Chapter 216

Uesugi Toru heard this, temporarily set aside the prompt in his hand, and turned his head with some puzzlement.

——What, Yagyu Shou and Tamamo are going to face me in the Seed War?

Isn't the Seed War held jointly by the twenty-three wards within Tokyo?

Even counting the Tama Area nominally under Tokyo, and the more remote Island Regions, they still can't reach Shizuoka Prefecture at all.

Walking silently to the Kekkai's side, Uesugi Toru sat down and asked: "Why do you say that?"

Hearing this question, Tamamo's professionalism activated once again.

She subconsciously explained carefully,

"——It's that Tokyo is preparing to join with several surrounding prefectures to hold a Seed War in the Eastern Region.

Supposedly, Tokyo's highest Five Person Council also invited some hidden Dojos and Onmyoji Families, to make this Eastern Region one have more gold content."

Tamamo, who had nearly triggered the bomb and the Hundred Demons in the tunnel just now, seemed to have forgotten her current predicament.

She spoke logically and clearly: "This news seems not to have spread inside Tokyo yet——because they have to wait for the vanguard battles in the surrounding districts and counties to finish before there's any meaning in informing the Special Affairs Division inside Tokyo."

Uesugi Toru thought to himself, so that's how it is.

Then doesn't that mean... there are also Central Region, Southern Region and other large-area Seed Wars?

Though the west side isn't too clear, that side is the Onmyoryo's jurisdiction.

He smiled and nodded at Tamamo: "Thanks for sharing the intel."

And when Uesugi Toru withdrew his attention from the "Seed War," he discovered the states of the Special Affairs Bureau Staff inside the Kekkai were all not too good.

The heavily injured, the comatose, and the rest looking at him with eyes like they were looking at a monster.

Only Yagyu Shou, being intimately licked on the wounds by the Komainu Hatamoto, gazed at him quietly.

In his eyes, battle intent blazed.

Uesugi Toru found it strange.

This situation, this legal loli wearing a matching yellow elementary school safety helmet, how did she switch to commentator mode and explain the Seed War news to him in such an unhurried manner.

And she nearly died just now, clearly just an ordinary person...... how come now her face isn't red, heart isn't racing, breath isn't short, like she's on an outing.

Uesugi Toru asked: "Was rescue and support called?"

Tamamo nodded: "Called long ago, about six or seven minutes until arrival."

So Uesugi Toru put the doubts in his heart just now into words.

"——Because I'm used to it."

Tamamo said as a matter of course: "Special Affairs Bureau Staff...... well, especially little assistants, aren't they originally the profession that pins their heads to their waist belts?"

Uesugi Toru was speechless.

Saying this kind of thing with this elementary-school-like face and height, indeed makes one's mood quite complex.

He was just about to open his mouth to ask why, when Tamamo, with incomparably rich experience, who knew how many times she'd answered similar questions, spread her hands and beat him to the answer,

"Money, lots of money, my parents back home need money for old age, and I've got several younger sisters and younger brothers in school needing money."

She muttered softly,

"If doing ordinary work, with just my high school education, working a lifetime I couldn't earn much."

Uesugi Toru was stunned.

Good fellow, still a family hero.

"And Yagyu this guy is willing to bring me, why wouldn't I dare come earn this big rice!"

Tamamo elbowed Yagyu Shou's head beside her, grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

Yagyu Shou said seriously with an expressionless face: "Tamamo, is the best assistant."

Hearing this praise, Tamamo excitedly burst into Kansai Dialect: "Hey! Saying 'the best' is a bit too much, isn't it!"

"No, not at all......"

"I also think not at all." Uesugi Toru likewise spoke, "Just now in that situation you clearly could have fled first, yet chose to stay."

"Right!"

Tamamo suddenly reacted.

She raised her mobile phone, scrolled through the chat records with Uesugi Toru and complained: "Big Brother Uesugi, why didn't you reply just now, we almost all finished!"

This point, seems indeed to be his fault......

Uesugi Toru was pondering how to reply, when he saw Tamamo thump down and kneel before him, two blue twin-tails braided into plaits falling onto the ground.

"But no matter what!"

Tamamo knocked her forehead hard against the ground, emitting a crisp dong sound.

She said loudly: "Thank you Big Brother Uesugi for saving our dog lives!"

Uesugi Toru, who thought he was about to be attacked, froze for a good while, then hurriedly lifted the girl's shoulders,

"Please rise, please rise!"

Tamamo sat up smoothly, tapped the phone screen with her knuckle: "But words come back around."

"Big Brother Uesugi you this guy——in the future can you follow the Special Affairs Division's 'Attendance Regulations'?"

Attendance Regulations?

Uesugi Toru tilted his head in puzzlement: "What is this thing? How come I've never heard of it."

Tamamo: "......"

This thing that every staff member must recite backwards before clocking in, this terrifyingly strong Big Brother Uesugi actually doesn't know?

Uesugi Toru shook his head: "If this kind of situation happens again in the future, just retreat first to save your life."

He said: "Just a task, not that important."

"Sorry, it's my problem."

The pale-faced Yagyu Shou clenched his fist: "It was me who ordered everyone to hold their ground and not retreat."

"So Yagyu-kun, can you explain just what happened earlier?" Uesugi Toru looked at him. "And what do I need to do?"

Although right now Uesugi Toru really wanted to go in immediately and thoroughly clear out this tunnel that contained who knew how many demons and monsters.

But first, Uesugi Toru still didn't know his mission as outside support.

Second, most of the Special Affairs Bureau staff before him were injured and hadn't safely evacuated from here yet.

Yagyu Shou had just opened his mouth to answer when he was slapped back by Tamamo with one palm: "With your eloquence, who knows how long it would take to explain clearly."

She explained straightforwardly: "We came here wanting to seal the Onmyo Jutsu Formula inside this 'Haunted Tunnel' before the 1.5th Wave."

But unexpectedly, before we even entered the tunnel, the Wave suddenly surged—a wave hit, letting who knows how many Yokai Kaidan rush into the tunnel."

Tamamo glanced at the tunnel from the corner of her eye: "And it became the scene you just saw, Big Brother Uesugi."

"And Yagyu this guy no matter what wanted to hold out, not wanting them to leave here and mix into the city..."

By this point, it was already more than enough.

The reason Yagyu decided to lead the team to block the entrance went without saying.

Uesugi Toru nodded: "You thinking that way isn't wrong..."

After all, where is there right or wrong in such matters?

Yagyu's group almost wiped out, purely because their strength wasn't enough.

Uesugi Toru sighed in his heart, then blinked: "Then later we'll enter this tunnel first and shut down the Onmyo Jutsu Formula inside?"

—This perfectly matched his own thoughts.

But there was still one problem.

Uesugi Toru asked: "Coming to this tunnel to rescue you and then going in, was that originally my job?"

"No." Tamamo answered immediately.

So Uesugi Toru fell into deep thought.

He thought for a long time.

He slapped his thigh and shouted loudly: "This matter, we need to charge extra!"

Although he wanted to enter this tunnel terribly, but facing the Special Affairs Bureau from another place, how could there be no reason to fleece them?

Anyway, the Special Affairs Bureau wouldn't be affected by how much he fleeced them.

Yagyu Shou said nothing, tacitly agreeing.

Tamamo, on the surface, casually retorted a couple of times.

But in her heart she was secretly delighted—convincing a big shot of this level to join the team with just a few words, she had really struck it rich.

Anyway, the rice being spent wasn't her family's.

When they returned from this side later, they could also scoop up a life safety subsidy, and now the little ones at home could have an extra meal.

Tamamo was so happy her little feet were raised.

Uesugi Toru was somewhat surprised that the two agreed so readily.

He looked around his surroundings and discovered these Shizuoka Prefecture staff were all ordinary one- and two-star Onmyoji and Samurai, and most were "old-timers" who had cultivated for a long time.

"Let's rest for a while, until the Special Affairs Bureau's medical vehicle arrives."

Uesugi Toru sat on a rock to the side, raised his head and said to Tamamo: "That person, don't forget to tell them to take all the injured away later, don't send all the wounded onto the battlefield."

Tamamo turned her head and discovered Uesugi Toru was calling her, and she blew up.

She clenched her small fist, her face reddening as she said: "Tie Cessation! Don't think that just because you're strong you don't need to remember other people's names!"

Uesugi Toru raised an eyebrow and retorted: "You didn't say it either."

The girl's face stiffened, extremely embarrassed, she held her fist with her palm, placed it before her mouth, coughed twice, then said,

"My name is Tamamo! Remember it..."

After Tamamo finished being embarrassed, she secretly looked at Uesugi Toru again, only to discover the latter had long stopped paying attention to her, but was instead lowering his head, thinking about something.

The girl's fist hardened, and after gripping it until her fingertips hurt, she had no choice but to loosen it.

—Actually Uesugi Toru was organizing the harvest from the great sweep just now.

Naturally first was Kaga Kiyomitsu's Soul Spirit Points.

After all, most of the demons just now were slain by Kaga Kiyomitsu.

【Soul Spirit Points: 688→899】

"The number of demons should far exceed two or three hundred."

Uesugi Toru touched his chin, somewhat strange: "Could it be that those weak souls that crumble to dregs, the Soul Spirit Points they burst out all at once are still less than one point?"

Perhaps only this reason could explain it.

But this whole group of demons and monsters was an unexpected harvest for Uesugi Toru; how could he demand this and that, as long as there was profit it was fine.

As for the increase in Soul Ash, it wasn't much either, because only that group of wandering souls by the Kekkai shattered by Thunder at the very beginning, and the Three-Eyed Ghost produced Soul Ash.

And the bulk still came from the latter.

【You killed, Three-Eyed Ghost (Two-Star Half), gained Soul Ash 266 points.】

【Soul Ash: 4945→5378】

Next was the eyeball burst out by the last Three-Eyed Ghost killed.

【You gained, Three-Eyed Ghost's Eyeball ×3!】

Three scarlet eyeballs emitting a green jade-like glow.

Mm, excellent quality.

Uesugi Toru thought to himself not bad, then opened the Edo Castle Card Pool page, preparing to feed the three still fresh and hot eyeballs to Hundred-Eyed Demon Loli.

Just as he opened it, Uesugi Toru discovered Hundred-Eyed Demon sitting upright on the White Bone Throne.

Huh?

He narrowed his eyes, gestured with his finger, then discovered that Hundred-Eyed Demon Loli had indeed grown a little taller.

Not much, but it was true.

"I suppose she's been getting plenty of nutrition lately?"

Uesugi Toru looked at Hundred-Eyed Demon, who showed no sign of having eaten thousands of eyeballs, waved his hand, and tossed the eyeball he had just gotten from Three-Eyed Demon into her as well.

Pat pat.

Three eyeballs landed precisely on Hundred-Eyed Demon's fair thighs, making the sticky sound unique to soft objects striking something.

Hundred-Eyed Demon, dozing with her head lowered, opened her eyes slightly, and upon seeing the three eyeballs right before her, her eyes lit up.

Hoh hoh, so even while asleep, little snacks can fall from the sky?

She stared for a good while, then thoughtfully grabbed an eyeball and sent it into her pink cherry-like little mouth.

Creak creak.

After two or three bites, Uesugi Toru discovered that the 【80%】 progress bar originally above her head suddenly surged a segment to the right, becoming 【83%】!

One eyeball, one percent!

If he gets six more Three-Eyed Demons, the quality of this little Hundred-Eyed Demon at his home will become 【Epic+】!

Uesugi Toru stood up at once, his gaze shooting into the darkness like a searchlight, wishing he could rush into this tunnel right now and go on a killing spree.

Noticing Tamamo's strange gaze from not far away, Uesugi Toru suppressed his emotions and sat back down,

"Who knows how many good brothers are left in the tunnel..."

Uesugi Toru stared at Hundred-Eyed Demon, who wore a content expression and patted her abdomen, for a good while, feeling quite like raising an adopted daughter in a cultivation game, finally about to be raised.

He clicked his tongue.

If her quality upgrades later and the Hundred-Eyed Demon avatar is extracted afterward, wouldn't he never see this Hundred-Eyed Demon Loli walking back and forth on the Edo Castle Card Pool Page again?

That would be a bit hard to bear.

"That sort of thing, we can talk about it later."

While observing Hundred-Eyed Demon after she finished her snack, Uesugi Toru looked at the last prompt.

—Something he had previously found somewhat interesting.

【You have gained, Eternal Bright's Headlamp (Special Prop)!】

【Eternal Bright's Headlamp (Special Prop)】

【Quality: None】

【Effect: After being worn on the head as required, it will emit light, fixedly illuminating an area.】

【—Light is life.】

The icon in the Storage Backpack was a somewhat worn headlamp.

In the dust-covered lens was sealed a slightly yellowish light bead, with black straps connected behind.

Uesugi Toru opened the glowing word "Requirement."

He discovered that to make it light up, first he had to wear a safety helmet on his head, and second he had to tie it neatly onto the safety helmet according to the rules.

The usage requirement was somewhat complicated.

But special props like this usually had extraordinary effects.

For example, the crowbar specialized for door attacks, or the Awakening Spirit Mist that could only generate two drops a day.

He didn't know how effective the light from this headlamp was.

Uesugi Toru felt some regret; this was obviously meant for the tunnel not far away, but he couldn't use it immediately now.

Where was he supposed to find a safety helmet now...

Uesugi Toru hadn't finished thinking when he suddenly raised his head to look at Tamamo wearing a small yellow hat above.

—Who says elementary school students' safety helmets don't count as safety helmets!

He directly took out the headlamp from the Storage Backpack, wiped it clean with Gang Qi, and holding it walked toward Tamamo.

Tamamo was startled by Uesugi Toru walking over with an imposing aura, raised her hand, leaned back, and exclaimed: "Ugh ugh ugh—Big Brother, what are you doing!"

Uesugi Toru raised the headlamp in his hand, seriously lifting it: "Miss Tamamo, could you wear it on your head?"

"Uwa, 'Miss' doesn't suit me, just call me Tamamo like Yagyu and the others."

Tamamo got goosebumps from this rare form of address, she waved her hand, then looked at the headlamp in Uesugi Toru's hand,

"What's this?"

Uesugi Toru answered without blushing or a racing heart: "A headlamp made by Rituna Minami; as long as you wear it on a safety helmet, it will always stay lit, without consuming electricity or generating heat."

Afraid Tamamo wouldn't want to wear it, Uesugi Toru pointed at the tunnel to add,

"Anyway, we're going inside later, try wearing it first to see if it works, and it can add a quiet light source."

"Rituna Minami..."

Tamamo slowly repeated the name, then cried out: "Isn't that the Major Officer from Arakawa Ward who kills without blinking!"

At this moment, her gaze toward the headlamp had already become scorching.

The girl raised her thumb toward Uesugi Toru: "Awesome plus!"

She took the headlamp, skillfully adjusting the tightness of the strap, seeming very proficient.

In a few seconds, the headlamp was positioned right in front of the small yellow hat.

Whoosh.

Bright yellow light burst forth from the headlamp, illuminating an area of about four or five meters ahead.

Tamamo shook her head: "Ouch, this is quite bright."

Uesugi Toru, however, tightly stared at the light striking the ground, dispelling the darkness.

This light... feels somewhat different.

Yes, different.

Though he couldn't say exactly where the difference lay.

But what he could confirm was that the light shining from this headlamp was fundamentally different from ordinary sunlight or artificial light.

His intuition told him that this "difference" might contain no small secret.

Uesugi Toru said nothing more, merely noting the difference silently.

—The difference within, he would test again after buying a safety helmet.

Tamamo, as if she had found a new toy, shone the headlamp here and there, exclaiming without cease.

Five minutes later, the slightly late Special Affairs Division medical vehicle stopped not far away.

Dozens of prepared agents poured out, carrying stretchers toward the kekkai where Tamamo was.

Soon, all the injured agents were sent into the long and spacious medical vehicle.

Except for Yagyu Shou, who actively raised his hand to refuse, and Tamamo, who was completely unharmed.

Among them, three slightly powerful auras made Uesugi Toru glance sideways for a moment.

But he immediately narrowed his eyes—the supporters should clearly know what the situation was like on this side of the tunnel.

Why send two ordinary Two-Star Halfs and one Three-Star?

Uesugi Toru glanced at the two Komainu Hatamoto by his feet.

The level of this Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Bureau was truly somewhat worrying...

Uesugi Toru asked: "Do you have people from other places falling into crisis here, dying in droves?"

Tamamo said in confusion: "Why say that?"

She followed Uesugi Toru's speechless gaze toward the three supporting "Commanders," and after a brief thought understood.

But this was unavoidable.

The Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Bureau both lacked manpower and lacked supervision, and had not had much fresh blood join... it had always been this way since ancient times.

Uesugi Toru looked at the girl's small face, and without many words could understand this kind of thing was not the first time.

He was not Rituna Minami, so he had no intention of changing another place's Special Affairs Bureau's system and efficiency.

So Uesugi Toru merely released some Spirit Power, smiling toward the three who came to support: "I am Uesugi Toru of Arakawa Ward, you all can get off work."

Who Uesugi Toru of Arakawa Ward was, not many Shizuoka Prefecture agents paid attention to.

But this terrifying Spirit Pressure was real and not false.

And, didn't they see Tamamo, who usually liked to shake people the most, didn't say much either?

The three, after confirming they were not needed, all sighed in relief and thanked Uesugi Toru.

—This kind of external mission, related to the 1.5 Wave, if they went in they might lose half their lives.

In this situation, if not thanking Uesugi Toru, who to thank?

Soon, the Special Affairs Bureau's medical vehicle slowly drove away from the Mountain Forest, leaving only Uesugi Toru, Tamamo, and Yagyu Shou in place.

Uesugi Toru turned his head, looking toward Yagyu Shou, who had almost not spoken a word.

Tamamo because she had just said she bound the Array Plate sealing the Yin-Yang Technique formula in the tunnel, so she had to stay, he could still understand.

But this inheritor of the Yagyu Dojo...

Yagyu Shou met his gaze, raising his fist wrapped in Gang Qi circulation: "Combat Power, now recovered eighty percent."

Uesugi Toru raised his eyebrows.

But he didn't say more, merely said: "Fine. Then follow behind me, and protect your little girlfriend well."

After speaking, Uesugi Toru walked toward the tunnel.

Tamamo jumped up and down anxiously in place,

"Expansion! Who is this guy's girlfriend! We two are just childhood friends!"

"And Yagyu!" She slapped Yagyu Shou's back heavily, "You don't refute either, hey!"

Yagyu Shou, whose body didn't tremble at all, shook his head: "This kind of thing isn't important now, right?"

He calmly gazed at Tamamo: "What's important is to protect you well."

"..."

Tamamo, critically hit by a single sentence, immediately stammered, her whole face turning red, and after a while hurriedly caught up with Uesugi Toru's back.

Yagyu Shou followed behind her.

"You two just protect them."

Uesugi Toru, who felt chills all over as soon as he entered the tunnel, smiled, pointing behind toward the two Komainu Hatamoto: "You can also listen to their commands."

"Wang!"

The neat and uniform barks echoed.

"Wow, thank you both for coming..."

Tamamo reached out and touched the head of the Komainu Hatamoto, looking at the small flags on their backs and said seriously: "For the journey ahead, I entrust it to you two Hatamoto."

"Wang."

The Komainu Hatamoto affectionately rubbed the back of her hand.

Tamamo raised her head again, and the headlamp illuminated a large area of darkness.

"You two, closely follow behind me."

Uesugi Toru tapped Kaga Kiyomitsu, letting it fly out from the sword sheath, landing behind Tamamo: "I will open the way, Xiao Jia will guarantee the safety of the rear."

Just as the words fell, a pitch-black Blood Handprint suddenly appeared on the tunnel beside Tamamo, making her whole body tremble in fright.

Hum!

Kaga Kiyomitsu flew into a rage and leapt up—this handprint appearing now was like slapping its face!

A pale blade light flashed and thrust forth.

The icy blood handprint instantly transformed into warm Soul Spirit Points.

Tamamo stared at this scene with her mouth agape, her chin nearly dislocated: "Big Brother, your sword……"

"Shh, don't speak."

Uesugi Toru first raised a finger, then silver light flickered faintly on the back of his right hand.

At the end of his vision, a three-eyed demon, pitch black all over and indistinguishable from the one standing at the tunnel entrance earlier, was crouching and reaching a hand toward the ground, doing who knew what.

It seemed because Uesugi Toru's gaze was too eager, in an instant a blood-red pupil looked toward his position.

No, not just one.

In the blink of an eye, five cruel and indifferent pupils, a full hundred meters away, stared fixedly at Uesugi Toru.

Yet the latter showed no fear at all.

Uesugi Toru instead revealed an expression of delighted surprise.

He had only just entered the tunnel, and already five big eyeballs had come knocking!

Because the delight came too suddenly, Uesugi Toru inadvertently leaked a trace of Spirit Power.

A hundred meters was but a fleeting moment for the transmission of Spirit Power.

This somewhat exaggerated Spirit Pressure instantly startled the five-eyed demon in the distance.

It immediately rose to its feet, cautiously retreated two steps, wanting to merge back into the darkness before making further plans.

Uesugi Toru narrowed his eyes and gave a cold snort, "Want to escape!?"

"——Xiao Jia, attack!"

End of Chapter