Tōga had little taste for the hot-blooded 'heroics' of those loner protagonists.
If a crushing victory could be won by rallying allies, why risk an arrogant duel, courting disaster in some dark ditch?
From a personal perspective, such thinking might seem romantic. But as captain of the dog tribe's patrol, and future lord of the clan, clinging to single combat would be irresponsibility toward both himself and his people.
In truth, he held no fear of the Leopard Cat tribe's Four Heavenly Kings in their youthful prime. His own strength alone could cut them down without escape.
Yet their numbers posed a problem. If battle dragged on and his demonic energy was depleted before finishing them all, survivors could spread word of his abnormal power. With the Leopard Cats' notorious vindictiveness, that would surely draw ambushes and reprisals.
Such entanglements would only endanger him and his companions.
Worse, cornered enemies might lash out in desperation, taking loyal dogs with them to the grave. That loss was intolerable.
So when the chance arose to call reinforcements, Tōga did not hesitate.
He was no solitary wanderer—the Dog Demons stood firmly at his back.
Under the Dog General's banner, in times of hardship, there was no room for scheming among kin.
Bringing others in served two purposes: tempering the young dogs in real battle, and discerning which of them were worth his future cultivation.
To be frank, if his current body had the strength for marriage and children, he would already be striving for 'many sons, much fortune' minus the system.
Fathers and sons march together to war, brothers strike down tigers side by side.
With Sesshōmaru, his brilliant eldest, already a shining gem, how could he not beget more to honor his own proud bloodline?
After all, in the original timeline, only Seiten and Kujaku bore names among the dog clan—and both were relegated to the role of cannon fodder.
Watching the four hounds vanish into the snow, Tōga stood alone at the outpost, the silence suddenly stark.
A standard patrol squad was one mid-rank yōkai leading nine lesser ones. Tōga's team followed this rule.
With four dispatched, four untransformed dogs remained. Two he set to guard the outpost's gate. The other two he began instructing in the essentials of the Human Transformation Chapter.
The butterfly's wings had already stirred; the destined future grew ever more uncertain.
Three days slipped by.
Tōga's steps flowed with a gauzy veil of demonic energy, so subtle it rose and fell with his movement like part of his own body.
In the forest, each motion silent, he shadowed Tōran at a measured distance.
He was employing a skill newly forged: Shadow Breath Step—an evolution of Sesshōmaru's Silent Movement, fused with an assassin's art of Breath Suppression.
It let him meld into the boundless dark, concealing every trace of presence, while flashing forward at near-instant speed, as if teleporting.
Over the years he had devised many such minor techniques, patching his shortcomings.
He had become a true six-sided warrior, prepared to meet any peril with composure.
As they moved, Tōran suddenly halted before a band of Leopard Cats emerging from the woods. Her cool, proud face softened with a hint of delight.
'The one with the circlet, big as a boar-demon—that should be Shūran of the Four Heavenly Kings.'
Bare-chested beneath a green cloak, his essence steeped in lightning—the only male among the four—Shūran grinned broadly as he hailed Tōran.
The ever-present mountain winds carried their words clearly to Tōga's ears.
"Big sister, my squad's here. Karan won't arrive for another four days," Shūran's voice boomed.
"Just as I expected. You and Shunran wait behind the border. Never underestimate those dogs' noses," Tōran replied firmly, every order precise.
"Big sister, why bother waiting for Karan? Her fire won't help much in the winter snow. The three of us can't wipe out one dog squad?" Shūran snorted, arrogant confidence plain.
"…I've been watching these past three days. That dog captain—something about him is wrong. Better to be thorough. There's no need to take reckless risks."
Tōran's brow furrowed. Her instincts screamed that this dog-tribe leader was no ordinary foe.
Even from afar, he sent a chill creeping down her spine.
Yet to shrink back before mere dogs left her unwilling.
"Then let's follow your lead, sister. You're only thinking of us," Shūran conceded. His brutish face twisted, arcs of lightning sparking across his skin with sharp pops.
"This time we'll slaughter every last pup! Because of them, our clan suffers humiliation at every turn. We'll wash away the shame with their blood!"
He clenched his fists, eyes flashing with murderous hatred for the dogs.
High in the branches, Tōga stood with one hand idly on the Tessaiga at his waist, watching with cool detachment.
Their bluster was nothing more than the delusions of the soon-to-die. It stirred no anger in him.
His task was only to count their numbers, ensuring none of the Leopard Cats' dear siblings went unaccounted for on their walk down the Yellow Springs.
Tōran and Shūran droned on, their talk cluttered and dull.
In Tōga's ears, most of it was worthless noise.
He followed unseen, steps weightless, presence erased, one with the forest.
The ease of the task left part of his mind free, sinking into the essence of his demonic energy.
Abandoning old assumptions, he felt its pulse directly.
The more he honed it, the clearer his insights grew.
It was like lovers striving toward one another—his effort and the power's response meeting in perfect accord.
Every union with his energy brought fulfillment and joy, as though he had touched life's very truth.
Tōga knew well: once he stepped into the rank of a true mid-level yōkai, and made his own Fang-Forged Sword, his strength would soar.
Even before high demons that bent the heavens and earth, his Tessaiga would not falter.
─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───
[T/N: The term "Yellow Spring" most prominently refers to a sacred pathway in Japan known as the Yellow Spring Road, located within the Kumano region of the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture. This road holds deep spiritual significance as it is tied to the Shinto mythology of Izanami and Izanagi, two central deities, and symbolizes a route leading to Yomi, the Japanese underworld.]