Ignited Battle Intent

Deep beneath Nightless Island, within a massive cavern, Nura Rihyon, Seimei, and the others stood inside a dark, deep tunnel. A pale purple curtain of light blocked the path before them, preventing the group from advancing.

"This must be the barrier that woman spoke of. It is indeed exceptionally powerful; even I have no way to dispel it..." Seimei said, frowning as he observed the barrier. Even as a Great Onmyoji, he found himself unable to break such a formidable seal.

"The strength of this barrier is the greatest I have ever seen in my life. Is this the masterpiece of a so-called boundary yokai?" The elder Onmyoji, Kamo Yoshin, was equally at a loss.

"Indeed. So, behind this should be the Main Sacrificial Altar she mentioned. However, we have no way of entering right now. I just checked the other paths leading this way, and they are all blocked by barriers. It seems this barrier is a perfect sphere centered on the Main Sacrificial Altar, leaving no openings," said Nura Rihyon. With his superior speed, he had already conducted a preliminary scout of the surroundings.

"What should we do now? If this barrier remains, we cannot move forward."

"We have no choice but to trust that mysterious woman for now. She said she would deal with the barrier. We only need to wait here. Once the barrier is dispelled, we will continue..." Seimei murmured somewhat helplessly, recalling the final words of Matara Okina.

...

Not far from Nightless Island, on East Island, the final battleground of the Yokai Lord assembly had been arranged under the direction of Tamamo-no-Mae’s messenger, Dodomeki. Miketsu, clad in her black robes, stood upon this familiar battlefield, waiting for her opponent's arrival amidst the blowing sea breeze.

After the previous events involving Toga, Miketsu had seen through the conspiracy hidden behind this assembly. To thwart this plot, she had made some secret arrangements before choosing to return to the arena to face her final opponent: the Ghost King, Shuten-doji.

Of course, Miketsu did not actually want to fight Shuten-doji at a time like this. Her goal was to use this opportunity to inform him of the conspiracy, call a truce, and bring him into her camp to jointly deal with Tamamo-no-Mae and Yakumo Yukari. Miketsu was quite confident in her ability to persuade him; after all, no one wanted to become a sacrificial pawn in someone else's scheme.

Standing on the desolate island littered with debris and charred trees, Miketsu did not have to wait long. Finally, a figure plummeted from the sky, and the robust form of Shuten-doji slowly emerged from the rising dust.

"Ha... The so-called yokai general of Heian-kyo. I didn't expect that someone who associates so closely with weak humans would be the strongest one on your side..." Shuten-doji said, looking at Miketsu with a look of disdain.

"Ghost King Shuten-doji. Looking at you, it seems you reached this place without suffering much exhaustion. You truly live up to the title of the strongest..." Miketsu responded calmly. She had already guessed that Yakumo Yukari likely intended to use the infighting between the Yokai Lords to weaken their strength. If Shuten-doji’s power remained intact, it would not bode well for Yakumo Yukari's plan.

"Tch... Stop with the useless talk. Since this is the final battle, let's get on with it! Owl! I've been looking forward to a fight that can actually satisfy me!" Hearing Miketsu mention his preserved strength, Shuten-doji immediately thought of Toga and Otakemaru—those two who had forfeited right in the middle of their matches. His anger flared instantly. He shouted at Miketsu, clenching his fists and settling into a combat stance.

"Wait a moment, Shuten-doji. I will not fight you," Miketsu said, immediately intervening as she saw him prepare to strike. Her words left Shuten-doji stunned for a moment.

"Ha! What are you talking about? You won't fight me? Are you trying to play me for a fool too!?" Shuten-doji roared, his face contorted with obvious rage. He hadn't expected the same drama he'd just endured to play out again with Owl, and right at the start no less.

"Shuten-doji, this duel between us has no meaning. This assembly is actually a conspiracy—a plot targeted at all of us. If we duel here, we will be falling right into the conspirators' trap..." Miketsu spoke patiently, hoping he would understand the situation. However, her words had little effect.

"Conspiracy? Hmph..." Hearing Miketsu's words, Shuten-doji snorted coldly. The sake gourd at his side instantly expanded, hovering in the air as it fired several demonic energy bullets toward Miketsu.

Seeing the sudden attack, Miketsu used her causality vision to dodge the incoming projectiles. She then looked at Shuten-doji and asked coldly,

"What are you trying to do, Shuten-doji? I told you, our battle is a conspiracy. It has no meaning!"

"I don't care about conspiracies or meaning! I've heard enough of these avoidance excuses today! My purpose in coming here was to have a satisfying fight... This fight is happening, Owl!!" As Shuten-doji spoke, he leaped into the air, clenching his fist and smashing it down toward Miketsu with immense force.

In terms of bloodlust, Shuten-doji was undoubtedly the most bellicose among all the Yokai Lords. Because of this, having two consecutive matches end prematurely had left his battle intent ignited but forcibly suppressed. His thirst for combat had reached a boiling point, especially after Otakemaru's mockery before leaving, which had left him fuming.

Now, Shuten-doji had pinned all his desire for battle on this final duel with Owl. That long-repressed battle intent had to be released. Consequently, he refused to listen to any of Miketsu's warnings and was determined to force this fight.

Dodging Shuten-doji's swinging fist, Miketsu retreated several steps. She then drew the Blade of the Three Realms, her brow furrowed as she looked at the Ghost King.

"It seems... this one won't be so easy to persuade..."

...

In the sky above East Island, a tiny, nearly imperceptible gap was open. Yakumo Yukari was hidden within, quietly observing the scene below.

"Ara... this Owl is quite impressive, actually managing to notice my plan. But fortunately, you are facing Shuten-doji. Once the battle intent of those from the Ghost Clan is stirred, they aren't so easy to talk down. I suppose that is my good luck."

Inside the gap, Yakumo Yukari pondered while leisurely waving her folding fan. She hadn't expected Owl to see through her plan, but fortunately, Shuten-doji hadn't listened to a word. The two sides were fighting now, just as she intended.

"Well then... just to be safe, let me add a little more insurance for the two of you..." As Yakumo Yukari spoke, she used her power to envelop the entirety of East Island.