The Signal

Beyond the island, in the dark night sky, the young Great Tengu flew through the air, followed by two Karasu-tengu attendants.

"Hmm...?"

After passing through a dark cloud, the Great Tengu suddenly slowed down. In the dark curtain of the sky before him, several gap eyes opened out of thin air, silently watching the young Yokai Lord as he tightened his grip on his fan.

...

Beneath the waters off the island's coast, in the pitch-black depths of the sea, a purple ethereal light flickered. Countless gap eyes opened within the seawater, forming a circle to stare with shimmering purple pupils at the Lord of Arakawa, who stood in their center.

"Hmph... truly despicable cowards..." Keeping the somewhat frightened Kingyohime close to his side, the Lord of Arakawa waved his folding fan. Using what little demonic power he had left, he summoned the power of the surrounding waves.

...

On the western street of the island, Toga, who had just returned from the West Island and was heading toward the East Island to watch the battles, walked down the street with his son, Sesshomaru. However, he soon noticed that something was not quite right.

The once-bustling street was now completely devoid of yokai. The surroundings were desolate and silent. Although the lamps still burned brightly, the atmosphere was incredibly eerie.

In the dark corners of the street, countless gap eyes opened within the shadows, staring at Toga in the middle of the road. Toga came to a halt, and the strange situation left Sesshomaru feeling perplexed.

"Father, this is..."

"Stand back, Sesshomaru..." Toga reached out to interrupt his son. With a solemn gaze, he drew the tachi from its scabbard. In a burst of light, the massive blade of the Tessaiga revealed itself.

...

On the East Island, Miketsu and Ao Andon, who had just finished their battle, were in no hurry to leave. Ao Andon recounted three hidden secrets to Miketsu, the victor.

"So, I have finished the final secret regarding Shuten-doji. Owl General, are you satisfied with the secrets I have provided...?" With a smile, Ao Andon sat atop her lamp staff and looked at the black-robed owl before her.

"I find the secrets you mentioned quite interesting..." Miketsu responded in a deep voice. Indeed, she was very interested in what Ao Andon had just shared...

The deeper mastermind behind this Yokai Gathering, standing behind Tamamo-no-Mae... the past of this island once serving as a sacrificial site for the so-called Tokoyo-no-Kami... and the secrets within the body of the strongest Yokai Lord, Shuten-doji... these revelations gave her a much deeper understanding of this island and the gathering.

Now, Miketsu had an intuition. She felt that some conspiracy was brewing behind this gathering—perhaps even more than one.

"Well, now that everything that needed to be said has been said... next I should—hmm?" Just as Ao Andon was about to continue, she suddenly noticed the tachi in Miketsu's hand begin to tremble slightly, emitting a faint humming sound.

"Owl General, your sword..."

Miketsu did not immediately answer. Holding the reacting Blade of the Three Realms, she remained silent for a moment with a grave expression before calling out.

"Makoto..."

At Miketsu's call, the bright yellow bird that Makoto had transformed into flew in from the distance and landed before her. Ao Andon's eyes lit up at the sight.

"An Itsumaden..."

Miketsu leaped onto Makoto's back. Just as she was about to order her to take flight, she paused to think and then turned her gaze toward Ao Andon.

"You may come along and see for yourself."

"Oh? Since this is an invitation from the Owl General, I shall gladly accept." Ao Andon said with a smile, flying upward on her lamp staff.

...

On the western street of the island, countless yokai were passing to and fro. Brightly lit shops lined both sides of the street. Like everywhere else on the island, there was nothing unusual here, except for the fact that it was further from the center and thus had slightly fewer yokai.

On this seemingly normal street, Miketsu, Makoto, and Ao Andon were walking slowly forward. Ao Andon's expression showed a hint of confusion.

"Owl General, why did you suddenly come to a place like this? Is there something strange here?" Ao Andon asked directly. She thought the Owl had rushed here for some important matter.

Hearing Ao Andon's words, Miketsu suddenly stopped. She turned around to look at Makoto and Ao Andon and spoke in a low voice.

"Do you not feel anything wrong?"

"Wrong? General, is there something unusual here?" Makoto asked in response. Seeing this, Miketsu reached out her hand and spoke to the two again.

"Touch my hand and follow me..."

The confusion in Ao Andon and Makoto's eyes deepened. Nevertheless, they reached out and touched Miketsu's bandage-wrapped hand. Miketsu then turned and continued walking forward, with Makoto and Ao Andon following closely behind.

The moment Miketsu took a certain step, Ao Andon and Makoto, who were touching her, suddenly felt a wave of dizziness as if the world were spinning. By the time the dizziness faded, a completely different scene appeared before their eyes.

The ground was dilapidated and covered in cracks. The neat floor tiles had been almost entirely uprooted. The buildings on both sides had mostly collapsed as if ravaged by a hurricane. This was still the western street of the island, but it presented a scene diametrically opposed to before.

"Th-this is..." Seeing the ruined scene, Ao Andon and Makoto's eyes widened in shock. They both looked back together, only to see another wondrous sight.

The neat tiles, the bustling street, the passing yokai, and the intact buildings—behind them, a strange line served as a dividing point. Everything on the other side was perfectly fine. The yokai on that street went about their business, none of them noticing that the district just a few steps away had become a pile of rubble.

It was exactly as they had been just moments ago. The step they had taken while following Miketsu was the dividing line between the ruined district and the normal one.

"General, what on earth... is going on? An illusion?!" Makoto said, looking at everything in disbelief. Miketsu answered slowly.

"This is not an illusion. It is a cognitive barrier... a cognitive barrier brought about by boundary separation."

"Boundary... separation?"

"Yes. Just as it is difficult for the three realms of the living to perceive each other without spiritual vision, things in different realms will shield one another depending on the situation. That is the case here. This district has been stripped from the three realms of the living, and its Boundary Wall has been reinforced so that no living being can perceive it... Among yokai, only that person can achieve such a feat." It was Ao Andon who spoke, having gradually realized the truth. As a collector of secrets, she was quite well-informed.

"I did not expect you to have the ability to see through boundaries, Owl General... You have surprised me once again," Ao Andon continued. Miketsu did not respond. Boundary barriers could obstruct perception, but they could not hide causality.

"Then... why did this area become like this? Why would someone specifically hide it?" Makoto continued to ask in confusion. Miketsu looked around and answered slowly.

"Because this place became a battlefield. That is why it looks like this. The victor of this struggle completely concealed this area to hide the battle."

Miketsu spoke with a serious expression. She knew a battle had taken place here, and she even knew who the protagonists were. The reason was simple: the area was still filled with a familiar demonic energy.

It was the demonic energy of her sworn younger brother, Toga. The reason she had suddenly come to this place was that the Blade of the Three Realms had reacted strangely. That reaction was, in fact, resonance.

Using the Tessaiga, which shared the same origin as the Blade of the Three Realms, Toga had sent a signal to Miketsu from this hidden place.