"This is Tōga's remains? It's enormous!"
Gazing up at the 300-meter-tall skeletal remains, Chisato Nishikigi gaped in astonishment.
Hearing her amazement, the flea yokai Myōga puffed out his chest:
"Of course, Lord Tōga was the strongest Great Yokai in the Warring States period. When he was alive, not a single faction dared to bare their fangs at the Dog Tribe of the Western Country."
"This towering mountain range of a Demon Form is proof of his Demon Power. For ordinary Great Yokai, a body exceeding a hundred metres would already be considered enormous. Yet Lord Tōga's 350-metre Demon Form was unmatched in the Warring States era – so immense it could obliterate entire nations by sheer size alone."
Just as Myōga was brimming with pride, a calm voice suddenly interjected.
"But he's dead."
Myōga's expression froze at the words. He wanted to retort, but upon turning and realising it was Luo Shu who'd spoken, he immediately fell silent.
After all... the master truly was dead.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu gazed up at Tōga's remains, observing the yellowed, decaying ribs, and sighed softly:
"No matter how mighty you were in life, death reduces all to nothing. Past glories and renown fade into emptiness."
"A dead warrior is merely a corpse. To become truly strong, the bare minimum requirement is survival – just as the Taoist path to immortality fundamentally demands longevity."
Myōga's breath hitched. He wanted to argue, yet no rebuttal came.
Because... the master truly was dead!
His corpse still lay hidden in the Underworld, guarded against prying eyes.
Even now, multiple groups had invaded his tomb, scrambling to seize the blades he'd wielded in life.
Would anyone dare steal from Tōga if he still lived? Were they tired of living?
"Old man..." Inuyasha stared up at the skeletal remains with complicated emotions.
Thanks to Myōga, he knew exactly how Tōga had died.
For this father, who'd rushed to protect his mother despite mortal wounds, ultimately perishing in battle, he harboured no hatred.
Inuyasha hated nothing more than his own weakness, unable to protect even his mother—or himself.
Meanwhile, Takina Inoue, who had been scanning the area with her eyes, frowned and asked Myōga:
"Where exactly is Tessaiga sealed within Lord Tōga's remains?"
"This..." Myōga's expression turned hesitant.
Luo Shu glanced at Myōga and immediately understood the small yokai likely had no concrete knowledge about Tessaiga's sealing.
But then again, Myōga was just a small yokai—weak in power and timid by nature. Though loyal to the Tōga household, entrusting him with secrets would have been too great a risk.
Thus, the truth about Tessaiga's whereabouts might only be known to Senhime Rin Getsu, Hōsengki—the true guardian of the tomb—and Tōtōsai, the sword's creator.
Seeing Myōga's expression, Chisato Nishikigi immediately concluded the little yokai was clueless, her face falling:
"Seriously? You don't know anything? Aren't you the tomb keeper?"
"I may be the tomb keeper, but I only guard the entrance!"
Myōga, perched on Inuyasha's neck, slowly retreated behind it, trembling:
"My duty was simply to make young master Inuyasha aware of the key in his eye when necessary, allowing him entry to retrieve the sword. I truly know nothing about the tomb's layout!"
"Besides, a small yokai like me couldn't possibly survive in the Underworld, where one must constantly resist the Underworld's miasma!"
Exchanging glances, Chisato and Takina silently acknowledged Myōga's ignorance.
At this, Takina turned to Luo Shu and asked:
"Should we split up to search?"
"No."
Luo Shu rejected the idea outright, explaining:
"Senhime Rin Getsu may have fled, but that doesn't mean she's left the Underworld. And though Sesshōmaru is gravely wounded, he could still recover."
"With them lurking in the shadows, dividing our forces would be unwise."
Narrowing his eyes, Luo Shu recalled what he knew of Tōga's tomb and studied the massive skeleton before them.
Tōga's Demon Form remained entrenched within the mountains, meaning the group currently faced his leg bones and abdomen. The ribcage was obscured by a massive suit of Warring States-era armour.
From Luo Shu's memory, Tessaiga was likely hidden inside the skeleton itself.
With this in mind, he offered a plausible deduction:
"Since Tessaiga was interred as part of Lord Tōga's burial and was his personal blade, it's most likely sealed near his remains."
"Aside from the mountains and trees, all we have here is his armoured skeleton."
"The area is limited, and since the remains aren't holding the sword, it's unlikely to be out in the open. We should enter the skeleton and search from the bottom up."
Even Inuyasha, never the sharpest, had an epiphany:
"Yeah, Dog Demons do have a habit of swallowing treasures to hide them in their bellies. Tessaiga might really be inside Dad's stomach!"
With Inuyasha—Tōga's own son—backing the idea, the group quickly reached a consensus.
They'd start searching from the belly!
As Luo Shu and the others searched for an entry point into Tōga's abdomen...
On a nearby low hill, Senhime Rin Getsu, clad in a plain white kimono, gazed at the remains of Tōga in the distance.
At that moment, Yomi Isayama approached with a solemn expression and asked Senhime Rin Getsu:
"They seem to be preparing to enter the skeleton. Is Tessaiga sealed there?"
Senhime Rin Getsu sighed faintly, her tone tinged with melancholy:
"Indeed, it is there. In fact, it was I who placed Tessaiga in his tomb."
Sesshōmaru, unaware of this fact, immediately glanced at Senhime Rin Getsu. However, he did not reproach her—after all, concealing the sword and waiting for the right moment to pass it to Inuyasha had been his father's dying wish.
Compared to Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru had inherited the powerful Dog Tribe, the life-restoring Tenseiga, and a wealth of Tōga's wisdom.
In contrast, leaving only Tessaiga for Inuyasha's self-defence was rather harsh on him.
That Sesshōmaru sought to seize Tessaiga, and Senhime Rin Getsu opposed it, was only natural.
After all, Princess Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, had been on good terms with Senhime Rin Getsu, and Izayoi had tactfully accepted the role of concubine. Inuyasha, in essence, was also meant to address Senhime Rin Getsu as his mother.
Thus, no matter what, she could never support Sesshōmaru's attempt to take Tessaiga.
"When do you plan to act?"
Shirayuki Hotogi stepped forward, addressing Senhime Rin Getsu, who stood at the highest point.
She had agreed to Senhime Rin Getsu's alliance but was only responsible for intercepting one Great Yokai-level SDS Member—in other words, stalling either Takina Inoue or Chisato Nishikigi.
As for the leader, Luo Shu, Sesshōmaru would handle him.
Though Shirayuki Hotogi couldn't fathom why these yokai were willing to pay such a high price to confront the SDS, the potential gains for the Onmyou Agency compelled her to indulge these Dog Demons in their recklessness.
"Three minutes from now, once they've fully entered Tōga's skeletal remains."
Senhime Rin Getsu gave a precise timeframe, then glanced sideways at the forest and said to Yomi Isayama, "That human following over there—is he your companion?"
Hearing this, Yomi Isayama's expression darkened, realising Noriyuki Izuna was hiding nearby.
With a grim face, she replied:
"He is a companion... but a disposable one."
"Is that so?"
Senhime Rin Getsu rested her index finger on her chin, tilting her head as she studied Yomi Isayama:
"Tessaiga, sealed within the barrier, can only be drawn by someone with Spiritual Power. Go and summon that companion of yours to take on this task."
She smiled faintly as she added:
"After all, you did say he was a disposable companion."
At these words, Yomi Isayama understood immediately.
As Tessaiga was the SDS's target, whoever retrieved the sword would inevitably become a target themselves. Sending Noriyuki Izuna for this task was merely making use of expendable resources.
Success would be ideal, but even if he failed, they still had the Dog Tribe's promised safety net.
The only challenge was convincing Noriyuki Izuna to undertake the mission—but for Yomi Isayama, who knew his personality well, it wouldn't be difficult.
It just meant enduring the revolting presence of that traitor again. She could tolerate it for a while longer.
Watching Yomi Isayama turn and leave, Senhime Rin Getsu shifted her gaze to Sesshōmaru:
"Sesshōmaru, don't let your guard down this time."
Sesshōmaru replied coldly:
"I don't need your reminder."
"Jaken, we're leaving!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Watching Sesshōmaru leap into the sky towards Tōga's remains, Senhime Rin Getsu couldn't help but sigh and murmur to herself:
"The perfect Great Yokai... I wonder if Sesshōmaru can truly take that step..."
"Beyond Great Yokai... it's far too difficult..."