Wanting it all

"Tōga, is the Third Elder pretty?"

On the flight back to their headquarters, Ringetsu raised a hand and opened a temporary soundproof barrier, the corners of her eyes dipping slightly.

Watching Tōga sit cross-legged, she let a casual question slip from her pink, cherry-blossom lips.

"She is!"

Tōga answered without the slightest hesitation.

When he was with Ringetsu, saying one thing to her face and another behind her back would be the truly terrible thing to do.

Even if he took a second wife someday, he would have to find a way to bring her into the family.

It would be unfair to Ringetsu, and rather shameless of him, but Tōga simply wanted to be the sort of man who had it all.

Fortunately, this world did not have quite so many rules and restrictions.

With enough effort, having a whole harem was not out of the question.

"..."

Ringetsu stared at the perfectly candid Tōga for two or three seconds, then gave a soft huff. She dispelled the soundproof barrier, raised a hand to adjust her bun, and sat there without another word.

Sensing that something seemed to have happened between the young couple on his back, the Great Elder shifted his enormous eyes slightly. He said nothing and continued holding up the barrier that shielded them from the wind.

Inwardly, however, he was thinking that he needed to have another proper talk with the Dog King once they returned.

All of them, as Ringetsu's elders, knew the girl's temperament inside out.

If they did not step in to bring the pair together, there was no telling how long her marriage to Tōga would drag on.

If he could see the Dog Tribe's next generation grow strong a little sooner, the Great Elder felt he would have no regrets even if he died on the battlefield someday.

Ringetsu sat quietly, but her thoughts drifted back to the Third Elder.

That voluptuous figure, paired with clothes that were both dashing and alluring, was simply irresistible.

Never mind Tōga-even she thought the woman was beautiful.

Ringetsu lowered her head slightly and looked at her own modest curves. Remembering the two snowy peaks she had seen floating when she bathed in the hot springs with the Third Elder, she could not help feeling envious.

They're only twice as big as mine are now. Once I grow up, mine can be like that too, she told herself encouragingly.

Besides, that Tōga doesn't just like big breasts. He also likes pretty faces, slender waists, long legs...

Ringetsu's lips curved upward. ...And he likes me!

That thought filled Ringetsu with sweetness, and she turned slightly aside to keep Tōga from noticing the blush spreading across her face.

Her fingers, resting at her waist, gently stroked her Fang Sword.

On her face, fair as the moon, her faint blush mingled with a smile tinged with bloodlust.

Hmph, any dogs, cats, or foxes that casually get close to Tōga deserve divine punishment!

An inexplicable chill ran through Tōga. He studied Ringetsu, who had suddenly begun swaying her head for some reason, the ends of her long hair fluttering. He raised an eyebrow, then closed his eyes and resumed cultivating.

Accumulating yokai power was never something that could be accomplished overnight. Building quantity, refining quality, and grasping its essence all took time.

Talent merely accelerated the process and reduced some of the difficulty. Tōga still had to do the rest through cultivation.

He had already finished cultivating the quantity and quality required at the low-level yokai stage, and he had found a direction for grasping its essence. Once he returned to the tribe's lands, Tōga could begin his breakthrough and achieve a qualitative transformation in his cultivation.

Once his strength increased, he would not have to worry about losing his authority as a husband someday, or meeting a tragic end at the edge of a jealous lover's cleaver.

Rolling mountain ranges wound across the earth, their overlapping peaks blanketed in white.

The setting sun spilled gently over the boundless sea of snow, casting a soft, reflected glow.

Amid these snow-clad mountains, a headquarters belonging exclusively to Dog Yokai lay like a black jewel embedded in the pristine white world.

Built in imitation of a human city, the small, square settlement had an orderly layout and was enveloped by an enormous barrier.

The barrier shimmered with a faint blue light, keeping everything within it securely protected.

On the streets of the small city, a group of young Dog Yokai who had yet to take human form ran and played happily.

Some were white, some gray, some yellow; some had long fur, others short. They varied in color and ranged from ugly to handsome.

The young Dog Yokai yelped excitedly, their clear, childish voices echoing through the streets and alleys.

Just then, an enormous yokai dog swept across the sky. After passing through the barrier, light spread over his body, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed from a yokai dog into a man.

Under the respectful gazes of the nearby Dog Yokai, the Great Elder landed steadily beside the towering Tenshu Pavilion in the center of the city.

"You two go and rest for a while. I'll go see our king."

The Great Elder turned, his gentle gaze sweeping over Tōga and Ringetsu as they landed gracefully, then strode toward the Tenshu Pavilion.

Ringetsu blinked her lustrous eyes, which were as lively and bright as stars twinkling in the night sky.

She tilted her head slightly and glanced at Tōga beside her, then clasped her hands behind her back and set off with light, buoyant steps.

She, too, headed toward the Tenshu Pavilion, though she took a different route from the Great Elder.

That direction led to Ringetsu's private residence.

Tōga had been there more times than he could count. His only regret was that he had never once entered the girl's bedchamber.

"This girl really makes you guess everything she wants to say."

Tōga followed Ringetsu at an easy pace. Hearing the familiar footsteps behind her, the girl's lips curved upward of their own accord.

After that, they had a swordsmanship bout in the open square outside Ringetsu's residence that left them both drenched in sweat.

Meanwhile, the Great Elder entered the great hall inside the Tenshu Pavilion. With the sound of sliding panels, the doors slowly opened, and an air of solemn majesty washed over him.

An enormous luminous pearl hung high overhead, shedding a soft, bright light that illuminated the entire austere hall.

The Dog King, who had already received word, sat on the throne at the far end of the hall.

His powerful frame filled out his fine human robes, with fang armor and arm guards fitted close to his body. His imposing face, however, was pale and bloodless.

His presence was like that of mighty mountains and rivers, making the Great Elder instantly feel small and bow his head respectfully.

From Tōga's proposal to the course of the battle and the arrangements afterward, the Great Elder recounted everything in detail, weaving in Tōga and Ringetsu's outstanding performances.

"Well killed! Splendidly killed!"

After hearing the account, the Dog King laughed heartily. "Seeing the next generation perform so well makes all the risks us old fellows take worthwhile."

"Yes. We give so much precisely so the next generation won't be bullied."

The Great Elder followed the Dog King's words, then got straight to the point with his next sentence.

"So, my lord, when will you announce Lady Ringetsu and Tōga's engagement?"

The harmonious atmosphere in the hall froze. Several attendants lowered their heads, not daring to show any further reaction.

After a brief silence, the Dog King rubbed between his brows and said with a headache, "Great Elder, you know what that girl Ringetsu is like. If I make the decision on my own, she might just run away from home."

Watching the Great Elder fall equally speechless, the Dog King instead felt pleased inside.

As an old man who doted on his daughter, he would not hand over his precious girl so easily.

Especially not to that little white-haired Tōga, who had harbored "ulterior motives" ever since Ringetsu was a small child!