Forfeiture

On the Western Island, the battle between the Ghost King Shuten-doji and the Lord of the Dog Clan, Toga, had been ongoing for some time. From the very beginning of this fight, Shuten-doji hadn't personally entered the fray. Instead, he sat at the center of the desolate island, enlarging his sake gourd, which was covered in talismans, and letting it attack autonomously. Shuten-doji's gourd continuously spat out demonic energy orbs at Toga, its relentless high-speed barrage even suppressing him at one point. During this, Toga counterattacked with a gigantic Wind Scar slash, but it had no effect.

Facing this stalemate, Shuten-doji was clearly growing impatient. Weary of the situation, he now intended to swiftly conclude the battle.

"I've seen enough of your hopping around. Now, lie down, little dog..."

With that, Shuten-doji gave a slight wave of his hand. The enormous floating sake gourd immediately swelled significantly, then abruptly shot out a demonic energy orb far larger than any before, hurtling towards Toga. This orb condensed a vast amount of demonic energy, capable of covering a wide area like a cannonball, leaving Toga no room to dodge for a moment. Facing this demonic energy cannonball, brimming with demonic energy and clearly immense in power, Toga gripped Tessaiga, which was heavily wreathed in demonic energy.

"Vortex..." Toga spun and wielded Tessaiga, causing the surrounding demonic energy to form a spiraling wind field. When Shuten-doji's demonic energy cannonball struck this point, its trajectory was actually altered by this vortex-like wind field, and it began to spin and be absorbed towards Toga's blade.

"Explosive Current Wave!" Seeing that the demonic energy cannonball's trajectory had been guided by him, Toga swung his sword, transforming the original demonic energy vortex into a demonic energy tornado. It swept up the captured Shuten-doji demonic energy bullet and surged towards Shuten-doji. In this manner, Toga amplified Shuten-doji's attack and sent it back, a sight that made Shuten-doji's eyes light up.

"Ha! Demonic energy capture and redirection? Now this is getting interesting..." Seeing the demonic energy tornado rushing towards him, Shuten-doji stood up, his right hand open. Within it, a scorching energy orb, radiating a bright orange-yellow light, formed. He then hurled it towards the oncoming demonic energy tornado.

"Primal Demonic Orb!"

The moment the demonic energy orb made contact with the demonic energy tornado, a violent explosion erupted, accompanied by dazzling light. The demonic energy-canceling blast shattered the surrounding ground, kicking up large clouds of dust that momentarily obscured Toga from Shuten-doji's sight. However, the rapidly rising demonic power beyond the dust already sent a warning through Shuten-doji's heart.

"Boom—"

A rumbling thunderclap shook the night sky, yet before that sound, a bolt of azure lightning had already pierced through the thick dust. As the dust settled, Toga's figure reappeared, Tessaiga in his hand still wreathed in faint electric arcs.

"Azure Thunder Break..."

This was one of the demonic energy techniques Toga acquired from Oyakata after defeating him. In the final battle against Oyakata, Oyakata had almost devoured all of his own powerful subordinates, which indirectly greatly benefited Toga.

And this Azure Thunder Break was one of the top-tier offensive techniques Toga seized from Oyakata. Due to its extreme speed, it was impossible to dodge if one wasn't prepared. Just now, Toga distinctly felt his technique had struck Shuten-doji.

Finally, as the dust obscuring the battlefield completely dispersed, Shuten-doji's figure gradually emerged. He stood in his original spot, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at Toga. His right hand was extended, bearing slight scorch marks. Seeing this, Toga's eyes widened in disbelief.

Shuten-doji... had actually withstood that attack head-on?! When Oyakata had used lightning strikes against him, he hadn't dared to take even one, yet Shuten-doji was almost completely unharmed!?

"Heh, it seems I need to revise my opinion of you a little, little dog of Harima Province. Not only can you counter my gourd, but you can even land a hit on me. Although this level of attack is still just a tickle to my body, it's commendable. Not bad, Harima Province's new king isn't some mere small fry after all... In that case, I can also stretch my limbs a bit and exchange a few blows with you." As he spoke, Shuten-doji clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.

Seeing this, Toga fell silent. After a two-second pause, he performed an action Shuten-doji hadn't anticipated. He shook Tessaiga, transforming it back into a regular katana and sheathing it. Then, he raised his right hand and solemnly declared:

"I forfeit. This match is yours, Ghost King of Mount Oe."

"Ha! What did you just say?!" Hearing Toga's words, Shuten-doji was first stunned, then spoke in disbelief. He hadn't expected his opponent to surrender just as his fighting spirit was rising.

"I have made myself clear, Lord Ghost King. I admit that I cannot defeat you no matter what, and thus I forfeit here. You will advance to the next round as the victor." Toga continued, while Shuten-doji's expression turned somewhat angry.

"If you can't win, you just don't fight? What kind of king are you with no fighting spirit at all! Are you toying with me, little dog of Harima Province?!" Shuten-doji shouted loudly. Although he had won, there was no joy in his demeanor; instead, he felt as if he had been made a fool of.

"No, I have no intention of toying with you, Lord. Nor am I one to cling to life and avoid battle. It's simply that your strength is truly formidable. To have any chance of victory, I would have to fight with all my might in a desperate struggle. However, this battle is not necessary for me.

"Currently, in Harima Province, Oyakata has just fallen, and his remaining factions are still stirring in the shadows. I cannot afford to expend too much demonic power, or even risk injury, in a meaningless battle. If my strength were to weaken, leading to insufficient deterrence, Oyakata's remnants might retaliate. Harima Province, which has only just found peace, could easily be plunged back into war... This is my predicament... I ask for your understanding, Lord."

Toga spoke sincerely, and his words were truthful. He had come to this gathering with a diplomatic purpose, aiming to announce the rise of a new power to the other Yokai Lords. He had no intention of genuinely competing for the Black Tortoise demonic power. There was no need for him to stake the stability of Harima Province on an all-out fight.

Furthermore, there was another important reason: Toga's full power could only be displayed by using all three of his blades simultaneously. However, using spiritual power or even divine power in this Yokai Lord battle could lead to severe consequences. Like Miketsu, who could manipulate the power of the Three Realms, he also faced the same dilemma.

"Hmph, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful. Such deliberation is indeed fit for a king..." Hearing Toga's words, Shuten-doji's demeanor softened slightly. He then shrunk his sake gourd, slung it behind his back, and turned to leave.

"Farewell, little dog of Harima Province. I hope next time we meet, you won't have so many reservations..."

"Yes, I will, Shuten-doji..." Toga stood in place, watching Shuten-doji depart.

Western Island, second match: Ghost King Shuten-doji versus the Lord of the Dog Clan, Toga. Shuten-doji wins.