Hearing Tōga's praise, Shirayuki could not hide the joy blooming in her heart. She lifted her chin ever so slightly, the graceful curve of her pale neck exposed. In that fleeting moment, a subtle trace of pride glimmered across her features—something that would easily escape an ordinary gaze.
She gave a soft shake of her waterfall-like silver hair. Under the fiery evening sky, each strand shimmered with a gentle glow.
Then, as Tōga affectionately called her "my Shirayuki", the tender words were like a spark, igniting her heart.
Her cheeks flushed red. Sweetness welled up within, but she was mindful of her dignity. Pretending to scold, she shot Tōga a reproachful glance and quickly changed the subject, speaking softly:
"How are things going with the First and Second Elders?"
As she spoke, Shirayuki lifted her eyes to the blazing crimson clouds that were bound in place by demonic power. The answer was already clear without being said.
—
"Chiyan, today is the day you die! You never thought it would come to this, did you?"
Within the roaring sea of flames, Chiyan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her fiery, feline eyes now gleamed with a violent, scarlet madness.
Facing the cold yet eager shout of the Second Elder of the Dog Clan, she let out a disdainful laugh. The pale skin of her chest, marred with savage claw marks, trembled with the motion.
Her gaze first fell upon the First Elder, who had already finished setting the barrier.
That barrier, woven from demonic energy, shimmered with a deep blue glow. Sigils swam like living fish within it, sealing off every path of escape.
Then she looked to the Second Elder standing before her, whose eyes were as cold as frost.
That gaze was winter's chill incarnate—enough to freeze all hope.
Finally, her eyes dropped to the ground below, where her clansmen lay scattered in heaps. Her people, once full of life, were now lifeless corpses. Not even Shūran had survived.
The memory of his whispered words before they set out struck her heart like a blade. In that instant, Chiyan abandoned the last shred of hope in her chest.
"Enough talk. Fight me!"
Her roar shook the heavens. Flames exploded around her, rising like a tidal wave to consume everything.
The thick black clouds above were instantly burned away, and the sky was painted blood-red by the infernal heat.
The very air seemed to tear apart, rippling with visible waves of distortion.
"Rain of Exploding Spears!"
At her cry, the inferno condensed into countless flaming lances. Each spear burned with searing fire and shrieked through the air as it shot toward the Dog Clan elders like a torrential storm.
The Second Elder showed no fear. A glint of excitement flashed across his austere face—the thrill of a hunter cornering his prey.
His Fang-sword whistled through the air, tracing a deadly arc with blinding speed.
Steel met flame. The spears clashed against his blade with a storm of sparks, filling the battlefield with a ringing symphony of blows.
Sparks rained across the field, illuminating the elder's sharp, eager expression—and Chiyan's furious, unyielding resolve.
While the fiery barrage poured down, the First Elder stood unmoving, sword in hand. Demonic energy surged around him, his eyes glowing with an eerie blue light like a fathomless pool.
"Phantom Light: Rift-Cleaving Slash!"
His voice thundered. He swung his blade, and a streak of blue energy surged forth, carrying with it a will to cut through all things.
The air shrieked as the blade's energy ripped it apart, colliding with the fiery spears in a cataclysmic explosion of light and flame.
Chiyan, undaunted, pressed her palms together and roared:
"Hellfire Heaven-Burning Array!"
At once, a massive flame circle unfolded beneath her feet.
The array seethed like an erupting volcano, overflowing with boundless energy.
From its core burst countless serpents of fire. Each one writhed like a dragon, snapping its jaws as it lunged toward the elders with scorching heat.
"Dance of the Wind-Blade Sword!"
The Second Elder's body blurred, weaving effortlessly between the fire-serpents. His Fang-sword danced in his hands, leaving behind a storm of overlapping sword shadows.
Each slash unleashed sharp winds that tore the serpents in half, dissolving them into smoke and embers. The battlefield grew thick with the stench of burning.
Meanwhile, the First Elder advanced steadily. Demonic power surged like a tide around him, his sword shining with blue radiance like a living dragon.
"Phantom Light: Severing Strikes!"
One after another, blades of blue energy shot forth like bolts of lightning, cleaving through fire and carving deep scars into the earth.
The surrounding barrier shuddered violently under the clash, trembling as if it would shatter at any moment.
Hemmed in by the two elders, even Chiyan's flame-forged body was being pushed to its limits. She was already covered in wounds, blood soaking her fur, shining cruelly under the firelight.
"It seems… there's no way out alive."
Her gaze hardened. "But if I can drag one of you down with me… then it won't be in vain!"
Her eyes locked on the barrier that trembled but held. Gathering every last drop of demonic power, she formed a blazing shield around herself—a burning sun that warped the very air.
Its fiery light swelled violently. The Second Elder's eyes narrowed. He raised his sword at once.
"Don't even think about it!"
Realization dawned on the First Elder as well. His face hardened—Chiyan intended to self-destruct.
With a roar, he poured his full strength into his blade. It shone with dazzling light.
"Phantom Light: Oblivion Slash!"
The sword thrust forward, sending a beam of annihilating energy straight into the burning sun.
The collision unleashed a deafening detonation, shattering the carefully wrought barrier.
The mountains trembled. Snow cascaded down the cliffs like avalanches.
On the snowy ground below, Tōga, Shirayuki, and the others braced themselves.
At the moment of impact, Tōga's hand gripped the hilt of his Fang-sword. His face tensed—then eased.
"Do not fear. I am here."
The Second Elder had already flown above, spreading a protective barrier that shielded the dog-demons below. Waves of demonic energy rippled outward, deflecting falling snow and the shockwave.
Only snowflakes and the torn bodies of panther demons drifted through the air.
When the thunderous blast finally faded, the battlefield was nothing but ruin.
The ground was scorched black. Smoke and the stench of burning filled the air.
And Chiyan's body collapsed at last. In her eyes lingered nothing but unwillingness—and regret.