"What… what was that thing?" Miroku stared at the slowly fading skeletal Susanoo, his eyes filled with shock.
"I've seen Retsu use it once before," Kagome said, following his gaze. "He used it to block Hiten's attack back then. But I didn't know it could attack too."
"You… have successfully angered me."
A cold voice exploded from within the dust and shattered rocks.
Sesshomaru slowly raised his head. His once calm and indifferent face had twisted into something feral. His eyes turned blood-red, and his demonic aura surged to its absolute limit.
Boom!
The cliff behind him shattered. Amid flying debris, he dashed straight toward Retsu.
At the same time, his fingers snapped together. A condensed whip of poisonous demonic energy instantly formed, slicing through the air with a shrill whistle.
Crack!
It lashed toward Retsu, severing his body at the waist.
"Retsu!" Kagome cried out in horror and tried to rush forward, only to be stopped by Inuyasha.
"Don't worry," Inuyasha said firmly, eyes locked on the battlefield. "That's not the real him."
Kagome froze and followed his gaze.
Sesshomaru hadn't even glanced at the "corpse" on the ground. Instead, he sneered.
"A pathetic trick."
Before his words faded, he spun around. The poisonous whip shot out like a viper, stabbing into a distant patch of earth.
Boom!
The ground exploded.
Retsu burst out from beneath the soil, while the severed "body" on the ground went up in smoke with a pop, turning into a broken wooden log.
"Tch. Your dog nose is pretty sharp," Retsu sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "Looks like substitution techniques really don't work well against great demons."
He drew the katana from his waist.
Wind-style chakra surged along the blade, wrapping it in a brilliant edge of light.
In the next instant, he vanished into a blur and rushed straight at Sesshomaru.
Clang!
The chakra-coated blade slammed into Tessaiga, sending sparks flying.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan enhancing his perception, Retsu launched a relentless assault.
The Uchiha clan's swordsmanship, passed down for centuries, wasn't fancy—but it was vicious. Every strike was forged for war, every move aimed to kill.
Under the Sharingan's guidance, Retsu split into multiple afterimages streaked with sword light, completely enveloping Sesshomaru.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Under the night sky, the battlefield was filled with endless metallic clashes.
Blinding sparks erupted again and again.
From afar, Kagome and Miroku could only see flashes of light. They couldn't follow the movements at all.
Only Inuyasha, with his demonic vision, could barely track the two speeding figures.
Sesshomaru, who had always crushed opponents with raw power, was clearly struggling now.
Relying solely on his monstrous speed, he barely managed to block.
Yet every one of Retsu's attacks seemed to anticipate his movements.
Not only could he not counterattack—he was constantly being nicked by shallow cuts.
Though those wounds healed quickly under his powerful aura, the frustration inside him grew unbearable.
This was the first time he had been forced into such a miserable position by a human.
And the weapon in that human's hand?
Just an ordinary blade.
Only that strange energy coating it allowed it to hurt him.
"How is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome clutched his sleeve, staring nervously at the flashing sparks.
"Retsu has the upper hand for now," Inuyasha said grimly. "But… his sword is just a normal weapon. Against Tessaiga, it won't last long."
As soon as he finished speaking—
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out.
Retsu slashed across Sesshomaru's chest armor. Under the violent impact, his katana snapped in two.
Retsu had expected this.
He leapt back instantly, widening the distance, and casually tossed the broken blade aside.
Looking at Sesshomaru's grim expression, he sneered.
"Dog demon, your sword skills are trash."
Then his tone turned calm.
"Alright. No weapon now. Warm-up's over."
Sesshomaru didn't reply.
Seeing Retsu unarmed, his eyes flashed. He swung Tessaiga again, unleashing an even more brilliant wave of demonic energy.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
Retsu formed seals rapidly and slammed his palm onto the ground.
Boom!
A towering wall of rock surged up from the earth.
But it only lasted a moment.
The blade wave shattered it instantly, turning it into flying rubble and carving a deep trench into the ground.
By then, Retsu was already gone.
Sesshomaru's eyes sharpened as he scanned the surroundings, sniffing for his opponent.
"What are you looking for?"
A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him.
His heart skipped.
Before he could turn—
Bang!
A heavy kick smashed into his back.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying.
Retsu's chakra erupted. He chased after him like a shadow and drove a fist into his face.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Twisting in midair, Retsu spun and slammed his foot into Sesshomaru's abdomen.
Boom!
Sesshomaru was launched skyward, dazed by the relentless combo.
When he barely regained consciousness, he saw that Retsu had changed.
Orange markings surrounded his eyes.
His aura had multiplied several times over.
He had entered Sage Mode.
Killing intent flashed through Sesshomaru's eyes.
He gripped Tessaiga and unleashed massive demonic power.
"Die, you pathetic human!"
A dazzling slash crossed several meters and struck Retsu directly.
Sesshomaru smirked—
But the figure exploded into smoke.
A shadow clone.
The blade carved a massive trench into the ground instead.
"You keep saying 'pathetic human,'" Retsu's voice came from above. "So tell me—what makes a trash demon like you strong?"
Sesshomaru tensed, instantly reinforcing his body with aura.
Then Retsu's voice descended, filled with icy killing intent.
"Sage Art: Pain of a Hundred Heavens!"
Immense senjutsu chakra erupted from his foot and crashed down.
"Gah—!"
Sesshomaru spat blood violently.
Like a falling meteor, his body plummeted.
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
A massive crater formed on impact. Cracks spread in every direction as dust and debris shot skyward, engulfing the battlefield.
"So… so strong…" Shippo murmured, staring wide-eyed.
"He couldn't even fight back… That power is terrifying," Miroku whispered in disbelief.
Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged glances.
Both looked numb.
They had always known Retsu was powerful.
They just never imagined he was this powerful.
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