"You're this weak… how did you run out of Yokai power again?"
Uchiha Kasage bent down, grabbed Natsuarashi by the collar, and lifted her off the ground, his tone full of exasperation.
"What?! That's obviously because you've gotten stronger again!" Karan shot back, glaring at him indignantly. "I've been training hard lately—my Yokai power has increased a lot!"
"…"
Kasage was just about to mock her again, but Karan suddenly sniffed the air and leaned closer, sniffing him carefully.
He thought she had noticed that he was no longer in an Edo Tensei body and was about to explain—
But her expression changed instantly.
"Kasage! Did you secretly eat something delicious without me?!"
"…Uh."
Kasage froze, then instinctively looked away, slightly guilty.
He had forgotten—he'd been eating barbecue just moments ago, and the rich aroma still lingered on him.
"You actually ate something good and didn't call me?!" Karan became even more furious. Dangling in his grip, she flailed wildly, trying to bite him. "Kasage! You promised that if there was good food, you'd share it with me!"
"Alright, alright—my fault."
Kasage quickly admitted defeat. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun, and a spatial vortex opened into the Kamui dimension. Reaching inside, he pulled out a neatly wrapped bundle of roasted meat and handed it to her.
"Look—I saved some for you."
It was the portion his Shadow Clone had just finished grilling and sent into Kamui.
The moment Karan smelled it, she stopped struggling.
She grabbed the bundle, sniffed it carefully, confirmed the scent, and immediately brightened.
"Fine. I forgive you."
Kasage muttered under his breath, "This cat Yokai is surprisingly easy to appease…"
He set her down and watched as she eagerly unwrapped the leaves, grabbed a piece of meat, and took a big bite. Her eyes narrowed in satisfaction—clearly delighted.
"Alright," Kasage said, lifting his gaze toward the three figures in front of him. "Why did you call me here?"
During their exchange, the three Panther Cat Yokai had remained completely still, silently observing.
"…Ah!" Karan suddenly remembered. Swallowing her food, she pointed at Fuyurashi with an oily finger and shouted arrogantly:
"Kasage! Help me defeat the Head Sister—I want to become the leader of the sisters!"
Kasage blinked, momentarily stunned.
He glanced at Tōran, whose expression had already darkened, then back at Natsuarashi, who looked completely serious.
"…Can I ask why you're so determined to take her position?"
Karan stomped her foot angrily. "I told her that using a Shikon Jewel shard to resurrect our Lord is dangerous—but she didn't believe me! She even said I was tricked by that group of filthy dog Yokai from the Inuzuka clan!"
Kasage shrugged lightly. "Then let her try. One mistake will teach her the lesson."
"Absolutely not!" Karan puffed up her chest. "What if the resurrected Lord goes berserk and kills all of us? That would be a huge loss!"
She grinned proudly. "So I came up with a plan—if I become the Head Sister, everyone will have to listen to me!"
Kasage couldn't help but sigh. "Have you thought about what happens after I defeat her? Once I leave… won't she just come after you?"
"…Uh…"
Karan froze. Her eyes darted around before she quickly said, "Then I'll just summon you again!"
"But you'll completely exhaust your Yokai power each time," Kasage replied calmly. "How long will it take you to recover?"
"Th-this…"
She fell silent.
Only now did she realize she had acted on impulse—challenging Fuyurashi without thinking about the consequences.
"Don't worry, Natsuarashi. Your second sister supports you."
A clear, gentle voice suddenly rang out.
Kasage turned and saw Haruarashi stepping forward with a smile.
She approached him, studying him with curious eyes. Then she leaned in slightly and sniffed.
"So… you're human," she said, surprised but amused. "Karan claims you're very strong. I wonder if that's true."
Then, without hesitation, she extended her hand with a playful smile.
"It's our first meeting. Asking for a welcome gift isn't too much, right?"
Kasage paused… then followed her gaze toward the roasted meat in Natsuarashi's hands.
"…I see."
Activating Kamui again, he summoned another bundle of roasted meat and placed it in Haruarashi's hand.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered in her eyes at the spatial vortex—but her smile never faded.
"Thank you," she said cheerfully, patting his arm. "I'll put in a good word for you with the Head Sister."
Kasage turned toward Fuyurashi.
The cold Yokai aura surrounding her had already begun to spread, chilling the air. In her hand, a long spear of condensed ice had formed, gleaming sharply.
Behind her, Shunran hi silently stepped aside, clearly unwilling to interfere.
The atmosphere tightened.
A fight was inevitable.
Kasage glanced briefly at Shunran, who had already pulled Karan back.
"Don't worry," he said with a faint smile. "I'll go easy on her."
"Kasage! Just give her a small lesson—be gentle!" Karan shouted from the side.
Tōran's expression darkened further, the freezing aura intensifying.
Kasage sighed inwardly. *That girl is definitely going to get beaten later…*
"Come on," he said casually, looking at Tōran. "Let's make this quick. I still have barbecue waiting."
"Hmph. Arrogant."
Tōran's voice was cold.
In the next instant—
She moved.
The ice spear shot forward like lightning, tearing through the air and aiming straight for his chest.
"Kamui."
Kasage's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly.
A spatial vortex appeared at the spear's tip—
—and in an instant, it was swallowed whole, vanishing without a trace.
"…Spatial ability."
Tōran observed calmly, her expression unchanged.
She had already seen him pull objects from thin air earlier. This… only confirmed her suspicion.