"Inuyasha, don't be reckless!" Kagome was about to stop him when Uchiha Retsu interrupted.
"Miss Kagome, no need to interfere." He raised an eyebrow and looked at the bristling Inuyasha with amusement. "When a dog won't behave, you just beat him once. He'll learn."
"You bastard! I'll cut you in half!"
Inuyasha exploded with rage.
With a furious roar, he raised Tessaiga and charged forward. The blade howled through the air as he swung down with all his strength.
Retsu merely shifted slightly to the side.
The heavy strike missed him by inches, grazing his clothes before smashing into the floor.
Bang!
The wooden boards shattered into flying splinters.
"This place is too cramped," Retsu said calmly, glancing at the ruined floor. "Hard to fight properly here."
He turned and walked toward the door.
"Let's go outside, half-demon."
"Tch! Fine! I'll beat you flat out there!" Inuyasha snarled, hoisting Tessaiga and storming after him.
Hearing his footsteps behind him, Retsu's lips curved into a faint smile.
He had been provoking Inuyasha on purpose.
He wanted to test his strength—to get a clear idea of this world's power level.
That single exchange earlier had already told him enough.
Without Tessaiga's demonic power, Inuyasha's personal combat ability was garbage.
All he did was swing wildly with brute force. His swordplay was crude—no, calling it "swordplay" was already generous.
"Random slashing" would be more accurate.
If he relied only on physical skills, he probably couldn't even beat Naruto during the Chunin Exams.
At least Naruto had undergone systematic training and passed the academy.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, had grown up in a human castle, then wandered alone after his mother's death. He'd never received real training.
He fought purely on instinct.
It was no wonder his technique was terrible.
In the story, most of Inuyasha's strength came from Tessaiga anyway.
Still, since they were fighting, teasing this big dog a little more was fun.
The two soon faced each other in the courtyard.
Retsu raised one finger and waved it slowly in front of Inuyasha.
"Hey! What does that mean?!" Inuyasha growled, feeling irritated.
"Probably… that he'll beat you in one minute," Kagome muttered from the doorway.
"Or maybe in one move, Inuyasha-sama~" Myōga added gleefully from her shoulder.
"Damn it!"
Inuyasha's anger skyrocketed. He tightened his grip on Tessaiga and prepared to rush again.
"Don't rush," Retsu said flatly, still holding up his finger.
"You're too weak. I'm not even serious. One finger is enough for you."
He curled his finger at Inuyasha.
"Come on, half-demon."
"You're dead!"
Inuyasha completely lost it.
He kicked off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow. Demonic energy wrapped around Tessaiga, blazing with white light.
He leaped into the air and brought the sword down with both hands.
The blade tore through the air with a piercing shriek.
"Too slow. And way too obvious."
Retsu stepped forward instead of retreating, tilting his body slightly.
The blade fell past his nose, close enough to graze his skin—but still missed.
At the same time, his finger, coated in faint blue chakra, snapped upward and struck Inuyasha's jaw.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed.
Inuyasha felt a massive force surge through his chin. His head snapped back, his vision went blank, and all his rage scattered.
Before he could recover, Retsu was already in front of him, his bent finger hovering before his forehead.
Then—
Flick!
"Bang!"
A crisp sound rang out.
Inuyasha was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing onto the ground and sliding several meters before slamming into a wall.
Boom!
He finally stopped.
Meanwhile, Tessaiga slipped from his hands, spinning through the air before stabbing into the ground between them.
Its demonic glow faded, reverting to its battered katana form.
At the courtyard entrance, Kagome and Myōga stood frozen.
"S-So strong…" Kagome murmured in shock. "In just an instant… Inuyasha got blown away?"
"The gap is enormous," Myōga said solemnly. "In front of him, Inuyasha-sama is like a little kid."
"Damn it… that jerk! He flicked my forehead!"
Inuyasha staggered up, clutching his swollen brow, baring his teeth in pain.
That flick had looked light.
In reality, it was terrifyingly powerful.
His forehead was numb and throbbing.
"Other than being tough because you're a demon, your combat skills are trash," Retsu said bluntly.
"Your attacks are simple and childish. You swing like a kid playing with a stick."
"In short—your moves are stupid and clumsy."
After speaking, he took out the Shikon Jewel fragment and flicked it away.
Ding.
The pink shard streaked through the air and landed perfectly in Kagome's hand.
"Payment's delivered. Farewell."
"H-Hey, wait—huh? He's gone?"
Kagome had just opened her mouth when Retsu turned into an afterimage and vanished.
"Damn it! Don't run!" Inuyasha roared, furious at being completely crushed.
"Inuyasha-sama, you can't beat him. Chasing him is pointless," Myōga said bluntly.
"What did you say?!" Inuyasha snapped, grabbing Myōga angrily.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha… sit!"
Kagome called twice.
Seeing him ignore her, she went straight for the ultimate move.
"Sit!"
Boom!
Inuyasha slammed face-first into the ground, shaking the entire courtyard.
"Damn it all—!"