"How many do you think you can handle?"
Tōran flicked her wrist. A chilling wind swept outward as a dozen ice cones, gleaming like crystal under the sunlight, instantly formed in midair.
A moment later, they shot forward, leaving streaks behind them as they rushed toward Uchiha Kasage.
At that exact moment, Kasage moved.
He surged forward at full speed, charging straight through the dense barrage of ice cones.
From what he knew, although Fuyurashi carried a katana at her waist and appeared to favor close combat, all four of the feline Yokai were actually spellcasters. Even the burly Akiurashi was a lightning-type mage.
The Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slowly in his eyes. Every single ice cone's trajectory became perfectly clear to him.
Kasage drew a kunai with a reverse grip, instantly coating it in chakra.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sharp metallic sounds rang out in rapid succession. Every incoming ice cone was deflected and shattered into fine crystalline fragments that scattered across the ground.
His momentum never faltered.
Using the opening created by the shattered ice, he closed the distance in an instant, appearing right in front of Fuyurashi. His chakra-infused kunai, carrying a biting chill, slashed straight toward her neck.
*Clang!*
A loud collision exploded through the air.
Fuyurashi instantly condensed a blue ice spear in her hand, blocking the kunai with perfect timing. Frost spread along the blade as the cold energy clashed.
Kasage showed no surprise.
With a twist of his wrist, he shifted tactics and launched into a relentless taijutsu assault.
Compared to her sharp and versatile ice magic, Shūran—like Karan—excelled in spellcasting rather than close combat. Against Kasage's fast, precise, and ruthless strikes, she struggled to keep up, barely managing to parry with her spear as she was steadily pushed back.
The kunai in Kasage's hand had been specially forged for him not long ago.
In Japan's Sengoku era, where an ordinary person might need a year's savings just to buy an iron pot, crafting such a weapon was far from cheap.
Still, as a ninja, he preferred kunai over the katana at his waist.
He even considered asking Kagome later to help him acquire some modern tools. After all, the Higurashi family owned a shrine in Tokyo and lived quite comfortably.
Even as he fought, his thoughts drifted briefly to such trivial matters.
"...How dare you lose focus while fighting me?!"
Tōran's furious shout snapped through the battlefield.
Seeing Kasage's casual attitude, her expression turned icy. As she blocked another strike, a violent surge of freezing wind erupted from her body, spreading outward.
Kasage's chakra burst beneath his feet as he leapt backward, narrowly escaping the rapidly expanding frost.
He landed lightly on a tree branch and looked toward her.
The area around Tōran had already transformed into a frozen wasteland. Frost clung to the ground, and ice crystals hung from every blade of grass, reflecting a cold, eerie glow.
"…Not bad. Your ability would be pretty useful in the summer," Kasage said with a faint smile.
"I was only planning to teach you a lesson because of your relationship with Natsuarashi… but now…"
Fuyurashi's voice dropped, her anger unmistakable.
"…you've made me truly angry."
"Oh? You're angry?" Kasage blinked, as if only realizing it now.
Nearby, Shunran leaned toward Karan and whispered,
"Looks like the eldest sister is really mad at that human."
"It's fine," Karan replied confidently. "She can't beat Kasage."
Shunran blinked in surprise.
She knew Tōran's fiery personality—just as fierce as her flames—and how rarely she respected anyone. For her to speak like this…
"He's really that strong?" Shunran asked.
"Yeah. Definitely."
Karan nodded firmly.
Memories flashed in her mind—being pinned to the ground, completely overwhelmed. She shook her head, pushing the unpleasant recollection away.
"That giant blue skeleton he used before… with just one punch, he crushed me," she added quietly. "And he hasn't even used that technique yet. Right now… he's probably just playing with her."
"…Really?" Shūran's eyes flickered with interest as she watched Kasage.
At that moment, Tōran had become like a stationary magical turret, continuously firing waves of ice cones.
Meanwhile, Kasage moved calmly through the storm, relying on his speed and the predictive power of the Sharingan.
Each ice cone barely grazed him before crashing to the ground.
The battlefield was now littered with shattered ice, glittering under the sunlight.
Karan watched with wide, excited eyes, occasionally grabbing pieces of grilled meat and stuffing them into her mouth.
Suddenly, Shūran pulled her closer and whispered eagerly,
"Karan… how did you summon him? Teach me!"
"Huh?" Karan paused mid-bite, chewing as she turned to her.
After swallowing, she licked the grease from her fingers.
"Sure. Once you sign the contract, you just need to learn the Summoning Technique."
She thought for a moment, then added,
"Signing the contract is easy—I remember how. But the Summoning Technique is harder. It took me a long time to learn."
The summoning scroll served as proof of the contract for both sides, allowing mutual summoning.
"I'll teach you," she said confidently, igniting a small flame in her palm to burn off the grease. "Don't worry—I've got this."
"Great! It's a deal!" Shūran said, delighted.
The idea of summoning such a powerful human filled her with excitement. Her strength lay in genjutsu, lacking direct offensive power. With Kasage charging in front, she could remain safely behind and cast illusions.
What she didn't know… was that summoning Kasage even once would nearly drain all her demonic energy.
Meanwhile, Kasage remained unaware that he was about to gain another summoner.
He continued dodging effortlessly.
"You move like a rat! Stand still and fight me!" Tōransnapped, her frustration boiling over.
"…Alright. I don't feel like dodging anymore. I still need to get back to eating after this," Kasage replied casually.
To her shock, he stopped moving entirely.
"Good!" Tōran gritted her teeth. "I'll finish you immediately!"
Kasage nodded calmly.
"Exactly. One move to end it."
"Excellent!"
Her fury reached its peak.
Her yokai power surged violently as she raised both hands toward him.
In an instant, a massive tornado formed—woven from ice shards and snow—roaring toward Kasage.
Everything in its path froze solid, turning into towering pillars of ice.
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