Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week-Chapter 656 - 654: Defying the Ancestors’ Decision

The autumn evening glow comes early, and the club activities end early as well.

Around five in the afternoon, the manga club stops its activities, and everyone returns home.

Phoenix Academy Maggie takes the train back to Chiyoda District's Hanzomon Station.

As she steps outside, the crimson sunset reflects on the glass curtain walls of the building in front, resembling a brilliant flame burning on its surface.

A cool autumn breeze brushes the street, with few pedestrians around, and a black stretched Bentley stops in front of her.

Phoenix Academy Maggie steps forward.

Butler Miwa, dressed in a light brown kimono, opens the door proactively, while Mike heads towards another car behind.

She gets in the car, sitting in the back seat.

The Bentley's door closes, the perfectly adjusted air conditioning temperature circulating inside the car. She opens the minibar and takes out a drink.

"Miwa, I'd like to listen to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5," said Phoenix Academy Maggie, twisting open the bottle cap.

"Of course, Miss," Miwa replied.

Butler Miwa, sitting in the passenger seat, fastens his seatbelt and plays Symphony No. 5 as she requested.

The notes ring like the knocking of fate around Phoenix Academy Maggie's ears. She takes a sip of her drink and closes her eyes.

Leaning entirely against the seat, she continues pondering the thoughts she had earlier.

Or rather, since lunchtime, what the class president said has been echoing in her mind.

No matter how harsh the words are, if they miss the mark, they can be brushed off with a contemptuous smile, utterly harmless.

But if they hit the mark, they can stab at the heart without a single vulgar word.

Undoubtedly, under the class president's unrestrained outburst, the issues Phoenix Academy Maggie had been avoiding were brought out.

What exactly am I holding on to?

Phoenix Academy Maggie once thought she knew, but upon serious reflection, she completely did not understand.

Can she really wait until the day she fully owns Aozawa?

Phoenix Academy Maggie knows the answer in her heart; it's very unlikely.

Yet, if asked to give up, she can't do it.

Like a little girl who gets her favorite doll from elders on her birthday, hugging it tightly, unwilling to let go, thinking she will always cherish it.

But as time goes by, the doll tightly grasped in her hands is eventually replaced by other things.

However, on her birthday, it was impossible for anyone to take the doll away from her.

Will the future me change?

Phoenix Academy Maggie turns her head to look out the window, feeling a touch of confusion.

Yet in the reflection of the window, there seems to be a resolute figure, struggling tenaciously under the pressure of fate.

This is the charm of music.

The late musician seems to transcend the torrent of time, inspiring everyone who listens to his music.

Don't give up; bravely charge against destiny!

Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes become resolute.

Perhaps in the future, she can let go, but for now, Phoenix Academy Maggie can assure with conviction that she absolutely cannot let go.

No matter how battered and bruised, she will continue to fight!

...

The Bentley drives into the Imperial Palace, arriving at Toyomei-den.

Ever since Kochou moved into the Imperial Palace, Toyomei-den, originally used for state banquets, was favored by Kochou for its spaciousness, and it became a place for daily dining, though the time was irregular.

Sometimes breakfast, sometimes lunch, sometimes dinner.

This constant change of dining location is also to prevent any assassination events from occurring.

By changing the dining place daily, any unexpected events during meals could narrow down those responsible to the smallest scope.

Phoenix Academy Maggie enters Toyomei-den, where dandelion-like chandeliers are fully lit, making the place as bright as the midday streets.

Exquisite dinners are laid on the rectangular table.

Kochou sits at the head seat, the purple kimono wrapped around her gives a sense of elegance, yet it can't hide her impressive curves.

Phoenix Academy Maggie steps forward and bows, "Mother, good evening."

"Hmm."

Kochou responds softly, and there are not many people around.

During meals, she tends to clear out the surrounding people, "How are things between you and Aozawa?"

"Everything is under control."

Phoenix Academy Maggie lies without a change in her expression, sits down, and picks up the knife and fork in front of her, preparing to cut the steak.

As Kochou cuts her steak, she says, "I've arranged for Kamei to find evidence of the Special Investigation Section Chief, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and the United States colluding.

Tonight, you oversee this task."

A flash of surprise crosses Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes, her hand pausing as she was about to cut, looking up at Kochou seated at the head, "Mother, are you planning to act against the Parliament?"

"Exactly, keeping them is a source of instability."

Kochou nods, picks up a small piece of cut steak, and puts it in her mouth for a slow chew, the juices spreading on the surface of her lips like lipstick, glistening under the light.

She prefers her Kobe beef steak medium-rare, its delicious yet not greasy taste hard to resist.

"Is this the right time?"

Phoenix Academy Maggie trusted her mother's ability, but she still asked this question to prevent her mother from making a rash decision.

To target the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate is no small matter. In fact, it could be more shocking to the public than replacing the Prime Minister.

...

If someone else questioned her, Kochou wouldn't bother to explain much and would simply have them obey orders.

Phoenix Academy Maggie was different.

With her daughter, Kochou was patient. Or perhaps it was her maternal instinct, wanting to establish a competent and admirable image in front of her daughter.

Kochou longed for her daughter's admiration, which was far more fulfilling than the flattery of others.

"Maggie, now is the best time. The United States is pressuring me over the Divine Artifacts."

Phoenix Academy Maggie showed a look of realization. She knew that the Three Sacred Treasures currently enshrined by the Imperial Household were actually replicas.

The genuine artifacts had long been lost. Some said they were misplaced during the Genpei War, while others disagreed.

The United States, being well aware of this piece of history, still demanded the Three Sacred Treasures. Clearly, their purpose was not just about obtaining the artifacts but the significance behind them.

If such important symbols as the Three Sacred Treasures could be handed over so easily, then other artifacts would be even more so, just as the United States wished.

Of course, the artifacts the United States wanted most were likely those looted by Japan from a major Eastern country during World War II.

It's because the legend of immortal beings doesn't hold sway in the West; it's unique to Eastern culture.

However, regarding artifacts, back in the distant past, the Eight-Nation Alliance committed atrocities on that land, plundering artifacts.

"Given the United States' current economic situation, even if they took all those artifacts back, where would they find funds for experiments?

In the end, wouldn't they still need us to participate?"

Kochou knew clearly that wanting to monopolize all artifact research was impossible.

But expecting her to pay the cost and effort, only to end up sharing the major benefits with the United States, was not something she could easily accept.

Kochou decided to use this as an opportunity, leveraging artifact research to gain control over the Diet.

This was not an easy task.

On one hand, she needed to present herself as unyielding, showing no room for compromise regarding the artifacts. She actively sought discussions with the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on funding for Japan's independent artifact research, urging them to liaise with the United States.

The United States, upon receiving the news, naturally wanted to contact the Special Investigation Section.

The United States had become quite dependent on this approach.

Whenever a Prime Minister was uncooperative, the Special Investigation Section would proactively probe the black history of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Ministers.

Among her Cabinet Ministers, except for Takeda, none could withstand the Special Investigation Section's scrutiny.

But Kochou wanted them to make contact, so she could gather evidence of their collusion with the United States, then expose it through her media outlets.

She would then take decisive actions, arresting those involved, and then present the choice to Air Force One.

Choose the artifacts, and they have to abandon those people.

Choose those people, and they have to give up the artifacts.

She believed in the professional ethics of U.S. politicians; as long as the benefits were ample, they would have no qualms about betraying others.

The United States selling out allies was not an uncommon occurrence.

Throughout history, puppet governments supported by the United States have been sold out once their support's benefits outweighed what the U.S. gained.

The United States wanted the artifacts, wanted free experiments

Kochou could agree, as long as she could eliminate dissent and make a bold decision that's contrary to ancestral laws.

That was to tax political donations.

Kochou no longer wanted to hold elections or have the Diet constrain her power.

To achieve this goal, she proposed taxing all Diet members, as a cover for her plan to tax political donations.

This move would undoubtedly gain public approval.

After all, Kochou wanted the lords to all pay taxes.

To the ordinary people, this move positioned the Prime Minister on the people's side.

Of course, this also meant that the Phoenix Academy Group could no longer evade taxes.

But Kochou did not care, she was indifferent to short-term gains and losses, dedicated to turning Japan into the private property of the Phoenix Academy family.

All the national taxes collected would be under her control.

Rounding it off, it was like transferring her purse to another place.

Phoenix Academy Maggie listened to her mother's lively discussion, sensing that she was taking the path of a dictator.

But she had plans to step down and let others govern, so she remained calm. "Yes, Mother. Please rest assured, I will certainly gather evidence of their collusion with the United States and then hand it over to you."

"Time is of the essence; we must catch the United States off guard."

Kochou appeared somewhat unsatisfied. Planning such a significant affair made her feel particularly exhilarated.

This would be a policy affecting the nation's future.

If any news leaked prematurely, she would surely face pressure from both the conservatives and the United States. The Special Investigation Section would likely raid the ministers she promoted and the legislators supporting her by tomorrow.

"Never discuss important matters over the phone; they must be discussed face-to-face."

"Rest assured, Mother. I understand."

Phoenix Academy Maggie nodded.

Kochou smiled. She trusted her daughter's ability and then turned the conversation at the dining table to how the United States pressured other countries.