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Page 172
The man in the suit looked very strange and said, "Does he still want to overthrow the Emperor? But it's not even the Emperor's era anymore."
The big dog continued, "Perhaps he's referring to the new era."
"We all know that a new era has arrived, and everyone is getting stronger, but just how strong can we become? When will this ever-growing and fragmenting power, the power of exorcists and the power of demons, end?"
The big dog was very talkative, or rather, he cherished the opportunity to communicate with others from different camps in order to gain a different perspective from the monsters.
Or perhaps he raised this question, leaving it for the man in the suit and the exorcists he represented to ponder.
The man in the suit stroked his chin and said, "You... you shouldn't be with Taira no Masakado, right?"
“I told you, I was just a messenger.”
The big dog yawned again and then said, "As for other identities, it's not the right time yet."
After saying that, the big dog stood up and was about to leave when the man in the suit called it back, saying, "Wait, I have another question, a question about you."
The big dog turned around, its red eyes showing laziness and confusion, seemingly indifferent to the situation.
"What benefits did Taira no Masakado give you to make you demons loyal to him?"
The big dog's eyes darted around, and after thinking for a moment, it let out a silly chuckle: "It's just a benefit, the kind anyone can give, but exorcists would never stoop to giving those things to monsters, would they?"
"But since we're on the topic, I'd like to ask you a question, exorcist."
The big dog turned around again, its eyes filled with determination as it looked at the exorcist before it.
"Exorcists, if it is a monster that has never caused trouble or harmed anyone, how would you deal with it?"
The man in the suit frowned.
Before he could answer, the big dog continued, "You can take them as shikigami or perform rituals to help them pass on. As long as the money is right, you'll do anything."
"And what about you? Those of you who claim to be righteous and come to punish Taira no Masakado? Will you be any different?"
After the big dog finished speaking, it turned around and left, ignoring the man in the suit.
"That's strange..."
………………
"That's a strange statement."
After hearing Jiangdao Yizai's account, Dou Tang muttered something to himself.
After dealing with the matter of Gouchang, he had just finished eating when he received a call from Jiangdao Yizai, and learned everything that the mysterious dog demon had said.
"That's really strange! Absolutely bizarre! What a dog that talks weird!"
Ejima Izai responded, seemingly somewhat absent-minded.
Dou Tang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Teacher Jiangdao, what are you doing right now?"
"Uh... I'm calling you!"
"Other than that?"
"...Watch it."
“...You better take this seriously.”
Although Ejima Iya is really strong, he is also really unreliable.
Dou Tang continued, "Teacher Jiangdao, you are now considered an evil spirit. What do you think about this matter? What did the dog demon say?"
Jiangdao Yizai suddenly fell silent. After a long while, he gave a bitter laugh, accompanied by the sound of his joints cracking.
"Ask me... Kiryu-kun, you were a human in your previous life, weren't you?"
"But I saw my students turn into vengeful spirits, and I also saw countless vengeful spirits gather together to become bone tengu. If you ask me... I don't know."
"If I hadn't stopped the Bone Tengu and merged with it, that vengeful monster would have surely wreaked havoc until it perished."
“If you don’t mediate the conflict between my two students, they will surely continue to fight.”
"Kiryu-kun, there are too many contradictions in the world. When it comes to contradictions, there is no difference between humans and evil spirits."
"If you can tolerate a good-natured teacher surviving as an evil spirit, then how can a teacher have the audacity to say they can't accept a group of people who are not inherently evil?"
Where is the villain's monster?
"This question shouldn't be asked of me, but of you, Kiryu Todoroki."
Chapter 88 Battle
Upon hearing this, Dou Tang closed his eyes, paused for a moment, and said, "Yes, I understand, teacher."
Ejima Izai scoffed and said, "Kiryu-kun, Mr. Ren... you can do far more than your teacher. How you decide to deal with those beings might really influence those exorcists, or even the whole of Tokyo?"
"They always talk about the new era, but the teacher has never seen how exorcists used to do things. All he knows is that their abilities have indeed become stronger and stronger. If the same is true for monsters, then these beings that were once squeezed into the corner of the normal world will definitely try to regain their sense of existence."
Ejima Izai's thoughts were not without merit, and at the same time, it was something that was weighing heavily on Toudou's mind.
If my arrival caused all of this, leading to the rise of evil and the rampant spread of mystery, then what means do I have to stop or manage it all?
Is there any way...?
Let's focus on what's in front of us first.
Toudou returned to Edogawa Ward and, after a brief meeting with Ejima Izai and the others, went to the fire lookout tower.
The observation deck was simple, with only a table, water pipes, and a water pump. On the table was a cell phone, which Dou Tang picked up and turned on to look at.
The phone's battery was still mostly full, indicating that no one had tampered with it. Dou Tang frowned at the phone's unusual unlocking issue, but was also somewhat pleasantly surprised.
"What is the thing that everyone in the game is fighting for, the thing that everyone has?"
This question was specifically aimed at Dou Tang.
Isn't this referring to the Crown game?
Everyone participating in this game has a crown.
Dou Tang entered the crown number, and the phone was successfully unlocked. There was nothing on the phone's home screen except for a call button. When he opened it, he could only see a contact named "New Emperor".
Throughout Japanese history, only Taira no Masakado dared to call himself the new emperor.
Dou Tang looked out the window at the outline of the Xinchuan Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was revealed in the moonlight, and dialed a phone. His expression was stern.
The call was connected quickly, but there was no sound from the other end.
Dou Tang spoke first: "Hira no Masakado?"
"Ah, Mr. Ren, we can finally talk now."
The voice on the other end of the phone was old and deep, with a hoarse, rough quality.
Dou Tang scoffed and said, "What do you intend to talk to me about? Your ambition to become the new emperor?"
“Kid, there’s no need to be so sharp-tongued.” Taira no Masakado didn’t seem as irritable as Dou Tang had imagined; he sounded quite calm. “I just want to talk to you about… things between us.”
“Mr. Ren, you are also a crown holder, right?”
Dou Tang readily admitted, "That's right."
"The crown, the crown of the new era, and the legend of Fall Guys, Mr. Ren, don't you find it strange? Why would something like a crown suddenly appear in this world, and why would those urban legends suddenly come true?"
Taira no Masakado seemed to have an unimaginable enthusiasm for this matter, and without waiting for Dou Tang's reply, he continued, "I think this crown is the ticket to a new era! Only those who are strong enough can wield it!"
"Hahaha... Mr. Ren, what kind of power did that crown of filth bring you?"
Hearing this, Dou Tang couldn't help but ask, "Do you know how many crowns a person can own?"
"Hmm? Of course I know. Has Mr. Ren never 'hunted' before?"
hunting……
Taira no Masakado seemed somewhat smug, saying, "Mr. Ren, you possess such great power yet haven't considered hunting down the other participants? That won't do. According to all the participants I know, this so-called Crown Game has a final boss! It's said that you have to collect at least half of the crowns to be qualified to fight that boss."
BOSS?
Are you talking about me?
Dou Tang spoke up: "So, you previously hunted down other participants with the aim of seizing the crown? Where did you get this information from?"
Taira no Masakado laughed loudly: "What? Mr. Ren, I don't think you know anything!"
"Birds of a feather flock together. Those who can't become stronger even if they get the crown are destined to become stepping stones for the strong. That's just how it is!"
“And among the strong, there is mutual respect, just like you and me, Mr. Ren.”
Dou Tang understood the implication in his words and said directly, "I understand what you mean. You mean you acknowledge my strength and then want to recruit me?"
"Does it have to be said in such a harsh way, Mr. Ren? This is mutual respect."
Dou Tang responded with a deep voice, then said decisively, "However, I refuse."
"...Why?" Taira no Masakado's voice suddenly turned cold.
Dou Tang said coldly, "Think about what Jiu Yin Shou Wu did, Ping Jiangmen, how many people they caused to suffer, you probably never thought about it, right? I cannot get along with the mastermind behind such things."
"You call yourself a champion of justice, Mr. Ren, isn't that kind of life exhausting?" Taira no Masakado laughed in anger, his words laced with sarcasm: "Ah, a champion of justice? The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is not suitable for you, Mr. Ren."
"If we can't defeat that so-called
"BOSS? That's not a viable option. Mr. Ren, your wisest choice now is to stand with us, unite, and become stronger, instead of fighting me to the death."
Dou Tang scoffed dismissively and asked, "Are you going to fight or not?"
There was a sudden silence on Taira no Masakado's end. After a long while, he was heard panting heavily as he said, "You ignorant humans, you want to destroy us? I'll give you what you want."
"Choose your burial plot, you piece of trash."
Dou Tang picked at his ear: "My grave is none of your business. Speak plainly, are you going to attack or not? Don't mention destruction, I just want to hear your most straightforward answer."
"...Fight! Three nights from now, right here!! Our final battle! The rule of one-on-one combat: human, you must die!"
Dou Tang held the phone a little further away, yawned, and said, "Three days from now? Okay, it's settled then. We'll meet at Xinchuan Bridge."
Taira no Masakado didn't reply and hung up the phone immediately.
Dou Tang put the phone away, then took out his own phone and dialed Lu Zizhen's number.
"...Dou Tang? What's wrong?"
Dou Tang's expression was serious as he said, enunciating each word clearly, "Hand over to me the limbs of Taira no Masakado."
"how do you know……"
"give it to me."
Lu Zizhen suddenly shuddered. She had never heard Dou Tang speak to her in such a heavy tone before. She felt a little uneasy, but also excited.
“...Alright, I understand. Are you going to have a showdown with Taira no Masakado? I don’t want you to face him at his peak.”
"If he's not at his peak, then this fight is meaningless."
"……I see."
Chapter 89 Before the War
The next morning, Lu Zizhen drove to Dou Tang. When she found him, Dou Tang was sitting in the main seat of the conference room, looking at a map and thinking under the gaze of a group of people.
Lu Zizhen stood at the door of the conference room, watching the young exorcists discuss how to launch a general offensive with him at the center, watching veteran exorcists like Aida Yue and Shenqian Longyong also participate in the discussion, watching everyone in front of him revolve around Dou Tang, regarding him as the absolute protagonist.
Dou Tang used to be like Lu Zizhen's personal possession, or rather, Dou Tang's unsociable personality always gave Lu Zizhen that illusion, making her think that only she could walk side by side with Dou Tang.
But now, it's clear that Dou Tang isn't someone who will always act according to her orders. In the past, Dou Tang and she were mutually dependent, but now, once Dou Tang has set a firm goal, his independent action has exceeded Lu Zizhen's expectations.
Power may be innate, but the appeal of one's personality comes from nurture. How did Dou Tang, an ordinary high school boy, manage to show his strengths and even become a leader in front of these exorcists?
Lu Zizhen had never seen this side of him before.
Dou Tang saw her during a break in the discussion, breathed a sigh of relief, and walked over with his water glass.
Lu Zizhen forced a smile and said, "Everyone says that men who bury themselves in their work have a special charm. I didn't expect you to have it too."
Dou Tang nodded and said, "The decisive battle with Taira no Masakado will be on the bridge in three days. It will be a one-on-one duel."
“This is a rare opportunity.” Dou Tang’s eyes shone with excitement and determination. “That’s why I need him at his peak.”
Lu Zizhen sighed and said bluntly, "If you're going to duel in front of a group of people, then it's better not to transform, isn't it? Can you defeat Taira no Masakado without transforming?"
Dou Tang replied without hesitation, "Of course, no problem."
"You're always so confident," Lu Zizhen remarked, then continued, "I brought the limbs, but, Dou Tang, if you're involved in this process..."
She reached out and grabbed Dou Tang's collar, not caring whether such an intimate gesture would be misunderstood. Her eyes were fixed on Dou Tang's slightly bluish pupils as she said earnestly, "If there is any danger, I will take action... and I may not be able to control myself. Recently, the lightning I summon has become increasingly powerful, and it may harm innocent people."