A dazzling, heaven-shaking sword pressure came crashing head-on. The immense demonic power contained within it, along with the annihilating intent of Bakusaiga's Power, violently stimulated Kyōra's nerves. This strike was several times sharper than the last—and several times faster. Just as the sword pressure was about to cleave Kyōra in two—
"Don't underestimate me!"
On Kyōra's forehead, the Demon Battle Jewel erupted with overwhelming demonic power. Crimson energy boiled violently as his entire body transformed into a blurred mass of flame, like space itself warping under extreme heat. In an instant, the whole yōkai seemed to turn illusory—then suddenly exploded apart!
From within the darkness came a cold, faint hmph.
Immediately after, Sesshōmaru stepped out from the shadows, his expression unchanged. In his golden eyes shone aloof pride and unwavering confidence, as though the enemy before him did not warrant notice.
Whatever method that yōkai had used, he had split into firelight in a single instant, scattering into countless flaming birds that shot in all directions, barely evading the fatal strike beneath Sesshōmaru's sword pressure. Though Bakusaiga's power would continue cutting its target relentlessly, it could not sustain destruction against pure energy such as flame.
Sesshōmaru's appearance was far too striking. Kyōra recognized at once this great yōkai of the Western Lands.
Amid the circling swarm of firebirds filling the sky, Kyōra's sinister voice echoed. "So it's Lord Sesshōmaru of the Western Lands. Sneak attacks aren't exactly a good habit."
Gazing at the flaming silhouettes scattered across the sky, Sesshōmaru's face remained indifferent. In the next instant, demonic power surged wildly around him. Without any visible movement, immense energy erupted from his body, transforming into countless piercing rays that shot toward the firebirds wheeling overhead.
This was an advanced technique of demonic power eruption he had learned from Ruri—turning raw power into a razor-sharp offensive method.
An eruption of demonic power comparable to that of a Great Yōkai was nothing short of a natural disaster.
Though Sesshōmaru had deliberately restrained himself, the exploding rays of light still encompassed a radius of over ten zhang, even swallowing the sky above. Amid violent explosions, it was as if the heavens themselves had been blasted open. The black demonic clouds that once blanketed the sky were blown apart in an instant.
High above, only a single firebird remained. Dodging frantically left and right, it finally transformed back into Kyōra's true form. Looking down at Sesshōmaru's cold gaze, his heart trembled in shock.
"How is this possible? How can his demonic power be this strong?"
He had been directly suppressed by sheer power alone. The overwhelming gap made it clear that he stood no chance against Sesshōmaru.
But surrender was not a word found in the dictionary of the Four War Gods.
No yōkai who had cultivated their demonic power to near–Great Yōkai levels by any means was easy to deal with. Though Kyōra was suppressed, he was not entirely without the ability to fight back.
Hovering in midair, a pair of wings suddenly spread from his back. With a roar, flames surged violently over his body.
"Aaaah—!"
As Kyōra's demonic power erupted, dozens of towering pillars of fire shot upward from beneath the cliff, enveloping everything around them.
In an instant, the entire region became a sea of flames.
...
"Hmm, something seems wrong over on Kyōra's side!"
Ryūra and Jūra both sensed the sudden explosive surge of demonic power from his direction.
"Looks like Kyōra ran into a tough opponent," Jūra remarked. He too felt another demonic presence within the flames—one even stronger than their own.
"Jūra, go support Kyōra. If you can't overpower him, retreat immediately. I'll notify Gōra to stand by in another body of water."
"Understood, big brother."
With that, Jūra hoisted a cannon onto his shoulder and rushed swiftly toward Kyōra's location.
...
On the battlefield between Kyōra and Sesshōmaru, after several close-range exchanges, Kyōra clearly felt the vast difference in strength.
Every one of his movements seemed predicted in advance. Sesshōmaru's sword pressure carried an extreme sense of danger, as though even the slightest touch would bring fatal consequences.
Moreover, Sesshōmaru's speed was ghostlike. He shifted soundlessly through the air, leaving behind a string of afterimages, launching slashes from impossible angles at any moment.
The battle left Kyōra constantly restrained, forced to fight with bound hands and feet. The disparity in strength suppressed him completely.
"This can't continue!"
The longer he fought, the more anxious he became. Pulling away once more, he flapped his wings.
—"Blazing Birds!"
Crimson demonic power once again transformed into countless flaming birds that rushed toward Sesshōmaru below.
After shattering the incoming firebirds with Tenseiga, Sesshōmaru suddenly extended his left hand.
A green whip of light shot forth instantly, like a silent venomous serpent lurking in shadow before striking with lethal precision at the critical moment.
"What?!"
Both instinct and subconscious screamed a violent warning within Kyōra's mind at the same time.
"Watch out!"
Boom—!
At the crucial instant, the roar of cannon fire rang out!
The blast shot straight toward Sesshōmaru.
Sesshōmaru frowned slightly. With a flick of his light whip, he deflected the incoming energy shell, sending it crashing toward the seaside cliffs.
Clang! A violent explosion erupted, sending towering sprays of seawater skyward. Dense, razor-sharp killing intent tore through the surging waves, crisscrossing wildly.
"A cannon shell infused with demonic power..."
Sesshōmaru glanced at the rising spray, then turned his gaze toward the newcomer.
"So you've run into Sesshōmaru. No wonder you're in such a sorry state, Kyōra."
As Sesshōmaru's assault was briefly halted, Jūra revealed himself.
"Don't be careless. His strength is absolutely not to be underestimated."
Kyōra's face no longer carried its usual composure. He stared intently at Sesshōmaru.
Just moments ago, he had not even sensed that Sesshōmaru still had a hidden follow-up. He had nearly suffered a devastating injury because of it.
"You think bringing a helper will let you retreat unscathed?"
Sesshōmaru spoke coldly. He held Tenseiga horizontally as blue dragon-shaped lightning began to rise around his body.
At the sight of the immense dragon silhouette coiling upward, both Kyōra and Jūra felt their scalps go numb, goosebumps erupting across their skin. They simultaneously sensed an extremely ominous demonic power—one that seemed capable of devouring and erasing even a soul.
"Quick—"
Before the word "run" could leave their lips, Sesshōmaru exhaled softly.
"Azure Dragon Break!"
Immense demonic power transformed into a destructive lightning dragon that detonated violently. The entire cliffside began to crack and collapse. Kyōra and Jūra had no time to think, their bodies flashing away in desperate evasion.
"What kind of monster is he?!"
While fleeing, Jūra continuously fired demonic energy shells over his shoulder, attempting to obstruct the thunderous azure dragon pursuing them like a relentless specter.
However, the lightning dragon's true target was not the White Tiger Jūra—but the Vermilion Bird Kyōra.
Kyōra retaliated frantically in midair, yet though his reaction speed was impressive, as the target locked onto by Sesshōmaru, he was ultimately struck head-on by the azure dragon infused with what felt like the might of heaven and earth.
Yet at that very moment, a sudden change occurred.
The Demon Battle Jewel on Kyōra's forehead burst into radiant light once more. It transformed midair into a black magatama. From it spread a mass of black flames that enveloped Kyōra, isolating him from the surrounding thunder of the azure dragon.
"Hm?"
The appearance of the black magatama caused Sesshōmaru, controlling the azure dragon from afar, to frown.
"Those people from the Lunar Palace again?"
However, even with the support of the Black Magatama, summoning those black flames was clearly an immense burden for Kyōra.
After dispersing Sesshōmaru's Azure Dragon Break, the flames quickly lost momentum, scattering into sparks in midair.
Sesshōmaru left him no opportunity. His figure shot forward, and a blade of sword pressure slashed down.
"Kyōra!! Damn it!"
Jūra's expression changed drastically. With a raise of his hand, several violent cyan demonic energy shells fired in rapid succession, attempting to halt Sesshōmaru's advance.
But this time Sesshōmaru was prepared. His figure split into several afterimages midair, instantly appearing along the inevitable path of the azure arc. Sword light flared, cleaving the projectiles into fragments.
In the next flash, he appeared beside Kyōra, extending one hand as the venom of his Poisonous Flower Claws sprayed forth.
"Not good!"
Sesshōmaru's speed was so astonishing it defied comprehension. Even Jūra, whose close-combat prowess was exceptional, could barely keep up.
Yet among the [Four War Gods], Kyōra was not the only one who possessed a Black Magatama.
On Jūra's forehead, the Demon Battle Jewel likewise revealed a Black Magatama. He inhaled sharply, his chest swelling high before—
"Roar!"
Worthy of the title [White Tiger] among the Four War Gods, his demonic power surged as he unleashed a sonic roar from his mouth. It formed a straight white line that detonated in the air with a deafening blast, shooting directly toward Sesshōmaru's back.
At the same time, though Kyōra's face had grown pale, he once more forced out his demonic power and the strength within the Black Magatama, summoning a smaller amount of those black flames. They twisted into a dark tornado that lunged toward Sesshōmaru.
If Sesshōmaru insisted on killing him, he would inevitably be caught between flame and sonic wave. Even having reached the level of a high-ranking Great Yōkai, he would pay a tremendous price.
Bang!
Yet when Kyōra glared fiercely at Sesshōmaru, he was stunned to find that the other's expression had not changed in the slightest. His killing intent had not diminished at all.
The glow of the Poisonous Flower Claws suddenly dimmed. The other demonic sword at Sesshōmaru's waist rang as it was drawn. With a reverse slash—
"Bakusaiga!"
Boom—!!
From the blade's edge erupted a dazzling golden-green torrent of light. It collided head-on with Jūra's white sonic line behind him, and a violent gale exploded outward from the point of impact.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The force came like a raging tide. Jūra, only at quasi–Great Yōkai level, was no match for Sesshōmaru in his current state—even with the Black Magatama's aid. He was blown away by the storm.
Staggering backward, he nearly lost his grip on the cannon in his hands. Yet the golden-green brilliance was like endless cutting blades.
Layer upon layer of slashes fell relentlessly upon his Sky-Cannon. Jūra felt his bones trembling under the radiance, golden stars bursting across his vision.
"What kind of absurd power is this..."
Only after his flying body was driven through several cliff faces by Bakusaiga's sword light—and finally blasted into the sea—did the violent radiance subside.
Yet that reverse slash in midair had been only part of Sesshōmaru's strength.
His left hand shifted smoothly into a forward grip, cleaving toward the black tornado ahead.
With that single stroke, heaven and earth trembled violently. Bakusaiga's golden-green power, carrying might enough to overturn the world, crashed directly into the black flame vortex.
Boom—!
The air shrieked with piercing sonic booms from high-speed friction, carrying the acrid scent of scorching heat. Countless slashes collided directly with the black flames.
The cliff wall dozens of meters below them shattered in great swaths, swept outward by the raging fire tornado and golden-green blade light.
For a brief moment, the two overwhelming forces locked into a stalemate.
!!!
The situation caught both Sesshōmaru and Kyōra off guard.
Sesshōmaru held absolute confidence in [Bakusaiga's Power]. After becoming familiar with its control over this period, he fully understood the might contained within the blade.
Kyōra felt the same about his own strength. After obtaining the Black Magatama and completing its task, he had gained this mysterious black flame referred to by the Lunar Palace as Amaterasu.
When he first witnessed its power, Kyōra—who had always prided himself on his mastery of fire—had, for the first time, felt fear toward flame itself.
Bestowed by the Lunar Palace, the black fire possessed extreme heat and destructive force. It would not extinguish until its target was completely burned away.
Without external interference, Amaterasu's flames would burn a captured target to ashes, continuing for seven days and seven nights. Even his own flames would be consumed by this black fire.
Yet such overbearing power also placed immense strain upon Kyōra's body, so he rarely used it.
He had not expected that his first true use of it would meet an opponent capable of matching him.
...
Meanwhile, by the seaside,
Ryūra had encountered his own opponent.
Standing atop the massive back of Gōra, the [Black Tortoise], he held his Wind and Thunder Twin Blades while gazing at the figure standing in the moonlight.
"Looks like my luck isn't bad. Caught myself a big fish."
Floating in the air was the celestial maiden Kaguyayo, whom Satsuki had once met. She still wore her purple robes, her hair ornament shaped like a butterfly, her long black hair flowing to her waist. In her hands she held the sacred mirror, and this time she was also draped in the Heavenly Feather Robe symbolizing her status as a celestial maiden.
In her celestial form, Kaguyayo radiated sacred aura from head to toe. Looking at Ryūra and Gōra, she rebuked them sternly. "Demons, Hōraijima is not a place for you to run wild. Withdraw at once, and I may yet spare your lives."
"Hmph. Just because you're a celestial maiden makes you so impressive?" Ryūra sneered, clearly displeased by her gaze. "This time, I've come to kill all of you and seize complete control of the Cauldron of Resonance!"
As he spoke, his arms transformed into azure dragon claws. With a swing of both blades, a storm of wind and thunder erupted from the crossing arcs, blasting toward Kaguyayo.
"A stubborn fool."
Kaguyayo did not even move. Raising one hand, she began chanting incantations rapidly.
As her chant flowed, the wind-and-thunder sword pressure infused with demonic aura vanished without warning just before reaching her.
"What?!"
Shock flashed across Ryūra's face. He had heard that celestial maidens possessed immense power, but he had not expected her to dissolve his attack so effortlessly.
Since Ryūra had acted, Gōra, the [Black Tortoise] beneath him, lifted his massive head. Opening his jaws wide, he fired a gigantic demonic energy sphere directly at Kaguyayo.
"The faint glow of dew—how could it rival the brilliance of the moon? It seems unless you demons taste some hardship, you will never learn restraint."
As she spoke, the mirror in Kaguyayo's hand turned pitch black. Instantly, a massive black hole appeared before her. Gōra's demonic energy sphere, still roaring with force midair, was swallowed in the blink of an eye.
"!"
Ryūra and Gōra had no time to react.
The black hole suddenly expanded, crackling with electricity. As space trembled, a colossal demonic energy blast—several times larger than Gōra's original attack—erupted from within, sweeping up towering waves as it hurtled straight toward the two demons.