I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 261 Breakup
Nagano City, an island nation.

Island nations are mostly mountainous, so most cities are located along the coast or on plains formed by rivers flowing through the mountains.

So even in a 'city' like Nagano, once you leave the city center, you'll find yourself surrounded by towering mountains.

These mountains used to have temples, shrines, hot springs and other tourist attractions, but now they are only home to countless evil spirits lurking in the shadows.

brush,

The cleaver, wrapped in bandages, swung in a wide arc, tearing a group of evil spirits in half and turning them into ashes.

"Brother Shura is still the most efficient,"

Black Wolf walked over and glanced at the decapitation sword.

"As expected of an extraordinary sword, it has elevated you to the Strong Wolf level in just over ten days."

It's practically cheating to become stronger!
In comparison, the "Black Wolf," who barely managed to reach the wolf level after receiving a large amount of resources from the Jiu Kong family and going to the Divine Tree District for "cultivation," seems insignificant.

"It's just a shortcut,"

Xiaoqian replied modestly, then slung the beheading sword, wrapped in bandages, over his back.

"I wonder about the young lady's side—"

"Hahahaha!"

A loud, raucous laugh rang out, causing Xiao and Black Wolf to turn their heads simultaneously.

Hiss hiss hiss

The sound of snakes crawling was accompanied by a rumbling vibration.

"Very good, very good!"

Amidst the familiar voices, a gray-brown 'giant wave' swept through the woods and surged toward the two.

No, this is not a giant wave, but thousands upon thousands of venomous snakes!
Countless venomous snakes formed a giant wave, and standing at the forefront of this wave was their boss: Jiu Kong Yao Ai.

The little girl, Jiu Kong Yao Ai, had long, flowing hair and was clenching two soft, white fists with an expression that was utterly childish.

"Power! I feel immense power!"

"I am terrifyingly strong now!"

Although these words seem very childish at first glance
But the distorted air around her was proof of spiritual energy interfering with reality!
"Tiger-level?"

The 'Black Wolf' murmured, his face filled with shock.

He had felt this kind of pressure from the top experts of the 'Fist of the Vow' before, and it was undoubtedly at the 'Tiger Level' level.

But, but... his boss, this Miss Jiu Kong, was clearly only at the 'strong wolf' level before!

How did you suddenly jump two grades?

This is truly extraordinary!
"What, are you shocked by my power?"

The 'giant wave' of snakes stopped in front of the two of them. In high spirits, Jiu Kong Yao Ai was lifted down by the snakes while observing the surprised expressions of her two subordinates with great interest.

“Some,”

Black Wolf nodded with a wry smile, and couldn't help but add a sentence.

"Young Miss, although it's a bit of a downer to talk about this now, I hope there won't be any future problems with your power?"

If it weren't for the fact that her boss's demeanor and behavior were exactly the same as before, Black Wolf would have suspected that she was 'possessed'.

"future trouble?"

These words made Jiu Kongyao's face turn cold.
"You have to pay a price to gain something: that's the nature of doing business."

Of course, figuring out how to gain benefits for oneself in this process is also a businessperson's tactic.

"Let's not talk about those discouraging things. With my current strength—"

The girl clenched her fist, looking eager to try.

"This is the time to avenge our defeat."

? ?
"No, Miss."

"Calm down,"

Black Wolf and Xiao spoke at the same time, quickly stopping their boss.

Their boss is undoubtedly powerful, but he always likes to 'challenge' difficult enemies, which forces them to fight desperately as well.

"Having suddenly gained power, first practice and familiarize yourself with it—"

brush,

Before Black Wolf could finish speaking, more than a dozen venomous snakes pounced on him, enveloping him completely before he could react!
The scarlet forked tongue was almost within reach, and liquid dripped from its pale white fangs.

Sizzle sizzle

Venom dripped onto the ground.

It corroded through the ground instantly, emitting plumes of white smoke.

"Uh~~"

With a muffled groan, the wolf-level superhuman 'Black Wolf' staggered upon smelling the venom.

"Look,"

The little girl, from which more than a dozen venomous snakes emerged from her sleeve, raised her chin with a smug look on her face.

"You can't even withstand one of my moves."

Hidden Shadow Snake Hand

"Who should I practice with?"

After saying that, a cold glint flashed in the little girl's eyes.

She hadn't forgotten how disheveled she looked the first time she went out.

"Direct practical experience is the best way to familiarize yourself with your abilities!"

"Please, Miss."

With a wry smile, Black Wolf had no choice but to admit it.

In front of the 'Tiger-level' young lady, he, a sparring partner who had just entered the Wolf-level and could be easily killed, was indeed useless.

But there's still Shura, isn't there?

"Shura,"

Before 'Black Wolf' could suggest that Shura be his sparring partner, Miss Jiu Kong Yao Ai had already spoken up.

"Come with me, we're going to see someone."

"Can I refuse?"

Xiao scratched the bandage on his head, somewhat reluctantly.

"cannot!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.

This is an area traversed by the Edogawa and Arakawa rivers.
It used to be considered one of the worst-performing wards in Tokyo's 23 wards, and it was in a similar predicament to the neighboring Adachi Ward.

However, Adachi Ward has now skyrocketed in popularity because of a certain person; while Katsushika Ward is also undergoing extensive redevelopment. Driven by capital, soaring land prices have led to high-rise apartments constantly encroaching on former detached houses, resulting in numerous construction sites.

As dusk fell, these construction sites had no workers on duty, except for security cameras.

A well-proportioned man with curly hair, wearing a stretchy T-shirt and ordinary trousers, walked alone in the construction site.

This construction site belongs to the 'Nogi Group', so it's reasonable for the man to be here: as a martial artist from the Nogi Group, it's his job to come and inspect the site at night.

Of course, his purpose in coming here was not simply to conduct an inspection.

"This open space is good; it's suitable for fighting."

The man stood in the empty construction site, his hands behind his back.

"Come out, you two."

call out----

A dark brown beam of light shot out from behind, about to hit the back of the man's head.

Snapped,

With a swift movement, the man grasped the light without turning his head.

"It's you again, little snake girl."

Holding the venomous snake by its vital spot, the man turned his head, revealing a very masculine face.

"Ten-Headed Demon King Horse!"

On the other side of the construction site, Jiu Kong Yao Ai, who didn't even bother to wear a mask, started making threats.

"I was careless last time, but I will definitely avenge myself this time!"

The Ten-Headed Serpent King was not annoyed by the arrogant little girl.

"I don't mind moving around a bit, but the help you brought—"

The man raised his hand and pointed to Xiao, who was beside Jiu Kong Yao Ai.

He was a martial artist who specialized in fighting people, and he recognized this 'old friend' at a glance from his physique and posture.

what's the situation?
Isn't this the boy I rescued in the underground parking lot?

How did you end up hanging out with this little girl?

And
Strong Wolf level.

Is it because of the extraordinary sword on his back?
The sword-fight atop Mount Fuji was something Toja Onima knew about, but that was all. For a martial artist like him, only his own body, honed through countless trials, was truly reliable.

"Huh huh huh~~"

"This is my bodyguard, 'Shura'."

"Today, the two of us will attack together, let's see how you resist!"

As for 'Black Wolf'?
It's just a 'weak wolf' level game, I won't embarrass myself by playing it so poorly.

As Jiu Kong swayed with a smug look on his face, Xiao stepped forward.

"Mr. Ma, the Ten-Snake Demon King,"

"I haven't thanked you for saving my life yet."

After speaking, he bowed ninety degrees and performed the salute.

"Thank you so much."

?

"you"

To Jiu Kong Yao Ai's surprise, Xiao turned to face her.
The bandages on his head were removed, revealing a perfectly healthy young face.

"Your face has indeed healed a long time ago."

"No, Miss, you don't recognize me?"

Having revealed his true colors, but without receiving the expected response, Xiao Yi didn't know how to describe his feelings.

"You mean this face? I don't recognize it!"

Jiu Kongyao's matter-of-fact answer made Xiao sigh again.

Sure enough, this is the young lady's personality.

"I had just arrived in this city and fell into a trap and was almost killed in a parking lot."

? !
The little girl was puzzled at first, then suddenly realized.

"It's you!"

To her, Xiao was just a 'passerby' at that time, and one she was prepared to kill at will.

I didn't even notice his face.

"I'm sorry, Miss."

Seeing that Jiu Kong Yao Ai finally remembered, Xiao also bowed to her and apologized.

In any case, without this young lady, he wouldn't have been able to establish himself in this city so quickly and obtain the 'decapitation sword'.

"I--"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao suddenly bent over into a 'C' shape.

Jiu Kong Yao Ai's 'arm', formed from numerous venomous snakes, swept across like a whip, striking his waist hard!
This attack utilized the 'Snake Limb Hardening' ability, and the immense force instantly blasted Xiao like a cannonball! Carrying a straight plume of dust, it crashed into a half-built building next to it: with a crisp and clean roar, it smashed through the wall.

However, it was the second wall, the third wall.
A series of roars and rising dust indicated the trajectory of Xiao's expulsion.

"You're fired!"

A snake whip lashed out at Fei Xiao, and Jiu Kong shook his golden eyes, turning towards the Ten-Snake Ghost King Horse.

"I was going to let it go by beating you up out of respect for Shura."

Unexpectedly, that guy actually betrayed her!
unforgivable!

"The relationship between people is not..."

call out----

Facing the whistling snake whip, the Ten-Snake Demon King Horse, who leaped back to dodge, sighed.

Didn't your parents teach you to get along with others?

"Don't mention my parents!!!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl's golden eyes suddenly narrowed into slits.

"call--"

Open your mouth and spit forward.
Large amounts of purple smoke, carrying a pungent, acrid smell, spread out and quickly enveloped the entire construction site.

As the smoke swept across the ground, a flurry of flying insects fell from the sky; even ants emerged from the ground, only to stiffen and collapse.

As the fog spread to the green belt outside the construction site, the flowers, grass, and trees withered and turned yellow. Dead leaves and fallen flowers rained down, and large swaths of shrubs that were once waist-high collapsed.

Highly toxic fog,

"I am going to kill you!!"

With a roar, a massive snake head emerged from the smoke.

"Little girl, you've gotten a lot stronger too."

He flashed back over a hundred meters, looked up at the giant snake in the purple mist, and sighed.

What a monster!

Whether it was that boy or this little girl.

The speed at which he became stronger was truly astonishing, however:

"I'm not so easily defeated either,"

Waaaaaah!!
Amidst the hissing sound of the air, the enormous snake tail swept across like a train.

The immense power it carries is enough to tear a skyscraper in half with a single tail; even a typical Tiger-level monster couldn't withstand it.

Bang! ! !
With a dull thud, the ground where the snake's tail struck suddenly caved in, creating a huge crater.

? ? ? ?
Within the poisonous fog, the enormous snake head paused in surprise.

Her finishing touches were surprisingly
Was it blocked?

"Under normal circumstances, I don't want to use this tactic."

The enormous snake tail came to an abrupt halt, blocked by an upright arm.

His arm muscles are well-defined, and he looks incredibly powerful!
But what's even more striking is that countless veins bulge on his arms, forming traces of pulsating blood.

Not only his arms, but the man named 'Ten-Headed Demon King Horse' had throbbing veins bulging all over his body, and even his skin had turned the color of black iron!

"This move is called 'Soul-Piercing Strike',"

"Compresses spiritual energy to accelerate the heartbeat; greatly enhances striking power, destructive force, and speed."

As he spoke, Toja Oniohuma, in his truly berserk state, wrapped his arms around and actually lifted up the giant snake tail.

The next second, the enormous snake was flung into the air by him.

Like ants dancing on a big tree!
"Little girl, don't be so willful."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two "fierce tigers" went all out, their every move exuding immense power.
One by one, unfinished apartment buildings exploded like cookies in front of them, turning into ruins.

"Hello, this is the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department."

"what?"

"An extraordinary battle has occurred in Katsushika Ward?"

"Please specify the exact location, as well as the situation of both sides in the conflict."

Soon, the Special Task Force received an emergency call, and immediately a group of special police officers took off from the Metropolitan Police Department and flew towards East Africa.

However, they were destined to come up empty-handed, because both sides chose to retreat after realizing they could not defeat the other.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!!"

The little girl, who had transformed into human form, was leaping over skyscrapers and shouting in frustration.

The humiliation of being defeated for the second time by Toja Kiohuma.

And that guy Shura too!

She had even groomed him as a confidant, and yet—

Anger surged into her mind, scorching the little girl's reason.

Alright, it's time to end this childish game!

Launch the plan!

"Phew, these young people nowadays."

He let out a long sigh of relief, and the bulging veins all over his body calmed down;
With his skin restored, Toja Onima strode toward the pierced ruins of the building.

"Hey,"

"Won't he get beaten to death?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

In the mansion belonging to the Kukū family, the great Onmyoji 'Abe no Seimei' put down the book in his hand.

"Time,"

"Let people see the power of the 'strongest Onmyoji'."

The Orochi Project begins its second phase.

(End of this chapter)