Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 68 - Return to Cherry Blossom Valley

Herikaku City hovered above the summit of Mount Fuji like a colossal behemoth suspended in the sky.

“Lyn-hime, where should Herikaku City proceed next?” Yanagihada, one of the three Dark Celestial Maiden generals, knelt at Lily’s feet. She wore a tight Dark Celestial Maiden battle suit, slit high at the side to reveal her thigh.

Since Shimizu rarely involved herself in affairs, and because during the last breakthrough into the Boundless Abyss Yanagihada had risked her life acting as a liaison among the hordes of demons, facing grave danger and earning tremendous merit, she had effectively become the foremost of the three generals. In truth, she now served as the chief magistrate of Herikaku City and the de facto commander of the Dark Celestial Maiden army.

Lily gazed into the distance at the endless mountain forests. The familiar sight brought her comfort, yet the waves of demonic aura drifting from within the woods filled her with unease.

With a mere stir of her will, a thin layer of divine power spread outward, subtle yet irresistible. Those below the Supreme God level could neither resist nor even perceive it. The power blanketed the entire Kanto region.

Westward it extended to Lake Biwa, and eastward all the way to Mutsu.

If she wished, covering the entire 50,000 km expanse of the Heian Dynasty would not have been difficult. However, she sensed that something unforeseen might be unfolding in Heian-kyo. Until she confirmed it, she did not wish to alert the enemy.

“Mm… Yukiko, Mayumi, Haihime… they’re together, only about 150–250 kilometers from here. Why are they gathered in the wilderness instead of Cherry Blossom Valley? And within Cherry Blossom Valley… what?”

Lily’s slender brows knit together. The surrounding clouds trembled, and it seemed as though heaven and earth themselves shuddered in response.

“Why is there so much eldritch energy inside Cherry Blossom Valley? …Only Kotoka and Sakiko are there. Their auras seem stable for now, so they should not be in immediate danger, but their emotions feel deeply depressed.

“Something must have happened in Cherry Blossom Valley. Why… why did this happen, and none of you told me?”

Yanagihada felt Lily’s anger and worry pressing down upon her. Kneeling at her feet, she dared not speak. She knew that, as a former defeated general, her standing differed from those sisters who had always followed Lily. They were sisters. She was merely a subordinate, even a servant. Yet even as a servant to this legendary woman, she had no regrets.

A full map of the Heian Dynasty appeared in Lily’s hand and unfurled in midair. She pointed toward Lake Biwa.

“Guide Herikaku City to the eastern shore of Lake Biwa and wait there. Unless you are attacked or something major occurs, do not act rashly. Do not interfere casually with the activities of the mortal realm. I will handle some matters first,” Lily said.

“Yes!” Yanagihada estimated the distance. To mortals, the several thousand kilometers between here and Lake Biwa would be unimaginably far. But in Yomi-no-kuni, such a span was trivial. The vast Boundless Abyss alone stretched over 50,000 kilometers in diameter.

Reaching that location would be effortless. The climate here was so pleasant, the gravity so light, and there was no oppressive force of laws. Only the spiritual energy was somewhat thin, insufficient for her and the others to train.

Yet the lack of pressure made it almost overwhelmingly comfortable. So comfortable that even Yanagihada felt her thoughts wandering, her desires stirring restlessly.

Herikaku City could fly far faster here than in Yomi-no-kuni. Hovering was easier as well. Without deliberate restraint, it might even continue rising upward on its own. In short, reaching that place would be all too easy.

As for dealing with Cherry Blossom Valley, there was no need to bring Herikaku City. The colossal city, tens of thousands of meters across, was even larger than the valley itself. Bringing it there would only be cumbersome.

Lily transmitted her orders directly to the sisters within Herikaku City.

“Kagura, Inugami, go and retrieve Yukiko and Haihime at this location. The rest of you, follow me to Cherry Blossom Valley.”

“Understood.”

“Alright.” The sisters answered one after another.

Herikaku City slowly drifted southwest. Though it was capable of much greater speed, its immense size and density far exceeded the mountains and forests of the Heian Dynasty. If it flew too quickly, the gales it generated could devastate forests, villages, and cities across five hundred kilometers.

Thus, despite its overwhelming power, it could only advance slowly.

On the ceremonial platform outside the city stood the sisters, clad in garments of varying colors and styles. For several of them, it was their first time setting foot in the mortal world.

“Sister Shimizu, take us to Cherry Blossom Valley,” Lily said.

“Mm.” With a motion of her fingers slicing through the air, Shimizu tore open a Spatial Gate in the sky.

Meanwhile, within Cherry Blossom Valley— Two middle-aged samurai, each over three meters tall and wearing tall caps, sat cross-legged inside the Hall of Lyn-hime. They wore loose hunting robes, one red and one black.

One had a sharp, cunning face; the other was thick-bodied, his face full and fleshy, his glare fierce and intimidating. The lean and calculating giant was Takashi Tsunenobu. The broad, fleshy one was Takashi Atsushi.

Inside the great hall, warriors from various factions were seated along both sides. Saionji Kotoka knelt below, her expression subdued and downcast.

Tsunenobu looked at her arrogantly and said, “Yesterday, we received a report that someone attacked a troop escorting captured female cavalry from Kasugayama Castle. Was it the doing of those few sisters who escaped from Cherry Blossom Valley?”

Behind her lenses, Kotoka’s eyes flickered slightly. Yet she remained composed and experienced, bowing calmly. “I do not know. However, I believe that before our Lyn-hime returns, our sisters would not act in such an extreme manner.”

“Lyn-hime? Hahahahaha! The female warrior who fell from the heavens into Yomi-no-kuni? Heh, Kotoka, you’re overthinking it. In all of history, not a single woman who entered Yomi has ever returned.” Atsushi sneered mockingly, his corpulent face twisting with scorn.

When Tsunenobu saw Kotoka’s delicate shoulders tremble slightly, as if her emotions had wavered, a desire rose within him to press further and strike at her again. Although Kotoka, through her meticulous and complex accounting, had secured them a generous cut from the magatama mining operations, there was an irresistible pleasure in tormenting a clever woman who could do nothing but endure in silence.

He said, “I’ve heard that Yomi-no-kuni is unimaginably harsh and perilous, and that it is extremely lacking in beautiful women. Ordinary women who fall into Yomi turn to ash. But Lyn-hime is strong enough, she should be able to preserve her beauty there. And if that’s the case, she would surely become the object of competition among countless demons. I’m afraid your master Lyn-hime is now living a life worse than death, trapped with no escape. Just think about it. The foremost beauty of the Heian Dynasty, fallen into Yomi, fought over by demons and enslaved by ten thousand fiends. Kotoka, you’re a smart woman. Deep down, you should understand that Lyn-hime will never return.”

Kotoka’s entire body trembled. Although she had refrained from entering the Mirror Dimension recently so as not to cause Lily concern, she was still aware of Lily’s situation. Yomi-no-kuni was indeed as they described; harsh and dangerous. Lily had repeatedly faced terrifying trials that had nearly overwhelmed her. Yet time and again, Lily had overcome them.

However, after her strength had grown so greatly, returning to the Heian Dynasty had become even more difficult.

Kotoka knew Lily well. What she feared most was that Lily, for the sake of her sisters, might act impulsively, perhaps even lowering her own power to force her way back to the mortal realm to rescue them. If that happened, they would truly become an unbearable burden upon her.

Under no circumstances could Lily learn of their present danger. Under no circumstances could she be allowed to do something foolish that would harm herself. Lily’s enemies were far more terrifying than they could imagine. She must not be entangled by trivial mortal matters, nor harmed by the burden of these sisters.

This had been the decision they all made together during the crisis in Cherry Blossom Valley. It was a vow. How could someone at the Supreme God level possibly return to the mortal realm? They had heard Lily and the sisters in Yomi discuss this many times through the mirror.

And Lily truly might do something as reckless as suppressing her own power to return. That could never be allowed.

“Lyn-hime was personally appointed as the Taishogun by His Majesty the Emperor. You may insult me, but please do not make baseless accusations against Lyn-hime,” Kotoka said. Even in such circumstances, she still tried to defend Lily.

“Taishogun? She’s nothing but a traitor!” Atsushi snarled. “A vile woman who used her beauty and schemes to throw the court into chaos, drive out the Cloistered Emperor, and even kill the peerlessly loyal General Minamoto no Yoritomo! And you dare call that wretch a shogun?”

In a rage, Atsushi kicked over the table before him. It flew through the air with crushing force and slammed into Kotoka’s slender body.

With a loud crash, it shattered.

“Ah!” Kotoka let out a cry of anguish and collapsed helplessly onto the floor of the great hall.

She had always devoted herself to administration and the management and production of Cherry Blossom Valley. She had trained little, and her natural talent was not high. Only with the near-heaven-defying conditions of the Mirror Dimension had she barely reached the Permanence Stage. Facing Atsushi, who stood at the Quintuple-Soul Big Dipper level, how could she possibly withstand such violence? Pain wracked her body, cold sweat pouring down her skin.

Trembling, she knelt upon the ground. It would have been easy to die to preserve her honor. But if she did so, Lily would surely act without restraint. She and her sisters had to endure in secret and reclaim Cherry Blossom Valley with their own strength, so that Lily would not grieve or worry.

“My apologies… I spoke out of turn. I beg the two lords for forgiveness,” Kotoka said through clenched teeth, her voice shaking.

“Enough!” Atsushi waved dismissively. “You may lack backbone and strength, but you’re still useful at bookkeeping and managing production. If I crippled you, there’d be no one left to run the mines. I’m only in a foul mood because those captured Uesugi female cavalry were rescued. Don’t take it personally.” He smiled deliberately.

“Thank you, my lord…” Kotoka forced out the words, trembling.

Meanwhile, in the Cherry Valley section of Cherry Blossom Valley, at the open-air magatama mine beneath the mountain cliffs— Sakiko was tallying the day’s output.

A hunched little demon approached. His skin was green, his body gaunt, but his hands and feet were oversized and thick, making him appear surprisingly sturdy.

“Minamoto no Sakiko! Are the magatama ores loaded onto the carts yet? Fifty metric tons of magatama ore must be transported to Heian-kyo today. Is it done?” the little demon barked aggressively as soon as he arrived.

Sakiko shuddered. She glanced at the workers in the mine, who had been laboring day and night, utterly exhausted, and said softly, “Deputy magistrate, could we perhaps have a few more days? Mining magatama is delicate work and extremely taxing. The workers truly cannot complete it in time…”

“Bah!” The little demon leapt up in fury. He kicked over a basket of magatama ore by the roadside. The impact triggered an energy reaction, causing the magatama’s spiritual energy to leak out. Half a metric ton of ore was ruined.

That only made the demon even more enraged. His round eyes glared viciously at Sakiko. “Damn it, you woman, you’re completely useless…”