—Tōtōsai, huh?
That coward who was usually terrified of me, and yet this time he dared to come here personally? He must have realized that my current condition is far from good.
Sesshōmaru thought coldly to himself.
He did not particularly care why Tōtōsai had chosen to help him even when he knew the situation was dangerous.
The battle between him and Ryūkotsusei had been a one-on-one duel. If any other demon had interfered on his behalf, that would undoubtedly mean that Sesshōmaru was weaker than Ryūkotsusei.
Sesshōmaru would never tolerate such humiliation. Before cutting down Ryūkotsusei, he would likely slay the meddlesome fool who dared to help him.
However—speaking of slaying—
Sesshōmaru turned his head to the side, looking at the shattered halves of Tessaiga that were now slowly disintegrating. (The reason was that the Yasakani no Magatama embedded within it had already been reclaimed by Satsuki after the battle.)
"Even such a blade… cannot cut down Ryūkotsusei?"
—"Oh my, oh my~ isn't this Sesshōmaru himself?"
Not long after, Tōtōsai's voice echoed from above. Accompanied by a burst of dust and smoke, the famous swordsmith descended dramatically, riding atop his three-eyed ox.
"Y-you—you… Who are you, to dare address Lord Sesshōmaru by name?!"
From the side, Jaken immediately leapt in front of Sesshōmaru, raising his Staff of Heads with a guarded expression as he glared at the suddenly appearing Tōtōsai.
"Oh?" Tōtōsai looked at Jaken with curiosity. Upon realizing that the imp was actually defending Sesshōmaru, he was even more surprised. "Sesshōmaru, you actually have a follower now? Truly unexpected. It seems that priestess has taught you well."
"Hmph~ Tōtōsai, what business do you have here?"
"Hmm~ business, you ask? Eh, what did I come here for again?"
As expected, when faced with Sesshōmaru's question, the old smith began his usual act of feigned confusion.
However, noticing the impatience flickering in Sesshōmaru's golden eyes, Tōtōsai quickly dropped the act and spoke of his true purpose.
"Oh, right! I came to deliver your father's relic."
—Relic?
"Tōtōsai—what do you mean by that?"
Upon hearing the word "relic," Sesshōmaru's expression instantly turned perilous.
"Just as I said."
While speaking, Tōtōsai opened his bundle and drew forth a slender blade—Tenseiga—hanging it carefully upon a nearby branch.
Even though Sesshōmaru was severely injured and weakened, Tōtōsai dared not approach him too closely. A single misstep could easily cost him his life before the proud and ruthless prince.
—"My father… has died?"
Hearing Sesshōmaru's quiet words, Tōtōsai froze. After a long sigh, he said nothing more.
"My commission has been fulfilled, so I'll be taking my leave now."
With that, the eccentric swordsmith mounted his ox once again and hurriedly departed. Though he had planned to linger a while longer, the air around Sesshōmaru had turned deathly dangerous the moment he mentioned that word.
For the sake of his own life, Tōtōsai wisely fled.
At that moment, Jaken approached cautiously, retrieving the Tenseiga from the branch. Holding it reverently in both hands, he presented it to Sesshōmaru.
"Lord Sesshōmaru—could this truly be your father's relic, as that old demon said?"
Sesshōmaru stared silently at the Tenseiga in Jaken's hands. From its lingering scent and the trace of yōki that clung to it, there was no doubt—this was indeed his father's sword.
But… why?
How could the one who wielded the three supreme blades—Tenseiga, Sōunga, and Tessaiga—fall so easily?
And why would he leave Tenseiga to me?
Though Sesshōmaru no longer clung to the legacy of his father's three blades, he still could not comprehend why his father would bestow upon him a sword incapable of cutting down enemies.
"Lord Sesshōmaru… Lord Sesshōmaru…?"
The incessant croaking of that familiar voice shattered his thoughts. Sesshōmaru cast an irritated glance to the side and, with a flicker of yōki, lifted a stone from the ground and hurled it at Jaken's head.
Thud—
Jaken, caught completely off guard, was struck squarely on the head. His eyes spun dizzily as he collapsed to the ground.
Even with his eyes rolling like spirals, his mouth continued to mumble, "Lord Sesshōmaru…"
...
Hōjō Village.
A remote, secluded village—much like most settlements of this era—was surrounded by paddy fields. Clear streams flowed down from the nearby mountains, following the man-dug irrigation channels.
Along the rough dirt paths, trees grew in abundance. However, as it was now the winter solstice, most of the trees had already shed their leaves, leaving only bare trunks and empty branches.
As winter began, the days grew colder with each passing moment. By autumn, the farmers had already harvested their crops and stored their supplies, giving the impression that there was little work left to do in the cold season. Yet that was not entirely true. Winter still brought its share of farmwork—just far less than in autumn. The tasks were not tied to the agricultural calendar and were relatively leisurely in comparison.
However, winter was also one of the most dangerous times of the year.
As food in the wild became scarce, many demons were forced to hunt humans to survive.
Thus, human villages not only had to endure the biting cold but also the constant threat of yōkai attacks.
Like right now—
A man clutching a torch ran frantically toward the village. His face was filled with terror, his clothes torn and bloodstained.
While sprinting, he shouted toward the villagers guarding the gate, "Hurry, call the priestess! A demon is attacking!"
Behind him came the shouts and screams of others—chaotic, desperate voices, as though a large crowd was fleeing together.
"Ah! Help! I don't want to die~~!"
"Ahhhhhhh—!"
Their cries were accompanied by horrific gurgling sounds, like the dreadful noise of something being devoured alive by a monstrous creature.
Though the guards at the gate trembled in fear, they immediately rang the warning bell. "Demon attack! Demon attack!"
Within the village, inside a modest shrine, a woman of extraordinary beauty stepped out.
—"Such powerful malice… Another demon attack?"
She wore a long violet robe and an ornate butterfly-shaped headpiece. Her black hair cascaded down to her waist, framing eyes as blue as sapphires. A fine line of blue shadow traced her eyelids, and her beauty had long surpassed the limits of humanity. In her hands, she held a mirror radiating immense spiritual power—no less potent than a divine artifact.
At the moment she appeared, she turned toward the direction of the attacking demon. Her entire body then transformed into a flurry of cherry blossoms, soaring rapidly toward the outskirts of the village.
In the blink of an eye, she arrived at the scene, placing herself before the terrified villagers. With her arrival, a wave of tranquil energy swept through the area, soothing even the most frightened hearts.
Panic and despair—these emotions were dispelled in an instant.
Holding the Divine Mirror with composure, she addressed the villagers calmly, "I have already placed a barrier over the shrine. My feathered robe guards it. Everyone, go there and take refuge. Leave the demon to me."
"Priestess…"
The panicked villagers, upon seeing the priestess appear, immediately felt as though they had found their pillar of hope.
The village chief quickly shouted, "Everyone, head toward the shrine! I'm sure the priestess will be able to drive away the demon!"
With no other choice, the villagers fled in the direction of the shrine.
Before long, only the priestess remained in the open field.
Once everyone had left, her expression turned solemn as she gazed toward the outskirts of the village.
"Show yourself, demon."
"Ka-ka-ka~ I can smell it—the sweet scent of a celestial maiden's flesh and power~"
Along with that chilling voice, a grotesque, massive demon crashed through the outer fence, appearing before Kaguyayo.
It was impossible to determine the creature's race. No—rather than calling it a demon, it would be more accurate to call it a monstrosity.
Its entire body was composed of countless mutilated remains—humans, livestock, even other yōkai—all fused together by an overwhelming miasma of malice and demonic energy.
Its flesh was dark crimson, dripping with fresh blood, and countless pulsating tendrils writhed across its surface, resembling a massive lump of quivering, living jelly.
At the tip of each tendril was a circular mouth-like sucker that opened and closed hungrily…
From the abominable creature's gaping maws came a revolting voice: "That exquisite body and power—they belong to me~"
It was an unspeakable horror—something straight out of humanity's worst nightmares, born from the fusion of pitiful human obsession and the yōkai's murderous disdain for mankind.
"Such an appearance… Is this a fusion of demons?"
The priestess did not dare underestimate it. Though she herself was an immortal celestial maiden, she knew well that demons capable of consuming and assimilating others were among her greatest enemies.
She immediately raised the Divine Mirror in both hands, aiming it toward the massive abomination, and began chanting incantations in a swift, steady tone.
The monstrous amalgamation squirmed forward, its countless tendrils stretching greedily toward her in an attempt to engulf her body.
However—
In that instant, the priestess's mirror flared brightly, releasing a devastating beam of destructive light.
A surge of violet energy burst forth from the mirror, scattering in every direction. The moment the tendrils came into contact with the rays, they melted away like snow under the blazing sun, vanishing instantly.
The light continued onward, striking the creature's main body and erasing nearly a third of its enormous, pulsating mass in one overwhelming blast.
However—
This result made the priestess's heart sink.
Such amalgamated demons possessed two terrifying abilities—regeneration and assimilation. Unless the core that served as its nucleus was destroyed in a single blow, no matter how much damage it took, it could always rebuild itself.
As expected, though the light from her mirror obliterated nearly a third of its body, bulging lumps of flesh soon swelled up across its form. From those tumors, more mangled remains of demons and beasts oozed out, merging once more into its reformed body.
In less than a few seconds, the massive creature had already returned to its original state. As it charged forward again, it roared with manic excitement.
"Ka-ka-ka~~ Become one with my flesh!"
The priestess leapt back gracefully. In midair, she plucked the hairpin from her hair—it transformed into a golden sword, radiant with immense spiritual power.
As her divine energy surged into it, the blade gleamed brilliantly. The light froze the monster in place mid-motion, rendering its entire form completely immobile.
"Begone, foul creature."
With a single slash, an enormous fireball surged forth along the path of her golden sword, hurtling toward the demon amalgamation.
BOOOOM—!
The explosion overturned the surrounding wooden buildings and shattered the nearby torii gates. The thunderous blast made the very air tremble, and even the snow-laden ground quaked violently under its destructive force.
Fragments of wood and stone were hurled into the air, swept along by the fiery wind. They struck nearby structures with a cacophony of clang and crash, echoing throughout the village.
As expected of a priestess who wielded a divine artifact—her power was more than worthy of the sacred treasure in her hands.
After unleashing such a strike, the priestess lowered her golden sword.
When the smoke and dust finally settled, only a charred, blackened corpse remained where the demon amalgamation had stood.
However, this priestess was no naive novice. She knew well how troublesome and deceitful such creatures could be.
Beneath that savage, beast-like exterior often lurked a cunning mind. Countless exorcists had met their end by underestimating these abominations and falling victim to a surprise attack.
Thus, the priestess did not approach immediately to confirm the monster's death.
Instead, she recalled the Divine Mirror to her hands and began chanting once more.
Moments later, the mirror unleashed another wave of dazzling light, bathing the demon's charred remains in its purifying brilliance.
Yet, under the eerie stillness that followed, the monstrous amalgamation's body simply dissolved quietly under the destructive light, fading away piece by piece.
Seeing this, the priestess finally exhaled softly in relief.
It had seemed like a formidable foe, but in the end, it was not as dire as she had feared.
Just as the celestial maiden was about to completely eradicate the demon's remains with the Divine Mirror, something stirred unnoticed behind her.
From beneath the snow-covered ground, a sliver of flesh—a fragment of the creature—slid upward, tearing through the soil.
At its tip, a grotesque organ resembling an eyeball had formed. It rotated, locking onto the priestess's position as she chanted.
Then, in an instant, the tendril shot from the ground, lunging straight toward her back. By the time the priestess sensed something amiss and turned, it was already too late to react.
But at that moment, a fragment of bone materialized before her, striking with blinding speed and pinning the tendril firmly to the ground.
Hiss~ hiss~ hiss~
The pinned flesh writhed violently, emanating waves of noxious miasma and foul energy—but its struggle was futile. Within mere seconds, cracks spread across its surface, and it disintegrated into fine ash, scattering into the cold air.
"—Who's there?!"
Startled, the priestess immediately recalled the Divine Mirror and raised it defensively, scanning her surroundings.
The next instant, a black portal opened beside her.
From within stepped two ethereal figures—one clad alluringly in black, the other elegant in white—both breathtakingly beautiful.
They were none other than Satsuki Ōtsutsuki and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
"It seems this celestial maiden is not very grateful for your intervention," Satsuki said coolly, casting a sidelong glance at the priestess, who still stood guarded with her golden sword and Divine Mirror in hand. "Why not have simply let her be devoured by the monster?"
Kaguya shook her head gently. "It was merely a passing whim. Perhaps I just didn't wish to see something so beautiful vanish so meaninglessly. If I had once possessed her same vigilance, perhaps the tragedies of the past might never have occurred."
—
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