Ringetsu's breakthrough

Beneath a clear sky untouched by industrial pollution, pinpricks of starlight gathered into a river of stars, stretching across the still night.

Atop the Dog Tribe Fortress, a twelve-layered court robe spread like a white lotus beneath the moon. The silver hair of the young woman who had shed her armor shimmered with a stardust glow.

The surrounding mountain woods rustled beneath the gentle caress of the night breeze.

Moonlight poured like water over Ringetsu, tracing a hazy, sacred halo around her, like a celestial maiden in the lunar palace.

Thread after thread of moonlight power flowed into her body with the rhythm of her breathing.

Her Great Yokai bloodline trembled faintly, and her brimming moonlight yokai power advanced naturally to the next level.

Her spiritual power, continually refined and strengthened, drifted slowly out of her body like a sprite freed from its bonds, becoming countless invisible hands that stirred the spiritual currents of heaven and earth.

The moonlight seemed to grow brighter, falling over Ringetsu like silver gauze and merging with her.

Her consciousness gradually blended with nature. She could sense the breathing of the flowers and grass, the flow of the streams, and the steadiness of the mountains.

She could even picture the Dog Yokai halfway down the mountain in her mind from their auras alone.

With each long, slow breath, Ringetsu's aura rose higher and higher.

The yokai power within her surged through her body like a raging river.

Her human body gradually shifted into her true form-her ears slowly lengthened, their pointed tips standing upright.

Wrapped in light, her clothing transformed into a coat of white fur, soft yet tough as blades and spears.

In the blink of an eye, a majestic white dog with a moon mark on her forehead lifted her noble head toward the bright moon hanging high in the sky and let out a long, unhurried howl.

The howl pierced the silent night sky, spreading in every direction.

"So this is nobility by birth!"

Awakened by the howl, Nuregarasu opened her eyes and saw the elegant white dog bathed in moonlight atop the cliff. A powerful, noble aura rippled outward from her.

What the Karasu Tengu of Wind-Thunder Gorge pursued all their lives was merely the starting point for heaven's favored children. Nuregarasu could not help feeling envious.

With the hour late and the buildings destroyed, the Dog Yokai resting beside the campfires all looked toward the top of the fortress. Excitement and joy flickered in their eyes, filled with silver light.

With the Great Elder and Second Elder gone, a younger generation of the Dog Tribe had stepped forward to carry on their unfinished journey.

A young Dog Yokai could not help tugging at the hem of the captain beside him, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Is... is that Lady Ringetsu? She's become so powerful!"

"Obviously! Lady Ringetsu is the most beautiful woman in our tribe!"

The captain shot him a sideways glance, then continued, his voice filled with emotion.

"Lady Ringetsu has broken through. With the King, the Admiral, Her Highness, and the elder leading us, our Dog Tribe will surely prosper even more."

After Tōga slew the Panther Cat Great Elder, the Dog Yokai of the Heavenly Host had spread word of his title as Admiral. Everyone already acknowledged it; only the Dog King's final confirmation remained.

"The Panther Cat won't be smug for much longer."

Sparks rose from the campfires on the breeze. In the firelight, the Dog Yokai, no longer sleepy, sat together and eagerly imagined a future without the Panther Cat.

The sorrow of losing family and comrades slowly drifted away with the wind.

As long-lived beings, yokai were not a sentimental lot by nature.

Most buried their sincere, blazing emotions deep in their hearts.

Like a sealed jar of fine wine, those feelings would be opened slowly and savored in remembrance over the long years to come.

But as the dogs kept talking, someone said, "I think the Third Elder is pretty too," and the conversation veered completely off course.

Qitian wanted to join in, but under Red Evil Ogre's unblinking stare, he could only side with the Ringetsu is the most gorgeous camp, while inwardly shouting, The elder is the sexiest!

Dozens of elderly, weak, and young Karasu Tengu sat around Nuregarasu.

The firelight shone on their jet-black feathered hair. Their worried expressions were utterly at odds with the jubilant Dog Yokai.

The Karasu Tengu exchanged glances, as though a thousand words flowed between their eyes.

In the end, every gaze settled on Nuregarasu and the three old crows beside her.

"This battle is over. What do you intend to do next, Chieftain?"

One of the old crows sat upright, Nuregarasu's frail, sickly beauty reflected in his clouded eyes.

Her ink-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, a few stray locks clinging untidily to her sweat-damp forehead. An air of lingering illness hung over her features.

Nuregarasu turned slightly. The firelight traced the almost translucent pallor of her profile, making her look as though a gust of wind could topple her, a sight that stirred pity.

"My intentions?"

She murmured the words, an unshakable weariness filling her dark red eyes.

Her right arm tingled and ached as flesh regrew, while every part of her body seemed to groan in pain.

The searing agony made Nuregarasu feel as though she could see the red spider lilies swaying beside the road to the underworld, unreal and exquisitely beautiful.

But the old crow's question pulled her back to reality.

Nuregarasu endured the discomfort in her throat. Her voice was low and hoarse, as though repeatedly scraped with sandpaper, steeped in indescribable exhaustion.

"You three are the only elders our tribe has left. Your experience and knowledge far exceed mine. Do you have any suggestions?"

The three old crows lowered their heads slightly, casting inscrutable glances at the Dog Tribe's Third Elder and the Dog General nearby, then took turns voicing the ideas they had already considered.

"Chieftain, this round of the Cat-Dog War has ended. Both tribes suffered grievous losses among their leaders, but the Dog Tribe clearly came out ahead."

"And now two outstanding talents have emerged: Lady Ringetsu and the Dog General."

"Over the coming decades, the course of the Western Country will surely be led by the Dog Tribe."

The maneuvering between Great Yokai was beyond the knowledge of the tribes beneath them. The Karasu Tengu could only judge the situation from what they knew.

When the first old crow finished, the next continued.

"Our tribe was already allied with the Dog Tribe. In this battle, you personally slew two elders of the Leopard Cat, Chieftain, and our tribe suffered heavy casualties as a result."

"By both sentiment and reason, the Dog Tribe cannot simply abandon us."

"But..."

The three old crows bowed deeply in unison, their voices low and solemn as they pronounced each word with gravity.

"The Dog Tribe is a higher tribe. As a lower tribe, we must never overstep our place."

Throughout, the three old crows had kept their voices at just the right volume, their words slowly carrying through the night.

Every yokai present had keen hearing and sharp sight. A wave of grief and indignation immediately spread among the Karasu Tengu.

The lively atmosphere among the Dog Yokai abruptly faltered as well. Eyes gleaming green in the darkness settled on the Karasu Tengu one after another, sharp as swords.