Chapter 55: Vengeful Spirit Keiki, A Possible War?
Only one person?
Shangshan Che, who had originally tensed up his body, doubtfully looked back and discovered that the blind-eyed girl Kujo Tsubaki also showed a surprised expression.
“Since I boarded this train, we’ve passed here a total of five times, but this is the first time there have been so few people.”
Kujo Tsubaki explained: “In previous times, there were at least a dozen people.”
Shangshan Che subtly examined the samurai’s attire and found that all the vital points on his body were wrapped in thick deep-red armor, with a helmet in the “star hood” style, and golden horns on it that appeared extremely majestic and ostentatious.
The scabbard of the tachi at his waist was spotless.
This attire was worlds apart from the corpses in the wilderness outside; rather than calling him a samurai, it would be more accurate to say he was the general of a country or an army.
Moreover, with such complete equipment, plus the previous batches of samurai and ashigaru… could it be that organized demons timed it for the First Wave and are coming to wreak havoc on Tokyo at this opportunity?
He needed to mention it to Sister Nanjo later.
“Hm?”
Shangshan Che was stunned to discover that the Oni General, whose face was covered by half a faceplate, did the first thing after boarding by looking toward him.
Then nodded to him in greeting?
Out of basic courtesy, Shangshan Che also nodded to the Oni General, then saw him find a corner, quietly close his eyes, and sit down.
And right after the Oni General sat down, the Sumida River Dean, who had been smiling since boarding, stood up solemnly and slowly walked toward Shangshan Che.
Then, under the latter’s vigilant gaze, the rotund Dean actually bent down directly and offered a black business card to Shangshan Che with both hands.
“Mr. Hannya, if you have time, you are welcome to visit Sumida River High School anytime.”
Shangshan Che was taken aback, then realized— was it because the Oni General had greeted him?
Even with a timeline separated by at least several hundred years, this Dean still acknowledged the Oni General’s status and identity.
In that case, perhaps the Oni General’s strength and fame were even more astonishing than he had imagined.
Shangshan Che took the business card—
【Dean’s Business Card】
【Quality: Normal】
【Effect: Holding this business card allows single entry to Sumida River Weird School.】
【—Sumida River Weird School Dean’s business card, very precious to students inside the school.】
This was the first gift Shangshan Che had received from a demon; he silently nodded to the other.
“I will.”
The Dean sat back down with a face full of smiles, looking no different from a teacher in the mortal realm who had maxed out observation skills, showing no trace of his earlier ferocious appearance.
Kujo Tsubaki beside him was even more unable to hide her shock at this scene.
She quickly withdrew the spirit power from her mind’s eye and asked within: “Tamamo, that oni warrior is Kajiwara Kagesue, right!”
Kajiwara Kagesue, also known as “Fierce Ghost Kagesue,” was a famous general of the Kanto region in the early Kamakura period and won several important battles for the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War.
For such a famous figure, Kujo Tsubaki felt he was at least on the level of a ghost god; and seeing his current luxurious attire, it wasn’t impossible for him to be even higher.
And this Fierce Ghost Kagesue had actually taken the initiative to greet that Hannya whose current strength seemed comparable to her own…
Kujo Tsubaki silently raised the importance level of this Hannya by two grades in her mind.
“Oh my~ Let me out when you need me, kick me away when you don’t— do you take me for a prisoner, little Jiu?” Tamamo laughed lightly in a cloying voice, “We’re in an intimate symbiotic relationship…”
“Yes, or no.”
Kujo Tsubaki coldly interrupted her: “If you don’t want to say, I can make you unable to speak for the next year.”
Tamamo’s voice stopped abruptly, as if silenced.
—If one day she could separate, she would absolutely tear this woman to pieces and lingchi her alive to death.
That said, Tamamo knew this woman never joked; if she said she would confine her for a year, she absolutely would, no matter what happened midway.
So she stiffly squeezed out a word: “Yes.”
“If yes… then we need to find a way to establish a friendly relationship with this Hannya,” Kujo Tsubaki thought. “But it’s definitely not possible this time.”
But at least leave a good first impression in front of him.
“Next stop, Nippori Station is approaching…”
“Next stop, Nippori Station…”
Hearing the familiar station name, Shangshan Che immediately looked outside and found that the view beyond the window had unknowingly changed from a corpse-strewn battlefield wilderness to the nightscape of a bustling urban area.
Kitano Runa and the remaining high school students also simultaneously looked out the window, unable to suppress their excited emotions.
Skyscrapers stood tall outside the window— a sight they had all grown tired of, but seeing it again now felt like a rebirth.
Especially Kitano Runa, who was smarter and had experienced more, so she understood that since boarding this train, her life was no longer in her own hands.
The only ones who could keep her alive were heaven, or this Hannya beside her.
So she had already written her unsendable farewell letter perfectly in her mind several times, word for word.
“You, getting off at this stop?”
Hearing the Hannya beside her suddenly ask, Kitano Runa trembled all over, her thoughts instantly drifting to the end of the universe, the meaning of life…
Finally she came back to herself and squeezed out a fawning smile.
“If you need me, Hannya Adult, I’ll just look at the doorway and not get off.”
—Look my ass! As soon as the doors open, I’ll be the first to rush into the crowd on the street; even getting hit by a dump truck is better than staying with you inhuman things!
—She was just a former supernatural enthusiast; had she never heard of Ye Gong loves dragons? After confirming ghosts exist in this world, Kitano Runa wanted nothing to do with these things.
This Student Kitano… didn’t she know that holding back laughter is very difficult?
Shangshan Che said as calmly as possible: “If we arrive at the station, you can get off on your own.”
Kitano Runa widened her eyes in disbelief, nearly blurting out “daddy.”
—Daddy! Merciful Hannya Adult, you really are my real daddy!
The girl was nearly moved to tears; now she didn’t even need to risk getting hit by a truck to get off!
No need to die— wonderful!
She thanked him incoherently: “Hannya Adult, when I get back, I’ll definitely put in good words for you at the Special Affairs Office, so my friends won’t chop you to death!”
Shangshan Che fell into thought— the friend you say can chop me to death, isn’t that me?
But right after saying it, Kitano Runa realized she had misspoke.
How dare she say something like a warning in front of an evil spirit?
Kitano Runa immediately wanted to kneel and apologize— compared to this old life, mere dignity was nothing?
But Shangshan Che preempted her: “Then thank you for putting in good words.”
Kitano Runa swallowed all her remaining pleas, thinking to herself that this Hannya was damn cool!
Then she made up her mind: if she ever went out alone again, she’d be an un-leashed dog…
Wait, didn’t she end up on this train not because she was alone?
The girl was stunned.
Doesn’t that mean from now on, anytime anywhere, just blinking could pull her into various supernatural phenomenon events?
One leads to two.
Thinking of this, Kitano Runa’s excitement about getting off intact vanished instantly.
She sighed.
The future truly was bleak.
The braking sound rang out, and the train soon stopped at the pitch-black Nippori Station.
