Thick fog swirled amongst the mountains. Peaks, as steep as if carved by a knife, jutted into the sky, resembling a battlefield bristling with blades, displaying a perilous aura.
Toga, standing on the Demon Cloud, traversed the mountain peaks. The biting mountain wind whipped against his face, causing him to feel a slight chill.
At this moment, the moon hung low in the east, and dawn was approaching.
On the cliff face of a mountain peak, a dragon-like Yokai, devoid of any auspiciousness, but instead exuding a ferocious aura, was impaled through the chest by a single fingernail and pinned to the rock.
The Yokai Dragon's eyes were tightly shut, and a mask was embedded in its forehead. Its body was hundreds of meters long, with the widest part exceeding ten meters. The surface of its old hide was covered in wrinkles, like tree bark. The mane, claws, and other parts that touched the mountain rocks were covered, more or less, with a bit of green moss. From this, it could be seen that this Yokai Dragon had been sealed here for a long time.
"Ryukotsusei."
Toga narrowed his eyes, sizing up his old opponent. Ryukotsusei was sealed here, partly because of the seal itself, and partly to reduce energy consumption, so he had entered a state of suspended animation.
The Demon Aura had retracted into his body, and his vital signs were incredibly faint. However, any exorcist or Yokai with a little experience knew that he wasn't dead.
It was just too quiet.
A great demon, influential in life and after death, shouldn't leave a place this silent after being buried here.
The two-hundred-year seal hadn't killed Ryukotsusei, but it had weakened him considerably.
His current combat strength was no longer comparable to what it was over two hundred years ago.
"Buzz————"
As Toga spoke the name, as if triggering a mechanism, Ryukotsusei shuddered. The mask on his forehead slowly opened its eyes, and a wisp of red light leaked from the eye slits. Demon Aura followed, and the air seemed to become heavier.
His neck, which hadn't moved in over two hundred years, stiffly turned. The mountain trembled with Ryukotsusei's movement, and rocks tumbled down.
"Heh! Heh! Heh! Toga, long time no see!"
Ryukotsusei lowered his head, his crimson eyes filled with hatred and killing intent as he glared down at Toga.
"Ryukotsusei, it's been a while."
Toga looked up and met Ryukotsusei's gaze. Their auras clashed without either side backing down, and his words were full of delight. "I'm glad to see you're still alive."
"Hmm?!"
Ryukotsusei frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
He and Toga were sworn enemies, and the only reason they hadn't started fighting was because he was sealed. But Toga's joy didn't seem to be an act.
Something was off!
Toga must have an ulterior motive!
Ryukotsusei immediately became alert, his head quickly moving back, away from Toga.
"What are you doing here today?" Ryukotsusei wondered about the purpose of the visit, the expression on his masked face gradually becoming serious. The Demon Aura within him became active, continuously assaulting the seal.
Unless it was a special seal, other seals would weaken over time. Ryukotsusei's original plan was to bide his time, waiting for the seal to weaken to a certain degree before breaking it in one fell swoop. That was the easiest and safest method.
Forcibly breaking the seal was the most damaging and dangerous; a slight mistake could send one to the underworld.
But judging by the current situation, if he didn't struggle now, he probably wouldn't get another chance.
The activity of his Demon Aura caused Ryukotsusei to release more of it. The vast Demon Aura stirred the wind and clouds, and suddenly, dark storm clouds appeared, like ink dripping into water, quickly turning the colorless water black.
Brilliant blue lightning flickered between the storm clouds, and a fierce wind swept through the mountain peaks, sounding like a mournful wail.
"So energetic, huh?"
Watching the nails, the core of the seal, tremble violently, Toga's expression grew more pleased, while Ryukotsusei felt his scalp prickle. He couldn't fathom Toga's thoughts, unsure of his intentions.
"Although I'm glad you're not dead, I wouldn't want you to break free of the seal."
As Toga spoke, his form rapidly expanded. In a mere ten seconds, he transformed from a human just over a meter tall into a giant with a dog's head, hundreds of meters tall.
"ROAR————"
With a roar, the wind and clouds shifted. The rolling sound waves vibrated the air, transforming into a gale that blew towards Ryukotsusei, causing the fur around his body to stream downwards and dispersing the surrounding mist, revealing the valley beneath.
A giant hand, over twenty meters wide, reached for Ryukotsusei's neck. Because he was pinned to the mountain wall, Ryukotsusei couldn't dodge and was caught directly.
"Die!"
The advantage of a long, slender body lay in its flexibility. Even though Toga had grabbed his neck, Ryukotsusei could still turn his neck freely. He raised his head and opened his mouth towards Toga, and a Demon Aura blast, white with a hint of blue, shot out from his mouth, flying towards Toga's face.
As the saying goes, don't hit a man in the face. Seeing Ryukotsusei break the rules like that, Toga was no longer polite. He tilted his head to the right, dodging the incoming Demon Aura/Energy blast in a rush of wind.
Then, he clenched his right fist, extending his middle finger, aiming it at Ryukotsusei's chest.
"First, I'll reinforce the seal."
Before the words could even leave his mouth, Toga's hand had already struck. With a "Pshh," the sharp nail on his middle finger pierced into Ryukotsusei's chest, through his heart, and out his back, finally embedding itself in the mountain wall. Then, he snapped off the nail and retracted his hand.
"ROAR—"
The excruciating pain of a pierced heart caused Ryukotsusei to cry out in agony. His body convulsed violently, smashing nearby peaks and rocks to pieces, sending countless fragments flying through the air.
But no matter how he struggled, his upper body remained pressed against the rock face, unable to move under Toga's suppression.
"Next, the second seal…"
Toga switched from grabbing Ryukotsusei's neck to grabbing his head, lifting it and smashing it against the steep cliff face, embedding Ryukotsusei's head into the rock.
Ryukotsusei struggled desperately but couldn't break free from Toga's hold. Seeing Toga snap off his teeth, his expression shifted drastically, and he roared, his voice filled with menace, "Toga, what do you think you're doing?!"
The toughest part of a Dog Demon's body was his teeth, and the canine teeth were the toughest of all.
Holding a sharp canine tooth between his thumb and forefinger, Toga's lips curled into a ferocious grin. "Nothing much. Just worried you'd get a stiff neck while sleeping, so I'm helping to fix your head."
"Toga!!!"
Ryukotsusei roared in fury, struggling even more frantically. His tail, which could shatter mountains with a casual sweep, lashed out at Toga like a whip, striking him and producing dull "thump thump thump" sounds.
The armor Toga wore shattered, fragments flying everywhere, creating pits where they landed, embedding themselves in the mountains, or scraping past the mountain face, leaving behind gaps.
However…
Even with Ryukotsusei struggling so violently, it was useless. The powerfully built Toga withstood the attacks, and though his body swayed slightly, he didn't retreat a single step. He clenched his Canine Teeth and aimed them at Ryukotsusei's upper jaw.
Pfft~~Clang—
After piercing the flesh, it hit bone. Ryukotsusei's hide was as tough as steel, but his bones were even harder, so the Canine Teeth and Dragon Bones collided with a metallic clang.
Toga had an expression as if he'd expected this. He wrapped his hand in Demon Aura, strengthening his attack and defense.
Bang—Bang—Bang—
Like a hammer driving a nail, Toga slowly hammered his Canine Teeth into Ryukotsusei's jaw.
With each slap from Toga, Ryukotsusei let out a series of miserable howls and curses. After all, Ryukotsusei had two faces; while the dragon mouth couldn't speak, the mask-like face could.
The mountain's tremors matched the frequency of Toga's slaps, and rocks cascaded down.
After Toga's relentless efforts, Canine Teeth pierced through Ryukotsusei's jaw, pinning him to the mountain.
With the seal reinforced, Ryukotsusei's power waned again, completely unable to threaten Toga.
"Preparation is complete, now for the main event."
Toga clapped his hands casually, but the air exploded, and two circular shockwaves expanded outwards before dissipating.
"What do you want?!"
Ryukotsusei's masked face trembled, his voice actually wavering, whether from the pain of his wounds or some other reason.
He had thought Toga's purpose was to kill him, but Toga was reinforcing the seal. He then thought Toga was reinforcing the seal, but Toga said there was still more to do.
For some reason, Ryukotsusei suddenly felt that the Toga before him was a bit unfamiliar, not quite like the one he remembered.
At the same time, he had an ominous premonition, a feeling that he was going to be in a bad way soon.
Toga grabbed Ryukotsusei's tail with one hand, and said with a hint of regret, "It's a pity I don't have a sword, otherwise it would be much easier..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Toga opened his mouth and bit into a spot on Ryukotsusei's tail, his sharp teeth piercing the skin.
"Toga, you... Argh—" Ryukotsusei glared, emitting an eerie red light, and his tone was filled with shock and anger.
However, Ryukotsusei didn't finish his sentence, as Toga shook his head, tearing off a piece of flesh. The sudden pain shattered the rest of Ryukotsusei's words into a miserable howl.
"Ptooey~~" Toga opened his right palm to catch the flesh he spat out, then sold it to the Shop.
After seeing the money he earned, Toga's eyes lit up, and he looked at Ryukotsusei and praised, "Ryukotsusei, you're quite valuable!"
Ryukotsusei: ???
"You bastard, you bit me, and now you're talking nonsense?"
After praising himself, Toga continued to tear and bite, ripping off chunks of flesh, then selling them to the Shop.
Clang, clang, clang...
Toga seemed to hear the sound of a large amount of money pouring down, so pleasant to his ears. His bloody smile gradually became ferocious.
Looking at Toga's smile, Ryukotsusei actually felt a little scared. Since he became a great demon, the emotion known as fear had been far from him. Even during the life-and-death battle with Toga back then, he hadn't felt fear or any similar emotions. But today, after seeing Toga's smile and actions, he felt a long-lost fear.
Half an hour later, four-fifths of Ryukotsusei's body was sold to the Shop. Toga, who had reverted to his human form, patted Ryukotsusei's masked face, laughing heartily.
"Hahaha... Ryukotsusei, take good care of your injuries. I'll send you some food in a while to help you recover."
Hearing this, Ryukotsusei trembled all over, looking at Toga with eyes full of fear. He couldn't help but think that Toga wanted to fatten him up before slaughtering him, and he immediately felt despair.
To think that he, Ryukotsusei, a great demon who had once dominated a region, was now being kept like livestock!
A great demon could not be humiliated!
Ryukotsusei's eyes hardened, and he made a decision.
Self-destruct!
Regardless of Toga's intentions, self-destruction would destroy him. It would also give Toga a severe blow, making him understand the principle of "a great demon cannot be humiliated."
Unfortunately, before he could act, he heard Toga say, "I almost forgot something..."
Soon after, a paper talisman was stuck to Ryukotsusei's forehead.
"Demon Energy? Where is my Demon Energy? Why can't I feel my Demon Energy?" Ryukotsusei panicked for a moment, then questioned, "Toga, what did you do?"
"To prevent you from self-destructing, I'm cutting off your connection to your Demon Aura." Toga said with a laugh as he looked into Ryukotsusei's despairing eyes. "See you later."
Toga, carrying a few Dragon Bones, some Dragon Hide, and several Dragon Tendons, stepped onto the Demon Cloud and departed.
While selling the meat to the Shop, Toga selected some materials of decent quality to keep for himself. After all, he currently had no weapons, and his armor needed replacing.
"Who should I look for next?"
Toga didn't plan on returning to Totosai's smithy for the time being. Firstly, Totosai was probably busy lately, and secondly, the collected materials weren't enough to forge new equipment. He needed to gather more, and also earn some money on the side.
But the problem was... back then, when he fought demons, he aimed to kill them outright. The demons who had once been his enemies had all been slain by him. Those who hadn't been killed had either fled to places he couldn't find, or weren't afraid of him.
Ryukotsusei, who was as helpless as a chicken, allowing him to bully him, was just an exception.
After much thought, Toga didn't know who to look for. He then stopped thinking about his old opponents.
"How about… we go find Naraku?"
After learning from Mu Yang that Inuyasha had been framed by a half-demon, Toga kept it in mind. Shortly after becoming a member, he purchased information about that half-demon in the Shop, intending to deal with him while making money.
"Come to think of it…" Toga's eyes flickered. "Naraku seems to be a rather special half-demon."
Recalling the information about Naraku, he was originally human, but later used the "Curse of the Bugs" technique to merge with a large number of demons, becoming a demonic collective. However, since his composition included humans, he was also a half-demon.
Because he was a composite of many demons, Naraku's strength surpassed many demons, even though he was a half-demon. He mastered many skills, one of which, the ability to create clones, caught Toga's attention.
Naraku could strengthen himself by absorbing demons; the absorbed demons would become part of Naraku. Creating clones was separating a part of Naraku's body and reassembling it into a demon.
The separated part wouldn't disappear either; it could quickly regenerate and recover.
In other words, Naraku was a material manufacturing machine.
"A money printer!"
Toga sighed with emotion.
-----------------------
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