Demon Sword Maiden

Before long, they reached the deepest chamber of the tomb. The vast burial hall lay in ruins, dominated by a collapsed wall towering nearly a hundred meters high and stretching several hundred meters across. At its center yawned a massive opening nearly a hundred meters wide.

From within the opening, a scorching wind roared outward. Inside lay a colossal cavern of jagged rock, dimly lit by an eerie crimson glow. Stone formations jutted like fangs, and sparks drifted through the air.

As they stepped through, a suffocating, ancient killing intent surged forth, as though it had been accumulating for countless years. This place had once been the fiercest battlefield among the Three Realms.

Who knew how many years had passed, how many souls—divine, demonic, and mortal alike—had perished here? The lingering killing intent was laced with the malice of countless wronged spirits. Even Lily found it difficult to endure.

By contrast, Nanako’s sensitivity to such killing intent was far weaker. Though she sensed it, it did not affect her nearly as much.

“Let’s go in.”

“Mm.”

The two sisters, one tall and one petite, rushed resolutely into the opening.

They had entered the Celestial Demon Path.

“So this is the place where the Three Realms have waged endless wars…”

Though called a “path,” it stretched beyond sight, vaster than the entire Heian Dynasty by an unimaginable margin. At its widest, the Celestial Demon Path spanned tens of thousands of kilometers, and its length reached millions.

The moment Lily stepped inside, waves of ancient resentment pressed down upon her. These were all the spirits who had died in battle here.

“Woman! Kill this woman!”

“Kill you!”

“You are the true root of calamity across the Three Realms!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

“You must die!”

Endless, overwhelming hatred crashed toward Lily like the collapse of a world.

“Ah—!” Caught off guard, Lily was struck by a sudden splitting headache and a crushing tightness in her chest. Her body swayed as she nearly lost her footing.

“Sister!” Nanako cried out in alarm. Though she too felt the intense killing intent and resentment, it was nothing compared to what Lily endured. Unaffected, she rushed forward, supporting Lily as they ran.

Lily’s body felt damp with heat, her faint, ethereal fragrance mingling with waves of warmth radiating outward.

Her physical condition seemed fine, yet she was being overwhelmed by this boundless resentment. It was as if, the moment Lily took her first step onto the Celestial Demon Path, the vast majority of hatred lingering throughout the entire realm had converged upon her.

“How can this be…? Why do I feel endless hatred…? I’ve only just stepped in—why do all these ancient, fallen souls surround me… why do they hate me?!”

Millions? Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions? Too many to count!

Even with her formidable endurance, Lily found it almost impossible to bear. Moreover, the long-dormant resentment here had erupted all at once. The entire Celestial Demon Path seemed to awaken from an age-old slumber. And the vast majority of those vengeful spirits directed all their hatred and resentment toward Lily.

“Sister… what’s wrong? You look strange… are you alright? Should we retreat first and make a plan?” Nanako supported Lily by the waist, holding her up as she began to fall backward. One hand, through the thin fabric, braced against her burning, supple body, but even that did nothing to ease Lily’s condition.

“…I-I’m fine. Let’s go!”

Though burdened by unimaginable resentment, Lily’s will remained unshaken. They had not even encountered a true enemy yet. If she were to falter merely from the lingering malice of an ancient battlefield, could she still call herself Lily?

This pressure would not bring her down.

In this world, only those who loved her, and whom she loved in return, could ever make her yield. No matter how powerful her enemies were, she would never fall!

She had originally been thinking about how to contend with the many powerful foes competing for the Oborozuki Soul, yet she had never expected that the resentment of the Celestial Demon Path alone would weigh on her so heavily.

“Woman… kill her!”

“Nonono… kill her? Hehehe… look at that youthful, vibrant body of hers. How enticing… It’s as if she was born to allure every male in existence. Kill her? That would be far too merciful!”

“That’s right! Pin her down, strip her bare! Imprison her here and torment her for eternity! With a body like that, let’s see just how much she can endure!”

“Toy with her!”

“Break her!”