I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 221 Urgent Time-Limited Mission! Four-Star Ghost Story Promotion Precursor: Haunted House - Time is of the essence, push through with lightning speed!
An unusually strong push and a feeling of weightlessness were suddenly applied to the bull demon, causing it to fall to one side unexpectedly.

Fortunately, it was sitting on the edge of a seat and was quick-witted enough to grab the railing next to it, preventing itself from being thrown off the seat by the force.

However, many weaker demons were not so lucky.

The little demons were already huddled together, their backs hunched, and there was hardly any room for their hands.

Therefore, in the second instant the train began to accelerate, a large group of little demons tumbled and flew to the other end of the carriage, piling up into a small mountain.

What a magnificent scene!

"Damn it, what's going on..."

The bull demon cursed fiercely, but only in his heart, and did not dare to say it out loud.

It's not that stupid.

The bull demon stared silently at the opposite side—the black and red noble seat that remained unmoved even under extremely violent acceleration, and the little prajna on it.

A semi-transparent shield rose from under the seats, enveloping Uesugi Tetsuya and Tamamo, negating all the effects caused by the train's acceleration.

"—Could this brat be the son of Station Master Kisaragi!?"

The demon clicked his tongue inwardly.

Of course, it kept its mouth tightly shut.

If I were to say it out loud... hmph, the guy Inugami, whose muscles practically grew into his brain, is a prime example of what happened to him.

The train's acceleration was obvious.

Before the train accelerated, Uesugi Tetsu could barely make out the scenery passing by the train window.

But after he said "five minutes," everything outside the window turned into colorless, pure white lines—even the information of color was swept away by the illogical speed.

Tamamo, who subconsciously gripped the armrest of the seat but felt no push in her back, was stunned for a moment before reacting. That's why she asked hesitantly.
"Brother Uesugi, is this train capable of transporting demons part of your family's property?"

No, no, it's nothing, thank you.

Originally, Uesugi Tetsu wanted to immediately distance himself from the train, which was extremely similar to the "Tokoyo Train," in front of this senior intelligence officer from the Special Affairs Department.

But now that he's sitting here, the train will speed up because of his words.

Surely, someone's gaze must have been silently watching him from some unknown corner.

We await his reply as well.

Therefore, after thinking for a while, Uesugi Tetsuya decided to laugh it off and try to gloss over the matter: "The situation is a bit complicated..."

Upon hearing his answer, Tamamo immediately shook her head and then nodded.
"Brother Uesugi, you don't need to say anything more, we understand!"

This sentence eliminated Uesugi Tetsuya's need to consider any further responses, making him marvel at how easy it was to chat with intelligent people.

If it were a straightforward guy, he would definitely dig deep into this question and not give up until he gets an answer.

After saying that, Tamamo turned her gaze back to the disheveled demons who had stood up again and started squeezing for seats, and squeezed her legs together.

The current situation is almost like putting a harmless little lamb in a fence and then placing it in the same transport vehicle as a group of blood-sucking Siberian tigers.

It's impossible for Tamamo, an ordinary person, not to be afraid of being in such close contact with so many demons who can turn her into several pieces with a single slap.

This has nothing to do with my own thoughts; it's simply a physical instinct.

"do not be afraid."

Uesugi Tetsu seemed to see through her thoughts and said calmly, "As long as you're on this train, the demons must absolutely follow the rules and be good passengers."

Tamamo chuckled twice without saying much, but focused her gaze on the rapidly decreasing distance on the station map.

Four minutes and ten seconds later.

The train, which had already accelerated to its limit, suddenly slowed down to zero and came to a stop.

Buzz!

Uesugi Tetsu could almost hear the train's groans as it struggled to keep up with the strain.

The demons inside the carriage were launched out of their seats with an even more ferocious force than before, surging like a tidal wave and irrationally blocking the front of the carriage.

Feeling a surge of energy within him, the bull demon turned his head and silently stared at the solid railing, which he had slightly dented from squeezing it too hard.

At that moment, it had only one thought in its mind.

—Damn it, I'm not going to have to pay for this myself, am I?!

—The answer is definitely yes, because in order to save some Soul Ashes, it didn't even purchase the VIP customer service for the [Kisaragi Train]!

"It's time to get off."

Uesugi Tetsu's hoarse voice interrupted its thoughts.

The bull demon, whose heart was bleeding, looked up and saw Bai Banruo, whose strength was barely passable, pick up a black card and a white slip of paper from his unique chair.

Let's set aside the note for now.

But that card...

The devil's face, as big as a washbasin, twitched.

What did it see?
VIP Card!
—It's black and gold! The highest level! And it's said that this level is just a rumor, and no actual card has ever been issued!
Niu Gui turned his head and found that the few wealthy guys who had bought bronze and silver VIP memberships were also dumbfounded, and their expressions were even more volatile than his own.

Now it felt much better.

As the white-robed demon watched the ordinary humans beside her disembark from the train, the bull demon, who had already remembered what had happened today, spread his legs slightly indignantly, wanting to loosen his body.

But he couldn't spread his legs because there was a demon sitting right next to him.

It turned its head and discovered that sitting next to it was a three-and-a-half-star Red Prajna.

"go away!"

The bull demon opened its eyes wide in fury, causing the usually bloodthirsty Red Prajna to move its body without uttering a word. However, on the other side was another powerful demon of the demon god level, who said the same thing to it.

Finally, Chi Banruo could only stand dejectedly in the middle of the aisle, staring angrily at the black and red reserved seat not far away.

It clenched its fist and made a silent vow.

Thirty years from now, I want to sit in that seat too!
……

A brand new bus stop in Shizuoka City.

As Uesugi Tetsu stepped off the train, he turned directly to the person beside him and said, "Tamamo, look how far away the incident site is from here."

Having already prepared, Tamamo immediately gave the number: "Southwest direction, 1.2 kilometers as the crow flies!"

"Ten seconds."

Uesugi Tetsu grabbed Tamamo in the same manner and shot her into the clouds with a huge howling sound like a hurricane passing by, before crashing down from a height of 100 meters in a few breaths.

boom!
Amidst the sudden cloud of dust, fragments of asphalt and gravel flew everywhere, landing on the somewhat dazed Special Affairs officers.

Fa, what happened?
The operative, who was coordinating intelligence and information from the surrounding area, blinked with difficulty and subconsciously tried to press the virtual red button on his phone.

But the next moment, the familiar ID book emerging from the smoke and dust made him abandon that idea.

"Hello, Shizuoka City Operator ID K203. I am Tamamo from Numazu City."

Wearing uniform trousers on her lower body but still in pajamas on her upper body, Tamamo, whose appearance clashed sharply with the serious art style around her, spoke at an extremely fast pace.

"The person next to me is Agent Uesugi Tetsuya from Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, who has participated in solving supernatural-level incidents."

Upon hearing the keywords, the operator first glanced at Uesugi Tetsuya, who was radiating terrifying spiritual energy, and then immediately perked up.

Ignoring Tamamo's conversation with the local operators for the time being, Uesugi Tetsu silently raised his eyes and looked inside the yellow and black warning tape.

What the interpreter sees is not the cloudless blue sky behind him.

Instead, it is a deep black color that symbolizes curse and isolation.

An endless expanse of deep black coalesced into an opaque bowl, which was then inverted in a location not far from the center of Shizuoka City.

An ominous aura emanated from the dense, tadpole-like patterns that clung to the black surface.

It's like a barrier.

But Uesugi Tetsu knew that what was in front of him was not a barrier set up using Yin-Yang magic.

— "Haunted house".

Nanjo Manami told him that this was how the Special Affairs Department referred to this phenomenon.

This is the first and most obvious sign of the inevitable transformation from a three-and-a-half-star ghost story to a four-star ghost story, which is the transformation into a demon god.

This phenomenon can only occur when a [Strange Tale] advances; ordinary demons will not produce such a commotion when they advance.

In the haunted house, the power of the ghost stories themselves and the related rules of the ghost stories are greatly enhanced, and at the same time, some rules in the real world will also be altered to varying degrees.

For ordinary people, it is extremely dangerous.

Uesugi Tetsu narrowed his eyes, surveying the edge of the haunted house, which was just ten meters away.

But this haunted house doesn't seem as creepy as Nanjo Manami once described...

[The urgent, limited-time mission, "The Demon Guide Association's Probe," is now open!]

Just as he was thinking this, a red mission notification suddenly appeared in front of Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes.

A test from the Demon Guide Association?

Uesugi Tetsu remembered that the black telephone booth was indeed a ghost story belonging to the Yokai Guild, but what did this "test" mean?
He didn't have time to think much before looking at the detailed mission description below.

The objectives of this mission are as follows:

[Main Objective - Probe: Prevent the ghost story "The Weak Black Telephone Booth" from being promoted to four stars.]

[Secondary Objective - Tamamo's Request: Rescue Tamamo's five family members from the disaster area and ensure their survival.]

[Note: If the ghost story "The Weak Black Telephone Booth" is exorcised, the quest reward will be greatly increased!]

[This limited-time mission has a short time limit. Please complete the mission before achieving four-star promotion in the mystery "The Weak Black Telephone Booth," otherwise the mission will be considered a failure.]

"A weak black phone booth!"
Uesugi Tetsu's eyes lit up; his feeling earlier was indeed correct!

Why does this haunted house not feel particularly oppressive?
—Because the black phone booth itself had already become extremely weak under the pursuit of the Special Affairs Bureau!
If it drags on for a few more days, the special affairs commissioner will exorcise it from some unknown corner. But if they fight to the death in Shizuoka City, they still have a chance to become a demon and survive.

Uesugi Tetsu breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to the secondary objective.

He hadn't forgotten that he had come to Shizuoka City because of Tamamo's request!
"Five people... Tamamo's younger sister, two younger brothers, and their parents."

After taking a dozen seconds to tidy up the situation, Uesugi Tetsu walked towards Tamamo, who was bombarding the operators with questions like a machine gun.

Operator K203: "We have sealed off the haunted house area as quickly as possible and called for support from the nearest Ghost God-level combat force. They should arrive in about forty minutes!"

Tamamo said anxiously, "Forty minutes is too long! Right now, immediately, tell me the details of the haunted house, the precautions for the ghost stories, how many special affairs teams there are, their situation, and the best route in the haunted house..."

"No need to bother."

Uesugi Tetsu raised his hand and gently pressed on the shoulder of the petite girl who was already breathless from a single sentence.

Tamamo's trembling body gradually calmed down.

She took several deep breaths before turning around and forcing a dry smile: "Brother Uesugi, thank you..."

"Operator K203, I only need to know two things."

Uesugi Tetsu held up two fingers to the operator with a blank expression: "First, the location of the black phone booth itself."

"Second..."

Uesugi Tetsuya looked at Tamamo, who immediately understood and said, "The location of Operator A032's phone!"

The agent was momentarily speechless. Neither of these matters were information he could possibly know at his level.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he immediately began operating his phone.
"Um, you two, I'll go on your behalf..."

"No need."

A middle-aged man's voice came from not far away.

The next second, he was already in front of Uesugi Tetsuya.

"Young Master Yasui!"

The operative turned around and immediately straightened his back.

The man called Yasui made a slight gesture with his palm, then turned to look at Uesugi Tetsu and extended his palm: "Uesugi-kun, you are a subordinate of that Nanjo lord, right... I have seen you before at the True Sword Trial."

That makes things much easier.

After a brief handshake, Uesugi Tetsuya was about to speak when Yasui interrupted him.
"The location of the black phone booth itself has not yet been determined, but the locations of all the black phone booths that appeared in the haunted house have been marked on the map and will be sent to you immediately."

The location data for phone A032 will also be sent along with it.

"also."

Yasui glanced at Operator K203 and said seriously, "Issue orders to all squads still in contact within the haunted house. From this moment on—Operator Uesugi has the highest command authority!"

"Yes!"

The operator responded immediately, sending out the command with lightning speed.

At the same time, a surprised exclamation came from a jeep dozens of meters away: "What is Yasui up to, parachuting in a commander?!"

Uesugi Tetsu followed the sound and found that the six fully armed agents in the car, dressed in Special Affairs uniforms, had an average strength of only one and a half stars.

How dare they enter a haunted house filled with supernatural tales, where someone is currently breaking through to four stars...?

Are we just sending people to illegal phone booths?

He sighed and used his inner energy to stop the jeep.

A stream of energy converged and entered the ears of the six operators: "I am Uesugi Tetsu. You guys stay outside for now and come in when I give you the order."

Ignoring the six people's subsequent reactions, Uesugi Tetsu heard Yasui's explanation: "Most of the teams that entered the haunted house earlier have lost contact. They are the team with the highest overall quality that can be dispatched in a short time."

After speaking, Uesugi Tetsu saw that this Yin-Yang junior subordinate, whose strength was only three stars and who had to sit outside the haunted house to maintain basic order, saluted him.

Then Yasui lowered her head, clenching her fists in shame.
"Lord Uesugi, please... please be sure to..."

"rest assured."

Uesugi Tetsuya wore a Hannya mask, a court priest's robe, a komainu bell, a folding fan, and a Five Thunder Pearl. He also put on cold steel arm armor.

Finally, after placing his hand on the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword, he smiled at Yasui Shouju.
"give it to me."

Uesugi Tetsu turned around again and took the special affairs cell phone that Tamamo handed him.

He heard her say,
"This is a one-to-one copy of my phone, and all the information will be synchronized. The current page is the chat page with Chisa-chan... who is my sister."

Tamamo paused, then bowed deeply to him: "Uesugi-kun, please prioritize your own safety above all else."

Kaga Kiyomitsu was puzzled and his heart skipped a beat.

If it were that animal, it would absolutely make others risk their lives to save its master in such a situation!
"Tamamo, raise your head."

The girl, her face pale and haggard, looked up and saw the man, dressed somewhat inappropriately, making this promise to her.

"Just wait for your family to reunite in an hour."

As soon as he finished speaking, Uesugi Tetsu lifted his foot and then stepped down, already crossing the black membrane and entering the haunted house inside the black telephone booth.

In an instant, the sky turned pitch black.

The setting sun's rays thinned, and the atmosphere around them became eerie and sinister in an instant.

Behind him, Tamamo's voice came faintly.

"—Uesugi-kun, don't forget to check the relevant ghost story rules!"

Rules of ghost stories?

It's not like the days when we had time to play those little games in black phone booths anymore.

The best course of action would undoubtedly be to push forward without slowing down the journey, and then protect Tamamo's family.

Uesugi Tetsu put on the Hannya mask, then took out the Life and Death Drum from his storage bag and flipped it to the "life" side.

Use your inner strength to strike it hard!

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The dull thud of the taiko drum swept through the streets and alleys like a whirlwind, causing the black telephone booths standing in the shadows to tremble slightly.

Uesugi Tetsuya unleashed his inner energy, reaching a height of 100 meters in the air.

Looking down at the still empty ground, Uesugi Tetsuya took a deep breath, letting his cold voice, along with the drumbeats, resound throughout most of the haunted house.

"—Get out of here, you illegal phone booth!"

Jingle Bell!
Jingle Bell!
Jingle Bell!
With repeated provocations, the bells, which were practically death knells for ordinary people, rang one after another.

And the sound grew louder and louder, and the frequencies became closer and closer, as if they were converging into one sound.

Uesugi Tetsu lowered his eyes, and upon seeing the black phone booth clones appear in his field of vision, a cold smirk curled at the corner of his mouth beneath the Hannya mask.
"very good."

After turning his gaze away, Uesugi Tetsu quickly headed towards the location given by Tamamo.

He didn't glance at the black phone booths below even once more.

Only one folding fan, imbued with the vast spiritual energy poured into it, floated in mid-air, radiating a dazzling light comparable to a supernova.

Rumble!
Dark clouds gathered, and thunder roared.

Before the black telephone booth clones on the ground could even react, they were enveloped and covered by the precisely falling purple-black lightning.

Horrible! Thunder from the heavens!
……

At the same time, right in the center of the haunted house.

Inside a temporary tent erected at the entrance of the department store's first floor for an event.

A girl wearing a white dress and a yellow hat, even more youthful in height and figure than Tamamo, stood holding a Special Affairs Department cell phone.

[Operator Tamamo: Chisa-chan, don't panic from now on. A very strong older brother will come to rescue you soon. Take your younger brothers and parents and hide well. Please don't make a sound, okay?]

[A032: Got it, sister!]

After replying, Chisa, who is currently in the sixth grade of elementary school, read through the "Kwaidan Rules" and "Precautions" that Tamamo had mentioned several times.

She temporarily put down the large black brick from the Special Affairs Bureau, cautiously peeked out from behind the curtain that swayed in the wind, and scanned her surroundings once again.

The streets were in disarray, the buildings were in ruins, and a crowd of people screamed and ran around in the distance.

And her own head is still buzzing to this day, as if bugs are crawling around inside it.

Not long ago, this place was peaceful and tidy.

Chisa turned around again and saw her parents, who had fainted, and the man in black in the shed, as well as her two younger brothers who were sitting slumped down, biting small pieces of paper to keep themselves from making a sound.

For a moment, Chisa wanted to just collapse on the ground and cry like her two younger brothers.

That way, someone will come to comfort her.

But Chisa knew that this wouldn't work.

Now, here, she is the oldest child.

The younger brothers have to rely on themselves, their parents have to rely on themselves, and even the uncle who protected them before has to rely on himself.

You can only rely on yourself.

It’s just me!
Go, Chisa-chan! Go!
you can!

Following her older sister's advice, Chisa took three deep breaths to calm herself down from her dizziness.

First, let's analyze it.

—My older sister said that we must never go near places where we hear crying, ringing bells, or telephone calls, and we must not make any phone calls there.

She couldn't do this.

Because Chisa's ears are filled with these sounds, she can't leave now.

Many people ran out of the mall earlier, but now they are all lying sprawled on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

She could only set all the phones she could find to reject calls and then turn on Do Not Disturb mode.

—Second, you can't run away.

—Because my family is all here, running out would attract the attention of that phone booth.

Chisa bit her lip tightly, her brain racing as she tried to solve even a quadratic equation.

So now, all she can do is figure out her current location so that the older brother her sister mentioned can come and rescue us more easily.

Although my sister said that the phone has GPS tracking, isn't it always better to be prepared for everything?

Qian Sha turned her head.

Moreover, it concerns the lives of family members.

The simplest way is to send your location in the navigation to your sister.

But the internet is down.

The man couldn't find a navigation app on his phone, nor did he have any maps downloaded on his own phone.

Chisa suppressed the urge to cry, frowned and thought for a while before remembering what her geography teacher had said in class!

Landmark building!
Yes! Landmark buildings are the fastest way to get to know a place!

Having read two travel guides for Shizuoka City, Chisa risked peeking out of the shed again, gazing at the distant mountains for a long time, comparing them with the pictures in the guides.

Jiuneng Shandong Zhaogu!

She immediately looked away and sent the discovery to Tamamo.

Then, Chisa suddenly remembered that when she peeked out earlier, she seemed to have seen a phone booth that was different from the dozen or so phone booths she had seen before.

The old phone booths looked very old and had a long history, covered in rust and dust.

The only spot that caught her eye when she peeked out at Mount Kuneng was a completely spotless phone booth.

Brand new and exceptional!

Chisa initially wanted to take a picture and send it over.

However, considering the risk of being discovered by that "ghost story," she had no choice but to describe her discovery in writing.

hum.

The phone vibrated, and Tamamo's excitement was evident in the text.

[Operator Tamamo: Chisa-chan, you've done a great job!]

But Chisa, who should have been happy, was not excited at all.

The girl swallowed hard.

Because, without anyone noticing, the surroundings had suddenly become quiet.

(End of this chapter)