The name Matsubara Rikuto is not unfamiliar to the Sakura Country on Earth; it is the name of the country's prime minister.
The live chat exploded.
"who???????????"
"Your Excellency, are you alright? Has the prime minister really been chosen?"
"Does this mean we'll see a leadership transition very soon?"
"How is that possible! How could Prime Minister Matsubara be so smart! This is already the seventh instance of the rules. With the national fortune of our Sakura Nation, it's impossible that we would choose someone who only supports cults as the chosen one, right?"
"System Announcement: User 'Dragon Country Watermelon 500 Yen' has been banned by the administrator. Reason: Insults and provocation."
"You upstairs really dare to speak the truth."
"Was that the one who got banned a spy from China? His ID was all Chinese characters."
"That name... if I'm not mistaken, it seems to be someone who's a fan of China, who went to live in China because watermelons are cheaper there..."
"If Prime Minister Matsubara were chosen as the chosen one, perhaps even Amaterasu would think the cherry blossoms could stop blooming (sadly)."
"Don't say such unlucky things!"
That banned account did post some rather direct comments, which led people to trace it through the internet... Oh, it really is in China, never mind.
If it were the White Elephant Kingdom, they might investigate and imprison someone on the grounds of "insulting the royal family." However, putting aside the fact that the Prime Minister of the Sakura Kingdom doesn't have that much power, even if he did, in such a bizarre situation of cross-border pursuit, the Dragon Kingdom would probably just silently refuse the Sakura Kingdom.
The concerns expressed in the comments section are not unfounded, as the prime minister of Japan does indeed often display a less-than-ideal side.
However, it's not that extreme to say it's unspeakable.
The chosen one was a smart boy with the same name, but because he was still young, not many people paid attention to him.
The break time is over. The system will automatically redirect you and play the audio you've memorized from the Japanese version of the song:
Welcome to the world of Rules of the Strange, esteemed chosen one. ...Your every action after entering the instance will be broadcast live globally. Please be mindful of your behavior in front of the camera.
[May you find a way to clear the dungeon "Hyakki Yagyō" (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), or you will be forever trapped in this world.]
The system voice read it out as usual.
After all, the exact same voice was repeated four times over two days, and the audience's ears were practically calloused. While other countries' chosen ones might only have one or two mishaps, the future of the Japanese nation was bleak.
[Your first entry into the world of Rules of the Strange has been detected. The system will draw the most suitable Chosen One talent for you...]
[Silver Talent: Dawn Referee]
[Skill Description: Darkness or light, death or rebirth—consider carefully, make a judgment, and the outcome will affect your future destiny.]
Listening blankly to the rules, Matsubara Rikuto was a little confused. It wasn't because it was his first time being a girl, but because the skill description was like a riddle, like the character skills that appear in the later stages of a battle mobile game. It was a long and rambling explanation that left people completely bewildered.
Referee? Verdict?
Could this talent make him a champion of justice, judging evil on behalf of the indigenous people?
Before Matsubara Rikuto could figure out what was going on, he was startled awake by Nekomata's knocking on the door: "Are you dressed yet? Hurry up and come out for breakfast."
He quickly responded to the cat, then glanced at the note, but there was no change in his expression.
He thought his talent was silver, so it should be useful in terms of the rules, but it turned out to be completely useless. Matsubara Rikuto was a little disappointed, but he still quickly followed the cat to the dining room.
"Sakura-chan, why do you seem so restless?"
The cat stared at Matsubara Rikuto's face, scrutinizing him from head to toe. This reminded Matsubara Rikuto of the excuse he'd given while watching other Chosen Ones' livestreams, and he quickly said:
"I just remembered something. Before I was sealed here, I was actually a demon pine tree."
Because the Chosen Ones' bodies are initially in a state of "amnesia," the cats will default to calling them "Sakura-hime." However, the Chosen Ones' talents are different, and once they realize the issue with their names, they will try to choose a pseudonym that suits them based on their abilities.
Matsubara Rikuto had once fantasized about what he should be called if he were to travel into that world, and now he's actually using it.
"Ghost pine nuts?"
“Yes!” Matsubara Rikuto nodded seriously. “I was targeted by Onmyoji because I used pine nuts to lure children to pick them up and then secretly ate them.”
As citizens of the land of cherry blossoms, creating similar ghost stories is second nature to them.
"I see..." The cat nodded again, not delving into the matter further. After all, in her eyes, this weak little brat had nothing to lie about.
Matsubara Rikuto then looked at the diary on his desk.
This time, things have finally changed.
Unlike the previous ordinary note, this diary entry contained content that was noticeably different from what was shown during the live stream.
The first part was my record when I first arrived here, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But things changed later:
Cats can be trusted.
Someone nearby seemed to have drawn many circles with a red pen, as if repeatedly confirming this point, and finally came to a positive conclusion.
When your cat is angry, try petting her fur; this can quickly soothe her.
You can only believe half of what a kappa says.
[The kappa needs to keep its head constantly wet, otherwise it will face certain death.]
There is nothing unusual about these three sentences.
There are usually only the two yokai in the house. If a third one is seen, whoever it is, they must immediately find the cat demon, otherwise they may encounter misfortune.
The phrase "two monsters" in the very first sentence was highlighted in red, so red it was startling, and Matsubara Rikuto immediately thought of the toilet god, so there were indeed more than two.
Thinking about it this way, it seems that talent is telling me, "This statement is wrong."
It is said that whenever the commonalities between the two worlds reach a certain threshold, the world of demons will overlap with the human world. However, it is unknown how many demons will be trapped and how many people will come to this world.
Because the Onmyoji sealed this world, only humans can freely enter the world of demons through rituals or coincidences, while demons find it very difficult to do so.
Most of it is normal, but the last half of the sentence is highlighted in red, as if it is not difficult for ghosts to go to the human world... Indeed, if humans can come through rituals, then ghosts can also go. It is not as difficult as imagined; perhaps it is just that the right method has not been found.
[The rest... I can't remember.]
This sentence was the last one that wasn't highlighted in red, while the following sentences were completely red, making Matsubara Rikuto feel a chill run down his spine as he looked at those words.
I must remember that I am human.
I am a human disguised as a humanoid monster, and I want to return to my original world.
No matter how long it takes, I will go back.
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