Chapter 45: Right at Your Doorstep

Donning the Laughing Prajna Mask, abundant and overflowing power instantly spread through every limb and bone, letting Uesugi Toru let out a long, comfortable breath.

The Internal Qi that had nearly dried up just moments ago surged forth from the depths of his body in an instant, wrapping even his fingertips in a layer of gleaming white Qi Coating.

"The Special Affairs Division people will be here soon, so hurry up and finish this."

The Laughing Prajna assumed a plain, no-frills frontal stance, took a deep breath, and tensed every muscle in his body, knotted and intertwined; from afar he looked exactly like a humanoid figure cast from black high-grade steel.

Since he had already gained overwhelming power, Uesugi Toru decided to use the strongest power to crush his opponent in the shortest time possible.

"Roar..."

Even one as foolish as the White Prajna realized at this moment that the one standing before it was no longer that weak human, but a Prajna of similar nature to itself.

A... bloodthirsty, powerful Evil Ghost!

But it absolutely could not retreat now — the White Prajna could clearly feel that if the projection it had smuggled into the Genjitsu via the ritual were killed here, it would be who knows how long before it could return to this Genjitsu full of delicious souls.

It could only devour the Laughing Prajna before it!

The White Prajna roared, emitting a rumbling sound wave: "Die!"

Its pale sharp claws extended, and its mist-like body launched forward in a sudden charge.

The surrounding walls instantly erupted with cracks, yet the terrifying sound wave merely briefly scattered the Qi Coating on Uesugi Toru's body surface, making him feel a slight ringing in his ears.

— This White Prajna actually has quite a few skills.

However, with its main body being too weak, no matter how flashy the skills, they cannot turn the tide of battle!

Uesugi Toru stood towering and unmoving, quietly gazing at the White Prajna attacking like an afterimage, like a reef amidst surging waves.

Close, even closer!

The instant the White Prajna raised its claws, two completely different Prajna masks simultaneously revealed exaggerated expressions.

The Laughing Prajna grinned wide in wild laughter.

The White Prajna wept in sorrowful grief.

The emotion of grief pushed to its extreme stirred a momentary ripple in Uesugi Toru's heart, calm as a lake surface, then vanished completely.

The White Prajna, however, trembled all over, its descending claws slowing by a fraction.

"It seems I am stronger than you."

Uesugi Toru seized the fleeting opportunity, stepped forward without hesitation to close the distance, and knocked aside the incomparably sharp claws with the sword hilt.

The Kaga Kiyomitsu blade rotated in mid-air, completing a one-hundred-eighty-degree arc before driving into the White Prajna's mask.

Then, it cleaved it in two with a single slash!

Tennen Rishin-ryu · Tiger Tail Sword!

The White Prajna's hoarse roar came to an abrupt halt; it stared at the Laughing Prajna before it with boundless hatred, and also remembered its previous human face.

It whispered in anger: "I will... definitely kill you!"

"Hope you can still say that in a moment."

Uesugi Toru didn't take it to heart; Blood Vibration, he sheathed his sword.

Amid the crisp sound of Kaga Kiyomitsu entering its scabbard, the Evil Ghost mask before him, covered in cracks, fell to the ground and shattered into countless pieces with a clatter.

The White Prajna projection that had invaded the Genjitsu was thus exorcised!

【You killed "Lightly Injured White Prajna Projection (One-Star)", gained no Soul Ash!】

【Because you killed the Lightly Injured White Prajna Projection, Lightly Injured White Prajna (Two-Star) → Severely Injured Not Healed White Prajna (One-Star Half)!】

【White Prajna's hatred for you significantly increased!】

【Your skill, Kiai Technique Fragment proficiency +15!】

【Your skill, Tennen Rishin-ryu proficiency +18!】

"So stingy."

Releasing the transformation state, Uesugi Toru shook his head.

He looked at the star rating prompt in the notification.

"It actually recovered from One-Star to Two-Star in just these several days." Uesugi Toru recalled the foreman once saying the White Prajna eats anyone it sees, "But at the same rank, the White Prajna is completely no match for me."

Half a star isn't some insurmountable chasm either, let alone the opponent probably still being in a weakened state.

Although the White Prajna was originally above Two-Star and had more innate skills than him, skills without enough strength are just giving him free proficiency to increase combat power.

"Still saying it'll definitely kill me, is this a joke?"

Watch me show up at your doorstep right away!

Uesugi Toru laughed heartily, clapped his hands: "Nishaku-sama, is the curse placed?"

"Popopo!"

A small head topped with a white hat immediately popped out from the stairs not far away, saluted him: "Report! Perfectly completed Toru-sama's task!"

Nishaku-sama reluctantly tore his gaze from the brilliant sun, saying: "It's just that here I can barely sense it; might have to return to Arakawa Village to precisely locate the position."

"That's a small matter." Uesugi Toru patted the small head of Nishaku-sama who had walked up to him, "Let's go back inside the Jizo Statue first."

"Po!"

Nishaku-sama's figure slowly dispersed.

Releasing the Hundred-Eyed Demon eyeballs, Uesugi Toru saw in the distance the Special Affairs Division's black luxury cars speeding toward this location, and nodded in satisfaction.

Not that it needs saying, but the Special Affairs Division's efficiency is surprisingly fast; the branch office can get people here within half an hour.

After circling the building once to confirm no Yokai Kaidan were hiding in the surroundings, Uesugi Toru came to the side of the unconscious Kitano Runa, sat down on the ground, and poured a drop of Awakening Spirit Mist into her mouth.

Then, Uesugi Toru closed his eyes and entered the Everlasting World.

— Strike while it's sick, take its life!

"Nishaku-sama, can you locate the White Prajna's position?"

"Po~ so clear."

Pushing open the straw-roofed wooden door, Uesugi Toru followed behind the tiny two-shaku Adult and walked out.

After following the two-shaku Adult's short little legs for a while, he finally couldn't help but say: "You walk way too slow, watch me."

"Popopo!"

Having said that, Uesugi Toru scooped her up in one go amidst the two-shaku Adult's exclamations and placed her atop his head: "You just point the direction, leave the traveling to me."

The wild wind blew up the two-shaku Adult's hair strands, she cried out twice, until she gripped the twin horns atop Haku's head and steadied her body.

In under ten minutes, the two reached the location where Haku was hiding.

Amidst a stretch of withered yellow dense forest, crunching eating sounds transmitted from within.

Uesugi Toru slightly revealed his line of sight, discovering it was precisely that Haku hugging half a farmer's corpse gnawing on it, and at Haku's feet, a small mountain of white bones was still piled up.

【Severely Injured Not Healed Haku (One-Star Half)】

A prompt popped up, confirming the other party's identity.

No wonder he had discovered there were quite a few fewer farmers on the streets while rushing along the way before, turns out they were all eaten by this Haku.

Also no wonder it recovered so fast, having gnawed through several dozen up to a hundred farmer workers in a row, how could its recovery not be fast?

The two-shaku Adult hid behind a tree stump, quietly asking: "Toru-sama, what should I do next?"

"You just observe the battle from the side." Uesugi Toru soundlessly drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, preparing to give the feasting Haku a wave of surprise, "If you see me fall into an obvious disadvantage then show yourself."

The two-shaku Adult po'd once to signal understanding, she stared at Uesugi Toru silently circling, walking to behind Haku.

Haku, immersed in the pleasure of eating, suddenly felt its shoulder patted.

It doubtfully looked back.

And then, clear cold blade light crashed down!

Tomorrow's chapter updates at 23:55, everyone must come watch meow!

Tuesday's chapter updates at 23:55, everyone must come watch meow!

Important thing said once!

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(End of Chapter)