Golden sunlight spread like scattered foil, soft and warm as it fell upon the land, gilding the white world with a dreamlike glow.
The earth was clothed in silver, its snowy silence broken as the rising sun opened the curtain on a new day.
At the border outpost of the dog tribe, a spirited young girl wrapped in furs leapt lightly from the cave and tumbled happily in the snow.
Her joyful play made her look like an innocent pup—naïve, a little foolish, yet brimming with a charm that drew a smile.
Tōga strolled out. His glance swept casually across the four dogs who had been on duty through the second half of the night. They shivered as though struck by an unseen force.
Their tails wagged frantically, leaving afterimages, scattering ankle-deep snow into the air.
"Awwooo, awwooo!"
"Go rest."
Relieved at his words, they darted into the cave. Faces that had worn a pitiful look just moments ago turned serious as they crowded their comrades who were cooking, awoowoowoo-ing about the terror of the night before.
Tōga watched Kujaku, tumbling about in the snow, his lips curving in a fatherly smile.
When a yōkai first learned to take human form, it was like being reborn. The changes in heart varied from person to person.
The young dogs Tōga had seen often showed curiosity toward their human bodies, acting out in unpredictable ways.
Compared to that, Kujaku's rolling and bounding to vent her emotions was quite normal.
'With this first example, I'm not far from creating the foundational training manual of the dog tribe—Human Transformation Chapter.'
'The future of the tribe can't always depend on me. Otherwise, I'll end up the same as in the original timeline; fighting endlessly until exhaustion takes me.'
He thought over his recent conclusions, ears pricking as murmurs carried from inside the cave.
Those clueless pups had no idea how sharp their captain's senses really were.
If he wished, even the faintest sound in the cave could not escape him.
'Next, I'll use them for "experiments". Enough of them acting carefree—it's time to put some pressure on.'
Having decided their fate, Tōga saw Kujaku approaching, her cheeks flushed, steps awkward as she tried to adapt to her new form—half skipping, half stumbling.
"Lord Koya!" Kujaku called out.
"It's Tōga, not Koya." he corrected.
"Yes, Lord Doya!" she replied earnestly—wrong again.
"…"
Deciding to let it go, Tōga cleared his throat and addressed her.
"The fastest growth for us of the dog tribe comes right after we first transform into humans. There are two tribe rules for your situation. You know them, don't you?"
"Yes, Lord Doya," Kujaku answered. Her speech was slurred—she had not yet mastered human pronunciation.
Tōga often had to guess what she meant; when she stumbled over words, she simply barked "awwoo" instead.
For a tribesman who transformed while out on duty, there were indeed two choices unless urgency demanded otherwise: return to the homeland for guidance from the elders, or learn directly from the strongest in the group.
And the strongest bore both duty and responsibility to teach.
Without hesitation, Kujaku chose to ask Tōga.
Her bright, flashing eyes made him feel the joy of teaching.
"Sankon Tessō!"
In the snowbound forest, Tōga—true to his principle of "borrowed power"—unhesitatingly demonstrated his second son Inuyasha's signature technique.
Demonic energy surged at his command, flooding into the claws of his right hand.
Before Kujaku's wide eyes, five golden arcs split through the air, so fast there was no time to react.
The great trunk of a tree ahead of them met the strike like fragile paper.
With sharp cracks, the trunk was sliced cleanly into several sections, the cuts smooth as though carved by a blade.
The upper half lost its support and toppled with a boom, sending up a spray of snow.
"Sankon Tessō is one of the most fitting beginner techniques for our tribe. Against low-level yōkai, it is fast and accurate—extremely practical."
Turning to Kujaku, who wagged her tail like a whirling fan, her face alight with glee, Tōga smiled gently.
"This technique depends on momentary concentration and release of demonic energy. Channel it through your fingers, sharpen it with your claws, and unleash it like blades to tear through the foe."
"I've taught you the key points, Kujaku. Now, you try."
"Yes, Lord Tōga!" she shouted, brimming with excitement.
For the first time she had said his name correctly. A faint, unspoken warmth stirred in Tōga's chest—far better than "Koya" or "Doya."
He watched her practice while planning to compile Sankon Tessō's training into a written manual.
For a tribe to truly grow strong, knowledge must be passed down.
In time, when the moment was right, improved versions of battle skills and secret arts—drawn from both his elder and younger sons—would spread among those who had earned merit in the clan.
But for now, everything had to be tested by his own hand.
Treating Kujaku as a junior, Tōga expected her to share some of his burden.
Whenever she erred in her practice, he corrected her directly—guiding the flow of energy, the timing of release, the angle of her claws.
With his careful instruction, Kujaku gradually grasped the essence of Sankon Tessō. Her movements grew more practiced, her strikes laced with threads of demonic energy.
Only when she reached this stage did Tōga return to the outpost, satisfied.
He stood at its center, his voice low but carrying: "Come here."
Four guards dashed up, eyes wide with a mixture of awe and curiosity, awaiting their orders.
Tōga spoke steadily, assigning them tasks one by one.
Their faces shifted with each command. Then, with a unified howl, they rushed from the cave toward the tribe's interior.
Watching them run through the snow, Tōga let out a soft laugh.
"Tōran, may this surprise not disappoint you."
─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───
[T/N: Sankon Tessō (散さん魂こん鉄てっ爪そう, Iron Reaver Soul Stealer, "Soul-Scattering Iron Claws") was Inuyasha's signature attack. It was his choice of attack before he obtained Tessaiga. By channeling his yōki through his claws, Inuyasha could increase their range and strength to cut through objects deeper than otherwise possible, allowing him to destroy weaker yōkai many times his size in one hit. Thank the great Wiki! and me.]