— — — — — —
The narrow gap—originally no more than half an inch tall and barely wider than a finger—was forcefully torn open by telekinesis until it was wide enough for a person to pass through.
"Damn, she ran fast…"
With half his body leaning into the opening, Veyron glanced inside—only to find the target long gone. All that remained was a lone, ancient building standing awkwardly in the void, serving as a vague landmark in an otherwise directionless space.
"Typical Yakumo Yukari," Yuuka muttered.
She wasn't even remotely surprised that the woman had bailed the moment things started going south.
What caught her attention instead was Veyron's reaction. "You don't seem nearly as hostile toward her as I expected."
Even if Yukari ran like hell, once this rift had already been locked down, Veyron could've attacked her if he'd truly wanted to. Yet, he let her go, unharmed.
"I never said I'll kill her, y'know?"
Veyron held the shrinking gap in his hand, the opening having snapped back down to its original sliver once he relaxed his telekinetic grip.
"With this opening still around, if she has even half a brain, she'll realize trying to use her gap powers now would be like walking straight into a trap."
"I'm planning to seal off her ability to use space manipulation and then play a little game of cat and mouse with her. Like, you run, I chase… and once I catch you, well… hehe."
"Wanna join me?"
"Pass," Yuuka said with a shrug. "Just tell me all about how miserable she looked once you've had your fun."
Veyron gave a light chuckle and turned to Inukimi. "Alright then, shall we get going?"
"Huh? Wait—what's this got to do with me now?" Inukimi swallowed hard, her throat dry.
If she remembered correctly, the so-called Yakumo Yukari—who was said to be on par with the 'Flower Master of the Four Seasons'—was none other than the 'Yokai Sage' they had just been talking about.
"Of course it's got something to do with you."
Veyron nodded. "Just like how I didn't go all-out and blast half her HP right from the start, letting her off easy… you were part of the same mercy package."
"Remember our first meeting?"
Inukimi: "..."
— — —
Over the next month or so, rumors began to spread like wildfire across the Eastern Kingdom—stories of a man and a dog cutting down yokai and purging evil spirits.
Forests from which neither humans nor animals had returned were reduced to scorched wastelands, black-and-white flames devouring even the mountains those corrupted trees had rooted in.
Gigantic, mutated fish were found split clean in two, turning the rivers red with blood.
The sky itself looked torn and smeared with crimson, echoing with the cries of birds fleeing in terror.
And still, the rumors kept spreading—faster, more unbelievable with each retelling.
---
"…I'll never understand those guys who farm fear," Inukimi muttered.
Using the fatal black flames linked to Veyron's "Destined Death," she burned away the stray beliefs clinging to her—leftovers from tagging along on his gap-yokai hunting spree.
Then she added with a sarcastic sigh, "Even the gods who rely on faith have been visibly weakening in recent years. So how the hell do those who rely on fear think they'll stay strong forever?"
Fear—the concept of acquiring strength through dread.
Some yokai had taken inspiration from gods who drew power from faith, instead collecting "fear" from humans or other yokai to increase their own abilities.
Compared to the traditional training—enhancing their bodies and spiritual energy to evolve beyond their current form—feeding on fear was a shortcut.
But keeping that power? That's a whole other story. The moment people stop fearing you, the moment you're forgotten—poof. The power that came from fear fades right along with it.
And since your power is shaped by how people fear you, the kind of fear you inspire literally molds your form and abilities. If people think you're a horrifying monster, your "fear energy" turns you into one. If they see you as a cunning manipulator, your abilities shift in that direction.
But because you have to constantly stay active to keep that fear alive—whether it's humans hunting you down, gods collecting faith, or other yokai competing for food—the more your name spreads, the more you shine like a big red target.
No matter how she looked at it, Inukimi couldn't see this fear-based method as anything but a trap. For every benefit, it came with twice as many drawbacks.
Yet ironically, in recent years, feeding on "fear" had become the go-to method for yokai to get stronger. The few who still bothered with traditional training—like training their spiritual energy and body—were now the odd ones out.
"If all yokai had a clear head like you," came a cool voice from nearby, "then I guess they wouldn't be called demons anymore."
The voice grew clearer as its owner approached.
"Most yokai only see that feeding on fear can let them leap ahead in a few years—surpassing what others might gain through a century of hard training."
"The ones who know how to guide that fear carefully and keep their abilities from being twisted by it? They're already smarter than most."
Midoriko walked into view, still dressed in the same red-and-white shrine maiden outfit as before, but now wearing light armor over it. She eyed the pair—one human, one inu-yokai.
"When I first heard those rumors going around, I had a feeling. And sure enough, it was you two."
"Long time no see, Miss Midoriko. Hope you've been well."
Veyron had sensed her approaching long before she spoke, using his Observation Haki. He'd paused here not just to burn away some lingering faith trying to morph Inukimi into some weird other kind of being, but also because he'd been expecting Midoriko to show up.
"I've been alright," Midoriko replied simply, then added curiously, "I've been keeping an eye on your movements over the past month or so. You two've pretty much covered all of Japan by now. You looking for someone?"
"A certain yokai," Veyron nodded. "Originally, I just planned to give chase for a month and call it even. But I might've scared her a bit too hard in the early encounters… now I can't even find a chance to tell her it's over."
Inukimi: "..."
Yeah, no kidding.
First time they tracked down the Yokai Sage, he opened with a tornado of deadly black-and-white flames.
Second time, one sword swing nearly cut her clean in half.
Third time, just the shockwave from his attack vaporized a powerful monster who was nearby.
If it were me, I'd run even faster.
"You didn't come all this way just to confirm those rumors were about us, did you?" Veyron asked, ignoring Inukimi's silent complaints.
"Not exactly." Midoriko shook her head. "I heard something strange was going on with a cherry tree at the Saigyouji estate. Ever since that famous 'Song Saint' passed away beneath it a few years ago, people have been showing up around the tree… and then killing themselves. Thought I'd check it out."
"Saigyouji? Interesting," Veyron murmured, stroking his chin. "Mind if I tag along for a little cherry blossom viewing?"
"If you're coming, even better," Midoriko said with no hesitation. With her suspicions about the cherry tree already confirmed, having someone as strong as Veyron by her side was a welcome bonus.
.
.
.