Tōga's Assessment

The Western Country, at the Dog Tribe Base.

A figure stood at the edge of a cliff. He was tall and imposing, clad in armor, with his long silver hair tied high.

A longsword on his back radiated a powerful, evil aura. Two demonic blades hung at his waist, their keen presence spilling out despite remaining sheathed.

His face was somewhat pale, his eyes filled with exhaustion. Every so often, a cough escaped him.

Facing the mountain wind, he gazed into the distance. His deep golden eyes seemed to pierce endless space and see the battlefield between the Dog Tribe and the Leopard Cat Tribe.

Tap, tap, tap!

Slightly hurried footsteps sounded behind him as a man with delicate features approached, a crimson iron fan strapped to his back.

"Great General! Several more yokai tribes in the Western Country have been ruthlessly exterminated by the Leopard Cat Tribe!"

The delicate-featured man dropped to one knee and reported the latest news to the figure at the cliff's edge.

"They truly won't give us a moment to breathe... cough, cough..."

The man at the cliff sighed softly, coughed a few times, and turned around, revealing a handsome, sharply chiseled face.

That simple turn, accompanied by a shift in his aura, subjected the kneeling man to such crushing pressure that he could barely breathe.

But the pressure vanished in an instant. The delicate-featured man gulped down air, steadying his breathing.

The identity of the man at the cliff was obvious. He was Tōga, leader of the Dog Tribe and the current overlord of the Western Country.

A Great Yokai whose formidable reputation resounded throughout the Demon World!

The delicate-featured man was Red Evil Ogre, a general serving under Tōga.

"Great General, the situation is turning heavily against us. We've already lost part of the Western Country's territory!"

Red Evil Ogre wore a grave expression, and his spirits could hardly have been lower.

Tōga's face darkened at those words. His recent victory over Kir inmaru of the Eastern Country had certainly not come without injury.

As a fellow Great Yokai, Kir inmaru possessed strength that could not be underestimated.

Thus, although Tōga had defeated Kir inmaru, he had suffered considerable injuries himself.

He simply had not shown them at the time. Such a fierce battle had naturally drawn the attention of the Leopard Cats, Flying Moth, and even Ryūkotsusei, who lurked deeper in hiding.

Unfortunately for them, before fighting Tōga, Kir inmaru had declared that anyone who interfered with their battle through a sneak attack would become his enemy!

As a Greater Yokai, Kir inmaru disdained defeating an opponent through someone else's ambush or treachery.

And so, though Michinaga of the Leopard Cats, Flying Moth, and Ryūkotsusei had entertained the idea, they ultimately withdrew.

After all, none of them wanted to give Tōga another ally at a time like this.

Determined to slay Tōga this time, they let him fight Kir inmaru.

Yet Tōga's decisive victory over Kir inmaru had also shocked Greater Yokai such as Michinaga, Flying Moth, and Ryūkotsusei, making them realize that his strength had improved.

Overall, the battle had brought more benefits than drawbacks, leaving the other Greater Yokai intimidated by Tōga's power.

It had also given Tōga a chance to recover, but the assaults by the Leopard Cats and Flying Moth would not stop.

Their yokai armies continued conquering tribe after tribe, weakening the Dog Tribe's influence and prestige.

"Great General, the enemy's offensive is fierce, and the yokai tribes serving them are immensely powerful. Our own forces are simply a little inadequate!"

Red Evil Ogre was actually putting a flattering spin on things. Nearly all the yokai factions allied with the Dog Tribe were weak tribes of the Western Country.

They might have managed a fight when things were going their way, but once the tide turned against them, they were hopelessly outmatched and utterly crushed.

That was why vast stretches of the Western Country's territory had already fallen to the Leopard Cat Tribe.

The Leopard Cat Tribe even had forces to spare for attacking other yokai tribes.

Naturally, the Western Country had more than just those weak tribes. But at a time like this, those with some strength chose to watch the two sides fight without helping either!

The situation left Tōga grinding his teeth in frustration and anger.

Unfortunately, this was not the time to settle accounts with those tribes.

There were also neutral yokai tribes in the Western Country. These were generally tribes that migrated frequently and never settled in one place for very long.

The Demon Wolf Tribe was a prime example of such a neutral tribe.

"Great General, Mingye, the leader of the Demon Wolf Tribe on Bluestone Mountain, has recently made quite a name for himself. He wiped out the expeditionary forces of two major tribes under the Leopard Cat Tribe. His strength should be quite impressive!

His actions are certain to enrage the Leopard Cat Tribe. Perhaps we could bring him over to our side..."

Red Evil Ogre continued. In his view, anyone capable of annihilating the Leopard Tribe's expeditionary force could hardly be weak.

Quite a few yokai had also died at Mingye's hands lately. His various accomplishments all testified to his considerable strength.

And right now, they needed powerful fighters below the Greater Yokai level to hold off the yokai armies serving the Leopard Cat Tribe.

"Mingye of the Demon Wolf Tribe..."

Tōga's eyes flickered slightly as he murmured Mingye's name and affiliation.

"Could the Demon Wolf Tribe be rising again after so many years of obscurity...?"

As a Greater Yokai of the Dog Tribe, Tōga naturally knew that the Demon Wolf Tribe had once been as powerful as his own.

Still, later generations of Demon Wolf Tribe members had grown increasingly weak, causing the tribe to become ever more fragmented. By now, it had split into countless separate clans.

Still, the tribe had produced true Great Yokai in the past and had a deep, enduring legacy.

"How do you think he compares to Sesshomaru?"

Tōga suddenly asked.

Red Evil Ogre was startled. He had genuinely never considered that before.

He thought for a moment, comparing the various reports about Mingye with Young Master Sesshomaru, who had recently been fighting the Four Heavenly Kings of the Leopard Cats on the battlefield.

"Great General, Young Master Sesshomaru is immensely powerful. In time, he will surely become a Great Yokai as mighty as you.

That demon wolf Mingye may have been born carrying the accumulated fortune of the Demon Wolf Tribe, and his talent may be considerable, but surely he still cannot compare with Young Master Sesshomaru."

Red Evil Ogre gave his assessment. After all, he had personally witnessed Sesshomaru fighting, and the young master's strength had already surpassed both his own and Qitian's.

Within the Dog Tribe, probably only the Great General and Lady Princess Tsukuyomi could still keep Young Master Sesshomaru in check.

"Sesshomaru is extraordinarily gifted. Unfortunately, he has strayed from his path..."

Tōga shook his head slightly and sighed again. Sesshomaru had displayed the talent and strength expected of a Great Yokai's son. Despite his youth, he was already a powerful yokai capable of handling all manner of situations.

Yet in Tōga's eyes, Sesshomaru still lacked a true path of his own.

Sesshomaru was obsessed with power, but lacked the mindset needed to control it.

For all his apparent strength, Sesshomaru still fell far short in Tōga's eyes.

He was simply too young, with many truths he had yet to understand.

"That young fellow may already have traveled farther along his path than Sesshomaru."

From Red Evil Ogre's report alone, Tōga had deduced that Mingye might already have grasped his own path. That was something Tōga found deeply astonishing.

"That... Great General, you hold Mingye in such high regard!?"

Red Evil Ogre was stunned. This was the first time he had heard Tōga judge another yokai to have surpassed Sesshomaru.

After all, everyone in the Dog Tribe knew how extraordinary Sesshomaru's talent was. Tōga himself had praised it as far exceeding his own at that age.

"Red Evil Ogre, go to Bluestone Mountain and try inviting that young fellow here."

Tōga was very interested in Mingye, and curious about how someone so young had attained such understanding.

"Yes, Great General!"

Red Evil Ogre forcibly suppressed his shock. Tōga had said to invite Mingye, not compel him. Clearly, the regard Tōga held for Mingye went beyond anything Red Evil Ogre had imagined.

He departed, still deeply shaken.