Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 215 - The Fifth Form of Tsukuyomi Swordstyle

While the Maiden’s Command Technique differed from traditional Pair Training, it still helped raise Ayaka’s advancement stage.

Not only had Ayaka gained her first trace of Lunar Sakura Force, but her Pair Training compatibility with Lily had also reached the peak of the second stage. The next level, known as Waterless Moon, could only be attained through a deep and intimate connection. It was a realm that training alone could not unlock.

Even so, the harmony between them now was unmatched, making it the perfect time to attempt the fifth form of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle.

Inside the Mirror Dimension, Lily and Ayaka were greeted by the senior sister. As their eyes met, Ayaka quickly noticed a peculiar gleam in her gaze, as though she already knew what had happened between them.

“The situation is urgent,” Rinne said seriously. “If we delay any further, the demons may sense the disturbance in Hekiraku City and act before we are ready. Lily, while your current strength can rival that of an ordinary Supreme God, you will soon face the overwhelming forces of Yomi and the Boundless Abyss. Victory is not yet guaranteed.”

She looked to both of them. “That’s why you must begin training the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle immediately. With your synergy at its peak, this is the ideal moment.”

Lily and Ayaka nodded in unison and proceeded to the second floor of the stone chamber, where the six stone steles of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle stood. Together, they approached the fifth.

The fifth form of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle: Divine Maiden Path.

The stele displayed ethereal markings of a Celestial Maiden gracefully dancing with blades. Beside her was another maiden, robed in flowing garments, moving in perfect harmony.

“Sister Ayaka, look,” Lily said. “Her partner is wielding a Naginata.”

The lower section of the stele depicted the two maidens dancing and dueling as one, their movements filled with elegance and mutual trust. Given Ayaka’s mastery of both dance and the Naginata, she was the perfect partner for Lily to learn this form with.

It wasn’t their first time training in the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle, and with their deepened synergy from previous sessions, they quickly grasped the choreography and sword forms inscribed on the stele. They repeated the sequences together, refining their movements and deepening their understanding through mutual guidance and cooperation.

Unlike previous forms, the fifth required divine power rather than spiritual energy. Only those who had reached the Celestial Stage could even attempt to wield it.

Several days passed in intense training.

With a sharp, clear sound, Lily’s spirit body danced through the Mirror Dimension, unleashing a silvery blade light that cut through the surrounding darkness. This was no ordinary light, but condensed and purified lunar energy, infused with her full comprehension of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle. It was a purely offensive technique, born from clarity and precision.

She had come to understand it naturally while mastering the fifth form.

Ayaka watched from nearby, her spirit body faintly aglow, her hair and robes drifting as if caught in a silent breeze. This was the outward expression of her sword intent. She smiled softly and gave a nod of approval. Lily had completed the fifth form.

The fifth form of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle, Divine Maiden Path, was finally complete.

Surprisingly, mastering the fifth form had taken far less time and effort than they had anticipated. The true limitation wasn’t the difficulty of the form itself, but the requirements to unlock it: the practitioner needed to have reached the Celestial Stage, and also required a dance partner skilled in wielding a Naginata. Beyond that, the two had to share an extraordinary level of synergy and a deep emotional connection.

The first condition alone was already incredibly rare. As for the second, who in the world, aside from Lily, could have found someone as perfectly suited as Ayaka? Their earlier use of the Maiden’s Command Technique had dramatically improved their synergy, especially in how their Lunar Forces resonated. It gave them a far stronger foundation for advancing the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle.

These ideal conditions had accelerated their mastery of the fifth form, making the process remarkably smooth. Even if others gained access to this technique, how could they hope to replicate such rare circumstances?

After all, how many could find someone like Ayaka—selfless, compatible, and entirely willing to train alongside them?

With the fifth form mastered, Lily’s strength had soared. The technique granted her a seventyfold amplification in power, an increase from the fiftyfold boost offered by the fourth form. That marked a forty percent leap in overall strength, a staggering gain by any measure.

For a being on the level of a Supreme God, such progress was nearly unheard of. Advancing even a single stage was an arduous task, yet Lily had surged ahead by the equivalent of four. While the numbers might seem modest at first glance, the difference in absolute strength was transformative.

Lily also gained additional rewards during training. Within her sword intent now shimmered traces of silver light, rare and faint yet clearly powerful. She could already tell these silver threads would prove invaluable in battle.

“This must be the Silver Lunar Force,” Lily murmured. “I’ve finally begun to touch its edge.” Yet her understanding of the Silver Lunar Force was still shallow. The sensation remained distant, vague, and elusive.

With the fifth form complete, Lily turned her attention to the sixth. She tried to comprehend the sixth form but found only confusion. The inscriptions felt like chaotic fragments without pattern or meaning.

“How can the gap between the fifth and sixth forms be so vast?” she wondered aloud.

For the first time, Lily stood before a form of the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle and understood nothing. She was completely lost. It was clear she wouldn’t be ready for the sixth form anytime soon.

Lily and Ayaka withdrew their consciousness from the Mirror Dimension, returning to the real world.

“At last,” Lily whispered, her heart filled with a swirl of emotions. With this, her preparations to face the siege of the demon horde were complete.

As their spirits returned to their bodies, a wave of exhaustion washed over them. Though they had trained within the spirit realm, their physical forms bore the strain just the same. Their skin was damp with sweat, their limbs heavy, as though they had been training in the real world all along.

“Sister Ayaka,” Lily said with heartfelt emotion, her eyes fixed on Ayaka. “I owe the success of my training to you.”

Ayaka appeared completely spent, as though she had endured days of physical hardship. Her aura had faded, and her breathing came in shallow gasps. Despite her exceptional physical resilience, even she was clearly pushed to her limits, revealing just how demanding the training had been.

Yet her eyes still held a bright spark and glistened with a hint of moisture. “There’s no need to thank me, Lily. We’re all working toward the same goal. Besides, I also made progress in understanding my Celestial Maiden Dance. The Lunar Sakura Force will be a great asset moving forward.”

Despite the exhaustion, Ayaka found joy in the process. Strengthening themselves together through such close cooperation had been deeply rewarding.

“Sister…” Lily murmured, and the two embraced. Their bodies were drained, but the closeness of the moment brought them comfort and joy.

“Master,” Yuki-Onna called softly as she stepped into view, standing in the doorway that separated the inner chamber from the outer hall.

“The sisters are growing quite impatient,” Yuki-Onna explained. “Rakshasa-Onna in particular nearly forced her way in more than once. I’m not strong enough to hold her back.”

Lily realized she had followed her senior sister’s orders to focus on the Maiden’s Command Technique but had neglected her other sisters in the process. She hadn’t even spoken to them since her breakthrough, and now they had waited patiently for days. If the roles were reversed, she would have been worried too.

“I’ll go right away!” Lily turned to Ayaka. “Sister, are you alright? Maybe you should rest for now while I speak to the others.”

Ayaka let out a light sigh. “Lily, you’re underestimating me. I’m just as resilient as you are. Besides, we still need to discuss how we’re going to escape from this place. Do you really think I’d go lie down while you handle everything alone?”

Lily gave a quiet nod. If it had been Shimizu, she would have insisted she rest for fear of illness. But Ayaka’s physical endurance was in another league, and Lily trusted she could manage, even in this worn-out state.

The two made their way to the entrance and opened the door.

“Lily?”

“So you’re finally coming out!”

Outside stood Rei, Nanako, Kaguya-hime, Chiya, Rakshasa-Onna, Asura-Onna, and several Dark Celestial Maiden commanders. Each of them looked both anxious and expectant.

“I’m truly sorry for making you wait,” Lily said, bowing deeply.

While a few days of waiting was insignificant to powerful individuals like them, the prolonged silence after Lily’s breakthrough had caused understandable concern.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Shimizu standing silently near the corridor. The moment their eyes met, Shimizu turned and walked away. Lily realized she had been waiting there all along, and a pang of guilt struck her.

“Everyone, I apologize for making you worry. But given the circumstances, I had to focus on training first,” Lily explained. “Please come with me to the main hall. There are important matters we need to discuss.”

All of Lily’s sisters followed her into the main hall. This had once been the place where the Boundless Imperial Princess held a banquet for abyssal demons, announced her marriage to Lily, and even forced the Fragrance-Breaker Pill upon her. Now, it had become a war room where Lily and her sisters gathered to strategize for the coming battle.

“What exactly happened, Lily? That beam of moonlight that lit up the entire Boundless Abyss, where did it come from?” Rakshasa-Onna asked urgently.

Lily looked around at her sisters, standing tall and composed. “I’ve achieved a breakthrough,” she announced with quiet confidence. “That moonlight you saw was a Heavenly Phenomenon caused by the moment of ascension.”

“What? Are you serious?” Rakshasa-Onna and Asura-Onna exchanged stunned looks. Both had experienced countless strange events under the service of the Madam. Yet even as Supreme Gods, neither had ever witnessed a phenomenon so vast that it bathed the Boundless Abyss in moonlight.

“Lily, could it be…” Asura-Onna stared at her, eyes full of disbelief. She had always seen Lily as someone remarkable, though she once assumed the Madam had chosen Lily as a goddaughter because of her beauty. Now, it was clear there was far more to her than met the eye. Perhaps the Madam had known all along, while she and her sister had remained unaware.

“That’s amazing, Lily,” Rei said, stepping forward with her usual calm. Her purplish-blue eyes held admiration and pride. She was genuinely happy for her sister’s achievement.

“Thank you,” Lily replied with a gentle smile, nodding in gratitude.

But after returning the smile, Rei stepped back, her expression dimming. Shimizu had reached the level of a Supreme God, and Ayaka stood at the pinnacle of the Celestial Stage. Meanwhile, she was still just a Big Dipper. Could she continue to stand at Lily’s side? Could she still be counted among her closest sisters?

In a gathering where the fate of realms would be decided, did she still have the right to speak?