Chapter 367: The Responsibility of the Chief
"Damn it!"
The Nine-Tailed Fox, currently rushing toward Hachiman's location, suddenly realized it had lost its connection with Isayama Mei. Its face instantly darkened.
Isayama Mei and Isayama Yomi were still useful for its later plans. If they were captured by Hachiman and destroyed, or if their marks were removed...
"I absolutely cannot let such a thing happen!"
Thinking of the consequences of losing a puppet, the Nine-Tailed Fox gritted its teeth and increased its flight speed further.
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"System, can I clear her puppet mark now?"
Looking at the unconscious Isayama Mei in his arms, Hachiman communicated with the system in his mind.
[Simply erase the puppet mark on the target.]
Because he had promoted to a Demigod, effects that previously required Spirit Coins could now be handled by Hachiman himself. Following the method described by the system, he cautiously sent his spiritual will into Mei's consciousness space.
The moment Hachiman entered, a miniature Nine-Tailed Fox pounced toward him. Two spiritual wills instantly began to wrestle within the consciousness space.
Although the Fox's spiritual power was significantly stronger than Hachiman's, it had lost its connection and support from the main body. Under Hachiman's continuous onslaught, the Nine-Tailed Fox clone entrenched in Mei's mind finally vanished.
With the Fox's disappearance, the butterfly mark on Mei's forehead gradually faded until it vanished completely.
[Next, simply remove the Sessho-seki (Killing Stone) fragment located in her heart.]
Once the mark was erased, the system provided the next step. However, looking at the fragment embedded in Mei's chest, Hachiman hesitated.
"If I take the Sessho-seki away, what will happen to her?"
Hachiman noticed the cracks appearing at Mei's heart as the mark vanished. Recalling the abilities granted by the Stone, he suspected that if he removed it, she would die instantly.
[She will die.]
The system revealed the outcome without any concealment.
"That's not what I want to see."
Hachiman's expression soured. He had gone through the trouble of cutting her connection to the Nine-Tails specifically to save her. And now the system was telling him she'd die anyway?
[The Host only inquired about how to remove the puppet control; other factors are outside the system's scope.]
"What if I want her to live?"
[Based on the target's condition, there is only one way to break the Nine-Tailed Fox's control while ensuring survival.]
"What way?"
[Brand replacement. The Host simply needs to overwrite the Nine-Tailed Fox's spiritual mark with his own to break its control over the target.]
"......"
Hearing the system's "same soup, different bowl" solution, Hachiman hesitated. Branding his own spiritual mark on Isayama Mei was...
[Detected: Nine-Tailed Fox approaching. Estimated arrival: 3 minutes.]
As Hachiman wavered, the system's warning reappeared.
"No other choice, then."
Knowing the Fox was coming, Hachiman sighed and decided to follow the system's method. At most, he'd just pretend nothing happened later.
As long as he didn't harbor any wicked thoughts, that puppet mark was practically non-existent.
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"Stop!"
An anxious cry came from the distant horizon, accompanied by a sharp, piercing attack.
Holding Mei's body as he flickered onto a nearby skyscraper, Hachiman finally completed the replacement of the spiritual mark.
"ARGH!!!"
The moment the Nine-Tailed Fox arrived and realized it had completely lost control over Isayama Mei, it fell into a frenzy. Its massive true form manifested instantly within the city, causing mass panic among the residents. The Fox charged at Hachiman in a rage, intending to seize Mei back and carve a new brand.
But at that moment, a man's figure suddenly blocked its path.
"Tsuchimiyaka Gaku?"
Seeing the tiny figure standing before it, the Fox regained a sliver of reason. It was no stranger to the head of the Tsuchimiyaka family, who held the final Great Spirit Beast. If not for his presence, the Fox would have slaughtered the family and taken Byakuei long ago.
"Sigh..."
Facing the Fox, Gaku said nothing. He merely sighed, cast a lingering, affectionate glance toward the Isayama estate where his daughter was staying, and immediately formed a hand seal.
That morning, upon learning that the Isayama and another family had been attacked, Gaku knew he could delay no longer. Using the family's compass to track the Fox, he ordered his men to stand by and rushed over personally.
"Fall back into your deep sleep, Nine-Tails!"
The seal in his body was severed, and Byakuei instantly erupted from Gaku's body, opening its massive maw to bite into the Fox.
"Foolish human, you think you can defeat me using my own power?"
Sensing the power radiating from Byakuei—far exceeding that of the White Fox and the Nue—the Nine-Tailed Fox felt joy rather than anger. It had been worried about how to reclaim Mei, and here Gaku was, delivering its own power back to it!
Just as Byakuei was about to bite the Fox in half, red light suddenly flared in the beast's eyes. Byakuei began to thrash violently, trying to break Gaku's seal completely to return to the Nine-Tails' body.
"Ugh..."
Feeling a heart-wrenching pain in his body, Gaku gritted his teeth and held on. Because of the loss of the other two families, Tokyo's grand barrier was still being urgently repaired; he had to hold out until then!
Pat...
A hand gently patted Gaku's shoulder. Endless spiritual power surged from behind him through the point of contact. Gaku was stunned by the influx of power; when he turned his head and saw Hachiman and the unconscious Mei in his arms, he understood everything instantly.
"Is this young man the hidden move left behind by the Lord Exorcists?"
Feeling the continuous flow of power, Gaku smiled bitterly. It seemed he had been overestimating his own importance. Even if he didn't risk his life to activate the formation today, with this youth here, this incident would likely be resolved perfectly.
However, Gaku did not regret his decision. As the head of the Tsuchimiyaka family and the leader of Tokyo's spiritualists...
Protecting the safety of Tokyo was his duty!
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