The SDS's Black Reaper was no stranger to Shirayuki Hotogi. She had even recently interacted with him during the Yukinoshita family incident in Chiba Prefecture.
But back then, he was merely one of the ordinary members of the SDS Operations Department, just a junior favoured by Operations Director Kirika Tachibana.
Yet in less than a month, he had risen meteorically, directly appointed by the SDS's highest council as Director of the Hidden Management Department, commanding his own department.
Furthermore, he had demonstrated extraordinary intelligence capabilities, spearheading the genocide against Tokyo's Ghouls.
This series of changes left Shirayuki Hotogi dazzled while also making her realise that the Luo Shu she had met that day was anything but ordinary.
After all, the SDS directors had a baseline standard—only those with combat prowess approaching Great Yokai level would be appointed as directors, making them senior management within the SDS.
And now, Luo Shu had personally appeared at Tōga's tomb, indicating that information about Tessaiga had likely been leaked, or worse, he was here specifically for the sword.
But...
"How could they be so fast..." Shirayuki Hotogi was somewhat at a loss.
She had spent over a month in the Underworld confirming Tessaiga's whereabouts and had just received the Onmyou Agency's signal to retrieve the sacred sword.
Yet now, the SDS had arrived later but moved faster, perfectly timing their interference just as they were about to wrap things up. This left Shirayuki Hotogi in a passive position.
Should she continue retrieving the sword or withdraw? Shirayuki Hotogi hesitated deeply.
If she could bring back Tessaiga, the Onmyou Agency would undoubtedly withstand the SDS's pressure to protect their hard-won prize.
Moreover, the SDS had a rule: once ownership of an Abyss treasure was confirmed, they would not contest it further. As long as no members died, they would not retaliate over competitive actions within the Abyss.
Thus, competing for Tessaiga posed little risk to Shirayuki Hotogi.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that confronting Luo Shu would be extremely unwise.
This instinctive unease made her hesitant about Senhime Rin Getsu's alliance proposal.
"It seems that man holds considerable standing among your people."
Senhime Rin Getsu was no fool—she could see from Shirayuki Hotogi's hesitation just how intimidating Luo Shu's group was.
But that was only natural.
Apart from that utterly bizarre Luo Shu, those two massive metal puppets were truly creations beyond her comprehension.
At the very least, Senhime Rin Getsu had never heard of metal puppets capable of manipulating space and gravity while possessing combat power rivalling a Great Yokai.
It was precisely because of their unfamiliarity with these puppets' abilities that Sesshōmaru, who had recently attained Great Yokai status, was nearly instantly defeated by them.
Hearing Senhime's words, Yomi Isayama's eyes flickered slightly. She neither refuted nor offered advice to Shirayuki Hotogi.
With the SDS's intervention and the appearance of Great Yokai, the Ministry of Environment Countermeasures Office stood almost no chance of gaining anything here.
Rather than chasing the elusive Tessaiga, she might as well consider seeking rewards in the Abyss Warring States after leaving the Underworld.
Thus, the decision now rested solely with Shirayuki Hotogi.
She alone would decide whether to continue pursuing Tessaiga or abandon the chase and leave.
After prolonged contemplation, Shirayuki Hotogi sighed:
"What are your terms for cooperation?"
In the end, she couldn't bring herself to withdraw from the competition.
After all, the Onmyou Agency had invested far too much in obtaining Tessaiga from the Underworld.
If nothing else, securing Kuesu Jingūji's services—the witch capable of rapidly deciphering Underworld passages and bridging the human realm with the Underworld—had cost them an astronomical price.
If Tessaiga were snatched away by the SDS now, Shirayuki Hotogi was certain the Onmyou Agency's director would absolutely lose his mind.
This single factor meant Shirayuki Hotogi couldn't back down. Any retreat would render all their efforts meaningless, leaving her with no choice but to resign in disgrace afterwards.
"Your target is Tessaiga?" Though puzzled why they'd set their sights on Tessaiga, Senhime had no qualms about using it as a bargaining chip.
After all, Tessaiga was something Tōga left for Inuyasha - what did that have to do with Senhime Rin Getsu?
Had Inuyasha been obedient and well-behaved, she might have shown some consideration as his stepmother. But facing that brat who kept calling her "old hag," Senhime simply couldn't muster any affection.
The fool resembled Tōga in his youth far too much - just looking at him irritated her, and his tongue was even sharper than Tōga's had been.
Senhime couldn't possibly adopt a "return good for evil" mentality to help him keep Tessaiga.
Meanwhile, facing the Dog Tribe as the aggrieved party, Shirayuki Hotogi hesitated before nodding:
"Tessaiga is something we must obtain."
"To be precise, what we seek is the technique for manipulating Demon Power contained within Tessaiga."
"Oh?" Senhime appeared startled. "You've encountered Tessaiga before?"
The fact that Tessaiga could manipulate Demon Power was known only to a select few within the Dog Tribe.
Indeed, Sesshōmaru's birth as a perfect pureblood was directly connected to Tessaiga.
This was why Senhime understood Sesshōmaru's relentless pursuit of Tessaiga and his unwillingness to yield it to Inuyasha.
In a sense, Tessaiga was half responsible for Sesshōmaru's very existence - its Demon Power manipulation being the primary factor in his birth. His instinctive desire to claim it was perfectly natural.
But now that this secret about Demon Power manipulation had been exposed, it clearly indicated Shirayuki Hotogi had prior contact with Tessaiga.
After a moment's hesitation, Shirayuki Hotogi decided to tell the truth:
"We did make contact once, but when we tried to take it, old man Hōsengki intervened."
"You certainly have discerning taste..."
Senhime Rin Getsu grew increasingly curious about Shirayuki Hotogi's origins.
Tessaiga's ability to manipulate Demon Power seemed utterly ordinary in the eyes of average yokai and humans – after all, any yokai could wield Demon Power.
Yet only Great Yokai understood that manipulating Demon Power touched upon the very essence of their existence.
Only spiritual beings possessing Demon Power could truly be called yokai.
In other words, yokai were born from Demon Power itself.
Mastering this power and delving deeper might open the door to realms beyond even Great Yokai.
Once, Tōga had relied on his innate talent for manipulating Demon Power to evolve from a typical Dog Demon into a pureblood, becoming a renowned Great Yokai who even brushed against realms beyond.
Yet ultimately, wounded in battle against Ryūkotsusei and slain by So'unga's backlash, his grand plan failed – the Dog Tribe's ambition to cultivate a supreme warrior collapsed.
Were it not for the backup heir Sesshōmaru, the Dog Tribe might have lost all conviction.
Now, these Onmyou Agency operatives showed such interest in Tessaiga's power... Could some ancient being lurk behind them, also seeking transcendence?
Was this why they desperately wanted Tessaiga, having glimpsed its true nature?
Understanding this, Senhime knew how to negotiate:
"Want Tessaiga? Possible. But you must help me deal with certain people."
Shirayuki's expression shifted, clearly recognising Senhime's intended targets.
With perfect timing, Senhime smiled faintly:
"Naturally, I won't make unreasonable demands."
"My terms are simple – just restrain several of their members to create a one-on-one arena for Sesshōmaru."
Turning towards the now-awakened Sesshōmaru, her smile deepened:
"Sesshōmaru, you must yearn to reclaim Tenseiga from that man in combat?"
Sesshōmaru's eyes flickered silently.
Senhime recognised his tacit agreement – in temperament, this child bore a striking resemblance to her.
Facing Shirayuki again, she declared:
"Agree to this, and our tribe will provide both Tessaiga and Demon Power manipulation techniques in full."
"How's this offer?"
Shirayuki sighed solemnly:
"If it's merely restraining some SDS members to create solo combat conditions..."
"I accept these terms on behalf of the Onmyou Agency."
Senhime gave her an amused glance before smiling:
"Then, pleasant cooperation."
"Pleasant cooperation."