The Japanese-fear sorcerer who started by taking in Tomie

Two pairs of scissors opened simultaneously, their four blades gleaming with a cold, sinister light, and were aimed at Xin Hengyuan's mouth.

Xinhengyuan didn't move; it just stood there quietly.

"Be careful!"

Tomie's exclamation came from behind.

The two pairs of scissors pierced straight through Shin Hengyuan's head, and the slit-mouthed woman also passed right through them.

[Lesser Illusion: You create an image of a sound or object within your casting range and maintain it until the spell's duration ends. You can also dispel the illusion with an action or end it by recasting the spell.]

"An illusion? When?"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman stood up, tilted her head, and said in confusion.

Tomie's eyes drooped.

It's that trick again.

Tomie had seen this move before back in school. Shin Hengyuan had used it to take down those useless guys, and it was because of this move that she lost everything and got brutally beaten.

Surprisingly, even the Slit-Mouthed Woman fell victim to this.

Thinking this way, Tomie instantly felt much better. She figured the Slit-Mouthed Woman would definitely get a beating soon too.

As the saying goes, "I'd rather die than see my fellow Daoist die."

The slit-mouthed woman looked around in confusion, seemingly searching for Shin Hengyuan's figure. After a long while without success, she slowly turned her gaze to Tomie, who was not far away.

Tomie: "..."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman opened her mouth again, revealing a fleshy flower-like opening. She tilted her head and smiled gently.

"Tomie...we meet again."

Tomie gave an awkward twitch of her lips.

"If I could, I would rather never see them again."

"Really... But I miss you so much."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman took a step forward, tilted her head, and pressed the cold blade of the scissors against her cheeks, which were inexplicably flushed, like a young girl holding her lover's hand.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman opened her slit mouth, which stretched to both sides, and a long, rosy tongue emerged, deftly licking from the left side of the slit to its end, following the curled lines, slowly and carefully licking to the right side.

She looked up, and Tomie's face was reflected in her bloodshot eyes.

"Answer me one more time, Tomie...Am I...pretty?"

"Pretty? You're the ugliest, you ugly hag! You big-mouthed woman! The only beautiful person in this world is me, Tomie. Everyone else is inferior to Tomie!"

Tomie hardened her heart and unleashed her full power on the Slit-Mouthed Woman, every word aimed directly at her sore spots.

Anyway, I won't die. Although it will be very painful and there will be a few more imposters, it won't hurt much as long as it disgusts the Slit-Mouthed Woman.

Upon hearing Tomie's words, the Slit-Mouthed Woman stopped moving.

Her scissors hung in mid-air, the blade trembling slightly, whether from anger or something else, it was hard to tell.

"……ugly?"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman's voice remained very soft.

But this was merely the calm before the storm. Tomie could already hear the rage hidden in the slit-mouthed woman's low voice.

You said I'm...ugly?!

Tomie raised her chin arrogantly, a smile so haughty it was almost cruel.

"Yes! You're the ugliest! With your disfigured face, you'll never, ever be as pretty as me!"

"You're lying!"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman was completely enraged. Her long, straight black hair suddenly billowed up without any wind, and she roared like an enraged lioness, spreading her giant scissors as she charged straight at Tomie.

She wanted to make Tomie's mouth look like hers.

Tomie closed her eyes.

A strange smile played on his lips, as if he had resigned himself to his fate, when suddenly a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Magic Missile"

The sound wasn't loud; it could even be described as calm. But for Tomie at that moment, it felt safer than any other sound.

Three scarlet, flashing darts hurtled from the shadows, leaving short trails as they aimed precisely at the Slit-Mouthed Woman from three directions.

In fact, the moment the Slit-Mouthed Woman appeared, Shin Hengyuan had already cast [Secondary Illusion]. His true form had already retreated into the shadows, leaving behind only a remarkably realistic image.

In the game, this trick can only last for one minute, but in the real world, as long as there is enough magic power, it can be maintained indefinitely.

The magic itself can absorb the magic power floating in the air to perform, and the consumption of maintaining magic power is greatly reduced.

But the phantom cannot speak.

So he used another trick—[the communication technique].

This trick can send sound directly to the target's ear. The "New Eternal Source" who just spoke with the Slit-Mouthed Woman was speaking through the mouth of an illusion using the [Communication Technique] from beginning to end.

Tomie and the Slit-Mouthed Woman then mistook the phantom for Shin Hengyuan himself.

[Communication Spell] is a new trick that awakens after eating ramen. That's how sorcerers are; they don't need to learn or train. When the time comes, the power etched in their blood will awaken on its own.

All of this was done to lower the Slit-Mouthed Woman's guard so that she could seize this opportunity!

"What?"

Before the Slit-Mouthed Woman could react, just as she was about to dodge, the first missile pierced her left shoulder. The second followed immediately, striking her right shoulder. Then, the final missile pierced her lung.

"Well."

The slit-mouthed woman crashed to the ground, the scissors she held instantly turning into black smoke and dissipating. What oozed from her wounds wasn't blood, but rather gurgling black smoke.

It seems they have completely lost their fighting ability.

However, Xin Hengyuan did not hear the sound of gaining experience from defeating the enemy.

Therefore, Xin Hengyuan decisively condensed another ball of flame in his hand and then smashed it at the Slit-Mouthed Woman from afar.

Trying to play dead? No way!

The ball of fire exploded on the Slit-Mouthed Woman, and the fierce flames instantly engulfed her.

Shin Hengyuan looked at the slit-mouthed woman engulfed in flames and found her eyes fixed on him.

Engulfed by flames, the Slit-Mouthed Woman quickly turned into black smoke and dissipated.

[Defeat the monster Kuchisake-onna, experience +200]

Defeating is not the same as killing.

Shin Hengyuan frowned. He had never heard of the Slit-Mouthed Woman being immortal.

So, Shin Hengyuan took three steps at a time and walked over to Tomie, reached out his hand, and pulled Tomie up.

"Shinheng-kun~ you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shin Hengyuan interrupted Tomie again: "What happened? Why did the Slit-Mouthed Woman turn into smoke and disappear?"

Tomie glared at Shin Hengyuan with resentment, inwardly cursing him. Then, after a moment's thought, she asked in surprise, "Aren't you an Onmyoji? Didn't your elders tell you such basic things?"

"I did teach it, of course I did, but I was definitely daydreaming during class." Xin Hengyuan decisively went along with the argument.

"Okay, the reason she turned into black mist and dissipated is because the Slit-Mouthed Woman is a monster created from ghost stories. Unlike yokai, she is essentially created from the accumulation of negative human emotions, and all her actions must be carried out according to the rules set by humans."

"If humans give a powerful setting to a ghost story, then the ghost story will be even more powerful, and vice versa. Moreover, as long as the ghost story exists and continues to circulate throughout the world, the corresponding monster will never be truly eradicated."

What kind of negative energy monster is this?

Xinhengyuan thought to himself.

Then, Shingen asked Tomie, "So, are you a ghost story or a monster?"

"I am not any of those. I am Tomie, the only Tomie."