Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 191 - Like A Shadow

Shimizu’s attack came without warning, her sudden appearance taking even Lily by surprise. She had materialized directly from within Lily’s shadow. Neither Shimizu nor Lily had anticipated that their spiritual bond would give rise to such a mystical ability, one that allowed for instant teleportation through shadow.

It felt as though an ancient divine power etched deep within Shimizu’s soul had been awakened in that critical moment.

The blade that cut forward from between Lily’s legs was swift and ferocious, imbued with dark energy and a murderous will. Lord Shikikai had no chance to evade.

Murasame-Anko sank deep into his massive frame, striking precisely at his weakest point. The sword tore into his Spirit Sea, its dark energy colliding violently with his turbulent divine essence. The blow inflicted immense internal damage, penetrating even into his Divinity.

A Supreme God shielded by a fortified Divinity possessed strength far beyond others of the same rank. Slaying a Supreme God with a single blow was nearly impossible. It could only be achieved under extraordinary conditions: if the target was caught off guard, their divine energy depleted, or if the attacker wielded a truly overwhelming weapon. Often, it required all three.

Though unable to evade, the Lord had managed to raise his divine defenses in time. Murasame-Anko was indeed a Divine Artifact, but not one of the most formidable.

The strike landed just above his Divinity, nearly fracturing his Anima. Though his core remained intact, deep cracks had already begun to form, sending waves of agony through his body.

Lord Shikikai’s body shook as Murasame-Anko remained embedded in his chest. Blood gushed along the blade, while dark pulses of energy surged outward and were drawn into Shimizu’s form.

His eyes rolled back as his consciousness faded for a moment.

Shimizu moved quickly, appearing before Lily as the Lord’s soul momentarily severed from his body. The Nine-Headed Wyvern lost its grip, allowing Lily to fall forward and collapse against Shimizu’s back. Shimizu could feel the warmth of Lily’s body pressing softly against her shoulders.

In that fleeting moment, Shimizu felt a weight lift from her heart. She had finally protected the one she held most dear.

Her expression hardened as she gripped the blade and wrenched it free. A fountain of blood erupted from the gaping wound as the Lord’s body staggered and fell backward onto the throne.

Cradling Lily with one arm, Shimizu’s eyes filled with anguish as she took in the sight of her torn garments. Much of Lily’s body was exposed, though thankfully, her injuries were mostly limited to the red marks left by the whip.

“I’ll finish this monster!” Shimizu shouted.

“No, Sister… we’ll do it together!” Lily called, summoning her Soul World energy to recall Oborozuki Muramasa to her hand.

“No. Let me be the one to end this.” Shimizu stepped in front of Lily and leapt toward the Lord, who now lay slumped and bloodied atop his throne.

But then, his eyes snapped open with renewed clarity. The blow had nearly obliterated his soul, but Murasame-Anko lacked the final edge to shatter his Divinity. Though wounded, his spirit endured.

In a panic, the Lord pulled out several artifacts: a demon mask with green skin and crimson eyes, a serpentine charm that shimmered with hypnotic power, and a violet jade orb meant to enchant women.

A wave of pitch-black blade energy surged through the air and obliterated every one of them in a single stroke.

“Die!”

The Lord tried desperately to dodge with his massive body, but a heavy blow landed squarely on his back. Divine energy burst from the wound, some of it quickly drawn into Shimizu.

He howled in agony as pain surged through his back. The loss of divine energy made him even more furious. As he tumbled down, his awareness sharpened and he scrambled to retrieve the two Divine Artifacts that belonged to him.

Without her realizing, the black iron bangle came flying at her from behind, cutting through the air like a black meteor.

“Sister, look out!” Lily sprang into action, clashing Oborozuki Muramasa against the flying bangle. The force of the impact knocked her sideways, but the blow deflected the bangle just enough to spare Shimizu.

“Lily!” Shimizu cried out, alarmed.

Lily twisted midair and landed against a distant cave wall, sending stone and dust flying. “I’m alright!” she called. Her Supreme God physique had easily withstood the shock.

The chamber erupted with howls and roars as countless Lust Demons lunged at Lily. Her torn clothing and alluring scent drove them mad with desire, and they attacked her blindly, ignoring the vast gap in power.

Lily’s eyes darkened. She moved with deadly grace, Oborozuki Muramasa slicing through the air. Blades of misty lunar energy cut the demons apart, spraying blood and venom across the stone walls.

At the same time, Shimizu struck again with greater fury. She turned into a blur of black light, closing the distance in an instant and unleashing a slash infused with pure Resentment Energy, strong enough to kill gods.

“Curse you!” The Lord summoned a massive shield carved with a demonic visage. Her blade slammed into it with a thunderous crash, nearly shattering it. As he was sent flying back, Shimizu darted in low and sliced upward from an impossible angle.

Her blade struck his shin, shattering the bone and ripping through flesh. His leg twisted unnaturally as blood sprayed from the wound.

The Lord howled and stumbled back, his face twisted in pain. “Who are you? What are you?!”

“I’m the one who’s going to end you!” Shimizu charged without hesitation. Her style was unorthodox and lethal, impossible to anticipate. Though the Lord had reclaimed the Nine-Headed Wyvern, the whip offered little defense in close quarters. His shield faltered against her blows, and he retreated, wounded repeatedly as his divine power drained rapidly.

Killing a Supreme God outright was a near impossibility. Shimizu’s surprise assault hadn’t shattered his Divinity, but if she continued wearing him down, his body and energy would collapse long before his will could recover.

The Lord gritted his teeth. The pain from his fractured soul was overwhelming, his mind hanging by a thread. This woman was merciless and consumed by hatred. She pursued him with more fury than Lily ever had. In this state, he was no match for her.

Then a thought struck him—this woman was overly protective of Lily. That might be his opening.

Summoning the last of his strength, the Lord redirected the black bangle. Instead of aiming for Shimizu, he hurled it straight toward Lily.

Lily was still cutting down the remaining demons when she sensed the incoming threat. She prepared to block it, but knew this wasn’t a blow she could take head-on. “This isn’t good,” she muttered.

In a blink, Shimizu vanished from the Lord’s view. A pulse of dark energy surged through the air, and in the next instant, she reappeared directly in front of Lily and placed herself between Lily and the incoming attack.

Steel collided with crushing force. The entire cavern shook violently as cracks split the stone and debris crashed from above. The weaker demons nearby collapsed, their ears bleeding under the pressure of the shockwave.

Murasame-Anko intercepted the Black-Gold Nugo Bangle, deflecting it effortlessly with a swift draw while half the blade remained sheathed.

“What?” The Lord was completely stunned. Everything had happened so quickly that even with his refined senses as a Supreme God, he could not grasp how Shimizu managed to perform that technique.

No, even if the movement was too fast to see, there should have been spatial ripples left in its wake. Yet there were none at all.

Shimizu had actually teleported behind Lily and then used a strange ability to switch places with her. Not even a Great Imperial God could move at that speed. She had not simply moved fast; she had teleported.

Shimizu had awakened the ability to enter Lily’s shadow and switch places with her instantly, allowing her to either shield Lily or strike with absolute surprise.

Even the demon eyes on his grotesque stomach opened wide in disbelief. As Lord of Hekiraku Realm, he had never heard of such an ability. What he did not know was that Shimizu had awakened ancient memories and embraced her true role as Lily’s shadow, granting her the mystical power to appear at Lily’s side whenever danger struck.

“I am your shadow.” This was no metaphor. She had literally become her shadow, ready to replace her in times of peril.

“Sister Shimizu…”

If the moment ever came, Shimizu would not hesitate to take a fatal strike meant for Lily.

“Who are you people? Why come all the way to Hekiraku Realm to kill me? Did I ever wrong you?” The Lord asked in panic while drawing energy from Hekiraku Realm to heal himself. He would rather give up all his captives than keep fighting this relentless woman.

The power of Hekiraku Realm was innate to the realm itself. Like how the moon held lunar energy and the elements contained elemental forces, this small dimension possessed its own mysterious energy. The Lord drew on this as a primary source of his strength.

“You dared to humiliate my sister, and now you ask why you deserve to die?” Shimizu answered coldly. Her body turned into a streak of dark energy as she launched another attack. Although her speed was astonishing, this time she was not teleporting.

“It was all her fault. No, wait, it was a misunderstanding. I only defended myself because she struck first. I swear!” the Lord shouted in desperation. He no longer dared face Shimizu head-on and fled around the cavern, using the black bangle and his whip to slow her down.

“I don’t care! If you harmed her, you die!” Shimizu shouted and struck the bangle aside with her blade. Her Murasame-Anko proved stronger than both of his Divine Artifacts combined.

“What is that sword?” the Lord gasped. He had been able to suppress Lily’s weapon using his own Divine Artifacts, but Shimizu’s blade overwhelmed them. His earlier injuries had weakened him, and the difference in strength was now clear.

He continued fleeing in erratic circles, desperately channeling energy from Hekiraku Realm to restore his strength and recover from his injuries.

“We can talk this out! I understand how you feel!” the Lord yelled, growing more desperate. “I have been patient, but do not push me further. This is Hekiraku Realm. I control everything here! You cannot kill me in my own domain. You are only exhausting your power!”

“You call this your Hekiraku Realm?” Shimizu replied with a cold and bitter smile.