Narukami

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and beneath the dim heavens lay a vast expanse of rolling mountains. Between these peaks, the cries of slaughter echoed through the clouds, blood soaked the earth, and battle roars resounded without end.

This was Mount Nukazuka in Harima Province, located to the west of Heian-kyo. It served as the base for Oyakata, the Leopard Cat Lord who ruled over Harima and the entire Western Provinces. It was the symbol of the Leopard Cat Clan's reign of terror, and at this moment, it had become a bloody and cruel battlefield. Countless yokai and even humans were embroiled in the conflict, slaughtering each other ruthlessly. The carnage spread across the mountains and valleys on a scale that could only be described as war.

On one side of this war were the leopard cat yokai, uniform in their various sizes and clad in armor. Their eyes were blood-red, and they were driven by a bloodthirsty frenzy as they tore their enemies apart with sharp claws. On the other side was a coalition of diverse yokai—tree spirits, kappa, yokai beasts, and phantoms—and even humans wielding talismans or swords, all fighting together against the nearly mindless leopard cat yokai.

"Oh dear... it seems we've arrived at quite an inopportune time..."

High above the battlefield, an Oboroguruma wreathed in demonic fire sped through the air. Dodomeki pulled back the carriage's curtain and looked down at the chaotic scene below.

"Indeed. Although I heard that rebellions were frequent in Harima, I didn't expect us to run right into one. It looks like we'll need to wait. We'll find Oyakata after he's suppressed the rebellion," the Oboroguruma replied to Dodomeki.

"Heh, I didn't expect that delivering a letter for Tamamo-no-Mae would allow us to witness such a grand show. Let's go, Oboroguruma. Let's find the protagonist of this play and see just how strong the Leopard Cat Lord really is." Dodomeki chuckled and pointed toward the center of the battlefield, where massive tremors were constantly erupting.

The war of the masses spread across the mountains, but at the very center, there wasn't a single ordinary soldier or yokai to be found. The core duel of this war was taking place here; ordinary yokai could not participate and would likely lose their lives just by being caught in the crossfire.

"You damned stray dog! This time, I will personally tear you to shreds! I will devour your flesh and soul, and ensure you never find peace in the afterlife!"

On Mount Nukazuka, a giant leopard cat yokai over twenty meters tall, clad in great armor and sporting a curved horn on its head, was rampaging. Its long horn and sharp claws constantly discharged lightning, striking the densely forested mountains and igniting massive fires.

"I admit your surprise attack caught me off guard, but this is the end! Since you've come out personally this time, I won't let you return! Once I've eaten you, the defiance of the Western Provinces will be thoroughly extinguished! Stray dog!"

The giant leopard cat yokai continued to unleash lightning, ravaging the lush peaks. Within the mountain forests, a white figure moved with incredible speed. A closer look revealed it to be Toga, the Lord of the Dog Clan, with his white hair and white robes, wielding a massive blade. His appearance had changed little in ten years.

Toga wove through the trees at extreme speed, using the dense foliage as cover to dodge the lightning strikes raining down on him. Behind him lay a raging forest fire.

"My Lord, My Lord! This can't go on! The injuries you dealt Oyakata earlier... he's already completely recovered!" Myoga, the flea yokai, clung to Toga's hair and spoke with worry.

"Yes, I didn't expect him to be so decisive as to consume all of his own yokai generals. Now he's not only healed his wounds but also gained their abilities. Hmph... that Blood Sacrifice art is truly troublesome. To be so ruthless even toward his own people..."

Toga spoke in a low voice. It was clear that the giant leopard cat yokai attacking him was indeed the Leopard Cat Lord, Oyakata. They had already engaged in a series of battles, but Oyakata had suddenly gained the upper hand by sacrificing his subordinates.

"Wah! My Lord, the current Oyakata is more than we can handle! We should retreat immediately!" Myoga cried out in terror as a bolt of lightning nearly struck Toga.

"No, Myoga. We have already invested too much power into this operation. We cannot simply give up now..."

"But My Lord, right now we..."

"Rest easy. Oyakata has placed too much of his power into that Blood Sacrifice art. Perhaps now is the best time to strike him down once and for all!" As he spoke, a sharp light glinted in Toga's eyes.

Seeing that his lightning was failing to hit Toga, Oyakata grew enraged. He opened his massive maw, and a chilling, freezing demonic energy rapidly condensed within.

"Stray dog who only knows how to hide, be frozen into an ice block!"

A violent ice storm erupted from Oyakata's mouth. The freezing wind and demonic energy swept across the entire peak almost instantly, extinguishing the forest fires while simultaneously freezing everything in its path. In an instant, the entirety of Mount Nukazuka was covered in a thick layer of ice. No living creature could escape.

"Tessaiga... Explosive Flame Blast!!"

Facing the oncoming ice storm, Toga swung the massive demonic fang blade in his hand. A whirlwind of fire formed from demonic power surged forth, evaporating and neutralizing the ice storm. Because this fire was released by Toga gathering his demonic energy, it continued to sweep toward Oyakata even as it created a massive cloud of steam from the clash.

Oyakata did not dodge. He allowed the whirlwind of fire to strike him directly. The high-temperature flames only slightly singed his fur; they didn't even leave a mark of charring.

"Heh, that weak demonic power of yours cannot hurt me. Now, watch me... Hmm?"

Just as Oyakata was mocking Toga's attack and preparing to strike again, Toga's figure burst through the thick steam at high speed. He was already right in front of Oyakata, but the blade in his hand was no longer the giant Tessaiga. Instead, it was a seemingly ordinary tachi.

"Be liberated... Tenseiga!!"

Before Oyakata's startled eyes, Toga swung the tachi in a flash. The blade known as Tenseiga emitted a gentle, pure light of spiritual power as it swept across Oyakata's neck, yet it did not leave even the slightest wound.

"You bastard... that trick again... Gwaaaaah!"

Oyakata let out a howl that shook the mountains. It sounded as if ten thousand voices were screaming at once. From Oyakata's mouth, countless vengeful spirits and ghosts erupted. Among them were both humans and yokai, their numbers too vast to count. These were the souls Oyakata had devoured.

"Damned stray dog... don't think the same move will work twice... None of you will ever find peace!"

"Grant me power, Lord Deity!"

Following Oyakata's words, a sinister, purple-black power erupted from his body. This energy transformed into long snakes that bit and dragged back every soul that had escaped from Oyakata's body thanks to Tenseiga's power. Clearly, this wasn't the first time Oyakata had suffered because of Tenseiga. He now had a countermeasure: praying to the deity he worshipped!

"The souls liberated by Tenseiga are being dragged back! This massive, profound, and sinister power... what on earth is this?" Myoga cried out in shock from atop Toga's head as he watched Oyakata release thousands of thin snakes to capture the souls. Toga, however, remained calm, as if he had expected this.

"This is the source of Oyakata's Blood Sacrifice art—the power of an ancient evil god... He has finally revealed the true form of his power." Toga spoke as he gripped the tachi with both hands, holding it vertically before him.

"An ancient... evil god... This... this is the power of a god? The Blood Sacrifice art comes from a god? How... how are we supposed to fight the power of a god?" Hearing Toga's words, Myoga felt a surge of despair. Yet, Toga did not waver in the slightest. He smiled slightly and replied.

"By borrowing the power of a god as well, of course! I'm counting on you, brother!"

"Awaken... Narukami-ga!!"

At that moment, countless golden rays of light pierced through the dark clouds, shining down upon the bloody battlefield.