Chapter 178: The Guardian of Chiba
"Hikigaya?"
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman clinging to Inoue Yasutaka and desperately climbing upwards, Miura Yumiko gasped, then suddenly reached out to cover her mouth.
On the screen, Hikigaya Hachiman had no idea that he and Inoue Yasutaka were being broadcast live for someone to watch.
After barely withstanding the shockwave, he once again moved, climbing toward the upper part of Inoue Yasutaka's back.
Inoue Yasutaka, already guessing what Hikigaya intended, naturally fought back desperately. At the same time, countless arms grew out from the surface of his back, reaching for Hikigaya Hachiman in an attempt to trap him.
Covered in a protective barrier and surrounded by a ring of spectral flames, Hikigaya Hachiman buried his head and climbed toward the real location of Inoue Yasutaka's heart.
Just as he was about to reach his goal, a black shadow flashed before him.
Hikigaya Hachiman immediately felt himself being kicked violently and sent flying.
"I underestimated you…"
The miniature version of Inoue Yasutaka glared down at Hikigaya Hachiman with an unfriendly expression.
At this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman was only facing a clone—its strength was only at the general level. If he didn't quickly end his giant form, it would be disastrous if Hikigaya reached the core of his body.
Hikigaya Hachiman wasn't surprised by the clone's interception. After all, he was about to approach the opponent's weak spot; without some protection, he would have been puzzled at how this demon king survived.
However…
"With only general-level strength, this seems a bit unimpressive!"
Thanks to the system's prompt, Hikigaya Hachiman instantly realized the clone before him was only general-level!
"What?"
The clone, still pretending to be the original, stiffened immediately when it heard Hikigaya's words.
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman charging at him at high speed, it hesitated not at all and, under the original's command, chose to self-destruct!
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't expect the clone to self-destruct. Caught off guard, he was thrown off and fell from Inoue Yasutaka's body.
"Dead-fish eyes!"
Watching Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly fall on the screen, Miura Yumiko couldn't help but scream.
Falling from such a height—wouldn't he just die on impact?
"Oh, right!"
Miura Yumiko suddenly thought of the fox shrine maiden beside her. Since she could instantly teleport her to a place like this, she must be very strong.
If she could help…
With that thought, Miura Yumiko quickly told the fox shrine maiden her request.
"…"
However, the fox shrine maiden merely stared at her, seemingly not understanding.
"I mean, can you help?"
Miura Yumiko pointed first at Inoue Yasutaka on the screen and then at the fox shrine maiden herself.
After some effort, the fox shrine maiden finally moved. She nodded slightly and then instantly disappeared from Miura Yumiko's view.
When Miura Yumiko looked back at the screen, the fox shrine maiden had already appeared above Inoue Yasutaka, swinging countless thin golden chains to ensnare him.
"Huh?"
Looking at Hikigaya Hachiman suspended in midair, Inoue Yasutaka, equally injured from losing his clone, was about to pursue when he noticed the previously vanished golden figure above him.
Not only that, but the chains, which seemed fragile, actually bound his body!
Something's wrong.
The golden figure's strange actions immediately put Inoue Yasutaka on high alert. He abandoned the injured Hikigaya Hachiman, deciding to eliminate this unpredictable figure first.
With a forceful motion, the chains shattered.
Along with the breaking chains, the fox shrine maiden's body also broke apart.
Grabbing the tiny figure above his head, Inoue Yasutaka didn't hesitate and swallowed it whole.
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, his eyes widened. Power surged from within him!
A massive boost!
After absorbing the fox shrine maiden's power, Inoue Yasutaka not only recovered from all the injuries Hikigaya Hachiman had inflicted but steadily grew stronger toward the Demon Emperor level.
Inoue Yasutaka had a premonition: if he consumed two more golden figures, he would definitely ascend to Demon Emperor!
"This is bad…"
Unlike Inoue Yasutaka's elation, Hikigaya Hachiman's mind raced upon realizing Inoue's sudden surge in strength after eating the fox shrine maiden.
Flipping in midair, he landed steadily, contemplating how to deal with the now even stronger Inoue Yasutaka. Then, he suddenly looked up behind him in surprise.
"Giving up?"
Seeing Hikigaya Hachiman dazed on the ground, Inoue Yasutaka smiled maliciously.
It was natural—after all, both were already severely injured, and now one suddenly fully revived. Anyone would be shocked.
Raising his fist for the finishing blow, Inoue Yasutaka prepared to strike.
Suddenly, he felt his fist hit something.
"Can I still touch something at this height?"
Puzzled, he turned his head and saw a 30-meter-tall, golden, three-tailed fox calmly standing behind him, looking down.
"A three-tailed fox? Holy crap!"
Seeing the fox, Inoue Yasutaka suddenly realized what the golden figure he ate was.
He tried to run, but the three-tailed fox simply raised a forepaw and pinned him to the ground.
Lowering its head, golden threads were summoned from Inoue Yasutaka's body.
The threads fell and reassembled into the fox shrine maiden.
One human, one fox, one big, one small—they exchanged a few words, and the fox shrine maiden guided Hikigaya Hachiman to the right side of Inoue Yasutaka's back, near his heart.
"You want me to… finish him?"
Hikigaya Hachiman asked uncertainly.
The three-tailed fox and fox shrine maiden both nodded.
Seconds later, with the Demon-Slaying Sword piercing Inoue Yasutaka's massive heart, the ruler of the Chiba evil spirits, Inoue Yasutaka, vanished from the world with a final, unwilling roar.
Watching his body dissipate, the three-tailed fox looked around and then expelled several golden light spheres from its mouth.
Seconds later, the system in Hikigaya Hachiman's mind notified him: "Guardian of Chiba" mission complete.
As Hikigaya Hachiman stood there in shock, the fox shrine maiden suddenly grabbed his clothing, placed a fox mask in his palm, and disappeared along with the three-tailed fox.
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