I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 315 Yuanxin Awaits Che, the Method for Advancing to the Two-Foot Demon God! At the Nanjo Family Residence, Let's Forge the Cauldron of Ten Thousand Spirits!

Above the Sky City, the moonlight was sparse.

Under Okabe Motonobu's breathless gaze, that rather familiar figure, carrying Kaga Kiyomitsu, slowly emerged from the darkness.

One step, another step.

pat, pat.

The same outfit, the same trousers, and the same shoes as in the afternoon seeding battle, even the same Red Hannya Mask hanging at the waist...

Motonobu Okabe's eyes, which had been open and trembling violently, suddenly calmed down.

Because of that demon's mask.

Lifeless.

Not to mention that just looking at it from afar gives off a lifelike ghostly aura that makes people feel disgusted, even the most basic workmanship is problematic.

It's just a cheap, low-quality counterfeit.

Motonobu Okabe looked up again.

Just then, this person emerged from the darkness into the moonlight, revealing a face completely different from Uesugi Tetsu's, only somewhat similar in its carefully crafted features.

Motonobu Okabe was unaware that there was a culture in the world called "cosplay".

The young man, who cosplayed as the champion of the first seeding tournament and immediately garnered countless photos with the winner, only now managing to escape, cheerfully waved to Motonobu Okabe.
"Excuse me, did you need something from me just now?"

"No, it's just that they mistook me for someone else."

Okabe Motonobu's emotionless reply sent a chill down the young man's spine.

what's the situation?
He swallowed hard, didn't dare say anything more, and quickly left Okabe Motonobu's side.

In the silence, Okabe Motonobu silently watched the young man's back disappear, then turned back to look at the still, motionless road he had come from.

"Forget it, let's go."

Motonobu Okabe silently walked toward the massive teleportation array.

It would be more convenient to go directly to Che's current residence later.

He's so famous now... so this kind of information shouldn't be hard to find, right?

Two minutes later.

Uesugi Tetsuya, wielding the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyes, arbitrarily "seen" the area within a hundred meters, while simultaneously sealing all information belonging to himself within that hundred meters, slowly walked over.

It seems that the Sky City is not something of great value.

At least that's how it is inside Sky City.

Uesugi Tetsu, who hadn't encountered anyone along the way, stepped on the teleportation spell.

He thought for a moment, then put Kaga Kiyomitsu back into his storage bag, and used the Four-Tailed Fox's Thousand Faces talent to reshape his face and height.

Otherwise, as the champion of the seeded battle, I would definitely be "arrested".

Uesugi Tetsu didn't want to cause any trouble, as he was about to go to Nanjo's place.

With a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy, Uesugi Tetsu returned to the ground in the very center of Tokyo.

Looking around with his Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyes, he indeed discovered some potential fans still waiting for him.

Disguise was definitely the right choice.

After muttering a silent complaint, Uesugi Tetsuya, like an ordinary background character riddled with flaws, swaggered into the main road.

He was also muttering to himself about what to eat for dinner after watching the game for so long.

Sitting in a roadside convenience store, Motonobu Okabe withdrew his gaze from the passerby and continued to wait for his next target.

Motonobu Okabe is waiting for Tetsu Uesugi.

……

In just a few minutes, Uesugi Tetsuya, whose mere strides were faster than the Shinkansen bullet train, arrived at Nanjo Manami's doorstep.

He glanced at his phone.

Not too early, not too late, exactly midnight.

Uesugi Tetsu looked at the standard security door in front of him, and then recalled the commercial housing he saw downstairs, which was no different from the other buildings in the surrounding area.

It looks... surprisingly ordinary.

Putting aside his hand that instinctively wanted to knock, Uesugi Tetsuya rang the doorbell.

Soon, a familiar yet unexpectedly light footstep could be heard from inside the room.

Click.

The security door opened immediately.

"Welcome, Uesugi-kun."

A face, completely different from its usual work appearance, emerged with a genuine smile.

Then the door was wide open, revealing Nanjo Manami wearing only a long, narrow, open-collar white shirt. Fortunately, the special affairs department's shirt was made of solid material, so it covered her up.

Uesugi Tetsuya was slightly taken aback.
"Nanjo-nee, are you sure you're dressed like that?"

"Can't I wear whatever I want at home?"

After saying that, Nanjo Manami smiled and tossed down a pair of brand-new slippers: "Besides, Uesugi-kun, do you really have the mind to think about anything else right now?"

"Too."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, said "Excuse me" and entered Nanjo Manami's house.

Ignoring the pile of misplaced Special Affairs Department standard boots in the entryway, Uesugi Tetsu took off his shoes and neatly placed them in a corner.

Then, he closed the security door behind him, shutting out Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Upon entering, Uesugi Tetsu discovered that Nanjo Manami's home was no different from that of an ordinary office lady.

The rare items, high-level loot, and complex spells that he had envisioned did not appear.

Instead, the scene was chaotic, with clothes of similar appearance scattered everywhere...

Although it looked like it had been tidied up, it was still quite noticeable to Uesugi Tetsu, whose room was always impeccably clean.

It was completely different from the residence of the "Nanjo lord" he had imagined.

"Are you surprised?"

Nanjo Manami chuckled and scooped a stack of ice cubes from the ice maker into a glass: "Make yourself at home, the beer will be right away."

Yes, that was also unexpected.

Uesugi Tetsuya also didn't expect that Nanjo Ai, who was likely knowledgeable in the Five Elements and Yin-Yang theory, would still be using an "ice maker," a product with relatively low efficiency, in her daily life.

It was something that could have been solved with a wave of the hand...

Uesugi Tetsuya had only been sitting at the coffee table facing the floor-to-ceiling window for a short while when two large glasses of beer were smashed down with a "bang".

Then a whole box was placed next to it.

Gulu gulu...

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, the first thing Nanjo Manami did after sitting down was to gulp down the ice-cold canned beer poured into her glass, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

In just a few seconds, the entire glass of bubbly, bright yellow beer magically disappeared from the glass.

"Ha—it really is the best thing to do after get off work: just clear your mind and drink a whole glass of ice-cold beer!"

Nanjo Aimi stretched out her legs, placing her right foot on top of her left, and then expertly reached for a cigarette from the side.

As she put her cigarette in her mouth, Nanjo Manami looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, who was examining his beer, and winked at him.

"Do you really need to ask me about such a trivial matter, Nanjo-nee... It's not the first time."

"Absolutely, that's what democracy is all about."

As the grinding wheel rubbed against each other, flames shot up.

After taking over as a doctor in the afternoon, Nanjo Aimi, who had never even touched a cigarette pack before, closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool white smoke for a long time before slowly exhaling it.

She braced herself with her hands on the ground, leaned back, and looked up, reflecting a large expanse of light.

"That felt great..."

“By the way, Nanjo-nee, why don’t I see Hiyoribou and Wetome?” Uesugi Tetsu touched Nanjo Aimi’s motionless shadow. “Even she’s gone.”

"Xiaoying took the two of them out for training."

Nanjo Manami shrugged: "Even if you don't become a demon or god, you should at least get close to that level, reach the bottleneck, and then come back to me."

"—It's not a good thing that they live too safely around me."

"indeed."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded in deep agreement—he used to treat Erchi like a precious treasure, never letting her participate in frontline combat.

Over time, Erchi's fighting ability widened the gap between him and himself.

Fortunately, there was the trial within the Ksitigarbha statue...

Uesugi Tetsu shifted his gaze from the beer that had lost all its foam and glanced at the woman less than two fists away beside him, who was secretly smoking and drinking. He noticed that her brows were unusually relaxed, and she looked cheerful.

Although Nanjo Manami usually takes special "care" of her subordinates in clerical work, she is truly capable of taking action when needed.

For example, during the previous 1.5 wave, Shizuma Manatsu only briefly circled the Arakawa Ward, and the entire Arakawa Ward became quiet.

At that time, the other 22 wards of Tokyo were still waiting for instructions from their superiors to put out fires everywhere.

"Don't you want to drink?"

Nanjo Manami leaned closer, grabbed his wine glass, and thoughtfully drank half of it before putting it back.

Uesugi Tetsu's gaze swept over the light red lip print on the cup, as if he hadn't seen it.

He doesn't drink alcohol normally, of course.

Not only because alcohol dulls the nerves, impairs judgment, and plunges one into a state of mental confusion, but also because it tastes bad.

But right now I'm at Nanjo's house, drinking and having a heart-to-heart talk with her.

If we don't drink now, it'll be a little disappointing.

So, under the smiling gaze of the woman beside him, Uesugi Tetsu picked up his wine glass, moved to a different position, and took a small sip.

so bitter.

Sure enough, it still didn't taste good at all.

Nanjo Manami, her cheeks already slightly flushed, chuckled and clinked glasses with Uesugi Tetsu: "First of all, congratulations to Uesugi-kun on winning the seeding match!"

"Yay—pat pat pat pat."

Nanjo Aimi mimicked clapping: "But I didn't expect at first that you actually defeated that Minamoto Shizumi."

"—After all, he was a powerful figure who had the courage to give up the opportunity to become a god that was within reach."

"I prepared a little more, that's all."

Adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, Uesugi Tetsu took another small sip of beer and thought about how to finish the half glass in the remaining hours.

"She's very strong too. And that final move, the sword from beyond the heavens, was it Source Water?"

"Hmm... I guess so." Nanjo Manami lit another cigarette and said slowly, "She was originally going to come to Tokyo for a visit, but it seems that something unexpected happened along the way."

"Because of this, the Yuan family has been quite lively these past two days, hahaha..."

Nanjo Ai, who had recently enjoyed a fresh, first-line melon and successfully shared it, laughed heartily, then gulped down another cup and crushed the fifth can.

After successfully downing another half glass, Nanjo Manami, whose face was now flushed, narrowed her eyes, grabbed Uesugi Tetsuya's neck, and pulled him close.
"This drunken feeling is so good... it's like nothing in the world matters anymore."

After confirming that Nanjo-nee hadn't done anything reckless while drunk, Uesugi Tetsuya was relieved.

He spoke up, asking as quickly as possible before Nanjo Manami completely passed out: "Nanjo-nee, you should have already met my shikigami, Nisha, right... Her prototype is the urban legend, Hachisak-sama."

"Oh? Eight-foot tall man... Hehe, eight-foot tall man."

After chuckling strangely twice, Nanjo Manami nodded: "I know, she came out of the Jizo statue, right? She seems a bit different."

Nanjo Manami raised her hand and poked Uesugi Tetsu's cheek with her finger: "And... Uesugi-kun, I think she's also quite interested in you."

"You, as the master, cannot ignore the wishes of the shikigami."

Uesugi Tetsuya continued to ignore such unhealthy topics: "She's neither a ghost story nor a demon, so how can she be promoted to a ghost or god?"

"Tch, what a boring man."

Nanjo Manami looked away.

Uesugi Tetsu replied matter-of-factly, "If I can't even hold onto this primal impulse after practicing swordsmanship for so long, then all my training has been for nothing."

"That's true."

Nanjo Manami pouted, her eyes vacant as she murmured softly, "If the tide hadn't come, Ririko wouldn't have had a chance today..."

"What did you say, Nanjo-nee?"

"I said—bring out your championship trophy!"

Facing Uesugi Tetsu's wary and retreating gaze, Nanjo Ai tapped the table unhappily: "Use that trophy as a memorial tablet to worship your family's two feet."

In this way, one only needs to continue absorbing wishes to become a spirit or deity.

“The path of divine guidance is moderate and peaceful, and the achievements are neither high nor low, but there will definitely be no problems if you continue on this path… Many predecessors have verified this.”

"Oh... thank you very much, Nanjo-nee."

Having misunderstood the meaning, Uesugi Tetsu completely banished the related thoughts from his mind, thinking to himself that Nanjo-nee was still completely trustworthy.

—If I continue to rely on the vows, it's probably not going to work out with Honganji Temple.

Not to mention the conflict between Huijue and Benyuan Temple, even if they reached an agreement, it would take an unknown amount of time for Erchi, who occupies a remote spot inside, to become a ghost or god.

In doing so, one will also have to pay a considerable price.

Therefore, it would be better to go back to the Warring States period and establish a sect about the two-foot-tall man, spreading it through the influence of the Imagawa family.

If the sect can continue to exist for four or five hundred years, wouldn't it be easy to accumulate enough power to ascend to the level of a ghost or god?
This line of thinking is correct.

"Then..."

Just as Uesugi Tetsu was about to continue speaking, Nanjo Ai forcefully pulled him into a hug, abruptly interrupting him.

She narrowed her eyes, gazing intently into Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes, which were inches away from hers.

So, are you coming to Hokkaido with me or not?

—The fact that the five people asked Nanjo Manami to go to Hokkaido means that it must be very dangerous there.

Nanjo Manami was the strongest demon he had ever actually seen, without a doubt.

"I'm not going."

Uesugi Tetsu spoke softly, and he could even feel his breath hitting Nanjo Manami's nose.

He promptly offered an explanation: "Whether it's that Qian Sha has already become my disciple, or that I myself need some time to digest what I've gained so far, there simply isn't that much time for fighting and killing."

—In fact, Uesugi Tetsu believed that harvesting soul ash in the Mortal World without risk was far better than being constrained in reality.

Moreover, there is also the Demon Guide Association.

Of course, Uesugi Tetsu hadn't forgotten the Yokai Association, who recognized his identity as a "Great Onmyoji" during the Black Telephone Booth incident.

If you wander around aimlessly, the chances of being targeted by the Demon Guide will increase.

At least in Tokyo, will the demon director really act recklessly under the Five-Man Guild's protection?

However, this may not be the case in Hokkaido, a vast and sparsely populated region where local resources are already scarce.

Besides, Hokkaido is so big, Nanjo might not be able to take care of everything.

So, let's not cause any more trouble for ourselves and Nanjo-nee.

"Is that so?"

Nanjo Manami nodded.

"it is good."

Uesugi Tetsuya was somewhat taken aback: "Nanjo-nee, aren't you going to try to persuade me to stay... I think you really want me to go."

"Would you come if I asked you to stay?"

Nanjo Ai asked back, her words unclear.

"I'll come up with a new reason to refuse..."

"That's fine."

Staring intently at Nanjo Manami's lips, which were almost glued to his, Uesugi Tetsu wanted to step back and create a safe distance.

But he couldn't move.

His body was held in place by Nanjo Manami's arm like an iron clamp, regardless of any Flame Armor, Qi Circulation, Five Thunder Technique, or power exertion techniques...

Everything was undeniably forced back into the body.

In the end, it was Nanjo Manami who stepped back first and pressed her finger against Uesugi Tetsu's lips, which were trying to move.

"Uesugi Tetsuya, go do what you want to do."

As a qualified adult and a perfect boss, Nanjo Manami restrained all unreasonable tendencies and impulses until the very end.

Even when drunk.

In the silence, Uesugi Tetsu made a sound without moving his mouth.

"I will come after I become a ghost or god."

"Okay."

Nanjo Manami smiled and gently pinched his lips with her index finger.
"Then I wait for you."

what……

Uesugi Tetsu blinked his heavy eyelids.

Why do I suddenly feel a little drowsy?

In a daze, Uesugi Tetsu heard Nanjo Manami speak with a start,
"Oh, I forgot to mention."

"This beer has something added to it, otherwise it wouldn't be able to completely clear my body of the hangover."

The woman let go of him, patting his hand as she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Uesugi-kun, your alcohol tolerance is terrible, are you still a child...?"

……

After an unknown amount of time, Uesugi Tetsu opened his eyes, his head slightly aching, and saw the coffee table that had been tidied up and the sunlight.

Nanjo-nee... has already gone to Hokkaido?

As if to answer his question, that incredibly familiar voice sounded behind him.

"—No, I didn't leave."

Uesugi Tetsu turned his head and saw Nanjo Manami walking towards him with a strange, subtle, and mysterious smile.

Surrounded by mountains of materials, Nanjo Manami smiled and unbuttoned his clothes.

"Let us begin the forging of the All-Spirit Cauldron."

The forging of the Myriad Spirit Cauldron?
Did the materials arrive so quickly?
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Uesugi Tetsu didn't forget to leisurely take the Hungry Ghost Pot out of his storage backpack.

"Wait a minute, Nanjo-nee, let's take a look at this first."

(End of this chapter)