After Inuyasha signed the contract, Luo Shu turned slightly towards Yukari Oikawa:
"Miss Yukari, release that Small Yokai now."
"Compared to Inuyasha, this old retainer of Tōga should know more about Tessaiga's secrets."
Hearing this, Yukari Oikawa didn't object.
She retrieved the ice block from her sleeve and blew gently.
A white gust swept past, causing the ice encasing Myōga to rapidly melt away.
Strangely, though the ice melted, no water appeared, as if the melted ice had simply vanished.
Noticing this, Luo Shu gave Yukari Oikawa a sidelong glance, somewhat impressed by her technique.
'As expected of a Great Yokai from the Nura Clan...'
As the ice disappeared, the previously unconscious Myōga regained awareness.
As soon as Myōga woke up, he shouted:
"The sword, I know where the sword is! I'll take you to Tōga's grave to dig it up, just don't kill me!!"
Hearing the unusually shrill and miserable cries.
Inuyasha was instantly dumbfounded.
Although he knew Myōga was a coward who clung to life, he hadn't expected him to be this terrified.
What a mess!
This is utterly humiliating!!
Beside him, Fumonshichi nudged Inuyasha with his elbow and asked curiously:
"Hey, is this your father's retainer? So loyal?"
"How should I know? I'm not close with him at all." Inuyasha immediately distanced himself from Myōga without hesitation.
He didn't want to be associated with Myōga.
Yukari Oikawa, who was holding Myōga in her hand, looked at him with utter disdain and mocked:
"At least pay some attention to your surroundings, Small Yokai."
"Gah!"
Myōga, who had been wailing pitifully, suddenly choked mid-cry and glanced around.
Realising everyone was staring at him, he immediately felt awkward:
"Eh? What's going on?"
"Why is everyone looking at me? This is so embarrassing."
Myōga scratched the back of his head, then turned to Inuyasha and exclaimed in surprise:
"Oh? Young master Inuyasha, you're unharmed!"
"Thank goodness, I almost thought you were about to die."
With teary eyes, Myōga leapt from Yukari Oikawa's hand and, after a few bounds, landed on Inuyasha. Without a second thought, he bit down.
"Ow! What the hell are you doing?!"
Inuyasha frantically clawed at his clothes, failing to catch Myōga, and cursed angrily:
"You damn flea, sucking my blood like that?"
By then, the now well-fed Myōga patted his belly and said:
"Ah, my apologies, young master Inuyasha. I was frozen stiff earlier and instinctively sucked some blood to warm up."
"So what exactly is happening now?"
Seizing the moment while Myōga spoke, Inuyasha pinched him hard between his fingers.
A squelching sound followed.
Inuyasha stared disgustedly at the smear of blood and the flattened Myōga in his hand, muttering:
"Stupid flea, serves you right for running your mouth."
Chisato Nishikigi, who had recovered by now, gasped beside Luo Shu at the sight:
"Eh? Wait, seriously? Did that flea yokai just die?"
Inuyasha took a step back upon seeing Chisato approach and muttered:
"...Relax, this guy's tough. He won't die."
Meanwhile, the flattened Myōga slowly rose from Inuyasha's hand, wiping sweat from his forehead:
"Getting the blood squeezed out actually feels better."
"So... what's the situation now?"
Myōga glanced at Yukari Oikawa, Fumonshichi, and Takina Inoue—the three who had attacked them earlier—and asked in confusion:
"Have we been captured by the enemy? But, young master Inuyasha, why are you unharmed? Was I just having a nightmare?"
"Well... let's just say it was a nightmare."
Inuyasha awkwardly turned his head away, scratching his cheek.
Running away, getting scared into submission, and signing a contract to become someone else's underling out of fear—these were things Inuyasha was too embarrassed to admit.
At that moment, Luo Shu cast a cold glance at Myōga and said bluntly:
"Inuyasha is now my provisional subordinate. Understood?"
Luo Shu knew a bit about Myōga—that this Small Yokai was a master at bullying the weak and fearing the strong—so he couldn't be bothered to show any courtesy.
Hearing this, Myōga shuddered. The moment he met Luo Shu's gaze, one thing became crystal clear.
This was someone he couldn't afford to provoke!
"Understood, understood, I, Myōga, understand everything."
"So, your target is Tessaiga?"
Myōga cautiously inquired, fearing that displeasing Su Jin might cost him his life.
From the expressions and positions of those present, Myōga could instantly discern that Luo Shu held the highest status.
Even Fumonshichi, who in his eyes exuded a dangerous aura comparable to Lord Sesshōmaru, subtly deferred to Luo Shu. This observation naturally made Myōga exceptionally compliant.
Hearing Myōga's words, Luo Shu corrected him:
"Let me clarify one point."
"While Tessaiga is indeed my objective, and ultimate ownership will naturally belong to me, the wielder will remain Inuyasha—provided he's willing to obey."
"Oh, is that so?"
Myōga's eyes immediately brightened at this.
If Tessaiga remained in Inuyasha's hands, protecting him as he grew up, then Myōga naturally had no objections.
Even if Luo Shu claimed ownership, as long as Inuyasha was the one using it, that was enough. At least this way, Myōga could still honour Lord Tōga's legacy.
"If that's the case, then I have nothing further to say."
At this point, Myōga decided to be forthright and directly told Luo Shu:
"The key to the master's tomb has always been on young master Inuyasha's person."
"Originally, I planned to wait for Tōtōsai so we could use the key to open the tomb, escort young master Inuyasha inside to meet Hōsengki, and retrieve Tessaiga together."
"But given the current circumstances, it seems unnecessary to wait for Tōtōsai. We might as well go straight in and take the sword."
"After all, if we miss the optimal time, retrieving the sword will become troublesome."
"What? The key to Dad's tomb is on me?"
Inuyasha was utterly baffled by this news. He instinctively patted himself down and sniffed, then said with a strange expression:
"Wait, there's nothing on me!"
Myōga couldn't help but quip:
"That's precisely why you, young master Inuyasha, would never see it."
At this, Luo Shu chuckled and said:
"It's hidden in his eye, isn't it?"
"His eye?" Takina Inoue froze upon hearing this. She'd been wondering where it could be hidden, but inside his eye? Could something even be concealed there? Was it an ability of an Abyss Artefact?
Beside her, Chisato Nishikigi blinked rapidly and exclaimed:
"Wow! No wonder you said Inuyasha would never see it—so the key's hidden in his eye... what the hell?!"
"Shoving a key into your eye must hurt like crazy! Just hearing about it makes me wince!"
Fumonshichi nearby stroked his chin and remarked with feeling:
"True, I dread that kind of internal pain. Last time I had my appendix removed, it nearly killed me."
Yukari Oikawa covered her mouth with her sleeve and said calmly:
"It must involve a special ability. Like our Nura Clan's Supreme Commander's Shin Kyōka Suigetsu, which can swap reality and illusion."
"If the Supreme Commander turned the key into an illusion and hid it in the eyeball, it shouldn't be too difficult."
As everyone voiced their thoughts, Kikyo, who had been silently listening, suddenly asked:
"Small Yokai, what did you mean earlier about not missing the optimal time to retrieve the sword?"
The moment she spoke, all eyes turned to Myōga.
Beads of sweat instantly formed on Myōga's forehead as he nervously replied:
"It's exactly what it sounds like..."
"Exactly what it sounds like?" Luo Shu scrutinised Myōga until the latter broke out in a cold sweat. "You'd better explain clearly."
Hearing this, Myōga dared not withhold anything and hurriedly said:
"Because a group of Onmyoji claiming to belong to the Onmyou Agency have already broken into the tomb."
"Onmyou Agency?"
As these words fell, silence immediately descended upon the scene.
Beside them, Chisato Nishikigi unusually employed an idiom:
"So someone's beaten us to the punch..."