Chapter Twenty-Six: The Eight-Foot Tall Man? A Shikigami?

[You have obtained the key item for Side Quest One—the intact Jizo statue!]

[Side Quest One: The Damage to the Jizo Statue—When was the Jizo statue to the south of the village broken?]

Previously, this was Side Quest Two, but now Side Quest One has appeared as well.

Uesugi Che carefully examined the Jizo statue in his hands.

Once he uncovers the whereabouts of Bai Bairuo, he will be able to fully map out the mysterious village.

However, the content described in Side Quest One... even Uesugi Che, who seldom frequents forums, had heard of it countless times.

A rural village, and a broken Jizo statue.

If there were no mistakes, the urban legend referenced in Side Quest One must be the “Eight-foot Tall Man.”

According to legend, the Eight-foot Tall Man mysteriously appears around its target without warning, emitting a "popopo" sound, and anyone who glimpses it is inevitably haunted.

Then, the Eight-foot Tall Man approaches its target through various means, cursing them...

Among urban legends, the Eight-foot Tall Man is one of the most infamous, inspiring dedicated comics and anime that have spread widely.

Some even say the Eight-foot Tall Man prefers to appear before adorable young boys.

Yet after some consideration, Uesugi Che realized that aside from the “curse,” the Eight-foot Tall Man lacked any truly lethal methods, suggesting it might not be so difficult to handle.

Without seeing the Jizo statue’s attribute panel, Uesugi Che muttered to himself, “So, what use does this Jizo statue have?”

“My master said...”

The little one was about to speak but froze in place as if paralyzed when Uesugi Che’s gaze shifted toward him.

“Take your time,” Uesugi Che said, trying to soften his tone—damn it, how many instructions had the blacksmith given his apprentice? One sentence at a time, as if saying it all at once would kill him.

The little one cleared his throat, seemingly mimicking the blacksmith’s tone:

“—Traveler, if you wish to subdue a shikigami, you can use this Jizo statue on the urban legend to the south of Arakawa Village.”

Uesugi Che stared quietly at the little one and understood why he couldn’t see the statue’s attributes.

This was a hidden item that could only be activated by someone with the “Traveler” identity.

If someone else held it, even possessing the statue wouldn’t reveal its use, and they would still have to kill the Eight-foot Tall Man regardless, making the statue irrelevant.

Thinking back, it seemed the blacksmith recognized him as a Traveler the moment he first stepped into the forge.

---

Unfortunately, the blacksmith left too soon, and Uesugi Che never got a chance to ask about anything related to the Traveler.

He pocketed the Jizo statue, deciding to try subduing the Eight-foot Tall Man before tackling Bai Bairuo. If successful, that would add to his strength.

“Next, I will clear all the urban legends in Arakawa’s mysterious village,” Uesugi Che said as he reached the door. Suddenly, he turned back, startling the little one who was about to close it.

“Anything else you want to say?”

The little one hurriedly pulled up his fallen hood, stood still for a moment, then placed both hands before him and bowed deeply.

“Wishing you great fortune in battle.”

Uesugi Che nodded cheerfully and stepped out of the blacksmith’s shop.

The surprise excavation had paid off; he finally saw the little one’s face beneath the hood.

A round, cute face.

—Though what was with the two golden bells tied at the ends of the hair?

...

“You’re taking quite a long bath.”

Amid the bustling crowd, Liriko’s voice rang out distinctly, making Uesugi Che instinctively want to swing an imaginary sword.

Liriko quickly turned her head, raising both hands above it defensively.

“Payback, huh?”

“Just a reflex... You made me have a knee-jerk reaction.”

Pressing his right hand with his left, Uesugi Che glanced around.

“Where’s your friend?”

“Standing under the small grove, glued to their phone.”

The two interacted as if no one else existed, causing passing students to gawk.

—Since when did the usually stern kendo captain become so lively?

But neither cared about onlookers’ thoughts. Uesugi Che’s mind was full of upcoming plans, while Liriko focused on chatting and practicing swordplay mentally.

Indeed! After reaching the state of “Sword Heart Illumination,” Liriko found she could mentally construct training grounds and opponents, enabling continuous, unceasing practice every moment.

Though results from inner training couldn’t directly affect the body, it was excellent for sharpening willpower and refining sword techniques.

The downside was the enormous mental strain.

Of course, Liriko paid no mind.

“Last night, a gas explosion occurred in a building somewhere in Arakawa District...”

---

Beneath the grove, Midsummer Shizuma muttered, “Lately, there have been so many explosions in sewer pipes and gas lines—do so many people lack basic safety awareness?”

Beside her, Runa Kitano’s face twitched as she nervously swiped the news article into her “Cover-up” collection.

Her expression darkened.

“This is going bad... In a few days, will there be some Arakawa incident? If anyone’s going to die, can the capitalists and rich folks go first?”

After greeting Shizuma and Runa, Uesugi Che led them to the gate.

He looked around for a long time but saw no sign of Ken Hasegawa.

“Strange, did Sister Nanjo stand me up? That shouldn’t be possible...”

Just as Uesugi Che was about to call, Shizuma suddenly exclaimed:

“Big sis! What are you doing here?!”

Uesugi Che turned toward the voice and saw a woman with neat short hair, dressed in office attire, wearing a stern expression.

Her coat bore a name badge: “Shizuma Mafuyu.”

She resembled a smaller version of Nanjo Aimi.

Mafuyu Shizuma clearly saw Uesugi Che, intending to speak, but with her sister so close, she first looked at him.

“Xia, I was about to ask you—how come you...”

She paused, glanced at Uesugi Che again, then said, “Out with Mr. Uesugi?”

Though Midsummer was carefree, she wasn’t dumb and immediately caught on.

“Big sis, you’re the acquaintance of Uesugi-kun?”

“The person Lieutenant Nanjo asked me to receive... is my sister?” Mafuyu Shizuma mused in confusion.

She quickly grabbed her sister’s shoulder, asking seriously and anxiously:

“Xia! How did you come into contact with those things?!”

Midsummer Shizuma, overwhelmed by her sister’s attitude, stammered, “Ah? I... I...”

Just as the two sisters were about to quarrel at the school gate, Uesugi Che reached out gently and grasped Mafuyu Shizuma’s arm.

“Ms. Shizuma, may I ask about Mr. Hasegawa?”

The interruption made Mafuyu Shizuma’s words falter instantly. Only then did she realize her lapse.

“Sorry...” she muttered, rubbing her temple apologetically.

She whispered to Uesugi Che, “Lieutenant Hasegawa was killed last night. I have now taken his place as Lieutenant Nanjo’s apprentice.”

Uesugi Che was momentarily stunned.