I, Den-O, the Contract Urban Legend

Inoue Ueya shook his head and put aside the sudden idea that came to his mind.

——No, it’s absolutely impossible. I’m really overthinking it. It’s impossible that everything is related to me.

"Hey, Inoue!"

Suddenly, Hanako Natsukawa patted Inoue Ueya on the back. Seeing that he had come to his senses, she continued, "Don't be in a daze. It's time to go! The fight just now wasn't enough to satisfy me. Let's go find a stronger opponent and fight him again!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hanako Natsukawa attached herself to Inoue Ueya again, took down the road sign next to her, carried it on her shoulders, and walked into Nijo Castle carelessly.

"Yoshi, just use this road sign to blow away all the guys who get in the way!"

[Don't destroy the public environment! ]

For some reason, after a fierce battle, Hanako Natsukawa became more energetic. The previous battle seemed to have made her want to fight against the stronger Feathered Fox.

"Wait, it's my turn this time!"

A ball of purple light emerged from the time train and merged into Inoue Ueya's body at lightning speed. The sudden impact forced out the red light that was in Inoue Ueya's body.

"The long-awaited possession is finally here, it's Mari time now! Hanako-chan, just go back to the train and do logistics!"

Inoue Ueya's body froze, and the road sign in his hand fell to the ground as he loosened his hands. His pupils glowed purple, and he ran into Nijo Castle alone with a rhythmic pace.

Natsukawa Hanako transformed back into a human and said through gritted teeth, "Hey! Stop it! How can I let you fight monsters, you little brat?"

Seeing that "Inoue Ueya" had already stepped into Nijo Castle, Natsukawa Hanako picked up the fallen signboard without saying a word and hurriedly followed him.

The monsters who stayed where they were looked at each other, not knowing what to do, and all looked at Iwanaga Kotoko, whose face had turned gloomy.

"Really? We're about to break into Nijo Castle, which is filled with Kyoto monsters. Why are they acting so recklessly again? I must give them a good scolding when I get home!"

A mysterious black energy emanated from Iwanaga Kotoko. Although it was not "fear", her aura made the monsters shiver inexplicably, as if it were an instinctive reaction when encountering danger.

Iwanaga Kotoko took a deep breath, held her forehead, and shook her head. "Anyway, let's just follow them first. We'll figure out the plan later... Sachiko, please possess me again!"

In Nijo Castle, "Inoue Ueya" followed the source of "fear" and walked on the road without any concealment. Although there were Kyoto monsters lying in ambush around him, they seemed not to notice his existence and continued to stare at the entrance.

"Hehe, it seems my abilities are still quite useful. This time, Onii-chan and I will defeat that Feathered Fox in one fell swoop. Sadako and the others will probably be surprised when they find out how powerful we are!"

There was a hint of helplessness in Inoue Ueya's tone. Although he hoped that Mary could follow the team, seeing that she was full of interest, no matter what he said, she probably wouldn't listen now.

[Undeniably, the ability to reduce your presence is indeed the best way to find Yuyuko, but there might be monsters in the city that can see through this trick, so don't let your guard down...]

Chapter 254 Can I defeat you?

"Hey, you little brat, stop right there! Don't run around here!"

The angry Hanako Natsukawa chased after her from behind. It seemed that because of the contract, even though Mary was using her abilities, she could still feel Inoue Ueya's presence.

Although the Kyoto monsters lurking nearby could not see "Inoue Ueya" whose presence was temporarily eliminated, they could see Natsukawa Hanako rushing in, and ran out to stop Hanako from moving forward.

"That's enough. Nijo Castle is the territory of us Kyoto monsters. Anyone who dares to trespass will be killed without mercy!"

Hanako Natsukawa was already in a bad mood, and now her way was blocked by the monster. Her dissatisfaction completely burst out, and without saying a word, she swung the road sign in her hand and threw it at the Kyoto monster.

Although there are many monsters in Kyoto, most of them are just ordinary monsters. They are no match for the furious Natsukawa Hanako and are blown away by the road sign in her hand in the blink of an eye.

"That's terrifying! Are there monsters in this world that use road signs to hit people?"

"Ugh, this force, like being hit by a heavy truck, is truly terrifying. We can't stop her with our own strength..."

"Then why are you still standing there? Go find some nearby monsters to help you!"

More and more monsters appeared. Hanako Natsukawa fought them all the way, but she lost "Inoue Ueya" unknowingly. Due to the influence of Mary's ability, Hanako needed to be near Inoue Ueya to sense his position. Now the distance between the two was widened, and it took her a long time to find each other.

"I'm so annoyed, you guys, please stop blocking my way!"

On the other hand, "Inoue Ueya" was able to travel unhindered thanks to his ability to eliminate his presence. When he reached the inner moat of Nijo Castle, he saw two extremely huge demons holding maces in their hands and standing on the bridge leading to the inner hall.

[Well, Nijo Castle has two moats, one for the inner and outer palaces. The black pillar that gathers resentment emerged from near the inner palace. The defending monsters seem to be quite powerful. Yuyuko should be over there now, right?]

"Hey, Onii-chan, you're so familiar with the terrain here?"

Mary was a little puzzled. In her memory, Inoue Ueya usually either went to school or stayed at home. Although he would occasionally go out with other girls, he should not be interested in such historical buildings. However, he talked as if he had been there before.

"I always feel like something is wrong. Onii-chan, did you sneak out alone when Sadako and the others weren't paying attention?"

[Ahahahaha... Now's not the time to talk about that. Let's focus on the mission first. Apparently, because we were traveling on the time train, those monsters barely broke the seal when we arrived at Nijo Castle, so they didn't have time to deploy defenses. The defenses outside aren't as tight as we imagined. The outer hall we just passed wasn't guarded by any powerful monsters, and the ones ambushing nearby are just ordinary monsters. But once you enter the inner hall, things are a little tricky. You must remain vigilant!]

"I understand. Leave it to me!"

"Inoue Ueya" continued to move forward, and the oni in charge of guarding him didn't even notice anything unusual and successfully walked to the other side of the bridge.

"Hehe, what Kyoto monsters? They can't see us at all. Next, we should go in the direction of the black pillar, right?"

[Alas, Mary, I still hope you can act more cautiously...]

However, a strange voice suddenly sounded from nearby.

"Oh, that's incredible. Like Nura, he possesses the ability to reduce... no, to completely erase his own presence?"

"Inoue Ueya" turned around and saw a short man with a strange appearance coming from a distance. He had a topknot and was wearing a kimono. It was a pity that he didn't have a sword, otherwise he would have been dressed like a typical samurai.

It is worth mentioning that the strange man was looking in the direction of Inoue Ueya from the very beginning, with an indescribable weirdness in his eyes. His gaze fell on him and met Inoue Ueya's gaze, as if he saw him whose existence had been erased.

"Ghost, he's right in front of you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge head almost the size of an adult suddenly emerged from behind "Inoue Ueya". It opened its bloody mouth and pounced towards Inoue Ueya, as if it wanted to swallow him in one bite.

An inexplicable sense of crisis arose in the heart of "Inoue Ueya". He rushed forward without hesitation and avoided the sneak attack from behind at the critical moment.

"The sneak attack actually failed? What a shame! We could have easily eliminated a dangerous being..."

The two monsters that attacked Inoue Ueya were Kiichi and Kaku. They were both capable assistants under Yuyuko. Although their strength was not as good as those cadre-level members, they also possessed extremely powerful abilities. The former could swallow countless things in one breath, and the latter was a monster with the ability to read minds.

Similarly, like the three cadres, after becoming the contractors of the Demon God, although the two of them did not advance to the realm of great monsters, their strength still increased greatly.

After his strength was improved, the ability of "Jue" became even more powerful. Even if he couldn't see the opponent with his naked eyes, "Inoue Ueya" whose presence was erased could not escape his mind reading. He could judge the intentions of his opponents by reading their thoughts, and then command Gui Yikou to attack. This was the tactic they often used.

When encountering monsters that can break his abilities, Inoue Ueya looks at them with eager eyes, because Mary knows that the first battle she has been looking forward to is about to begin.

Although Mary had participated in battles before, such as the battle with the Ushio-oni at Twisting Eye Mountain, the one actually fighting was Inoue Ueya himself. There was also the time when Inoue Ueya was seriously injured and unconscious and dealt with the troublesome demon god, and even Iwanaga Kotoko would occasionally take her with her when she was carrying out a commission, but most of the time they just relied on Mary's teleportation ability to get around. Compared to a head-on confrontation, Inoue Ueya and the others were worried that she would get hurt, so they usually preferred to let her be responsible for assistance, and Mary basically had no chance of fighting in person.

But in her heart she still longed to be able to personally punish those evildoers like Sadako and others!

"The long-awaited development has finally happened... Can I defeat you?"

The belt appeared on Inoue Ueya at some point, and he took out a black pass from his pocket with a bright smile on his face.

"Well, your answers don't really matter anyway."

Chapter 255 Just Go For It

When "Jue" saw the transformation belt appear out of thin air from Inoue Ueya's body, his pupils shrank slightly as if he knew something, and he felt a little more fearful.

"Ghost Bite! It's right in front of you, two steps away. Attack immediately!"

After all, the two monsters have been a pair of partners for hundreds of years, so they have some tacit understanding. When Guiyi heard the panicked tone of "Jue", he guessed the seriousness of the situation. He did not dare to delay and directly rushed towards the seemingly empty place in front according to the instructions.

The bloody mouth from behind was getting closer and closer to "Inoue Ueya", as if it could swallow him whole in the next second, but Inoue Ueya did not waver at all, and the black pass in his hand continued to sweep towards the belt.

【Gun Form】

A purple ball of light surrounded Inoue Ueya, and the ghost that rushed over hit the ball of light directly, and was then blown away by the power that erupted during the transformation.

Then the armor parts covered his body, and the fear that erased his presence was removed by Mary. The purple knight appeared in front of the two monsters, but this time it was Mary herself who was responsible for the battle.

"Onii-chan, watch carefully, this is my first battle!"

Mary wants to prove to Inoue Ueya that she is capable of standing on her own, so as to eliminate the concerns of everyone in the family about her joining the war. Even if she needs to fight alone, she has enough ability to deal with the enemy and she will never be a burden!

Inoue Ue also thought about it. After all, everyone has to go through trials and tribulations to grow, and Mary is no exception. Instead of treating her like a child and overprotecting her, it is better to give her the opportunity to try to practice her ideas. As a family member, he should now silently support her behind the scenes.

[…I understand. Since you’ve made up your mind to join the battle, then go for it!]

Seeing the purple knight in front of him actively disarming his cloaking ability, Jue's expression instantly turned ugly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Damn Den-O, you still didn't succeed in interrupting his transformation!"

That's right, at this time "Jue" had already known Inoue Ueya's identity through his mind-reading ability. The two monsters had been beaten up by Den-O who raided their base a few days ago, and they still had some psychological trauma, such as being pinned to the ground and beaten without the power to fight back.

Although "Jue" at that time did not use the power of the Demon God, the extent of the enhancement of it by the power of the Demon God was not as outrageous as the cadres' breakthrough of the realm. After all, it was not good at fighting, and the enhancement it gained from possession was more targeted at its abilities. It was hard to say whether it could defeat the Electric King under the possession.

"Tsk, I don't know what's going on with Kidomaru's Red Den-O. I didn't expect a group of similar guys to show up and cause trouble a few days later..."

As the boy transformed, the "fear" emanating from him also increased a lot. However, it didn't mean anything. With the ability to read minds and the power of Gui Yikou that could devour everything, they should still have an absolute advantage on the battlefield, especially since it heard a piece of useful information from the boy's inner voice.

No, to be precise, it should be the voice from "Mary". The fact that she has never participated in the battle has been known to "Jade". "Jade" also vaguely realized that Inoue Ueya has now entered a possessed state, but for some reason, it can only read the voice of the existence named "Mary". It can even hear her talking to herself in her heart, as if she is talking to the original owner of the body. It's just that Inoue Ueya's thoughts seem to be blocked by something, and it cannot hear the entire content of the conversation.

But it's not a big problem. Since the one controlling the body is "Mary", there is no need to pay attention to the original owner's thoughts. "Jue" also has no time to think about it. Standing in front of him is a powerful enemy, and he must concentrate on the battle.

"I really didn't expect that this guy is just a newcomer to the battlefield. This means that he lacks actual combat experience. No matter how strong he is, it is not impossible for us to defeat him with our abilities."

That’s right, this is the opponent’s fatal weakness!

"Jue" stared at Inoue Ueya seriously, trying to find a flaw in the Purple Knight's thoughts and then give corresponding instructions to let Guiyikou attack.

This youkai with strange perception abilities seems like a troublesome creature. It's best to be the first to deal with it. It doesn't look like an agile youkai, so I can just get behind it and use the assembled pistol to finish it off.

That's it?

Hearing Mary's inner voice, Jue froze in place and couldn't help but open his mouth.

No, is your battle plan really that simple? At least think carefully about what attacking moves you're going to use!

He didn't even consider the process of the action or the possibility of accidents, and wanted to go around behind me and launch a surprise attack?

No, should I say this guy is indeed a newcomer, thinking of such a simple tactic in his head, but how should I deal with his actions...

Just when "Jue" was complaining madly in his heart, Inoue Ueya on the field flashed and disappeared from his sight in an instant. Then he felt the cold barrel of a gun against the back of his head.

"I'm behind you right now."

"Jue" immediately looked troubled. This guy actually possessed the ability to move at high speed. Was this what he meant by "going around behind"?

In fact, there is a serious flaw in "Jue's" mind-reading ability. Even though it can hear other people's thoughts, what it hears is one-sided information, and it needs to understand the meaning by itself. Its mind-reading ability can only hear the other person's current thoughts, rather than directly reading the memory. Once it encounters a guy with a simple thinking circuit, it is very likely that it will not be able to immediately determine the other person's action pattern. Even if the ability is strengthened by the alien demon god, this flaw still exists.

"Well, I took care of one easily."

Inoue Ueya nodded in satisfaction and slowly pulled the trigger of the assembled pistol.

The fear of death made Jue unable to remain calm any longer. He cried out for help: "Hey! If I, as the contractor, die, you will not be able to survive either! Why are you still standing there? Come out and save me!"

A sharp gunshot rang out, but "Jue" was not injured. At the critical moment, the alien demon god that was originally in its body ran out and blocked the bullet.

Chapter 256: Ant-Kid Demon God

The strange demon that ran out of "Jue"'s body looked a bit strange. With the middle of its body as the dividing line, the left and right sides of its body were black and green respectively. The green part on the right had a shape similar to that of a katydid, while the left was a black ant. It held a shovel in its hand and easily blocked the oncoming bullets.

Well, if the other person suddenly said, "Sa, come and count your sins," that would be quite serious.

Inoue Ueya was stunned for a moment, then a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face. He pointed at the Demon God in front of him and said, "I know you! The Demon God with two similar bodies!"

The Ant-Grass Demon God glanced in the direction of Inoue Ueya. Although he had already realized that the purple knight in front of him was not the one he knew, he still couldn't help but sigh and said with emotion: "I have to say, I really have a connection with the gun-wielding Electric King..."

"Jue", who had freed himself from the possession, gasped unconsciously. The great terror between life and death made his heart beat wildly. Although he escaped the disaster because of the attack of the alien demon god, he still felt a little scared when he recalled that he almost became a ghost under the gun of the purple knight.

Even if all the dangers Jue had experienced in the past few hundred years were added together, they would not be as dangerous as this time. His thinking circuit was unable to accurately read his mind, and the other party's speed was completely unresponsive. Even if Gui Yikou was right next to him at that time, he probably wouldn't have been able to stop him in time...

Although the number of enemies on the field increased, "Inoue Ueya" still did not feel the slightest bit of fear. Unlike Dragon Taros, Mary did not have the ability to hypnotize humans. Although she was still very interested in street dance and had asked Sadako for relevant knowledge before, she found that she had no talent when she actually learned it. Even though she had been practicing secretly with a unwillingness to admit defeat, she still could not dance a smooth dance step.

In contrast, Mary also possesses many things that Dragon Taros does not have, such as teleportation and erasure of presence. These are her powers and are also very practical abilities on the battlefield.

"If the contracted monster is killed, the demon god will also disappear." Didn't you just say that?"

"Inoue Ueya" disappeared from the enemy's sight again, and appeared behind "Jue" and the Demon God the next second, assembled a pistol, pointed it at "Jue's" back, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The Ant Grasshopper Demon God reacted instantly, thinking that something was wrong, and quickly pushed away the "Jue" beside him. Relying on the Demon God's powerful body, he blocked the attack again. A spark splashed from the Demon God's body, and the powerful impact of the bullet made it stagger back several steps.

"Tsk, is this the power possessed by the Den-O of the New World? I've heard of it before, but this ridiculous speed really is cheating..."

Then, the Ant-Grass Demon God picked up the shovel in his hand and started fighting with the Purple Knight. His smooth movements seemed as if he had seen through Inoue Ueya's intentions. Every time he was about to pull the trigger, the Demon God could always use the shovel in his hand to accurately interrupt his movements and continue the attack.

Although the pistol in the Holy Lance form is quite powerful, it is still somewhat struggling in close combat, especially since Mary has never experienced actual combat and is no match for the experienced Ant Grasshopper Demon God.

Under the continuous and persistent attack of the Ant Grasshopper Demon God, Inoue Ue was suppressed by the offensive like a storm. He looked a little embarrassed, and his armor was scarred by the fierce battle.

"Hmm... Although you possess that ability of acceleration, no, more likely teleportation or spatial movement, which does pose a threat to us, you didn't use that ability again during the fight with me. If I'm not mistaken, your ability should be the type that requires concentration to use, right?"

The ghost next to it was not to be outdone. Using its mouth as the dividing line, it completely separated the upper and lower jaws of its head. The upper part of the upper jaw floated in the air, while the lower jaw sank into the ground with the body. They each attacked the position of the purple knight, wanting to swallow Inoue Ueya whole in one bite.

"Don't underestimate me!"