Chapter Summaries

Uesugi Tetsu wounded the Malakobako but arrived too late to save Ye Chun, who died from Taiko Suzuki’s drumbeats. After burying her and recovering, he explored Isanuki Tunnel and found its exit blocked by thousands of chi, then drew his sword and entered the crowd.

• Uesugi Tetsu slashed the Malakobako, grievously wounding it, but let it flee as he rushed to support Ye Chun and Two-Shaku-Sama.
• Uesugi Tetsu found Ye Chun dead and accepted responsibility for failing to understand the demons’ abilities; Two-Shaku-Sama relayed Ye Chun’s message that her death was not his fault.
• Two-Shaku-Sama told Uesugi Tetsu she had marked Taiko Suzuki, and he resolved to kill it later.
• Uesugi Tetsu buried Ye Chun, restored his strength, and returned alone to Isanuki Tunnel to investigate the route beyond it.
• Uesugi Tetsu found thousands of chi blocking the tunnel exit, drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, and stepped into their midst.

After recovering from his battle with the Chī, Uesugi Tetsu agreed to help Kitano Runa by visiting her mother in the hospital, then returned to Kisaragi Station. There he found Ye Chun, whom he remembered burying, alive again and brought her to the place where he had buried her to uncover the truth.

• Uesugi Tetsu checked his rewards and skill progress after killing Chī, then rested before entering Kisaragi Station again.
• Kitano Runa contacted Uesugi Tetsu and asked him to visit her mother in the hospital; he agreed.
• Uesugi Tetsu returned to Kisaragi Station and learned from Two-Shaku-Sama that Taiko Suzuki was near the tunnel entrance.
• A train arrived, and Ye Chun ran out; Uesugi Tetsu recognized her as the girl he had buried after Taiko Suzuki killed her.
• Uesugi Tetsu took Ye Chun to the convenience store, confirmed the chips were unchanged, and led her to the tree where he had buried her.
• Uesugi Tetsu pulled out a crowbar as he prepared to reveal the truth to Ye Chun.

Uesugi Tetsu escorted the newly appeared Ye Chun while hunting Chī, then encountered High-Speed Grandpa, who attacked him before he could react. The chapter left Uesugi Tetsu wounded and striking back with Kaga Kiyomitsu.

• Uesugi Tetsu found Ye Chun alive again in the empty pit and decided to keep her close while investigating her connection to Kisaragi Station.
• Uesugi Tetsu took Ye Chun and Two-Shaku-Sama away from the tunnel and killed a one-star office-worker Chī, then slaughtered the rest of its group for more soul ash.
• Uesugi Tetsu realized Ye Chun seemed more curious and composed than the timid supernatural version he remembered.
• Uesugi Tetsu encountered a one-legged old man identified as High-Speed Grandpa, a two-star supernatural entity.
• High-Speed Grandpa vanished and appeared behind Uesugi Tetsu, stabbing him in the abdomen with his cane; Uesugi Tetsu drew Kaga Kiyomitsu and counterattacked.

Uesugi Tetsu was repeatedly killed by High-Speed Grandpa, then reviewed the fight and deduced that the phenomenon could only move at high speed along railway tracks. After recovering, he performed a ten-draw and obtained incense ash and a Koma-inu Bell.

• Uesugi Tetsu sent Two-Shaku-Sama back to the Ksitigarbha statue, but High-Speed Grandpa repeatedly stabbed him with his cane until he was decapitated.
• Ye Chun tried to encourage Uesugi Tetsu, then fled into the mountain forest after he told her to run.
• After recovering, Uesugi Tetsu reviewed the fight and guessed that High-Speed Grandpa could not move beyond the railway tracks.
• Uesugi Tetsu used a ten-draw, receiving nine Soul Soothing Incense Ash items and a Koma-inu Bell.
• Uesugi Tetsu applied incense ash to Laughing Brahma and recovered the excess allocation as additional ash.

Uesugi Tetsu visited Kitano Runa’s mother at the hospital and confirmed she was safe, then unexpectedly ran into Zhou Zhenyu. The two exchanged LINE contacts, and Zhou Zhenyu began to explain why he was still in Tokyo.

• Uesugi Tetsu inspected the Koma-inu Bell, put it away, and went to sleep instead of testing it.
• Kitano Runa called Uesugi Tetsu and sent him her mother’s hospital details, asking him to check on her.
• Uesugi Tetsu visited Kitano Runa’s mother, spoke with her about Runa, and confirmed she had no trace of a monster before reporting the mission complete.
• Uesugi Tetsu encountered Zhou Zhenyu at the hospital, exchanged LINE contacts with him, and agreed to hear his story as they walked.

Zhou Zhenyu reunited with his terminally ill ex-girlfriend, Hoshino Yumeko, while Uesugi Tetsu discovered that her extreme emotions were feeding a supernatural force. The chapter ended with Uesugi Tetsu recognizing Ai Bielie as the likely cause and resolving to confront the threat.

• Zhou Zhenyu told Uesugi Tetsu that his ex-girlfriend had a new terminal illness and asked him to meet her with him.
• Uesugi Tetsu accompanied Zhou Zhenyu to Hoshino Yumeko's hospital room, where Zhou nervously prepared to see her again.
• Zhou Zhenyu embraced Hoshino Yumeko and apologized, and she returned his embrace with a radiant smile.
• Uesugi Tetsu sensed Yumeko's negative emotions vanish as intense joy surged through her, and realized she had become a vessel for cultivating extreme emotions.
• Uesugi Tetsu suspected the emotions could hasten Yumeko's death and silently named Ai Bielie with anger and murderous intent.

Uesugi Tetsu learned how Ai Bielie’s Heart Poison fed on violent emotional transformations and accepted a two-star exorcism commission for the Spirit of Congyuanhuo. After Hoshino Yumeko died, Zhou Zhenyu’s grief turned into feverish ambition, and Uesugi Tetsu punched him.

• Uesugi Tetsu called Nanjō Emi and told her he had encountered one of Ai Bielie’s seeds, then moved to the hospital rooftop to avoid being overheard.
• Uesugi Tetsu described how Ai Bielie cultivated extreme emotions, and Nanjō Emi explained that the Heart Poison drew power from rapid emotional transformations.
• Nanjō Emi offered Uesugi Tetsu a two-star exorcism commission and promised the Spirit of Congyuanhuo as payment.
• Uesugi Tetsu accepted the commission and learned that Shizuma Mafuyu would pick him up from Funai Hospital in half an hour.
• Uesugi Tetsu returned to the sixth floor and found Zhou Zhenyu saying Hoshino Yumeko had died, then watched Zhou’s grief twist into feverish ambition.
• Uesugi Tetsu punched Zhou Zhenyu to stop his disturbing speech.

After helping Zhou Zhenyu recover from Heart Poison, Uesugi Tetsu accepted a commission to hunt Malakobako, the Supernatural Phenomenon he had encountered at Kisaragi Station. Meanwhile, the Blue Oni failed to locate Uesugi Tetsu through divination and turned his attention to Nanjō Emi.

• Uesugi Tetsu punched Zhou Zhenyu out of his abnormal state, and Zhou decided to leave Tokyo and start a new chapter of his life.
• Shizuma Mafuyu delivered Uesugi Tetsu’s commission payment, the Spirit of Congyuanhuo, and explained that he could gain an extra unknown attribute by having an experienced craftsman forge it.
• Shizuma Mafuyu told Uesugi Tetsu that Malakobako had appeared in Arakawa Ward, gained the ability to transform into different monsters, and could become a special Brahma resembling Uesugi Tetsu.
• Tokugawa Ririko sensed Niijima Yuta watching her and Kondō Yūya, so the Blue Oni abandoned the chance to target her and tried to divine Uesugi Tetsu’s location.
• After his first divination failed, Niijima Yuta burned his lifespan to locate someone Uesugi Tetsu valued, learned it was Nanjō Emi, and then divined an ordinary young man.

Uesugi Tetsu investigated an abandoned building designated as bait for monsters and found Malakobako hiding on the sixth floor. As Malakobako waited for rain to escape, Brahma burst through the window and confronted it.

• Shizuma Mafuyu warned Uesugi Tetsu to take the exorcism mission seriously and gave him a communicator before he entered the building.
• Uesugi Tetsu transformed into Brahma inside the building and used the eyes of Hundred-Eyed Demon to search for Malakobako.
• Uesugi Tetsu located Malakobako hiding in damp black hair near the sixth-floor stairwell.
• Malakobako recovered from its injuries and planned to escape into the coming rain before hunting human souls.
• Brahma smashed through the sixth-floor window and appeared before Malakobako.

Uesugi Tetsu killed Malakobako and brought its body back to the Special Affairs Division, but a call from Old Zhou sent him rushing toward Nippori. At the station, Zhou Zhenyu was confronted by a pale, fanged man demanding to know where Uesugi Tetsu was.

• Uesugi Tetsu defeated Malakobako, killed its tanuki form, and obtained a Mist Generator along with Soul Ashes and skill proficiency.
• Uesugi Tetsu returned Malakobako's corpse to Shizuma Mafuyu, who praised his strength and offered to buy him dinner.
• Uesugi Tetsu received a call from Old Zhou and asked Shizuma Mafuyu to drive him as quickly as possible to the subway entrance nearest Funada Hospital.
• Zhou Zhenyu arrived at a subway station in the rain, spoke with his mother, and prepared to message his childhood friend.
• A pale, heavily jowled man with white fangs grabbed Zhou Zhenyu's shoulder and demanded to know where Uesugi Tetsu was.

Uesugi Tetsu arrived at Nippori Station and found Zhou Zhenyu dying after Niijima Yuta tortured him for information. After Zhou died, Uesugi Tetsu fought Niijima Yuta in the rain and used fog and a straw decoy to strike him, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Niijima Yuta killed bystanders, tortured Zhou Zhenyu, and searched his soul after Zhou refused to reveal the truth about Uesugi Tetsu.
• Uesugi Tetsu reached Nippori Station and gave the mortally wounded Zhou Zhenyu Spirit Awakening Mist, but Zhou died after calling for his mother.
• Niijima Yuta appeared and taunted Uesugi Tetsu, revealing he had arranged for Zhou to hear their phone call and had destroyed the station cameras.
• Uesugi Tetsu attacked Niijima Yuta with Kaga Kiyomitsu, but Niijima Yuta shot him with a homemade shotgun and then charged with a military spike.
• Uesugi Tetsu released thick fog and used a straw decoy to evade Niijima Yuta's shotgun, then wounded him in the waist and abdomen.

Uesugi Tetsu used the Straw Koma-inu and his spiritual techniques to fight Niijima Yuta in the fog. Though badly wounded, he killed the Blue Oni and left the train station battle victorious.

• Uesugi Tetsu used the Straw Koma-inu to lure Niijima Yuta into exposing himself, then struck him from the fog with Kaga Kiyomitsu.
• Niijima Yuta transformed into his Blue Oni form, healed his wounds, and vowed to torture Uesugi Tetsu.
• Uesugi Tetsu dodged Niijima Yuta’s shotgun with Gentle Breeze Walk and stunned him with Blazing Heavenly Thunder.
• Niijima Yuta stabbed Uesugi Tetsu in the chest and crushed his shoulder, but Uesugi Tetsu fought through his injuries and drove Kaga Kiyomitsu into the Blue Oni’s heart.
• Uesugi Tetsu pulled the tri-edged military spike from his chest and beheaded Niijima Yuta.

Uesugi Tetsu survived the Azure Oni attack at Nippori Station, but learned that the demon had been the supposedly eliminated leader of the Friendship Club. He woke in the hospital to find his weapon upgraded and Ririko keeping watch beside his bed.

• Tokugawa Ririko arrived at Nippori Station and found Uesugi Tetsu alive beside the Azure Oni’s corpse.
• The medical team treated Uesugi Tetsu, and he asked Nanjō Emi to have the dead man who saved him cremated and returned to his family.
• Uesugi Tetsu identified the demon as Niijima Yuta, prompting Nanjō Emi to reveal that Yuta had been the Friendship Club’s leader and was supposed to have been killed by her.
• Uesugi Tetsu fell asleep as the anesthetic took effect, then woke in the hospital to notifications that his weapon had advanced to Rare and that he had gained skill proficiency and a Fragmented Spirit Essence.
• Uesugi Tetsu noticed Ririko sitting motionless beside his bed, covered in sweat.

Uesugi Tetsu woke in a guarded medical facility and learned that the Special Affairs Division suspected him of having a hidden identity because he had killed Niijima Yuta without known training. He was brought in for an examination, which began with an overwhelming surge of Spiritual Power.

• Uesugi Tetsu woke to find Ririko studying beside him in a barred room, and she demonstrated her improved breathing technique and offered to teach him.
• Ririko explained that investigators questioned how Uesugi Tetsu had killed Niijima Yuta and suspected him because the train station cameras had been destroyed.
• An Onmyoji escorted Uesugi Tetsu out with the Shikigami Jianyue while Ririko followed, and the two teased the nervous escort.
• Uesugi Tetsu entered a room where Nanjō Emi argued with Kondō Yūya about testing him, and Nanjō Emi returned his sword, Kaga Kiyomitsu.
• Calendar Doctor began an examination using a complex technique that flooded the room with overwhelming Spiritual Power.

After Calendar Doctor's inspection cleared Uesugi Tetsu, Sister Nanjō explained her interest in him and offered him and Ririko a choice of arrangements. They chose to return to school as bait for Ai Bielie, and Uesugi headed home planning to revisit Arakawa Ghost Village.

• Calendar Doctor ended the inspection and told Uesugi Tetsu that Sister Nanjō had vouched for him before.
• Uesugi Tetsu asked why Sister Nanjō helped him, and she claimed she recognized him as a fellow genius.
• Sister Nanjō offered Uesugi Tetsu and Ririko the choice of training at the Special Affairs Division or returning to school to lure out Ai Bielie.
• Ririko agreed to return to school if Kondō Yūya would practice swordsmanship with her, and Uesugi Tetsu agreed on the condition that she receive the same life-saving measure as him.
• Sister Nanjō drove Uesugi Tetsu home, where Ghost Dad appeared unchanged, and Uesugi Tetsu prepared to return to Arakawa Ghost Village.

Uesugi Tetsu found the Zashiki-warashi secretly working as a muscular blacksmith and asked her to strengthen Kaga Kiyomitsu with two soul essences. After inspecting the sword, Zashiki presented him with two possible enhancement plans to choose from.

• Uesugi Tetsu searched the deserted Arakawa Ghost Village and followed the sound of hammering to the blacksmith shop’s back courtyard.
• Uesugi Tetsu discovered the Zashiki-warashi forging a solid golden ball while sporting bulging muscles.
• Zashiki finished her golden ball, then fell from her stool when she noticed Uesugi Tetsu, who caught her with the Ki-ai Technique.
• Uesugi Tetsu asked Zashiki to forge two soul essences into Kaga Kiyomitsu and promised to grant her a condition if the enhancement succeeded.
• Zashiki examined Kaga Kiyomitsu and told Uesugi Tetsu she had two possible enhancement plans for him to choose between.

Zashiki reforged Uesugi Tetsu’s Kaga Kiyomitsu Replica, strengthening its effects and adding a rare chance for its burning effect to advance. Impressed, Uesugi Tetsu invited her to become his Shikigami, but she declined.

• Zashiki examined the Azure Ghost Essence and Kaga Kiyomitsu Replica, then explained two ways to use the essence in the reforging.
• Uesugi Tetsu chose to strengthen Kaga Kiyomitsu’s slashing effect rather than gamble on Congyuanhuo’s unknown effect.
• Zashiki reforged Kaga Kiyomitsu and raised its quality from Rare to Rare+, improving its slashing and burning effects.
• Uesugi Tetsu offered Zashiki a place as his Shikigami, and she gently but firmly refused.

The Zashiki-warashi refused Uesugi Tetsu’s offer to become his Shikigami because she wanted to travel Everworld and pursue her dream of becoming a heavenly craftsman. After showing him her powerful equipment, she prepared to leave Arakawa Village and asked him to remember her with a yearly meal of Red Bean Rice.

• Uesugi Tetsu asked the Zashiki-warashi why she would not accept his protection as his Shikigami.
• The Zashiki-warashi explained that her master had taught her to travel widely, study other craftsmen, and seek the knowledge needed to reach the pinnacle of blacksmithing.
• The Zashiki-warashi revealed her Epic equipment and Legendary hand cannon, reassuring Uesugi Tetsu that she could protect herself on the road.
• The Zashiki-warashi asked Uesugi Tetsu to dress her in a black-and-red kimono as payment for strengthening Kaga Kiyomitsu, and he helped her put it on.
• The Zashiki-warashi packed her belongings, gave Uesugi Tetsu a special Spirit Grass plant, and asked him to make Red Bean Rice for her every year so someone would remember her.

Uesugi Tetsu returned to school and trained with Ririko, who taught him the Corona Breathing Technique after adapting it into a form he could learn. The chapter ended with a notification offering to fuse it with his proficient Incomplete Ki-ai Technique to lower its learning threshold.

• Uesugi Tetsu left Arakawa Ghost Village after Zashiki-warashi helped him forge a weapon, and decided to make her Red Bean Rice every January 1.
• Uesugi Tetsu returned to school, read Nanjō Emi's message about his and Ririko's Imperial Grand Competition preliminary selection, and practiced the Ki-ai Technique.
• Uesugi Tetsu met Ririko at the dojo, where she explained that she had adapted the old breathing method into Ririko Breathing Technique, which he could not learn without Clear Sword Heart.
• Ririko restarted her lesson with the Corona Breathing Technique, and Uesugi Tetsu learned it after half an hour.
• Uesugi Tetsu received an offer to fuse his proficient Incomplete Ki-ai Technique with Corona Breathing Technique to lower its learning threshold.

Uesugi Tetsu fused the Incomplete Ki-ai Technique into the Corona Breathing Technique, gaining a major boost to his physique and combat abilities. After Ririko acknowledged his rapid progress, the two prepared to spar, and Ririko charged at him with her Bamboo Sword.

• Uesugi Tetsu fused the Incomplete Ki-ai Technique into the Corona Breathing Technique and named the new technique.
• Uesugi Tetsu reached entry level, transforming his Internal Energy into Corona Qi and raising his Physique from 14 to 18.
• Uesugi Tetsu learned that Corona Breathing Technique offered multiple combat forms and demonstrated an energy sword with his breath.
• Ririko stopped her punishing breathing practice, admitted Uesugi Tetsu had surpassed her, and tossed him a Bamboo Sword.
• Uesugi Tetsu used Soul Soothing Incense Ash and warned Ririko that his improved physical abilities might injure her during their spar.
• Ririko told Uesugi Tetsu that controlling his strength was part of cultivation and charged at him with her Bamboo Sword.