She wants to marry me?

Miles away, Sesshomaru remained oblivious to the fact that his demonic energy had manifested improperly within Huami, nor did he have any inkling that his home had been breached.

Transforming into his true form—a great white dog—he trotted under the moonlight toward a vast, boundless expanse of primeval forest, untouched by human hands and distinct from the shifting woods he had left behind.

He shifted back into his human form as he descended. His black boots touched the ground, his fluffy, tail-like stole draped naturally across his legs, and his movements were entirely silent. The dense canopy was so thick that not even moonlight could penetrate it.

The entire forest exuded a somber, silent chill. The pitch-black depths resembled the gaping maw of an abyss, and the air was saturated with such dense demonic energy that it had formed a thick mist. The trees themselves seemed to peer at him with a hidden, subtle intent. As his flowing sleeves brushed against the lush wild grass, he used his demonic energy to slice through the roots that erupted from the earth, a flicker of mockery crossing his eyes.

In the shadows, pairs of eyes ignited with murderous intent and greed. The wind whipped through the shrubbery, creating a sharp, continuous rustling, and carried with it the heavy stench of blood.

"Squeak—"
"Awoo—"

The cries of various beasts and creatures wove together. Sesshomaru’s expression remained as calm as still water; he lifted his leg and walked inward with indifference.

A moment later, he reached the depths of the forest. The moonlight made his heavy body feel somewhat lighter, though the majority of his demonic energy remained dormant within his meridians, unreachable.

As he ventured deeper, it did not grow darker. On the contrary, fireflies—which did not belong to this season—began to appear among the bushes. Their faint light converged, and the claustrophobic forest suddenly opened into a clearing. An ancient tree, radiating a pale, ethereal glow, stood before him, its roots crisscrossing a vast expanse of open ground.

There was no wind, yet the canopy swayed. A human face emerged from the weathered bark.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. The ancient tree before him was Bokusen-o—a legendary, all-knowing great demon, a terrifying entity that was, in itself, an entire forest.

Fireflies danced between him and Bokusen-o, forming a pale green barrier. His fluffy stole swept through the air before settling on the ground. Sesshomaru raised his eyelids, his face indifferent, and looked up at the massive, ancient tree with his customary arrogance. "Bokusen-o."

"Sesshomaru, it has been a long time." Compared to the cold Sesshomaru, Bokusen-o seemed to possess a touch of elder-like friendliness.

Bokusen-o was not the least bit surprised by Sesshomaru’s appearance. The ancient, protruding eyes on the tree trunk swept over Sesshomaru’s body, easily discerning the dormant state of his power. It was better than expected—likely thanks to that fox.

Sesshomaru had no intention of exchanging pleasantries. He cut straight to the point: "Bokusen-o, what is happening with the demonic energy within me and my wife?"

Bokusen-o knew why Sesshomaru had come and was just about to speak when he suddenly stalled, his eyes widening. "...W-wife?"

Hmm?
Hmm—
Since when did Sesshomaru have a wife?!

Bokusen-o stuttered. He was a solitary being; where would he get a wife?

Not having the slightest knowledge of this, Bokusen-o looked at Sesshomaru with suspicion. That little fox was not his wife, surely? Could it be that Sesshomaru was also capable of being swayed by beauty?

Although he was a great demon of over two thousand years and the entire forest was his progeny, Bokusen-o himself lacked the emotions of humans or demons; the reproduction of plants was a continuation devoid of sentiment.

But still—
Sesshomaru suddenly claiming to have a wife was, frankly, absurd.

He fixed a suspicious gaze upon the steady, composed Sesshomaru, who met his look with a calm expression.

A god-like silence followed. Bokusen-o shook his leaves, studying Sesshomaru earnestly. Silver hair, crescent moon mark, golden eyes... Everything checked out. He couldn't have lost his mind, could he?

Bokusen-o racked his brain. Seeing that Sesshomaru did not appear to be joking, he seriously began to suspect that perhaps he was just getting old—after all, he was nearly two thousand years old—and had forgotten such a significant event. But upon closer reflection, no news of Sesshomaru’s marriage had ever reached him.

So, this guy really was swayed by beauty!

Finally attempting to accept the bizarre fact that the son of the Great Dog General had suddenly acquired a wife after a single metamorphosis, Bokusen-o looked at Sesshomaru with an indescribable expression. Did the Great Dog General and the others know about this? Would that little fox’s mother absolutely tear the Great Dog General to shreds? Bokusen-o’s mind was already spiraling into various twisted scenarios.

Under the ethereal glow, Bokusen-o remained silent for a long time. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in displeasure at his father's former subordinate. He knew all too well that this demon was notoriously difficult; if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't reveal a thing.

The wind died down; the trees stood still.

"Bokusen-o, do you wish to become mere firewood?" Sesshomaru threatened coldly.

Snapping out of his internal musings, Bokusen-o gave a light cough, ignoring the threat. The sudden, earth-shattering news had been unexpected, but as a two-thousand-year-old great demon, he had seen his share of storms. He immediately reined in his gossip and prepared to proceed according to the script he had previously agreed upon with the Great Dog General and Inukimi.

"Your demonic energy is still in slumber," Bokusen-o said with practiced calm.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Slumber?"

"Possessing the twelve demonic patterns, your power is too great. When your physical body is not sufficiently tempered, your demonic energy will fall into slumber. This is also the protection the King has ordained for you."

Not sufficiently tempered? Sesshomaru thought of the demons that had attacked him during his metamorphosis. By then, Huami’s transformation had essentially concluded, which meant those demons had been targeting him.

As he mentally cataloged which factions those demons might belong to, he recalled that the White Dog clan was currently vying for territory with the Panther Demon clan—they were mortal enemies, engaged in a battle to the death. Beyond that, the Moth clan and the Deep Sea clan were also sworn enemies of the White Dogs.

With too many enemies, Sesshomaru could not immediately determine who was behind the attack.

Collecting his thoughts, his tone remained cool. "How must I temper my body?"

"When the time comes, you will naturally know." Those who knew everything under the sun always seemed to have a penchant for never speaking plainly, and Bokusen-o was no exception.

Now that he understood his condition, Sesshomaru did not force Bokusen-o to reveal the method of tempering. Instead, he asked about Huami: "What is the nature of my wife's transformations?"

When demons of different species mated, their offspring either manifested in the form of the stronger bloodline or as a fusion of the two; there was no precedent for changing forms after a metamorphosis.

"..." Bokusen-o felt he really couldn't get used to Sesshomaru saying the words "my wife" with such straight-faced seriousness.

Seeing the expression on Sesshomaru's face grow increasingly dangerous, Bokusen-o coughed slightly. "Her bloodline is rather unique. Her father was a Mountain God, and her mother was a worshipped fox that had fallen into demonhood. Thus, her form will indeed fluctuate."

"Is there any danger?" he asked.

Bokusen-o shook his canopy, his leaves rustling. "There have been no previous cases. I do not yet know."

Having obtained the answers he sought, Sesshomaru had no interest in lingering. He gave Bokusen-o a slight nod and turned to leave.

Bokusen-o watched Sesshomaru’s retreating back with an indescribable expression, then summoned a bird.

[Go quickly and tell the Great Dog General and Inukimi that Sesshomaru has truly taken a fancy to a fox. Have the bride-price ready.]

"Cheep-cheep—" The little yellow bird chirped in acknowledgment, flapped its wings, and flew off.

Exiting the forest, the bright moon gradually sank into the mountain range, and the eastern sky began to glow with an orange hue.

The moon set, and the sun rose.

A strange scent wafted through the air—the exact same scent of the demons from outside the barrier!

Sesshomaru’s expression turned icy. His murderous gaze fell upon the undulating mountain ridges in the distance. He leaped into the air and flew toward the ridge where the demonic aura had emerged.

How dare they provoke him!

...

Meanwhile, Huami, having awakened from her sleep feeling refreshed, crawled out of the box and fell into a stupor.

Staring fixedly at the ancient, magnificent palace before her, only one thought ran through Huami's mind: *Oh no, don't tell me I've transmigrated again?*

"Yo~ Mountain God~" A voice filled with a lazy, cavalier tone echoed.

Following the source of the sound, she saw a figure reclining on a chaise lounge, holding a pipe. His loose *hitatare* robes were draped carelessly, exposing a large portion of his lean, powerful, and perfectly toned chest. Draped over his shoulder was a dead fox—one with nine tails.

He had faint, demonic markings beneath his eyes. His hair was pale gold from the crown up and black below, floating in mid-air in defiance of gravity.

"..." Unfortunately, Huami recognized him.

"...Y-you couldn't possibly be Nura Rihan, could you?" Her voice trembled. Huami’s eyes widened, and her scales bristled!

*Damn it!*

Did she just transmigrate from the *Inuyasha* set into *Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan*?!

Huami: ...*Hiss.*

She forced herself to stay calm. It wasn't a big deal—Nura Rihan (Nura Rikuo's father) was also one of her "husband" idols!

The handsome, dashing great demon stroked his chin, somewhat surprised by her reaction. He smiled and said, "Have I become that famous already?"

Internally, however, he was thinking: *Oh no, don't tell me this Mountain God actually wants to marry me?*