Book 2: Chapter 16: An Encounter with The Demon King

The scorching hot wind, that reeked of blood, made Lily’s back perspire. However, she herself felt cold and her soul was shuddering.

Lily’s hand tightly held the Sakura Parasol. However, could it really cover all three of them when they flee from being sandwiched between two groups of demons?

Sakiko also began to tremble but she lowered her voice and said: “Don’t be afraid. Although it’s an unprecedented thing for two Night Parade of Hundred Demons to meet each other, my Four Door array can temporarily move us to the spiritual realm and another plane. As long as you don’t move, shout, or leave the four Doors Array, even if the demons walk by right in front of us, they will not discover us. So don’t be afraid because trembling and fear will expose our existence!”

Shiu gritted her teeth and she knew that her heart was about to tear apart from the fear. However, she also knew that if she was exposed, she would drag Lily down. She would never let such a thing happen which gave her extraordinary courage to resist the fear for the Night Parades.

Michizane flew to the bullock cart and stopped right in front of it. A deep, resonant voice of an old man rang out: “Surely, this bullock cart can’t be travelling alone at night? Humph, some people with magic skills on that bullock cart must’ve played some tricks. I’ll find them by playing some tricks of my own.”

Michizane looked around. His rugged and fierce-looking face flashed with malevolence as he looked at Lily’s direction. That gave her a start, were they already discovered!?

However, just as Michizane seemed to have noticed something, his eyes were attracted by something further behind the trio.

On the other side, hundreds of demons led by a huge red demon surrounded by the will-o’-wisp and thick sulfur smoke also noticed Michizane and his party.

The handsome man sitting on the head of the red demon said, “Michizane, you are not in the Yamashiro. Have you come here for a leisurely stroll?”

This strange man’s voice was breathtaking, distant, and rang out to all directions. Furthermore, the demonic-manner bearing contained in his voice seemed to also be of great temptation to some gullible and simple womenfolk.

But Lily’s soul was not affected.

Michizane glared with his wide eyes that could seemingly terrorize all the existences under heaven and earth into submission. He said in his rough voice which carried a dignified tone : “Shuten Doji1, to be quite honest, I don’t know what attracted me. But now, I have probably understood that it must be the remaining grievance of my old friend, Mr. Ikeda, that guided me to come here to seek an explanation from you!”

Shuten Doji took a drink from the huge gourd behind him with one hand and laughed heartily: “Haha…! What about Ikeda? What grievances do your old friends have with me?”

“Shuten Doji, hundreds of years ago, you captured Middle Counselor Ikeda’s daughter, tortured her to death and even fed her meat to the demons and ghosts under you. How dare you say you have nothing to do with it!?” Michizane glared back at him. His thick black long man-chops on both sides were blown up by anger. The majestic and powerful demonic fury made the whole mountain forest appear as if a hurricane had struck the mountain!

The demons and ghosts around Michizane were also taking part in the uproar, which in turn caused waves of demonic clouds and fog to surge up violently!

However, under the roars of Michizane’s numerous demons, Shuten Doji didn’t care and continued to drink heavily. Although he looked majestic, he was also bold and unrestrained: “Hahahahaha! How can I remember a random girl from some hundred years ago? There are countless women I toyed and played with. Even if I left her to her own devices, those mortals should have already turned to dust. Would it not have been a blessing for that woman to serve me?”2

“Shuten Doji!” Michizane’s eyes were like torches. The thunder and lightning erupted because of his fury. Electric sparks came out of his mouth as he spoke: “With the pa.s.sage of time, if you have really repented, it would have been fine. However, you are still so proud and rampant. You even desecrate the dead. Today, I will get justice for my old friend!”

Shuten Doji also sat up half-heartedly and his purplish red eyes flashed with captivating light: “Michizane, you want to fight with me? Well, I’m also going to settle accounts about the events that took place in Mount Ooe. Since you don’t want to say the real reason and insist on blaming me for old affairs, I’ll play with you! Hahahaha! Demons of Tanba, bring that Michizane’s severed head to me!”

“Roar——!”

Ancient, ferocious cries that sounded like the wailing of the ghosts from h.e.l.l echoed in the surroundings. All the big and small demons under the control of Shuten Doji charged at Michizane without exception. The earth shook for a while. The loud sound of tremor and howls almost tore Lily’s eardrum.

It was terrible. Lily felt that these demons, even those medium-sized ones that were five or six meters tall, were comparable in strength to the huge demon slayed by Sister Uesugi on that day. Some of them were even bigger and fiercer than any enemies Lily had encountered before!

Just that giant red demon alone might be able to trample the powerful samurai of the Eastern Nation into mince meat with one foot!

This was not the power that human beings could match!

Michizane flew into a rage. Instead of drawing the long, ancient Tachi hanging by his waist, he took out a brush that was the size of a broom. He dragged the official lying by his feet before him and forced the latter to kneel down and lower his head to the ground. Then, he took out a yellow paper scroll and placed it on the official’s back, paying no heed to the official’s reluctance. After that, he loosened the brick-sized black metal seal on his waist to pin the yellow paper scroll down amidst the furious gale. With grand strokes of his brush, he wrote down an ancient poem which contained a strong sense of resentment.

“Shuten Doji, I will take your life with the poems of my old friend’s sacrifice to his daughter!”

Those ancient looking large calligraphy characters flew up one by one. All of them were filled with mourning and resentment. Each and every one of them flashed brightly in the night and flew toward the Shuten Doji at lightning speed.

At the sight of an unimaginable outbreak that was about to unfold, even Sakiko paled. She rigidly controlled the Four Door Array to hide the three of them. The atmosphere was so tense that they were afraid to move a muscle. Shiu was so frightened that she squatted down to hold Sakiko’s lower back and pulled Lily’s hand. She lowered her head, hid behind the duo and didn’t dare to look up.3

However, Lily’s eyes were attracted by the metal seal that pressed down the paper scroll.

The metal seal’s body was completely black and looked extremely heavy, emitting a faint golden l.u.s.ter. Even in such a critical situation, it seemed that the metal seal was still emitting an irresistibly attractive force!

That seal was naturally used by Michizane to hold papers during his junior years. However for countless years, Michizane had been carrying it with him and may even had used it as a weapon to crush opponents. It had been absorbing Michizane’s demonic fury and resentment for a long time and had become a divine iron!

If one day I use this thing to make a Cursed Katana… Oh my G.o.d! Lily, what are you thinking! Are you crazy?

Lily’s heart was pounding hard and her chest was heaving violently.

Human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food! Michizane is no ordinary being, perhaps even Lady Sakiko wouldn’t be able to block a single casual attack of his. We would be considered lucky enough if we could stay unnoticed by the two evil forces and live through this disaster! How can I have this kind of risky idea! It’s just another attractive treasure, it’s worthless to lose your life over it!

In cold sweat, Lily felt how dangerous and absurd her idea was just now. She almost got herself killed. If she had an accident, the salvation of the senior sister would pop like a soap bubble, and everything would be far too horrible to imagine!

Calm down, I must stay calm! Lily!4

1. Robinxen: Oi wait?! Shuten is supposed to be a s.e.xy loli right?! Right?!
2. Robinxen: He’s sc.u.m. Michi-kun take him down!
3. Robinxen: #ProtectTheNinja
4. Robinxen: Lily Fighto!