In a single exchange, the proud noble tasted defeat for the second time in his life.
Sesshōmaru had anticipated that the battle might end this way, yet the sheer difference in power during their clash of yokai energy was far beyond what he could accept. For someone who had always taken pride in the strength of his demonic energy, such a result was difficult to swallow.
However—this outcome was only natural to Ruri.
Even though she had only released her three-tail state, after her first battle's corrections, Ruri had completely adapted to this world's yokai energy parameters.
And once she had adjusted to this world's energy system, she was able to take the next step—merging its yokai energy with the spiritual and physical power of her own body.
Thus was formed this world's equivalent of Senjutsu—and thanks to the luxurious robe Satsuki had given her, Ruri now wielded what Satsuki herself had developed: the Onmyō Senjutsu.
In Satsuki's classification, this world's yokai energy, spiritual power, and magical power were all variations of natural energy.
She had even demonstrated once that a Blade of Senjutsu forged from yokai energy could slice through a Truth-Seeking Orb.
Yet, while it looked simple, for most extraordinary beings of this world—even the great yokai—such a feat was virtually impossible.
Most yokai and shrine maidens of this world had merely learned how to manipulate natural energy. Satsuki did not rule out the possibility that some higher-level beings—perhaps Yokai Sages or Yokai Saints—might exist somewhere, capable of merging natural energy with body and spirit to create the prototype of Senjutsu.
However, it was clear that Sesshōmaru had not yet reached such a level, whereas Ruri—she had.
To pit unrefined natural energy against refined Senjutsu—defeat was inevitable. Sesshōmaru could not have hoped for any other outcome.
"You lost."
When Satsuki calmly spoke those words, Sesshōmaru could only respond in silence.
"..."
Prideful as he was, he would never gloat over the defeat of the weak, but that did not mean he was indifferent to victory or loss.
He had always sought to understand the things that intrigued him—using the innate senses of his canine lineage and his own sharp insight to dispel uncertainty. Rarely had he encountered obstacles in this pursuit.
Sesshōmaru was undoubtedly a solitary being—a great yokai who hid fierce passion beneath his cold, stoic exterior. Behind that curtain of silver hair lay eyes that churned with emotion, a storm reserved only for matters of true importance to him.
Ever since witnessing the power of his father, Lord Tōga, he had sworn to one day defeat him at his peak—and take his place as the strongest yokai in not only the Western Lands but the entire Warring States era.
Power—that was what he valued above all else.
And yet, this battle had made him doubt his own strength.
"Clearly, her power isn't overwhelmingly greater in quantity... then why did her yokai energy crush mine so easily?"
He looked down at the broken remains of his blade. If I had my father's Tessaiga... the outcome would not have been the same.
"Oh? You think your defeat lies in your weapon?"
Satsuki saw through his thoughts instantly. She had once walked the same path—so she understood him all too well.
"That's none of your concern..."
With that, Sesshōmaru flung the half-broken sword into the sea. Then, turning his gaze back to her, he suddenly spoke.
"You don't intend to kill me, nor capture me. Your goal... is cooperation, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Satsuki raised an eyebrow, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "Not a difficult deduction, but to realize it so quickly even mid-battle... you're not without value. Whether the entire Western Lands, however, deserves that cooperation—that's another matter."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's simple," Satsuki replied coolly. "From that little exchange, I came to one conclusion: as a pure yokai, your talent is decent and your training diligent. In this era, you're... passable."
Satsuki's tone shifted slightly as she continued, "However, you lack proper guidance. This has left you without the structure or understanding necessary to further develop your power—or even recognize the extent of your own potential. If you were just a wandering yokai, that would be understandable. But as the heir to the ruler of the Western Lands, it means one of two things: either your parents had immense faith in your ability to grow on your own... or they simply lacked the capability to guide you."
"Either way, given your current defeat, it proves that the Western Lands are not yet qualified to cooperate with me."
Sesshōmaru was momentarily speechless.
Born in the Western Lands, as the son of the Great Dog General, the idea that he might lack a mentor was something few could have imagined.
The Great Dog General—Lord Tōga—was the strongest yokai in the Western Lands. Surely, one would expect such a being to have left his son with some powerful legacy.
And yet, until now, Lord Tōga had rarely involved himself in Sesshōmaru's growth.
From the very beginning, he had let his son train alone—his Poison Claws, Light Whip, and Silent Step were all abilities Sesshōmaru had mastered through his own talent and persistence.
But why? That was a question Sesshōmaru had never been able to answer.
As he stood in silence, unable to reply—
A thunderous roar tore through the skies.
ROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!
The heavens trembled, and in an instant, the sky dimmed.
All eyes turned upward.
From within the towering layers of clouds, an enormous silhouette emerged—a colossal armored dog yokai, thousands of meters long, its form shifting faintly within the storm clouds.
Even from a mere glance, the infinite yokai power radiating from the creature made Ruri instinctively tense, her stance turning alert.
Then, the massive yokai broke through the clouds, revealing its full form as it descended toward them, its overwhelming presence blotting out the sun.
As it neared the ground, the giant form dissolved into white light, its body shrinking rapidly.
By the time it landed, the towering beast had vanished, replaced by the imposing figure of an awe-inspiring great yokai.
His appearance resembled Sesshōmaru's, though he stood much taller and broader. His light brown skin spoke of weathered strength and experience, while two violet markings curved across his cheeks. His golden eyes burned with authority, and his long silver hair was tied high into a warrior's ponytail. He wore full armor—every plate radiating power.
Most striking of all were his weapons—two long swords at his waist, and a third strapped across his back. Three distinct yet harmoniously blended auras of yokai energy—each with a different nature, even hinting at separate laws—intertwined around him, exuding unfathomable might.
"My thanks to you both for sparing my son," the man spoke, his deep voice carrying across the land. "But making such presumptuous judgments about a parent's intentions... is not what I would call courteous."
With those words, an unparalleled pressure swept forth from his body, slamming into Satsuki and Ruri like a tempest. Their robes rippled violently as the oppressive wind howled across the battlefield.
The very air grew heavy and sharp, laced with dominance.
Even Sesshōmaru, standing behind him, could not hide his astonishment.
"...Father."
The newcomer was none other than the strongest great yokai of the Western Lands—Lord Tōga!
In Sesshōmaru's eyes, the back of this most powerful yokai of the Warring States era appeared incomparably vast and majestic. Even the ocean—his imagined rival—could not match one fraction of his father's presence.
Sesshōmaru's golden eyes trembled slightly. Such an expression of emotion was exceedingly rare for him.
"Father, why are you here?"
Hearing his son's question, Lord Tōga turned his head slightly, a rugged smile curling on his lips. "Even among yokai, it's only natural for a father to check on his son. Sesshōmaru, you are my son—the strong child who inherited my bloodline. You are someone I take pride in, someone I boast about before my comrades. So don't go showing such a defeated face."
Sesshōmaru froze for a moment.
"..."
His tsundere nature—passed down from his mother—and his innate pride made it difficult for him to respond with the same kind of warmth. Yet the faint change in his expression and the resolute light returning to his eyes served as his best answer.
Seeing his son recover so quickly from the blow, Lord Tōga felt an even deeper satisfaction toward the son who had inherited his perfect demonic power.
Though that temperament is exactly like his mother's... one day, he'll meet someone who changes him—just as I met Izayoi, he thought.
Lord Tōga believed this wholeheartedly, and because of it, he had already begun forming the outline of a grand plan.
Then, his gaze sharpened as he turned to look at the two figures who stood calmly before him—utterly unmoved by the overwhelming aura radiating from his presence.
Who were they? Human? Yokai? Spirit? Sage? God? He couldn't tell.
His keen nose twitched subtly. Within the lingering traces of yokai energy in the air, he sensed something... different—something not of this world.
The last time he had encountered power of this nature was from the being known as the Great Phantom Sage, whose true strength even he had never fully grasped.
It was precisely that familiar resonance that had compelled Lord Tōga to leave his fortress at once, transform into his great dog form, and rush to his son's side.
At that moment, a tiny voice came from his shoulder. "Lord Tōga! You've finally arrived! I, Myōga, thought I'd never see you again!"
Lord Tōga pinched the side of his neck with two fingers, plucking off a small flea yokai.
Upon seeing the tiny creature, Lord Tōga burst into hearty laughter. "Myōga, even the sword So'unga couldn't end your life! I've never once worried about your safety. Perhaps when I die, you'll still be hopping around on my corpse!"
"Please don't say such dreadful things, Lord Tōga!"
...
"The Dog General of the Western Lands," Satsuki said calmly. "Since my arrival in this world, your name has never once left the tongues of yokai."
Her words cut short the banter between Tōga and Myōga, reminding them that two unknown entities still stood before them.
"That certainly saves me the trouble of introducing myself," Lord Tōga replied, a faint but confident smile on his face. His gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed intently upon Satsuki and Ruri. "Then may I ask—who are the two of you?"
"My name is Satsuki," she said evenly. "For now, you may think of me as a shrine maiden. And this is my shikigami—his name is Ruri."
That introduction left both Lord Tōga and Sesshōmaru momentarily speechless.
Shrine maiden and shikigami? With such power?
—Are you mocking me?
Lord Tōga and Sesshōmaru were not ignorant backwater yokai. They had faced the greatest shrine maidens of Yasaka Jingū—the so-called Saigū, the High Priestess revered by humans.
Those priestesses' powers were indeed unique and dangerous, highly suppressive toward yokai energy. However, their human bodies remained their fatal weakness. In direct combat, their strength could never truly match that of a yokai of equivalent power.
If not for the divine protection granted by their sacred shrine, those priestesses would have long since been wiped out by yokai.
Thus, neither Lord Tōga nor Sesshōmaru believed Satsuki's explanation for a moment.
But Satsuki paid no mind to whether they believed her. She simply continued, her voice steady.
"Lord Tōga—As the mightiest yokai of the Western Lands, you must have seen something like this before."
When Satsuki finished speaking, she extended her hand. Resting in her palm was a black magatama.
"!"
The sight of it made Lord Tōga's expression change drastically. "You... are you one of them?"
For the first time, Sesshōmaru saw such a clear sign of wariness on his father's face. Even when facing the great feline general Panther King or the death god yokai Mask of Death, who could open the underworld's gateway, Lord Tōga had always remained composed and confident.
Yet now, before a single magatama, the mighty Dog General stood tense and guarded.
Just who were these people his father referred to as "those ones"?
"It seems you've also encountered the group that calls themselves the Lunar Palace," Satsuki said calmly, retracting the magatama into her hand. "That makes things simpler."
"What are you implying, Miss Satsuki?"
Lord Tōga frowned slightly, feeling the flow of the conversation slipping under her control.
"It's quite simple," she replied. "When facing an external force of unknown allegiance, one must choose an appropriate partner for cooperation."
Satsuki laid out her intention plainly.
But Lord Tōga, still unsettled by the magatama's presence, grew even more vigilant. "Is that so? From where I stand, you seem far less trustworthy than you claim."
"Oh? Is it because I'm not like ordinary humans—shaking in fear at the mere sight of a yokai?" Satsuki's voice carried a faint, knowing amusement. "Tell me, just how far will such arrogant self-assurance lead the yokai race?"
"That's not it," Lord Tōga replied, his tone calm but thoughtful. "I've met many humans—some shrine maidens, some powerless commoners..."
He paused, his gaze softening slightly, as if recalling a particular face. "From their eyes, I could see their hearts. Though fragile, they never stop struggling to survive. They possess a gentleness—a kindness—toward others that even yokai often lack."
"Humans are not weak. Among them are the truly strong. The shrine maiden Midoriko, who gave her life to create the Shikon Jewel, is one I respect deeply. Even I must regard her with seriousness."
Then, his golden eyes sharpened, fixing on Satsuki with chilling intensity. "But you... you are not like them. In your eyes, I see no trace of human emotion."
"..."
At his words, Satsuki fell silent.
Then, after a few still seconds, her lips curved into a genuine smile. She raised her hands and began to clap softly.
Clap~ clap~ clap~ clap~
...
In the tense air thick with killing intent, the crisp sound of applause echoed sharply, so out of place that even Myōga the flea yokai had no idea what to make of it.
"I must say, Lord Tōga—your insight befits the title of the Western Lands' strongest yokai. It's rare for anyone in this world to understand humanity so deeply."
Her applause ceased. Wearing an expression of calm certainty, Satsuki continued, "Which means... you won't refuse my next proposal."
Lord Tōga's eyes narrowed. "And what proposal would that be?"
"—To cooperate with humanity."