The Sea Cave

On the western side of Nightless Island, above the turbulent sea, the young Yokai Lord, Great Tengu, gripped his fan in one hand, his brow furrowed as he unleashed the immense demonic power originating from the Tengu-do. Before him, a towering giant tornado continued to rage on the western island, endlessly trapping his opponent, Otakemaru.

However, for the young Great Tengu, continuously maintaining the Feather Blade Storm was no easy feat. As time passed, Great Tengu found it increasingly difficult to control the gradually rampaging Tengu-do, causing fine beads of sweat to form on his forehead and his hand gripping the fan to tremble slightly.

“Just a little longer… almost there… Ugh!”

Suddenly, Great Tengu’s demonic power became chaotic, and his control over the Feather Blade Storm wavered. The previously stable giant tornado began to sway from side to side, and the highly concentrated demonic power dispersed.

“Damn it…”

Great Tengu struggled to stabilize the Feather Blade Storm, but the giant tornado continued to swing uncontrollably, even drawing in a large amount of seawater from the edge of the barren island. The dispersion of demonic power and the influx of massive seawater significantly weakened the giant tornado of the Feather Blade Storm. At the same time, the statue that had stood within the storm suddenly became covered in cracks, then violently exploded, releasing a powerful surge of demonic power. The surrounding ground was shattered into countless massive rocks that scattered in all directions.

This sudden burst of demonic power further weakened the Feather Blade Storm. From the center of this explosion, a swift shadow flashed out, breaking through layers of wind blades, and ambushed Great Tengu in the sky.

“Connecting the Twin Blades… Roaring Blast of the Foothills!”

Otakemaru, propelled into the air by the burst of demonic power, drew two chain-wrapped,pitch black blades from his back during his flight. The twin blades crossed as they struck Great Tengu in the sky. Caught off guard, Great Tengu folded his wings behind him to block. Otakemaru’s blades struck Great Tengu’s feathered wings, producing a crisp clang of steel. Immediately after, a burst of demonic power suddenly erupted from Otakemaru’s blades. Amidst the roar, Great Tengu plummeted from the sky, landing on the barren island where the Feather Blade Storm had nearly dissipated.

“Ugh… cough, cough, cough… Damn it… I was so close…” Amidst the scattered dust on the ground, Great Tengu coughed as he stood up. Before him, Otakemaru descended from the sky and stood firmly, then raised his blade and pointed it at Great Tengu.

“Steel feathers, indeed worthy of Great Tengu’s feathers. Though still a bit too soft. You lose, Tengu kid. For someone who hasn’t fully mastered their own power, this kind of duel is still too premature…” Otakemaru said, looking at the visibly weakened Great Tengu with his usual disdainful expression.

“What are you talking about… I haven’t lost yet…” Great Tengu said as he stood, one hand involuntarily clutching his chest, clearly suffering from some internal injuries.

“If your demonic power is chaotic, find a place to recover. If you want to defeat me, come back in another ten or so years… Haha…” Otakemaru said as he turned and walked away. Great Tengu could only clench his fist in unwilling frustration.

Great Tengu, who had only recently achieved the rank of Great Yokai through the Tengu-do, was indeed too young compared to Otakemaru, who had been renowned for decades. The current Great Tengu could not yet wield the power of the Tengu-do as he pleased. It was precisely due to his unfamiliarity with controlling this power that the Feather Blade Storm he had unleashed earlier became unstable, allowing Otakemaru to seize the opportunity to escape the storm and counterattack Great Tengu. Great Tengu’s primary injuries at this moment were not caused by Otakemaru, but by the chaotic demonic power resulting from the Tengu-do’s power loss of control.

Facing Otakemaru’s retreating back, Great Tengu, though unwilling, said nothing more. Indeed, this stage was still too early for him, who had just gained immense power but lacked mastery and experience. As things stood, he could only admit his defeat.

Thus, the first duel on the western island concluded. The second duel on the eastern and western islands would begin immediately.

…

The Yokai Lords freely unleashed their demonic power in fierce confrontations on the subsidiary islands of Nightless Island. In the distance, on Nightless Island itself, countless yokai gathered on the mudflats and coasts, exclaiming and cheering at the spectacular display of demonic power erupting from the distant sea, sparking waves of discussion and shouts.

Anot all of Nightless Island’s coastlines were shallow beaches and expansive structures. A portion of its southern coastal edge consisted of steep, towering rock cliffs, beyond which lay a sea dense with reefs. Surging waves crashed against the rock face, and no yokai stood here to watch the battle.

“Phew… the storm and turbulence seem to have stopped. We can set off now…” The old fisherman piloted his fishing boat through the reef-strewn waters in front of the southern cliffs of Nightless Island. Due to the abnormal currents and winds earlier, he had spent a lot of time stabilizing the small boat, but now he could continue.

“Indeed, so many great yokai gathered together couldn’t possibly cause only a small disturbance. It’s a good thing we’re far from their battlefield, otherwise, this boat might have already capsized.” The old fisherman said with a hint of relief, while in front of him, Slippery Nura looked worriedly at the distant place where the cold demonic power had erupted earlier, and Seimei looked at him gravely.

“Alright, now that things have settled, let’s continue our previous topic. You said Shiranui was originally named Ali, and she was human? And she was the most renowned courtesan on Nightless Island during its human era?” Seimei asked seriously; the information the old fisherman had revealed to them had truly startled him.

“Yes, Ali was the most outstanding courtesan in Nightless Island’s history, representing both its glory and its destruction. You must have heard, the destruction of human-era Nightless Island was caused by a great fire of unknown origin. The true identity of this great fire was actually Shiranui, it was Ali. That night, fifty years ago, she was shot dead for resisting the owner of Nightless Island. After her death, she transformed into the yokai Shiranui, burning everything on Nightless Island before disappearing into the sea, reappearing once every ten years. This is the legend of Shiranui…” The old fisherman spoke slowly, his voice heavy, and Seimei thought for a moment before asking.

“Shiranui disappeared into the sea, appearing once every ten years, yet you also said she was captured by the yokai of Nightless Island?”

“Precisely. That was ten years ago, the last time Shiranui appeared. The yokai of Nightless Island swarmed out and captured Ali, who had appeared in the great sea, sealing and imprisoning her back on Nightless Island!” The old fisherman’s voice grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, and Seimei continued to ask.

“Capture Shiranui? Why would the yokai of Nightless Island do such a thing?”

“Hmph, do they need a reason? After that great fire, the one who rebuilt this yokai Nightless Island was none other than the original human owner of Nightless Island! After perishing in the great fire, he too became a yokai, and his hatred for Shiranui will never end!”

“Are you referring to… Sanmen-oni?” After a moment’s thought, Seimei asked with a frown.

“Yes, that guy is the current Sanmen-oni. I’ve spent nearly ten years studying Nightless Island to deal with him… For example, this is one of my achievements…” As he spoke, the old fisherman sharply steered the fishing boat. After skillfully avoiding several reefs, the boat arrived beneath a certain spot on the towering cliff face.

At the base of that cliff, hidden by numerous reefs, was a deep, dark sea cave that led directly into the interior of Nightless Island.