Once the crowd had dispersed, Rikusei discreetly glanced at the man smoothing the white mink fur over his shoulder.
Any calamity would have to bow its head before Madara. Don't let his harmless, unruffled expression fool you.
The words "calamity" and "Shrine Maiden" brought the Undead Legion to mind. Now that he'd run into them, there was no reason to let the opportunity pass.
The snow-covered town grew bustling in moments. Rikusei and Madara brushed past the surging crowd and left the noisy world behind, heading toward the quiet, snow-covered mountains outside town.
The sunlight glinting off the snowfield grew even more dazzling. Rikusei turned to the Teacher beside him and suggested, "Shall we take a look at that mysterious country?"
Madara had long heard of the Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons' extraordinary sealing abilities, and he was curious about the demon that had reappeared in the world. The two abruptly picked up speed and raced toward the border.
The closer they got to the border, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The armies of every country had received the warning and were hurrying toward the border in force, hoping to prevent the demon's return.
The demons had long since vanished from the land. Passed down from mouth to mouth and preserved in ancient texts, the legends clearly recorded the disasters they had caused.
Ordinary armies couldn't withstand strange creatures that defied all reason. Along the way, Rikusei spotted numerous bounty notices. They sought the help of wandering ninja and bounty hunters to resist this calamity, conveniently giving him and Madara a legitimate identity.
The meeting point was a camp at the very rear. The moment Rikusei stepped inside, he spotted someone he knew.
"Hey!"
With Madara, Rikusei quietly came up behind him and suddenly greeted him.
Kuan