Becoming the Chief

Year after year passed. Time flowed like water, swift and unstoppable, slipping away before anyone could even react.

Two years went by. Mingye spent every day cultivating. It was monotonous, but he enjoyed it.

Over those two years, he fought many demons to the death and grew considerably.

Mingye wiped out every demon within dozens of miles of Bluestone Mountain. The strong preyed on the weak-that was how cruel the world was.

Mingye grew through battle after battle. His eyes were as deep as the starry sky, and his aura far surpassed what it had been two years ago.

He stood on a broad stretch of flat ground, his expression impassive. Members of the Demon Wolf Tribe surrounded him, cheering, excited, nervous, and thrilled.

Today, Mingye would challenge the current chief. He had grown so quickly that, at just fifty-two years old, he was already competing for the position.

Yet despite how absurd that was, not a single member of the Demon Wolf Tribe mocked Mingye. The strength he had displayed by slaying demon after demon over the past two years had won them over.

Two years was far too short a time for demons. No one could have imagined Mingye would grow this much in just two years.

His strength could not be measured by the usual years of cultivation. He was practically on par with the offspring of some Greater Yokai.

"Very good, Mingye. I was right about you. Your talent far exceeds your father's!"

The current chief had a full head of white hair. Though he was only a little over four hundred years old, he looked as though he had entered the twilight of his life.

That was truly young for a demon, yet this chief was unusually aged.

And Mingye sensed an aura of decay emanating from him.

The old man doesn't have much time left...

Mingye sighed inwardly. He could clearly sense the old man's waning vitality. His end was approaching.

"Come! Defeat me, become the chief, and lead the wolf tribe to prosperity!"

The old man's voice suddenly rose, his eyes shining with anticipation.

He wanted to see hope for the wolf tribe's prosperity in his final years!

"Careful, old man!"

Mingye spoke calmly, but he had already vanished from where he stood. He moved so quickly that the tribespeople watching could not even tell how he had disappeared.

Shock flashed in the old man's eyes. Without a moment's thought, he raised his leg and swept it behind him!

That was the instinct of years of battle. The old man, too, had ample combat experience.

But his gradually weakening body had slowed his reactions.

Mingye caught the old man's leg. A pulse of Demon Power threw him off balance.

The old man's expression changed. Enduring his internal injuries, he fought to control his body in midair and slashed out a streak of claw light.

Rrrip!

The sound of tearing air rang out as the fierce claw light shot straight toward Mingye's chest.

The old man executed the move in one fluid motion, cutting off Mingye's chance to press his advantage.

Mingye shifted lightly, drifting like a wisp of fluff, and evaded the claw light.

It was not that he lacked a way to break through it, but doing so might injure the old man.

Thus, Mingye chose to dodge. But he moved swiftly, closing in on where the old man would land.

The old man's claws suddenly grew even sharper. Pale green Demon Power coiled around them, radiating danger.

Like a ravenous wolf pouncing on its prey, he wore a ferocious look and displayed his considerable strength.

This time, Mingye did not retreat. He met the attack from below, closing his fingers into a fist as Demon Power surged, and punched.

Boom!

A deafening crash shook the tribespeople and demon wolves watching. Air erupted from the center of the blast, surging violently in every direction.

Dust billowed from the ground, hiding Mingye and the old man from the spectators' sight.

When the dust cleared, the tribespeople looked over. Mingye still stood where he had started, as though he had never moved.

On the other side, the old man's face was pale, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His feet had carved long furrows through the ground.

Had Mingye won?

"You won!"

The old man looked at the unruffled Mingye and smiled. He had lost, but he was happy.

Mingye had beaten him with ease. There truly was hope that he could bring prosperity to the Demon Wolf Tribe.

His gamble had paid off!

Mingye had won!

"Lord Mingye won!"

"He's so strong!"

"Lord Mingye is so handsome!"

The members of the Demon Wolf Tribe cheered and leaped with excitement. Even many of the women were smitten, declaring their love for Mingye.

"My brother became the chief!"

Little Kōga grinned and laughed. His older brother had become the chief, the strongest person in this tribe.

At ten years old, he had few thoughts beyond simple happiness for Mingye.

"This is a map to our tribe's secret grounds. Our strongest Sacred Artifact, the Five Thunder Finger, lies there. The chief of any demon wolf tribe has the opportunity to go there and obtain it."

The old man took an ancient-looking map from inside his robe and explained what it was.

Mingye accepted the map. Naturally, he knew that the Five Thunder Finger was the Demon Wolf Tribe's Sacred Artifact.

Of course, only the chiefs knew this. Ordinary tribespeople knew nothing of it.

After all, no one had obtained the Five Thunder Finger for many years.

"To obtain the Sacred Artifact, the Five Thunder Finger, you must earn the approval of its guardian beast, the Three-Headed Demon Wolf. With your strength, you should have an excellent chance!"

The old man knew Mingye had held back much of his strength in their duel.

Besides, his own strength had declined so severely that he could not gauge Mingye's true power.

But from the bodies of some of the demons Mingye had slain, he could infer that Mingye's strength already far surpassed his own.

Most telling of all, Mingye had never once used his greatest power-his ice power.

"The Five Thunder Finger..."

Mingye nodded. Lightning was immensely powerful, too. The Five Thunder Finger could unleash wood lightning, wind lightning, water lightning, fire lightning, and earth lightning, all far stronger than ordinary lightning.

In the original course of events, Kōga had never fully displayed this Sacred Artifact's power, so it had left little impression.

Though Mingye commanded ice power, lightning was still more terrifying and direct in its destructive force.

Still, his ice power had an extremely high ceiling. If he developed it to the point where he could freeze space and time, no one in this world would be his match!

But reaching the point where he could freeze space and time was unimaginably difficult.

That was his goal, and Mingye was working toward it.

"I'll go. Go tend to your injuries. Leave the Demon Wolf Tribe to me!"

Mingye understood the old man's wish. As a member of the Demon Wolf Tribe, and now the chief of this tribe, he would naturally lead it to prosperity and make it the strongest tribe in the world!

That was the promise he made to the old man.

The old man smiled with relief and nodded. Coughing, he walked toward his dwelling. The setting sun shone on him, stretching his shadow long across the ground.

He had stepped down and could now tend to his injuries in peace. But he knew these injuries would never heal.

Still, seeing Mingye defeat him and become the chief was enough.