They continued discussing how to pass down Human Transformation and Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer, and all three elders agreed that neither should be taught indiscriminately.
This did not mean the elders intended to monopolize them. Rather, they worried that young Dog Yokai would overlook their importance if they obtained them too easily.
On the other hand, they were even more concerned that these core techniques might fall into the hands of other tribes, inspiring improvements that those tribes could claim as their own. The Dog Tribe would be the one taking a massive loss.
A true teaching could fit into a sentence; a false one could fill ten thousand books. The three elders had never heard that saying, but that did not stop them from following its principle.
"I'll ask Tōga later and see if there's any way to improve things."
Watching the Great Elder and Second Elder trade remarks as they settled on a rough framework for the Dog Tribe's teachings, seven out of every ten sentences mentioned Tōga.
The Third Elder, Zi Yan, deeply felt the weight of responsibility resting on that little bean sprout. Merely listening made her scalp prickle and her tail tremble.
When their little meeting ended, Zi Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
The moment she returned to her residence, she shed her usual dignity as an elder, hummed a cheerful tune, and flopped straight onto her soft bed.
Her voluptuous body rolled over in comfort, and her right hand naturally reached into a hidden compartment beside the bed, retrieving her Tōga body pillow.
She eagerly buried her face in the pillow and took a deep breath of "Tōga energy," easing much of the stress from her day's work.
"Those two, one old and one middle-aged, really can talk. Everything would be fine if they just left it all to Tōga, but they insist on worrying themselves sick and wearing themselves out."
"What a wonderful era to have been born in."
Zi Yan muttered to herself as she enjoyed this moment of leisure.
Before her, the Great Elder and Dog King held up the sky for the Dog Tribe. After her came energetic, promising talents like Tōga and Ringetsu. Sandwiched between them, all she needed to do was follow orders, pick up a sword, and cut people down.
"As Tōga would put it, aren't I just coasting through life?"
Zi Yan lifted her head from the pillow, a blissful smile on her face.
Her tail swayed happily behind her, then curled around the pillow as though sharing her delight with it.
Charging into battle to grow stronger and ultimately dying on the battlefield was something only the brave, fearless Third Elder of the Dog Tribe would consider.
What did that have to do with Zi Yan, who only wanted to enjoy life?
While this ripe, mature beauty happily recharged in bed, a transfer order from within the tribe reached the Great Elder's hands.
Twenty Dog Yokai led by Qitian and Red Evil Ogre immediately headed back to the tribe's territory.
Meanwhile, Tōga arrived at the Dog Tribe's treasury beneath the Tenshu Pavilion.
"You're already an intermediate yokai yourself. Why do you still need a Fang Sword at the same level?"
Ringetsu, who was leading the way, turned her face toward Tōga beside her, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Once your teeth stop growing at your current stage, you can pull one out and forge your own Fang Sword."
"Don't say something so terrifying with such a straight face."
Tōga instinctively touched the corner of his mouth. The excruciating sensation of having his tooth drilled with an electric drill still triggered a stress response in him.
It had not actually hurt, but the sight was something he could never forget.
"Speaking of Fang Swords, Ringetsu, when are you going to fuse one of your own teeth into the Fang Sword the king gave you?"
Tōga stared at Ringetsu's little mouth and asked with a teasing smile, "Don't tell me you're afraid of the pain?"
"Or are you afraid I'll see you missing a tooth?"
Imagining the girl with one canine missing, Tōga wanted to...
"What do you think?"
Ringetsu's sharp gaze, coupled with her emotionless question, sent Tōga walking ahead with a thoroughly serious expression.
Behind him, the girl touched her lips as well and shot Tōga a reproachful glare.
They passed through two guarded checkpoints, getting through on the strength of their familiar faces. After all, this world had yet to produce that sneaky master of disguise, Naraku.
The treasury was not large. Four display counters stood in a square room, holding the Fang Swords accumulated over generations of the Dog Tribe.
Only thirteen remained. They were all similar in size and shape to Tang-style swords, and regular maintenance had kept their blades looking as good as new.
Tōga sniffed, detecting traces of different demonic auras. Two belonged to the Second Elder and Third Elder, while the rest were Fang Swords at the intermediate yokai level.
The Dog King's and Great Elder's spare Fang Swords were already in the hands of their respective successors.
"I'll take one to test. If nothing goes wrong, these swords will contribute to our Dog Tribe in another way."
Selecting a wind-attribute Fang Sword, Tōga returned to his secret study under Ringetsu's puzzled gaze.
The nature of demonic power varied from yokai to yokai, but most fell within the five elements and their derivatives.
Only two members of the Dog Tribe were exceptions: Ringetsu with her lunar-phase demonic power, and Tōga.
In the original story, the Dog General's Tessaiga could devour other yokai's demonic power and evolve.
After being reborn, Tōga sensed that he possessed not only the ability to devour the essence of other yokai's demonic power, but also the ability to bestow that essence upon others.
Tōga sat cross-legged and laid the wind-attribute Fang Sword across his knees as demonic power surged from his body.
When he reached out and gently touched the Fang Sword's hilt, a powerful force of resistance struck him at once.
It was as though the Fang Sword had a consciousness of its own and was desperately resisting its fate of being devoured.
In a daze, Tōga could make out a Dog Yokai throwing his head back and roaring at him.
The wind-attribute demonic aura lingering in the Fang Sword instantly flared, turning into small, razor-sharp wind blades that spun rapidly around the sword with a hissing sound.
Tōga immediately waved his hand, spreading a net of demonic power around the Fang Sword to keep the wind blades from damaging the surrounding bookshelves. Then he lowered his gaze and smiled.
"Let me take you with me into eternity!"
Tōga increased his output of demonic power, and in an instant, an ink-dark surge completely enveloped the Fang Sword.
Wrapped in that radiance, the Fang Sword's outline began to blur.
An invisible, powerful force seemed to pull at the blade, gradually breaking it down into countless tiny particles.
As the Fang Sword disintegrated, the wind-attribute demonic power within it was fully released.
With every wisp of demonic power he devoured, Tōga could clearly feel himself becoming more attuned to wind power.
His body grew lighter, and his speed and agility increased together.
But the devouring process did not go smoothly.
The violent wind-attribute demonic power and its lingering consciousness battered Tōga's will, trying to break free of his restraints.
"Is this the difference between using my body to devour demonic power and using a weapon?"
It forced Tōga to furrow his brow as his mental energy and demonic power began draining rapidly.
As time passed, Tōga completely erased the consciousness within the wind-attribute demonic power. It instantly became docile, slowly merging with his own demonic power.
Once he had successfully devoured the final wisp of wind-attribute demonic power, Tōga slowly opened his eyes.
He raised his hand and gave it a gentle wave, and a soft breeze swirled in his palm.
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