Chapter Twenty: The Secret of the Inner World

“Got it! Uesugi, little brother, now that I think about it, you’ve got the perfect advantage. Think about it—you’re not part of our police system, and after what happened last time, the Metropolitan Police Department definitely won’t accept complaints against you lightly. You’ve helped her before, and you’re unmarried. You’re just the right person to handle her!” Tanaka’s eyes gleamed brighter as he spoke. “From now on, she can leave things to you! Working with such a beauty isn’t a blessing in itself?”

Uesugi Muneyuki kept his eyes narrowed, silent.

Do you want this blessing or not?

No wonder after more than twenty years in the system, Tanaka’s tactics came one after another, all disguised as concern, unwittingly tossing a bomb into your lap.

“We’re not that close yet, Inspector Tanaka,” Uesugi said with a hint of amusement. “Handle your own precinct’s affairs. I’m just a forensic pathologist, not a special agent from your Metropolitan Police’s forensics department! What does Ikeda’s case have to do with me?”

“Don’t say that, little brother Uesugi…” Tanaka’s face turned sour. “From now on, whenever the Criminal Investigation Division needs help, we’ll definitely come to you. In that case, Ikeda’s matter will be yours.”

Uesugi rolled his eyes, about to say more when his phone rang.

It was his brother, Uesugi Sadamune! He wanted to meet during lunch break.

“I have plans this afternoon, but if you need me, contact me anytime.” After finishing a large beef bowl, Uesugi bid farewell to Tanaka.

“Definitely, definitely!” Tanaka’s expression was bitter. After this meal, he’d have to face his fate head-on. It was tough.

“Oh, by the way, could you drop me off at Waseda University?”

“Of course.”

Half an hour later, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, at Waseda University’s main campus.

Waseda University, often shortened to Waseda or Waseda U, was founded in 1882 by Japan’s former Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu. Its headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It is a world-renowned top-tier research university in Japan and one of Asia’s most internationalized institutions, a private comprehensive research university.

This university belongs to the previously mentioned “Super International Class A Universities.” Unlike Uesugi Muneyuki’s own Tokyo Medical and Dental University, which barely makes the cut in this category, Waseda stands at the very pinnacle and has ten campuses scattered across Japan.

Uesugi’s full-blooded elder brother, Uesugi Sadamune, graduated from Waseda and currently works there as an archaeology researcher. Since Uesugi Muneyuki’s awakening last time was triggered by ancient artifacts Sadamune brought back, he suspected his brother might have some insights. So he fabricated an excuse to ask for his help in investigating.

Sadamune didn’t refuse but said he’d need some time.

Now, it seemed his brother had found something.

“Have you eaten?” Sadamune looked quite similar to Uesugi Muneyuki—clearly siblings. His office walls were lined with books from all eras and languages. Behind his desk sat an oversized printer-fax machine. The guest area had hard sandalwood sofas that were uncomfortable to sit on. On the desk were wooden carvings, mostly Buddhist sculptures, indicating Sadamune’s deep involvement in Buddhist studies.

“I have.” Uesugi sat opposite him. “Did you find anything about what I mentioned last time?”

“You’re still so impatient.” Sadamune fixed his gaze on his brother. Compared to Muneyuki, Sadamune had a more scholarly aura. He pulled two documents from a folder and tossed them onto the desk.

“These are two records from the 1960s about medieval tomb excavations. Take a look.”

Uesugi opened the files and saw they were identical, both documenting an archaeological discovery.

The “Himiko Tomb Incident.”

In the 1960s, Japanese archaeologists discovered a large Kofun-era tomb near Kyoto containing numerous ancient mummies. They began excavation and investigation.

Japan’s history is divided into several eras: the Ancient Era, Asuka and Nara, Heian, Kamakura Shogunate, Muromachi Shogunate, Edo, Modern, and Contemporary.

It’s generally agreed that Japan became a proper nation during the Asuka and Nara periods. Before that, history relies mostly on archaeology and records from tributary missions to the Chinese empire. The earliest nationhood is considered to have emerged around the Eastern Han period, when Emperor Guangwu granted the “Gold Seal of the King of Na of Wa” and subsequent missions from Wa.

Buddhism’s introduction led to the rise of burial customs, and history from that period is reconstructed mainly through foreign records and local archaeology.

Both documents described the same event: the excavation uncovered many relics and corpses from the Ancient Era. Initially, it seemed normal. The difference was that one was written in Japanese, the other in Classical Chinese.

The Japanese document became unclear midway, vaguely mentioning many difficulties during excavation, with team members falling ill. This led the Osaka Police Department (as it was then called) to take over, and eventually, they had to request assistance from the U.S. military.

The document ended there.

The Classical Chinese document told a very different story. It described hallucinations and severe physical distress afflicting the team during excavation. Despite this, they forced open the tomb.

The moment the tomb was opened, the entire team entered a bizarre space and was attacked by strange creatures. All died. Later, these creatures appeared in the real world. The Osaka police tried but couldn’t handle them. Only with the help of American military planes and artillery were the creatures finally destroyed, but the tomb was completely destroyed as well.

“This is…” Uesugi frowned. Being from a scholarly family and a native speaker of Classical Chinese, he understood perfectly. “Why such a huge discrepancy between two accounts of the same event?”

“You should understand. The first document was heavily altered—any mention of the supernatural was deleted. The second is an ancient Classical Chinese record from the Kanto Shrine Alliance. Some key details remain hidden, but you can still glean hints—like the strange space and creatures.”

Sadamune frowned deeply, “In past archaeological discoveries, I’ve found very few documents with such vague inconsistencies. Unfortunately, my mentor didn’t know either. If not for our family tradition and our knowledge of Classical Chinese, descended from Lord Kenshin and the Yonezawa domain, no one would understand these Kanto Shrine Alliance records.”

“Kanto Shrine Alliance…” Uesugi thought the name sounded familiar.

“Besides this, there are a few other archaeological records with similar vagueness, but I lack ancient documents for comparison. For example, this report from Nagano Prefecture’s archaeological site. It too becomes vague midway, and the entire team disappeared.”

“Any other old documents?”

“No,” Sadamune shook his head helplessly. “I only found this one, or rather, this is the only one you and I can read. Americans probably thought it was some ancient Chinese text and didn’t destroy it.”

Uesugi understood now. It wasn’t that only this event existed, but this Classical Chinese record was the only one Sadamune could interpret.

“Are you so sure it was the Americans?”

“Hmph! Definitely them!” Sadamune said decisively, pushing up his frameless glasses with disdain. “I even suspect it was staged by the Americans themselves.”

“In any case, you mentioned the supernatural last time, and this came to mind.” After venting, Sadamune regained composure. “Pay close attention. The Kanto Shrine Alliance calls the strange space the ‘Inner World,’ and our world the ‘Outer World’… Muneyuki, have you encountered any cursed objects?”

“Me?” Uesugi smiled bitterly. “Like you, I found something similar in the hospital morgue. Some files were deleted.”

“Muneyuki… be careful.” Sadamune seemed uncertain whether to accept this explanation. He didn’t stand to see him out but said meaningfully, “According to ancient records, the bodies of Inner World creatures decompose and vanish quickly…”

Uesugi’s eyes flickered. He nodded quietly and asked if he could take the files with him.

Sadamune naturally refused. The brothers parted ways.

That afternoon, Uesugi didn’t return to the hospital but went straight to his apartment in Bunkyo Ward.

Sadamune’s investigation confirmed that supernatural forces indeed exist but have been deliberately erased and hidden deeply.

Considering the Osaka police couldn’t handle the problem alone but needed American planes and artillery, these powers must be stronger than ordinary handguns but weaker than heavy firepower.

Interesting—this aligned fairly well with Uesugi’s own assessment of his abilities.

With that in mind, Uesugi suddenly thought of a possibility.

So far, he’d examined many corpses at the Otsuka precinct, but only one, Ms. Kurozawa, had triggered a contract without accepting spiritual release. Instead, she had willingly possessed him, granting him a transformation technique. Perhaps she knew something.

Without hesitation, Uesugi nodded to the apartment front desk and took the elevator up.

He summoned the residual soul of Ms. Kurozawa, and at that moment, the entire room was bathed in a deep red hue.

“Hey, handsome? You called me?” The spirit appeared in the form of Aizen Myo-o.

Her presence confirmed something to Uesugi—Ms. Kurozawa wore a standard red-and-white miko outfit. Although in her sixties, plump and no longer slender, with graying hair and a receding hairline, her face deeply lined, there was no doubt she had once been a shrine maiden.

“Handsome…” Uesugi felt odd being called that by a sixty-year-old miko.

“You’re even more handsome than the best host I ever knew!” Kurozawa laughed, “We have the blessing of Kurozawa Shrine!”

“What’s Kurozawa Shrine? Do you know the Inner World? What’s your connection? Do you have supernatural powers?” Uesugi pressed.

“You’re serious, huh… I’m the twenty-seventh generation heir of Kurozawa Shrine.” Kurozawa pouted, indifferent. “Our secret art is called ‘Able to Break Vajra.’”

“Able to Break Vajra? The Diamond Sutra? The Taisho Tripitaka?” Uesugi’s eyes widened. “Mahayana Buddhism from India?”

“Sorry, I don’t understand that.” Kurozawa shook her head repeatedly, uninterested. “I don’t know the shrine’s full tradition. Every generation, the miko secretly select a girl under sixteen in the village. Nobody knows the criteria. I was chosen suddenly at fifteen. I know nothing about what you said.”

“Then what is ‘Able to Break Vajra’?” Uesugi asked, curious. “Do you know the Inner World?”

“Able to Break Vajra is… stock trading,” Kurozawa chuckled, bending over. “I don’t know much else. Life in the countryside was boring. I’m not like my master, an old lady who can sit all day with tea and poetry books. I like Tokyo, the nightlife, bars. So I came here.”

“A superpowered stock guru, huh? Not bad.” Uesugi smirked. “Did your master and the shrine mind?”

“Of course not. Besides my stock earnings, I donated a lot to my hometown and renovated the shrine completely.” Kurozawa was proud. “Life as a miko was dull. Tokyo’s vibrant life was never regretted.”

Uesugi was speechless.

Kurozawa told Uesugi bits and pieces.

After gaining some supernatural power, she was supposed to follow the master’s path—fortune-telling, divination, and blessings. But she found rural life boring and left for Tokyo alone, using her power to trade stocks and make good money. She donated to her hometown but still lost heavily during the bubble economy’s collapse. Even so, she had saved up quite a bit, which was why Ms. Yamada constantly demanded host tribute from her.

Kurozawa herself was a fan of hosts, having once bought a champagne tower worth 500,000 yen. Ms. Yamada’s habit was just copying her, except Kurozawa had some savings, while Yamada had no legitimate income.

Hearing this, Uesugi’s sympathy for Kurozawa mostly faded.

Old Tanaka, so it was you too?!

“What do you know about the Inner World?” Uesugi pressed, wanting to get to the point.

“Unfortunately, I know very little. I’m not interested. But if you want, I think the shrine has some books on the subject. You might find something.”

Kurozawa was truly unlearned; her master wanted to teach her, but she refused.

“Where is Kurozawa Shrine?”

“In Gunma Prefecture. Our shrine is part of the Kanto Shrine Alliance,” Kurozawa said. “But after me, there won’t be any more miko. I’m the last generation.”

Again, the Kanto Shrine Alliance?

“Good.” After confirming the shrine’s location, Uesugi almost impulsively wanted to investigate immediately.

But he stopped himself.

According to Kurozawa, the shrine was now abandoned, with no miko left to maintain the protective barriers. Without regular maintenance, disaster would follow.

However, the shrine was empty.

And from his brother’s information, the Inner World monsters couldn’t be defeated by police SIG pistols alone. It took American military planes and artillery.

If Uesugi’s only ability, “Harden,” could defeat an Inner World monster, that would be a miracle.

Be careful! Prepare thoroughly.

Uesugi pondered and found his direction.

Inside and outside.

He must train his body, learn combat skills, and strengthen his own fighting ability.

He must also firmly seize his position at the Metropolitan Police Department!

“Anyway, tell me everything you know about the Inner World.”

“Alright.”