Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 10 - Dream Eater: Chapter 26 – Gate Of Yomi

Moonlight, heavy with a piercing resonance, delicately wrapped itself around Lily, fusing seamlessly into her essence.

“Ah…” A complicated exclamation escaped Lily, a blend of both pain and ecstasy.

Her joy sprang from the strengthening of her core abilities, fueled by the moonlight integrating into her form. On the other hand, the pain was rooted in a deep, mysterious sorrow that intensified with the assimilation of the second lunar crystal.

“What’s happening?” Princess Asuka was baffled, having never witnessed such an occurrence before.

“Lily…” Ayaka and Shimizu were less concerned about the extra Lunar Crystal Lily had absorbed, focusing solely on her well-being.

Eventually, the luminous moonlight emanating from the lunar crystal entirely fused into Lily’s form.

Lily felt overwhelmed, momentarily incapacitated by the lunar crystal’s potency. Her thoughts clouded over, leaving her to passively experience the dual sensations of physical empowerment and emotional agony. She was unsure why this was occurring.

Now, she sensed a marked increase in her baseline physical strength, although not a doubling as before, given her already robust foundational abilities. Yet, the enhancement brought about by the two lunar crystals appeared equivalent. The recent fusion had amplified Lily’s base physical strength by over 30% relative to her former self.

As a result, she now exceeded the physical strength of an average celestial battle maiden, potentially even ranking among the more robust warriors in that category. But questions lingered.

Lily’s mind buzzed with the lore she had heard about lunar crystals—that only individuals at the Throne Stage could merge with one. Was the legend false? Such a possibility seemed almost absurd. How could the mythos surrounding such a magnificent treasure be anything but accurate?

But then, another thought intruded: perhaps her current strength, already at the advanced quadruple-soul Big Dipper Stage, allowed her to fuse with multiple crystals? For now, this was the only explanation that made any semblance of sense.

Yet, an enigmatic question lingered: why had the lunar crystal autonomously emitted a luminescent glow and sought to become one with her, even though she hadn’t initiated any contact and it was in another’s hand? Such a phenomenon was completely without precedent.

“Lily!” Ayaka urgently clasped Lily’s hand. “Are you alright?”

“Is everything okay, Lily?” Shimizu echoed, gripping Lily’s other hand without a hint of annoyance that Lily had absorbed the lunar crystal. 142.93.60.102

“I’m well, but also perplexed. Sister Ayaka, Sister Shimizu, I had no intention of absorbing the lunar crystal. Yet the moment it emerged, it transformed into streams of moonlight that automatically flew toward me.”

Princess Asuka was visibly confused. “Miss Lily speaks the truth. I sensed no active power on her part. The lunar crystal autonomously floated to her. That’s truly extraordinary. Normally, fusing with lunar crystals requires an ancient esoteric technique and a considerable amount of time. An involuntary fusion is inconceivable.”

“Lily?” Feeling the new surge of energy emanating from Lily, Ayaka’s eyes lit up. “You’ve gained even more strength! Was this power boost caused by the lunar crystal?”

Looking a touch guilty, Lily nodded. “Yes. My apologies, I initially wanted both of you to have the crystal.”

“Over the subsequent years, we discovered two more gates. One even permitted double-soul Big Dipper Stage archdemons to traverse. I led a substantial army into battle, paying an exorbitant toll to demolish the gate. Consequently, our military prowess dwindled, allowing the prime minister—who had prudently preserved his forces—to gradually consolidate power.”

The mood among Lily, Ayaka, and Shimizu turned grim. “It’s disconcerting to think that the Gate of Yomi has materialized thrice already. Who knows if there are others yet to be discovered?” Lily voiced her concerns.

“All we can do is hope there aren’t,” Princess Asuka replied, her eyes clouding over. “What terrifies me most is the potential emergence of gates capable of allowing even more potent demons from Yomi.”

It was now clear why Princess Asuka had been so insistent on eradicating the demons on Iyo Island. If she failed to exert full control over the island and a more potent Gate of Yomi manifested, the future of the kingdom would be bleak. The suffering of one would be the suffering of all. If Iyo Island became a conduit for the demons of Yomi to infiltrate the Asuka Kingdom, there was no telling when these dreadful entities might cross the sea.

Lily couldn’t help but internally reflect, Minamoto no Yoritomo, you focus on persecuting Ayaka, Kimiko, and myself, while oblivious to the greater threats at hand. Shouldn’t someone with global ambitions be concerned about the demons from Yomi? It’s not just Yoritomo; even here, Princess Asuka is willing to risk her life against these demons, and yet she faces only ingratitude from the king and mounting pressure from the prime minister. It’s a road to ruin, truly.

Lily was at her wits’ end. If she had the power, she would undoubtedly assist Princess Asuka, reward be damned.

“Miss Lily,” said Asuka, “it’s a monumental feat to destroy a Gate of Yomi, one that under our laws merits 1,500 kingdom shares.”

“Really? That many?”

“Indeed. The threat it poses is far greater than one or two isolated Big Dipper Stage archdemons.”

Weighing this, Lily realized that while 1,500 shares were impressive, they were insufficient to secure a lunar crystal. “I understand. Thank you, Princess.”

“You’ve been through a lot, with the battles and festivities,” Asuka observed.

…

With that, Lily and the rest withdrew, leaving Princess Asuka to her solitude in the top level of Tenshu Castle.

“What can I possibly say to those mercenaries?” she mused, feeling a deep humiliation at the prospect of an arranged marriage. Tsukuba Naoya, despite being the son of the prime minister and reputedly the strongest man alive, had a sinister and unsettling aura that made her skin crawl.

She sighed, resigned and defeated.

“Your Highness,” a voice softly broke her reverie.

Princess Asuka turned to find Reika, attired in her scanty blue ninja garb, materializing from a darkened corner of Tenshu Castle.

“Reika, at last, you’ve returned.”

References

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