Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 106 – Grim Light In The Palace Hall

“Die!” Lily roared, lunging forward with her blade aimed directly at the Lord of Oblivion

1. The strike carried all the precision and skill of Lily’s unparalleled swordsmanship, far surpassing the strength of a typical septuple-soul Big Dipper warrior.

It was clear that Lily wasn’t holding anything back. With her immense strength and mastery of the blade, Lily had long been able to traverse Hyakki Street at midnight without fear.

Yet, to the Lord of Oblivion, her attack was laughably insignificant.

“Is this all you’ve got?” the Lord of Oblivion scoffed, his grip on the scantily clad woman unwavering as he casually swiped his massive hand toward Lily.

“What?” Lily’s vision darkened as an enormous palm eclipsed her view. The overwhelming energy radiating from it froze her in place. Even if she could move, her current speed would never have been enough to evade the attack.

With a deafening crack, Lily’s ninja straight sword shattered under the crushing force of the impact, flying from her grip. The blow sent her hurtling backward, slamming her into one of the castle tower’s pillars before she collapsed to the ground.

“Ouch…” Lily groaned, struggling to even move as pain wracked her body.

“How… How is this possible?” she muttered, her wide eyes filled with disbelief and growing panic as she stared at the Lord of Oblivion.

“Another foolish woman who’s come all this way just to offer herself to me,” the Lord of Oblivion said with a cruel grin. “Seize her!”

After enduring the devastating force of his palm strike, Lily felt as though her bones had been shattered. She couldn’t even manage to stand.

At that moment, the hall’s entrances burst open, and a horde of demons stormed inside. At the forefront stood two towering figures, both at the Infernal Stage. One was dark blue and the other bright red, each nearly five meters tall with massive horns and writhing snakes entwined in their hair.

“Woman, you’re nothing but a mediocre Big Dipper with some passable swordsmanship. Beyond your appearance and body, you’re utterly worthless. Did you really think you could harm me?” The Lord of Oblivion laughed boisterously. “They say big-breasted women are brainless, and you prove them right! Hahahaha!”

The blue and red Infernal demons hoisted Lily off the ground with their massive arms. She tried to resist, summoning the remnants of her strength, but it was futile. In their grip, she was as helpless as an ordinary woman against two giants.

“Ah! It hurts!” Lily cried out as the demons twisted her arms behind her back and dragged her to her feet with brutal force.

The demons clamped heavy iron cuffs around her wrists and hung her from the pillar with a thick metal chain.

“That’s enough. Leave us,” the Lord of Oblivion commanded.

The two demons stepped aside, joining the others who stood watching. Their mocking gazes lingered on Lily, as if reveling in her helplessness.

“Let me go! Let me go now!” Lily shouted, twisting her body in vain as she struggled against the restraints

2.

The Lord of Oblivion approached Lily in heavy strides, his guttural voice echoing through the hall. “I truly don’t understand why women like you in Hyakki Street despise me so much. Why would you risk your life to assassinate me?”

“You’ve committed unspeakable crimes—humiliating and killing countless women!” Lily shouted with fierce determination. “Don’t you see? Every woman in this world has a duty to destroy a demon like you!”

With a casual swipe of his massive hand, a wave of energy lashed out, striking Lily. Though not powerful enough to kill her, it tore through her clothes, leaving them in tatters. Her body swung violently on the chain, her disheveled hair framing her battered form.

He scrutinized Lily from head to toe, his gaze lingering. “Women are such enigmas. You look intelligent, yet you’re so utterly foolish. Tell me, what’s your age?”

“Why would I tell you that?” Lily shot back defiantly.

“Not willing to tell me?” he sneered. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you spill everything soon enough.” He lumbered closer, the massive tail dragging behind him sending tremors through the hall with each step.

Circling her like a predator stalking its prey, he inspected her thoroughly, nodding as if in approval. “Foolishness aside, you truly are remarkable. A Big Dipper, huh? That must have taken immense effort to achieve. You look no older than twenty, yet you’ve likely trained for over a century. Such youthful beauty… but tell me, why hasn’t your intelligence grown alongside your strength? Do you still believe you’re a naive little girl?”

The Lord of Oblivion scoffed, his voice filled with condescension. “Good and evil? Those are just the illusions of the weak and mortal. At the pinnacle of existence, only strength matters! Here in Yomi, the strong take what they desire—beauties, wives, concubines, slaves. That is the heavenly order! As an adept, how can you fail to grasp such a simple truth?”

“Hehehehe,” a woman with long green hair, pale skin, and an alluring figure purred as she approached. Her mocking gaze fell on Lily. “Lord of Oblivion, this one seems delicate yet heroic. She’s probably the pampered descendant of some noble clan, clinging to her so-called prestigious bloodline. Spoiled and coddled, she must have believed she could achieve greatness by venturing into Hyakki Street. And now, driven by the laments of some pathetic woman, she dared to challenge you, my Lord. How laughably naive!”

A red-haired woman, dressed in little more than undergarments, joined in. “Sister Orchid is right. A woman’s place is in her clan, being obedient. If she’s beautiful, she should marry a powerful man and become a good mother. Training is unnatural for women. Oh, I used to be like you—ambitious, self-righteous, thinking I could defy fate. But after meeting the Lord of Oblivion, I finally understood true power. No matter how much a woman trains, she can never equal a truly powerful man like him. This is the destiny of women. Don’t you understand that yet?”

Before the red-haired woman could finish, more scantily clad women gathered around. Rather than offering sympathy, they joined in, their voices filled with scorn and ridicule as they berated Lily.

Lily lowered her head, her voice soft but resolute. “You’ve all been forced into servitude by this wretch. I may have failed to kill him today, but my intent was to free all of you. Yet here you are, supporting the very demon who enslaved you. Have you no sense of shame left?”

“Hahahahaha! Shame? What use is that? Can I eat it?” the woman sneered.

“Look who still clings to her sense of shame,” another woman taunted. “You, a mere Big Dipper woman, dared to assassinate our Lord, and yet here you are, subdued and strung up like a spectacle. Tell me, who’s truly more pathetic?”

“Lord of Oblivion, please teach this foolish girl a lesson!” the green-haired woman whimpered, clinging to his massive thigh and writhing dramatically. “Silence her sharp tongue before she humiliates us any further!”

“Hehehehe! You’re right. There’s no reasoning with a girl like this. Force is the only way!” The Lord of Oblivion chuckled darkly, his heavy steps echoing as he strode toward Lily.

Lily twisted against her chains, her voice sharp with defiance. “Stay back! I am the winner of the Hundred Maidens! If you lay a hand on me, Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna will never forgive you!”

“Hahahahaha! The winner of the Night Parade?” The Lord of Oblivion roared with laughter, his massive chin quaking. “How delightful! Don’t you realize I adore collecting maidens like you? You’re not just skilled in combat—you’re also perfect for my pleasure. I should thank Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna for training you so well!”

The Lord of Oblivion turned to a girl in green undergarments. “Go on, tell her who you are.”

The girl sauntered over, circling behind Lily, her hand trailing along Lily’s waist. “I’m just like you—a sister in fate. Thousands of years ago, I was an arrogant fool, much like you. After winning the Night Parade, I believed myself to be the most talented woman in Yomi and dared to challenge our Lord. My failure was absolute. And now, here you are, naive enough to think your title gives you leverage against him. How utterly foolish.”

“Exactly! Do you even know who he is? The Lord of Oblivion is the living embodiment of the River of Oblivion—the great river that flows through all of Yomi. Serving such a magnificent being is not a punishment but a blessing! We are fortunate to have been defeated by him.”

“Exactly.” The green-clad woman ran her fingers through her hair, smirking. “Our Lord’s favor is the highest gift—especially for us, winners of the Night Parade. I am endlessly grateful, and yet you dare to defy him?”

The Lord of Oblivion stepped closer, seizing Lily’s waist with one massive hand and pulling her roughly to his side. She grimaced, recoiling internally at the foul stench emanating from him.

“Listen closely, little girl,” the Lord of Oblivion growled. “You may be a maiden trained by Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna, or even their confidant, but it doesn’t matter here. Your identity and your clan affiliations mean nothing in my domain. The only name that could make me pause is that Madam. Unless you’re connected to her, you are utterly insignificant.”

“Hahahahaha! My Lord, you jest,” the green-haired woman chimed in mockingly. “That Madam is a peerless figure in Yomi. She created Hyakki Street with a mere thought. Why would someone like her associate with this insignificant brat? A girl who doesn’t even grasp the difference between right and wrong, yet dares to attack you as a mere Big Dipper?”

“Even Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna, Supreme Gods as they are, have only the barest connection to that Madam. They serve her, nothing more. And this one?” The green-haired ex-maiden cast a scornful glare at Lily. “Other than her looks, what does she have? Her strength is mediocre, far worse than mine. Her mind is foolish, childish. Even if that Madam scanned all of Yomi, she wouldn’t waste so much as a glance on someone like this. Absolutely impossible.” She finished her taunt with venom, her gaze piercing.

“Hehehehe, you always see through everything, Little Orchid,” the Lord of Oblivion chuckled darkly. “Of course, I’m just toying with her. If she truly had any connection to that Madam, would I still be standing here unscathed?” With a predatory grin, he yanked Lily into his embrace, his massive arm coiling around her like a vice. His other hand reached toward her, intent on stripping her dignity.

“You’re absolutely right!” Lily’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. Her eyes turned cold and determined as she slipped free of her restraints with practiced ease. In an instant, a dagger radiating an intense, soul-freezing aura materialized in her hand. Without hesitation, she plunged it straight toward the Lord of Oblivion’s chest with deadly precision

3.

Footnotes:

Robinxen: I love it when assassins announce their presence.

Robinxen: Really…? Author this better be a fake out or I am literally just going to give up on your writing. This is such a childish attitude considering everything that’s happened.

Robinxen: THANK THE HEAVENS!