Tokyo Fall Guys beats up the supernatural

Page 13

Why is it associated with firearms?

Lu Zizhen suddenly turned her head and asked, "Have you read 'Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation'?"

Dou Tang shook his head: "No, what's wrong?"

Lu Zizhen said "Oh," and then thought for a moment before saying, "The Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation is a book from China. It is about all kinds of stories about spirits and monsters, but only those of us who are involved with demons, monsters, and ghosts know that most of what is recorded in it is true."

She swung a duck leg as if holding a pointer, and said in a lecturing tone, "The Notes from the Yuewei Thatched Cottage record that all demons fear firearms, and it is also said that ghosts fear firearms. This is because demons and ghosts are all of the Yin category. Do you understand what that means?"

Dou Tang thought for a moment and said, "Both monsters and ghosts are afraid of firearms because they are all of the Yin type?"

“That’s right!” She flicked the duck leg, almost splashing blood all over Dou Tang’s face, then she smiled and praised, “I didn’t know, Dou Tang, you know so much about China, you can even understand classical Chinese!”

Dou Tang didn't care about those things, and simply nodded, saying, "Then what does it have to do with the fact that monsters are less common?"

Lu Zizhen said, "Because you see, vengeful spirits and ghosts are often invisible and intangible, right? Even if you have firearms, you don't know where to throw them, right!"

"But monsters are different! If we know where a monster is, we'll blast it with cannons!"

Dou Tang was completely dumbfounded.

Lu Zizhen mimicked firing a cannon, waving her duck leg: "We can't use modern guns, because the essence of those guns is just to propel metal out. We must use ancient firearms and cannons, which have the most yang energy. After a few hundred years of blasting, almost all the monsters causing trouble in the world will be dead. Nowadays, monsters will all be keeping their tails between their legs!"

Dou Tang remained completely bewildered.

"So, according to you, the thing you encountered today was a monster?"

"Not necessarily. It could be something somewhere between a monster and an evil spirit. In any case, it's all from the underworld."

Raw grass illustration.jpg

Chapter 23 A Gentle Kiss~

After a simple meal, Dou Tang was washing the dishes when Lu Zizhen suddenly said she had to leave.

"Hey, I'm going back now. I won't disturb you two siblings any longer." She stood in the entryway, putting on her high-top high-heeled boots, and went into the bathroom to touch up her makeup as she spoke.

"What do you mean by 'just the two of you'... But are you really sure you want to go back tonight?"

After finishing her makeup, Lu Zizhen walked out of the bathroom. She first glanced at Huaiyin, whose ears were clearly red but who was pretending nothing had happened and playing games, and then looked at Doutang, who was dressed as a stay-at-home husband and was washing dishes.

"Hmph, incest guy, what, worried about me?"

Originally, it was just a joke, and Lu Zizhen didn't expect any response; she was just habitually teasing Dou Tang.

But unexpectedly, perhaps because of what happened today, Dou Tang felt a sense of crisis. He actually put down the plate in his hand and stared at Lu Zizhen seriously.

"...What's wrong with you?" Lu Zizhen felt a little uncomfortable under that concerned gaze.

"I'm worried about you." Dou Tang nodded very honestly: "So are you really going back tonight? Isn't it a bit dangerous?"

Why is this guy suddenly being so direct?

Lu Zizhen smiled awkwardly, one hand on her chest and the other nervously touching her face, saying, "You, do you know that talking like that can easily lead to misunderstandings? Humph... you're practically inviting a girl to stay overnight at your house."

Dou Tang paused, then tilted his head and asked, "Is something wrong?"

In his mind, it was probably something like, "You've been hanging around here for days, what difference does one more day make?" He didn't realize that a girl taking the initiative and a boy inviting her are completely different things.

Lu Zizhen was rarely at a disadvantage; she...

He took a couple of deep breaths, a little nervous, and then said, trying to sound calm, "No, no... I have to go back to the website tonight and deal with some trolls. There are too many trolls on our website."

"Can you manage alone? Will it be dangerous?" Dou Tang took two steps forward, wiped the water off his hands on his apron, and stood with his hands on his hips, looking concerned.

Lu Zizhen propped one hand on her forehead as a curtain to cover her eyes. She was somewhat afraid to meet Dou Tang's gaze. She coughed twice and said, "It's okay. My home is actually safer than yours. Don't forget that I am a Taoist priest, a genuine one... Even if that evil spirit comes knocking, she can't do anything to me at home."

"Shall I give you a ride?"

"No...no need, I'm not lame."

Lu Zizhen, who dared not look at Dou Tang, had her eyes wandering, but she saw Huaiyin, who was playing a game, staring at her with a wicked smile, as if to say, "You think you can mistake my brother for Tom?"

This made her a little resentful, so she snorted, put her hand down, and although her face was red, she raised her head arrogantly and looked at Dou Tang, saying, "You should just stay home and keep your sister company. We'll contact each other by phone if anything comes up."

Dou Tang did not refute her. He always respected Lu Zizhen's opinion and trusted her. Since she had said so, he would not make a fuss about it.

"Take care on your journey."

Don't be so blunt in a place where you shouldn't be! Try to persuade me to stay one more time!

Lu Zizhen snorted angrily, then said, "Alright, I'm leaving now. By the way, be careful tonight; that evil spirit won't let this go."

"Understood, don't worry."

After saying that, Lu Zizhen turned to leave, but stopped at the door after opening it, and looked at Dou Tang with her hands in her pockets.

Dou Tang stood at the entrance, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Come here." She beckoned.

Dou Tang frowned and took two steps closer. At this moment, Huai Yin behind him seemed to have a premonition and reached out, saying, "Wait, brother!"

"How..." Dou Tang turned around, wanting to glance at Huai Yin, but Lu Zizhen pulled him back and turned his head. This tall, strange woman then brought her mouth close to his.

Their lips met, and Dou Tang smelled a faint scent of powder and lipstick, completely different from her dashing image.

It has a sweet lemon scent.

In just a moment, Lu Zizhen's lips left Dou Tang's. Dou Tang was somewhat shocked as he looked at the woman in front of him, whose eyes were trembling and alluring.

Chaos gripped Dou Tang's mind. Despite his clear goals, he suddenly felt something detached from those goals rush into his brain, gnawing at his reason.

For some reason, this feeling reminded him of when he hugged Huaiyin, but it was also somewhat different.

Long-buried memories seem to be calling out from the depths of my heart, showing signs of resurfacing once again.

She seemed to savor the taste for a moment, then whispered, "My new lipstick smells alright, doesn't it?"

"It's alright..." he said, but suddenly realized he couldn't speak properly, so he quickly swallowed.

"That's good." She released Dou Tang's collar and gently smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes. "But next time, I hope that when you open the door, you won't rush to see how Huaiyin is. I know I don't deserve your attention, but I still... I just wanted to say something."

Then she suddenly shoved Dou Tang backward and snorted.

Dou Tang stood there stunned, while Lu Zizhen gave Huaiyin a provocative look, which made all her previous actions seem less innocent. Besides being a genuine expression of emotion, it was also possible that she was responding to Huaiyin's provocation.

But who can say for sure?

"I'm leaving, don't bother seeing me out!" She waved her hand, put her hands in her pockets, turned around and left without closing the door or showing any lingering affection. She left hurriedly with her head down.

"Strange person..." Dou Tang touched his lips, paused for a moment, and then sighed.

After closing the door and returning to the house, Dou Tang continued washing the dishes, while Huai Yin sat down at the dining table, sulking with a disgruntled expression.

Noticing the cute squeaks made by the person behind him with their legs crossed in a very unwilling manner, Dou Tang sighed again and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I heard you," Huaiyin said, pouting, then ran her fingers through her long, uncut hair. "Brother, can you cut my hair tonight? I want a nicer cut to dress myself up."

“At your age, you really should start dressing up; that way you’ll be more popular when you go back to school,” Dou Tang replied, putting the washed dishes into the cupboard.

Huaiyin was shocked to hear this: "What? Back to school!?"

“Yes.” Dou Tang turned around and looked at Huai Yin. His face showed no change, as if the ambiguous incident that had happened before was just an accident. He didn’t even try to avoid Huai Yin.

This made Huaiyin even more unhappy, and she shook her head fiercely: "No! I don't want to go to school! That would mean even less time to spend with you!"

Dou Tang frowned and said, "Are you going to stay home all the time if you don't go to school? If you're scared, there's even less reason to do so. I'll protect you! Don't worry, I'll get rid of the evil spirits at school in the next couple of days."

“…Idiot!” Huaiyin turned her head completely and shouted at the loudest she had spoken to Doutang in the past year.

Chapter 24 Strange feelings suppressed and unexpressed, lambs avoid the hunter.

Seeing Huaiyin like this, Dou Tang panicked and rushed to the dining room.

He sat down at the table and looked at Huaiyin, who was sulking, and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"

In reality, Huaiyin just felt that he never took her wishes seriously. Although Doutang would care for her, he often acted like a parent, remotely controlling her life. He would tell her that she couldn't go out and that she had to go to school. Although Huaiyin knew that these disciplines were for her own good, she always felt some resistance to them.

This was especially true when she realized she couldn't live without him.

On the day I become useless to him, will this stranger, who often corrects himself and tells himself not to call him brother, choose to leave without saying goodbye?

I must really be a stranger to him, otherwise why... he seems like just a robot fulfilling his duties as an older brother, mechanically protecting me and mechanically maintaining my life.

This isn't liking or romantic love; it's just a simple, complicated feeling.

Thinking of this, she secretly glanced at Dou Tang and found that he was just quietly looking at her, as if waiting for her to speak. Perhaps from his perspective, he preferred to be a listener and give feedback rather than actively seeking out other people's thoughts.

But how can you do that with a girl? Sometimes you have to go straight for the punch!

So it's clear that, just like every time before, this time Huaiyin didn't choose to speak out because of her lack of confidence, and instead shrank back.

"Never mind...it's nothing."

Huaiyin and Lu Zizhen are like two ends of a scale. Lu Zizhen is straightforward and generous, and she never seems to hide anything in her heart. She is also bold in expressing her feelings.

But Huaiyin was completely different. She was like a safe waiting to be opened, and the turbulent thoughts inside could only be seen after digging deep. She herself gradually became tormented by this self-suppression.

One woman dares to sing loudly and shout "Yay!" even under the spotlight, while another girl doesn't dare to hug the person she's leaning on before falling asleep, even in the darkest of nights.

Dou Tang scratched his head, seemingly sensing that Huai Yin was throwing a tantrum, but to be honest, he couldn't understand why at all. In his mind, there was no need for him and Huai Yin to have secrets. What couldn't be resolved by talking things out face to face?

"Okay... if you really don't want to go to school, can you tell me why?"

Huaiyin didn't answer, but left the dining table, sat on the floor, picked up the controller in a huff, and the intense gaming sounds started up again.

Dou Tang sighed; he had no way to deal with her.

Sometimes he's just not good at expressing himself. He always feels that doing everything well and taking care of the people he cares about is enough, but he doesn't realize that communication is also an important part.

This style of behavior also stems from a part of his past, which will not be discussed here.

The night at Kiryu's house remained somewhat quiet, even with the sounds of games playing. The two people were right next to each other, yet it felt as if a thick wall separated them; one longed for the other to break down that wall.

The other person, however, also longed for it.

So neither of them spoke, but they suppressed their emotions once again, hoping that someday something would break this deadlock.

But Huaiyin was afraid of this. She couldn't imagine how much impact such a thing would have. Besides breaking the wall, would it break anything else?

Suddenly, an image flashed into her mind: in a rainstorm, he was carrying her on his back, just like in her dream, just like the strange dream she had.

It was raining, but the drizzling rain had nothing to do with him or the person on his back.

The scene shifts to a more fashionable apartment building in Ikebukuro, where Michiko Tsuneo lives.

But she didn't go home to sleep.

Upon entering the room, her clothes from the Kiryu family home were scattered on the wooden floor. The room was unusually simple, yet it appeared quite cluttered, especially the server racks flanking the seemingly high-end computer. The two servers were making a somewhat noisy noise, and the spotless cables were tangled together in a chaotic mess.

A woman dressed entirely in black, exuding a chilling aura, stood in front of the computer.

Now she's changed into a more militant outfit.

The long socks covered half of her calves, and she wore a pair of high-top sneakers.

The pants were samurai pants with several flowing ribbons, the cuffs tucked into the socks without getting in the way. They looked stylish while also fulfilling various functional needs. All the hidden pockets were filled with rolls of folded yellow talismans, making the pants look quite heavy.

The upper body is also different; it's a sleeveless turtleneck sweater, with ice silk arm sleeves, wrist and knee pads on the arms, and a pair of super mechanic cycling five-finger gloves on the hands.

Finally, she put on a hooded, sleeveless trench coat that reached her knees, zipped it up, and then fastened a strange backpack that had straps on both shoulders but only came back through one armpit.

This is Lu Zizhen's aesthetic: a sporty and functional style that combines practicality and beauty. She looks like a character who has stepped out of a cyberpunk movie, proudly tearing off the dazzling neon lights on her body and replacing them with talismans as hot and bright as the blood in her veins.

He tucked the two retractable swords inside his sleeveless trench coat for easy access.

Tonight there's no Dou Tang, no Fall Guys, only a curious person seeking the truth.

A modern Taoist priest decides to once again vanquish demons and monsters.

She looked in the mirror at the entrance, put on a matching black mesh mask, went out, and shut down the gleaming server rack and computer in the dark.

Dou Tang might not be able to track things that have left his senses, but Lu Zizhen, being a Taoist priest, is different. Each of her retractable swords is filled with talismans inside. Any demonic power touched by the sword will be marked, and the evil spirits can be tracked based on the spiritual power in the talismans within eight hours, or sixteen hours.

Lu Zizhen did hear what the evil woman she encountered said earlier.

Why does Huaiyin have a supernatural constitution? Why is Doutang able to transform into that bizarre appearance? Lu Zizhen couldn't help but be curious, but she had always maintained her restraint and hadn't rushed over to find out the truth.

But the evil spirit gave her a glimmer of hope—a glimmer of hope to uncover the secrets of these two people.

Wearing a hooded hat and dressed so uniquely, she walked the streets of Ikebukuro. Her tall stature made her look down on most people, and passersby would walk around her. Anyone could tell at a glance that she was not someone to be trifled with. This decisive woman walked into the crowd, and the crowd unconsciously made way for her.

Like a feared shadow rushing into a flock of lambs, she is hunting down beings who also see ordinary people as lambs.

Following the damp scent, she buried her head and entered a small alley.

Chapter 25 Exorcising the Evil Spirits from the Dampness, Unearthing the Truth of the Crown