In Shimosa Province of the Kanto region, at the center of the bustling island, stood a massive tower that resembled a fortress. Inside this tower was a vast internal space—a large, circular Grand Hall that spanned numerous floors. Pillars supported tiered balconies, and lanterns floated scattered throughout the space. Exquisite decorative scrolls were painted across the ceiling, which hung over ten meters high.
Led by Sanmen-oni, Miketsu stepped into this broad, theater-like Grand Hall. The first thing she saw at the center of the hall was a large round table. Around the table were eight wide chairs, each finely crafted with intricate decorations. One of these chairs was already occupied.
"Haha, long time no see, Big Brother Owl!"
Upon seeing Miketsu enter, the white-clad, white-haired Lord of the Dog Clan immediately stood up with a laugh to greet her. Looking at her old acquaintance, a slight smile appeared on Miketsu's face beneath her bandages.
"I didn't expect we would meet again in this manner. Regardless, let me offer my congratulations, the new Yokai Lord of the Western Provinces," Miketsu said to Toga in high spirits. Having a vast intelligence network in the demon realm, Miketsu had known about Toga's victory over Oyakata immediately. She had originally thought Toga would need some time to stabilize the situation in Harima Province before being recognized by the outside world and claiming the title of King, but she hadn't expected Dodomeki to directly hand him an invitation meant only for Yokai Lords.
"My ability to defeat that fellow Oyakata was ultimately thanks to your strength, Big Brother. The evil arts that leopard cat practiced had progressed even further; I would have been no match for him on my own," Toga said with a smile. Since Toga had awakened his divine blade, Totosai naturally wouldn't keep Miketsu's identity as a deity a secret from him. Toga had known for a long time that Owl was a god, though he still didn't know her true form or gender.
"The feeling is mutual. Your strength has also provided me with much help..."
"Haha, it's my honor to be of help to you, Big Brother Owl..." Toga said as he gestured, pulling forward the figure who had been following behind him.
"Come, Sesshomaru. Greet Uncle Owl," Toga said to the youth beside him. Miketsu shifted her gaze and saw a white-haired boy with the appearance of a human around eleven or twelve years old. He had the same white hair and facial markings as Toga. Aside from having fairer skin, his features were quite similar to Toga's, and it was clear he would grow into a very handsome yokai. He even wore white clothing of the same style as Toga's.
Though the boy named Sesshomaru looked young, his eyes lacked the pure innocence of a typical child. Instead, they held a steadiness that showed no fear even in Miketsu's presence. The resolve in his gaze was not inferior even to Toga's.
"Greetings, Uncle Owl..." Sesshomaru bowed to Miketsu under Toga's guidance, his manner neither haughty nor humble. Miketsu nodded slightly and turned back to Toga.
"Your son?"
"Naturally. What do you think, Big Brother? Not bad, right? This fellow has a talent I'm quite proud of," Toga said, laughing as he reached out to ruffle Sesshomaru's hair. Miketsu could clearly see the corner of Sesshomaru's mouth twitch despite his serious and indifferent expression, but he suppressed it and endured his father's ruffling in silence.
"Yes, he is indeed quite good. But in terms of temperament, he doesn't seem to take after you much," Miketsu said with a smile as she watched the scene.
"Ah, you mean his temperament? Indeed, Sesshomaru takes after his mother in that regard. Since the matters I deal with are always dangerous and I'm quite busy, he's always stayed with his mother. Now that everything is basically over, I'm taking this opportunity to bring him out to see more of the world," Toga continued with a smile. Miketsu replied to his words.
"From the sound of it, you don't seem to be here for the Black Tortoise demonic power."
"Correct. The Black Tortoise power is not my goal; it's not something I can strive for right now. My purpose in coming here is more to let the world know that in Harima, the era of Oyakata has ended."
A meeting for diplomatic declaration? This is indeed a perfect stage for it, Miketsu thought as she looked at Toga. She then glanced at the empty round table nearby before turning to the cringing Sanmen-oni beside her.
"When will the others arrive?"
"This... they should be here soon. According to Lady Tamamo-no-Mae's messenger, all the invitations she issued are being resolved quickly nearby. It should be within the next few minutes."
Just as Sanmen-oni finished speaking, both Miketsu and Toga raised their eyebrows simultaneously, looking in the same direction as if sensing something. From that direction, a sound was traveling through the layers of noise on the island, accompanied by demonic energy.
"Is that... the sound of waves?"
At this moment, countless yokai were gathered on a stretch of coastline at the edge of the island, pointing and looking toward the distant horizon. Under the light of the rising moon, numerous giant fish made purely of water were leaping out of the sea near the island, splashing waves as they swam forward at high speed.
As they neared the island, these fish converged, transforming into a water dragon that soared into the sky. Amidst the cries of the gathered demons, it flew across half the island and crashed directly into the main tower. With a thunderous sound of shattering, the water dragon smashed a large hole through the tower, reaching the central hall. A thick column of water crashed onto the floor and dispersed, leaving the ground in a mess. Seeing this, Makoto immediately flapped her wings to create a gust of demonic wind, scattering the incoming waves and protecting Miketsu and Toga from being soaked.
"Aaaaah! My Shengui Tower! You...!" Sanmen-oni wailed, clutching his head as he looked at the main tower which now had a hole connecting it to the outside. However, when he saw the center of the hall where the water dragon had landed, the anger on his face immediately vanished.
"Pah... Hmph. As I thought, I still don't like the saltiness of seawater. It's nowhere near as comfortable as Arakawa."
Standing where the water dragon had landed was a tall, humanoid yokai with blue skin, long pointed ears, and gills on his cheeks. He wore a robe patterned with waves and a kuge crown on his head. He held a white fan, and many small water-constructed fish swam through the air around him. His face was filled with disdain.
"Hmph~ That's just your own incompetence. The sea is part of the world. How can someone who wants to conquer the world dislike seawater? Look at me, I can adapt to seawater perfectly~ You're still not good enough~" Beside the tall blue yokai stood a girl around twelve or thirteen years old with short blue hair. She held a folding fan and stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite proud. A goldfish swam leisurely beside her.
"Arakawa? Is that the Lord of Arakawa?" Toga said with a frown. The Lord of Arakawa? The legendary great yokai who ruled over countless river-dwelling tribes and used tyranny to quell the constantly flooding Arakawa? Miketsu thought as she looked at the yokai, and his sharp gaze happened to sweep toward them.
"Ho... only two have arrived? You land-dwellers are actually this slow? Heh..."
Just as the Lord of Arakawa finished speaking, he seemed to sense something as well. He turned his head to look back through the large hole he had just made. In the dark distance, a powerful demonic energy reaction was rapidly approaching. Upon sensing this demonic energy, Miketsu was slightly stunned.
"This demonic energy is..."
In the sky far from the island, a fierce gale was sweeping toward them.
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