Chapter 138

Uesugi Toru walked into the woods and waited for quite a while, but the Eight Shaku Adult still didn't come over.

He turned his head to look and discovered the girl was still there taking a step and laughing once, her smile extremely exaggerated, drool practically dripping from the corners of her mouth, who knew what she was thinking about.

Uesugi Toru couldn't be bothered to wait any longer, so he strode over and grabbed the Eight Shaku Adult by the back of the neck like picking up a little chick, making her cover her mouth, clamp her legs together, and let out a surprised "po" sound.

Then the girl's face flushed red with shame as she tightly shut her eyes, revealing an expression of anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness.

Uesugi Toru put down the Eight Shaku Adult and stared at her speechlessly for a while, until he finally saw the progress bar fill up completely and his spirits revived.

Huala~

Streaks of Buddha Light resembling halos bloomed from the back of the Eight Shaku Adult's head, a stark mismatch with her current appearance and expression — one could say the contrast was maxed out.

Not paying attention to the wild fantasies probably floating in her mind, as she bit her lip with her shell-like teeth and even started slightly twisting her waist, the Eight Shaku Adult.

Uesugi Toru opened her Attribute Panel and let out a surprised "oh".

— Looks like, choosing to have the Eight Shaku Adult walk the Shinto Path and eat the Buddhist Sect's Incense Wish Power was a good choice after all.

【Eight Shaku Woman】

【Quality: Rare+】

【Rank: Two-Star】

【Rank Limit: Three-Star】

【Talents: Curse Positioning, Bidirectional Healing, Illusory Entity, Illusory Weapons, Affinity Halo.】

The Eight Shaku Adult's Quality rose from "Rare" to "Rare+", and she gained two new Talents from a single promotion; moreover, her previous Talents also seemed to have improved.

"Letting the Eight Shaku Adult eat Buddhist Incense actually produced this kind of strange beneficial chemical reaction."

Uesugi Toru touched his chin and thought.

He originally thought that for a Mononoke like the Eight Shaku Adult who originally clashed with the Buddhist Sect in the Main Story, promoting this way would only yield basic promotion effects, perhaps even worse than devouring other Yokai.

But unexpectedly, the Eight Shaku Adult not only gained an extra Talent, even her inherent Quality went up a tier.

Uesugi Toru first looked at the Talents she originally possessed —

【Curse Positioning: After the Eight Shaku Woman conducts bidirectional observation with any target, she can continuously position that target. Positioning limit is two.】

Curse Positioning's limit changed from one to two, a modest but not insignificant buff; originally having to abandon one target to position another was quite limiting.

【Bidirectional Healing: After being embraced by the Eight Shaku Woman, both parties receive a continuous healing effect. The higher the embraced person's Charm / Spirit Arts (choose one) Attribute, the stronger the healing effect.】

"This really is... an unexpected surprise."

Uesugi Toru murmured, rubbing the little head of the girl wearing the wide white hat, making her purse her lips slightly and let out a soft, melting "po".

Because even in human form or White Hannya Incarnation state, as long as Uesugi Toru wears the Four-Tailed Fox Jade Pendant, his Spirit Arts Attribute can reach a full 40 points!

40 points of Spirit Arts Attribute versus 9-15 points of Charm Attribute recovery effect — which is stronger, Uesugi Toru felt no need to overthink.

This way, the Eight Shaku Adult has gone from the original "post-battle sustained recovery small health potion" to a "large health potion that can stay active even on the Battlefield"!

Although the "Illusory Entity" Talent didn't strengthen, the fact that the Eight Shaku Adult has no vital points, only a health bar, is far ahead of the vast majority of Yokai.

And —

【Illusory Weapons: The Eight Shaku Woman can extract remaining Health, transforming it into weapons from her imagination. The higher the "Score" of the imagined weapon, the more of the Eight Shaku Woman's remaining Health is extracted.】

Another surprise!

Uesugi Toru read the detailed description of this Talent several times carefully and discovered this thing seems to be a truly idealistic Skill.

Compared to it, that last extra Talent that appeared isn't much at all.

【Affinity Halo: The Eight Shaku Woman who promoted via Buddhist Incense Wish Power will from now on not be Restrained by the Buddhist Sect, and her Affinity will be Significantly Increased.】

【— Buddhist Little Bodhisattva Eight Shaku Two Sun Two Bu Two Rin Adult, Evolved!】

"Po... popopo, Toru-sama, something is about to surge out from inside my body!" The Eight Shaku Adult's head-top Buddha Light bloomed, her whole body becoming even more tangible and real. "Muo oh oh —!"

As for what surged out?

The answer is naturally power! Is power!

Uesugi Toru rubbed his swelling forehead, extended a finger and flicked the girl's forehead, making her go "mu" and open her eyes.

He stared at the girl covering her forehead and hehe-laughing: "Nishaku, you should also feel yourself becoming stronger, right? Come try the new ability."

"Okay!" The Eight Shaku Adult clenched her little fists and nodded vigorously.

Then she spread her hands, and after closing her eyes again for several dozen seconds, she still couldn't squeeze out any weapon.

The Eight Shaku Adult scratched her head in bewilderment and asked puzzledly: "I feel a little something, but how exactly do I do it?"

Can't use it?

Uesugi Toru reacted — the Eight Shaku Adult can't see her own Attribute Panel; ordinary Mononoke Yokai after promotion should all need to spend quite a lot of time mastering new Talents and abilities.

Even some stupid, clumsy Yokai with insufficient intelligence fundamentally cannot use the new abilities after promotion.

He thought for a moment and said: "Then close your eyes and imagine you're gripping an Uchigatana you've personally seen before."

The Eight Shaku Adult nodded, activating her imagination ability once more.

A few seconds later, a completely gray-white Uchigatana appeared in her hand without any warning.

"Po! Success, Toru-sama!" The Eight Shaku Adult felt the weight transmitting from her palm, raised the blade and cheered, "Look!"

Uesugi Toru's pupils shrank slightly as he saw the Panel pop up on this Uchigatana.

【Uchigatana】

【Score: 3】

【Evaluation: An ordinary ordinary Uchigatana.】

"Score" — this is a unique Attribute of the Eight Shaku Adult's ability, roughly equivalent to the strength of the manifested weapon and also marking how much of her Health was consumed.

"Eight Shaku Adult, how does it feel now?" Uesugi Toru asked, wanting to see what impact manifesting a 3-point Score weapon would bring her.

"Feels like completely nothing."

The girl swung the Uchigatana twice with clumsy movements, then her movement stalled as she brought it up to her eyes: "Toru-sama, there are actually lots of words jumping out on the blade too, 'Uchigatana, Score 3, Ordinary Ordinary'."

——Even the Adult can see the panel of the weapons she manifests?

Uesugi Toru pondered for a moment, not saying much more.

——This is a Good Thing; it can also help the Adult understand each weapon she manifests more quickly.

"Let me try."

Uesugi Toru had just taken this Uchigatana from the Adult's Hand Palms when he discovered it instantly transformed into a pile of gray-white gas and dissipated.

Cannot be used by Other People Use.

Although there is a restriction, it is also No Damage to the overall situation.

"Then next, Adult, you manifest a Hand fan out." Uesugi Toru said, "You've been surfing the internet these two days; you should have seen a Hand fan plenty of times by now."

"po!"

The Adult Closed Eyes; this time she was much more proficient, taking less than ten seconds to make a gray-white Hand fan appear in her hand——

【Hand fan】

【Score: 10】

【Evaluation: An ordinary Hot Weapon that can shoot ordinary Bullets by pulling the trigger.】

Strange.

Uesugi Toru stared at the Hand fan in her hand, feeling it didn't resemble any Hand fan he had ever seen; rather, it looked like a nondescript thing assembled from various parts.

Moreover, even several key parts——the safety and the hammer——did not Exist!

"As expected, it is an Idealism Skill."

Uesugi Toru glanced at the "Evaluation" again, unable to help but click his tongue in amazement.

He glanced at the "10" Score, then asked: "Adult, how do you feel now?"

The girl gripped the Hand fan, replying somewhat listlessly,

"Slightly dizzy, but No Damage to the overall situation."

Uesugi Toru, after hanging the Four-Tailed Fox Jade Pendant and gripping the Adult's small hand, thought:

——A weapon of around 13 Score can make the Adult hang a debuff; so, on the premise of guaranteeing her normal Activity ability, it's best to only use 3-40 Score within a single battle.

And if the Adult keeps hanging on himself, that's another situation.

In short, this ability's potential is limitless; it can also withstand a use now——but first, the Adult's knowledge breadth and Meat Degree must be enhanced.

The former is so the Adult can have more whimsical ideas; the latter is so she can manifest more weapons that are actually useful.

However, even now, if the Adult pulls out a "full-power rifle with exorcism effect" from her Skirt, her combat power would rise by more than one level.

Just the Art Style is a bit Strange……

"Alright!" Uesugi Toru scratched the girl's Qiong nose, signaling her to Dissipate the Hand fan, then encouraged: "This Evolution is not bad! The Adult has become even more powerful."

"popo~"

The Adult tilted her head back, put her Hand Palms behind her back, and blissfully enjoyed the praise.

But the good times didn't last long; soon cold raindrops fell, pattering on her face, Interrupting the Adult's reverie.

"po……"

The girl frowned Displeased, yet saw Uesugi Toru reveal an "Finally waited for you" Expression; after a daze, she asked: "Toru-sama, do we have to Go Do something later?"

"Mm. Can I trouble you, Adult, to first return into the Jizo Statue?"

After the Rain, Uesugi Toru watched the already sparse tourist count rapidly become not a single one left; he hung Kaga Kiyomitsu at his Waist and said to the Adult,

"Later we might go to a strange Place to fight; you must Prepare first."

"po!"

The Adult didn't suspect anything else, immediately returning into the Jizo Statue.

"Good……"

Uesugi Toru glanced at the Prompt to the side, heavily exhaling a mouthful of scorching Qi Sword.

【Whether to enter the History Phantom "Battle of Okehazama"?】

"Yes."

……

"Everyone listen! The Enemy started from Yesterday Evening, first transporting grain from Odaka, then struggling hard at Marune and Washizu, they are already at the end of their strength! While our army rests and awaits labor, how can there be any reason not to win!"

A majestic and hoarse voice came from the front, pulling Uesugi Toru's thoughts out of the Darkness.

He came to his senses, discovering he was wearing armor that extremely restricted movement, and before him were a strange shrine and strange people.

Uesugi Toru blinked, recalling the knowledge he saw in the encyclopedia——if he remembered correctly, this Place should be Zenshoji Temple.

According to the encyclopedia, Oda Nobunaga would pray here, then encounter a sudden downpour, after which the legendary Battle of Okehazama would begin.

Uesugi Toru Turned Head toward the surroundings; after turning a full circle, he discovered his Height seemed to be among the top.

——Aside from the figure standing in front, draped in Pitch Black armor, suspected to be Oda Nobunaga's back, he himself should be the tallest in the whole army.

And Oda Nobunaga's Height was only on par with him.

If he looked toward the rear, he could see a large pile of soldiers whose Height didn't even reach 1.5 Meters; Uesugi Toru also couldn't recognize whether they were Samurai or Gusoku Ashigaru.

But not even reaching 1.5 Meters and still being able to go on the Battlefield is also outrageous.

Uesugi Toru silently complained in his heart——he didn't know that in this Warring States era, the average height of adult males was only about 150cm; exceeding 160cm counted as a "tall person".

His height of nearly 180cm, No Doubt, could already be called a giant.

Besides that, the average strength of Oda Army soldiers and commanders could only be described as Ordinary.

Uesugi Toru carefully sensed; he didn't feel even a single person who had Reached Three-Star Level.

——The strongest, seemed to be Oda Nobunaga standing before him; his aura was rare Powerful even among Two-Star Half.

And the Heaven Earth Spirit Qi in this History Projection was also very thin.

One wonders if it was for this reason that he actually failed to discover even a single Onmyoji carrying spiritual power fluctuations within the military formation.

Uesugi Toru was still thinking when he heard a gentle voice coming from ahead,

"Lord Nobunaga, since you have rarely come to Atsuta Shrine, why not pray to the gods for victory?"

Hm?

A woman's voice?

Uesugi Toru raised his eyes and saw a beautiful armored woman standing not far from Oda Nobunaga's left hand, and couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

What situation? A female warrior?

And judging by where she stood, her status seemed extremely high.

Uesugi Toru had never heard of any famous female warrior in the Oda Clan.

"Mhm — what you say is also right."

Oda Nobunaga was seen nodding.

Then, Oda Nobunaga heavily stomped one foot on the shrine's stone steps, bent down and placed his hands on his knees, making a proclamation: "Hey! You bastard listen well!"

"— This Tenka has been chaotic long enough, it's time to swap in a qualified person to protect it! Understood? If you understand then let me win!"

Oda Nobunaga's voice was loud and clear; these impious words traveled very far, making the entire Oda Army fall silent.

Uesugi Toru also listened with his brow twitching slightly — Bro, is this how you ask for a favor?

You know, these gods aren't purely fabricated, but most likely truly exist...

However the next moment, whether dozens or hundreds of meters of winding lightning dragons suddenly lit up from the night curtain, emitting a resounding thunder that shook heaven and earth, as if Atsuta Daimyojin had responded.

Crash.

Torrential rain fell, icy raindrops crackling as they smashed onto Uesugi Toru's face.

Thus Oda Nobunaga satisfactorily withdrew his foot, turned around crisply, his red cloak sweeping an arc behind him.

"Without a doubt, it is Atsuta Daimyojin blessing us!"

He drew the tachi at his waist and raised it to the sky:

"— Taking advantage of this torrential rain, the whole army begins advancing to attack Imagawa's main camp!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"

A response like mountains shouting and seas roaring came from all around, not dissipating for a long time in the torrential rain.

Immediately after, Uesugi Toru felt that extremely aggressive gaze land on him.

Oda Nobunaga's voice came,

"Commander Toru, may I ask if you would be willing to lead the charge into the enemy's main camp?"

Ah?

What, me?

Uesugi Toru also hadn't expected that he originally just wanted to follow behind the Oda army and pick up kills to complete the task, but now had inexplicably become the Oda Army's vanguard commander.

More critically — he doesn't know the way!

Without navigation, Uesugi Toru coming to Okehazama for the first time would definitely have to take several detours to reach the destination.

If he really became the Oda Army's vanguard commander, nine times out of ten it would be several beats slower than original history, and might even let Imagawa Yoshimoto escape.

But the figures in this historical projection are vivid like real people; directly saying he doesn't know the way would not only weaken morale, but might also anger the eccentric Oda Nobunaga.

Uesugi Toru thought for a moment, a plan forming: "If Lord Nobunaga has confidence, why not personally lead the army to charge and boost morale?"

"As for safety concerns..."

Uesugi Toru slightly cupped his hands, slowly tearing off his cumbersome armor piece by piece: "Before this one falls, Lord Nobunaga absolutely cannot suffer the slightest harm."

That female warrior immediately said anxiously: "Impossible!"

Oda Nobunaga instead laughed loudly: "Good!"

Opposition voices from retainers and generals kept coming from all around, but Oda Nobunaga turned a blind eye to them, instead asking curiously,

"Commander Toru, I wonder what this means?"

Uesugi Toru pretended to take out the White Hannya Mask from his bosom and clasp it on his face, he laughed loudly: "Mere armor, how can it compare to a body tempered through long years?"

Finished speaking, Uesugi Toru mobilized the Corona Breathing Technique, shattering all rainwater within nearly ten meters around his body into rain mist, and took this opportunity to transform into White Hannya.

After the rain mist dispersed, a White Hannya three-tenths taller and three-tenths sturdier than the original Uesugi Toru stood in the torrential rain, a vermilion uchigatana at his waist, gripping a plain spear over two meters long.

Near-substantial scorching white vapor rose slowly from Uesugi Toru's body, making everyone subconsciously fall silent.

He stood quietly in the rain, his bearing stern and cold, like a ghost god forged of steel.

Oda Nobunaga looked in shock at the completely changed Uesugi Toru, immediately clapping his hands in great delight,

"Good! Commander Toru is truly brave! Then we'll do as you say!"

Oda Nobunaga had his own tall horse brought, and also found an equally sturdy horse placed before Uesugi Toru.

Uesugi Toru glanced at the horse whose eyes held fear: "This one needs no horse, walking is fine."

— Aside from the horse seeming very afraid of him, Uesugi Toru himself fundamentally doesn't know how to ride a horse, his mounted combat experience is also zero.

If he rode a horse he might not handle some sudden situations.

As for physical strength, even if he can't summon the Two-Chi Adult now, two drops of Awakening Spirit Mist are more than enough for this kind of physical exertion.

Oda Nobunaga didn't persuade otherwise either, smiling and having the horses led away.

Then he raised the tachi again, using a breathing technique Uesugi Toru had never seen to assist his shout: "All of Oda Army listen! The enemy is in Okehazama!"

"— Follow me to attack Imagawa's main camp, the target is only Imagawa Yoshimoto alone!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"

In the torrential rain, the Oda Army led by Oda Nobunaga charged down from the mountain toward Okehazama with a rumble.

Uesugi Toru followed closely at Oda Nobunaga's side, taking advantage of this time to quietly observe this "Sixth Demon King," the future Tenka-bito, one of the three great figures of the Sengoku Period.

The chance to come into such close contact with a living historical figure of such renown might only come once.

The next time they met, they might well be enemies.

—Because a Sengoku celebrity as universally known as Oda Nobunaga was extremely likely to enter the Common World after death and become a Ghost Warlord, a Ghost Daimyo.

Kajiwara Kageki, whom he had crossed paths with before, was exactly such a case.

One could surmise that Oda Nobunaga's status and strength in the Common World might be far higher than his.

"This aura... one truly must say, as expected of the Sixth Demon King."

Uesugi Toru gazed at Oda Nobunaga's profile, wearing a smile of supreme confidence, and sensed the incomparably tyrannical aura enveloping him.

In terms of aura alone, Uesugi Toru even felt Oda Nobunaga could be mentioned in the same breath as the Ghost God-level figures he had seen.

Hiss— Hiss—

Amidst the rain, two extremely faint sounds of air being split rang out.

Uesugi Toru's eyelids lifted slightly; Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade light flashed and vanished, slicing the kunai shot from the mountain forest to the side into pale powder.

Only now did Oda Nobunaga react, and he couldn't help but laugh loudly in praise: "Good blade, good blade technique!"

—Uesugi Toru guessed that originally those two kunai weren't meant to wound or hit Oda Nobunaga, but merely to make him aware there were people in the surrounding mountain forest so he would slow down and be more vigilant.

But now with his presence, Oda Nobunaga had absolutely no intention of slowing down; on the contrary, he sped up considerably.

"Sengoku Period ninja... Hattori Hanzo?"

Uesugi Toru did not know that in the actual Sengoku Period the concept of "ninja" did not yet exist.

He merely made a guess at the potential enemy — after all, this opponent's presence vanished after a single strike; his strength should not be weak.

Before long, the Oda Army collided with the Imagawa Army's sparse vanguard units.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

A samurai screamed hoarsely, wanting to rally the troops; there were also quite a few arquebusiers who launched a volley at the Oda Army still over a hundred meters away.

But before he could even turn around to retrieve his arquebus — that is, his matchlock — he suddenly discovered a terrifying, fierce Evil Ghost had appeared before his eyes.

—How is this possible?!

—The Oda Army was clearly still over a hundred meters away from them, and several checkpoints had even been set up in between...

In the next instant, the plain spear's tip shattered the rain, piercing precisely through the samurai's throat, causing his hand about to reach for the tachi at his waist to drop limply.

Uesugi Toru hoisted this samurai of no low status, took a deep breath, and roared: "Kill!"

Just then, several streaks of ghastly white lightning flashed across the sky vault behind him.

This display of Ghost God Might terrified all the Imagawa Clan ashigaru and scattered samurai who witnessed it; they screamed and scattered in all directions.

As for the remaining dozen or so Imagawa Clan samurai putting up a desperate resistance, they couldn't mount any proper defense; half were killed by Uesugi Toru, the other half had their heads taken by the Oda Army's commanders.

Uesugi Toru hadn't even swung his spear a few times before he saw the surrounding enemy troops were already all either dead or fled.

"This Imagawa Army is too useless..."

He blanked for a moment, suddenly not knowing what to say.

Oda Nobunaga hadn't even drawn his tachi before seeing the vanguard unit completely wiped out; he delightedly came to Uesugi Toru's side and held out his palm,

"Commander Toru! Will you come up?"

Huh? Oda Nobunaga is inviting me to ride the same horse as him?

Because of the easy victory just now, Uesugi Toru's thoughts also underwent a slight shift.

—This seems to be a completely smooth-sailing battle; then sitting behind Nobunaga, I just charge when we encounter enemies, right?

"There is no objection."

Uesugi Toru gripped Oda Nobunaga's hand tight, touched his toes down, and sat behind him.

Just as he mounted, he heard Oda Nobunaga shout angrily to the rear: "You lot, stop holding onto these zako's heads! I only want Imagawa Yoshimoto's head and victory!"

Then the horse beneath them began to gallop wildly forward.

Not long after, the Oda Army ran into the Imagawa Army's main camp situated in Okehazama.

Those ashigaru and samurai, though panicked by the sudden mishap, maintained the most basic discipline due to their numbers, raising their weapons one after another preparing to counterattack.

Oda Nobunaga drew his tachi and roared,

"Commander Toru, please go ahead! No need to worry about me anymore!"

Amidst the howling wind and driving rain, White Hannya revealed a ferocious grin.

Snap.

Uesugi Toru's toes landed in the muddy water.

In the next instant, a thick bolt of blue-purple lightning suddenly struck down upon that Imagawa Clan commander who was staring at him with cold eyes.

The lightning spread along the rainwater, electrocuting the dozen-odd people centered on him into head-first-sleeping scorched charcoal.

Uesugi Toru secretly stowed his folding fan, and before the Imagawa Army's eyes spat out dense fine thunder: "This is Heaven's Punishment! Why do you not surrender and accept execution!"

The ashigaru around that commander were frightened by this lightning into not daring to move, but immediately another commander stepped forward.

He beheaded a dazed ashigaru with one slash and roared,

"The enemy is right before you! What are you spacing out for!? Nock arrows! Fire guns!"

Before his words fell, Uesugi Toru stepped on lightning and crossed dozens of meters to arrive before this commander.

Footstep descending, viscous muddy water exploded outward and upward toward the surroundings and sky, the snow-bright plain spear emerging from within like a striking snake.

Tss tss tss!

Bright sparks burst from the contact point of tachi and plain spear, illuminating the face of the man gripping the tachi.

Uesugi Toru narrowed his eyes; this was the first time someone in the Imagawa Army had been able to take one of his moves.

He learned the manner of those taiga dramas and roared: "State your name!"

Blood color rose in the commander's pupils, and he likewise roared back: "Ii Naomori!"

Just as he was hearing this commander's name, Uesugi Toru suddenly felt his hand grow light — it turned out Ii Naomori had suddenly released the tachi in his hand, and instead stepped forward intending to draw his uchigatana.

Ii Naomori knew himself no match for the Evil Ghost commander before him, therefore he sought to take a desperate gamble and fight to the death!

"Come on then!"

Uesugi Toru was not startled but delighted; he likewise released the plain spear in his hand, reaching toward the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade.

In this extremely brief moment, all the Corona Qi within his body erupted with a boom, infusing his white-prajna steel-like flesh with incomparable power!

Ii Naomori was just about to slash Uesugi Toru's neck, but his uchigatana along with his very center suddenly manifested a distinct pale straight line.

Iaido·Front Draw Strike!

Ii Naomori's movement halted; the samurai had realized his end, yet he revealed a ferocious smile of "I succeeded."

Because in this brief life-and-death struggle, the ashigaru in the rear had already nocked arrows, lit their arquebuses.

Boom boom boom!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Dense arrows and cannonballs shot toward Uesugi Toru, for a time making it impossible for those around to see his figure within them.

Just then he caught sight of Imagawa Yoshimoto's hatamoto — that is, the bodyguard Oda Nobunaga — suddenly turn his head and shout loudly,

"Commander Toru!"

A few seconds later, the smoke and dust raised by colliding arquebus rounds dissipated, revealing Uesugi Toru's body, covered in blood yet grown even more robust.

Berserk, effect halved!

The Evil Ghost grinned, swinging his plain spear and tearing the surrounding ashigaru apart like tofu; he replied to Oda Nobunaga,

"I told you, a thoroughly tempered body is more trustworthy than mere armor!"

Even Oda Nobunaga, seeing this scene, couldn't help but freeze for a moment, then turned to Uesugi Toru who had already arrived at his side with both shock and joy,

"That's Yoshimoto's hatamoto! Follow me, charge!"

Uesugi Toru looked — in the rain, several hundred people were swiftly fleeing toward the interior of Okehazama Mountain.

This target couldn't be any larger.

It's just that these several hundred bodyguards, at least one-star, even containing quite a few two-star samurai, are a bit troublesome...

Uesugi Toru thought this, then looked back and discovered his own forces were more than six or seven times the enemy's.

— In this downpour, most of the enemy's units had been scattered, while his side had almost as many men as when they set out.

Uesugi Toru smiled.

With three thousand against three hundred, does the result even need thinking?

The advantage is mine!

What followed was simple: Uesugi Toru rode on Oda Nobunaga's horse, and when they arrived he jumped down.

Then he brandished his plain spear, carving a bloody path through the samurai encirclement.

Basic Plain Spear Technique was, in this miserable battlefield environment, comprehended and integrated by Uesugi Toru at extreme speed.

He extracted his plain spear from the neck of a petite female commander, watching the dense despair and unwillingness almost overflowing in the opponent's eyes as she slowly fell, somewhat surprised.

— Didn't expect the Imagawa Clan to have a female commander too, and her strength reached two-star half, fighting fiercely with him for a good while.

"What a pity, in this era it must be very difficult for a woman to possess this level of strength."

Uesugi Toru regretted for her for one more second, then turned and continued throwing himself into the rare battlefield melee, wanting to gain more proficiency.

Who knows how much longer he killed, until the moment he heard cheers rising from his surroundings, then felt his vision go black once more.

Genjitsu, before the Okehazama Scenic Area sign.

Uesugi Toru shook his head, looking at the rain that had suddenly become much lighter than before and the vastly more prompts, and couldn't help but reveal a smile.

— This time entering the Okehazama Battle history phantom, experiencing a real battlefield environment, the harvest was truly not small.

Not only did he harvest a large amount of proficiency, he also completely mastered Mastery Level Plain Spear Technique.

Now, it could almost be said Uesugi Toru regards the plain spear as an extension of his own body, and that would be no exaggeration.

Just a bit regretful — he didn't get to witness Imagawa Yoshimoto's true appearance.

Uesugi Toru remembered, historically it seems Imagawa Yoshimoto was a short-legged fat man who couldn't run fast.

Yet until everything ended, he never saw that conspicuously large fat man who should have been the target.

"Forget it, regret is regret, at least I got to see Oda Nobunaga looking handsome... completely unlike the legendary great fool."

Uesugi Toru shook his head, no longer thinking about what had already passed.

He casually found a pavilion to shelter from the rain, drying his clothes with the convenient Corona Qi while looking at the prompts popping up all at once —

【Your Regional Unlock Mission has been completed!】

【Whether to enter the current region?】

Completed is completed, where's my reward?

Uesugi Toru flipped through the prompts, discovering this Regional Unlock Mission was indeed stingy enough to give no reward.

He pursed his lips, deciding not to quibble over it — anyway, Regional Unlock Mission rewards are always mosquito legs, same whether they exist or not, just a matter of attitude.

And what Uesugi Toru cares least about is so-called "attitude."

Compared to such rewards that don't matter either way, better to look at the proficiency growth —

【You have completely mastered Basic Plain Spear Style·Mastery Level!】

【Your Skill, Tenrai Rishin-ryu Proficiency +188!】

【Your Skill, Corona Breathing Technique Proficiency +592!】

【Your Skill, Gora-ho Kiai Proficiency +481!】

Among the three skills, Tennen Rishin-ryu grew the least, while Five Thunder Method: Kiai had almost reached the critical point for upgrading.

—Because Uesugi Toru's main purpose was originally to harmonize with Material Arts, he would only draw Kaga Kiyomitsu when forced by circumstances.

As for the latter two, both could be trained simply by breathing, so they naturally obtained massive growth after experiencing a journey of bloody battles.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Toru turned over his palm, and suddenly discovered his injuries had not been brought back together with him.

This was a good thing, saving him the time to recuperate from injuries.

Since that's the case, can't he just directly open the new map first!

"Enter."

Uesugi Toru was just preparing to feel the familiar water pressure's arrival, when a pale white prompt suddenly popped up before his eyes.

【——Whether to use "History Key"?】

Uesugi Toru was slightly stunned, looked at his surroundings which had already turned deep blue, and knew he had already arrived in that boundless deep sea between Genjitsu and Chang Shi.

According to common sense, he should feel a wave of water pressure and then open a new map probably related to the Warring States period, then go formulaically light up the Shrine.

But now he was stuck here because of the History Key in his backpack.

Uesugi Toru used his mind to open the Storage Backpack, and discovered the History Key inside was blooming with pale white glow, clearly writing the big words "use me quickly".

Use it?

Uesugi Toru laughed once.

—Does this even need hesitation?

—He wanted to use it before but couldn't find the chance!

This is a Mythic Item personally handed to him by the Walker camp's big backer Magatsukami, who even said it was the former Lord of the Eternal World's instruction.

Moreover, the Walking Watch in his backpack is also waiting eagerly to be unlocked.

After this village, there might not be this shop again!

【You have used special item·History Key!】

【Please note! Current region unlock has stopped!】

After the two prompts, the History Key in the Storage Backpack instantly bloomed with endless dazzling white light, completely shielding Uesugi Toru's vision, not letting him see the final prompt.

【You are entering the era designated by that History Key·Sengoku Period Mid-term!】

In this instant, a sensation far more dizzying than the so-called "darkness before the eyes" by hundreds of times tightly wrapped Uesugi Toru.

Without leaving a single seam, letting his self-awareness fall into deep coma.

……

When Uesugi Toru regained consciousness again, the damp rich straw roof smell rushed straight into his nose, letting him smell a home-like scent of welcome.

"Cough, cough cough."

Uesugi Toru just wanted to reach out and rub his half-squinted eyes, when immediately he discovered he had been tied up five-flower style on an equally damp wooden pillar by someone using worn-out straw rope.

Even his fingers weren't spared, showing the binder was quite meticulous.

But Uesugi Toru raised his eyebrows, and with a slight exertion of force felt the straw rope about to emit a lamentation of being unable to bear the load.

What situation is this?

Does this yokai look down on me this much?

Just as he felt confused, a burst of light footsteps came from outside the Thatched Hut.

(End of Chapter)