A Human

The scorching heat unleashed by the clash of ice and sword slashes filled a place that no longer resembled a valley. The colliding energies even dispersed the heavy snow in midair before it could fall.

After a while, everything dissipated, and heavy snow descended once more upon the shattered land.

An enormous trench stretched across the center. On one side, scorching sword marks crisscrossed the ground; on the other lay a realm of ice, its earth frozen solid!

The trench seemed to mark the boundary between two worlds, a strange sight indeed.

The wind and snow were fierce. Snowflakes clung to both figures as they stood motionless.

Several breaths later, Mingye sheathed his sword and exhaled a stale breath. His face was as pale and bloodless as the falling snow.

"As expected of the ruler of the Western Country. You truly are powerful!"

Mingye looked at the towering figure across the trench. This man's strength was simply terrifying.

That last Ice Dragon Blast had nearly exhausted all his demon power and physical strength, yet it had failed to injure Tōga in the slightest.

The power of Tessaiga's Mystic Art, Wind Scar, was nothing like the Wind Scar Inuyasha unleashed.

It was a concentration of wind pressure and sword energy pushed to their extremes, terrifying beyond measure.

It could even affect the wind of Mingye's demonic aura. A Great Yokai's strength truly was beyond what he could rival now.

"The younger generation is formidable indeed!"

Tōga put away Tessaiga as well. The power of that Ice Dragon Blast had made him feel a chill like a frozen inferno.

Had his demon power not far surpassed Mingye's, the potential power of Mingye's Mystic Art would actually have exceeded that of his Wind Scar.

Only the overwhelming advantage of his immense demon power had allowed him to cut through the full force of the Ice Dragon Blast.

Tōga had to admit that, had he and Mingye been at the same level, his defeat would have been certain.

"You deployed a barrier at the end, didn't you?"

Tōga spoke calmly. His demon power was far beyond what Mingye could withstand. Wind was everywhere, and even that power of ice could not freeze it.

At the last moment, he had torn open a gap and driven his attack straight toward Mingye. Yet Mingye showed no sign of injury now, so it had clearly been blocked.

"That's right."

Mingye admitted it outright. Only by deploying a barrier at the last moment had he withstood the power of Tōga's Wind Scar.

Still, he knew this was not Tōga's full strength. Backlash Wave would be useless against him; it was a Mystic Art meant for opponents with stronger demonic auras.

The power of Meidō Zangetsuha was indeed difficult to withstand-almost impossible to block. The best response was to evade it.

And Tōga possessed an even stronger weapon, Sōunga. That mighty Evil Sword wielded the terrifying Mystic Art, Hell Dragon Blast.

It was a dreadful power akin to an endless hell. A single strike could destroy a mountain range; even an island would likely be vaporized completely beneath it.

Tōga could also grow enormous by assuming his true form. None of these abilities were things Mingye could match.

This gave Mingye a profound understanding of how terrifying a Greater Yokai's strength was. It far exceeded his own!

With such a vast gulf, it was no wonder that even the supremely gifted Sesshomaru had only become a Great Yokai after reaching two hundred years of age in the original course of events.

"I heard you will be fighting Michinaga of the panther demons in ten days, General?"

Mingye quietly restored his demon power. The demonic blood within him surged and roared, drawing in the spiritual energy of the world with all its might, returning a little color to his face.

"That's right."

Tōga nodded and watched Mingye. Mingye was not the sort to make idle conversation. He must have had a reason for asking.

"Michinaga has allied with Flying Moth. Though you challenged Michinaga, General, you will be fighting two opponents alone!"

Tōga nodded. He had already fought Michinaga and Flying Moth more times than he could count.

"You are confident you can defeat both of them alone, General, but have you forgotten that you have another enemy?"

Mingye continued.

"You mean Ryūkotsusei?!"

Tōga's eyes narrowed slightly. Ryūkotsusei was another lifelong opponent of his, one who had fought him for so long without ever being killed by him.

That alone showed that Ryūkotsusei's strength was far from ordinary.

"Could his injuries have healed already?"

Decades ago, Tōga had fought Ryūkotsusei in a battle lasting seven days and seven nights. At last, he had gravely wounded Ryūkotsusei and forced him to flee.

Had Ryūkotsusei not escaped at the end, Tōga would have killed him then.

"There are plenty of things in this world that can heal injuries, especially for a Great Yokai as powerful as Ryūkotsusei."

Mingye offered the warning. In the original course of events, Ryūkotsusei had never appeared until Tōga had killed Michinaga and defeated Flying Moth. Then he had ambushed Tōga on his way back to the City of Dogs, inflicting a fatal injury.

Having just fought Tōga, Mingye greatly admired this Greater Yokai. He could not bear to see such a mighty ruler fall like that.

"You're right. That fellow has never shown himself. Perhaps he has been lurking in the shadows all along, waiting for an opportunity!"

Tōga's expression grew solemn as he realized the danger. If Ryūkotsusei ambushed him during the battle ten days from now, its outcome would truly be uncertain.

In a head-on battle against three opponents, Tōga would be outmatched, but that alone was not a serious problem.

The most frightening danger was one that remained hidden in the shadows, unknown.

"Thank you for the warning! I never expected you to see the situation so clearly!"

Tōga looked at Mingye again, the admiration in his eyes deepening. Mingye's grasp of the bigger picture was simply extraordinary.

Most yokai of his age were like mischievous children, still young and naive.

Yet all he saw in Mingye's eyes was calm and resolve.

Even before meeting Mingye, he had surmised that Mingye might already have found his own path.

Now, that suspicion had been confirmed.

Sesshomaru... he has already gone far beyond you on his path...

Tōga thought again of his supremely gifted son, Sesshomaru, and sighed softly. Sesshomaru was already outstanding.

But Mingye went far beyond outstanding. He overturned everything one normally expected of a yokai.

Yet to Mingye, all of this was still not enough. He had come to this world with the wisdom of his previous life, yet he remained so far from the truly powerful.

This was also Mingye's first defeat.

Failure was nothing to fear, and Mingye certainly would not be discouraged by a defeat like this.

His heart was utterly resolute. Neither loneliness nor failure could halt his steps.

"Ryūkotsusei is not the only threat to you, General."

Mingye shook his head slightly, paying no mind to Tōga's praise.

"Oh? What other threat is there? Could Kir inmaru be coming to attack again?"

Tōga was somewhat surprised, and his expression grew even graver. Could a perilous situation involving three Great Yokai conspiring together still not be the final threat?

"An enemy you have never paid any attention to, General. Or rather, an enemy you have never considered worth your notice."

Mingye shook his head slightly. Kir inmaru was exceedingly proud. His previous defeat at Tōga's hands had taught him a brutal lesson, and he would not issue another challenge without sufficient confidence.

The enemy Mingye meant was the one who had perished together with Tōga in the original course of events.

"An enemy I've never paid attention to?! Who?"

Tōga knew that if Mingye had brought him up, this enemy he had never taken seriously would surely have a tremendous impact on the battle's outcome.

"A human!"