Tōga had no taste for the hot-blooded heroics of a protagonist.
If he could call in enough people to win an overwhelming group fight, why would he be stupid enough to fight alone and risk an embarrassing defeat?
From an individual's perspective, that sort of thinking might be wonderfully romantic.
But as the captain of a Dog Tribe patrol and the future leader of the tribe, insisting on fighting alone would undoubtedly be irresponsible toward both himself and his people.
Granted, Tōga thought little of the younger versions of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Leopard Cats. With his strength, none of those leopard cats could escape his blade.
But there were many of them. If it really came to a fight, he could not be completely certain he would wipe them all out before exhausting his demonic power.
If even one escaped and spread word of this unusually powerful "lesser demon," the vindictive leopard cat tribe would inevitably target him with ambushes.
That would be a considerable nuisance, one that could put him and his companions in danger at any moment.
Besides, if the surrounded leopard cats launched a desperate counterattack in their death throes, sacrificing themselves to take a few of his own dogs with them, the losses would hardly be worth it.
So, when calling in backup could solve the problem, Tōga naturally chose to do so without hesitation.
He was no lone wolf. The Dog Tribe behind him was his steadfast support.
United under the Dog King's banner and struggling through adversity, the Dog Tribe had no room for scheming against one another.
Calling the others over would both give the young dogs practical combat experience and let him see which of them were worth nurturing.
Honestly, if this body already met the physical requirements for marriage and children, he would definitely have gone all in on having a large family.
Fathers and sons fought side by side; brothers hunted tigers together.
With an outstanding eldest son like Sesshomaru as a shining example, Tōga would be doing his powerful bloodline a disservice if he did not have a few more.
After all, in the original story, the only named members of the Dog Tribe were Qitian and Red Evil Ogre, and both had been assigned the role of cannon fodder.
Tōga watched the four dogs leave. As their figures gradually vanished into the distant snow, the entire outpost became much quieter and emptier.
A standard Dog Tribe patrol consisted of one intermediate demon leading nine lesser demons, and Tōga's squad followed that tradition.
With four dogs gone, four who had yet to assume human form remained. Tōga assigned two of them to guard the outpost entrance.
He began teaching the remaining two the essentials of Human Transformation.
The butterfly had already flapped its wings. The once-destined future had become uncertain.
Three days passed in a flash. A gauzy layer of demonic power covered the soles of Tōga's feet, light and supple, rippling gently with his steps as though it were part of his body.
He followed a short distance behind Winter Gale through the mountain forest, every movement utterly silent.
The technique he used was Shadow-Breath Instant Movement, a new skill created by further refining Sesshomaru's Silent Shift and combining it with the Assassin's Presence Concealment.
As though he had melted into boundless shadow, his presence vanished completely. At the same time, he could move at tremendous speed, his figure flickering as though teleporting.
Over the years, he had devised quite a few minor skills like this, steadily making up for his weaknesses.
They had made him a truly well-rounded fighter, capable of calmly handling any complicated, dangerous situation.
As they traveled, Winter Gale suddenly stopped before a group of leopard cats emerging from the woods. A trace of delight appeared on her normally cold, proud face.
The one wearing a tight headband, built as brawny as a boar demon, should be Autumn Gale of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Draped in a green jacket with his upper body bare, Autumn Gale looked as though he had been born into the wrong species. His demonic power was lightning in nature, and he was the only male among the Four Heavenly Kings. He was cheerfully chatting with Winter Gale.
The wind that swept everywhere through the mountains carried their words to Tōga's ears.
"Big sister, my squad is here. Summer Gale's group will need another four days." Autumn Gale's voice was rough and booming.
"Just as I expected. Wait behind the border with Spring Gale. We still can't underestimate those dog pups' noses." Winter Gale looked grave as she methodically gave her instructions.
"Big sister, I don't think we need to wait for Summer Gale. Her ability is fire, so she won't be much use in the winter snow. Can't the three of us wipe out one squad of dog pups?" Autumn Gale waved dismissively, his words brimming with conceit.
"...I've been watching them these past three days, too. No matter how I look at that dog pup captain, something feels off. We'd better make thorough preparations. There's no need to take unnecessary risks."
Winter Gale frowned, her expression serious. Her instincts told her this Dog Tribe captain was no ordinary foe.
Even looking at him from a distance made her skin crawl.
But she could not stomach tucking her tail between her legs and doing nothing in the face of those dog pups.
"Then we'll do as you say, big sister. You're only doing this for our sake."
Autumn Gale's face twisted into a vicious expression. Threads of lightning and sparks escaped his body, crackling in the dry air.
"This time, we'll kill every last one of those dog pups! They're the reason our leopard cat tribe gets pushed around everywhere. We're going to make them pay!"
Autumn Gale clenched his fists, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. His hatred for the Dog Tribe was plain to see.
Tōga stood quietly on a branch, one hand resting casually on the Fang Sword at his waist, watching the scene with an indifferent expression.
The leopard cats' arrogant words meant nothing to him. They were merely the delusions of fools on the verge of death, hardly worth getting angry over.
What Tōga needed to do now was count the leopard cats, lest they find themselves missing a beloved family member on the road to the underworld once they all dropped dead.
Winter Gale and Autumn Gale continued chatting back and forth, their conversation rambling through assorted trivialities.
To Tōga, most of it was nothing but worthless chatter.
He followed the leopard cats without a sound, his steps so light that they made no noise at all. He seemed to blend into his surroundings, leaving no trace.
The task was easy enough for Tōga to divide his attention, immersing part of his mind in a deeper understanding of the nature of his own demonic power.
Setting aside his previous assumptions, he gradually began to truly sense the stirrings of his demonic power.
The more he refined it, the clearer and deeper his understanding became.
It felt like two lovers reaching for each other. The effort he put in and the response his demonic power gave him fit together perfectly.
Every time he connected with his demonic power, he felt an unprecedented satisfaction and joy, as though he had discovered the true meaning of life.
Tōga knew perfectly well that once he successfully entered the ranks of intermediate demons and forged his own Fang Sword, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
Even against powerful demons capable of changing the weather, his Tessaiga would prove no less formidable!
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