This time, it spread faster, farther, and more wildly than before.
Because this time, every demon knew.
Fire Bear King, one of the three kings of the Northern Territory, was dead, and Black Armor King had been crippled.
Even Toga, a King-level Great Demon of the Western Country and Chiyo's brother, had been defeated.
An unknown Wolf Demon had nearly taken down the entire Northern Territory's top forces alone with the power of the Four Souls Jewel.
Though that Wolf Demon had died in the end.
But in the demons' eyes, it had not died because it was too weak, but because it was not strong enough.
"If I got the Four Souls Jewel, I'd be stronger than it."
"I'd become a king, an Emperor, the ruler of the Demon Realm."
"The Four Souls Jewel is mine."
"..."
Every demon who heard the news had the same thought.
Chiyo stood atop an unnamed hill, his arms folded as he watched the Wasteland in the distance, shrouded in a dark crimson glow.
He had casually tossed the Four Souls Jewel into the very center of that Wasteland.
Like an abandoned black pearl, it lay half-buried in the soil.
Dark crimson light seeped from the cracks in the earth, as though something beneath the ground was breathing.
With every breath in and out, the light brightened and dimmed.
That power fluctuation—pure to the extreme and evil to the extreme—spread outward in every direction from the Four Souls Jewel.
Like a beating heart.
Like a war drum sounding.
Like an invisible hand gently hooking at every corner of the Demon Realm.
"Come."
"Come, all of you."
"Power is here."
"Desire is here."
"Everything you want is here."
Kagome stood beside Chiyo. Though she did not know what he was doing,
the discomfort coming