Such Audacity

Amid the ice and snow, blades clashed in crisp, rapid bursts, like a relentless drumbeat.

The fierce echoes rang out again and again, shaking heavy clumps of snow from distant branches. They drifted down in flurries, like blossoms scattered by a celestial maiden.

Red Evil Ogre and the Dog Yokai who had arrived with Qitian lay halfway up the mountainside, their heads clustered together.

Red Evil Ogre watched Ringetsu without blinking as she moved through the battlefield, graceful as a startled swan, fluid as a roaming dragon. A trace of envy unwittingly surfaced in her eyes-

Talented, beautiful, and the king's only daughter. She really is a perfect match for Lord Tōga.

Qitian, the most senior of the captains present, watched Tōga "beset by danger, his canine life hanging by a thread" beneath the noble lady's sword. He let out a wistful sigh, suddenly moved to offer an observation.

"If you're going to take a wife, never marry one with that temperament. Otherwise, your life as a dog is over."

It was only a heartfelt mutter from the dog, but none of those present were ordinary folk. They were all Dog Yokai with exceptionally keen senses.

That faint voice cut through the silence like a thunderclap across a still night sky, reaching everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

Just then, with one final, piercing ring of steel, the "tender, loving duel to the death" came to an abrupt halt.

Ringetsu put away her sword and stood straight as a pine, like a proud plum blossom blooming amid the ice and snow.

Her delicate body trembled slightly, whether from anger at Qitian's words, exhaustion from the fierce battle, or the threads of bashfulness stirring in her heart as she faced Tōga.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes shimmering with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, and cursed inwardly, What unbelievable canine audacity!

Tōga stopped as well and sucked at his teeth. It suddenly struck him that Qitian's bullheaded decision to attack the Four War Gods in the original storyline, getting himself killed, had not come out of nowhere.

Still, thanks to Qitian's loose tongue, Ringetsu had quieted down, bringing this tense "battle" to an end.

They stood facing each other, and the whole world seemed to fall silent for a moment, leaving only the soft rustle of falling snow.

Tōga stole a glance at Ringetsu and saw a blush quietly spread over the girl's face, as radiant as clouds dyed crimson by the setting sun. Her beauty left him spellbound.

That fleeting glimpse of shyness made his heart give a sudden leap, just as his eyes met Ringetsu's.

The undisguised eagerness and joy in the young man's eyes flowed through their meeting gazes, reaching Ringetsu's heart without reservation.

Her gaze trembled slightly, as though his burning look had scalded her. Instinct urged her to look away, but her long-held pride and stubbornness made her glare back instead.

Looking at the imposing, magnificently handsome Tōga before her, Ringetsu betrayed a barely perceptible flicker of panic.

Then, with nowhere to vent her anger, she turned to seek out the "culprit" instead.

Red Evil Ogre stared wide-eyed at Qitian. Her instincts as a woman made his remark particularly offensive, and she resolved to teach him a harsh lesson later.

The Great Elder, a man with experience in such matters, first paused at the remark, then regarded Qitian with keen amusement, his expression seeming to ask, Whose pup is this, and how is he so fearless?

Realizing something was wrong, Qitian shrank back, desperately hoping the Panther Cats would attack and save him from this calamity.

Suddenly, he felt a piercing gaze and instinctively raised his head.

Cold light flashed in Ringetsu's eyes, like two sharp blades cleaving straight toward Qitian.

The authority and displeasure in that gaze made his fur stand on end. By sheer reflex, he plunged his head straight into the snow.

Only his tail remained outside, trembling uncontrollably.

The nearby dogs caught by Ringetsu's sidelong glance covered their mouths and flattened themselves against the snow, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

Seeing this, Tōga walked over to Ringetsu and, under her startled gaze, took her soft little hand.

She tried several times to pull free, but his larger hand held hers firmly. After a few attempts, her hand stopped struggling, though its owner was now glaring murderously at Tōga.

A moment later, she casually looked away. The blue sky and white clouds reflected in her beautiful golden eyes, as though something up there were better-looking than Tōga.

Of all her features, that little mouth is the most stubborn, and those eyes are the fiercest.

As Tōga thought this, he could not help recalling some of his eldest son's classic canine declarations.

"Only a useless half-yokai would associate with humans."

"Rin, let's go."

"I, Sesshomaru, have nothing to protect!"

"Nothing is worth the price of Rin's life... nothing!"

Tōga put those famous scenes out of his mind for the moment and looked around. Freed from the "bullying" of Ringetsu's gaze, the dogs were gradually recovering their composure.

He gave a light cough, then raised his voice.

"Since all three patrol captains and the elder are here, let's have a quick captains' meeting to discuss the latest intelligence on the Panther Cats."

Holding Ringetsu's hand, Tōga walked into the outpost one step at a time, under the eyes of all the dogs.

Ringetsu's cheeks were faintly flushed. Though she tried to look unwilling, the way she followed close at his side betrayed her true feelings.

The Great Elder followed at an unhurried pace, his face full of smiles and his eyes brimming with satisfaction, as though he had glimpsed the future hope of the Dog Yokai clan.

The other two captains, Qitian among them, hurriedly tidied their somewhat disheveled fur and followed with slightly restrained expressions.

The remaining dogs went about their respective duties.

Red Evil Ogre took two Dog Yokai who had only successfully assumed humanoid form the day before and began patrolling around the outpost.

Inside the cave, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Sitting in a corner, Qitian secretly raised his eyes and looked with trepidation at Ringetsu, who sat composedly beside Tōga.

By now, Ringetsu had shed the fierce, cutting air she had displayed while wielding her sword in the snow. A gracious, gentle poise surrounded her instead.

She sat elegantly with her back straight, her hands lightly folded on her knees, her fingers slender and their joints finely defined.

Her waterfall of long hair fell smoothly down her back, rippling softly with her slightest movements. She resembled an orchid blooming in a quiet mountain valley, serene and lovely.

Even so, Qitian remained shaken. Whenever he recalled his earlier thoughtless words, cold sweat broke out over his back, and a chill crept up his spine.

It felt as though Ringetsu's knife-sharp gaze were still scraping mercilessly over him.

He quietly tucked his neck in, secretly praying that Ringetsu would soon forget his "offense."

With that thought, he could not help stealing a glance at Tōga, his eyes filled with unease and a plea for help.

Tōga noticed his gaze and discreetly gave him a look that said, I've got everything covered. Qitian breathed a sigh of relief, and even his hunched back straightened a little.

Sitting in the seat of honor the Great Elder had yielded to him, Tōga grew serious, cleared his throat, and began methodically recounting the intelligence from Winter Gale.

His voice rang clear and strong through the cave.

When he mentioned that a high-ranking Panther Cat with fiery yokai energy would soon arrive, the Great Elder's half-narrowed eyes suddenly lit up, and a trace of indelible hatred flashed through his gaze.