svetikya Page 168
Page 168
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Kakujo did not return to Edogawa Ward; he simply disappeared without a trace, and even Taira no Masakado did not know where he had gone.
Taira no Masakado was furious. The next day, the Kubinashi, which had been dormant due to the Sumida Ward brawl, came back to life. According to Nurarihyon's information, the monsters in Edogawa Ward also began to move.
Storm is coming.
Mao Liang's attempt to fight against Mr. Ren failed.
The exorcists who stole limbs tried to fight back but failed, and no information about them was ever sent back.
It was clearly unacceptable for Taira no Masakado to see his trusted lieutenants suffer repeated defeats.
He even boasted that whoever could defeat Mr. Ren or bring back the missing limbs would receive a blessing from the underworld and possess the power to stand at the pinnacle of the new era.
The so-called new era has been officially confirmed by the many beings in the extraordinary world, and the beginning of summer a year ago was regarded as the start of the new era.
The new era refers to an era in which many extraordinary powers gradually flourish. In addition to urban legends coming true, there are also characteristics such as the increase in exorcist techniques and monsters becoming stronger more easily.
The emergence of new features such as shikigami that can materialize and the ability to create illusions that alter reality indicates that certain fundamental aspects of this world are gradually changing.
Take shikigami for example. In the past, exorcists could certainly summon shikigami, but those were either phantom creatures that could use spells or real objects such as paper dolls.
But the shikigami of today are different. The shikigami that once appeared as phantoms can now appear in physical form. It seems that the Onmyoji who summon creatures to fight in myths and legends are becoming a reality.
Starting with the legend of Fall Guys, and with Siren Head coming to life, it forms a symbol of urban legends and human fantasy becoming reality.
Starting with the appearance of Ito Okami, along with the bone tengu who can summon wind and rain, the legends representing ancient history have also become a real entity.
This is an era of great change, one that is gradually altering the world, and perhaps a new breeze is blowing through the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.
When Huaiyin woke up, Doutang had already left.
She lay on the still-warm bed in Dou Tang's bed, her face flushed as she buried her head in the pillow.
"Grandpa, how long will it take to become as strong as my brother?" she asked in a muffled voice.
“It’s beyond your reach in this lifetime,” replied our ancestor, Mr. Ren.
"Then, how long will it take to be able to help him? I also want to... try to slay the monster."
"...You're ready."
Huaiyin crawled out of bed, looking at her arms that were gradually becoming stronger, and then touching her very obvious abs through her pajamas. Every part of her body was telling her that she was no longer the weak homebody she used to be, but instead a rough, unsharpened blade.
If she wants to achieve a future where she can walk side by side with Dou Tang, then it is absolutely not enough for Dou Tang to work hard alone. Huaiyin knows that even if Dou Tang is incredibly powerful, she cannot choose to wait idly.
Just like Chinatsu Kume, even though she can't reach the center of the extraordinary world, and even though what she does is nothing more than a glimpse into the leopard through a tube, she still wants to crane her neck and take a good look at what lies deep in the darkness before her.
Huaiyin picked up Doutang's quilt, folded it neatly, tucked it in, sat on the quilt, and took a deep breath.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the sky and sunlight filtering through the curtains. The light that shone into the room was like a golden ray of holy light that split her in two.
"Alright... let's begin today's training."
She tidied up the bedding and put it in the closet, then opened the white door.
The resentment in the master bedroom materialized into solidified tentacles, which had been teasing and playing with each other, but upon seeing her...
They all stopped in place, and then slowly bowed their heads.
Huaiyin entered the room, flicked the resentful energy with her fingers, and felt its essence—that it could benefit her but dared not harm her. Then, she slowly placed her hand on the scabbard of the katana placed in the middle of the bed.
Picking up the long sword, the girl who had been enjoying her coquettishness and intimacy last night revealed a ruthless sharpness in her eyes.
"Taira no Masakado... This might be a major event that shakes up Tokyo... Grandfather, is it my turn to take the stage this time?"
"Ha, this kind of stage, the Red Grand Stage that uses myths and legends as stepping stones, is just right for you, girl."
Chapter 80 The Meeting of Evil Spirits and Exorcists
News came from Aida Gaku that the yokai in Edogawa Ward have begun attacking exorcists.
Shinzen Ryuyo sent word that the bone tengu Ejima Iya had met with the Exorcist Association. Although it was just a meeting, Ejima Iya was clearly disgusted by the hypocritical guys in the association and made several phone calls to Toudou.
"Kiryu-kun, I'm telling you, you absolutely, positively cannot associate with those people, do you understand? Even if I were dead long ago, I would still be a teacher at Yiyan Private Academy, and you are a student! You must listen to me!"
Dou Tang was speechless: "You're the school doctor, do you even remember that?"
"I taught sex education classes at school! How can I not be a teacher?!"
While the Extraordinary World was in turmoil, the Morning Star Group wasn't idle either. They were currently focused on two main tasks: first, a crackdown on the three western wards of Tokyo, determined to completely eradicate the Kyouon-no-Kami and the Treasure Sugar Pill; and second, the education of the bald-headed group's delinquents. This included, but was not limited to, having members who had actually suffered in the yakuza reminisce about their painful past with the younger members, as well as providing assistance, such as helping those who became delinquents due to family reasons.
The most typical example is probably Nozaki Sou and Kano Hikaru. Kano Hikaru's father, who had run away after owing a huge amount of money to loan sharks, was captured and brought back from Hokkaido. Although Kano Hikaru did not intend to forgive her father, at least she had put her mind at ease.
In any case, none of the yakuza wanted these young people, still in the prime of their youth, to be forced onto this hellish path, so they were all quite dedicated to it.
Hoshino was also very concerned about this matter. After all, he and the head of the Morning Star Group were once delinquents, and he knew that the path of the Yakuza was not as glamorous as the delinquents thought.
Now that the area behind Dou Tang's base was safe, Dou Tang was finally able to focus on planning the attack on Ping Jiangmen.
Taira no Masakado must be killed, without a doubt. Although he has not shown himself directly yet, his influence on Tokyo is already significant.
In central Tokyo, near Ginza.
Tou-tang drove here to attend a meeting with Aida Gaku and other pro-war exorcists.
Aida Gaku is actually quite wealthy. Most exorcists with assets outside of Tokyo are not poor, so this time Aida Gaku booked the top floor of a hotel near Ginza as a meeting place and his base for the next few days.
Dou Tang took the elevator to the top floor, but as soon as he stepped out, someone reached out and stopped him. After all, this was going to be a gathering place for exorcists, and his identity needed to be verified first.
But the person who stopped Dou Tang only glanced at him twice before immediately smiling and withdrawing his hand, saying respectfully, "Mr. Ren, welcome."
Dou Tang nodded and asked, "Where is Aida Yue?"
"Oh! Tong... Ah, Mr. Ren, you've come too!"
A strange voice came from behind. Dou Tang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a strange person whose body was covered in skin and dressed like a ball, greeting him.
Dou Tang tilted his head, uncertainly asking, "Teacher Jiangdao?"
“It’s me, but you have to call me Bone Tengu here, understand?” Ejima Iya stepped forward, took off his sunglasses, and blue flames burned in his empty eyes.
"A code name, like how they call you Mr. Ren. Oh, by the way, why did you choose this name?"
Jiangdao Yizai stood in front of Dou Tang with his hands on his hips. Dou Tang smiled and said, "Tengu-sensei, a code name is just a code name."
"By the way, Tengu-sensei, what are you doing here?"
Jiangdao Yizai muttered to himself, "Why does your way of addressing me feel so strange? It sounds like you're insulting me!"
"No, that's just your imagination, you dog, teacher."
Jiangdao Yizai waved his hand and said, "Those people in the association are really disgusting. Their profit-driven attitude is really not to my liking, so I came here with Long Yong. By the way, you are also the main character today."
He smiled with interest: "Mr. Ren who defies myths and legends... hehehe, it gives me a sense of accomplishment like a student suddenly becoming famous."
But what does this have to do with you, you otaku teacher...?
Dou Tang drooped her eyebrows helplessly and absentmindedly dealt with him as the two walked together toward the conference room in the middle of the top floor.
Before even pushing open the conference room door, I could hear a lot of noise coming from inside, as if many people were arguing about something.
Dou Tang pointed his thumb at the gate and said with a smirk, "It's so lively inside?"
Ejima Iza shrugged: "Everyone wants to be the leader, you understand? Even if the people here aren't fighting against Taira no Masakado for personal gain, they still care about who the leader is."
At this point, Dou Tang asked curiously, "Why don't you do it? The strongest response here should be..."
"You're the one."
“I am a demon.” Ejima Izai sighed. “Even though I am a demon on the side of exorcists, I am still feared by people.”
At this point, he looked at Dou Tang and said, "By the way, you'd better not let them know that you are a Candy Bean Man. If they find out that you are also a member of the evil forces, your status might be lowered."
"I don't care." Dou Tang shook his head, reached out and grabbed the door, then pushed it open.
A cacophony of voices erupted from behind the door, a cacophony of noise that assaulted the eardrums.
Dou Tang patted his head and walked into the somewhat stuffy conference room.
The arrival of Dou Tang and Jiangdao Yizai brought a brief pause to the noisy atmosphere in the conference room, and Dou Tang began to carefully observe the situation.
Unlike the meetings of the association back then, here, everyone in the meeting room can participate in the discussion. In the middle of the meeting room is a huge round table with a map of Tokyo on it. Aida Gaku is squatting on the table, pointing at a point on the map with a long stick in a very unladylike manner.
Upon seeing Dou Tang, he was overjoyed and jumped off the table, his robes and monastic garments swaying with his movement.
The burly monk stepped forward, patted Dou Tang on the shoulder, and laughed loudly, "Hahahaha, Mr. Ren, you've come at just the right time!"
Dou Tang helplessly slapped his hand away and said, "What are you two discussing now?"
"The route of attack, and the method." Aida Yue answered first, then led Dou Tang to the people in the room and said, "Everyone, this is Mr. Ren who defeated the great demon Maolang, and also the one who greatly dampened Taira no Masakado's spirit."
A few scattered claps rang out in the conference room. Dou Tang could see the emotions of surprise or doubt in those people's eyes, but he remained unmoved.
Dou Tang spread his hands slightly and said, "Hello everyone."
He seemed incredibly cold-hearted.
Aida Gaku had already experienced his coldness, so he didn't care at all. He smiled and led him to the front of the stage, pointing to a point in Edogawa Ward on the map with his pointer.
"Mr. Ren, this is Taira no Masakado's main camp."
Dou Tang squinted, staring intently at that spot.
At the end of several narrow streets, Taira no Masakado's main camp was transformed into a cube outlined in red ink, like a poisonous creature quietly waiting at the center of a spider web.
Chapter 81 is scary, isn't it? I'm best at this.
Taira no Masakado's main camp was located near the port area of Edogawa Ward, a secluded place. Apart from unloading cargo at the dock in the early morning, there were very few passersby at other times, which perfectly suited his need to keep a low profile. After all, Taira no Masakado had great ambitions and wanted to keep a low profile.
Edogawa Ward is a historically significant district, with rivers flowing into the sea on both sides of Tokyo. The main channel of the Edogawa River lies on the east side, hence the name Edogawa Ward.
As a result, Edogawa Ward has many old ports, which are now somewhat desolate due to the shift of the shipping center, and Taira no Masakado has thus been living in seclusion there.
The narrow streets of Edogawa are like intricate threads on a spider web, one by one, following the main red-painted thoroughfares, protecting the central Edogawa riverside area.
Aida Gaku pressed a location on the map that looked like a research institute and said, "Tokyo Metropolitan Sewerage Bureau, Shinkawa Wastewater Treatment Plant, this is where Taira no Masakado was hiding."
Aida Gaku said sternly, "He used ordinary people who believed in him to find a way to hide in official buildings. The work at this sewage treatment plant is not arduous, so he and his monster subordinates gradually moved in. Now it has become a den of demons, and it is also our final destination."
To the north of the Shinkawa Wastewater Treatment Plant is a narrow, long river that runs through the entire Edogawa Ward. This is an irrigation canal that connects the main stream of the Edogawa River on the east side with its tributary on the west side.
To the west of the Shin-Kawa Wastewater Treatment Plant lies the Shin-Arakawa River, an important tributary of the Edogawa River.
Dou Tang asked, "Are we going to fight him in this sewage treatment plant? Those officials who protect Taira no Masakado won't agree, will they?"
Aida Yue shook his head and said, "The association persuaded the officials to fence off that area and turn it into a completely isolated space for our use."
"In other words... it's all about skill, and whether the survivor is a monster or an exorcist, the authorities don't care."
Dou Tang frowned deeply: "Do they know what Taira no Masakado and Kou-no-Kujiro did now?"
“I know.” Aida Gaku sighed, “But they don’t care. In order to win the election for the new prime minister, the Liberal Democratic Party is now too busy to care about things that don’t threaten the upper echelons.”
Dou Tang gagged, clearly feeling extremely disgusted.
"A bunch of guys who have self-interest ingrained in their very nature. To be honest, they don't deserve the many excellent creators in Japan," Ejima Iya suddenly said out of the blue.
Dou Tang turned to look at him.
Noticing Dou Tang's actions, Jiang Daoyi shrugged and said, "Ha, why are you looking at me? I'm just telling the truth. Even an otaku like me who likes watching anime understands the story of losing the watermelon to pick up a sesame seed."
Upon hearing this, many exorcists wore speechless expressions.
Bone Tengu... is a shut-in? That's really unexpected.
Would such a powerful skeletal demon, capable of summoning wind and rain, also wear a mesh haori, tie ribbons, and wave glow sticks to support his favorite work?
Ejima Iya seemed completely unconcerned about revealing that he was an otaku, and took off his gloves and shook...
Waving his bony fingers, he continued, "Ha! I think the real Godzilla was filmed quite well; it thoroughly satirized the indecisiveness of those incompetent cabinet members..."
Dou Tang waved her hand to cover his mouth: "That's not what we're talking about right now."
Dou Tang pointed to the map again: "Mr. Aida, please continue."
Aida Gaku clapped his explanation stick and continued, "Ha, what Honotengu-sama said reminds me of those messy things at the end of the last century, those rampant yakuza and the police force that did absolutely nothing... But now is definitely not the time to talk about those things."
He continued, pointing to the Xinchuan Wastewater Treatment Plant on the map, and said, "We have to thank them for neglecting their duties, folks, because it gave us the opportunity to go and deal with these things."
"But the authorities will agree, we will agree, but Taira no Masakado will not."
He drew a circle with his stick, including the nearby houses, and said, "That guy will never sit idly by. When a vicious evil spirit is cornered, he will definitely stop at nothing. So we have to find a way to drive away the civilians nearby."
A nearby exorcist asked, "What method?"
Aida Gaku chuckled.