Demon Sword Maiden

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"Where did this woman come from?" The golden-horned demon gawked at Ayaka, his expression a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Boss, she… she's stunning!" The fat demon beside him ogled her shamelessly.

The golden-horned demon's eyes gleamed with desire as he took in Ayaka's alluring presence. Her aura of mature femininity, her elegance, and the quiet strength she carried were mesmerizing. It was as if fortune had suddenly smiled upon him.

"I’ve changed my mind," he sneered, leering at her attire1. "Listen, if you entertain us, my brothers and me… I’ll exempt this village from paying taxes for the next hundred years. Isn't that a fair trade? Just some rice in exchange. What do you say?"

‘As expected, Yomi is crawling with depraved demons. I can deal with them without hesitation,’ Ayaka thought, her expression unchanging.

Since her arrival in Yomi, disguised as a dancer, she had narrowly avoided several dangers. Demons had attempted to abduct her on more than one occasion after her performances. Fortunately, the strongest demons in the outskirts of Yomi were only septuple-soul Big Dippers. She hadn't yet encountered a true powerhouse, which made sense since she wasn't as infamous or sought after as Lily, who carried a bounty. Nonetheless, Ayaka managed to escape each peril through her cunning and strength.

For months, Ayaka wandered through Yomi, honing her skills through intense training within the Mirror Dimension. The accelerated experience within the dimension allowed her to grow stronger at a rate far surpassing normal progression. Additionally, Lily's own recent breakthroughs had further heightened Ayaka's power. Living in a world filled with constant danger, where both her life and dignity were threatened at every turn, pushed her to the brink—forcing rapid and relentless growth.

More than anything, Ayaka's unwavering determination to find Lily and bring her back drove her forward. This deep bond gave her an unbreakable resolve and a seemingly limitless well of strength.@@novelbin@@

Now, Ayaka stood at the pinnacle of the septuple-soul Big Dipper stage, just a half-step away from reaching the Celestial Stage. Her relentless passion, fueled by love and purpose, drove her to train and fight with near-mad intensity. No obstacle could stand in her way.

Ayaka raised the bamboo branch in her hand and flicked droplets from the jade teacup she held. The droplets froze midair, shimmering as they transformed into waves of crystalline floral sword energy.

"Spirit Dance—Crystal Lotus Blade!" Ayaka cried out.

She swung the bamboo branch with grace, unleashing a torrent of razor-sharp blade energy shaped like lotus petals. The radiant energy surged toward the demons with deadly precision.

Several Throned Stage demons were struck down, their bodies torn apart by the powerful onslaught, lifeless before they hit the ground. The golden-horned demon, a triple-soul Big Dipper, froze in terror as he witnessed the massacre of his subordinates. Yet, despite the fear gnawing at him, his pride refused to let him flee from a single woman.

Snarling, the golden-horned demon lowered his head and summoned all his strength, charging at Ayaka with his gleaming horns. He pushed forward, confident that the lotus blade attack had not significantly harmed him.

As the demon charged with full force, Ayaka calmly set aside her bamboo branch and teacup. In their place, she drew her jade-poled naginata, Izumomaru, her trusted weapon. Spinning it in a graceful arc, she summoned a crystallized gust of wind that rippled through the air, confronting the oncoming enemy with unwavering determination.

"I cannot afford to fail—not before I find Lily! A mere triple-soul Big Dipper has no right to challenge me!"

With a sharp cry, Ayaka unleashed the latent power within her naginata. The stored energy twisted the surrounding space and, in a flash, cleaved the demon into two halves.

The villagers stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had never imagined that the graceful dancer who had cured their ailments and lifted their curses was, in fact, a fearsome warrior. Overwhelmed by awe, they fell to their knees, worshiping her as if a Celestial Maiden had descended from the heavens. Ṙ𝙖ꞐồꞖĘ𐌔

Despite her efforts, Ayaka found no clues regarding Lily’s whereabouts. The villagers could only provide information about events within their immediate region, as they had no concept of the true scale of Yomi-no-kuni. Their knowledge extended only to major occurrences within a radius of several thousand miles.

With no leads to follow, Ayaka reluctantly bid farewell to the villagers and resumed her journey. The vastness of Yomi stretched endlessly before her, offering no guidance on where to search next.

"Maybe the depths of Yomi hold the answers. I’ll follow the Sanzu River and see where it leads," she murmured to herself as she pressed forward.

Deep within Yomi, hundreds of thousands of miles beneath its surface, lay the darkest and most treacherous region in all the three realms. Here, the absence of crystal lamps or demonic flames left vast stretches shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

Those who lacked the strength of a Big Dipper Stage warrior would never escape once trapped within this abyss.

Even the powerful Madam of Yomi rarely ventured into these depths. Ancient demon gods and cursed spirits, as old as Yomi-no-kuni itself, lurked within the shadows. For any Celestial Stage powerhouse who dared to enter alone, survival was far from guaranteed.

Yet, in this seemingly endless abyss, a sprawling city stood defiant. It stretched across uneven terrain, its layered structure giving it an eerie resemblance to Heian-kyo—if Heian-kyo had been built entirely within the depths of darkness.

At the heart of this dark city stood a towering palace, perched precariously atop a steep cliff. Its castle tower was a grotesque monument, constructed from the bodies of eight colossal demon gods. These ancient entities were bound in unbreakable chains, suspended over the abyss where only endless darkness loomed below.

Within the castle's towering main hall, a lone woman sat silently.

"Cough… cough…"

The woman's slender, frail hand seized a pitch-black katana, the scabbard clattering as it fell onto the dark floor. On either side of her, flickering demonic flames cast reflections of her tall, delicate figure.

Her long, dark-blue hair framed a pale, almost ghostly face. Draped in a loose blanket-like garment, half of her slender shoulder remained exposed. Around her waist, layers of bloodstained bandages concealed a wound that refused to stop bleeding.

Etched across her back was a tattoo of a divine figure—both demonic and majestic in its power—that exuded an overwhelming, ominous energy. Though terrifying in appearance, it radiated an eerie yet divine aura.

She coughed, her body shuddering as she leaned heavily on the katana for support. Her trembling, bare arm raised an opened white scroll to her lips, the parchment marked by a crimson stain of divine blood.

This woman was no ordinary mortal—she was a being of immense divine power. Yet, it was hard to reconcile that such a formidable entity could be reduced to coughing up blood.

"I don't know… how much time I have left…" She chuckled weakly, her fingers tightening around the bloodstained scroll. "Who would have thought that the ruler of the Boundless Abyss would become nothing more than a dying flame?"

Her fingers brushed softly over the bandages encircling her fragile body. A fresh spurt of blood seeped through as another fit of coughing overtook her.

"I never expected… that this wound wouldn't heal, even after a thousand years."

"Cold… it's so cold… I can hardly feel anything anymore…"

She trembled in the darkness, clutching her frail shoulder with one hand while gripping the katana with the other. From within its scabbard, an oppressive surge of Resentment Energy began to seep out, thick and suffocating.

Her voice quivered, strained by the intense cold surging through her body. "I envy those healthy women… We’re all women, aren’t we? So why can they bask in the sun and revel in their youth, while I’m condemned to hide in the darkest, coldest abyss of the three realms?"

"It's so cold." She extended a finger into the blazing demonic flames. Instead of offering warmth, the fire instantly snuffed out, vanishing into the void.

"Ordinary heat can't warm me… Does anything in this world even exist that could?" She broke into a series of ragged coughs. "So cold… unbearably cold…"

The entire tower trembled violently. Streams of dark energy coursed through the iron chains, flooding into the powerful demon gods bound within them. Their agonized screams echoed through the abyss.

One of the demon gods, overwhelmed by the dark energy draining his divine and life essence, could no longer endure. His towering form withered into a desiccated husk before crumbling into dust, the remains scattering into the depths of the abyss.

Deprived of power, the tower began to tilt precariously.

Soon after, a group of Dark Celestial Maidens arrived on Incubi mounts, escorting another colossal demon god to take the vacant position2.

The iron chains pierced into the new demon god’s flesh, eliciting horrifying screams that reverberated throughout the deepest recesses of the Boundless Abyss.

After completing the Rakshasa-Onna’s mission, Lily made her way to meet the Madam.

"Lily, starting today, I will teach you the Charm Heavenly Path, as well as the deeper, more exquisite art of pleasure," the Madam said, her cheeks faintly flushed.

"Yes," Lily responded quietly.

Regardless of the circumstances, learning the Charm Heavenly Path from the Madam was a tremendous opportunity. She was, after all, a supreme entity with authority over all of Yomi.

‘Although I can't defy the Madam, that doesn't mean I must obey the Boundless Empress. I’ve already reached the pinnacle of the Big Dipper Stage. If I can ascend to the Celestial Stage soon, I’ll finally be able to train in the fifth stage of the Tsukuyomi Sword Style. My power will soar once again!'

‘I’m already capable of holding my own against an ordinary Supreme God. Once I reach the Celestial Stage, I won’t need to fear the Boundless Empress—even if I can’t defeat her!'

However, no one knew how much time Lily had left to train.

Under this immense pressure, Lily intensified her focus on mastering the Charm Heavenly Path under the Madam's guidance.

"Lily, never underestimate the Charm Heavenly Path," the Madam said firmly. "It is one of the few great paths tied to the very source of life. Life is divided into men, women, and asexual beings. The Charm Heavenly Path is the life path for women. Once you master it, you will be able to ascend to the heavens."

"Please teach me, godmother," Lily said sincerely.

Lily had initially thought the Charm Heavenly Path was merely a technique centered on a woman’s sexual allure. It had always been viewed as a supplementary ability compared to combat-based Heavenly Paths. Yet she never expected it to be one of the fundamental sources of life itself.

Neither the Sword Heavenly Path nor the Lunar Heavenly Path were directly linked to the domain of life.

In this world, power was divided equally between the domains of life and the lifeless. This made it clear just how potent and significant the Charm Heavenly Path truly was.

"Lily, remove your clothes. I will teach you the most profound, yet fundamental aspect of the Charm Heavenly Path," the Madam instructed calmly.

"Huh?" Lily blinked in confusion. "Why do I have to take my clothes off?"

"Don't question it. Just do as I say," the Madam replied firmly.

Since this was her godmother, it should be fine to expose her body… right?

Reluctantly, Lily obeyed, slipping off her kimono top and revealing the corset that tightly embraced her ample chest.

"Raise your arms," the Madam instructed.

"Yes," Lily responded softly, complying with the request.

Lily lifted her bare arms as the Madam had directed.

To Lily's shock, the Madam tapped her smoking pipe, causing her corset and skirt to loosen and slide down to her feet3.

"Huh?" Lily gasped, her face flushing crimson.

"Don't be nervous," the Madam reassured her. "I'll stand behind you to guide the circulation of the Charm Heavenly Path’s meridians. You must focus and sense each pathway carefully."