Wolf had only half completed his mission, and he had not done a particularly good job of it.
This was also his encounter with real yokai outside Ashina.
He had not expected so many tricks.
It was not really his fault. Tanuki were rather beyond the usual scope of yokai.
Even ordinary foxes were no match for tanuki, which showed just how formidable they were.
Without preparations in advance, stopping a tanuki from escaping really was difficult.
Momiji had actually been slow to react.
A more experienced tanuki would have found a corner and vanished with a "poof."
Aside from his immortality, Wolf had no other magic.
He could not interrupt a tanuki.
A human against a tanuki was an unequal fight.
Wolf had experienced many unequal fights, but those enemies had all come to kill him.
They had fought to the bitter end.
Few had turned and run as soon as they were wounded.
He gripped the railing and looked out for a long while, but saw no trace of her.
Wolf put away the Mortal Blade and hurried away from this place of trouble.
The tanuki's mountain castle was full of enemies.
If Momiji mustered her troops after escaping and trapped him in the watchtower, he would be in trouble.
He would leave first and decide what to do after meeting Hattori Hanzo.
Getting in had been difficult, but getting out was much easier.
He knew the way and understood the sentry positions and such, which naturally made things simpler.
He returned all the way to headquarters, met Hattori Hanzo, and told him what had happened. Hattori Hanzo laughed.
"What did you see on your way back?" Hattori Hanzo asked.
"Bodies." Wolf realized. "Tanuki bodies everywhere!"
"Thanks to you, we won," Hattori Hanzo said. "Whatever you did, it