Chapter 1

Uesugi Toru curled up inside the freezing iron cabinet, peering out through a tiny seam.

That thing... the fox dog raccoon should've gone far away by now, right?

The abandoned campus at midnight was terrifyingly quiet; not only was there no moonlight, not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Inside the iron cabinet, Uesugi Toru, sandwiched between two equally freezing-cold good brothers on his left and right, thought:

"Trying to hide in a cabinet like in a game to evade an evil spirit's pursuit really is a dead end, after all."

Sure enough, one hide and three were hidden to death; the three brothers were lined up neatly like an exhibition, rowdy and lively.

Otherwise it wouldn't have fallen to me to time-travel over.

After spending a dozen-odd seconds receiving the remaining memories, Uesugi Toru gradually understood everything.

In short, the five of them had agreed to come here at dawn for a courage test — in that legendary classroom rumored to hide a corpse in its walls, to play "Fox Dog Raccoon."

That is, the Japanese version of spirit writing, planchette divination, and the like.

But as the saying goes, inviting a god is easy, sending a god away is hard...

Not only that, good brother "Kumamoto" specially found a cursed spirit board to play the game with.

— Supposedly, before, several female high school students used it to play Fox Dog Raccoon, and as expected they all unexpectedly met with mishap.

Several girls held hands and jumped off the platform in front of a passing train; that scene was simply too horrible to look at.

Recalling up to here, Uesugi Toru's forehead twitched heavily.

Good fellow, it even came with a pile of soul rings attached.

Buffs stacked to the max for you guys; if an evil spirit didn't show up it'd feel like letting down all this effort of yours.

The current situation needs no further elaboration: the original three brothers have long since passed on, and one girl died at the stairs before they even crawled into the iron cabinet to await death...

So right now, that fox dog raccoon should be off hunting the last remaining girl, the one named "Tokugawa Ririko."

"Thank you, Ririko."

Uesugi Toru sincerely, from the bottom of his heart, thanked that girl who had bought him time with her life.

Without her, he might not have even had time to open his cheat before kicking the bucket.

Closing his eyes in intense concentration, then opening them again.

A panel unfolded before his eyes.

【Uesugi Toru】

【Physique: 3】

【Will: 4】

【Charm: 9】

【Spirit Arts: 0】

【Soul Ash: 50】

"This weak-ass physique." Uesugi Toru was speechless: "Charm this high, does it want me to go seduce female ghosts?"

But the problem is, strictly speaking Fox Dog Raccoon has no gender; even if he could stomach it for a moment it'd be useless.

Uesugi Toru continued looking down.

Directly below "Soul Ash" appeared a faintly swaying, clear-cold bamboo grove, with writing above it:

【Novice Limited Salvage: Profound Bamboo Forest】

Behind it followed ominous-looking, twisting purple-black text —

【First Ten-Pull Salvage at Half Price!】

Fine fine fine, you're making me play gacha too, huh.

But Uesugi Toru didn't complain too much; having a cheat to use was good enough, and even the 50 Soul Ash needed for the gacha pull was fully supplied by the three iron cabinet brothers — what more could one ask for.

Time is tight, the task is heavy, no more talk.

Straight to the pull!

In an instant, that bamboo grove in the darkness began to tremble, nine faint white lights rushing out without order.

But Uesugi Toru paid them no mind, instead focusing all his attention on the very last beam of light.

Pity system!

Pity system, give me something!

As if it had heard Uesugi Toru's inner voice, the bamboo grove began to shake wildly, and from within slowly came the shrill crying of many children.

Finally, a beam of dazzling purple light drifted out slowly from the very center of the bamboo grove.

The purple light faded, and an exquisite card — green-faced and fanged, bearing a grotesque smile — floated slowly before his eyes.

【Laughing Hannya (Juvenile Form)】

Uesugi Toru's eyes narrowed slightly; this seems to already be beyond the pity system.

— Although this gacha pool has no marker stating what the pity yields, judging from the previous nine white lights, the pity would at most be blue-green tier.

Getting purple light is purely because luck arrived.

Without further thought, Uesugi Toru began checking the description and usage of 【Laughing Hannya】.

【Laughing Hannya (Juvenile Form)】

【Quality: Superior Quality】

【Rank: Half-Star】

【Rank Limit: One-Star Half】

【Talents: Power of Oni and Gods (Weak), Fear Smile】

【— A Laughing Hannya that amuses itself by frightening and playing pranks on children, not yet fully grown. But perhaps, its potential is not only this?】

【56】 The moment his awareness touched 【Laughing Hannya】, Uesugi Toru understood its actual usage.

The instant Awareness touched 【Laughing Prajna】, Uesugi Toru understood its actual usage.

——He can use cards to transform into those yokai and mononoke that exist in history and legend.

Not bad.

Uesugi Toru grinned.

Just now that fox dog raccoon scared them out of their wits, so in a bit he'll have to let the other side experience that feeling too.

This is traditional virtue, called "reciprocity is courtesy."

But the Laughing Hannya's quality is only green "Excellent Quality," perhaps because it has the potential to advance to higher star ratings and qualities?

Can't figure it out for now, Uesugi Toru continued browsing the two talents.

【Power of Oni and Gods (Weak): Hannya are Ghost Gods. All Hannya are born with physique and spirit power that ordinary yaoguai cannot hope to match, even low-ranking Laughing Hannya are the same.】

【Fear Smile: The Laughing Hannya's smile exists innately to intimidate others. All existences that face you will undergo a "Willpower Judgment" when you smile; if they fail the judgment they are forced into rigidity.】

My own built-in hard-CC berserker.

The two skills mesh seamlessly; Uesugi Toru equipped them without a second word.

From the iron cabinet, a mask with a green face and fangs, bearing a grotesque laugh, flew out with eerie laughter and *clacked* onto Uesugi Toru's face.

The attribute panel immediately changed——

【Uesugi Toru (Laughing Hannya Transformation)】

【Physique: 3→10】

【Will: 4→6】

【Charm: 9→6】

【Spirit Arts: 0→2】

In merely a split second, he felt this sub-healthy ordinary high school student's body inflate at the speed of a balloon, muscle lines becoming sharp and distinct, his calm heartbeat turning into a thunderous pounding, the rush of blood flow clearly audible, even his five senses sharpening.

Even more, he could sense a strange, indescribable power flowing within his body——this was probably what is called spirit power.

The iron cabinet that had just fit the three brothers instantly let out a creak, clearly unable to bear the weight.

Uesugi Toru looked outside the iron cabinet again; that originally pitch-black darkness where he couldn't see his hand before his face had suddenly become as clear as daylight.

"About enough."

He recalled the fox dog raccoon with an old man's face from memory.

If compared with his current self, it was nothing more than a slightly dangerous stray dog.

*Crack——*

Powerful five fingers tore open the thin iron cabinet's latch, and Uesugi Toru, fused with the Hannya mask, stooped and walked out from within.

Only now did he discover the other two brothers' bodies seemed closer to the outside of the iron cabinet, and coincidentally each one blocked half of his body.

Perhaps, they wanted him to survive even more……

Uesugi Toru silently shook his head, crouched down and closed the terrified eyes of his two good brothers.

The pupils beneath the Hannya mask were pitch black and indifferent, revealing not a trace of emotion.

Also unknown, that one called Shizuku, the girl who used her life to buy time for me——is she still alive……

Just at this time, from at least a hundred meters away came the loud crash of an object colliding, immediately followed by a girl's roar:

"You bastard, get away from me——!"

The deep night was silent; Uesugi Toru heard it clearly, that was unmistakably Tokugawa Ririko's voice.

So the Evil Ghost nodded knowingly, strides heavy as he sprinted out, his ferocious terrifying roaring laughter spreading like shockwaves through the gloomy corridors:

"Ririko, don't panic! I'm coming to help you!"

(End of Chapter)