The next day.
Mutsu Province. Kurokawa Castle.
The corridor of the side hall of the tenshukaku.
The glow of the setting sun filtered through the wooden lattice windows, falling upon the tatami.
The great kappa sat cross-legged at the end of the corridor.
His jade-green scaled body had visibly grown another size. The water in the dish atop his head sloshed as he discussed something with the kamaitachi.
"Go back and take a look?"
The kamaitachi's silver-white form was tucked into the shadow of a pillar, nearly merging with the air. Only those silver pupils flickered in the darkness.
"The Master has already approved it."
The great kappa slapped his own thick thigh.
"Ruri said the same, things in Mutsu have stabilized for now. Those of us from Tōno, if we want to go back and take a look, we can."
"Call it… visiting family?"
The kamaitachi was silent for a moment.
"Will Tōno… let us return?"
"I don't know."
The great kappa scratched his head.
This time, the water in his dish did not ripple.
"But we have to try, at least. We came from there, after all, even though we chose to leave back then, it was to survive…"
His voice trailed off.
When Menōmaru's true body had revived and swept across the six northeastern provinces, absorbing the many demons of the northeast, Tōno, the greatest demon homeland of the eastern lands, had naturally been the first to bear the brunt.
To protect itself, it had decisively chosen to seal itself off.
Tōno, in essence, was a demon settlement, similar to the demon villages Shinji had visited many times.
Similar also to the demon village the first-generation Kenshin's army had swept through, the one that only appeared at dusk during the hour of Ōmagatoki, where the tanuki Jūsaburō had originally come from.
Only larger.
More complete.
Stronger.
Within it dwelled over a hundred kinds of demons with osore circulating in the outside world.
In later ages, it would even be compiled into a dedicated Tōno Monogatari.
Within, there was space.
Without, a thick "barrier" formed of demonic energy.
All demons who remained in Tōno were protected within.
All demons outside were shut out.
Tōno's choice back then had been simple.
Stay and receive protection.
Or leave and fend for yourself.
The great kappa, the kamaitachi, and the Yuki-onna Oikawa Yukiri, they had chosen to leave.
Because staying might mean being trapped in that city forever.
And they were of the younger generation of Tōno's demons.
Young, with futures ahead of them.
Naturally, they were unwilling to spend their whole lives inside.
But Tōno's rules were also clear.
Those who left, could never return.
"So, thou still want to go back?"
The kamaitachi's voice carried mockery, not mocking the great kappa, but mocking himself.
"Us 'traitors'....would Tōno welcome us?"
"Trying is still worth it, right?"
The great kappa stood up and swung his tail in a circle.
"Besides, things are different now. We follow the Master. We're officers of the Hyaku Monogatari groups. One of the great commanders of the eastern lands…"
He paused.
"Even if we can't get in, at least we can let them know. The ones who left back then, are doing pretty well for themselves."
The kamaitachi did not argue further.
His silver-white form emerged from the shadows, appearing especially faint in the lingering light of the setting sun.
"Then let's go."
Demons, some were yō, some were kai.
But any with a sense of self possessed territorial instinct.
And a concept of homeland.
Hard to sever.
However…
"Yuki-onna, didst thou speak to her?"
"Not yet. Shall we go together to tell her?"
"Agreed."
As the words fell, the two demons were about to set out,
"No need to go. I'm here."
The Yuki-onna's cool voice suddenly rang out.
The great kappa and the kamaitachi turned simultaneously.
What they saw was Oikawa Yukiri standing by the window.
Her blue curly hair fell over the shoulder of her deep blue kimono.
Her ice-blue pupils gazed toward the direction outside the window, toward the north, where Tōno lay.
"Oikawa!"
The great kappa called out.
"Coming with us?"
The Yuki-onna did not answer immediately.
She stood for a long time, so long that the great kappa thought she would not agree.
After all, going would likely be futile.
That was only natural.
As expected.
"…I'm not going."
Oikawa's voice was very soft.
So soft it was nearly scattered by the night wind.
The great kappa opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
In the end, he merely nodded.
"Then… we'll be off."
The kamaitachi said nothing more.
Afterward, the two demons' figures quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.
After that, the Yuki-onna still stood by the window.
Her ice-blue pupils gazed north.
She, of course, knew Tōno's rules.
She knew better than anyone, having chosen to leave back then, she would not be accepted upon returning.
Tōno's guardians would not permit "traitors" to set foot upon that land.
Even though…
Even though she was now one of the five commanders of the Hyaku Monogatari groups.
Even though she commanded the demonic forces of northern Musashi.
Even though the osore she possessed far exceeded any demon who had remained in Tōno back then.
But it was useless.
Because rules were rules.
Even if those rules were, in truth, exceedingly, exceedingly unreasonable…
There was nothing to be done.
The Yuki-onna's fingers pressed against the windowsill.
An exceedingly faint frost spread from her fingertips, staining the surface white.
She knew the great kappa and the others would not get in.
So she did not want to see that scene.
Did not want to watch her companions be turned away at the gate.
Did not want…
But it was at that very moment,
"Go."
A voice sounded beside her ear.
Very soft.
Very close.
So close it was as though someone stood behind her, speaking.
The Yuki-onna's body went rigid for an instant.
Her ice-blue pupils contracted sharply.
She recognized that voice.
"Master…?"
....
....
Tōno.
The border.
High walls stood.
The barrier was sealed.
It was a mountain completely enclosed, from earth to sky, from within to without, layer upon layer of barriers wrapped the valley beneath several mountain ranges where the demon homeland lay, sealing it airtight.
The barrier was like a thick fog.
Each layer so dense it was suffocating.
The great kappa and the kamaitachi stood outside the barrier.
Behind them followed over twenty demons also from Tōno, some little kappa, some mountain dogs, some small wind demons.
All of them were from the group that had chosen to leave back then.
"We're here."
The great kappa took a deep breath.
The water in his dish rippled once.
He seemed somewhat uneasy.
The kamaitachi said nothing.
He merely stared at the barrier before them, his silver pupils reflecting the vast fog.
Then, as though sensing their arrival, the fluctuation of their demonic energy, ripples surged upon the surface of the mist.
A figure emerged from within.
Tall.
Massive.
Entirely white-haired, like a colossal ape.
Fully 3 meter in height.
An old man.
One of Tōno's guardians.
He was a Yamaotoko, a Mountain Man.
At the same time, he was also one of Tōno's guardians, a mountain god.
Within his own territory, he was among the most top-tier existences beneath the daiyōkai.
Behind the Yamaotoko, numerous Tōno demons followed, their forms faintly visible within the mist.
Zashiki-warashi.
Yama-onna.
Yashiki-no-kami.
Yama-uba…
Every one of them a named, storied demon of Tōno, possessing osore.
"You… dare to come back?"
The voice squeezed from the depths of the Yamaotoko's throat, deep as thunder, as though the very mountains trembled.
The great kappa stepped forward.
"Lord Mountain God, we merely wished—"
"Those who leave may not return."
The Yamaotoko cut him off.
"That is the rule. When Menōmaru attacked, Tōno gave you a choice. Stay, or leave. Since you chose to leave, then do not come back."
As his words fell, the white mist among the mountains grew even denser.
It was as though they were being driven away.
The demonic energy surging from the Yamaotoko simultaneously grew more vast, more immense.
The osore accumulated within Tōno began to pour outward.
The great kappa's fists clenched.
The water in his dish rippled violently.
The kamaitachi's body leaned forward slightly, his silver claws pressing against his waist.
Though he had no blade, the wind was his blade.
"Lord Mountain God, we are different now."
The great kappa's voice was pressed very low.
"We follow the Master of the Hyaku Monogatari groups. We are commanders of the eastern lands… Back then, our departure was out of helplessness…"
"And honestly, we did leave. But among the younger generation of Tōno, who else wanted to leave besides us?"
"We didn't want to abandon our homeland. We only hoped to find the power to solve the problem from the outside, rather than waste away inside…"
This was the truth.
And it was also the innermost thought of the Tōno demons behind the Yamaotoko, within the mist barrier.
Unfortunately, no one dared admit it before the Yamaotoko, who was both Tōno's guardian and the enforcer of its rules.
"And what of it?"
The Yamaotoko's eyes glowed.
"Rules are rules. Even if you follow the legendary Lord of the Chimimōryō, you cannot change the fact that you left."
"Those who leave are traitors. And we of Tōno, do not need traitors."
"Get out."
The final word crashed down, and the mist among the mountains roared!
The pressure spread from within outward.
The twenty-some demons behind the great kappa retreated several steps simultaneously.
But the great kappa did not retreat.
Neither did the kamaitachi.
The two exchanged a glance.
Only—
"Oikawa!"
Before they could act, the kamaitachi seemed to sense something.
He spoke in astonishment.
His silver pupils turned simultaneously toward the rear.
There a figure came riding the wind from the distance.
Blue curly hair streamed in the wind.
The hem of her deep blue kimono rose like butterfly wings.
Her ice-blue pupils locked onto the barrier ahead.
The Yuki-onna, Oikawa Yukiri.
She had come too.
The great kappa was equally stunned.
"Didn't you say you weren't coming—"
The Yuki-onna did not answer.
She merely landed before the two of them.
The hem of her deep blue kimono dragged across the ground.
A thin layer of frost instantly formed beneath her feet.
She lifted her head.
Her ice-blue pupils met the Yamaotoko's eyes within the barrier.
"Yuki-onna, Oikawa Yukiri."
The Yamaotoko's voice deepened a layer.
"You too would defy the rules? When you left back then, you were the first to go."
The Yuki-onna said nothing.
She merely stood there.
Quietly.
Within her ice-blue pupils, there was no fluctuation.
Her face was cold as frost.
The Yamaotoko thought she would argue.
Would plead.
Would say something.
He had already resolved to give no opportunity whatsoever.
But she did not.
And it was at that very moment—the sky changed.
To be precise, something had appeared in the sky.
Five beams of light rose from the horizon.
Dark crimson.
Ghostly violet.
Pale white.
Violet-white.
Dark blue…
Those were five colors.
And also, five blades.
Five blades suspended high in the sky.
They streaked in at extreme speed from the distance.
In an instant, they spanned directly above Tōno's barrier.
Blade tips pointed down.
Hilts toward the heavens.
Between them, exceedingly fine five-colored threads wove into a net.
Demonic energy surged from the blades, vast, immense to the absolute extreme.
Nearly equal to heaven and earth.
Equal to Phenomenon…
"A daiyōkai… the Demon God of the East?!"
The Yamaotoko's voice caught in his throat.
He recognized this.
Perhaps not before, but now, no demon in the entire northeast could fail to recognize it…
This was the unique mark of the eastern lands' foremost daiyōkai, Kishin Mikoto-no-Mitama.
And even more, the five demon blades that had slain Menōmaru days ago.
A pseudo-daiyōkai Phenomenon!
At this moment, five blades spanned the sky.
Demonic energy pressed downward like a canopy of heaven, enveloping the entirety of Tōno's barrier.
The Yamaotoko's eyes flew wide.
At the same time, behind him, amid the encircling mountains, beneath the white mist, countless demons of Tōno lifted their heads simultaneously.
They saw those five blades in the sky.
Saw the five-colored radiance flowing upon the blades.
And felt that crushing demonic pressure that nearly suffocated them.
"This is…"
"The Hyaku Monogatari groups."
The Yuki-onna finally spoke.
Her voice was very soft.
Yet beneath the shroud of the five blades' demonic energy, it reached every demon within the barrier with perfect clarity.
"Our Master. The Lord of the East. The existence acknowledged by the great earth of the Kanto, the will of Kishin Mikoto-no-Mitama."
As her words fell, the five blades resonated simultaneously.
Demonic energy surged.
From pseudo-Phenomenon, to true suppression.
Beneath the shroud of the five blades' demonic energy, Tōno's barrier trembled violently.
Its white light flickered, on the verge of shattering at any moment.
The Yamaotoko's body went rigid.
He felt the weight of that demonic energy.
Far beyond him.
Far beyond any guardian of Tōno.
Even… beyond the entirety of Tōno itself.
"The Master said—"
The Yuki-onna lifted her head.
Her ice-blue pupils reflected the five blades in the sky.
The corner of her mouth, at last, slowly curved upward.
Exceedingly faint.
Exceedingly light.
But within that smile, there was warmth.
There was a charm and happiness never before shown to anyone.
A smile from the depths of her heart.
"Do as you wish."
Her voice swayed like water.
"This is the freedom he has granted us."
"And also—"
The five blades' radiance surged at the same instant.
The sky dome was dyed in five colors.
Demonic energy pressed down like substance, crushing countless cracks into Tōno's barrier…
The mist began to dissipate.
"—the protection he grants."
The Yuki-onna stepped forward.
The hem of her deep blue kimono dragged across the ground.
The frost beneath her feet spread forward, all the way to the surface of the barrier.
She extended her hand.
Her slender, pale fingers pressed against the barrier.
The mist, or rather Tōno's barrier, shattered.
Crushed by the demonic energy of the five blades.
Blue-white luster cracked outward from the point of contact in every direction.
In an instant, the entire barrier became a sky full of fragments, dissipating within the five-colored radiance.
The gates of Tōno.
Were open.
The Yamaotoko stood frozen where he was.
Even though he was a mountain god, even though within his own domain he was nearly a daiyōkai…
That was only nearly.
Not truly matching one.
Behind him, countless Tōno demons had also fallen silent.
They watched this scene…
Watched that Yuki-onna who had been the first to leave Tōno, now standing beneath the protection of five blades, step by step, walking in.
Watched that charming, happy smile never before seen on her face.
Watched behind her, the great kappa, the kamaitachi, and over a dozen demons who had left back then, also beneath the protection of the five blades, stepping into Tōno.
"This…"
The Yamaotoko opened his mouth.
"The rules?"
The Yuki-onna stopped before him.
She tilted her head up to look at him.
Within her ice-blue pupils was reflected his terrified face.
"The Master's will.... is the rule."
"He says we may return. Then we may."
As her words fell, the five blades in the sky resonated in unison.
Demonic energy poured into Tōno like a tide, completely enveloping this demon homeland that had been sealed for years.
After a brief moment of shock, the demons of Tōno suddenly…
Let out cries of amazement.
As stated before, the ones who had left back then were the kappa and the others.
But among Tōno's younger generation, which of them truly wished to be bound by such rules?
They did not want to leave and never be able to return.
But honestly, who truly wished to sit guarding the mountain for a lifetime?
Only the older generation of demons were filled with fury and shock, yet powerless to do anything.
Amidst this, the Yuki-onna turned around.
She looked at the companions behind her.
The great kappa stared at her, dumbfounded.
Within the kamaitachi's silver pupils surfaced a rare astonishment.
The other demons were utterly speechless.
Because they had never seen Oikawa Yukiri, that Yuki-onna who was always expressionless, always cold as frost.... smile so happily.
It was snow melting.
And also, the Yuki-onna's heart, stirring.
Toward their Master, her heart was stirring.
"Let's go."
The Yuki-onna's voice swayed like water.
"Let us go home and take a look."
She stepped forward.
Her deep blue kimono swayed within the five-colored radiance.
Her blue curly hair drifted gently with her steps.
The frost beneath her feet covered the entire path.
Above, the five blades still hovered.
To the south, in the direction of castle.
Shinji sat at the head of the main hall.
His crimson demon eyes were half-lidded.
"That will do."
He murmured, then withdrew the five blades.
The five-colored radiance dissipated from above Tōno.
The demonic energy receded like a tide.
But Tōno, was no longer sealed.
Those who returned could return.
Those who left, could still return again.
And he was always "watching" them.
This was the protection he granted to the demons under his command.
The freedom to choose to come and go.