The death of Kumazo Yasuda once again ignited the internet, as ssages related to the event rapidly spread across the web.
To ride this wave of traffic, many bloggers, who barely understood the incident, jumped in and started peddling conspiracy theories.
Discussions about clone human experintation and Modified Humans abounded, including the mysterious Takamagahara Project.
A flurry of ssages stirred up a frenzy online. The Japanese governnt offered no response; the incident was so sudden that many were unable to react in ti.
There were also so online comntators—often derisively called ’Akitas’ and suspected of being ’remotely cultivated’—wailing and lanting. For instance, so expressed sentints like, "An enemy who served his country without disgrace, an admirable foe, has passed away."
"A courageous leader."
"This is humanity’s greatest misfortune."
Then ca calls for reflection, aid at those who reveled in others’ misfortune. How could such a great nation engage in schadenfreude?
Aside from the netizens, high-ranking officials from various countries were even more eager to learn the details imdiately. Was it really as simple as the live television broadcast suggested? Could the Pri Minister of a developed nation truly encounter such an event by chance, or were other forces manipulating things behind the scenes?
As the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Matsuda Haruichiro could already see the surging tide of the new era approaching.
He sat in his office chair, his complexion turning ghastly. The situation had developed far beyond his expectations.
Matsuda Haruichiro knew that soone had been covertly tracking Kumazo Yasuda’s movents and had, to so extent, facilitated it. But he never imagined their motives were this drastic.
He had assud they were after information related to the Different World. They would capture Yasuda, interrogate him, and release him after a while. Then, Matsuda could manipulate the situation to irreparably tarnish Yasuda’s reputation. Then, he would hypocritically feign concern, suggesting Yasuda resign. A temporary Pri Minister could then be appointed to handle national affairs, paving the way for new elections. Matsuda Haruichiro would then be perfectly positioned as a strong candidate for Pri Minister. He had planned everything ticulously, yet he never anticipated Yasuda would actually die.
The severity of the incident escalated to an unprecedented level.
Matsuda Haruichiro picked up his teacup and took a sip. He needed to figure out how to control the upcoming cabinet eting and eliminate any incriminating evidence. At this mont, the support of politicians was a given, and that of financial conglorates was indispensable. Covering up the Takamagahara Project scandal had suddenly beco a secondary concern. All he needed to do was call a press conference and have a few ministers bow in apology. If things got really bad, they could perform a dogeza, a full prostration, to offer a profound apology to the public.
Matsuda Haruichiro knew that under the influence of Western liberalism, the prevailing dostic attitude was one of apathy—as long as an issue didn’t directly affect people, they wouldn’t care.
Forget clone humans; even using a segnt of the population as experintal subjects wouldn’t cause a major stir. As long as the axe didn’t fall on their own necks, there wouldn’t be a significant public outcry.
Matsuda Haruichiro’s imdiate concern was to erase any traces he had left. He stood up and shouted to those outside, "Quick! Convene an ergency cabinet eting to discuss this matter!"
「...」
The incident concerning Kumazo Yasuda was too grave; the Cabinet Ministers quickly gathered in the fourth-floor eting room.
With the Pri Minister absent, the one presiding over this cabinet eting was, naturally, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuda Haruichiro.
He sat down, just about to speak.
Suddenly, the eting room door burst open, and a group of police officers rushed in, forming two rows.
TAP. TAP.
The heels of Morimoto Chiyoda’s boots clicked against the eting room floor as she strode confidently inside.
Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was dressed in her Police Director uniform, the Sunburst badge on her shoulder gleaming under the lights.
Matsuda Haruichiro sat there, his expression one of imperious anger. "Director Morimoto, are you attempting an act of insubordination?!"
"Matsuda Haruichiro, we have reason to suspect you of masterminding a rebellious plot against the Pri Minister. This is your arrest warrant. Please accompany to the tropolitan Police Departnt for questioning!" Morimoto Chiyoda stated, presenting the arrest warrant. Her lodious voice carried a chilling undertone of severity.
As the Police Director, she couldn’t very well be out and about when such a crisis erupted. The Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency had imdiately assigned her to handle the matter. Investigating this case was like handling a hot potato; one misstep could lead to impeachnt. If handled well, there would be no reward; it was a thankless task. Naturally, the Commissioner-General didn’t want to get his hands dirty.
Matsuda Haruichiro’s face darkened as he retorted, "This is slander! What evidence do you have that I would do such a thing against the Pri Minister? You’re rely a Police Director! Don’t you dare slander my na here. Otherwise, when the truth is revealed, I will make sure you pay!"
His fist pounded heavily on the table. Matsuda Haruichiro displayed an expression of extre fury, causing two police officers to hesitate, unsure if they should proceed with the arrest. If the evidence turned out to be false, they could very well face retaliation from him later.
Morimoto Chiyoda, her face impassive, said, "You must be familiar with Ota Kogoro from the Pri Minister’s residence, correct?"
At the ntion of this na, Matsuda Haruichiro’s previously belligerent expression froze. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes darted away guiltily. "What... what are you talking about? I don’t know him."
Every minister present was shrewd enough to sense sothing amiss from his reaction alone. Those who had been about to speak fell silent.
The Minister of State slamd the table and exclaid angrily, "Matsuda Haruichiro, I never expected you to commit such a heinous act!"
"I... I never expected things to turn out this way!" Matsuda Haruichiro blurted out in panic. His heart sank as he realized his slip of the tongue. How could I implicate myself like that?
"Take him away!" Morimoto Chiyoda waved her hand.
The two police officers, no longer hesitating, swiftly moved forward, handcuffed Matsuda Haruichiro, and escorted the dejected man out of the eting room.
Morimoto Chiyoda turned and brushed past a stunningly beautiful woman.
「...」
Mada Kochou entered the eting room, dressed in a smart suit, her jet-black hair pinned up. The buttons on her chest were fastened with apparent difficulty.
She wore light makeup, and her gait, lacking its usual lightness, was like that of a sword drawn from its scabbard. Her high heels clacked loudly against the floor.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs frowned slightly. "Mada Kochou, this is the cabinet’s eting room."
Large financial conglorates operate in the shadows of the political world, influencing politicians’ choices because politicians rely on them for campaign funds and various private benefits. Their relationship is intertwined. But this doesn’t an politicians are willing to let conglorates openly interfere with their decisions. The public’s attention must remain focused on the politicians, not the corporate bosses—that’s an unspoken rule. Anything that needs discussion can be handled privately, behind closed doors.
A smile touched Mada Kochou’s lips. "On June sixteenth, to prevent Dio from carrying out a decapitation strike, the Pri Minister decided that if any accident befell him, I would be his successor until the next general election."
"What?!" The Minister of Foreign Affairs looked astonished.
The Minister of State nodded. "I was present at the ti. This is the Pri Minister’s letter of appointnt."
An appointnt letter, personally signed by Kumazo Yasuda and bearing an official seal, was produced. The date and ti on it were indeed correct.
The expressions on the ministers’ faces were extraordinary as they glanced at Mada Kochou, then thought of the apprehended Matsuda Haruichiro.
Could Matsuda really have been the one pulling the strings? The ministers were consud by suspicion. Or perhaps, this woman was the true puppet master, having set her plans in motion back in June.
With this thought, the ministers perceived the deadly poison concealed beneath the captivating beauty of the woman before them. The true cause of Kumazo Yasuda’s death beca uncertain once again.
And the Phoenix Academy family has always maintained close ties with the United States, haven’t they?
Mada Kochou offered no explanation. She needed to maintain an air of mystery, as rely being designated by Kumazo Yasuda wasn’t enough for her to succeed him. To formally beco Pri Minister, she needed the approval of the Cabinet Ministers, followed by the consent of the National Diet. As for her status as a Diet mber, she had long been registered in na only, never actively participating until now.
She pulled out a chair and sat down.
She had chosen to break convention and step into the lilight this ti because she sensed a threat from the CIA. In her eyes, becoming the Pri Minister of Japan was the best way to ensure her own safety. Thus, she had been aware of Matsuda Haruichiro’s machinations but hadn’t warned Kumazo Yasuda, intending instead to pluck the fruit from the shadows. Naturally, she didn’t know who was seeking information on Kumazo Yasuda either; any investigation would inevitably leave traces. She had chosen to remain passive. Her ultimate goal was to secure the Pri Minister’s seat; everything else was secondary.
Despite her surprise at Kumazo Yasuda’s death and the revelations from Number Nine, Mada Kochou always projected an air of confidence, as if everything was under her control. Even if she wasn’t a god capable of controlling everything, she possessed the ability to make others believe she had everything under control after events unfolded.
Adopting this stance, she effectively intimidated the remaining Cabinet Ministers. "Do you have any objections?" Mada Kochou asked softly, her piercing gaze sweeping over each minister’s face.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs loosened his collar, his voice sowhat subdued. "It might be difficult to juggle your responsibilities with the Phoenix Academy Group, wouldn’t it?"
"Please don’t worry. I will have my daughter take over as head of the group," Mada Kochou cut him off. She had no real intention of relinquishing power, rely appointing her daughter nominally to silence critics. One has twenty-four hours a day. As long as one gets seven to eight hours of sleep to maintain energy, the remaining ti can be fully dedicated to official duties. She was confident she could manage the affairs of both the group and the nation.
"Any further objections?"
"No." Seeing no one else voice support for his concern, the Minister of Foreign Affairs relented.
Mada Kochou smiled. "Good. The next step is the National Diet. I trust I’ll have your unwavering support to quickly quell the public’s unrest."
"Yes, Pri Minister," the Minister of State imdiately concurred.
Seeing how quickly he sought to curry favor, the other ministers realized that the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary was now vacant.
"Yes, Pri Minister."
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