Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 8 - Higanbana: Chapter 37 – Execution Ground

Confronted by the massive horde of black-armored soldiers, the airborne Tengu legions, and the countless onmyouji of the Fujiwara clan…

“Fight!”

“Protect the Lord Chief Advisor!”

The black clad elder and Hoshi Murasaki led the battle maidens and household servants as they surrounded Ayaka, ready to put their lives on the line. However, facing a force capable of defeating even Fujiwara no Ayaka, victory seemed impossible. All they could do was fight and die here, their sacrifice likely to be in vain.

“Kill!”

The battle was chaotic, but the black armored troops had the upper hand.

With a loud bang, the black clad elder was struck by Sasaki, one of Minamoto no Yoritomo’s great generals. He fell to one knee, blood spouting from his shoulder. “Eldest miss, this old man… can no longer protect you,” he said before being beheaded by Sasaki’s sword.

Undeterred, Hoshi Murasaki charged into the fray, her eyes calm as she wielded her blade with deadly precision. She took out several squad captains before a sudden gust of wind blew past, carrying a flurry of red maple leaves.

Igarashi Kaede, a member of Yamato’s Eight Legions and far stronger than Murasaki, attacked her with a naginata. She knocked Murasaki’s weapon out of her hand before rotating the blade and striking her with the back of her blade, sending her flying and unconscious.

“Tie her up!” Igarashi ordered coldly.

Several black-armored soldiers ran up and hogtied Murasaki.

The battle ended quickly, resulting in half of the defenders being killed and the other half captured. They were all kneeling on the ground, tied up, and under the watchful eyes of the black armored army. Ayaka lay on the ground, surrounded by the enemy soldiers who were hesitant to approach her.

One of the black armored samurais was a tall man dressed in a taoist uniform with one shoulder exposed, and he was blindfolded. He walked towards Ayaka with a purpose.

This was none other than Minamoto no Yoshimoto’s eldest son, Minamoto Ichiro Genshin. Despite being born blind, he had achieved excellent swordsmanship and was considered the strongest of Yoshimoto’s thirteen sons, possessing the strength of a throned saint.

Beside him was the compact figure of Minamoto no Tsukawa, a fierce and powerful samurai, who seemed more pleased than anyone else at the sight of Ayaka lying on the ground.

“Ehehehe, even you have this day, Lord Chief Advisor…” Tsukawa giggled sinisterly.

However, Genshin was more cautious and warned, “This Fujiwara no Ayaka has extraordinary methods, we must be careful.”

Two throned sovereign Tengu with black wings descended from the sky, each holding a black iron chain inscribed with ancient symbols. They wrapped the chains around Ayaka’s wrists and lifted her up.

“What’s this?” one of them asked, noticing a voice transmission orb in Ayaka’s hand. “Why is she still holding this?”

“Hmph!” The tengu gave a disdainful snort and kicked the orb away, then took to the air, carrying Ayaka by the dark chains wrapped around her arms. They flew towards the Heian-kyo palace.

Observing Ayaka’s departure with reluctance, Tsukawa asked, “What do the cloistered emperor and the shogun plan to do with Fujiwara no Ayaka?”

Genshin responded, “Her crimes will be exposed to the people and she will be executed.”

“Executed…that’s a shame,” Tsukawa remarked. Despite his fierce and vicious nature, he held some admiration for Ayaka. He didn’t want to see a woman as beautiful as her be put to death, but he knew that people at his level couldn’t change anything.

“What level of strength do you think Fujiwara no Ayaka possesses? Had his majesty the Cloistered Emperor not ambushed her after hiding his identity for several decades, we would have been unable to capture her. With the shogun and the cloistered emperor working together, her defeat is certain, but her capture is not guaranteed. Now that she’s been caught, she must be executed decisively. Imprisonment cannot be relied upon as she poses too great a risk. As the saying goes, we must strike while the iron is hot and eliminate her!”

“Sister Ayaka!!!” cried Lily as she rode on the back of a koi in the Nara River, staring at the empty grass field within the voice transmission orb.

“Why? Why now? I’m so close!” she exclaimed.

“That black armored army… Minamoto no Yoritomo!” Lily’s eyes turned cold. “Minamoto no Yoritomo’s black armored army! Not only did they attack Lady Kimiko, but they’re also involved in the attack against Sister Ayaka?”

“To be able to knock out Sister Ayaka… Minamoto no Yoshimoto must have personally acted… no, he alone isn’t enough. There must be another hidden expert of equal strength… those Tengu must be involved. Could it be one of the three great arch-demons, Daitengu? Why are humans cooperating with the Tengu? Those b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲! They want to execute Sister Ayaka! I must get there faster! Faster!”

Weapons and treasures littered the grassy battlefield, forgotten in the wake of the recent chaos. The transmission orb lay abandoned and unnoticed.

As the opposite riverbank drew closer, Lily stowed the orb and launched herself towards the shore, sprinting towards Heian-kyo at full speed.

“Wait for me, Sister Ayaka! Hold on!” With fierce determination, she charged through the vast forest like a crimson streak.

……

In Ijuin’s mansion, the news of the imminent execution of the Lord Chief Advisor left Ijuin Reira’s face pale. “What? They already broke the formation and plan on executing the Lord Chief Advisor?!”

“How could this happen? How are we going to answer to Sister Lily?” Shiu lamented.

Shimizu stood silently to the side, unaware of the close relationship between Lily and Ayaka.

Ijuin Reira balled her fist in anger, “Lady Ayaka is a kind and loyal person who cares about the world and the common people. She was the one who implemented the new policy and saved so many of our tsunaga sisters. And now the Imperial court wants to execute her? Where is the justice in the world? How can such an unjust act happen?”

Shizuru chimed in, “Lady Ayaka may be from the Fujiwara clan, but she is a rare Chief Advisor who truly serves the Heian-dynasty. What is wrong with the Imperial court? Have they lost their minds?”

Shiina Airi added, “If Lady Ayaka is executed, they won’t spare Lily or the eldest miss! Is the Imperial court planning to annihilate my Uesugi clan?”

Kasuga broke down in tears, “Lady Ayaka is the mirror girl’s greatest supporter. If she is executed, what will happen to our sisters? We… we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

Ijuin stepped forward, “I cannot sit back and watch the Imperial court be so ruthless and unreasonable. This is going against the heavens and inviting self-destruction. We must rescue the Lord Chief Advisor!”

The sound of metal echoed through the air as she drew her sword and raised it towards the sky. “We must go to the execution grounds!” she declared with determination. The tsunaga sisters and female cavalry soldiers joined in with their weapons raised, shouting in unison,

“To the execution grounds!”

“To the execution grounds!”

“To the execution grounds!”

……

The moon was shrouded by billowing black clouds, casting the world into darkness. In front of the Heian palace, bonfires burned brightly, illuminating the vast grounds.

“Ei ei ohh! Ei ei ohh! Ei ei ohh!”

Shirtless men wearing tengu masks, numbering eight hundred, carried out a massive wooden platform. Today’s platform was not intended for a sacrifice, but for an execution.

The platform was dark and foreboding, with two thick wooden pillars towering over a hundred meters high. Between the pillars hung a beautiful, mature woman, clad only in tattered celestial maiden’s divine raiment.

The woman’s head hung low, her long hair drooping, exuding an air of desolation. Even now, she had not regained consciousness.

“Ei ei ohh! Ei ei ohh! Ei ei ohh!”

The tengu-masked warriors were not mere demons but strong samurais drawn from various forces.

The men wearing tengu masks had fierce and inscrutable expressions, but as human samurais, they were following the orders of an arch-demon to execute one of humanity’s greatest protectors, Fujiwara no Ayaka, the foremost Onmyouji in the land. What kind of emotions were hidden behind those masks?

The curfew had been lifted, and the officials were loudly proclaiming Ayaka’s sins and crimes, summoning the citizens to the palace to witness the execution of the supposed sinner who colluded with demons and threatened the heavens.

Gradually, people gathered in front of the palace gates, each with a different expression. Most looked at the woman hanging there with heavy hearts, filled with sadness.

Fujiwara no Ayaka, the Lord Chief Advisor, had won the hearts of the people of Heian-kyo by tirelessly serving them without using her position for personal gain, unlike the corrupt officials and abusive warriors who terrorized the common folk. Her kindness and integrity were unparalleled in a world full of greed and deceit. Yet, despite her reputation as one of the top three most powerful figures in the dynasty, she was now scheduled to be executed. The citizens of Heian-kyo had heard rumors about power struggles, but it made no sense to them why someone as benevolent as Lady Ayaka would meet such a fate.

Tens of thousands of them had gathered before the palace grounds, surrounded by black armored troops who were there to maintain order.

The wooden platform, carried by eight hundred warriors, held eight men wearing demon masks and terrifying armor. These were Minamoto no Yoritomo’s eight great experts, each radiating a frightening aura.

In the crowd of tens of thousands, a few individuals stood out with different gazes and expressions. Ijuin, Shizuru, and Airi wore bamboo hats and veils, blending in with the crowd. Ijuin lifted the corner of her veil and looked at Ayaka hanging in the air, her eyes flashing with a cold glint. She spotted Yagyuu Shiu nearby, also hiding within the crowd. They exchanged glances, and behind Shiu was Shimizu, completely clad in black with a black veil, her determined expression visible.

The remaining hundred tsunaga sisters and female cavalry had all disguised themselves for this mission.

References