Chapter 34

Uesugi Toru opened his eyes, and the familiar ceiling of the Kendo Hall came into view.

Since he had to continue high-intensity sword practice in the afternoon, he didn't take the opportunity to shower during this free time.

By the time Shizuku returns, it should be time to have lunch, right?

Just as Uesugi Toru thought of this, he saw Shizuku's face peek out from the entrance of the Kendo Hall, looking left and right, then waving at him: "Uesugi-kun, come here."

Water droplets still dripped from the ends of Shizuku's hair, and combined with the girl's radiant smile, she looked especially youthful.

Why does it feel like I'm doing something sneaky, even though it's still broad daylight...

Although he didn't understand what Shizuku meant by this, Uesugi Toru still gave her enough face and quickly walked over, asking: "What is it?"

"Secret."

Shizuku held her index finger to her lips and smiled radiantly.

She leaned close to Uesugi Toru's ear and whispered softly: "Come to the rooftop with me, then I'll tell you."

After hearing this, Uesugi Toru blinked and nodded ambiguously.

So the two of them, one in front and one behind, walked toward the rooftop in the quiet campus.

But this time was different—Shizuku didn't walk ahead as usual, but followed behind Uesugi Toru.

By the time they reached the bottom of the Teaching Building, Uesugi Toru, who had been disturbed by Shizuku's gaze all the way, couldn't help but look back strangely: "Is there something on my face?"

"No."

Shizuku replied without hesitation, looked up at the sky and thought for a while, then suddenly clapped her hands as if she had come up with an answer,

"Probably because Uesugi-kun you are more handsome! Especially after what happened yesterday!"

Uesugi Toru was stunned by this answer.

He rubbed his chin and thought of his almost useless 9 points of Charm... Could it be that this attribute is finally going to kick in?

Not bad, very good.

Having reached this thought, Uesugi Toru grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth to Shizuku:

"Thank you."

Shizuku quickly waved her hand and said: "No need to thank me."

Uesugi Toru looked back and continued walking toward the rooftop, thinking about whether the rooftop was locked, and if it was, the crowbar would come in handy.

Not long after, the two of them had climbed six flights of stairs and arrived at the entrance of the rooftop.

Unfortunately, nothing had ever happened on the rooftop of Ousei High School, so there were no iron chains and iron locks prohibiting students from entering.

Uesugi Toru touched the rusty old iron door that had been in service for over twenty years, sighed regretfully, pushed it open, and walked onto the spacious rooftop.

The rooftop was very large, estimated to be several hundred square meters, with green patinated iron nets several meters high standing around the perimeter, to prevent students with bad mindsets from wanting to experience the feeling of flying through the air.

A few scattered grains of rice could still be seen on the benches around, apparently someone often came to the rooftop to eat.

But now there was no one, which was good.

Creak.

Uesugi Toru walked to the center of the rooftop, watching Shizuku close the iron door with her backhand, then lower her head and walk toward him:

"Uesugi-kun, I have something I want to say to you."

Shizuku's face blushed like a ripe apple, her fingers drawing circles.

Uesugi Toru kept sizing up the distance between him and Shizuku's toes, curiously asking: "What is it?"

Then, he saw Shizuku take a deep breath, as if she had mustered her courage, and shout loudly:

"Uesugi-kun, I like you!"

The girl's trembling voice echoed across the vast rooftop, lingering for a long time.

Then, she received Uesugi Toru's answer—

"Oh."

Uesugi Toru nodded calmly and asked back: "Then what, is that it? No reaction?"

Shizuku opened her mouth, stunned: "Usually at a time like this, shouldn't the boy be the one to react?"

Uesugi Toru laughed.

He asked back puzzled: "What reaction should I have toward a yokai that appears in the school at noon?"

The air on the rooftop suddenly fell into silence.

The originally youthful atmosphere disappeared in an instant, leaving only Uesugi Toru's bone-chilling murderous intent.

—Ah, what a pity.

—I really wanted to taste the mood of a high school boy who, after being confessed to by the girl he likes, is then killed by her own hands.

"Shizuku" stared at Uesugi Toru for a while, then asked strangely: "Even though I deliberately observed her just now, how did you discover it?"

Now Uesugi Toru truly laughed, from the bottom of his heart.

—Since this stupid yokai didn't kill him directly and was even wondering how he discovered it, it proved the other party came looking for him first, so Shizuku was probably fine now.

Otherwise, such clumsy acting would have been exposed by Shizuku long ago.

Kaga Kiyomitsu appeared in Uesugi Toru's hand, and he drew the sword blade under "Shizuku"'s shocked gaze, sighing: "Because Shizuku wouldn't show such a disgusting expression."

"How did this sword appear..."

"—Simply disgusting enough to make someone spit out last night's meal!"

Faster than Uesugi Toru's voice of disgust was his sword!

The distance measured countless times with his eyes since stepping onto the rooftop was crossed in an instant, and the Internal Qi long compressed and gathered into a mass exploded violently within Uesugi Toru's body!

The body of the Laughing Prajna bled wildly, capillaries burst under high pressure, and the Physical Attribute actually broke through the 20-point barrier in this instant!

This was a sword thrust without regard for consequences!

Even a lion uses full strength when hunting a rabbit!

What more when facing this yokai of unknown depth before him.

He followed the other's will to the empty rooftop, so that he could transform into Laughing Prajna and unleash his full power.

Uesugi Toru originally intended to severely wound the other with this sword, then take the Awakening Spirit Mist, and decide based on the situation whether to let the puppet in his arms act.

But now it seemed, the effect of this sword was perhaps...

Too good?

Shizuku's disguise peeled away and dissipated like mist, and beneath this disguise hid a white-haired woman?

Uesugi Toru drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, humming lightly, from the woman's eye socket, and gazed impassively at her other eye turning with difficulty.

Then he discovered that the woman's eyes held not only no desire born of resentment, but were instead filled with genuine surprise, shock, and delight.

Uesugi Toru narrowed his eyes, feeling something was off.

But judging from Kaga Kiyomitsu's reaction, he had indeed slain this yokai, only now the other was at death's door.

"This time... what a great surprise indeed." The broken voice came from the body of Ai Biri Li, "Pity the main body cannot share memories with the clone, otherwise I could taste your delicious flavor sooner..."

Clone.

The one before him was actually just a clone.

Uesugi Toru fell silent, for a moment unable to think of any yokai or mononoke that could both imitate others and create clones.

Then he saw the white-haired woman before him gradually turn into mist and dissipate, introducing herself to him: "Nice to meet you, I am Ai Biri Li."

"Uesugi-kun, I believe we will meet again..."

Accompanied by the wind blowing across the rooftop, Ai Biri Li's body and voice vanished in an instant, as if she had never appeared.

The prompt popped up at this moment.

【You killed "Ai Biri Li Clone", gained 100 Soul Ash.】

Uesugi Toru had no time to think further, because he knew a clone of Ai Biri Li disguised as "Uesugi Toru" had probably appeared before Shizuku as well.

He had to hurry.

End of Chapter