Chapter 212: Tokyo Eastern Region Seed Battle! Hundred-eyed Demon On The Verge Of Promotion, Eyeballs Delivered To The Doorstep
Shangshan Che heard this, temporarily set aside the prompt in his hand, and turned his head in some confusion.
——What, Yagyu Oshi and Tamamo are going to face him in the Seed Battle?
Seed Battle, isn’t that held jointly by the Tokyo Interior’s District 23?
Even including the Tama region nominally under Tokyo, and even more remote island areas, they couldn’t possibly reach Shizuoka Prefecture.
Silently walking to the barrier, Shangshan Che sat down and asked: “Why do you say that?”
Tamamo heard this question, and her professional instinct activated once again.
She subconsciously explained in detail,
“—Tokyo is preparing to join with several surrounding prefectures to hold a Seed Battle in the Eastern Region.
Apparently, Tokyo’s top Five Person Council has also invited some hidden dojos and Onmyoji Families to make this Eastern Region event more substantial.”
The Tamamo who had just nearly triggered the bomb and the tunnel’s Hundred Ghosts outbreak seemed to have forgotten her current situation.
She explained methodically: “This news hasn’t spread in Tokyo Interior yet—because they need to wait for the preliminary battles in the surrounding areas to finish before notifying the Special Affairs Office inside Tokyo.”
Shangshan Che thought to himself, so that’s how it is.
In that case… wouldn’t there also be major regional Seed Battles in the central and southern areas?
But the west side is unclear; that’s the Onmyo-ryo’s jurisdiction.
He smiled and nodded at Tamamo: “Thanks for sharing the intel.”
Only after Shangshan Che shifted his attention away from the “Seed Battle” did he notice that the Special Affairs Office agents inside the barrier were all in poor condition.
Seriously injured, unconscious, and the rest looking at him like he was a monster.
Only Yagyu Oshi, having his wounds gently licked by the Koma-inu Hatamoto, stared at him quietly.
In his eyes, battle intent burned fiercely.
Shangshan Che was baffled.
In this situation, how did this legal loli wearing the same yellow elementary school safety helmet turn into a calm commentator explaining Seed Battle news to him?
And she had nearly died just now; she’s clearly just a normal person… yet now she’s unflushed, steady-hearted, and not even breathless, like she’s on a picnic.
Shangshan Che asked: “Have you called for medical and support?”
Tamamo nodded: “Called early; about six or seven minutes until they arrive.”
So Shangshan Che voiced the question on his mind.
“—Because I’m used to it.”
Tamamo said matter-of-factly: “Special Affairs Office agents… um, especially little assistants, aren’t we always in a job where we tie our heads to our belt?”
Shangshan Che was speechless.
Saying that with this elementary school girl’s face and height made his feelings quite complicated.
Just as he was about to ask why, the highly experienced Tamamo, who had answered similar questions countless times, preempted him with hands spread:
“Lots of money, lots of money; my parents back home need support in old age, and there are several sisters and younger brothers who need money for school.”
She tsked softly,
“If I did ordinary work, with just my high school education, I’d never earn much in a lifetime.”
Shangshan Che was stunned.
Good grief, a family-first hero.
“And this Yagyu guy is willing to take me along; why wouldn’t I come earn this rice!”
Tamamo elbowed Yagyu Oshi’s head beside her, grinning to reveal a mouth of white teeth.
Yagyu Oshi said expressionlessly and seriously: “Tamamo is the best assistant.”
Hearing this praise, Tamamo excitedly burst into Kansai dialect: “Hey! Saying ‘the best’ is a bit over the top!”
“No, it isn’t…”
“I think so too.” Shangshan Che chimed in, “In that situation just now, you could have escaped first, but you chose to stay.”
“Right!”
Tamamo suddenly reacted.
She raised her mobile phone, scrolled through her chat history with Shangshan Che, and complained: “Elder Brother Shangshan, why didn’t you reply earlier? We all nearly got wiped out!”
This point did seem to be his fault…
As Shangshan Che pondered how to respond, he saw Tamamo suddenly kneel before him with a thud, her two blue braids falling to the ground.
“But no matter what!”
Tamamo knocked her forehead hard on the ground, making a crisp thud.
She shouted: “Thank you, Elder Brother Shangshan, for saving our lives!”
Shangshan Che, who had just thought he might be attacked, was stunned for a while before hurriedly lifting the girl’s shoulders,
“Please rise, quickly!”
Tamamo sat up obediently, knocking her phone screen with her knuckles: “But that said.”
“Elder Brother Shangshan, you—can you follow the Special Affairs Office’s 《duty rules》 from now on?”
Duty rules?
Shangshan Che tilted his head in confusion: “What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.”
Tamamo: “…”
This thing that agents recite backward and forward before duty, and this terrifyingly strong Elder Brother Shangshan doesn’t know it?
Shangshan Che shook his head: “If something like this happens again, just retreat and stay alive first.”
He said: “It’s just a mission; not that important.”
“Sorry, it’s my fault.”
Pale-faced Yagyu Oshi clenched his fist: “I told everyone to hold the line without retreating.”
“So Ryūgen Jun, can you explain what just happened?” Shangshan Che looked at him, “What do I need to do next?”
Though right now Shangshan Che really wanted to charge in and thoroughly clean out this tunnel hiding who-knows-how-many demons and monsters.
But first, he still didn’t know his mission as outside support.
Second, most of these Special Affairs Office agents were injured and hadn’t safely withdrawn yet.
Yagyu Oshi was just about to speak when Tamamo slapped him back: “With your eloquence, who knows how long it’d take to explain clearly.”
She explained crisply: “We came here to seal the Onmyōdō spells in this ‘haunted tunnel’ before the 1.5th Tide.
But unexpectedly, before we even entered the tunnel, the Tide suddenly surged—a wave brought in countless demons and Supernatural Phenomena into the tunnel.”
Tamamo glanced at the tunnel with her peripheral vision: “Turning it into the mess Elder Brother Shangshan just saw.”
“And this Yagyu guy insisted on holding them back, not letting them escape into the city…”
That was explanation enough.
The reason Yagyu decided to block the entrance was self-evident.
Shangshan Che nodded: “Your thinking isn’t wrong…”
After all, in such matters, where is there right or wrong?
Yagyu’s team nearly got wiped out simply because their strength wasn’t enough.
Shangshan Che sighed inwardly, then blinked: “Then later we’ll head into this tunnel first and shut down the Onmyōdō spells inside?”
—This suited his ideas perfectly.
But there was one more issue.
Shangshan Che asked: “Coming to this tunnel to rescue you and then going in—is that my original job?”
“No.” Tamamo answered immediately.
So Shangshan Che fell into thought.
He pondered for a long time.
He slapped his thigh and declared: “For this, we need extra pay!”
Though he desperately wanted to enter this tunnel, facing an out-of-town Special Affairs Office, why not fleece them a bit?
Anyway, the Special Affairs Office wouldn’t be affected much by this little bit.
Yagyu Oshi said nothing, tacitly agreeing.
Tamamo casually grumbled a couple lines on the surface.
But inwardly she was thrilled—tricking a bigshot like this into the team with just a few words was a huge win.
Anyway, the hiring rice wasn’t coming from her family’s pot.
And when heading back from here, she could claim a life safety subsidy; now the little ones at home could have extra meals.
Tamamo was so happy her little feet were kicking up.
Shangshan Che was somewhat surprised at how readily they agreed.
He scanned around and saw these Shizuoka Prefecture agents were all unremarkable one- and two-star Onmyoji and Samurai, mostly long-time cultivating “veterans.”
“Then rest up for now, wait for the Special Affairs Office medical vehicle to arrive.”
Shangshan Che sat on a nearby stone, looked up at Tamamo, and said: “You there, remember to tell them to take all the injured away; don’t bring wounded into battle.”
Tamamo turned her head, realized he was calling her, and bristled.
She clenched her little fist, flushing red: “No way! Don’t think being strong means you can’t bother remembering names!”
Shangshan Che raised a brow: “You didn’t say it either.”
The girl’s face stiffened; extremely embarrassed, she clenched her fist at her mouth, coughed twice, then said,
“I’m Tamamo! Remember that…”
By the time Tamamo finished her embarrassment and sneaked a peek at Shangshan Che, he was no longer paying attention to her, but staring down in thought.
The girl’s fist hardened, but after gripping until her fingertips hurt, she had to let go.
—Actually, Shangshan Che was sorting through the gains from that big sweep earlier.
Top of the list was naturally Kaga Kiyomitsu’s Soul Spirit Points.
After all, most of the demons had been killed by Kaga Kiyomitsu.
【Soul Spirit Points: 688→899】
“The number of demons should far exceed two or three hundred.”
Shangshan Che rubbed his chin, puzzled: “Could it be that those weak-as-dirt lost souls give less than one Soul Spirit Point per burst?”
Perhaps only that could explain it.
But this horde of demons and monsters was an unexpected gain for Shangshan Che; no room to be picky, any profit is good.
As for Soul Ash growth, it wasn’t much, since only the initial group of lost souls by the barrier shattered by lightning and the Three-Eyed Ghost produced any.
And most came from the latter.
【You killed, Three-Eyed Ghost（Two-and-a-Half Star）, gained 266 Soul Ash.】
【Soul Ash: 4945→5378】
Next was the eyeballs from the last Three-Eyed Ghost killed.
【You obtained, Three-Eyed Ghost Eyeballs×3!】
Three crimson eyeballs emitting eerie green light.
Hmm, fine quality.
Shangshan Che thought nice, then opened the Edo Castle Gacha Pool page, ready to feed these three fresh eyeballs to the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli.
Just opening it, he spotted the Hundred-Eyed Demon sitting primly on her White Bone throne.
Huh?
He narrowed his eyes, gestured with his fingers, and confirmed the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli had indeed grown a tiny bit taller.
Not much, but definitely there.
“Feels like I’ve been feeding her too much nutrition lately?”
Shangshan Che gazed at the Hundred-Eyed Demon who showed no sign of having eaten thousands of eyeballs, waved his hand, and tossed in the three new ones from the Three-Eyed Ghost.
Plop plop.
The three eyeballs landed precisely on the Hundred-Eyed Demon’s pale thighs, making the sticky sound unique to soft impacts.
The dozing Hundred-Eyed Demon slightly opened her eyes; seeing the three eyeballs up close, her eyes lit up.
Ho ho, falling snacks from the sky even while sleeping?
She stared blankly for a bit, then thoughtfully picked up an eyeball and popped it into her pink cherry mouth.
Crunch crunch.
In two or three bites, Shangshan Che saw her progress bar, originally at 【80%】 on her head, suddenly jump rightward to 【83%】!
One eyeball, one percent!
Six more Three-Eyed Ghosts, and his little Hundred-Eyed Demon’s quality would hit 【Epic+】!
Shangshan Che immediately stood up, his gaze like a searchlight piercing the darkness, itching to rush into the tunnel and start a massacre right now.
Noticing Tamamo’s odd stare from nearby, Shangshan Che suppressed his excitement and sat back down,
“Who knows how many good brothers are left in the tunnel…”
Shangshan Che stared at the content Hundred-Eyed Demon patting her belly, feeling like he was raising a daughter in a nurturing game and she was finally about to mature.
He smacked his lips.
If after upgrading quality he drew the Hundred-Eyed Demon Incarnation, he might never see this Hundred-Eyed Demon loli wandering the Edo Castle Gacha Pool page again.
That would be a bit regrettable.
“We’ll deal with that when it comes.”
While observing the post-snack Hundred-Eyed Demon, Shangshan Che looked at that final prompt.
—The one he’d found interesting earlier.
【You obtained, Everbright’s Headlamp（Special Item）!】
【Everbright’s Headlamp（Special Item）】
【Quality: None】
【Effect: When worn on the head as required, it emits light, steadily illuminating an area.】
【—Light is life.】
The icon in the Storage Bag was a slightly worn headlamp.
Dusty lens sealing a faintly yellow bulb, connected to a black strap behind.
Shangshan Che tapped the glowing “requirements” text.
He found that to make it light, first he needed a safety helmet on his head, and second, it had to be properly strapped onto the safety helmet per the rules.
The usage requirements were a bit complex.
But special items like this usually had extraordinary effects.
Like the crowbar that specials gates, or the Awakening Spirit Mist that only generates two drops a day, etc.
Who knows what effect this headlamp’s light has.
Shangshan Che felt some regret; this was clearly meant for the nearby tunnel, but he couldn’t use it right away.
Where was he supposed to find a safety helmet now…
Before Shangshan Che finished thinking, he suddenly looked up at Tamamo with her yellow little hat.
—Who says an elementary school safety helmet doesn’t count as a safety helmet!
He directly pulled the headlamp from his Storage Bag, wiped it clean with Qi Barrier, and walked toward Tamamo holding it.
Tamamo was startled by the aggressively approaching Shangshan Che and raised her hands backward, exclaiming: “Uh oh oh—Elder Brother, what are you doing!”
Shangshan Che held up the headlamp seriously: “Miss Tamamo, can you wear this on your head?”
“Wah, no need for ‘miss’; just call me Tamamo like Yagyu and them.”
Tamamo got goosebumps from the rare address, waved her hands, then looked at the headlamp in Shangshan Che’s hand,
“What’s this?”
Shangshan Che answered without batting an eye: “Headlamp made by Nanjo Emi; as long as you strap it on the safety helmet, it’ll stay lit without draining battery or heating up.”
Afraid Tamamo wouldn’t want to wear it, Shangshan Che pointed at the tunnel and added,
“Anyway, we’re going in soon; try wearing it to see if it works, and it’ll add a steady light source.”
“Nanjo Emi…”
Tamamo slowly repeated the name, then cried out: “Isn’t that the kill-without-blinking female Great Officer from Arakawa Ward!”
At this point, her gaze on the headlamp had turned fervent.
The girl gave Shangshan Che a thumbs-up: “Awesome plus!”
She took the headlamp, adeptly adjusting the strap tightness, seeming very practiced.
In seconds, the headlamp was positioned front and center on her little yellow hat.
Whoosh.
Bright yellow light bloomed from the headlamp, illuminating about a four-to-five-meter radius ahead.
Tamamo shook her head: “Whoa, this thing’s pretty bright.”
But Shangshan Che stared intently at the light hitting the ground, dispelling the darkness.
This light… felt different.
Right, different.
Though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.
But he could confirm the light from this headlamp was fundamentally different from ordinary sunlight or artificial light.
His intuition told him this “difference” might hold considerable secrets.
Shangshan Che said nothing, just noted the distinction inwardly.
—The specifics, he’d test later after buying a safety helmet.
Tamamo, like a kid with a new toy, swung her headlamp light around, exclaiming nonstop.
Five minutes later, the slightly late Special Affairs Office medical vehicle stopped nearby.
Dozens of prepared agents streamed out, rushing toward the barrier where Tamamo was with stretchers.
Soon, all the injured agents were loaded into the wide, long medical vehicle.
Except for Yagyu Oshi, who actively refused, and the unscathed Tamamo.
Among them, three slightly strong auras drew Shangshan Che’s attention briefly.
But then he narrowed his eyes—the support team should know the situation at this tunnel.
How did they only send two unremarkable Two-and-a-Half Stars and one Three-Star?
Shangshan Che glanced at the two Koma-inu Hatamoto by his feet.
This Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Office’s standards were truly worrying…
Shangshan Che asked: “Do you have other teams elsewhere in crisis, about to get wiped out?”
Tamamo puzzled: “Why say that?”
She followed Shangshan Che’s speechless gaze to the three support “generals,” thought briefly, and understood.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Shizuoka Prefecture’s Special Affairs Office lacked manpower, oversight, and fresh blood… it had always been this way.
Shangshan Che looked at the girl’s childish face and knew without asking this wasn’t the first time.
He wasn’t Nanjo Emi, so he had no interest in changing another office’s systems and efficiency.
So Shangshan Che simply released some Spiritual Power, smiling at the three incoming support: “I’m Shangshan Che from Arakawa Ward; you three can clock out.”
Few Shizuoka agents paid attention to which Shangshan Che from Arakawa Ward.
But this terrifying spiritual pressure was real.
And hadn’t Tamamo, who usually loved calling for backup, said nothing extra?
The three sighed in relief upon confirming they weren’t needed, thanking Shangshan Che.
—This level of fieldwork, tied to the 1.5th Tide, could easily cost half your life inside.
In this situation, who else to thank but Shangshan Che?
Soon, the Special Affairs Office medical vehicle slowly drove away from the mountain forest, leaving only Shangshan Che, Tamamo, and Yagyu Oshi behind.
Shangshan Che turned to look at the mostly silent Yagyu Oshi.
Tamamo staying made sense since she said she had bound the formation plate sealing the tunnel’s Onmyōdō spells.
But this heir of the Yagyu Dojo…
Meeting his gaze, Yagyu Oshi raised his fist wrapped in Qi Circulation: “Combat power now recovered to eighty percent.”
Shangshan Che raised a brow.
But he didn’t pry, just said: “Fine. Then follow behind me and protect your little girlfriend.”
With that, Shangshan Che headed into the tunnel.
Tamamo stomped anxiously in place,
“Gah! Who’s this guy’s girlfriend! We’re just childhood friends!”
“And you, Yagyu!” She slapped Yagyu Oshi’s back hard, “Won’t you deny it!”
Yagyu Oshi, whose body didn’t even tremble, shook his head: “That doesn’t matter right now.”
He gazed calmly at Tamamo: “What’s important is protecting you.”
“…”
Critically hit by the simple words, Tamamo stammered, her whole body flushing red; only after a while did she hurriedly catch up to Shangshan Che’s back.
Yagyu Oshi followed behind her.
“You two just protect them.”
Feeling the chill upon entering the tunnel, Shangshan Che smiled and pointed behind at the two Koma-inu Hatamoto: “You can also follow their orders.”
“Woof!”
The unified barks echoed.
“Wow, thanks for coming, you two…”
Tamamo reached out to pet the Koma-inu Hatamoto’s heads, glanced at the little flags on their backs, and said earnestly: “The road ahead, we entrust to you two Hatamoto.”
“Woof.”
The Koma-inu Hatamoto affectionately rubbed her hand backs.
Tamamo looked up again, and the headlamp lit up a large swath of darkness.
“You two, stay right behind me.”
Shangshan Che tapped Kaga Kiyomitsu, letting it fly from the scabbard to behind Tamamo: “I’ll clear the path; Little Jia will ensure the rear is safe.”
Just as he spoke, a pitch-black bloody handprint suddenly appeared on the tunnel wall beside Tamamo, startling her into a shiver.
Buzz!
Kaga Kiyomitsu surged in fury—this handprint popping up now was like slapping its face!
Pale blade light thrust in a flash.
The icy bloody handprint instantly turned into warm Soul Spirit Points.
Tamamo watched with mouth agape, jaw nearly unhinging: “Big bro, this sword of yours…”
“Shh, quiet.”
Shangshan Che first raised a finger, then silver light flickered on his right hand back.
At the edge of his vision, a pitch-black Three-Eyed Ghost identical to the one at the tunnel entrance crouched, reaching toward the ground, doing something.
Perhaps because Shangshan Che’s gaze was too intense, a bloody eye instantly looked his way.
No, not one.
In an instant, five cruel, cold eyes locked onto Shangshan Che from a hundred meters away.
But he felt no fear.
Shangshan Che instead showed ecstatic joy.
Just entering the tunnel, and already five big eyeballs delivered to his door!
The surprise was so sudden that Shangshan Che accidentally leaked a bit of Spiritual Power.
A hundred meters was instantaneous for spiritual power transmission.
This exaggerated pressure immediately startled the distant Five-Eyed Ghost.
It stood immediately, cautiously retreating two steps, planning to melt back into darkness.
Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes, cold-huffed: “Trying to escape!?”
“—Little Jia, get it!”
