Demon Sword Maiden

“Ridiculous! She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved! That means she must submit to me—body and soul! You dare call me childish

1?” The Boundless Imperial Princess let out a chilling laugh that echoed across the dark skies.

She rose higher into the sky, her black robes billowing as dark winds circled her. “You call me superficial? Look around! Do you think these demon gods would kneel to someone just because she’s kind? A gentle and beautiful woman becomes nothing but a slave here! Your compassion and affection are worthless before true power!”

Her eyes narrowed with cold fury. “So tell me—who’s the shallow one now?”

A streak of black blade energy tore through the air, crackling with devastating force. It was powerful enough to wound even a Supreme God—strong enough that even Wakarai would hesitate to meet it directly.

The blast slammed into the Rinraku Stage, carving a smooth crater several feet wide into the ancient floor. Though the damage appeared clean, the force behind it drilled deep—possibly reaching the depths of the abyss.

But Shimizu didn’t flinch. The lethal energy passed so close it nearly brushed her shoulder, yet she stood firm.

“What?” The Imperial Princess’ voice rose with disbelief. She raised her arm again. “Then try this!”

She activated Dark Moon—Anko. A pulse of sinister energy surged from her blade, forming countless black needles that rained down over the Rinraku Stage.

But while the Princess unleashed her fury, Shimizu seized control of Yachujo. The eight dark tentacles rose like a wall and shielded the entire stage, effortlessly intercepting every needle.

“Damn you!” The Imperial Princess vanished in a blink and reappeared beside Shimizu, charging at her directly. If she couldn’t kill her from afar, she would do it up close. As a peak Supreme God, the Imperial Princess had never bothered to fight someone like Shimizu head-on. But now, her pride demanded that she end this with brute force.

She struck with Dark Moon—Anko, her blade cleaving through the air with terrifying speed. Shimizu felt a deathly pressure bear down on her and instinctively raised her weapon to block.

Her mind was clear, her will unwavering. Shimizu carried not only strength but a heart untouched by malice. Lily was everything to her—the one she had sworn to protect, no matter the cost.

Such pure, almost obsessive devotion formed an indomitable resolve—something that could not be broken, even in the face of death.

Their blades met with a thunderous clash. Against all odds, Shimizu’s Yakumo blocked the mighty Dark Moon. A Big Dipper Blade Maiden stood her ground against a Supreme God. It defied reason.

This wasn’t due to any sudden leap in strength. It was because Shimizu now held sway over a part of the Princess’ own power. That fragment of energy rivaled the Princess’ own, creating an unexpected balance between two forces that should never have been equal.

Steel rang against steel again and again. Their deadly blades carved streaks of darkness through the sky, shaking the Boundless Abyss to its core.

At the center of the chaos, Shimizu and the Imperial Princess exchanged fierce blows, their blades gleaming with violent energy. In skill and speed, they were evenly matched.

Most of the onlookers couldn’t grasp what they were witnessing. No one believed Shimizu was merely a Big Dipper, since they sensed her manipulating a portion of the Imperial Princess’ own power. Some assumed she was a clone. But if that were true, why would the clones be fighting?

Despite her efforts, Shimizu’s blade Yakumo was vastly outclassed. Murasame-Anko, though not the most powerful Divine Artifact, was far superior to any Spirit Artifact. Without suppressing the Imperial Princess’ strength, her sword would have shattered long ago.

After a final clash, a sharp crack rang out—Yakumo splintered and snapped in half.

Rather than fueling her own attacks, Shimizu used the stolen energy to suppress the Princess’ power. This leveled the playing field to that of a Celestial Stage warrior, but her weapon still couldn’t endure. After multiple clashes, Yakumo finally gave way.

Shimizu retreated, commanding Yachujo’s tentacles to intercept and delay the Princess’ pursuit.

“Sister Shimizu! Use this!” Lily shouted, tossing Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi toward her.

“Not so fast!” The Imperial Princess lunged after the sword, sending her half of Yachujo to intercept it. But Shimizu’s half of the entity clashed with it midair, wrestling for control.

“Shimizu…” Rei hesitated, reluctant to part with her blade. But she knew Shimizu was the only one who could stand against the Princess now. Focusing her intent, Rei willed the sword forward. As if understanding, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi slipped through the chaos and landed in Shimizu’s hand.

“What a sword…” Shimizu muttered. She couldn’t tell it was a Divine Artifact, but her instincts as a Blade Maiden recognized its terrifying potential.

“You’re a blight on my existence! If I live, you must not!” The Imperial Princess charged through the air, her blade raised high.

Their weapons collided in a burst of raw power. Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi struck against Murasame-Anko—one of the few blades that could match it. But even Murasame-Anko faltered under the blow.

The force of the clash knocked the Imperial Princess backward, sending her hurtling through the air.

The watching demons gasped in disbelief. None dared step in—just the residual energy from the clash was enough to kill a Supreme God.

Lily, Rei, Ayaka, and Kaguya huddled together, shielding themselves from the violent waves of power. None of them could get close. None of them fully understood what they were seeing.

“Why is Sister Shimizu… so strong?” Lily stood in stunned silence. She had always known her own talent, but Shimizu’s display surpassed anything she expected. Instead of jealousy, she felt relief—gratitude that someone stronger could protect them all.

It brought her comfort to see her sisters surpass her. After everything she had endured alone, this moment felt like a blessing. Lily had never craved power for its own sake. All she wanted was to save her senior sister and protect those she loved. If others were stronger, that only eased her burden.

Even with her power divided, the Boundless Imperial Princess still exceeded most Supreme Gods. No one could interrupt this battle. Though her weapon was weaker, the Imperial Princess had more techniques and a deeper mastery of the blade. As she adapted to Shimizu’s interference, she slowly began to turn the tide.

This was more than a duel. It was a struggle for control over the Imperial Princess’ very essence. Willpower, focus, technique—every factor would shape the outcome.

Footnotes:

Robinxen: Wow… this is the most childish thing I have ever heard a villain do.