Mingye sat cross-legged on Chongli's enormous shoulder. Even in his enlarged form, Chongli was far from slow, covering dozens of yards with every bound.
"If things are really as I suspect, Michinaga of the leopard cats certainly won't wait obediently for the appointed day to fight Tōga. He may choose to launch his attack tonight, or perhaps tomorrow!"
Mingye closed his eyes in thought. Red Evil Ogre and Qitian had very likely met with disaster, which meant the enemy had also gained information from them.
Under these circumstances, a surprise attack was undoubtedly the best choice.
Mingye had thought of this, and Tōga had naturally guessed as much himself. After Mingye left the camp, Tōga immediately assembled his army to prepare for the final, decisive battle.
He also wanted to end this war as quickly as possible.
Although Mingye was quite capable, Tōga still wanted to return to Dog Castle and Izayoi's side as soon as he could.
"Chongli, faster!"
Mingye urged him on. Setsuna no Takemaru's army might already be attacking Dog Castle. This time, he would personally change the course of Izayoi's fate!
He refused to believe that destiny could not be broken!
"Yes, Lord Mingye!"
Chongli began unleashing his demon power without restraint, covering ever greater distances. Each footfall struck with tremendous force.
His enormous footprints sank deep into the ground, each over three yards long.
Chongli resembled the great shaman of legend who chased the sun, except that he was chasing time, not the sun!
He had yet to gain the power of flight and could only rely on brute strength to hasten his journey.
Although Mingye could fly, doing so would inevitably consume a great deal of demon power.
After all, he was still far too young. His reserves of demon power were a weakness.
Meanwhile, Dog Castle remained unaware of the approaching danger.
Some dog demon soldiers had stayed behind to guard it, but nearly all its main forces were at the front.
"I hear the Great General will face Michinaga of the leopard cats in a decisive battle any day now!"
A one-eyed dog demon guarding the castle suddenly spoke. Guard duty was a tedious task, and the steadily darkening sky signaled the arrival of night.
After standing watch all day, they usually chatted to keep themselves from dozing off.
"Yes, victory in this war will definitely belong to our Dog Tribe!"
Another dog demon, who looked somewhat more seasoned, nodded. His eyes gleamed with absolute faith in Tōga!
Every dog demon in Dog Castle firmly believed that Tōga would win this war, simply because he had never suffered a defeat since making his name!
After every battle, Tōga had returned in triumph as the victor.
This had made the dog demons proud, and they had begun to look down on other demons.
What did it matter if Michinaga of the leopard cats had once been the overlord? He had still lost to Tōga.
This was also why the guards of Dog Castle had grown rather lax.
They had never imagined that any demon in the world would dare attack Dog Castle. After all, Tōga was still alive. An invincible warrior like him was enough to deter every demon and monster.
In the eastern part of Dog Castle stood a private residence unlike anywhere else in the castle.
All its decorations reflected human tastes, with a small bridge over flowing water. Despite the heavy snow outside, neither the surroundings nor the temperature here had changed at all.
Clearly, demonic magic had been placed over the residence to shield it from the outside environment, keeping it as warm as spring.
The residence was very quiet, with no unnecessary attendants about. Only eight fierce-looking dog demons stood before its entrance.
The eight dog demons radiated a formidable presence as they stood motionless at the entrance, guarding the residence.
Inside, a beautiful woman with a heavily swollen belly slowly rose from bed with a maid's support and walked out of her room.
Bright light filled the residence. Compared with the darkness outside, the two seemed like opposing worlds, one black and the other white.
The beautiful woman raised her eyes slightly, her gaze as clear as autumn waters. Her heavenly beauty would have left anyone in awe, adding yet another touch of loveliness to the scenery!
Were it not for the traces of worry around her eyes that marred the picture, such beauty would truly have been unrivaled.
"My lady, mind the step."
The maid supported the beautiful woman and warned her about the step ahead. After all, the child she carried was the Dog Tribe's young master. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.
The beautiful woman lifted her foot over the step with difficulty and slowly walked along the long corridor.
But her belly was so large now that she grew breathless after only a few steps and had to stop to rest.
She slowly sat down at the edge of the corridor and leaned back. As she gazed at the little bridge and flowing water, a man's figure appeared before her mind's eye.
"I wonder when my husband will return..."
The beautiful woman was none other than Izayoi. She sighed softly. However lovely the scenery before her might be, it still lacked him.
Stroking her swollen belly, Izayoi felt the little one inside stirring ceaselessly, seemingly unwilling to rest either.
"My lady, once the Great General learns that your child is about to be born, he will surely return very soon. Please don't worry."
The maid stood beside her, offering reassurance.
Izayoi nodded slightly. Thinking of how delighted Tōga would be to return and see the child in her belly, she could not help lifting the corners of her lips into a breathtaking smile.
Yet at that very moment, less than twenty-five kilometers from Dog Castle, Setsuna no Takemaru rode forward in armor, the Blood-Colored Long Sword hanging at his waist. Behind him marched the entire city's military force.
Before setting out, Setsuna no Takemaru had also slain Izayoi's father, the city lord.
This was the first step in his revenge. The city's entire military force had long since fallen under his sole command, and every noble obeyed him alone.
A single order had been enough to send the city lord's head rolling.
Now every soldier in the city had marched out, an army more than ten thousand strong, determined to destroy Dog Castle.
Setsuna no Takemaru would make that woman feel the pain he had felt back then. He would make Izayoi understand that choosing to follow Tōga had been a mistake.
In the sky, approaching from a different direction than Setsuna no Takemaru, a vast shadow surged toward Dog Castle, blotting out the heavens.
Beneath the night sky, the shadow seemed to blend into the darkness. Had the evil energy generated by its immense numbers not altered the surroundings, it would have been almost impossible to detect.
At Dog Castle's gates, the dog demons' expressions changed one after another. Their keen noses had caught the scents of countless demons on the cold wind before they arrived.
"A huge number of demons are heading this way!"
"Alert! Alert!"
"A huge number of demons are attacking!"
Howls rang out before the gates. Torches lit up the darkness, and every demon in Dog Castle was roused.
Every dog demon capable of fighting hurried to gather at the gates. The auras of tens of thousands of demons were so intense that they shone like a glaring beacon in the darkness.
The commander of the castle guard was a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man with a long saber at his waist. Hearing the commotion, he hurried onto the walls to oversee the defenses.
"Everyone, prepare to repel the enemy!"
"Yes, General!"
Before you continue