Chapter 71

Yakuza? Gokudo? Yakusa?

Zhou Zhenyu's first reaction was that he had run into members of Japan's legendary Gokudo, but he wasn't overly afraid.

After all, this is a train station, a public place.

No matter how rampant the Gokudo, after the Violent Groups Countermeasures Law was enacted in the 90s they wouldn't dare openly stir up trouble in a place like this.

"Excuse me, the Uesugi Toru you mentioned is……"

Zhou Zhenyu hadn't finished speaking when viscous crimson blood sprayed onto his cheek from the side.

Abnormally warm.

Niishima Yuta slowly withdrew his five fingers from the skull of the girl before him, stuffing the incomparably fresh flesh and soul into his mouth together, emitting a sound of satisfaction.

"High schoolers' souls are still the most delicious."

Only on the next beat did the surrounding people react to what had happened, screaming as they fled in all directions.

After casually swatting a few people dead like ants, Niishima Yuta, enjoying his soul buffet, stopped bothering with the rest.

He worked his jaw tearing at the wailing souls while asking again,

"Uesugi Toru, where is he?"

After a moment's stupor, Zhou Zhenyu didn't have an emotional breakdown like the others, weeping and trying to escape

The young man instead heaved a heavy sigh of relief, showing Niishima Yuta a cheerful smile,

"Big bro, if you've got strength like that, you should've said so earlier!"

Niishima Yuta, feasting happily, froze.

What situation?

"Ah! Big bro might not know this about Uesugi Toru!" Zhou Zhenyu said, revealing a resentful expression, "On the surface he's a high schooler, but secretly he's an Onmyoji who kills like cutting hemp! All day it's either blood sacrifice or random murder!"

His voice couldn't help but tremble with indignation: "My girlfriend fell victim to that murderous demon! And now I actually have to follow his orders to Haneda Airport!"

"Oh?"

Niishima Yuta's interest was piqued: "What did he tell you to do at Haneda Airport?"

"Sacrifice!" Zhou Zhenyu seemed to think of something terrifying and shuddered all over, letting his mobile phone fall to the ground, "He wants to use me as a coordinate to sacrifice everyone in all of Haneda Airport to the Ghost God."

Niishima Yuta narrowed his eyes: "Then, where is Uesugi Toru right now?"

"Narita Airport!"

Zhou Zhenyu answered immediately, swearing solemnly: "According to him, there's some inexplicable connection between the two airports that can let the sacrificial formation activate remotely……"

"——You're lying!"

Niishima Yuta seized his neck, smiling grimly: "Kid, the stench of lies on you is too strong, it's already overridden the fear."

The Qigui bared his fangs impatiently: "Last time."

"Uesugi Toru, where is he?"

Zhou Zhenyu felt his lungs slowly suffocating, the ingratiating smile on his face vanishing, replaced by a mocking disdain.

He summoned all his strength to spit a mouthful of saliva at the Qigui's face, rasping in Chinese,

"Cao ni ma de little devils! Damn things that should die out, I wouldn't be a running dog even if I died ten thousand times!"

Niishima Yuta's face twitched, he flung the frail Zhou Zhenyu to the ground, his spirit-power-surging claw heavily covering the youth's face,

"You won't speak? Then I'll take it myself……"

Feeling his consciousness rapidly fading, Zhou Zhenyu only had time to glance with the corner of his eye at the mobile phone lying on the floor tiles, then resolutely closed his eyes.

The next moment, violent spirit power surged into his consciousness, pain spreading through his four limbs and hundred bones like a tide……

……

Uesugi Toru, who had heard all of this clearly, gently hung up the phone, expressionlessly staring straight ahead.

"Shizuka-san, how much longer until you arrive?"

"Ten…… no, seven minutes!"

Shizuka Mami shivered for no reason, she pressed the accelerator down again, making the van ignore every red light and speed all the way.

A few seconds later, Shizuka Mami's phone rang, she hurriedly answered, then couldn't help looking at Uesugi Toru beside her, probing,

"If possible, could we wait for Special Affairs Division backup to arrive and go together……"

"Sorry, that might be too late."

Uesugi Toru answered flatly with eyes closed.

Shizuka Mami's expression stalled, because at some point a little girl wearing a white hat was being held in the boy's arms.

"This is my Shikigami, it has the ability to accelerate injury recovery speed." Uesugi Toru said, "Hope Shizuka-san can keep this secret from others."

Shizuka Mami pursed her lips, gave an "Mm."

By the time the van reached Nippori Station, the surrounding crowd had already vanished completely.

On the spacious boulevard not even half a human figure could be seen, only the torrential downpour pouring down round after round, as if endless.

Electric light danced wildly in the dark clouds, the exploding thunder like a bell tolling the arrival of doomsday.

"We'll stop here, Shizuka-san." After patting the two-shaku Adult's head to let her go back first, Uesugi Toru said softly.

Shizuka Mami slammed on the brakes and stopped.

She glanced at the empty station entrance, looking somewhat at a loss: "Uesugi-kun, actually I've also learned Yin-Yang Technique, maybe I can help you."

Uesugi Toru smiled gently: "Thank you for your kindness, Shizuka-nee, but I think you staying here to maintain contact with Special Affairs Division is equally important, isn't it?"

Without waiting for Shizuka Mami to answer, Uesugi Toru pushed open the car door, alone jumping into the rain curtain.

When Uesugi Toru, transformed into the Laughing Hannya, circled past layer upon layer of stairs and entered the empty subway station, all that remained was that youth collapsed in the waiting area and the large pool of already diluted fresh blood beneath him.

It was Zhou Zhenyu.

Cold rainwater, driven by the wild wind, cleared the station's roof, crackling as it struck Zhou Zhenyu's pale cheeks.

This young man who had just rekindled hope for his future life was abandoned here like this, silently waiting for death to descend.

Uesugi Toru looked down—

Fingers forcibly torn out and severed, limbs twisted at unreasonable angles, and a shattered soul—none of this suggested this ordinary person should still be alive.

But he wasn't.

As if waiting for something, Zhou Zhenyu struggled to keep his eyes open.

Then, he suddenly felt his numb body being helped up.

"Ah..."

He strained to open his eyes and saw the majestic and fearsome Hannya mask before him.

Though the appearance was completely different, he could still tell who stood before him.

"You shouldn't have come. I clearly said..."

Uesugi Toru carefully helped him up and poured Awakening Spirit Mist into his mouth without hesitation: "If it were you, would you come?"

"Need you even ask..."

Uesugi Toru looked at him: "So I would too."

Zhou Zhenyu responded haltingly: "And... you look so cool like this..."

"Ever watched Armored Warriors?" the youth murmured vaguely, "When I was little, I always dreamed of transforming into a hero like this—so cool, and able to strike down evil..."

Uesugi Toru said nothing, only gripped his hand tightly.

It seemed the Awakening Spirit Mist had taken effect; the youth's eyes brightened slightly.

He boasted of himself weakly, like bragging at a barbecue stall: "And... no matter what tricks that little devil uses, I didn't say a single true word."

"Old Zhou, you're a hero," Uesugi Toru replied with utmost solemnity, "That's beyond doubt."

"A hero? Haha, since high school, I can't even remember how long it's been since I dreamed of such childish things."

Zhou Zhenyu couldn't help but laugh: "But even like this, I haven't disgraced the Zhou family, right? When I go down, I can still pat my chest and say I'm worthy of anyone!"

As he spoke, the youth's breathing gradually grew quieter.

Zhou Zhenyu quietly gazed at the night sky, wanting to find a star to entrust his dreams and longing to.

That way, perhaps his family would occasionally think of him when they looked at the sky.

But he saw nothing; his vision held only a pitch-black oppression.

Tokyo's rain was too heavy, enough to drown everything shining.

Rain kept falling, taking away his remaining warmth.

Even now, Zhou Zhenyu struggled to maintain this calm, fearless expression.

He thought that this way, he could forever remain a hero who bleeds but does not cry in Uesugi Toru's memory.

But he ultimately failed.

Uesugi Toru saw the youth's pupils gradually scatter, felt his pulse gradually stop, and saw fear and bewilderment appear on that calm face.

Uesugi Toru saw tears slide from the corner of his eyes, heard him murmur like sleep talking,

"Mom..."

Splash—

Tokyo's rain fell harder, swallowing the dead man's murmurs and tears entirely.

In the noisy silence, Uesugi Toru quietly closed his eyes with his hand, then after bowing solemnly once more, stood up and looked toward the train station entrance.

Clap, clap, clap.

A crisp clapping sound rang out, followed immediately by Niishima Yuta's sturdy body appearing: "Moving, truly moving!"

The Green Demon gestured mockingly with both hands: "But I must point out, that guy didn't make a sound while I tortured him—those screams were so pleasant, hahaha..."

Niishima Yuta walked down from the steps, saying tediously,

"Also, that he didn't say a single true word is actually false, because I can perform Soul Search."

He wiggled his fingers, smiling pleasantly: "Soul Search, understand? No matter what he wants to hide or cover up, it's meaningless—all secrets will be seen by me, thread by thread!"

"—So, including you hearing his entire phone call, that was my secret instruction."

Hannya was expressionless, only nodding: "Finished?"

A flicker of alarm crossed Niishima Yuta's pupils; he had heard Hannya was the most easily angered type among yokai.

If this called Uesugi Toru's little devil and himself were both transformed from humans into yokai, then he, like himself, could not escape the erosion of yokai nature.

But what was it like now?

Uesugi Toru suddenly asked again: "You deliberately went up just now, and the cameras are all destroyed?"

Niishima Yuta stiffened, not expecting this to be guessed by the other party too.

This little devil was not as simple as the data said.

"If so, then there are no worries."

Uesugi Toru slowly drew Kaga Kiyomitsu from his waist; the uchigatana felt its master's great anger for the first time, so it lightly trembled its blade, shattering the falling raindrops.

He gazed at 【Green Demon·Niishima Yuta (Two-Star)】 in his vision and assumed the Heijougan stance.

"Then tell me—"

Qi Coating spurted forth, shaking the water droplets within dozens of centimeters around him into vapor that burst apart; Hannya's blurred voice fell to the ground along with the rain, coming from all directions,

"—Scum, how do you want to die!"

A pale blade light suddenly appeared, tearing through Niishima Yuta's vision; in an instant, the blade was right before him, slashing heavily toward his face.

The Green Demon suddenly retreated, feeling a deep stinging pain at the tip of his nose, and smiled with a split lip: "Uesugi-kun, I truly underestimated your strength..."

Before he finished speaking, Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade rose again at extreme speed from a blind spot in his vision, severing the tendons at the Green Demon's forearm.

At this moment, Hannya's faint voice came: "Has no one told you that only fools talk while fighting?"

Qigui laughed: "This is my fighting style, brat! A little brat like you who hasn't been tempered by blood and fire wouldn't understand!"

Kaga Kiyomitsu intended to strike again, but this time Uesugi Toru felt an incomparably sharp threat all over his body!

He hastily sheathed his blade and immediately wanted to roll away to the side.

Because Niishima Yuta suddenly pulled out a loaded homemade shotgun from his inner lining!

Boom!

Dozens of birdshot pellets sprayed from the muzzle, and slightly less than half hit Uesugi Toru, who had only dodged halfway.

The pellets arriving within several meters embedded deeply into flesh and nerves.

Excruciating pain struck.

But Uesugi Toru did not hesitate at all, immediately mobilizing the Kiai Technique to put distance between himself and Qigui.

"Oya oya, are you scared already?" Qigui held up his shotgun, its muzzle still slowly smoking, and mocked, "Aren't you going to avenge that person? Why aren't you coming?"

Uesugi Toru exhaled and shook his head calmly: "A hopeless idiot."

His expression was indifferent, and his increasingly tough flesh had already begun slowly expelling the birdshot: "If it were me, I would only fire the first shot once I was sure I could shove the muzzle into the enemy's mouth."

"A brat who only talks tough." Niishima Yuta pulled a Trident Bayonet from his waist, grinning ferociously as he charged forward, "Wait and see me pull out your tongue and see if you can still speak!"

But when he was halfway there, Niishima Yuta suddenly saw a black-and-yellow thing appear in Hannya's hand.

What was that?

Before Niishima Yuta could figure it out, a large amount of thick mist surged out from that thing, quickly sweeping over the entire train station, and even showing a tendency to spread outward.

"Tsk! Only these little tricks..."

Qigui quickly planted his feet, holding his shotgun and vigilantly looking around.

But he did not wait for Uesugi Toru to sneak up close and strike with his blade; instead, he heard a crisp Shaking Bell sound.

Qigui narrowed his eyes.

What was this now?

Before Niishima Yuta could think much, he heard the sound of wind from someone quickly approaching behind him!

He immediately turned back without hesitation and pulled the trigger.

Firelight burst forth, and iron rain poured out!

But what appeared before his eyes the next moment was not the staggering Uesugi Toru, but a clump of charred straw and hemp cloth slowly drifting down in the mist.

Straw?

How could there be straw in this place!?

The excruciating pain of a blade entering flesh came from his waist and abdomen, and Niishima Yuta subconsciously counterattacked, but only felt he had cut a little of the other's oilskin.

"Niishima Yuta, it's time to go."

In the thick mist, Hannya's voice, so flat it was terrifying, echoed.

Tomorrow is Monday PK for Sanjiang, I beg brothers to come read!

Please!

If I can make it to Sanjiang, I'll do anything!

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End of Chapter