Chapter Eight: If Even the Great Canine General Falls, What Hope Remains for You?

“Hojo Army, is this truly the world-renowned Hojo Army?”

Grandma Maple, completely forgotten by the two sides locked in battle, squinted her not-too-faded eyes in disbelief.

She braced herself against the barrier, watching everything unfolding before her with astonishment.

At first, when she sensed the chilling demonic aura approaching, she had thought the Hojo Army stationed outside the village was doomed.

She had even entertained the idea of, with her own power combined with those of Gowa and Inuyasha, rescuing Hojo Aki toki as a timely aid in the snowstorm, thus earning a great favor from him.

But now…

Watching the Hojo Army holding their own against the invading demons outside the camp, Grandma Maple could only heave a deep sigh of admiration.

“Truly worthy of being called the Kirin of Sagami from the Hojo clan, able to face head-on the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen, and the Dragon of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshin!”

“Great reputation without falsehood!”

Once again, she marveled, glancing left and right. Just as she was about to slip away unnoticed by the demons and hurry back to Maple Village, a discordant detail caught her eye outside the Hojo camp.

“What’s that?”

She hurriedly focused, her face showing a pang of regret.

“Indeed… after all, they are merely a human samurai army; trying to stand alone against demons is somewhat overwhelming.”

In Grandma Maple’s line of sight, at the very moment the reverse-haired Juro was about to turn toward Maple Village, both human and demon noticed a slight flaw in the defensive trench outside the Hojo camp.

At a certain spot in the trench, the flames that burned steadily elsewhere were faintly dimming.

“Opportunity!”

With a glimmer of hope, Juro halted, staring intently at the crack in what was otherwise an ironclad defense.

She quickly seized the breach as a point of attack, unleashing a surge of nearby hair-like energy, flooding toward the weak spot.

“Let’s see if you still survive this time!”

Confidence returning, Juro hovered midair, her slender legs swinging gently, toes exposed.

Her red eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“Here it comes!”

At the frontline, Akechi Mitsuhide spoke sternly. Though visually nothing appeared at the gap in the trench’s flames, the instincts of a samurai and human intuition told Mitsuhide and the vassal warriors beside him that something was indeed infiltrating through the breach.

“By Lord Hojo’s command, first squad, throw forward!”

Taking a deep breath, Mitsuhide calmly shouted orders.

Following his command, heavily armored Hojo soldiers clad in thick iron plates, defensively covering every inch of their bodies, stepped forward with measured, resounding strides.

Each bore a giant shield as tall as a person in one hand and held in the other what resembled ninja smoke bombs.

They hurled these devices toward the gap.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The smoke bombs collided with the invisible hair-like sea pouring in from the breach.

But upon explosion, instead of emitting thick smoke, the bombs scattered colorful pigments, dyeing the invisible hair-like energy, rendering it visible to the naked eye.

“All under the lord’s control.”

Mitsuhide, usually composed, couldn’t suppress a smile. Beyond admiring Lord Hojo Akitoki’s strategy, he remained focused on the task, waving his war fan.

“Second squad, advance!”

With a loud command, another band of vassal warriors charged.

Unlike the heavily armored soldiers, these vassals wore only basic armor.

Instead, their blades, stained with the blood of countless battles, served as their deadly weapons.

For added assurance, Hojo Akitoki had once again, following the traditions of the Eastern University, enchanted these fierce blades.

“Will this work?”

Seated at the rear command post, Hojo Akitoki watched intently as the samurai prepared for close combat against the hair-like sea.

According to the ancient lore of the Eastern University, his preparations should be flawless.

Compared to other feudal lords' hastily recruited foot soldiers, his elite Hojo troops were vigorous warriors brimming with fighting spirit.

Armed with their enchanted weapons, they should be able to sever Juro’s hair.

If not… then there was no choice.

Fortunately, he was not disappointed.

Soon, amidst the war cries of the vassal warriors, under the watchful eyes of Akitoki and the entire Hojo Army, and the reverent gaze of Grandma Maple outside the camp, and the furious grinding of teeth from Juro barely restraining herself,

Though not quite like a hot knife slicing through butter, the blades of the Hojo soldiers managed to tear through the hair-like sea with a single decisive strike.

“I suppose I do like dragons after all.”

Confirming that all his arrangements were effective, Akitoki leisurely popped a handful of roasted soybeans into his mouth, his smile growing deeper.

“After all, these are merely demons of Japan; some basic rules still apply.”

Smiling, Akitoki nodded slightly. At that moment, he thought of Inu Taisho from Inuyasha—the legendary western demon lord who cast a shadow over all demons in the Japanese islands.

But how did he die?

Killed by an unknown mortal general from some insignificant castle, Shana Momaru...

Was Shana Momaru truly formidable? Not entirely.

Was Inu Taisho overrated? Impossible.

Even though Inu Taisho fought and defeated the likes of Ryukotsu, the Leopard Cat Lord Okata, the Moth Demon, and faced Kirinmaru and the Death God in successive battles, overexerting his body until it became a limp sea cucumber,

Yet he was slain by a mere mortal blade.

Perhaps…

“Japanese demons aren’t as inscrutable as thought?”

Shaking his head, Akitoki quickly dismissed the arrogance creeping into his mind.

“Now, I have no grounds for arrogance when facing demons.”

Pop! Another handful of roasted soybeans went into his mouth as he chewed silently, mentally saluting the late Inu Taisho.

For this dog who courageously died for love, Akitoki held great respect.

At least now, he admitted, he was as fragile as paper compared to Inu Taisho’s eldest son.

What right did he have to judge a demon lord who had repeatedly defeated formidable monsters?

“Soon, very soon.”

Lowering his eyelids, Akitoki murmured, contemplating how to gain more power.

“Bastards, I will kill those humans!”

Meanwhile, the Hojo Army surged triumphantly, while Juro clenched her silver teeth with a grinding sound.

Finally abandoning her plan, Juro left part of her hair-like energy to hold off the Hojo Army in the camp, but she herself dashed like the wind toward Maple Village.

“The Shikon Jewel! As long as I have the Shikon Jewel, these mere human samurai troops…”

Her eyes blazed fiercely; Juro’s craving for the Shikon Jewel had never been stronger.

Besides seeking to seize the Shikon Jewel, she sent countless strands of her hair-like energy to attack the awakening villagers inside.

“Heh heh heh, humans, humans!”

A cruel smile spread across her beautiful face as she watched her hair flood into the defenseless village, turning the powerless villagers into her puppets.

Envisioning the scene to come, her heart stirred once more.

“This is bad.”

Almost simultaneously with Juro’s rush into the village, Grandma Maple outside sensed the danger.

Of course, Gowa, who had been suppressing Inuyasha inside the village, also felt a chill run through her heart and rushed outside alongside the dog.