I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 269 and 270: The Arrow of Demon-Slaying

"Let's not scare ourselves. How could such a thing possibly happen?"

Seeing that everyone's expressions were rather unpleasant, Hirota Tulio forced himself to remain calm and tried to reassure them.

Before the words were even finished, a large group of villagers rushed out from around the corner of the street, carrying all sorts of farm tools such as hoes and rakes, and charged towards them menacingly.

"A monster has entered the village!"

"Kill that black devil, and that white-skinned Rakshasa!"

Seeing the villagers' menacing expressions, Hirota Tulio and his group were terrified and, sensing the danger, turned tail and ran.

Just as I thought!

A secluded island, an ancient village, xenophobic villagers, a mysterious, taciturn girl living in seclusion, and two children encountered at the village entrance...

These are classic elements from the opening of a B-movie horror film.

Are these villagers about to engage in a massacre or a human sacrifice?

Thinking about all this, the young man turned pale, his legs went weak, and he almost couldn't run anymore.

Unexpectedly, a group of villagers wielding farm tools appeared from behind and blocked their retreat.

"OMG!"

What kind of monstrous village is this? They beat all the outsiders to death without even asking what happened!

Is there no law anymore? Is there no justice left?

Hirota Turio made a special trip back to Japan from Brazil to trace his roots, not to return to his ancestral home, and besides, he didn't even know if this island was part of Japan.

"Wait! We are..."

Hirota Tulio tried to explain loudly and in vain, but could only watch helplessly as the villagers gathered around him.

"Stop right there, all of you!"

Just when things were at their most critical, a loud and clear shout rang out, and the villagers all stopped what they were doing.

"It's the village chief."

"Old village chief!"

A path parted from the crowd, and an elderly man with white hair, a youthful face, and vigorous spirit walked over. Although he was carrying a cane, he walked with great speed.

"What are you doing?"

The old village chief's voice was loud and clear, not at all like that of an elderly person.

"Village chief, a monster has infiltrated the village!"

Some villagers pointed at the black man Antonio and the foreign woman, their faces showing a mixture of fear and surprise.

"The black man's skin was as black as coal, and the female Rakshasa's face was as white as a dead person's, with disgusting yellow hair. It was truly terrifying."

"The other people were mixed in with these two monsters, dressed in strange clothes that weren't seen in other villages, so they definitely weren't human, they were monsters!"

The villagers were all talking at once.

Hirota Tulio and his companions huddled together, trembling, staring at each other in disbelief.

This is already the third decade of the 21st century, even the Reiwa era. Are there still such closed-off and xenophobic villages in Japan where people have never even seen black or white people and instead regard them as monsters?

This is absolutely ridiculous!

"Stop making wild guesses. These outsiders are human beings just like us."

The old village chief, leaning on his cane, spoke slowly and deliberately.

"But……"

"The village has been protected by a barrier set up by the priestess; there's absolutely no way a monster could get in. Don't you trust the priestess?" The old village chief slammed his cane on the ground as he spoke.

"Everyone, disperse and get back to work."

"The old village chief is right."

"The priestess is absolutely incapable of making a mistake."

The priestess seemed to have a high reputation among the villagers. After the old village chief mentioned the priestess, the villagers all looked convinced and scattered like birds and beasts to go about their own business.

"I'm sorry, strangers, I've startled you."

The old village chief walked up to Hirota Tulio, his kind face beaming with a smile, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth.

Although the old man looked quite old, he was vigorous and had clear eyes, giving him a somewhat otherworldly air.

"Thank you, old man."

Hirota Turi, still shaken, managed a forced smile.

"Please don't blame us. After all, very few outsiders come to this village. Not to mention the young people, even I, who have been the village chief for over a hundred years, have never seen outsiders before." There was a hint of wistfulness in the old village chief's voice.

"Wait, sir! May I ask your age?" Hirota Tulio frowned and asked.

"I'm over two hundred and thirty years old this year," the old village chief said proudly, stroking his beard. "Even on the Immortal Island, not many people live past two hundred."

"Clam?"

The young people looked at each other, finding it all rather absurd. Could this old man, who appeared to be vigorous despite his age, actually be suffering from dementia and spouting such nonsense?

"Ah, haha, you're in great shape."

Hirota Tulio chuckled, then remembered the purpose of his group and said seriously:

"Sir, we accidentally ended up on this island. One of our companions fell into the sea and is missing. It's extremely urgent. Do you have a phone number to contact the outside world? Please help us."

"A telephone? What's that?"

The old village chief looked as bewildered as Miss Yuhuo.

Uh, really? Are there really such isolated and remote villages in Japan?

But looking around, there was no trace of modern civilization in the villagers' clothing or the rolling thatched and wooden houses; and the villagers had mistaken the black man Antonio and the white woman for monsters, and their murderous and undisguised manner made it seem like a village that had never been discovered by the outside world.

Although Hirota Tulio was somewhat skeptical, he couldn't rationally accept it.

"Old man, what kind of place is this village?"

"This is the fairy island of Penglai."

The old village chief said this as a matter of course, then seemed to recall something and added:

"You've probably heard of the legend of Penglai, the island that Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered Xu Fu to sail out to find!"

"What a joke! You old fool!"

The young man in the couple finally couldn't hold back any longer. The anger and grievances he had been holding back, which had been building up since the villagers threatened him with farm tools, exploded in an instant.

"You guys must be playing a trick on us! This must be some kind of prank show. You extras and props crew really went all out. But this won't fool me. I'm not falling for it!"

The young man started screaming hysterically.

"This is illegal! Stop filming right now, I'm going back to Tokyo!"

The young man's shouting attracted the attention of several villagers, who stopped warily and began to whisper among themselves.

Hirota Turio sensed something was wrong and exchanged a glance with the black man Antonio. The black man nodded and pulled the young man who was throwing a tantrum back.

"I'm sorry, sir, my friend was a bit out of line," Hirota Tulio said with a smile.

Regardless of whether the old village chief is faking madness or not, offending him now is clearly not a wise move.

"Young people are bound to be a little short-tempered, that's nothing to worry about."

The old village chief waved his hand magnanimously, indicating that he didn't mind.

"It's getting late, would you like to spend the night in the village?"

Hirota Tulio and his companions exchanged glances, all showing clear resistance.

"Grandpa, we'd like to stroll around the village a bit more. No rush, no rush."

The old village chief, his expression calm, glanced at them thoughtfully and offered a reminder:

"Alright, there are no taboos in this village. I've already spoken with the villagers, and they won't make things difficult for you. However, you shouldn't leave the village unnecessarily, especially the forest, as it might be dangerous at night."

The old village chief gave a few instructions, then picked up his cane and walked away.

"Let's go! Let's leave the village now."

Seeing that the old village chief's figure had disappeared, Hirota Tulio immediately spoke, and to be on the safe side, he used English.

"Whether the old village chief's words are true or false, or whether this village is truly isolated from the outside world, it's just too strange. If we stay here to spend the night, surrounded by so many villagers, we won't be able to escape if something happens."

The others nodded in agreement.

Isn't this a classic plot often seen in suspense and horror movies? Tourists accidentally wander into villages or castles deep in the mountains, are warmly welcomed by the hosts, and only after the tourists lower their guard, have a good meal, and fall asleep do a series of thrilling and terrifying dramas unfold.

It's no wonder they were suspicious; after all, the village was incredibly mysterious, with a tense and eerie atmosphere.

"But it's almost evening now, where are we going to spend the night?"

"Let's go to Miss Fisherman's place. We can squeeze into her thatched hut." Hirota Tulio had clearly already made up his mind.

"But, she..."

The long-haired woman in the couple showed a hint of disgust on her face, whether it was because she was disgusted by the possibility that Yu Huo, who was wrapped in bandages, might be sick, or because she was disgusted by the dilapidated thatched hut.

"We have no other choice now. Miss Yuhuo is clearly not on the same side as the village. She saved us, and if she had any ill intentions towards us, we would probably be dead by now."

Hirota Turio decided to vote by raising his hand.

"Moreover, we can also ask Miss Fisherman for a way to leave this island. She is our savior, and what she says is definitely more credible than the village chief's."

"I agree!" The foreign woman was the first to raise her hand in agreement.

It passed unanimously.

Without delay, Hirota Turi and his group immediately turned back the way they came.

On their way back, they still looked around the village with resentment, trying to find some flaw to prove that everything before them was Truman's world.

A farmer in straw sandals and cloth clothes is repairing the fence in the vegetable garden; villagers not far away are taking down the dried fish that were hanging under the eaves to dry; and barefoot children are playing and laughing, completely ignoring the sounds of their parents scolding them and calling them home for dinner.

No matter how you look at it, this looks like an ancient rural village from a Taiga drama, where everyone is doing their job and living in peace and contentment, creating a vivid and lively scene.

If they saw this scene in a TV series, they might marvel at how beautiful the idyllic scenery untouched by modern civilization is.

But being actually there, coupled with the series of bizarre events they experienced today, created an invisible pressure that made them feel uneasy.

"This doesn't seem like acting; it feels like a real, secluded primitive village..."

The young man muttered something, his voice growing softer and softer until he finally fell into a silent slumber.

While that's true, it's too counterintuitive to convince them that this is the legendary Penglai, an immortal mountain overseas.

"Could it be an evil... special church?"

The foreign woman seemed lost in thought ever since she entered the village, and only spoke after they left.

"In my home state of Utah, there are some denominations that claim that technological development is contrary to the will of the Lord. So they build their own farms, are self-sufficient, refuse to use any modern technological products, and don't even see a doctor when they are sick."

"Yes, that's possible. Didn't the village chief mention a shrine maiden? Could she be some kind of cult leader?" The young man's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Those villagers and the village chief, what religion do they believe in to say this is some kind of Penglai Island?"

Although this explanation is equally bizarre and not very plausible, it is more in line with their worldview than the idea that they actually arrived at the legendary overseas fairy mountain.

Of course, they also subconsciously, or perhaps intentionally or unintentionally, ignored other suspicious points.

"Don't worry about it too much. We can ask Miss Yuhuo for details when we get there."

As the sun sets, the beach is bathed in a golden glow. Compared to the daytime, the island's scenery is now even more magnificent, a marvel of nature, and a beauty that seems otherworldly.

But everyone was preoccupied and had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery; they just kept their heads down and hurried on their way.

Before long, the thatched huts with fishing lights standing near the coastline came into view.

"Miss Fisherman's Fire, are you there? Open the door!"

Hirota Tulio stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Why are you back?"

A bandaged face peeked out from the window of the thatched hut, looking at them with a calm expression.

"Excuse me, Miss Yuhuo, could you please let us stay for the night? We really have nowhere to go; something feels off about that village," Hirota Tulio said shamelessly.

Yu Huo paused for a moment before nodding slightly.

Hirota Tulio's face immediately lit up with joy.

"ah!"

Just then, a thick octopus tentacle suddenly emerged from the sea, shot out, and destroyed the thatched hut with overwhelming force, lifting her into the air while still entwined with the fishing fire.

"What is this? How is this possible! Octopus tentacles that are so long and thick?!"

Everyone stared in disbelief as several more octopus tentacles, as thick as stone pillars, emerged from the sea, baring their claws and waving their arms in mid-air.

Several enormous octopus tentacles tumbled down towards the group on the beach, threatening to bind them as well as the fishermen, when suddenly a voice rang out:

"Wait, we don't need to arrest these ordinary people."

"That voice... Mr. Yakushi Kabuto!"

Hirota Tulio's eyes widened as he saw a white-haired young man wearing round glasses being lifted up by a giant octopus tentacle.

It was after the lifeboat sank that Yakushi Kabuto went missing.

"Doctor, I'm so glad you're alright. But why did you...?"

Even if Hirota Tulio was slow to realize something was wrong, the fact that this enormous monster, which resembled a Kraken, had submitted to Yakushi Kabuto was simply unbelievable.

"Mr. Hirota, as I have already said, my purpose in setting sail is to find Penglai Island."

Kabuto smiled slightly, then his attention shifted to Yuuki, who was bound by octopus tentacles.

"Let me go!"

"I never expected to have such an unexpected gain before finding the elixir of immortality."

The octopus tentacles, carrying fishing lights, approached Yakushi Kabuto. He looked at him and then reached out his hand.

"Doctor, wait, what are you doing!"

Yakushi Kabuto ripped off the bandages on Yubi's face, revealing a continuous patch of bluish-green scales underneath.

"I knew it, you're a half-demon. And one of your parents was a mermaid, right?"

Yuhu glared at Yakushi Kabuto with great resentment, his teeth grinding together.

Kabuto, however, didn't care at all. He pushed up his glasses and smiled smugly.

"In that case, the elixir of immortality..."

Just then, a beam of holy, pure white light descended from the sky like a meteor from afar.

It's an arrow, a demon-slaying arrow!

(End of this chapter)