I, Den-O, the Contract Urban Legend

"Hiss, it hurts!"

Feeling the pain in his ear, Inoue Ue couldn't help but cry out in pain, but an inexplicable sense of familiarity arose in his heart, making him subconsciously stop where he was and not move forward.

"It seems we've arrived at the perfect time. You clearly told me you wouldn't do anything rash, but you idiot, Ueya, are you ready to fight to the death again!"

A familiar voice reached Inoue Ueya's ears. His movements suddenly paused, and a slightly embarrassed smile appeared on his face. He turned to look at the girl behind him.

"Uh haha, Sadako, you're finally back."

……

As the giant black baby made up of countless resentments shattered, countless black fragments fell to the ground again.

Compared to the original plot, although the Battle of Kyoto involved Inoue Ueya and the Demon God, some things seemed to have not changed. Nura Rikuo, who fell to the ground, witnessed the thousand-year-old memory of Yuyuko from the fragments. There were scenes of Yuyuko commanding wars in ancient times, and scenes of being killed by Nura Nagiriya with one sword. However, there were more scenes of being beaten by Nura Koyomi many times in the Edo period.

Perhaps because of the deep impression, the memory fragments showed more scenes of humiliation than normal actions, and most of them were good deeds done by Nura: Kitsune's thousand-year journey was not easy.

Looking at the countless failures Yuyuko had accumulated over the past thousand years, and then looking at the woman in front of them who insisted on fighting despite being seriously injured, the monsters couldn't help but feel a little admiration in their hearts, even though the two sides were in a hostile relationship.

[Although he employs despicable and cruel tactics, his thousand-year-long perseverance is truly real. This conviction alone makes Yuyuko a worthy opponent.]

After the connection in the ghost-entangled state, Yuzi's slightly sighing voice sounded from Nura Rikuo's mind. Nura Rikuo nodded slightly, apparently agreeing with her statement, and then turned to look at the dying Yuyuko, "Well, anyway, before I find the truth, don't think about dying so easily."

Mimi Kirimaru is a legendary demon-exorcising sword used to deal with monsters. For humans, even if they are hit by this sword, it will not cause much damage. For monsters like Yuyuko that use a method similar to possession to occupy human bodies, the damage caused is more targeted at "Yuyuko" rather than the body of the black-haired girl. Besides, Yuyuko is not going to die if she is only scratched. She has just temporarily lost her combat ability.

【…】

No, to be precise, she still has some fighting power, that is the skeleton demon god that possessed the body of Yuyuko. Although the contract has been reached, it did not immediately get rid of the possession. Putting aside those monsters, that "Hachisha-sama" is standing near Yuyuko. Faced with this existence that has the ability to restrain telekinesis, it is not sure enough to escape unscathed, so it has to maintain the status quo for the time being.

Besides, no matter whether it is Feathered Fox or Skeleton Demon God, there is no need for the two to take action now. The long-cherished wish of the Kyoto forces has been achieved. As long as "Nue" is successfully resurrected, all the people present combined will not be its match.

Nura Rikuo turned his head again and continued to look at the memory fragments falling from the sky. He seemed to be waiting for something. As the fragments fell, the timeline of the memory displayed continued to move backwards. The memories displayed by the fragments were getting closer and closer to the modern times. The scene of Yuyuko stabbing Nura Koihan in the back finally came into everyone's sight.

"You must be kidding! Did Lord Koiban actually die from Yuyuko's assassination?"

The older monsters in the Nura clan were also moved when they saw this. They seemed unable to believe that the powerful second-generation leader of the Nura clan would die from a sneak attack by a little girl.

Seeing this memory, Yuyuko also showed a look of confusion. Looking at the scene of herself killing Nurarihyon, she should feel happy that her enemy is gone, but she did not feel any joy in her heart. Instead, an inexplicable sadness surged in her heart. Her intuition kept telling her that she had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard she tried to recall this strange memory.

As the "shell" peeled off completely, everyone saw a white-haired woman with her eyes closed, floating in mid-air. She was the source of the oppressive aura that had been emanating from all around. She slowly opened her eyes, looked around, then reached out to her forehead and burst into an inexplicable laughter as if she had a chuunibyou. "Hahahaha, it worked! You wouldn't have thought it would! Although the reincarnation process encountered many difficulties, I still succeeded in being resurrected!"

Chapter 279 The Emperor is me, Den-O!

The white-haired girl stood in the air, looking down at the people on the ground, her eyes full of disdain. "Their aura isn't particularly strong, but can these vulnerable ants really annihilate my One Hundred Demons Night Parade? Kidomaru and the others are really getting old..."

Not long after, Nue finally began to realize that something was wrong with his body. For some reason, he kept feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his chest, and his voice became a little more feminine. He subconsciously lowered his head and fell into a brief silence.

Not only Nue himself, but everyone present was stunned. This was different from what they had heard. The legendary "Nue" was actually a female?

Seeing this, even Yuyuko, who had experienced thousands of years of reincarnation, couldn't help but show a look of surprise. This development was too unexpected, and even made her subconsciously put aside the doubts about Nurarihyon's death. There was a complex look in her eyes as she looked at Nue, and her mouth was open but she seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Unlike the old woman who suddenly ran out before, the familiar breath coming from the air made Yuyuko almost certain that the white-haired woman was Qingming himself.

Although Yuyuko had heard from Kidomaru and others that the resurrected Qingming would be somewhat different from his original appearance, now that even his gender had changed, it was obviously beyond the scope of what they had said.

In fact, Nue was the creator of the reincarnation ritual after all, so such a small accident was not enough to make it panic. A quick check of its physical condition was enough to figure out what was wrong with its new body.

"There's nothing to think about. The technique is functioning normally. The only possible variable is the old woman who tried to usurp my power. I guess it's because I devoured her power, causing the technique to make an error when forming a physical body."

Nue shook his head. He had been in hell for a full thousand years. Neither his state of mind nor his vision were comparable to what he was a thousand years ago. The fact that his body had become feminine was not enough to shake his heart. Since he could be resurrected through the reincarnation ritual, restoring his original gender was naturally not a problem for Nue.

In contrast, Granny Gaosu's "fear" is highly compatible with Nue, who attempts to dominate the world with darkness. Devouring Granny Gaosu's power actually brings it more benefits. Although its personality has been affected to some extent, the physical fitness of this body is several times stronger than it originally expected. Now Nue does not have to worry about the indiscriminate use of power causing a serious burden on the body.

"Hmph, that's the situation anyway. Compared to this problem, I have something else I need to deal with right now..."

Nue looked at Yuyuko lying on the ground, then stretched out his hand and Yuyuko's soul separated from its body and floated towards Nue. Although everyone wanted to stop it, they were still a step too slow.

Unlike the beautiful girl with long black hair lying on the ground, the soul revealed the original appearance of Yuyuko, dressed like a woman in ancient costume and with an ordinary appearance. This was her appearance when she was first alive as an ordinary fox demon.

Yuyuko's expression remained a little subtle throughout. Perhaps it was because she was thinking about the question "My son suddenly became a daughter, how should I react as a mother?" and became a little absent-minded. Or it might be because she didn't think of what to say after the reunion after a thousand years and felt at a loss.

"Mother……"

It was not until Yuyuko came in front of Nue and heard the familiar yet unfamiliar white-haired woman in front of her calling her that the questions buried in her mind seemed to no longer be important. As if she was afraid of scaring the other person, Yuyuko restrained the terrible murderous aura that had accumulated for thousands of years. She opened her arms without hesitation and gently embraced Nue in her arms.

"My child, I can finally hold you again."

After thousands of years, Yuyuko finally succeeded and finally managed to resurrect her child.

It was as if she had become a different person. When she came in front of Nue, Yuyuko showed the purest family affection. A joyful smile appeared on her face without reservation. She was no longer the big monster who was decisive and murderous in everyone's impression, but a mother who was reunited with her child after a long separation.

Although there was no expression on Nue's face, it did not resist and was held by Yuyuko. However, before Yuyuko could say anything, a sea of ​​fire suddenly appeared on the ground beneath them.

An invisible force came from the suddenly appeared sea of ​​fire, trying to pull the two people in the sky into it.

Nue first looked at the sea of ​​fire on the ground, then raised his head to look at Yuyuko and said slowly: "I'm sorry, mother..."

In an instant, Yuyuko felt a sudden force coming. Although the force was not strong, it might be because she had exhausted her physical strength after many battles, or it might be because Yuyuko was not on guard against it at all. She was pushed down from mid-air by Nue.

"Eh?"

Yuyuko widened her eyes and looked at Nue in disbelief. She really didn't expect that her child would push her into the sea of ​​fire that suddenly appeared with her own hands.

"On the other side of this sea of ​​fire is the hell where I have been for a thousand years, the place where all things are reincarnated."

Nue glanced at the feathered fox falling from the sky, then turned around with his back to her and began to mutter to himself.

"Everything has its own cycle, and everything must operate according to the law of cause and effect..."

Absorbing the life force from Yuyuko and using endless resentment to create a perfect body for himself, he used the power of the technique to escape from hell and achieve an impossible reincarnation. The next step is to get rid of the pursuit from hell and complete the final stage of the reincarnation technique.

It is basically impossible to escape the pursuit of hell. There is a reason why Nue allowed Yuyuko to reincarnate into humans for thousands of years.

"Mother, you have toiled for these past millennia. In order for me to continue on, please return to death. I will bear this sin and once again become the King of Demons, ruling the world with darkness."

Blood-related relatives and sins accumulated over thousands of years, these two key factors combined, Nue wants Yuyuko to fall into hell and return to death in his place, to complete a reincarnation ritual that is enough to conceal the truth.

Without continuing to pay attention to Yuyuko's situation, Nue looked down at the monsters below.

"Unknown monsters, join my army, become my One Hundred Demons Night Parade, and then follow my steps to rule this world!"

An unquestionable pressure emanated from Nue, and the air seemed to be solidified at this moment. The people affected by the pressure were unable to refute a word.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted, breaking the silence.

"King? You want to be king?"

【Rod Form】

Suddenly, a blue light burst out, and an invisible giant hand broke through the sky and formed instantly. It slapped out with one palm, first dispersing the dark resentment covering the night sky, and then slapped towards the Nue standing in the air with the remaining force.

Nue was not in a hurry. He looked up at the sky, as if he could see the oncoming attack with his naked eyes. He smiled coldly and then stretched out his hand, trying to take the attack with his body.

However, the invisible giant hand seemed to have seen through Nue's thoughts, and its speed increased several times in the blink of an eye, knocking the newly resurrected legendary figure down from the air with lightning speed.

"Emperor...it's me, Den-O!"

Chapter 280 Please Continue to Live

Earlier, Miss Ye Que, who was on the battlefield of Er Tiao City, was a little at a loss.

The monster Yaque is a female, and her role is probably that of a silent ice-sculpture beauty. She is one of the active idol members of "Shikoku Eighty-eight Demons Night Parade". In fact, she is an undercover agent assigned to the Shikoku camp by the Hyakumonogatari Group. Her true identity is the fourth-generation head shikigami of the Gomonin family, that is, the family founded by the descendants of "Nue".

To be honest, in order to achieve the goal of resurrection, Yamamoto Gorozaemon and "Nue" who were in hell had already joined forces a long time ago. The reason why Yaque, the shikigami, obeyed the instructions of the Hyakumonogatari group was just to obey the orders of his master.

During this period, Ye Que still found no clues about the mysteriously lost "Devil's Hammer". Instead, he spent the whole day rehearsing various dance and singing techniques, getting further and further on the road to becoming an idol.

However, whenever Ye Que asked Yu Zi about the whereabouts of the magic sword, the other party always changed the subject with an embarrassed look on his face, as if he wanted to hide something from her. Ye Que also began to wonder if his identity had been exposed.

Even though Ye Que had reported her situation to the Hyaku Monogatari Group, something seemed to have happened there, and she had no response. She had no choice but to stay in the Shikoku Group and wait for an opportunity to act. As a result, she unknowingly participated in the action to attack her master's ancestors.

Moreover, the "Nue", the strongest ancestor of the family, was shot down from the sky shortly after he appeared. Should I help him?

No, it would be better to ask, do I have the ability to do this?

Why would an undercover mission suddenly turn into such a troublesome situation?

Watching Nue falling from a high altitude, Ye Que's eyes flashed with a complicated look. Why not just jump directly to the Four Nations Group?

In fact, Ye Que's strength has successfully broken through to the level of a great monster through idol activities. Although she is still only a half-baked great monster now, the Shikigami contract of Gomonin is unable to restrain the actions of a great monster, so it may not be impossible for her to break away from the Shikigami identity.

Thinking about it this way, this plan seems feasible?

So, Nightbird just stood there motionless, lost in thought.

Just as Yeque was in a dilemma, other monsters were gradually freed from the pressure of "Nue" and turned their attention to Inoue Ueya who appeared again.

"He did it, and the Nue fell from the sky in the blink of an eye!"

"That majestic figure, that unreasonable strength, is worthy of being the Agent. He easily accomplished what we couldn't do!"

"Not only the agent, but the princess has also returned, and she brought a group of Onmyoji with her. Are they reinforcements?"

It wasn't just Inoue Ueya who showed up. Following closely behind him were Hanako, Iwanaga Kotoko who was possessed by Mari, the Onmyojis of the Hanakaiin family, and even Slit-mouthed Woman and Kato Megumi who came to Nijo Castle.

Nue was knocked down by a sudden telekinetic giant hand and fell into the moat because he underestimated the power of Den-O. The originally calm water surface suddenly splashed all over the sky. A moment later, Nue jumped out of the water again and returned to the air again. His eyes looked at Inoue Ueya in the distance. Although he looked a little embarrassed, his body was unharmed.

However, with just one strike of that palm, Inoue Ueya's transformed state and Sadako's possession were forcibly released. Even Inoue Ueya's body began to be unable to bear the frequent transformations.

"Whoosh..."

At this time, Inoue Ue was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Although Sadako had tried to use as little force as possible when she attacked, he did not expect that the strength he had recovered before was exhausted in an instant. His tired body made him see stars and his vision was blurred. He was not fit to continue fighting.

Seeing this, Sadako, who had just separated from Inoue Ueya's body, couldn't help but frown.

"Utaya, go and rest for a while. Leave the Nue to the Onmyoji and Kuin for now."

Inoue Ueya shook his head and picked up the black pass again and swept it towards his belt.

"No, I can't fall down now. This battle must be ended by Den-O himself, otherwise..."

【Trickster Form】

As the electronic sound of the belt sounded, blue flames ignited on Inoue Ueya's body, and he once again entered the form of a trickster.

The Phantom Thief in a formal suit appeared in front of the Onmyojis again, reminding Hanakaiin Yuura of the Phantom Thief who had raided and sealed before. However, Inoue Ueya's condition did not allow him to spend time explaining. He closed his eyes and began to recall the various powers he had seen in the Cathedral of Karmic Law. His whole body was flashing with a faint white light, but it did not last for a few seconds. The transformation was forcibly lifted again, but Inoue Ueya's complexion was much better.

"The effect is better than expected. Keep fighting."

……

Yuyuko, who was pushed out by Nue, kept falling down, tears flowing uncontrollably from her eyes. There was no life in her gray eyes at this moment. Even though she had been betrayed countless times in the past thousand years, she never expected that she would eventually die at the hands of her beloved child.

The kind child from the past has now become so cold and heartless. Did I do something wrong?

"That's it."

Not to mention the Kyoto monsters who are still buried alive in the rubble, most of them are originally monsters under Nue's command. Even if they see the current scene, they probably won't save her, let alone expect the enemy camp on Nura Rikuo's side to take action.

"Well, as long as that child can be resurrected, I have no reason to continue fighting."

Things have come to this point, and my dream of finding a place to live in seclusion with my son and live a peaceful life can no longer be realized. However, the journey that has lasted for thousands of years can come to an end here, which may not be a bad thing.

Yuyuko couldn't help but fall into deep confusion. The reason that had supported her to continue fighting for thousands of years no longer existed. She was tired, and all the strength in her body seemed to be drained. She slowly closed her eyes and let herself fall into the sea of ​​fire.

"Hey, if you died like this, I would be very troubled."

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard, and a rough hand grabbed the falling Yuyuko.

Yuyuko had to open her eyes again, and when she saw that the person coming was the Skeleton Demon God, she forced a bitter smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, as you can see, I'm afraid I won't be able to fulfill my promise to introduce the Demon God to Qingming. With your abilities, you should be able to win the child's favor even without my help."

"Don't get me wrong, the Demon God is connected to the life of the contractor. If you die, I will die because of you. I am only saving myself."

Yuyuko was stunned for a moment, her face full of confusion as she asked, "This—my wish to revive Qingming has been fulfilled. Logically, the contract should be fulfilled, right?"

Hearing this, the Skeleton Demon God was silent for a moment, then shrugged and sighed in feigned helplessness, "Who knows? Perhaps resurrecting Nue isn't all you want, or perhaps you have other wishes in your heart... Whatever the case, please continue to live until the contract between you and me is complete."

Chapter 281: I’ll settle the score with you after I get home!

The Skeleton Demon is lying.

Well, as a senior "Alien Demon God", it is quite reasonable for him to know how to misinterpret the wishes of the contractor.

Fortunately, when Inoue Ueya appeared, the terrifying "Hachisha-sama" ran towards him without saying a word, allowing the Skeleton Demon God to take advantage of the time when everyone's attention was distracted to break free from the possession and save the Feathered Fox who was about to fall into hell.

The contract was indeed completed the moment "Nue" was resurrected. It could have abandoned Yuyuko now and decisively walked up to Nue to swear allegiance.

but--