A path through the mountains.
A group of extremely dangerous-looking youkai, numbering about three to four hundred, slowly approached a village.
The intimidating aura they created sent the mountain birds and beasts scattering.
This was undoubtedly… a Hyakki Yagyō.
"Speaking of which, Lord Bal doesn't seem to be… very assertive, does she?"
At the front of the youkai group, a Tiger-head Demon suddenly spoke, scratching his head uncertainly, revealing a hint of unease and doubt.
"It's not that I doubt Lord Bal's… strength, I just feel she lacks the imposing presence of a powerful youkai."
The powerful youkai he had encountered always gave him a dangerous and trembling feeling, but he didn't feel that tremble when he saw Bal.
Instead… she gave off a gentle feeling.
That's right, although Lord Bal appeared to have a cold expression, she still gave him a gentle feeling.
Although he didn't dislike this temperament,
it didn't align with his usual perception of powerful youkai.
Neither cruel nor cold, but overly gentle.
Was this still a powerful youkai?
"…Lacks the presence of a strong one?!"
The Deer-head Monster stopped, turning to look at the youkai behind him. He noticed that not only the Tiger-head Demon but also the other youkai shared this doubt, though none dared to voice it directly.
"Who decreed that a strong one must have a certain presence? Do they have to be so overbearing that people can't breathe, speak with cold, unsatisfactory voices, and kill a few subordinates when displeased to be considered strong?!"
He pointed his fan at the youkai, mocking them coldly.
"You know nothing about strength!"
"No, no, no… Deer Head, you misunderstood me!" The Tiger-head Demon quickly shook his head, thoughtfully crossing his arms in distress. "It's just that… she lacks a kind of… hmm… feeling."
At this point, he struck a bodybuilder pose.
"It's like Lord Bal seems to lack a bit of confidence. Although she appears assertive and cold, it feels like youkai aren't afraid of her!"
"…"
The Deer-head Monster gently fanned himself, remaining silent for a moment. In truth, he also had doubts about Bal's strength.
However, his inherent caution and reverence prevented him from questioning her. After all, if Lord Bal's strength was truly immense,
then asking that question would be an offense. Who knows, perhaps one day Lord Bal, displeased with him for something as trivial as him entering a room with his right foot first,
would simply kill him.
So, only the Tiger-head Demon, that simpleton, dared to directly voice his doubts.
He, completely oblivious to danger, pointed out what was on many youkai's minds.
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Suddenly, an angry voice rang out among the youkai. The One-Eyed Monster walked to the front of the crowd, shouting with a ferocious expression.
"Why did we join Lord Bal's ranks? Wasn't it because we all had high hopes for Lord Bal's future?!"
His single eye was wide open, revealing dense bloodshot veins.
"I, I don't want to be a youkai under youkai my whole life! I don't want to be looked down upon! I want to be like the Hundred Ghosts under Lord Yuki Onna, admired and feared by countless weaker youkai!"
"I don't want to be weak, I don't want to hide in the mountains, I don't want to kneel before powerful youkai! I want to join a powerful Hyakki Yagyō, possess a large territory of humans, and freely scare humans to gain fear!"
"Isn't this… what we crave?!"
He spoke no lies; his heart was filled with intense desire, and he had entrusted that desire to Lord Bal. Before, he simply had no opportunity… and was forced to be without desires. But now, with a chance to become a youkai above youkai… he had to seize it.
He still remembered… Lord Bal being protected by the Youkai Sage, and Yuki Onna's invitation.
Therefore, he firmly believed… Lord Bal's future would be extraordinary.
"But that's all built… on strength!"
A skeleton-like youkai, wearing stomach armor, spoke coldly, his hand on the hilt of his katana.
"What we desire is a powerful Lord!"
This was the rule of the youkai world: the strong possessed everything, the weak could only be dominated. There was no such thing in the youkai world where a leader, even if useless, could still dominate countless others.
In the world of youkai… only the strong could become the dominating rulers.
"Then why don't… you go ask Lord Bal?"
The One-Eyed Monster said to the skeleton youkai. The skeleton youkai then fell silent, lowering his head and gripping his sword hilt, not agreeing to his words.
Clearly, the skeleton youkai… also didn't want to risk doing such a foolish thing.
"…Does anyone here want to ask?"
His bloodshot single eye glared at the other youkai. Those with doubts quickly avoided his gaze.
Seeing this, he suddenly calmed down again.
"Let's think about it from another perspective. Even if Lord Bal is currently young and weak, not yet a true strong one, with a powerful Miko like Kikyo and the Youkai Sage's approval, even if she isn't a powerful youkai now, she will be a powerful youkai in the future."
He shrugged, speaking with feigned ease.
"What difference does that make to us? We joined because we saw Lord Bal's potential. As long as her future meets our expectations, that's enough."
"…You have a point." The skeleton youkai nodded slightly, his voice full of agreement. "Choosing a Lord is very important. Lord Bal is indeed a suitable Lord to follow; there's not much issue with that."
"Heh heh… One-Eyed, you're right." The Tiger-head Demon also scratched his head with a smile, his voice betraying a hint of awkwardness. "Being noticed by those great figures, and with Miko Kikyo following her, Lord Bal's future will definitely be extraordinary."
He also suddenly realized something. If he raised doubts about Lord Bal's strength, and by some bad luck, the youkai group asked him to question Lord Bal, even if Lord Bal was weak, Miko Kikyo was no pushover.
She might just take him out with a single purification arrow.
"Exactly, exactly… We should maintain reverence."
Sheep-head Youkai stepped forward, smiling genially at the youkai. "With Miko Kikyo present, Lord Bal is already a strong one."
"…"
The One-Eyed Monster watched the youkai suppress their doubts, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Then, he looked at a distant village.
The escaping demonic energy there… indicated the presence of youkai.
"…Everyone, let's get to work!"