Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 119 - Moonfrost Floranima (Part 2)

Lily’s gaze gradually grew calm.

Beside Kiyoshi’s corpse stood Amanozako. She collected the rest of Kiyoshi’s treasures, her tengu mask fixed upon Lily with an icy stare, yet she said nothing.

Lily’s own eyes were equally cold.

Holding the peerless divine sword in both hands, she gracefully shifted her footing from side to side before solemnly performing a ceremonial series of swings. Under her breath, she softly recited four ancient Heian Dynasty words of requiem.

In that instant, heaven and earth fell into solemn silence. Amid the endless darkness, only the silver-white blade, the crimson-clad maiden, and an overwhelming atmosphere of grief remained.

Even the million gods and demons were shaken by the sight. For a time, none dared stir. This was a battlefield. It was a funeral rite, one of the simplest kinds. Yet for a man to fall upon the bloodiest battlefield in all Three Realms could not be said to be anything less than the ultimate pride of a warrior.

A thought flashed through Lily’s mind. Cherry blossoms burst into dazzling bloom, her gaze turned distant, and suddenly she brought the divine sword down in a single slash.

An inconceivable power spread outward as a faint ring-shaped lunar current, sweeping across the entirety of the Celestial Demon Assembly. The ceremonial dais, the surrounding platforms, and every structure within the Celestial Demon Assembly grounds collapsed with a deafening roar.

The million gods and demons descended into chaos, fleeing in every direction while howling in panic.

The central platform caved in, leaving behind an enormous crater in the earth. Ashikaga Kiyoshi, together with the ruins of the Celestial Demon Assembly, the place where his life had reached its greatest pinnacle, was buried beneath the ground forever.

Faced with the vast ruins that had sunk into the earth, Lily turned away without the slightest hesitation, never looking back again.

Nanako held the Sakura Parasol above Lily as cherry blossoms drifted from the heavens. She quietly followed behind, while a few wandering petals still settled gently upon Lily’s hair.

The scene left the million gods and demons utterly stunned. Why, standing upon a battlefield amidst the furious roars and threats of countless Demon Gods, could this young maiden remain so utterly composed?

Ordinary Demon Gods no longer dared step forward.

“Kagami Lily! Where do you think you’re going?” Kujaku Myōō was no ordinary Demon God. Even among the Supreme Gods of the Three Realms, he stood at the very peak, only a single level beneath the Boundless Empress of old and Ame-no-Tajikarao. He shouted, “You wished to bury Ashikaga Kiyoshi, and we granted you that opportunity. Now your little performance should be over. It’s time to hand over the Oborozuki soul you stole through despicable means!”

Lily halted and leisurely turned around, yet remained silent.

Nanako shouted, “You Demon Gods boast of being lofty deities above all others, yet the words coming out of your mouths are no different from street thugs and mountain bandits! The moment you see a treasure, you want to steal it. The moment you see a beautiful woman, you want to force yourselves on her. Was your advancement over millions of years nothing but a joke?”

“And what are you?” Kujaku Myōō sneered. “A mere maid dares speak here?” Divine Might erupted from him, its overwhelming pressure crashing toward Nanako. Yet now that she possessed the power of eleven solar corona force, her strength was barely comparable to that of the weakest Supreme God. At the very least, Divine Might alone could no longer shake her.

Nanako cried out, “My lady believed you all still possessed at least a shred of reason, so she didn’t even bother arguing! Are all of you blind? What trick did Sister Lily supposedly use? Don’t you know the answer yourselves? It was the Oborozuki soul that despised your filth and darkness. It chose Sister Lily of its own will! This was destiny. It was the treasure’s own choice!”

“What utter nonsense!” Kujaku Myōō said coldly. “It was clearly demonic sorcery. Do you think the ramblings of a little girl like you can deceive a million Demon Gods?”

“That’s right! Demonic sorcery!”

“Demonic sorcery!”

The million gods and demons all roared in unison.