Demon Sword Maiden

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Lily strolled along the dark street under the midnight sky. Following Murasaki-hime's instructions, she took three hundred steps backward during the third quarter of midnight before proceeding forward.

After a short while, she noticed an ethereal glow illuminating the end of the winding road, just as she had anticipated.

"I've never seen such brilliant lights this late at night," Lily murmured to herself, feeling a strong suspicion that the place ahead was the fabled Lord of Oblivion's Palace.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Lily's original intent was to confirm whether the Lord of Oblivion was as vile as Murasaki-hime claimed. However, after receiving guidance from that enigmatic Madam and the mysterious box, there was no longer any doubt about his depravity.

"My opponent is a Supreme God; I stand no chance against him," Lily reflected. "Fighting him in Hyakki Street is even worse—his connection to the Heavenly Path ensures he isn't suppressed here, further tipping the scales in his favor. Though my power is growing rapidly, the conditions here make this fight even more perilous than outside. And that Lord of Oblivion… he's infamously lustful. How can I catch him off guard and drive my blade into his chest?"

It wasn't just the scroll that warned her about this. During her journey through Hyakki Street, Lily had questioned numerous demon samurai. She learned of a hidden truth: only a Supreme God could bypass the restriction on external spirit power that bound everyone else.

Lily mulled over her predicament, realizing this was likely her one and only chance.

"Should I simply sneak in and hope he doesn't notice? Launch a surprise attack?" While Lily was confident in her unmatched skill with a blade and her agility, stealth was not her forte.

Ahead of her loomed a massive castle tower, encircled by a tall wall and several smaller towers. Each structure was brightly illuminated, with faint singing drifting from within.

Deprived of her spiritual sense, Lily couldn't determine if traps lay hidden along the tall walls. Entering through the main gate was out of the question. Spotting the deserted streets, she leapt gracefully onto the wall. Beyond it stretched a brightly lit courtyard filled with elegant buildings and opulent decorations. However, eerie demonic shrieks and the occasional cries of women pierced the air.

‘This must be a den of utter depravity!’ Lily thought, her noble and pure heart recoiling at the thought of anyone being forced into such a vile place.

She spotted two enormous toad demons, one missing its right leg and the other its left, hopping awkwardly as they carried lanterns through the courtyard. They patrolled the empty, winding paths. Lily flattened herself against the roof tiles on the far side of the wall. Though she wasn't afraid of the demons, she preferred to avoid detection while sneaking in.

The two demons passed beneath the wall where Lily lay concealed. One suddenly stopped and croaked, "Ribbit. Big brother, do you smell a woman?"

"Ribbit? Second brother, has loneliness driven you mad?" the darker-skinned toad demon replied. "Sure, the master's palace is filled with beauties of every kind, but lowly patrol guards like us aren't allowed near them. Still, I get it—it’s torture watching the master and the captains enjoy themselves all day with those beauties in their arms. It's unbearable…"

"I'm calling you big brother, so why are you calling me second brother? You should call me little brother, and then third brother can call me big brother."

"Ribbit? That actually makes sense! But we're toad demons—why are you not even croaking?"

"Well… anyway, let’s focus on our patrols, big brother. These days, female assassins and ninjas keep sneaking in—either to rescue their relatives or to assassinate the master. They always get caught and end up as the master’s slaves, don’t they?"

"Exactly! Those women are so naïve. They think being clever or skilled is enough to cause trouble here. In the end, they only face the consequences of their foolish actions. Serves them right! Ribbit ribbit ribbit ribbit ribbit!"

"Exactly! A mere woman sneaking in and escaping unscathed? That hasn’t happened in tens of thousands of years! Never! Ribbit ribbit ribbit ribbit ribbit!"

The two demons continued their chatter as they moved on.

Lily listened from her perch on the wall, her expression slightly serious, but she didn’t dwell on their words. With a swift leap, she vaulted into the courtyard. She moved stealthily, using the courtyard’s shrubbery, trees, and boulders as cover.

A hysterical cry echoed from nearby. Lily frowned but pressed on. She reminded herself that purifying the Lord of Oblivion was the key to freeing all the women trapped here.

Carefully avoiding a few more patrolling demons, Lily made her way to the base of the massive castle tower. As she gazed up at the top of the castle tower, she felt an overwhelmingly dreadful aura.

"Huh? I can sense his aura from here?" she muttered, startled. Spiritual power couldn’t normally be released in Hyakki Street, and sensing someone’s aura should have been impossible. This could only mean the figure at the tower’s summit was a Supreme God!

The aura was thick, ancient, and oppressive—its darkness reminiscent of the River of Oblivion itself. There was no doubt: it had to be the Lord of Oblivion.

On further thought, it made sense for him to reside on the top floor.

With a graceful jump, Lily landed on the first-floor rooftop. She crept past the illuminated windows, moving carefully from one level to the next until she reached the roof of the top floor.

Lily spotted an arrow post on the rooftop and climbed inside. The post, once used for defense and archery in battle, was obsolete in the presence of someone as powerful as the Lord of Oblivion—especially without the aid of formations. Predictably, there were no demon guards stationed there.

"Reasonably speaking, formations shouldn’t be possible here since spirit power can’t be used," Lily mused. Yet, without her spiritual senses, she couldn’t be certain she hadn’t triggered one already—if so, she’d already been discovered.

Slipping through the arrow post, Lily entered the dimly lit attic at the top of the castle tower. The oppressive aura she had been following grew stronger as she carefully made her way forward.

Soon, she detected a dark, oppressive presence moving ahead.

Startled, Lily pressed herself flat against a pillar, clinging upside down. A colossal black spider demon crawled along the beams above, patrolling the attic. Without spiritual senses, it failed to detect Lily as it passed directly overhead.

After the spider demon moved out of sight, Lily resumed her careful approach, moving steadily toward the source of the ominous aura.

Reaching the area where the aura was strongest, Lily landed silently on the wooden beams above the ceiling. Spotting a dislodged section that leaked light, she crept closer and lay flat, peering through the gap.

The top floor opened into a grand, well-lit hall with an incredibly high ceiling. Seated cross-legged in the center was a hulking demon, pitch black with a faint, dull glow. His flattened head was nearly half the width of his shoulders, and his sagging face was a grotesque mass of layered, fleshy folds resembling mud. His enormous body seemed like a mound of layered fat. He wore only a pair of voluminous trousers embroidered with waves and scales, leaving his bloated upper body bare.

‘That must be the Lord of Oblivion,’ Lily thought, her expression darkening.

Around the demon lounged several beautiful women, clad only in elaborate undergarments, while a catfish-headed demon in formal black robes stood nearby, bowing and murmuring in agreement.

Lily had stored Oborozuki Muramasa within her mirror for now, carrying instead a simple, low-grade spirit artifact—a ninja straight sword. It was one of the many generic treasures she had acquired from slaying demons, including Yomi Archdemons.

The Lord of Oblivion opened his massive mouth, his enormous chin quivering like turbulent river waves. "Today is the final day. Murasaki-hime will submit herself to me before dawn tomorrow!" he declared with a guttural laugh.

"Lord of Oblivion, don’t you already have us? Why concern yourself with that old woman?" one of the scantily clad women asked in a soft, coaxing tone.

The Lord of Oblivion pulled the woman into his fleshy embrace. "Nothing would delight me more than turning that proud and lofty Murasaki-hime into someone as obedient as you!"

"Oh, my Lord!" The woman cooed, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness as she tried to appease the grotesque demon.

Lily observed that the women, all clad in revealing undergarments, were vying for the Lord of Oblivion's favor, each desperately trying to earn his affection.

Lily felt a wave of disgust. If not for Murasaki-hime’s earnest plea and the mysterious box's guidance, she wouldn’t have considered rescuing these women. Let them rot in their torment, she thought bitterly.

Yet, upon reflection, Lily understood the grim reality. These women, trapped in Hyakki Street, had no hope of resisting the Lord of Oblivion’s overpowering might. Refusal or rebellion would likely lead to fates even more horrific than their current suffering.

‘If beauty comes without the strength to defend it, or without someone to protect it, then beauty itself is a curse,’ Lily thought grimly.

Her gaze hardened, determination etched across her face.

With a resounding crash, Lily smashed through the ceiling and descended in a blur, the ninja straight sword in her hand gleaming as she prepared for battle.

The women shrieked in terror. Once, they may have been warriors, powerhouses, or Blade Maidens, but countless years of captivity had stripped them of their strength and resolve. Their screams, whether born of habit or genuine fear, now sounded no different from those of helpless bystanders.

The catfish-headed official recoiled in shock, pointing a trembling finger at Lily. "You… who are you? How dare you invade the Lord of Oblivion’s palace?"

The Lord of Oblivion remained unperturbed, his droopy eyes lazily fixating on Lily as his fat-laden hand caressed the woman in his arms. "How many times has this happened over the past few centuries? I’ve lost count. And just as I was growing bored, waiting for Murasaki-hime to surrender herself, a woman comes to me."

"Huh?" The Lord of Oblivion’s dull eyes sharpened as he studied Lily more closely. "You…"

His gaze roved over Lily’s form in astonishment before returning to her face. "I can’t believe it—a woman even more beautiful than the heavenly deities of Yomi, standing before me. And she came to me of her own will? What incredible fortune!"

"Hmph," Lily retorted coldly. "Silence, you old fiend! Today, I will avenge every sister you’ve wronged and rid Hyakki Street of its greatest scourge!"

"Hahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!" The Lord of Oblivion erupted into laughter. "You? Eliminate me? Clearly, you’ve come to offer yourself, yet you play the feisty one. It’s delightful! I like it!"

"Enough!" Lily snarled, her fury igniting. In an instant, she surged forward, her straight sword flashing as she aimed a decisive strike at the Lord of Oblivion.