Chapter 866

PS: After the major plot, today I'll combine two chapters into one big chapter to let me catch my breath; can't help it, a big case often takes a long time to conceive and deduce, but once written it's fast — if only I could update once a day ().

Onoda Kimiaki's funeral concluded with the highest-spec Superintendent General-level funeral.

Miyake Department Head, who killed Onoda, has been handed over to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for prosecution; initially he will be charged with intentional homicide carrying 15-20 years imprisonment. Miyake Department Head did not resist or deny it; his face wore an expression of graceful acceptance of the consequences.

For him, rather than being fired and becoming a laughingstock and object of contempt for all of Japan and all his relatives and friends, it was better to do this.

As the saying goes, when an ordinary man flies into a rage, blood splashes five steps.

After the funeral ended, Sugishita Ukyo found Uesugi Muneyuki.

"You've already found out who that Shadow Administrator was back then, right?" Sugishita Ukyo said very politely to Uesugi Muneyuki. "Hmm, too bad too much time has passed; there's no evidence." Uesugi Muneyuki nodded slightly. He gently pinched Minami Ojou-sama's palm, because Minami Ojou-sama had already realized something, and an displeased expression appeared on her face.

"Hasegawa Fukutokukan and the others don't seem to have been prosecuted for dereliction of duty and intentional homicide?" Sugishita Ukyo asked again very kindly: "During the interrogation of Miyake Department Head, it was mentioned that Yaegaki Tetsu seems to have written an accusation letter back then?"

"Yes, it was suppressed at the time. Afterwards I also tried to investigate the leak within Public Security, but Onoda reacted quickly; he had his Secretary take the fall, saying it was an accidental leak of intelligence, and the matter was quickly dropped." Uesugi Muneyuki sighed: "Things can only stop here. Yaegaki Tetsu's threatening remarks during the hostage incident cannot serve as evidence; it's pure oral testimony."

What Uesugi Muneyuki didn't say was that Yaegaki Tetsuya himself had also given up on revenge.

Just as Yaegaki Tetsu himself said, he and Isomura and the others actually weren't afraid of death, even less afraid of sacrificing themselves for the country; whose blood vessels don't flow with boiling hot blood, who hasn't fantasized about dying gloriously for the country and leaving a name for a thousand years when swearing the oath?

What they feared was dying without clarity or justice.

Now everything has been figured out; his goal has been achieved, and he also learned from Hasegawa Fukutokukan about the Shadow Administrator's views and the truth on that case, as well as Isomura's own determination to self-sacrifice at the time; for him, this was enough.

"Is that so?" Sugishita Ukyo nodded with a smile: "Then we can only go after Miyake Department Head. He should provide who might have been the Shadow Administrator who suppressed the accusation letter back then, and a description of the shooting at the hostage scene, right? With this as evidence, we should be able to charge those few people with suspicion of shooting and killing in the chaos."

"Although you put it that way, Sugishita Division Chief... things have already developed to this step; no one wants to continue immersing themselves in the past. We should look forward." Minami Ojou-sama couldn't hold back; she said very kindly: "Regarding the previous series of events, there are already reports and conclusions; even Sōsetsu can't find more evidence."

"Hi↓yige?" Sugishita Ukyo didn't buy it.

"What Minami means is, Onoda Kanchoukanbou doesn't seem to want to continue either, and if the previous matters continue to be dug into, it seems it would also damage the Kanchoukanbou's posthumous reputation, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki knew Minami's unspoken words: "Is there any point in you persisting like this?" "What kind of leader were you in the Self-Defense Forces?"

"The Kanchoukanbou is the Kanchoukanbou; I am me. The Kanchoukanbou and I are old friends, but I won't give up my path. I have my great righteousness. I don't demand that you understand, Uesugi-kun, and I also know that you stopped appropriately after learning the truth, but I will continue investigating. This is my response to the Kanchoukanbou's final admonition." Sugishita Ukyo said with slight pauses, emphasizing each word: "I won't change myself just because Onoda died." Having said that, Sugishita Ukyo left alone.

"Great righteousness, is it?" Uesugi Muneyuki held Minami's hand. He watched Sugishita Ukyo's retreating figure, very clear on one thing.

Without Onoda's protection, Sugishita Ukyo's Investigation Division 1 Chief position won't last long.

With Onoda's death, the storm in Japanese police circles continued for many days. Everyone surrounded the issues of Onoda being stabbed, the Tama River Bridge Self-Defense Forces independent action incident, Japanese police internal discipline problems, and Onoda's previous preparations for the Police Agency upgrade, engaging in multiple rounds of disputes.

Uesugi Muneyuki did not participate at all in this complex political struggle content; he merely watched coldly. It was mainly handled by Watanabe Eiji, Uesugi Minami, Okada Masayoshi, and others. I won't pad the word count here.

Sugishita Ukyo ultimately failed to get his wish. Although he firmly filed a report, Hasegawa Fukutokukan and the others firmly denied it, and Miyake Department Head could not determine who exactly was that Shadow Administrator. In addition, Watanabe Eiji and Shinzou Kamiya very tacitly refused to dig deeper. The Cabinet was even more afraid of "startling friendly nations" — after all, that case originally killed quite a few people and involved former Self-Defense Forces and the United States Department of State. Almost with some impatience, Yamada Prime Minister united everyone to suppress the matter.

Early December, Sakuradamon, Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters.

The top floor of the Metropolitan Police Department had no lights on.

When Uesugi Muneyuki pushed open that iron door, the hinge let out a rusty, sharp grating sound. The night wind rushed at him, carrying the unique chill of early December, pouring in through his trench coat collar, traveling down along his spine.

He hadn't fastened the top button, and couldn't be bothered to fasten it either.

Walking to the railing at the edge of the roof, before him was the Sakuradamon intersection; across from it stood the National Police Agency Main Building. The distance between the two buildings wasn't far. The road between them had little traffic in midnight Tokyo; occasionally a taxi drove by, its taillights dragging a red streak of light on the asphalt.

Onoda's words still circulated in his ears.

Actually, he was also used twice by Public Security Police in this case: once with Cao Liangming's corpse, and once with the accusation of Public Security leaks leading to the Hasegawa storm.

But for some reason, Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't bring himself to hate Onoda Kimiaki this person.

"Great righteousness, is it?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked at the distant Imperial Palace, muttering in a low voice. Yaegaki Tetsuya stood behind him.

His body was no longer gray-white and blurry like right after death. The Horse Head Wisdom King's three eyes slowly rotated in the void above his head. The two side eyes were open, golden pupils like two lamps lit in the deep sea.

The vertical eye on the forehead remained tightly shut, like a gate that would never be pushed open.

His voice came from the night wind behind Uesugi Muneyuki, dry, hoarse, with the texture of sandpaper rubbing glass plus a layer of metallic resonance: "Your great righteousness, others' lives; some people's great righteousness, some people's being sacrificed."

"This struggle has no winners." Uesugi Muneyuki sighed: "Minister Onoda lost his brother, Public Security lost its leader, Self-Defense Forces lost their reputation, Japanese police lost their chance for upgrade, detectives lost multiple lives..."

"Watanabe Eiji won." Yaegaki Tetsuya said, and Uesugi Muneyuki did not turn back.

Indeed.

Yaegaki Tetsu was merely stating facts one by one — a clear, undeniable result that finally surfaced after experiencing so many deaths and undercurrents.

Onoda Kimiaki died; his Police Agency plan went into that coffin draped with the Japanese flag along with him.

Watanabe Eiji not only became the next Police Commissioner, but due to special circumstances, the National Diet will unprecedentedly grant him the special authority to "guide all Local Police Headquarters criminal case investigations."

This is not within the conventional Police Commissioner's authority scope. The conventional Police Commissioner is responsible for nationwide police "planning, coordination, liaison," not directly commanding local police specific cases.

But the shockwave from Onoda's assassination was too great. The National Diet hastily passed this authorization in an atmosphere of "must do something," and the United States side did not object either.

From now on, Watanabe Eiji's name will appear at the top of the command chain of every major case.

Shinzou Kamiya obtained Watanabe Eiji's recommendation and will assume the post of next Superintendent General.

The Public Security faction lost its standard-bearer after Onoda's sudden death and is currently in leaderless panic.

The olive branch Watanabe Eiji extended, Shinzou Kamiya caught it.

He had no room to refuse, nor reason to refuse. Countless police dream all their lives of serving one term as Superintendent General; now the opportunity has come.

He agreed; he would suppress the Public Security Police side.

The new Deputy Superintendent-General will be served by Ootori Gen from the Criminal Investigation faction.

This forms a new balance of power, and is also Watanabe Eiji's governing policy: I occupy the leading position, that's enough; not excessively oppressing and eliminating opponents, merely opposition, not enemies.

And Shinzou Kamiya taking the Metropolitan Police Department's top seat also means the Public Security faction compromising to the Criminal Investigation faction. They don't plan to upgrade to Police Agency anymore. Those files sealed in the Police Agency underground Archives Room, stamped with "Top Secret" red seals — about the port explosion case, about Yaegaki Tetsuya's accusation letter, about all documents of the Tama River Bridge incident — will continue to sleep in darkness.

"What kind of person is your father, really?" Yaegaki Tetsuya continued: "He looks like he's been doing quite well these years; it shouldn't be just because of you, right?"

"Father is a typical high-level public servant, a high-ranking bureaucrat. Bad news: he has all the habits of high-ranking bureaucrats — flattering superiors, bullying subordinates, slick and smooth, knows how to handle things, knows how to avoid things, knows how to get things done. Good news: he still has drive and the courage to take responsibility, and he always remembers he's a police officer." Uesugi Muneyuki said with a smile: "While trying not to hurt himself, Father is still willing to uphold justice and order. He said we mustn't let heroes both bleed and weep. That is his great righteousness."

"If even one-tenth of all Japanese bureaucrats were like Watanabe Eiji, the country wouldn't have become like this!" Yaegaki Tetsu said angrily. "Without me he'd have been finished long ago." Uesugi Muneyuki put it briefly, startlingly.

Yaegaki Tetsuya fell silent for a moment.

The Horse Head Wisdom King's vertical eye on the forehead trembled slightly in the void, like a sleeping animal twitching in a dream.

"Great righteousness. You people, every one of you speaks of great righteousness. Furukawa says his great righteousness is national normalization. Onoda says his great righteousness is Police Agency is the country's future. Hasegawa says his great righteousness is Public Security's survival. What about Miyake? What is Miyake's great righteousness? His own rice bowl? His non-career-group face? What about Isomura? What is Isomura's great righteousness? When he chose to sacrifice himself, would he have thought it would trigger so many subsequent events? Is that also his great righteousness?" Yaegaki Tetsu said with some emotion: "Uesugi-san, I'm former Self-Defense Forces, I haven't read much. You're a Kenshin Descendant; can you tell me?"

"Furukawa's great righteousness was wrong from start to finish. His methods were also wrong. Later during interrogation he said a line: 'Failure is rebellion; success is revolution.' This line today might not be just talk. If his bomb had exploded, the Secretary of State died, the US fleet arrived in Tokyo, the people saw Self-Defense Forces rush onto streets to maintain order in fear — success, it's revolution. How would history write him? 'Patriot,' 'Pioneer,' 'Martyr who gave his life for the country' — probably not. His best outcome would still be pushed to public trial. Even if the Self-Defense Forces' coup succeeded, everyone would still need a scapegoat."

"Onoda's great righteousness and Furukawa's great righteousness are actually about the same. He also wanted a coup, using personnel transfers, using power reshuffling, using an unsharpened knife that wouldn't draw blood. He wanted to turn the Police Agency into a Police Agency, let Public Security Police go from underground to above ground, let this country have a truly powerful police force that no one could lightly despise. His methods weren't killing and arson, not terrorist attacks, but the essence is the same — he also wanted to use a small amount of blood to exchange for large benefits. Only the blood he wanted to shed was others', not his own." Uesugi Muneyuki continued: "Sacrificing others is always easy. And he was also used to his high position and great power, completely unaware that the people he sacrificed would come with a little Zwilling shock."

"Miya Department Head's Dà yì is the smallest. His Dà yì is himself. The spiritual leader of the Non-Career Track, a legend who climbed from the grassroots to this position, everyone looked up to him, everyone took him as proof that 'we Non-Career Track can do it too.' When he was disciplinarily dismissed, when he was told before all Department Heads 'you are no longer a detective,' his Dà yì was reduced to only one thing — make the person who took everything from him pay the Daika. His Dà yì has no Kokka, no Minzoku, no Police System, nothing grand, only himself. This Dà yì is most Authentic, yet also most — 'Where is Isomura?' Yae Ken Tetsuya asked."

"Isomura's Dà yì is the smallest, and also the largest. He died on that Ship, for the Informant, for you, for those Criminal Police he didn't know, who were executing their mission in the Port."

"Hasegawa and those people forcibly assigned him Value, but actually I think he wasn't for the Country, wasn't for Public Security, wasn't for anything grand. He merely reached that step where he had no choice but to choose. He didn't want the Informant to die, didn't want you to die, didn't want those colleagues who knew nothing to be blown into Debris. His Dà yì is 'don't let people die.' The smallest Dà yì, the largest person."

"Isomura..." Yae Ken Tetsuya's image blurred for a moment in the Night Wind, then cleared again: "But this way, Keiko's side... he became an irresponsible Fiancé... his Dà yì, Harmed Keiko."

"This is Dà yì. Everyone feels that for Dà yì there must be necessary sacrifice. The difference lies in some people sacrificing themselves, some people sacrificing others." Uesugi Muneyuki Taba wasabi mayuge: "Aren't you the same?"

Yae Ken's voice was a bit lower than before: ""And you? What is your Dà yì?""

Uesugi Muneyuki laughed and shook his head: "My Dà yì is very simple. I speak with the dead. They won't tell me what is Justice, what is evil, what is right, what is wrong. They only tell me — 'this is how I died.' I find out the truth, let the living know. That's enough."

"My Dà yì is, I must Speak Clearly. As for how to Verdict, how to Process, in principle that's the Public Prosecutors Office and Hōtei's business. If you victims burdened with grudges request my assistance, I can help. If you request I Abandon, I also have no objection." Yae Ken Tetsuya's image grew quiet in the night, the Horse Head Wisdom King's three eyes slowly turned simultaneously, facing Uesugi Muneyuki's direction: "No wonder you can investigate crimes so peacefully."

"Between people, ultimately they are Unable to understand each other. Furukawa doesn't understand Onoda, Onoda doesn't understand Miya, Miya doesn't understand Isomura, Isomura doesn't understand Furukawa. Every single person feels they are doing the right thing, every single person feels the other is a madman, a Rebel, a Traitor." Uesugi Muneyuki sighed deeply: "Isayama Hajime does not deceive me. Where there are people there are different ideals, different ideals bring disputes and Contradictions, ultimately triggering War and Hatred. After war Consensus can be reached, but this Consensus soon vanishes with the death of one or two generations of parties involved." "In Gundam it's the same. Spacenoid decades later, Earth Federation and Zeon both struggle to understand why the other treats themselves this way. Earth cannot understand why you want Independence, why you don't obey orders, when it originally helped you colonize with all its might, provided technology and Resource. Zeon also struggles to understand why they must obey and pay Taxation just because they were born? Am I born a Shudra? Fuyuno romantically wrote the Axis Miracle, but realistically wrote that even so, decades later, still nothing has changed. Hathaway was willing to sacrifice his life for Soul Summoning people, but what he awakened was instead the people who Repressed him, whom he hated most."

Yae Ken Tetsuya's voice came from the edge of the sky, dry, hoarse, with the texture of Sandpaper rubbing glass, with a trace of warmth: "I will Remembrance my Dà yì, you must also Remembrance your Dà yì."

Uesugi Muneyuki Nodded and turned around, facing the direction of Sakuradamon.

The Lighting of the National Police Agency building across the way connected into a blurred halo in the night. Watanabe Eiji was already prepared to assume leadership of the National Police Agency, and Shinzou Kamiya also began preparing to assume the new Director General post, and issue his first batch of Personnel Reassignment after taking office. Since Onoda had already preemptively cleared out all the Public Security Division Department Heads, Kamiya Department Director would be easy to handle.

The Japanese Police's new Police System is about to begin!