"What on earth... is that?" Miroku stared at the slowly dissipating skeletal Susanoo, his eyes filled with shock.
"I've seen Retsu use it once before, to block Hiten's attack, but I never imagined it could attack as well as defend." Kagome followed Miroku's gaze, her tone laced with astonishment.
"You... have succeeded in angering me."
A frigid voice exploded from within the cloud of rock and dust. Sesshomaru sharply raised his head, his originally aloof and indifferent face now contorted into a snarl. His eyes transformed into eerie blood-red orbs, and the Demonic Power around him surged to its peak.
The rock wall behind him shattered with a boom, sending debris flying. Amidst the chaos, his figure blurred as he charged towards Retsu.
Simultaneously, he brought his fingertips together. A condensed whip of Demonic Power and poison materialized instantly, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle as it lashed out at Retsu, cleanly bisecting his body at the waist!
"Retsu!" Kagome's face paled as she cried out in alarm, wanting to rush forward to help, but Inuyasha held her back.
"Don't worry, that's not the real Retsu." Inuyasha's gaze was fixed unwaveringly on the battlefield, his tone certain.
Kagome was stunned for a moment, then followed his line of sight. She saw that Sesshomaru hadn't even glanced at the "corpse" on the ground, a cold smirk curling his lips. "A pathetic trick."
Before his words faded, he spun around abruptly. The Demonic Power poison whip shot out like a venomous snake towards a patch of ground in the distance.
As the ground erupted with a crash, Retsu's figure leaped out from the earth. Meanwhile, the "corpse" that had been severed in two on the ground vanished with a 'poof,' transforming into a shattered wooden log.
"That dog nose is quite sharp." Retsu, having dodged the poison whip attack, sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. "It seems the Substitution Jutsu has limited effect against a Great Demon."
He drew the samurai sword from his waist in a reverse grip. Wind-attribute Chakra instantly enveloped the blade, swirling into a layer of bright sword light. In the next instant, his figure became a blur as he charged straight at Sesshomaru.
"Clang——!"
The Chakra-wreathed blade clashed violently with tessaiga, sending a shower of blinding sparks into the air.
With the aid of his Mangekyo Sharingan, Retsu launched a full-force assault.
The sword techniques passed down through the Uchiha Clan for millennia, while not the pinnacle of finesse, were exceptionally fierce and lethal with every move—skills honed for the kill in the crucible of war.
Under the perception of the Sharingan, his figure multiplied into several afterimages flickering with sword light, forming an impenetrable net that enveloped Sesshomaru.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!..."
Under the night sky, the battlefield was filled with the relentless clang of steel, dazzling sparks flashing continuously between the two combatants.
Standing at a distance, Kagome and Miroku could only see the flying sparks, completely unable to discern their movements.
Only Inuyasha, relying on his demon's keen vision, could barely track the two figures moving at blinding speed.
Sesshomaru, who had always relied on overwhelming Demonic Power to crush his opponents, was now clearly struggling to keep up.
He could only barely parry using the extreme speed granted by his Great Demon physique, but every one of Retsu's attacks seemed to predict his movements in advance.
Not only was he unable to mount a counterattack, but he was also occasionally nicked by the opponent's samurai sword, leaving shallow wounds on his body.
Although these wounds healed rapidly under the influence of his powerful Demonic Power, the frustration in Sesshomaru's heart grew increasingly intense.
This was the first time he had ever been forced into such a sorry state by a human. And the weapon in his opponent's hand was merely an ordinary blade used by mortals, relying entirely on that strange power coating it to inflict damage.
"How is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome gripped Inuyasha's sleeve tightly, her eyes fixed on the constantly flashing sparks ahead, her voice full of worry.
"Right now, Retsu has the upper hand, but..." Inuyasha frowned deeply, his gaze locked on the battlefield, his tone concerned. "The sword in his hand is just a normal weapon. Faced with tessaiga's attacks, I'm afraid it won't last much longer."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a crisp "Crack!" sound rang out.
Retsu slashed across the armor on Sesshomaru's chest. The samurai sword in his hand, unable to withstand the violent impact, snapped in two with a sharp sound.
Retsu had anticipated this. He leaped back, quickly creating distance from Sesshomaru, and casually tossed the broken sword at his feet with a nonchalant air.
Looking at the grim-faced Sesshomaru opposite him, a mocking smile touched his lips. "Dog demon, your swordsmanship is truly pathetic."
He paused, his tone turning serious. "Forget it. Since the weapon's gone, this warm-up should end."
Sesshomaru didn't respond. Seeing Retsu now weaponless, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He swung tessaiga fiercely, and a blade of Demonic Power light, even more dazzling than before, shot towards Retsu once more.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Retsu's hands swiftly formed seals, then slammed onto the ground. With a thunderous "Boom——!", a tall, thick earthen wall erupted from the earth, blocking the path of the blade light.
However, this earthen wall only held for a moment before being shattered by the Sharp blade light, exploding into a cloud of rubble. The ground was carved with a long trench.
But by then, Retsu's figure had long since vanished from his original position.
Sesshomaru's eyes sharpened. He warily scanned his surroundings, attempting to locate his opponent's scent.
"What are you looking for?"
A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Sesshomaru's heart jolted. Just as he tried to turn and counterattack, a powerful kick slammed into his back.
"Pfft—!" The tremendous force made him spit out a mouthful of blood, his body thrown uncontrollably forward.
Immediately after, Retsu behind him erupted with his full Chakra. His figure became a blur as he instantly caught up to the flying Sesshomaru, delivering a powerful punch squarely to his face.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Having stabilized himself mid-air, Retsu spun around and delivered a fierce kick to Sesshomaru's abdomen.
Sesshomaru's body was instantly sent soaring high into the air. The barrage of attacks left him briefly disoriented.
When he managed to regain his senses, he saw that Retsu's appearance had changed. Orange markings now surrounded his eyes, and the aura around him had swelled several times compared to before.
Clearly, Retsu had now activated Sage Mode!
A flash of killing intent appeared in Sesshomaru's eyes. He gripped tessaiga tightly, unleashing a torrent of Demonic Power, and swung it viciously towards the Retsu who was watching him. "A mere human, die!"
The dazzling blade light crossed several meters of distance, striking Retsu's body.
Just as a cold smile began to curl Sesshomaru's lips, Retsu's figure vanished with a 'poof,' dissipating into smoke. It had clearly been a Shadow Clone all along.
The blade light struck empty air, slamming heavily into the ground and carving out a massive trench, sending dust and debris flying.
"Constantly spouting 'mere human,' what exactly is so great about trash demons like you?"
Retsu's voice came from above Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's heart tightened, and he hastily mobilized his Demonic Power to shield his entire body.
At that moment, Retsu's voice descended, carrying a A chilling killing intent. "Sage Art: Painful Sky Leg!"
Vast amounts of Sage Mode Chakra gathered and erupted beneath Retsu's foot, smashing down mercilessly onto Sesshomaru!
"Urgh—!"
Accompanied by a pained grunt, Sesshomaru vomited a mouthful of blood. His body shot downwards like a falling meteorite.
"Boom——!"
A deafening roar echoed as the ground shook violently. Sesshomaru's body impacted the earth like a meteorite, instantly creating a massive crater.
The surrounding ground cracked in all directions, and a cloud of dust billowed into the sky, engulfing the entire battlefield.
"So... so strong!" Shippō's eyes widened as he stared at the dust-filled crater, his voice full of shock.
"He couldn't fight back at all. This power is terrifying..." Miroku murmured to himself, his face etched with disbelief.
Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged a glance, seeing a trace of numbness in each other's eyes.
They had always known Retsu was strong, but they had never imagined he was strong to *this* extent.