On a mountain at the edge of Dog Castle, waves of rising heat melted away the chill despite the freezing weather.
An old man lived within this sweltering mountain. His hair was sparse, his eyes as large as two light bulbs. Dressed in black-and-green robes, he held a hammer and was pounding a piece of refined iron.
"Hm? What tremendous demonic energy! This is..."
The old man abruptly raised his head. His bulb-like eyes seemed to flash like lamps suddenly lighting up the night as he looked toward the horizon.
"So many demons! Are they attacking Dog Castle?!"
The old man was Tōtōsai, a demon serving under Tōga and a swordsmith renowned throughout the Demon World.
"This is bad. I have to notify the great general at once. With so many demons, Dog Castle might not be able to hold them off!"
Tōtōsai jolted into action. His old bones were no help against so many demons. He hurried over to Three-Eyed Ox and gave him a kick.
"Wake up, you stupid ox! Get moving! We have to run... no, find the great general!"
Kicked awake by Tōtōsai, Three-Eyed Ox rolled over. Seeing Tōtōsai's anxious expression, he followed his gaze toward the horizon, shuddered, and instantly came fully awake.
A cloud of mist formed beneath his hooves, and he shot straight into the sky, ready to flee.
"You stupid ox! I haven't gotten on yet!"
Tōtōsai stood dumbfounded, then stamped his feet in fury, wildly waving his hammer. That stupid ox was driving him mad.
Three-Eyed Ox's ears twitched. Only then did he realize Tōtōsai wasn't on his back. His expression changed, and he looked behind him.
Tōtōsai was roaring furiously for him to come back.
A few breaths later.
Sitting on Three-Eyed Ox's back, Tōtōsai berated him nonstop while keeping a wary eye on the demon army about to descend on Dog Castle.
"Hurry! We have to reach the great general as soon as possible."
Tōtōsai tapped Three-Eyed Ox as he spoke.
"Wait for me, Tōtōsai! I'm here too!"
A tiny voice rang out. A crow frantically beat its wings as it chased after Three-Eyed Ox, straining so hard that its eyes had turned red.
Tōtōsai looked back in confusion, thinking he had heard someone calling him. The crow finally caught up, and a tiny figure leaped onto Tōtōsai.
Having exhausted every last ounce of strength to catch up with Tōtōsai, the crow foamed at the beak and plummeted from the sky.
"Tōtōsai, why didn't you wait for me?!"
The tiny figure sat on Tōtōsai's shoulder, fuming.
"Oh, Miroku. Sorry, I left in such a hurry that I forgot about you."
Tōtōsai scratched his head and apologized sheepishly.
He really had forgotten. All he had thought about was running away-no, finding the great general-and he had forgotten that Miroku was still sleeping inside.
Only Tōtōsai's shouting and the terrifying number of demons drawing closer had startled Miroku awake.
"What on earth is going on? Why did so many demons suddenly show up and head for Dog Castle?!"
Miroku hunched his shoulders as he stared at the vast horde of demons in the distance. Their sheer numbers were terrifying.
"How should I know? This whole thing is far too strange!"
Tōtōsai shook his head. He had been minding his own business at home, only for disaster to fall out of the sky.
"Oh no, the mistress is still there! This is really bad! She's carrying the young master and can't move around easily. What are we going to do?!" (Demonic arts could reveal the unborn child's sex.)
Miroku cried out again, his face deathly pale. Only now did he remember that Izayoi was still in Dog Castle, but he had no strength to get her out!
"Our only option now is to find the great general as quickly as possible!"
Tōtōsai spoke calmly, though all he could do was hope that Dog Castle's guards would hold out until the great general returned!
Three-Eyed Ox flew with all his might, speeding toward Tōga's location.
Meanwhile, at Dog Castle.
"All troops, heed my command! Defend Dog Castle to the death! Our families are behind us, and they need our protection. We cannot let those demons break into Dog Castle!"
The defending commander drew his long sword, pointed it forward, and bellowed!
"Defend Dog Castle to the death! Never retreat!"
"Defend Dog Castle to the death! Never retreat!"
Courage flared in the hearts of every dog demon. Their voices thundered through Dog Castle, reassuring the townspeople who could not fight!
The shadowy mass revealed its form. Demons resembling centipedes, giant snakes, and long worms clustered together, surging forward like a revolting river!
The dog demons of Dog Castle charged out fearlessly, displaying the valor of the Dog Tribe's warriors. Their auras were even fiercer and more powerful than those of the attacking demons.
The Western Country was the Dog Tribe's domain now, after all. These dog demons were naturally far stronger fighters than those lowly lesser demons.
For a time, the dog demons actually halted the demon army's charge, forcibly holding the surging horde outside Dog Castle!
But as time passed, the dog demons' stamina and demon power rapidly dwindled. So hopelessly outnumbered, they had no chance to rest.
When one dog demon was devoured, it triggered an avalanche of deaths. Dog demons fell one after another along the walls.
In moments, nearly a hundred dog demons died!
The defending commander bore the greatest pressure of all, holding off dozens upon dozens of demons.
These demons were not strong, but there were simply too many of them.
Dog Castle had only three thousand troops, and they faced an army of tens of thousands of demons. The odds were overwhelming.
They had only held out because their enemies were lesser demons. Had they faced an army of the Leopard Cat Tribe, whose strength rivaled the Dog Tribe's, how could they possibly have withstood such numbers?
"General! We can't hold them off!"
A Dog Tribe warrior drenched in blood roared. He had already suffered numerous wounds, and his blood flowed without stopping.
"Even if we can't... we must!"
The defending commander roared through gritted teeth, swinging his long sword furiously. His stamina was draining rapidly, and his demon power was nearly depleted.
Several more minutes passed. Over a thousand dog demons had been killed or wounded, and the pressure on every survivor was unimaginable. They truly could not hold out any longer!
They were exhausted!
Their stamina, demon power, and mental strength had all reached their limits!
"Is Dog Castle truly going to fall today? Great general! I really did everything I could..."
The defending commander's long sword suddenly snapped. Wounds covered his body. He had fought with everything he had, but in the end, he could not stop this seemingly endless demon army!
The demons before him all realized that the dog demons were finished, and their assault grew even more frenzied!
"Is that... light?"
Just as the defending commander was about to collapse, he saw a dazzling flash of light!
The next instant, an earthshaking crash erupted before Dog Castle. The ground shook, and even the walls seemed to tremble.
An incomparable blaze of sword light engulfed the area before the walls. Every demon attacking Dog Castle within its reach disintegrated in an instant!
They could not even scream or wail-or rather, they had no time to do so before their lives were extinguished!
The sword light shone like a blazing sun across the sky, illuminating the ground before Dog Castle and the hearts of every surviving dog demon!
One sword strike slew a thousand demons!
Slay Gods and Demons: Iaijutsu!
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