Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 243 - Obsession in Darkness, Departure at Dawn

“I wonder… when will I be able to see Madam Yoruko again?”

Lily walked down the dimly lit corridor, her long hair cascading around her as she gasped for breath. She figured her mother’s arrangements must have their reasons.

In her current state, Lily was in no condition to meet with her sisters. She could only lean against the wall and slowly return to her room. Even bathing was out of the question. So she lay down to rest, her body exhausted, and drifted into sleep the moment she hit the bed.

After sleeping through the night, her body recovered and the Charm Heavenly Path stabilized. She bathed, dressed, and groomed herself, then made her way to reunite with her sisters.

“I hope I haven’t kept Sister Uesugi waiting…”

Meanwhile, in the desolate darkness of Yomi, tens of thousands of miles from Yomi Hirazaka… a bleak, barren land where spiritual energy was chaotic. Not only was it devoid of adepts, but even demons and evil spirits rarely roamed these parts.

Amid jagged mountain peaks, a hidden cave lay nestled in secrecy.

Inside the cave lurked several powerful figures. Their appearances were grotesque, their attire bizarre. Though monstrous in form, they were unlike typical Yomi beasts, and their strength was formidable, many had reached the Infernal Stage. Among them were a few women garbed in extravagant yet shadowy clothing.

“I… I’ve already done so much for you. Now, can I finally meet with Tennin-Mikoto?”

From the darkness emerged a woman in red. Though she remained beautiful, her face was drawn, etched with sorrow.

“Hmph. You’re still here, woman of the mortal realm?” sneered a black-haired woman clad in a dark green hunting robe adorned with floral patterns. Though elegant, the outfit was also revealing. “Tennin-Mikoto has no desire to see you. You’re a woman who fails at everything, no wonder your husband and child ended up dead. Have you never stopped to reflect on that?”

“What did you say, Yomoko!?” Static rage overtook Shizuka Gozen’s trembling form. Ever since her plan to lure Shimizu into a trap had failed at the final moment, she had suffered countless humiliations and verbal abuse from these kunitsukamis. She endured it all. But to insult her beloved and her child, that was her reverse scale, her deepest wound.

“Impudent!” Yomoko flicked her wrist, unleashing a wave of deep blue flame that blasted Shizuka across the room, sending her crashing to the ground.

“Useless woman. If it weren’t for your blunder, Tennin-Mikoto wouldn’t have been injured by Kagami Lily and Shimizu. Her Grace has shown mercy by sparing your life. And yet you remain ungrateful?”

Yomoko stepped forward and ground Shizuka’s head under her foot.

Grief and pain consumed her. Shizuka’s hair began to lose its color, fading toward white.

“What more do you want from me? I was the one who brought Minamoto no Shimizu into Yomi. Even though the trap failed, didn’t she still storm into the Abyss and cause chaos? Could any of you have stopped her?” Shizuka argued, her voice unbroken. “Without my strategy, could you have breached Hekiraku City at all?”

“And yet, with all your so-called strategies, didn’t Lily and her people escape in the end?”

“That was due to circumstances no one could have foreseen! With Lily’s nature, she would never abandon her sisters and flee unless it was absolutely necessary. I didn’t lie to you! But I’ve betrayed so much already… After all I’ve done to wrong them, where is my end of the deal? My beloved, when will you bring me to him? When will he live again!?”

“Yes, of course, you’re right about everything. And yet, why is it that everything fails when you’re involved? Your husband and son are dead.”

“Shut up!”

“Hahaha… You shameless woman. A Mirror Girl rejected by the Ancient Mirror, a wife who lost her family. I warned Her Grace not to place hope in a woman cursed by misfortune. Had she listened to me, none of this would have happened. And now you dare demand your reward? I’ve never met anyone as brazen as you.”

“Damn you…” Shizuka trembled with rage. She wanted nothing more than to lunge at this woman who insulted her lost love and child, but she was no match. And if she died, then Yoshitsune could never return. She had already burned too many bridges. There was no turning back.

“Then… what do you want? If you want to cast me out, do it now! If you want someone to blame for failure, then kill me already!” she shouted through tears.

“Hmph. Killing a weakling like you would be easy, but it would stain Tennin-Mikoto’s reputation. Her Grace is merciful, magnanimous. She said you’ll be given one more chance. If you can redeem yourself this time with actual results, your wish may yet be granted.”

“I… I can’t… I can’t do anything else to hurt Lily! I’ll do anything—anything but that! Please don’t ask me to betray her again!”

“Relax. This time, you’re not going after Lily.” Yomoko smirked. “Although I must say, for someone who’s already done so many despicable things, you pretending to be ‘noble’ now is just nauseating. It’s not that we wouldn’t use you to harm Lily, we just don’t think you’re capable of it. Do you even realize her current strength? Her status? She’s survived an assault from ten Supreme Gods, and she’s the adopted daughter of the Madam of Yomi herself. You both fell into Yomi, yet look at the difference. She rose to prominence, while you…”

“That’s enough… Lily is favored by the Ancient Mirror. She’s loved by many. So what? I’ve never envied her! I only care about my man! Tell me! Whatever it is, as long as it’s not about hurting her, I’ll do it! What do you want from me!?”

“With your meager strength, there’s no point keeping you in Yomi.” Yomoko’s voice dropped into a tone of mock diplomacy. “Tennin-Mikoto orders you to return to the mortal realm… and assist Ashikaga Kiyoshi.”

Yomoko looked down at Shizuka, who lay crushed beneath her heel, and shook her head with a sneer. “Being weak has its perks, doesn’t it? Traveling to and from Yomi Hirazaka is so convenient. If not for that, why would you be the one assigned this task instead of me? This time, don’t fail again. Otherwise, your heroic husband can forget about ever coming back to life.”

“…Understood. I will do everything I can to assist Ashikaga Kiyoshi,” Shizuka murmured.

The once-glorious Shizuka Gozen, now pinned beneath the foot of a Kunitsukami, was a far cry from the poised and clever woman who once maneuvered deftly between Shuten Doji and the Imperial Court. Now stripped of all control, with her most vulnerable weakness in enemy hands and having glimpsed the true darkness of the world, only a final, desperate obsession kept her going. Without it, she might already have been consumed by her own resentment, turning into a monster.

“If one day, Yoshitsune is revived, and I’ve already become a demon… how heartbroken he would be. No matter the humiliation, no matter how underhanded the means, I must endure. I must persevere as a woman, for the sake of the man I love…”

Previously, at Yomi Hirazaka, Shizuka had been rescued by forces loyal to Tennin-Mikoto—those who knew the truth about the Imperial Princess and had laid the trap for Shimizu. Now, she was being sent back to the mortal realm once again.

In the Hekiraku Realm, Lily, Rei, Shimizu, Ayaka, Kaguya-hime, Chiya, Nanako, and Ryuen all stepped out from the wooden cabin together. They came to stand before the stone stele at the edge of the bamboo grove.

“Those with love may ascend from Hekiraku. Those without shall fall forever into Yomi,” Ayaka read aloud the inscription. “So it was a coded message… A hidden hint that the Hekiraku Realm connects both Yomi and Takamagahara.”

“According to the legends of the Shizutake Tribe,” Ryuen added, “if one can reach the highest peak of Hekiraku, there they will find the staircase to heaven. But without power beyond that of the Celestial Realm, it’s impossible to ascend that mountain. So, no one has ever actually attempted it. And besides, it’s always been a mere legend, no one even knows where that mountain is.”

Everyone turned to look at Shimizu.

“The highest mountain…” Shimizu said quietly. “I think… I can faintly sense its direction. That place emits the same kind of fluctuation as this stone. This stele is unique, nowhere else in the realm has that kind of energy. There must be a reason. That mountain must be in that direction.”

“Really?” Lily’s eyes lit with renewed hope.

“But,” Shimizu continued, “my control and perception over this realm are still limited… vague and rudimentary at best. If I had enough time to fully master the realm, then with just a single thought, I could take us anywhere in Hekiraku.”

Lily raised her hand, and the Hachiwan Chariot reappeared. “Sister Shimizu, guide us.”

“Mm.” Shimizu nodded.

The sisters began boarding the chariot one by one. Lily turned back to Ryuen and Nanako. “Nanako, while you’re in Hekiraku City, listen to Mother and Her Highnesses.”

“Sister Lily… if possible, I’d rather go with you,” Nanako said, clutching Lily’s hand.

Lily gently shook her head. “Nanako, listen to your sister.”

“…Okay…” Though reluctant, Nanako understood. Takamagahara was even more perilous than Yomi. For someone of her current strength, who couldn’t even hide within the mirror dimension, going along was simply impossible. She quietly resolved that while in Hekiraku City, she would petition Madam for guidance. If she could learn true techniques, perhaps one day she’d be strong enough to stand beside Lily.

“Ryuen, take good care of yourself and recover well.”

“You too, Sister. Please be careful…” Ryuen, too, felt the heavy pull of parting in her heart.

After Nanako and Ryuen bid them farewell and returned to Hekiraku City, Lily and the others boarded the Hachiwan Chariot. Guided by Shimizu’s divine sense transmitted directly to the Inugami, they flew toward that mysterious mountain peak.

“Your Majesty,” Lily said to Queen Kaguya along the way, “I’m truly ashamed. I’ve been using your Hachiwan Chariot all this time without formally asking for your permission. I shouldn’t have taken such liberty. From now on, I’ll return the chariot to Your Majesty.”

Queen Kaguya shook her head and said, “Lily, don’t say that. Having lost its own soul, as a divine hound, that was a truly tragic fate. It’s thanks to you that it was able to recover its soul. Now, within its soul and consciousness, it recognizes you as its master. Both Inugami and its chariot rightfully belong to you. This is not only the will of the Inugami itself but also a fortune bestowed upon you.”

Lily couldn’t help but recall the time when she first arrived in this world, how she had faced the fierce battle between Hojo Dijon and the Demon Hound, fought desperately to claim the Tamahagane, and was hunted down by the gravely wounded Demon Hound afterward. In the end, she agreed to fulfill the Demon Hound’s dying wish. Everything that followed led her to where she stood now. With that in mind, she no longer declined the chariot.