Chapter 55

Only one person?

Uesugi Toru, whose body had been tense all along, looked back in puzzlement and discovered that the blind girl Kujo Tsubaki likewise revealed a look of surprise.

"Ever since I boarded this train, I've passed here five times total, but this is still the first time a situation with so few people has appeared."

Kujo Tsubaki explained: "In previous times, there were at least a dozen people at minimum."

Uesugi Toru sized up the samurai's attire without changing expression, discovering that his whole body's vital points were all wrapped in thick deep-red chest armor, his helmet was of the "Star Helmet" style, and the golden large horns on it appeared extremely majestic and flamboyant.

The sword sheath at his waist was even more spotless.

This getup had a world of difference from the corpses on the wilderness outside; rather than calling him a samurai, it would be more apt to say he was a commander-in-chief of a country or an army.

Moreover with equipment this complete, plus those batches of samurai and ashigaru before... could it be that organized yokai have seized the timing of the First Wave and are going to take this opportunity to wreak havoc on Tokyo again?

I'll have to mention it to Nanjo Sister when I get back.

"Hm?"

Uesugi Toru discovered with shock that this General of Ghosts, whose face was half-covered by a face guard, actually looked at him as his first action after boarding.

Then nodded in greeting toward him?

Out of basic courtesy, Uesugi Toru likewise nodded at the General of Ghosts, then saw him find a corner and sit down quietly with eyes closed.

And just after the General of Ghosts sat down, that Hidaka River Guidance Director who had been smiling amiably since boarding stood up solemnly and walked slowly toward Uesugi Toru.

Then, under the latter's vigilant gaze, the rotund Guidance Director actually bent down directly and extended a black business card toward Uesugi Toru with both hands,

"Mr. Banruo, if you have time, you are welcome to visit Hidaka River High School anytime."

Uesugi Toru froze for a moment, then reacted — was it because that General of Ghosts had greeted him?

Under circumstances where the timeline was separated by at least hundreds of years, this Guidance Director could actually still acknowledge the General of Ghosts's status and identity.

Looking at it this way, perhaps the General of Ghosts's strength and reputation were even more astonishing than he imagined.

Uesugi Toru took the business card —

【Guidance Director's Business Card】

【Quality: Common】

【Effect: Holding this card allows one-time entry and exit to Hidaka River Demon School.】

【— Hidaka River Demon School Guidance Director's business card, very precious to students within the school.】

This was still the first time Uesugi Toru had received a gift from a yokai; he nodded silently at the other party,

"I will."

The Guidance Director sat back down with a face full of smiles, looking no different from a modern-world teacher who had maxed out the skill of reading expressions, not the slightest trace of the ferocious appearance from just now visible.

Kujo Tsubaki at the side felt even more unable to conceal her shock upon seeing this scene.

She swiftly withdrew the spiritual power at her Mental Eye and asked within it: "Tamamo, that ghost samurai is Kajiwara Kageki, right!"

Kajiwara Kageki, also known as "Great Demon Kageki," was a famous Kanto general of the early Kamakura period, who won several important battles for the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War era.

Such a big name, Kujo Tsubaki felt the other party was at minimum a Ghost God, and looking at his current luxurious attire, climbing even higher wasn't impossible.

And this Great Demon Kageki actually took the initiative to greet that Banruo whose current strength seemed roughly equal to her own...

Kujo Tsubaki silently raised this Banruo's importance level by two more grades in her heart.

"Oh my~ only let me out when there's business, kick me away when there's none, little Kujo, are you treating me like a prisoner?" Tamamo-no-Mae laughed lightly with a cloying voice, "We're in an intimate symbiotic relationship..."

"Yes, or not."

Kujo Tsubaki coldly interrupted: "If you don't want to speak, I can make you unable to speak for the next year."

Tamamo-no-Mae's voice halted abruptly, seemingly falling silent.

— If one day she could separate out, she would absolutely tear this woman into ten thousand pieces, slowly lingering her to death.

Words aside, Tamamo-no-Mae knew this woman never joked; if she said confine her for a year, she absolutely would, no matter what happened in between.

So she stiffly squeezed out a single word: "Yes."

"If yes... then I need to find a way to establish a friendly relationship with this Banruo." Kujo Tsubaki thought, "But this time definitely won't work."

But at least leave a good first impression in front of the other party.

"Next stop, Higurashi Station is arriving..."

"Next stop, Higurashi Station..."

Hearing the familiar station name, Uesugi Toru immediately looked outside, discovering that the window view had unknowingly transformed from a wilderness battlefield strewn with corpses into a bustling city district's night scenery.

Kitano Runa and the remaining few high school students also simultaneously looked out the window, unable to suppress their excited emotions.

Towering skyscrapers stood dense outside the window; this was originally a view they had all grown tired of seeing, yet seeing it again now gave a feeling of being reborn.

Especially Kitano Runa, she was smarter and had experienced more, so she could understand that ever since boarding this train, her life was no longer in her own hands.

What could let her survive was only heaven, or this Banruo by her side.

So she had already written her unsendable will completely, word for word without a single difference, several times over in her mind.

"You, are you getting off at this station?"

Hearing the Banruo beside her suddenly ask, Kitano Runa's whole body trembled, her thoughts instantly drifting to the ends of the universe, the meaning of life...

Finally she came back to her senses, squeezing out a fawning smile,

"If Banruo Adult you need me, I'll just watch at the doorway, not get off."

— Watch your mother's head, once the door opens I'll be the first to rush into the crowd onto the road, getting crushed by a dump truck would be better than continuing to stay together with you inhuman things!

— She was just a former paranormal enthusiast, never heard of Lord Ye's love of dragons? After it was proven that ghosts exist in this world, Kitano Runa fundamentally didn't want to have half a cent's relationship with these things.

This Kitano Classmate... could it be she doesn't know holding back laughter is a very difficult thing?

Uesugi Toru said as calmly as possible: "If we've arrived at the station, you may get off on your own."

Kitano Runa widened her eyes in disbelief, nearly blurting out "Dad" from her mouth.

— Dad ah, merciful Banruo Adult, you truly are my biological dad ah!

The girl was almost moved to tears; now she didn't even need to risk being slashed to death to get off.

Not dying—how wonderful!

She stammered gratefully, "Mr. Banya, when I get back I'll definitely put in a good word for you at the Special Affairs Division, so my friend won't hack you to death!"

Uesugi Toru fell into thought—this friend of yours who can hack people to death, is it me?

But as soon as she said it, Kitano Runa realized she had misspoken.

How dare she say something like intimidation in front of an Evil Ghost?

Kitano Runa immediately wanted to kneel and apologize—compared to this old life of hers, what was a little dignity?

But Uesugi Toru answered first: "Then thank you for your kind words."

Kitano Runa swallowed all her remaining pleas for mercy in one gulp, thinking to herself that this Banya was damn handsome!

Then she made up her mind: if she ever went out alone again, she'd be a dog without a leash...

Wait, she didn't seem to have gotten on this tram because she was alone.

The girl blinked.

Did that mean that from now on, no matter when or where, she might be dragged into all sorts of Monster Story Events just by blinking?

Once there's one, there's two.

Thinking of this, Kitano Runa's excitement at being able to get off intact vanished in an instant.

She sighed.

The future was truly bleak.

The braking sound rang out, and the tram soon stopped at Higurashi Station, pitch black all around.

End of Chapter