Demon Sword Maiden

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Hachiwan was Takamagahara’s legendary Inugami. The flames that burned along its body carried the power of the sun itself—an energy so fearsome that even across the Three Realms, few could withstand it. At its peak, this divine fire was said to be the most powerful force in existence.

More than just a divine beast, Hachiwan possessed true Divinity, its strength surpassing that of ordinary Empyreans. Even Lily herself would struggle in a battle against it.

In an instant, Hachiwan's form expanded, its body growing to an immense size. The solar flames wreathing its fur erupted into the sky before cascading down like a divine inferno, engulfing the Hexbeasts below.

The horde shrieked in agony—many were incinerated on the spot, their bodies reduced to nothing but charred remnants.

"Damn beast!" The warlord burst forward, his speed blurring as he swung his weapon with full force. But before his blade could land, Hachiwan vanished, leaving behind only an afterimage.

Despite its massive size, the divine hound moved like a streak of white lightning, pouncing at an impossible speed.

By the time Shiro and the others registered what had happened, Hachiwan had already struck. In its jaws, it held half of the warlord’s severed arm, the once-mighty weapon now reduced to shattered fragments between its fangs—fangs sharper than any spirit artifact.

Even though the warlord was at the Infernal Stage, he was newly ascended—a mere fledgling in the eyes of true power. He had no Divinity, no ancestral might, nothing to bridge the abyss between him and the ancient Inugami before him.

With a final, enraged bellow, his true form emerged. A colossal tiger demon, as vast as a mountain, materialized in the sky.

Compared to the towering beast, Hachiwan seemed almost insignificant—but size meant nothing before absolute power.

Hachiwan did not waver. Without hesitation, the Inugami exploded forward—a streak of white fire—as it collided head-on with the tiger demon. The battle erupted in midair.

The clash was pure carnage—flesh was torn, blood rained down like a crimson storm, and the sky itself trembled beneath their fury. The battlefield became a downpour of blood, painting the valley in deep scarlet.

Hachiwan was too fast—its speed a blur, its fangs unstoppable. The two beast gods clashed relentlessly, but the tiger demon couldn’t even land a hit. With every attack, more of his flesh was ripped away—his divine energy bleeding out along with his body.

Hachiwan’s pristine white fur was now drenched in beast blood, yet it only made its presence even more overwhelming. The solar flames that wreathed its body seared into the tiger demon’s flesh, burning through muscle and sinew. The wounds did not heal—the divine fire refused to be extinguished.

Shiro, Kansaku, the bald warrior, and Saya stood frozen, their minds struggling to process what they were witnessing. This wasn’t a battle—it was a massacre.

The tiger demon was an Empyrean—a being capable of ending them with a mere flick of his claw— Yet here he was, being ripped apart, powerless before the white-fanged hound of the heavens.

No wonder Lily hadn’t even spared him a glance. He truly wasn’t worthy.

Even the hound Lily summoned with a mere flick of her hand could crush him with ease. How could he even dream of challenging her? Just what kind of existence was Lynne?

The tiger demon let out a final, resentful roar before collapsing, his strength utterly drained and his divine energy nearly depleted. Above him, Hachiwan howled in triumph, then pounced, landing all four claws on the fallen beast. With its fangs sinking into the tiger demon’s weak spot, it prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

Suddenly, the tiger demon spoke, his voice trembling. "Goddess, please… spare me! I was blind and foolish. I dared to offend your dignity and even had the audacity to challenge you. I deserve no forgiveness!"

"But, Goddess, I am but a witless ancient beast of this land! I was ignorant—please, have mercy!"

Hachiwan remained latched onto the demon’s throat but turned its gaze toward Lily, awaiting her decision.

Desperation filled the tiger demon’s voice. "Goddess, I will swear fealty to you! I am willing to become your Shikigami and serve you as my master1!"

Lily cast an indifferent glance at him. "I have no use for you."

"Goddess! You could end me with a mere flick of your hand. Why would an existence as supreme as you waste time on a lowly beast like me? Spare me, and I will do anything you ask! If I am of no use to you, then let me serve the sister standing behind you—I will be her mount if she wills it!"

For a beast like him, ascending to godhood was nearly impossible. Their greatest treasure was life itself. Now, standing at the precipice of death, the tiger demon would say anything to survive.

Hearing his offer, Lily turned toward Ayaka. "Sister, do you want him?"

Ayaka’s ample chest rose and fell, still reeling from Lily’s overwhelming power. Yet, as her gaze fell upon the tiger demon, she frowned. "It is strong, but far too unsightly. Besides, taming a beast at the Infernal Stage is beyond me—I would never be able to control it."

Lily sighed, a trace of helplessness in her voice. "You heard her—she doesn’t want you."

"Goddess! I will do anything you ask—just spare my life!" The fact that Lily was even entertaining the conversation gave him hope. He clung to that thread desperately, willing to offer his absolute loyalty if it meant survival.

"Then let me propose this," Lily said. "You and your horde will escort us safely out of Mount Tenko. Once we leave, you must swear upon Yomi itself to take your beasts and become the eternal guardians of the Abyss of Parting Sorrow, on the outskirts of the Female Queendom. You will serve the Queen with unwavering loyalty, protecting that land until the end of your days. Swear it, and I will spare your life."

"I swear it! I swear it now!" The tiger demon’s voice was filled with relief and gratitude. "Thank you for your mercy, Goddess—thank you!" True to his word, the tiger demon immediately swore the oath. Satisfied, Lily dismissed Hachiwan, granting the beast his life.

"Goddess, please, ascend!" After using his treasures to hastily mend his wounds, the tiger demon rolled over and knelt before her, his massive form bowing low in submission.

Lily hesitated, a flicker of reluctance crossing her face. She couldn’t help but find his appearance utterly unappealing.

"Goddess, and your esteemed sister, please ride upon my back!" the tiger demon pleaded reverently. "I know I am unworthy in your eyes. Surely, that divine hound, blessed with its magnificent fur, is the only one fit to serve as your mount. But I have wronged you, Goddess. If you do not grant me the chance to atone, my soul will never find peace. I beg you, do not turn me away! You need not even remove your sandals—just step upon my head if you must! Trample me, if that is what it takes!"

With unwavering resolve, the tiger demon pressed his head against the earth and remained motionless, offering himself in absolute submission.

Lily and Ayaka exchanged glances, a trace of helpless amusement passing between them. Then, hand in hand, their wooden sandals clicking softly, they leapt gracefully onto the tiger demon’s head.

Only then did the tiger demon feel a measure of relief. Rising to his feet, he prepared to set off alongside his horde.

"Wait." A sudden thought crossed Lily’s mind, and she turned to the four figures still kneeling, paralyzed with fear.

If the tiger demon moved too swiftly, these mortals would never keep pace—and that might interfere with Ayaka’s oath. With that in mind, she called out, "Big Brother Shiro, why don’t you all come up as well?"

"Huh? Big Brother…?" Shiro’s voice wavered. "Lynne… No, Almighty Goddess… are you speaking to me?"

Ride upon an Empyrean?

Shiro and his companions could hardly believe that the gentle, naïve girl they once thought her to be was, in truth, an unparalleled goddess—one who had felled an ancient divine beast with a mere flick of her hand.

As the weight of their past actions sank in—their arrogance, their scheming, their attempts to intimidate her—regret crashed over them like a tidal wave. Terror gripped them. What if Miss Lynne—no, the Goddess—chose to summon that fearsome hound and have them torn apart in a moment of wrath?

A mere girl? Only now did Shiro and his followers grasp the vastness of Yomi—the sheer immensity of the world beyond Mount Tenko, and the unfathomable dangers it concealed.

Miss Lynne… no, the Goddess, was a force beyond reckoning—an existence of unparalleled might!