Dog General

The setting sun slashed its last streak of blood-red light across the mouth of the gorge, and the patterns on the youth's armor flowed with a ruby sheen.

A corner of Nuregarasu's tattered, raven-black haori lifted in the wind, revealing skin at her waist whiter than frost or snow.

It aligned with Tōga's hand hovering at her waist in a strangely dangerous harmony.

The crack of a dry branch beneath Ringetsu's foot startled the seemingly frozen moment back into motion.

The hem of her splendid robes, edged in silver embroidery, brushed the scorched earth, yet the strands of hair falling beside her temples hung motionless in the dusk.

The sunset cast the three figures' shadows onto the ruined stone pillars of Thunderclap Hall, twisting them into beasts tearing at one another.

"It seems I walked a little too quickly. Have I come at a bad time?"

Ringetsu's voice was soft and lilting, yet carried a trace of displeasure almost too subtle to detect.

Her delicate hand instinctively pressed against the sword hilt at her waist, her gaze settling on Tōga's hand as he used wind power to support Nuregarasu's waist without touching her.

After her gaze lingered there for a second or two, the girl's faintly downturned lips curved upward, and the hand resting on her sword hilt rose to cover her rosy lips.

Her radiant eyes blinked, her tone elusive, as though holding a hint of delight while hiding a touch of reproach.

"I never would have guessed you had such a fondness for cherishing beauties."

"Just lending a hand. Just lending a hand."

Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the golden eyes beneath Ringetsu's thick bangs as they flickered between light and shadow. The oppressive sense of a monumental jealous outburst about to erupt instantly made Tōga feel the threat of a cleaver.

As he answered Ringetsu, he calmly helped Nuregarasu up, every movement that of a courteous gentleman, an almost imperceptible trace of surprise in his eyes.

He had read about all the prominent figures of the Karasu Tengu Tribe in the Dog Tribe's intelligence reports, so recognizing Nuregarasu was hardly surprising.

Naturally, the girl's cool, exquisite beauty was not why Tōga had chosen to approach her even in Ringetsu's presence.

Everyone appreciated beauty, of course.

But the fact that Tōga could indifferently watch Spring Gale, Summer Gale, and Winter Gale-three Panther Cat maidens in the bloom of youth-die while he held an overwhelming advantage spoke volumes about his disposition.

Beneath beauty lay only bones and flesh. Mere good looks were like factory-line products, with a fresh batch emerging every few years. They could never stir Tōga's heart.

What truly surprised him were the two naturally compatible Treasures the girl possessed.

The already damaged Thunder Spear, in particular, was something he had never even heard of.

The Azure Wings of Wind alone could elevate a mid-level yokai to the level of a high-level yokai.

The power of the two combined would undoubtedly be greater still.

Tōga could not tell whether Nuregarasu had any hope of becoming a Great Yokai.

But after secretly taking a bite of the girl's yokai power with his panoply yokai power, Tōga could say for certain that Nuregarasu's true combat strength already surpassed White Bone Maru's.

One thing was certain-this girl had the potential to become a Great Yokai!

She was worth a little effort to win her favor, a small price to pay for the Dog Tribe's rise.

As for using panoply yokai power, that was a last resort.

Still, this Thunder Spear seems inherently flawed.

Nuregarasu's body is battered, too-a flower on the verge of withering.

Can I bind this crow, poised to spread her wings and fly, with a thread of fate?

Countless thoughts raced through Tōga's mind. Once he had helped Nuregarasu stand, he had yet to exchange even a few pleasantries with her before Ringetsu took over.

"A general has a general's duties. Leave things here to me."

Having slain White Bone Maru, Tōga was more than qualified to serve as a commanding general of the Dog Tribe.

By elevating Tōga's status now, Ringetsu was also making the coming conversation with the Karasu Tengu easier.

It was certainly not for the sake of her man's dignity.

Recognizing his wife's good intentions, Tōga readily went along with her.

He glanced at Red Evil Ogre and the others gathered nearby and beckoned. They each began searching for any surviving Panther Cats or collecting their corpses.

"Dog... General..."

Tōga's slowly retreating figure was reflected in Nuregarasu's shimmering eyes, and deep within them surfaced the smile he had worn when they first met.

Then the smiling Ringetsu stepped into her field of vision.

"I am Ringetsu. Should I address you as Chieftain Nuregarasu or Elder Nuregarasu?"

Ringetsu knew the Karasu Tengu Tribe's rules of succession perfectly well.

The former title would mean Anhamaru was already dead.

The latter might mean the Karasu Tengu Tribe had acquired a new means of passing on its legacy and could possess more than one high-level yokai.

But surveying the devastation throughout Wind-Thunder Gorge, Ringetsu judged the former far more likely.

"So you are the Dog Tribe Noblewoman."

Nuregarasu braced herself with the Thunder Spear in one hand, steadying her body, and said slowly, surprise in her eyes, "My father has passed away. I now hold the position of chieftain."

"May I ask what brings the Dog Tribe to Wind-Thunder Gorge?"

Something significant must have brought the Dog King's Only Daughter here alongside a young general. Nuregarasu's gaze deepened as she calmly studied the noblewoman before her, whose every gesture exuded dignity and grace.

Offer the Azure Wings of Wind or the Thunder Spear to the Dog Tribe?

The moment that thought arose, Nuregarasu dismissed it.

The only things the Karasu Tengu Tribe possessed that could draw the covetous eyes of the Panther Cats and the Dog Tribe were its inherited divine artifacts.

If she surrendered the Azure Wings of Wind, they would demand the Thunder Spear next.

For a great tribe, obtaining a divine artifact merely added to its splendor. But without their divine artifacts and high-level yokai, the Karasu Tengu would be rootless duckweed adrift in the wind.

She was already prepared to take Ringetsu hostage and force the Dog General to comply.

But after offending the Western Country's Two Great Yokai at once, where could the Karasu Tengu go from there?

As she edged toward a true dead end, Nuregarasu lightly bit her bloodless lips. The noblewoman, about to speak, was reflected in her eyes, as though she were awaiting a judgment that would decide her entire tribe's fate.

She did not resent her own troubled fate. Only at this final moment did she rather greedily recall the last person who had smiled gently at her.

As the two women met each other's gazes, invisible ripples stirred the air.

Ringetsu narrowed her eyes slightly, studying the Karasu Tengu Chieftain, whose entire being radiated a resolve to die unbroken rather than live in surrender.

That bearing, that determination, was like a storm petrel spreading its wings amid a raging tempest. Even she, another woman, could not help being moved.

If Father died and my beloved fell in battle, the Nuregarasu before me would be my own reflection...

Fortunately, that is a reality that will never come to pass.

With Tōga here, nothing is impossible.

Knowing from Tōga's earlier attitude that he did not intend to attack the Karasu Tengu, Ringetsu's gaze slowly softened, losing its sharpness.

"Our tribe's purpose in coming here will depend on your answer, Chieftain Nuregarasu."

Ringetsu calmly regarded Nuregarasu's skeletal hand tightening around the Thunder Spear, her gaze tranquil as she spoke with an unhurried, gentle laugh.

"Do not mistake the Dog Tribe for the Panther Cats. Your little tribe's inherited divine artifacts are beneath our notice. Do not mistake the sky above your heads for the whole of the Dog Tribe's world!"