion, an old man sat hunched over, his long white hair disheveled. His lifeless eyes suddenly lit up with surprise when they caught sight of Sunaga Takashi. "You have finally come before me," he exclaimed.

Sunaga Takashi looked at the old man before him. Hazama wasn't the first to persuade him to wield a real sword. Ever since Sunaga Takashi had displayed his talent in Sword Dao, this old man had tried to get him to wield a real sword, even offering to gift him one. However, he had refused. Now, to save Ruriko, he needed a good sword to confront those people.

"Where's the sword?"

"Hahaha, the sword you seek is already calling out to you! Go take it!"

The old man laughed maniacally, his eyes gleaming like a vulture spotting carrion, revealing a greedy obsession. "Will you become a sword saint like Uesumi Nobutaka, or a man slayer like Hazama? The choice is yours, Gao Shi!"

Sunlight fell into the courtyard, the breeze stirred the weeds. The white-haired old man's tone was filled with a madness, creating a scene that would terrify an ordinary person. Yet, it didn't change the expression on Sunaga Takashi's face in the slightest. He didn't respond to the mad old man's words but simply walked toward the house.

Opening the sliding door behind the old man, a glance at the interior revealed it wasn't often cleaned. Aside from the well-trodden paths, thick layers of dust had accumulated in many places, and corners even held tattered cobwebs. Walking on the floorboards produced creaking sounds.

Though it was his first time entering the house, he moved as if he had been there many times, naturally finding his way to the room where the swords were kept. The old man had only seen such naturalness in Hazama, many years ago. No, even Hazama had not possessed such an effortless demeanor.

Thinking of that man slayer, still active in modern times, filled the old man with pleasure. He loved swords, no matter how much the world extolled the power of guns. He still loved swords, obsessed with the arc of a blade, with the sensation of a sword tearing through flesh and blood. The mere thought excited him. Therefore, he enjoyed finding talented Sword Dao practitioners and gifting them renowned swords befitting their skill.

"Inside this room are famous swords from the old era, as well as katanas from the new era, but you can only choose one." The old man stood behind him and said with a smile, "Which one will you pick?"

Sunaga Takashi's gaze swept across the room. Unlike the other parts of the house, the room where the swords were displayed was exceptionally clean; not a speck of dust could be seen on the floor or walls. Dozens of katanas were arrayed on racks, awaiting his selection.

From among these swords, guided by intuition, Sunaga Takashi reached out and grasped a katana with a black scabbard and a hilt bearing blood-red patterns. "I'll take this one."

"Its name is Red Sakura. It was forged using the most advanced modern steel and technology. Even renowned swords seem brittle before it; it could be called the strongest blade in this collection." The old man said this, his expression filled with a feverish excitement, clearly thrilled that Sunaga Takashi had chosen this particular sword.

"Can Red Sakura cleave a bullet?" Sunaga Takashi drew the sword. Its purplish-black blade bore blood-red patterns that stretched from the hilt to the tip. The polished surface reflected his face like a mirror. It was an excellent sword, but Sunaga Takashi only cared if Red Sakura could slice through bullets.

"With current technology, even a regular katana can cut through bullets. However, the hardest part about slicing bullets is perceiving their trajectory. Even if you can, I wouldn't recommend trying to slice them. If you have that kind of reaction speed, dodging the bullet is undoubtedly the wiser decision." As the old man spoke, his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Are you thinking of trying it?"

"Yes," Sunaga Takashi gave a slight nod. "I want to know if a sword truly cannot defeat a gun."

"Hahaha! Gao Shi, you truly are the greatest swordsman in modern Japan! If possible, you must conduct that test right here!"

"You might face danger."

"It doesn't matter! To witness that moment, I would gladly die!"

The old man's face beamed with a smile; his eagerness to see a sword triumph over a gun far outweighed any fear of death. In this era, the only one capable of achieving this was the young man before him. Not even Hazama could fulfill this desire. He wanted to witness the miracle with his own eyes.

Seeing the old man's willingness to be involved in the danger, Sunaga Takashi didn't demur. He took out his phone and began searching for Hazama's name. If no one came looking for him within an hour, he would have to consider taking someone hostage at the police station to find out the location of the Public Security Section One headquarters and ask them about Ruriko.

「Shinjuku, Central Building, the headquarters of the Special Intelligence Investigators.」

Robert stepped forward, knocked on Jack's office door, and said softly, "Minister, there's new information."

"Come in." Jack responded, putting away the intelligence report Yuzuki Suzuko had handed him. He supervised her directly, and she was to report any news to him immediately—the first step in his plan to reclaim power. He didn't want Robert to find out about these related matters.

Robert pushed open the door. Observing Jack's actions, A hint of disdain flickered within him, but he said nothing. Working in the CIA, those at the top and those on the ground were worlds apart. To the field agents, appointed leaders merely needed to sit there and ensure they were paid. It was best if such leaders didn't meddle in operational matters. CIA work involved dangerous tasks, and no one wanted an incompetent fool directing their actions. They only trusted the elite. And Robert was the elite of the elite. Consequently, his actual power in the department surpassed Jack's. However, he rarely displayed such a forceful demeanor. He continued to treat Jack with impeccable respect, ostensibly giving him face while secretly controlling the department.

"Minister, according to our interrogation, Ruriko Yokoo learned about Hazama because Hiroshi Osamuichi from Public Security Section One questioned her. She herself was unaware of anything about Dio."

"Is that so?" Jack sighed. He hadn't expected to get any information from Ruriko Yokoo anyway. He waved his hand. "Then let her go."

Robert didn't retreat as he usually would. He pushed up his glasses with his right hand and said, "Previously, she didn't know Dio's name. However, during our questioning, she became aware of Dio's existence. If possible, I think it would be more appropriate to make her disappear. Japan has its share of missing high school girls; one more wouldn't make a difference."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jack exclaimed, his face filled with surprise. "She's irrelevant to this case. Naturally, we should let her go. Don't cause unnecessary complications!"

So what if she knows Dio's name? As long as she doesn't know any specifics, it doesn't matter. He couldn't imagine Robert would eliminate a living person—a young girl, no less—for such a reason. She was still just a girl!

Robert smiled faintly. "Minister, this is the most prudent course of action. It can prevent the KGB from finding anything by following our trail."

"I've already told you, that's a human life! There's no need for this."

"Minister Jack, given her family background, if she disappears, no trouble will arise." Robert paused, then added a reminder, "Are you perhaps not yet accustomed to the power you now wield? With your current authority, killing Ruriko Yokoo is no different from squashing an ant. To protect Dio's secret, a small sacrifice like this is inconsequential."

A chill crept into Jack's heart. He had long known the CIA was no benevolent organization. But this level of disregard for human life still exceeded his darkest expectations. In his view, being ruthless with mission targets was one thing. However, to eliminate an innocent person without hesitation over such a trivial doubt—a doubt that could even be described as pure conjecture—was something else entirely.

"I object!" Jack glared and shouted, "Release her immediately!"

"I'm sorry, but such an order carries the risk of an intelligence leak. I cannot execute it." Robert remained insistent.

As he had said before, eliminating Ruriko Yokoo wasn't difficult. Since it could be done so easily, why leave a potential vulnerability for the enemy? A smart person should preempt all potential trouble.

Jack shot to his feet, glaring, the words of reprimand still on the tip of his tongue when a KNOCK KNOCK came from the door.

He snapped, annoyed, "What is it now?"

"Minister Jack, we've just detected another search for Hazama's name. Intelligence indicates the person is a student from Kamiya High School named Sunaga Takashi."

Hearing this, Jack immediately said, "See? Now trouble has come knocking! Hurry up and release her."

"This isn't trouble; it's a lead." Robert's smile didn't falter as he pushed up his glasses. "Ruriko Yokoo never once told us that anyone else knew about this. She very likely concealed something. We need to bring that boy in for questioning."

"I think you're being paranoid."

"Capturing Dio was always a long shot. Anything suspicious must be thoroughly investigated. Minister Jack, you wouldn't oppose that, would you?" Robert's question sparked a surge of anger in Jack's heart, yet he knew Robert was right. Even if he escalated this to Officer John, John would likely approve Robert's request and reprimand him instead. The reasoning was simple: in the CIA's eyes, when it came to a high school student with no influential background, killing the wrong one was acceptable; letting one slip by was not.

"Bring him in alive." That was the only order Jack could give.

"Of course." Robert smiled. He wasn't a sadistically cruel man; everything was for the sake of finding Dio. Strictly business.