The Flame Emperor's Flair

After making his usual rounds near Winter Gale and getting a clear picture of the situation, Tōga suddenly frowned. An eerie gleam flickered in his flecked golden eyes as he glanced toward the Leopard Cat Tribe's heartland.

Several fierce, oppressive auras made Tōga feel needles against his back even from this great distance, raising every hair on his body.

Their pressure was no different from that of his tribe's elders. These were all High-Level Yokai of the Leopard Cat Tribe.

Tōga knew his little tricks worked just fine for toying with Winter Gale and the other leopard cats, but they fell considerably short against High-Level Yokai.

He could not fool the Dog Tribe's elders back home, and he probably could not fool high-ranking leopard cats either.

To avoid attracting the attention of powerful demons he could not yet handle, Tōga had combined his five far-superhuman senses with his exceptionally keen sixth sense to create a secret perception technique-Mind's Eye of the Netherworld.

With his extraordinary six senses as its foundation, it formed a celestial eye within his mind.

With the slightest shift of thought, this celestial eye would work through his own eyes, piercing the world's illusions and catching the unique light of life within all kinds of demons.

Even he could not explain exactly how it worked. All he could do was marvel-sometimes, overwhelming talent really did let you do whatever you wanted.

But its powerful effects also placed a heavy burden on Tōga, so he only used it when his instincts warned him of danger.

Through Tōga's eyes, now shining with a deep blue divine light, he saw an intensely aggressive demonic aura, like a raging blaze, rapidly approaching the Cat-Dog border. Its intentions were obvious.

"Things are getting more and more interesting." The corners of Tōga's mouth lifted into an eager smile.

Winter Gale and the other leopard cats were a future threat, but the approaching Panther Cat Elder was a threat right now. Taking them all out would relieve quite a bit of pressure on the Dog Tribe.

Tōga withdrew his gaze, lightly shook the snow from his body, and turned back toward his own outpost. His white tail drifted leisurely behind him as he began reviewing the current situation.

Winter Gale wanted to gather the strength of her friends and family to wipe out the Dog Tribe's outpost. Tōga believed that part was her own idea.

But the gathering of multiple leopard cat squads had undoubtedly attracted the attention of the high-ranking leopard cats.

By rights, the Leopard Cat Tribe was wealthy and powerful enough that losing four patrol squads should have been a drop in the bucket, nothing that truly hurt them.

For a high-ranking leopard cat to personally visit the Cat-Dog border now, they were most likely coming to protect the young Four Heavenly Kings of the Leopard Cats.

"Looks like the Four Heavenly Kings have an even higher standing in the Leopard Cat Tribe than I imagined."

"And Winter Gale certainly lives up to her talent. She'll be able to trade a few blows with my big pup and survive, after all."

Tōga's expression remained unchanged. The arrival of a high-ranking leopard cat did not worry him in the slightest.

Winter Gale was the Leopard Cat Tribe's darling, but wasn't Tōga just as precious to his own tribe?

One of the Dog Tribe's three elders was Tōga's teacher.

From first distinguishing himself to carefully securing his position, Tōga had enjoyed an exceptionally comfortable life in the still relatively simple society of the Dog Tribe, thanks to his experience across two lifetimes, his social intelligence, and his staggering talent.

He had already achieved almost all the modest goals he had set as a child.

The only person who had ever left him at a loss was the tribe's young lady.

His handsome, fair figure swept like the wind through the snowy mountain woods. When he reached the open ground near the foot of the outpost's mountain, Tōga abruptly stopped, a smile curving his lips.

The instant his boots sank into the snow, an invisible force seemed to freeze the surrounding air. Every breath of wind turned to ice, and the entire world fell deathly still.

Suddenly, an exquisitely beautiful white-haired girl burst out of the snow.

Her hair spilled like moonlight, dancing wildly through the snowy mist and briefly revealing the crescent marking on her forehead.

Her eyes were like unfathomably deep, icy pools, their brilliant gold flashing with belligerence and displeasure. She drove her long legs against the ground and shot straight at Tōga like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The girl held a Fang Sword gleaming with cold light. Its tip glinted with a chilling edge, and it gave a shrill whistle as it sliced through the air.

She moved at incredible speed, appearing before Tōga almost in the same instant. The icy blade in her hand thrust straight at his throat with crushing force.

Tōga leaned backward, letting the tip pass just beside his nose with a trace of cold.

He stamped down hard, using his demonic power and the resistance of the snowy ground to spring several yards backward.

At the same time, his right hand darted out. The scabbard of the Fang Sword at his waist collided with Ringetsu's blade, ringing sharply as sparks scattered.

"Ringetsu, it's only been a few days since we last met. Do you really need to greet me so enthusiastically?"

Tōga watched the aloof girl swing her sword at him, though his gaze flicked toward a smiling old fellow who had appeared halfway up the mountain at some point.

At Tōga's words, an almost imperceptible blush touched Ringetsu's face. Then she snorted coldly, twisting like a nimble serpent as the Fang Sword in her hand transformed into countless streaks of cold light, stabbing at Tōga from every direction.

Tōga darted about, weaving an impenetrable defense with his Fang Sword's scabbard and blocking every one of Ringetsu's attacks.

Every clash sent sprays of ice bursting across the snow.

On this frozen battlefield, their figures flashed past one another.

Their practiced swordsmanship, exquisite techniques, and outstanding combat instincts, paired with their magnificent looks and bearing, left the Dog Tribe Grand Elder on the mountainside increasingly pleased.

"These two truly are a match made in heaven for our Dog Tribe. I was absolutely right to ask our king for her hand on his behalf."

Unaware of what his teacher, the current Dog Tribe Grand Elder, was muttering, Tōga gradually began to read something into Ringetsu's increasingly urgent yet increasingly less murderous swordplay.

As far as Tōga was concerned, his eldest son Sesshomaru had inherited every bit of his prickly, affection-denying personality from Princess Ringetsu's younger self.

The way she drew her sword and attacked at the slightest provocation was exactly like Sesshomaru, who would "travel miles to save his little brother when he was in danger, and travel miles to beat him up when he wasn't." Both were hopelessly stubborn about their feelings.

That had caused Tōga plenty of suffering back in the tribe, when he kept trying to get close to her and emulate a little of the Flame Emperor's flair.

For a while, he had even wondered whether his arrival in this world had made Ringetsu dislike this version of the Dog General.

Just as Tōga began gradually distancing himself and seriously considering whether he should keep pursuing her so doggedly, Ringetsu came charging at him with her sword.

Her cry of "You heartless bastard!" in full view of the Dog Tribe's many elders shattered Tōga's composure. His mind blanked for an instant, and Ringetsu nearly sliced his canine head clean off.

From then on, having learned what Ringetsu's personality was really like, Tōga decided to take an indirect approach. He quietly encouraged the Great Elder to go to the Dog King and ask for her hand on his behalf.

Once their rightful relationship was formally established, the girl whose mouth was the most stubborn part of her would become his graceful, noble principal wife, a queenly mother to all.