"I wonder how many of these you can handle?"
With a flick of her wrist, a piercing gust of frost-laden wind swept across the clearing. More than a dozen ice crystals, dazzling beneath the sunlight, materialized in midair. In the next instant, they blurred into streaks of white, shooting toward Kagetsu like a deadly hailstorm.
Kagetsu didn't retreat.
His figure flickered as he charged straight at Fuyuarashi, plunging headlong into the dense barrage.
From what he knew, the katana at her waist was pure misdirection. All four of these cat yōkai were spellcasters at heart. Even the burly Akiarashi wielded lightning like a mage, not a warrior.
The Mangekyō Sharingan rotated lazily in his eyes, each tomoe locking onto the trajectory of every incoming spike.
With a reverse grip, he drew a kunai and flooded it with chakra.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Crisp metallic echoes rang out as he struck the ice spikes one after another. Each shattered on impact, exploding into a spray of glittering shards that scattered across the forest floor.
He didn't slow for even a heartbeat.
Using the gaps created by the shattered projectiles, he closed the distance in an instant. His kunai flashed, cutting toward Fuyuarashi's throat, the blade trailing a faint chill of chakra.
Clang!
An ice-blue spear condensed in Fuyuarashi's hand at the last possible second, intercepting the strike with perfect precision. Frost immediately began creeping along the kunai's edge.
Kagetsu wasn't surprised.
With a subtle twist of his wrist, he shifted his stance and unleashed a relentless taijutsu assault.
Compared to her wide-area frost sorcery, Fuyuarashi,like Natsume,excelled at spellcasting, not close combat. Faced with Kagetsu's fast, precise, and merciless strikes, she could only parry with her hastily formed ice spear. Within moments, she was pushed onto the defensive.
The kunai in his hand had been specially commissioned from a blacksmith not long ago.
In the Sengoku era, when an ordinary farmer might save an entire year just to afford a simple iron pot, forging such a weapon was no small expense.
Still, as a shinobi, he preferred the balance and versatility of a kunai over the samurai blade at his waist.
Maybe later he'd ask Kagome to help him order a batch from the modern era. The Higurashi family ran a shrine in Tokyo,hardly poor by any means.
Even as he pressed his attack, half his thoughts wandered to such trivial matters.
"How dare you get distracted while fighting me!"
Fuyuarashi's furious shout cut through the clash of steel and ice.
Seeing his casual expression mid-battle, her eyes turned glacial. She blocked another strike, and in the next instant, a violent cold wind erupted from her body, sweeping outward in all directions.
Chakra burst from beneath Kagetsu's feet.
He vanished.
The frost-laden gale surged past where he'd stood moments before, flash-freezing grass, shrubs, even the air itself.
Kagetsu reappeared lightly atop a tree trunk, gazing down at her handiwork. Everywhere the wind had touched was now a frozen wasteland. Translucent ice crystals clung to the grass, glittering coldly in the sun.
He sighed.
"This ability of yours would be pretty useful during summer."
The corners of Fuyuarashi's lips twitched.
"Originally, for Natsume's sake, I only meant to teach you a lesson," she said coldly. "But now… you've truly angered me."
"Oh? You're angry?" Kagetsu replied , feigning a belated realization.
Not far away, Shunran leaned toward Natsume and whispered, "Natsume, looks like you've really set off Big Sister."
"It's fine," Natsume said confidently. "Big Sister can't beat Kagetsu."
Shunran blinked in surprise.
She knew Natsume's temper,fiery and explosive, just like her flame sorcery. It was rare for her to praise anyone so openly.
"Is he really that strong?" Shunran asked curiously.
"Mm-hmm!"
Natsume nodded vigorously. Memories flashed through her mind,challenge after challenge, each ending with her being utterly crushed in increasingly humiliating ways.
She involuntarily shook her head, as if trying to scatter those painful recollections.
"There was one time he summoned a giant blue skeleton and punched me straight into the ground," she muttered. "He hasn't even used that yet. Right now, he's probably just playing with Big Sister."
"Is that so…"
Shunran 's eyes shifted back to the battlefield. A sly smile curved her lips.
At that moment, Fuyuarashi resembled a living spell turret, launching endless waves of ice spikes at her opponent.
And Kagetsu? He moved through the storm with leisurely ease, guided by speed and the predictive power of his Sharingan. Each spike missed him by the narrowest margin, embedding itself into the earth.
The battlefield glittered with shattered ice, radiant beneath the sun.
Natsume watched with wide red eyes, occasionally stuffing roasted meat into her mouth, thoroughly engrossed.
Suddenly, Shunran tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Natsume… how did you summon him? Can you teach me?"
"Huh?"
Natsume froze mid-bite, meat still between her teeth. She turned slowly to stare at Shunran .
After swallowing, she licked the grease from her fingers and nodded. "Sure. Once you sign the contract, you just need to learn the Summoning Technique."
She paused to think.
"Signing the contract's easy. I can handle that. But learning the technique itself is trickier. It took me ages."
The Summoning Scroll served as proof of their pact,once bound, either party could call the other through the technique. She still remembered the contract ritual clearly, and the hand seals were second nature by now.
Igniting a small flame in her palm, she burned away the grease and proudly thumped her chest.
"Don't worry! I'll teach you when the time comes."
"Great! It's a deal!"
Shunran beamed.
The thought of having this powerful human as her own "muscle" made her practically glow. Her specialty was illusions that lacked direct offensive might. With him charging at the front, she could remain safely behind, weaving her spells.
What she didn't realize was that summoning Kagetsu even once would nearly drain Natsume's demonic power dry.
Meanwhile, Kagetsu remained blissfully unaware that he was about to gain another "summoner."
He continued strolling through Fuyuarashi's relentless barrage.
"You just keep dodging like a rat!" Fuyuarashi snapped, fury boiling over. "Do you dare stand still?"
"Alright," Kagetsu replied casually. "I'm getting tired of dodging too. I still need to go back and eat."
Fuyuarashi's veins throbbed.
"Fine!" she spat. "I'll finish you right now!"
Kagetsu nodded calmly.
"Good. One move to end this."
"Arrogant fool!"
The demonic power within Fuyuarashi erupted violently. She raised both hands toward him, and the air howled in response.
A colossal tornado formed instantly,its core churning with ice shards and swirling snow. It roared forward like a white dragon, freezing everything in its path into towering pillars of ice.
The forest groaned beneath the oncoming storm.
And at its center stood Kagetsu,still, composed, eyes gleaming crimson.