"Yes, we only need you to tell us where Shuten Dōji is hiding."
"Just that? Do you truly have the strength for it?" The young Saigū frowned, clearly unconvinced.
Although her divine sight had revealed that Satsuki was no ordinary being, combat ability did not always correspond directly with one's spiritual rank or divine lineage.
If it did, then demigods like the descendants of the Sakura clan—blessed with divine blood—would have long since conquered the world, rather than being confined to this narrow territory.
The potential of the Sakura lineage was immense, but turning that potential into real power required both time and opportunity.
The Saigū did not doubt Satsuki's intent to slay Shuten Dōji. After all, the demon king had not merely killed the Sakura clan's ancestors—his victims spanned countless families over the centuries. While the Sakura clan had the right to vengeance, so too did others who had suffered at his hands.
"However," the Saigū said gravely, her youthful voice steady yet commanding, "Shuten Dōji has ruled his domain for centuries. His power is well-known throughout the yokai world. Among all great yokai, he stands among the highest."
Her tone grew more solemn as she continued, "Setting aside those mysterious recluses—the so-called Yokai Saints or Yokai Immortals—as well as certain secretive forces that have recently emerged, there are four beings recognized as the strongest across the world: in the East, Kirinmaru; in the West, the Great Dog General; in the North, the Oni King of Mt. Ōe—Shuten Dōji himself; and in the South, Ōtakemaru of Mt. Suzuka."
"To challenge any one of them would require the full strength of an entire Great Shrine. Miss Satsuki, are you planning to ally with the western dog clan's yokai to face Shuten Dōji?"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted toward Sesshōmaru. "And as for the Great Dog General's son traveling with a human priestess—I can't say I'm surprised."
Apparently, news of the Great Dog General's affairs had spread far and wide.
"This matter has nothing to do with the West," Sesshōmaru said coldly.
"Then it concerns only you personally, Lord Sesshōmaru?"
The pointed question made his brow twitch. Seeing this, Ruri quickly interjected, "For certain reasons that cannot be disclosed, Lord Sesshōmaru currently acts alone and follows Lady Satsuki. The mission to slay Shuten Dōji is unrelated to the Western Lands."
Hearing Ruri's explanation, the young Saigū shook her head. "If the force opposing Shuten Dōji consists of only the three of you, then I'm afraid we cannot provide his location."
Satsuki did not appear offended. Instead, she asked calmly, "May I ask why, Lady Saigū?"
"Even with a powerful yokai as an ally, slaying Shuten Dōji is no simple task."
"So your refusal is purely because you doubt our strength—is that the only reason?" Satsuki asked softly, her tone measured.
"Not entirely." The childlike Saigū shook her head honestly. "But since you came to Yasaka Shrine seeking information about Shuten Dōji, I presume you already know some of our history. Then why not join forces with us instead of acting alone?"
"So, you mean—?"
"If Priestess Satsuki allows our clan's Exorcism Unit to join in the crusade against Shuten Dōji, then as allies, we would naturally share all our intelligence with you."
"An Exorcism Unit?"
"Yes."
With that, the young Saigū dispelled her Divine Domain and stood up. "Please, follow me."
The group followed her out of the side hall, along a stone path that led deeper into the shrine grounds. Eventually, they arrived at a vast open courtyard resembling a training field.
There, around thirty individuals—exorcist shrine maidens, black priestesses, and monks—were engaged in rigorous practice.
Each of them radiated a dense divine blessing. Their eyes burned with solemn determination, and without exception, a cursed green gem gleamed upon their foreheads.
"Hayato, Shino, Miyabi."
At the Saigū's call, three figures stepped out from the group.
Compared to the childlike Saigū, these three members of the Sakura clan appeared far more normal—at least in outward form. All looked like grown adults.
One of the shrine maidens—a short-haired woman slightly older than the others—smiled brightly and immediately scooped the young Saigū into her arms, rubbing her cheek affectionately against the child's. "Saigū-sama~ what's going on?"
The other two clan members looked curiously at Satsuki's group. Yet when their eyes fell upon Sesshōmaru, all three of them narrowed their gazes instinctively.
Having long fought against the dog clan, the members of Yasaka Shrine were all too familiar with Sesshōmaru's kind. Though he rarely involved himself in human affairs, his reputation as a great yokai of the Western Lands was well known even here.
"Miyabi-nee, p-put me down! There are guests watching," Sakura Blizzard protested with a faint blush.
"Yes, yes~ our little Saigū has grown up, hasn't she?" Miyabi teased before setting her down gently. The once-dignified Saigū who had faced Satsuki with solemn authority now looked every bit the pampered young princess surrounded by her clan.
Still flushed, the child coughed softly before introducing them. "These three are our guests—Priestess Satsuki, her shikigami Ruri, and the dog yokai Sesshōmaru. They wish to join the Exorcism Unit in the crusade against Shuten Dōji."
"What?!"
"Outsiders want to join the Exorcism Unit?"
"Sesshōmaru? Even that dangerous yokai has come? The world truly has changed."
...
The words immediately drew the attention of everyone on the training field.
All present were members of the Sakura clan, and thus anything related to "Shuten Dōji" instantly commanded their focus. The moment they heard someone was planning to hunt the Demon King, nearly all stopped what they were doing and turned toward Satsuki's group.
Sesshōmaru's reputation preceded him; many of the shrine maidens fixed their eyes on him with caution.
The short-haired shrine maiden—Miyabi—stepped forward, focusing intently on Satsuki, who seemed to be the leader among them. "For outsiders to join the Exorcism Unit, strength is required. Lord Sesshōmaru's power as one of the West's greatest yokai is unquestionable. But do you, Priestess Satsuki, and your shikigami possess the strength to match?"
Satsuki glanced calmly at the shrine maiden who had spoken. From her bearing and aura, Satsuki could tell this woman was a master swordswoman—one who had attained the state where the sword cuts flesh, and the heart severs the soul.
Though her spiritual power and divine blessing were weaker than those of Sakura Blizzard, they were still on par with the high-ranking priests of Katori Shrine.
"While this wasn't our original purpose in coming here…" Satsuki replied evenly, meeting her gaze. "I can assure you, we did not travel all the way to Yasaka Shrine just to play a joke."
Doubt was normal. Satsuki had long since grown accustomed to skepticism regarding her strength. After all, her power existed on a level far beyond mortal comprehension, and when faced with the inconceivable, doubt was often the first reaction. To question what defied reason was, in itself, reasonable.
Fortunately, the Sakura clan had one admirable trait—they expressed their doubts directly.
A clear clang! rang through the air.
With a single motion, the shrine maiden raised her hand. A katana flew from the weapon rack beside the field and landed squarely in her grasp.
Miyabi, the short-haired shrine maiden, leveled her blade toward Satsuki and said, "In that case, allow me to see for myself whether you truly have the qualifications to join the crusade against Shuten Dōji."
Sesshōmaru, as one of the most renowned daiyōkai of the Western Lands, needed no proof of his strength.
The descendants of the Sakura clan—though blessed with divine blood—were not so arrogant as to look down upon a being of his caliber.
However, when it came to Satsuki and her shikigami, the Sakura clan members could not help but observe them with subtle skepticism, their gazes tinged with faint condescension.
It was not malicious. Rather, it was a natural result of their heritage—similar to the noble bloodlines of the Kekkei Genkai clans in the world of shinobi. Possessing powers and destinies beyond those of common folk, such families gradually internalized a quiet sense of superiority over generations. It became part of their blood, their spirit—something they exuded unconsciously.
Satsuki, however, had never shied away from doubt or challenge. Though her goal here was not to join the Exorcism Unit, she was more than willing to entertain a test of strength.
Yet, in her eyes, the sword-wielding shrine maiden before her appeared painfully weak.
As an opponent, she was utterly insignificant.
Still, Satsuki respected the Sakura clan for what they were—a lineage that carried forward an unbroken legacy of willpower and sacrifice. Such persistence was, in itself, a form of strength.
But compared to Satsuki's current existence, that kind of spirit felt almost fragile.
So she spoke calmly: "Very well. If any of you can break through my shikigami's barrier, I will admit my own inadequacy and withdraw from any pursuit of Shuten Dōji. However, if you lose, I will ask Yasaka Shrine to fulfill one request. Do we have an agreement?"
?
Ruri's wide eyes blinked in confusion, staring blankly at her master.
A moment later, her voice echoed in Satsuki's mind. 'Hey, Host—why are you suddenly volunteering me to get beaten up? Weren't you planning to help them?'
'Helping them is one thing, Satsuki replied evenly. 'But Yasaka Shrine's influence in this world can accelerate several of my plans.'
Satsuki was not some saintly figure of pure benevolence—she was the Demon Buddha. Behind her seemingly righteous intentions always lay her own purpose.
That could hardly be called deceit—it was simply what modern people might term mutual benefit.
'Really?' Ruri's mental tone sounded unconvinced.
'Have I ever lied to you?'
Outside, the gathered members of the Sakura clan could hardly believe their ears.
It was as if a nameless shinobi had walked into the Uchiha compound and declared, "Let's see whose ocular jutsu is stronger."
To them, this sounded less like a challenge and more like sheer ignorance.
Even the composed Miyabi frowned. "Using a barrier to resist the attacks of our clan? Are you unaware that even the Hyakki Bat Clan—once the most skilled in barrier techniques—was annihilated by us? Only a tiny remnant survived because they bore a half-demon child. Were it not for that, we would have erased them entirely."
Satsuki said nothing further. In moments like this, actions spoke louder than words.
Ruri, with a deep sigh, stepped forward. "Well then, since my master insists, please don't hold back. Aim all your attacks at me."
Standing ten paces away from the shrine maidens, she raised her small hand, and a spherical barrier shimmered into existence around her.
Seeing this, Miyabi straightened her stance. Since the shikigami had already taken position, there was no reason to hesitate.
Yet she couldn't help but notice something peculiar: despite manifesting a visible barrier, the shikigami's energy signature was faint—almost nonexistent. Whether this construct was born from her own essence, or from some external modification, there was no apparent sign of strength.
To Miyabi's senses, it was as though the barrier did not exist at all.
Breaking through such a thing would be effortless.
Yes—utterly effortless.
That was the thought shared by nearly everyone watching.
"Be careful," someone called softly.
Miyabi dashed forward.
Though ten paces separated them, she closed the distance in less than three seconds. Channeling divine blessing into her forged steel katana, she swung it down in one decisive arc—intending to slice clean through the barrier.
The strike flashed like lightning.
A streak of silver brilliance tore through the air—leaving a trail that gleamed in the darkness, an eternal scar of pure white light.
The battle-hardened shrine maiden brought her blade down upon Ruri's barrier without hesitation.
"The result… should be obvious—"
That was what she had expected to say. But the resistance she felt through her blade froze the words in her throat.
Her eyes widened. Beyond the barrier, the fox-eared shikigami stood unharmed, calm and composed. The barrier itself hadn't even rippled.
Impossible. No—this had to be coincidence.
The unmoving, seamless barrier pressed down on everyone's throats like a pair of iron hands.
That had been a clean, powerful strike—casual, yes, but certainly not weak. Yet it had been dismissed as though it were nothing at all.
Miyabi turned, her expression sharpening. This time, she was serious.
Satsuki noticed subtle changes in the shrine maiden's stance—the way her breathing slowed, the way her weight shifted, her muscles tensing just before motion.
Then, with a light stomp—she vanished.
"—Moon Step?!" someone gasped.
"No," another whispered, eyes fixed on the field. "Lady Miyabi is about to unleash an advanced technique from the Living Blade Style."
As if to confirm those words, the flicker of her blade grew faster, the rhythm of her steps reaching inhuman speed. Her form blurred, leaving only shimmering afterimages. With both arms extended, she spun, tracing a silver crescent across the air.
The arc of light—brilliant and deadly—struck toward Ruri's barrier.
—Descent of the Divine: Living Blade Style — New Moon.
Had this technique been unleashed in full, it could have cleaved even a mountain oni in two. Though she held back slightly, the sheer force of the sword's pressure cut through the air, its shockwave sharp enough to sting the skin.
And yet—
Clang—!
The sound that followed was like hammer striking steel.
Even without seeing it, the ring of that impact made clear: this was a fine blade indeed.
But it achieved nothing.
Ruri's barrier remained perfectly intact.
The strike, which had combined every ounce of Miyabi's strength and refined technique, had not even dented it.
The entire training ground fell silent. Those who had initially been watching with amusement now looked on with apprehension and disbelief.
Only Satsuki's calm voice broke the stillness. "Priestess, you have one final strike. Please, use your best technique."
"Then—as you wish."
Having failed twice, Miyabi's mind became crystal clear.
This barrier was no simple defense. Not even the Hyakki Bat Clan, wielding the legendary Blood Coral, could have blocked her New Moon Strike so effortlessly.
Realizing this, she began to draw forth all her divine blessing. Radiant blue spiritual energy surged around her, coalescing into a luminous spirit behind her—her divine avatar.
She sheathed her sword.
Her spirit mirrored her movement.
For a heartbeat, the air itself stilled.
Even Sesshōmaru's sharp eyes widened slightly at the pressure radiating from her form. "A battōjutsu technique?"
"No," Satsuki murmured, her Tenseigan focusing on the flow of energy within the shrine maiden. "It resembles the stance, but it isn't. The circulation of power—the focus of her will—it's different. This isn't a technique of a single decisive strike… it's something else."
It was a secret art—one belonging to another branch of the same divine style.
—Descent of the Divine: Living Blade Style — Sixteen-Night Moonlight.