I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

Uesugi Tetsu held the Five Thunder Pearl in his hand, continuously accumulating the tiny electric current generated by his breathing onto it: "I'm afraid so."

Imagawa Yoshimoto remained silent.

Before the two even entered the village, having only walked about two or three hundred meters in radius, Uesugi Tetsuya already felt that the stench that filled his nostrils was unbearable for most people.

Next, scattered, decaying, and mutilated corpses and limbs were found in various strange shapes scattered across the farmland and wilderness surrounding the village.

As they got closer, white bones covered with blackened flesh were everywhere, and Uesugi Tetsuya would glance at the ground every time he stepped on it.

On the path leading to the entrance of the largely intact village, there was nothing but corpses, corpses, and more corpses.

The chilling silence of death permeated the atmosphere.

Having been on the battlefield, Imagawa Yoshimoto probably understood why Uesugi Tetsu had to isolate himself from smells.

The two stood on the ground next to a village signboard that had been plastered with something and had become incredibly soft and rotten.

A moment later, having taken in everything within his field of vision, Imagawa Yoshimoto gripped his katana tightly and spoke in a hoarse voice,

"Che-jun, is it still necessary to go in?"

Uesugi Tetsu knew she said that because she thought there was no one left alive inside, so he explained,

"There are still quite a few sick and suffering relatives inside, so this is a good opportunity to learn more about them."

"Listen to you."

No sooner had Imagawa Yoshimoto finished speaking than the corner of his eye caught another wriggling black shadow.

She immediately raised her finger and whispered, "Che-jun! Go that way!"

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, making no loud noise, and while keeping watch, he had the puppets scout ahead—they walked on the path the puppets had taken.

Within two minutes, the two approached the spot that Imagawa Yoshimoto had previously pointed out.

Then, Uesugi Tetsu witnessed a scene he would likely never forget for the rest of his life—

Amidst the half-collapsed ruins, three child-sized demons, their fleshy bodies rotting and oozing pus, yet their expressions twisted with an unusual glee, were bent over, vying for something with their foul-smelling, sticky hands.

——【Sick and Suffering Family Members · Fu Yan (Half Star)】.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

And this faint, almost inaudible sound is precisely what is being won over—

The sound came from the lips of a girl who looked only eight or nine years old, whose lower limbs had disappeared, whose body was corroded and ulcerated to the point of being pitted and rotting, and who had stopped bleeding.

The girl's eyes were cloudy, and she kept repeating the same sentence, completely unmoved by Fu Yan who was fighting over her.

He was probably already blind and insane, with only his last faint breath remaining.

Uesugi Tetsu lowered his eyes and released the lightning accumulated on the Five Thunder Pearls.

"thunder."

Three streaks of cold white lightning shot out silently, striking the three rotting creatures that were chuckling with perfect precision, abruptly halting their laughter.

Instead, there was a mournful howl that seemed to pierce the sky and summon all its kind around it.

"Eek! E ...

Uesugi Tetsu deliberately controlled the power of the lightning so that these half-star Fuhikos would not die immediately, but instead endure the torment of being burned by the lightning.

Before taking a step, he glanced at Imagawa Yoshimoto and noticed that although the upper half of her face was shrouded in shadow, she remained standing still, not acting on her own initiative.

Imagawa Yoshimoto only caught up quickly after he moved on his own.

Uesugi Tetsu immediately walked to the girl who had collapsed on the ground.

Just as he was about to take out the Refreshing Mist and ask about the situation, he heard intermittent, hoarse murmurs coming from her mouth.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for killing me..."

The girl seemed completely unaware of Fu Yan's departure and his arrival.

They just kept repeating the same thing, as if that would free them from the pain and help them die sooner.

Upon reaching the half-collapsed doorway, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but see the large lock that had been forcibly corroded open and the two small wooden doors that should have been nailed back on.

There were also several other empty skeletons, some large and some small, scattered throughout the room.

"Chejun, she also..."

As Imagawa Yoshimoto stepped forward, before he could finish speaking, he saw Uesugi Tetsu pull out the motionless Kaga Kiyomitsu and, without hesitation, slash it across the girl's slender, blackened neck.

A pale color quickly spread and enveloped the body, calmly swallowing the incessant, painful murmurs along with the mutilated, delicate flesh.

Return to peace.

Uesugi Tetsu clicked his tongue inwardly.

Even the villages on the border of the Three Rivers Kingdom have become like this.

While it's possible that the village was simply unlucky and encountered a large number of "Rotten Hermits," this is more than enough to illustrate the severity of the disease's impact on Mikawa Province.

But there's something strange about it.

Why has the Mikawa Kingdom become like this? The disease has not spread to the Totomi Kingdom... These corrupt scholars have already used their talents here, so it shouldn't be too difficult to travel a little further.

This should be a very simple matter for the sick and their families.

Uesugi Tetsuya hadn't figured it out yet.

—But in short, the plan to find two survivors in this village to question is probably doomed.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had just arrived, opened his mouth and silently lowered the hand he had just raised.

"She's beyond saving?"

"She should have died long ago."

Uesugi Tetsu replied calmly, raising his head and looking around at the houses, some intact and some collapsed.

Then, one after another, Fu Yan, almost identical to before, with the same cruel and gleeful smile on his face, peeked out from the darkness.

Many of the rotten bastards were showing off their new toys, shouting loudly and waving their mutilated and blackened limbs.

So, let's turn all these demons in front of us to ashes first.

Uesugi Tetsuya plunged Kaga Kiyomitsu downwards, letting the blade tip embed itself into the deep, black blood and mud.

He said softly, "Xiao Jia, don't hold back, expand the scope of the sorrow of parting with all your might."

Kaga Kiyomitsu gave a cold, hard buzz, causing his pale domain to rapidly expand outwards, just around the area where the two were standing.

“Uh uh uh—!”

“咕嘎嘎——！”

Within two seconds, the closest Fu Yan fell to the ground with a thud, rolling around and making a sound that sounded just like a child's scream.

"That voice... it's really infuriating to hear."

Uesugi Tetsu raised the Five Thunder Pearls, emitting a rumbling breathing sound, causing the lightning that appeared on them to suddenly increase and explode, like a series of linked chains raging in all directions!

In an instant, dozens or even hundreds of the few remaining rotten worms turned to ashes.

Numerous notifications popped up at the edge of my field of vision.

Uesugi Tetsuya acted as if he hadn't seen it, estimating the consumption of spiritual energy in his body, and then temporarily withdrew the Five Thunder Pearls.

Then he took out a long, plain spear forged by the blacksmith of Junfu City from his storage backpack.

"You two, stay here and protect her."

After a pause, Uesugi Tetsu bowed to Imagawa Yoshimoto, whose grip on the katana was trembling slightly, and said...

"Please wait a moment, Lord Yiyuan. Che will be right back."

"Ah."

Imagawa Yoshimoto let out a slight breath, glanced at the position of the sun, and added,

"Go quickly and come back soon, it's getting dark."

Uesugi Tetsu turned his head, and violent qi erupted from his toes. His skin seemed to have a life force, emitting a hissing sound, which further accelerated the circulation of qi.

Those Fuhikos who had not yet been touched by the lightning and the sorrow of parting saw Uesugi Tetsu rushing towards them alone, and remembered the humans who had done the same not long ago, so they all let out joyful cries.

A putrid and foul stench wafted over Uesugi Tetsuya, trying to penetrate his body through his seven orifices and pores.

"Whee!"

"Whee!"

The fans even started fighting, trying to decide which part of Uesugi Tetsuya would get.

Then, a plain spear, imbued with scorching solar energy and chaotic lightning, descended from the sky!

This decaying, twisted mess continues to spread a toxic substance that can corrode people's skin—

Suppress them all!

Boom!

Visible pure white energy surged into the sky at incredible speed throughout the village, turning the laughter of these childlike demons into ashes.

Then the sorrow of separation that spread over it, along with the contaminated flesh and blood, buildings, was completely devoured, leaving not a trace.

Rumble——!

It was not yet dark, but the last rumble of thunder had already quietly faded away in the nameless village on the border of the Three Rivers Kingdom.

Uesugi Tetsuya, unharmed and carrying a plain spear, returned to the slightly stunned Imagawa Yoshimoto and whispered to her,

"Fortunately, I did not disgrace my life."

now.

The buildings that were originally contaminated by a large amount of decaying matter, as well as the scattered remains of limbs and torsos, have mostly disappeared.

As for those yaoi fans who could make her feel nauseous and vomit just by looking at them, not a single one of them could be seen anymore; they had all perished at the tip of Chejun's spear...

Before Imagawa Yoshimoto's thoughts could settle, her ears twitched slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the arm, imprinted with a great deal of muscle memory, swung backward in a Soza Sanmonji.

brush!

"Ugh!"

Fu Yan, who had leaped out of the last rotten wooden cabinet that was about to be swallowed up, was cut in two.

A few drops of black blood splattered out and landed on Imagawa Yoshimoto's armor.

At this moment, she understood what had happened in that instant, but Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't show much expression. He simply swung his sword to wipe away all the bloodstains on the blade.

—She has never been a weak woman.

Beneath this seemingly frail young head of the Imagawa family lies a body capable of amassing immense wealth!

Whether in politics or in spiritual practice, Imagawa Yoshimoto never slacked off!

Just as he was about to swing the plain gun in his hand, Uesugi Tetsu slowly lowered his hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing his expression, Imagawa Yoshimoto sheathed his katana and asked, "What's wrong? Are you surprised?"

Uesugi Tetsu released his grip and returned the plain gun to his storage backpack.

"I'm just a little surprised that Lord Yiyuan was able to make such a correct and quick response in this situation."

After all, Imagawa Yoshimoto was usually very particular about the hygiene of his own and his retainers' living environment.

While at the Imagawa residence, Uesugi Tetsu often saw Imagawa Yoshimoto scolding Okabe Motonobu so badly that he couldn't lift his head because of hygiene issues.

Imagawa Yoshimoto looked around again, and after confirming that there were no future problems, he replied, "I am not as delicate as those young ladies from noble families who need to call for guards at the slightest thing."

"Etiquette and cleanliness are indeed important, but not essential... especially in this situation."

Imagawa Yoshimoto had only said a couple of sentences when he let out a heavy sigh: "Let's not talk about this anymore."

"Che-jun, the sun is about to set. We'd better find a decent place to stay before then—it will be difficult if dark clouds rise tonight."

"Yes."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, pulled Kaga Kiyomitsu from the now-dry and hardened soil, and looked at the pop-up notification.

[You have killed a large number of sick and suffering relatives, Fu Yan (sporadic/half-star), gaining a total of 211 Soul Ashes!]