Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 74 – The Powerful Sword Miko And The Invincible Sword

The heat was stifling, far from the cold climates Rei was used to. Her normally cool skin was now covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She gazed upward at the sky, which paradoxically served as the ground. As the smoke parted and clouds drifted away, the vast realm of Yomi-no-kuni became visible. But how was she supposed to reach it?

From the vantage point of Yomi-no-kuni, Rei appeared to be walking upside down on the rocky formations that made up the dome of the sky. But from her perspective, she was walking on solid ground, and it was Yomi-no-kuni that hung upside down in the sky above her.

The distance between this place and Yomi-no-kuni’s ground was only tens of thousands of meters, relatively close. Yet, flight was impossible in this strange domain, and Rei could find no other method to reach the realm above her.

Over the past few months, Rei had faced countless dangers and fought fierce battles from Yomi Hirazaka to this very place. Through these trials, she had ascended to the quintuple-soul Big Dipper Stage.

“Lily, could you be somewhere in this vast Yomi-no-kuni?” Rei murmured, feeling a wave of exhaustion after battling her way from Yomi Hirazaka.

The air here was dry as Rei made her way into a small valley. In the center was a parched depression, and near it, a cave that offered some much-needed seclusion.

Before entering the cave, Rei cast an alert spell at the valley’s entrance. She then gathered her spiritual energy, condensing several large ice cubes, which she dropped into the depression, watching them shatter into cool fragments.

Satisfied with her precautions, Rei stepped into the cave. Having already scouted the area for any threats, she leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes to rest.

After a brief rest, Rei felt reenergized. Her body, trained to perfection, was quick to recover.

Returning to the cave’s entrance, she saw that the ice cubes had melted, leaving a refreshing pool of water in the depression.

Nodding in satisfaction, Rei stripped off her blue blouse, skirt, and white stockings by the water’s edge. Using a towel, she bathed in the pool, also taking the time to wash her clothes, including her black garter belt, before hanging them on a rope she strung up in the valley. With the heat and dry air, they would dry quickly.

Unlike Lily, who had an endless supply of clothing in her mirror s.p.a.ce, Rei’s storage treasure, while s.p.a.cious, was reserved for more critical items. She owned over a dozen sets of combat gear, but many had seen heavy wear in constant battles, requiring frequent washing.

Once her clothes had dried and she had rested enough, Rei dressed again. Heading to the entrance of the valley, she resolved to explore her surroundings and get accustomed to this area, using it as a temporary hideout.

Stepping beyond the valley, she began exploring the barren, rocky landscape where no gra.s.s grew. “A woman… It’s been so many years since I’ve smelled a woman’s scent…”

Rei hadn’t ventured far when she sensed something sinister and l.u.s.tful lurking behind her. Turning, she was confronted by a monstrous creature—its body muscular, with six legs crawling like a scorpion’s. Where its head should be was a rolling demonic orb, and at the tip of its scorpion-like tail hung a human head, from whose mouth protruded a thin, poisonous needle. The sight was grotesque and bizarre.

“It’s a quintuple-soul Big Dipper Stage demon.” Rei’s face darkened. She had barely left Yomi Hirazaka and already faced such a powerful archdemon. This place might be far more perilous than Yomi Hirazaka itself.

“Woman! You’ve got some strength, huh? How about becoming my wife? We could rule this cave together, hahaha…” The demon’s tail-head hissed, the poisonous needle emitting a grotesque, saliva-dripping sound as it leered at Rei.

Rei’s silver hair billowed as she smirked coldly, “A filthy, lowly demon like you dares to spout such nonsense?”

“Hmph, we may be evenly matched, but this is my domain, woman. Here, you don’t stand a chance. Surrender now and save yourself the pain! Ah, how long has it been since I’ve had a woman? I’m going mad!” The demon’s voice grew more deranged as its body twisted unnervingly before it shot underground, vanishing into a black mist.

“What?” Rei’s eyes widened in surprise.

Before she could react, the ground trembled. A ma.s.sive black mist erupted from below, and the demon reappeared behind her, its six arms outstretched, ready to pin her down.

“So fast!” Rei realized the demon was far more suited to this terrain. Though they shared the same quintuple-soul stage, its advantage here was clear.

She spun around, drawing the gleaming silver longsword from her back in one fluid motion, unleashing a swift slash.

“Hahaha! I have six arms! You’re finished!” The demon’s front arms morphed into giant pincers, ready to catch Rei’s blade. Her slash, hastily executed, wasn’t at full power, making it appear vulnerable to the demon’s counter.

The demon calculated that once her strike was blocked, it could unleash its other four limbs and poisonous needle to finish her off. Everything seemed to be going according to its plan.

But… In the blink of an eye, a nearly silent silver blade cut through the air. No fancy techniques, just a deceptively simple strike. The demon’s vaunted claws, tough as steel, were cleaved like b.u.t.ter. The blade pa.s.sed through, effortlessly splitting the demon in half.

“Arrggghh!” The demon’s body convulsed as it split in two. One half, still attached to the tail, stared in disbelief at the gleaming silver blade. “How… How is this possible?! What kind of sword is that?!”

Without hesitation, Rei leapt forward, her long, graceful legs extending as she landed with precision. Her foot slammed down on the tail’s ‘neck,’ pinning the demon’s head beneath her.

She delivered another silent strike. As though slicing through water, Rei’s long sword pierced through the demon’s head, shattering its Big Dipper origin soul in an instant.

The demon’s grotesque eyes widened in disbelief. It stared at the blade embedded in its body, unable to feel the pain, so sharp was the sword. Looking upward, it foolishly gazed at the exquisite female samurai and the shadow beneath her flowing blue skirt.

“Women… are so beautiful…” it muttered weakly before succ.u.mbing to its fate, dying with a lingering unwillingness.

Without hesitation, Rei absorbed the anima of the fallen Big Dipper Stage demon.

As she withdrew her sword, not a single drop of blood stained the blade. The weapon’s sharpness was truly remarkable.

Rei glanced at the sword she had found after her ancient blade shattered during the battle with Yamata no Orochi. A hint of wonder flickered in her ethereal eyes. “If not for this sword, I’m not sure how many times I would have perished on this journey.”

When Rei first entered Yomi Hirazaka, she had barely reached the triple-soul Big Dipper Stage. Stronger demons continuously appeared as she ventured deeper, yet none, no matter how powerful or resilient, could withstand the slashes of her sword.

Armor, tough hides, everything was cleaved effortlessly. Even weapons—swords, hammers, maces—shattered like fragile tofu upon contact with her blade. The sword was unstoppable.

Against Rei’s strikes, dodging was the only option; blocking was futile.

With the aid of this unnaturally sharp sword, Rei cut down countless powerful demons, ama.s.sing anima and treasures that rapidly propelled her to the quintuple-soul level in a short span of time.

Furthermore, Rei’s spiritual energy capacity wasn’t as vast as Lily’s, meaning she required fewer anima to boost her strength.

Along her journey, Rei had encountered a powerful s.e.xtuple-soul Big Dipper Stage demon. To its shock, she, then only at the quadruple-soul level, had slain it with a single slash, cutting through its vitals like tofu. Even in death, the demon couldn’t fathom how it had lost. It had thought it would capture a rare and formidable beauty, only to meet its end.

Though her demeanor was vastly different from Lily’s, who in Yomi wouldn’t covet a proud, cold, and commanding beauty like Uesugi Rei?

Unfortunately for them, they became nothing more than vengeful spirits cut down by her sword.

High above the vast expanse of Yomi, the Hachiwan chariot, crimson cat demon, and phantom blue owl soared swiftly. Ten days had pa.s.sed, and by now, Lily and her companions had already crossed the River of Oblivion without encountering any significant obstacles. After all, with four Supreme G.o.ds traveling together, who would dare stand in their way?

Judging by their distance, they were nearing the borders of the Female Queendom.

At the Queen’s invitation, Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna were seated inside the Hachiwan chariot, enjoying tea together.

“Your Majesty, your tea is delightful, thank you. However, we are nearing the Female Queendom. Do you intend to part ways with us here? And Lily, you should come with us as well,” Asura-Onna said in a serious tone, holding her teacup.

The Queen’s expression grew complicated as she gave a faint smile. “The Female Queendom is indeed close, but I won’t be parting ways with you. Only Commander Chiya will return ahead of me.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that? Are you still trying to intervene in Lily’s situation?” Asura-Onna asked with a slight frown.

The Queen glanced at Lily and Chiya, both of whom looked puzzled, and clarified, “No, no, this has nothing to do with Lynne. It’s strictly a matter of the Female Queendom. I plan to send Commander Chiya ahead to the queendom while I remain behind for a short while.”

“Return ahead of you?” The women exchanged confused looks.

“And what about you?” Asura-Onna inquired.

The Queen gently caressed her teacup with her jade-like fingers. “As for me, I plan to take a walk near the outskirts of the Rakshasa Dojo.”

“Huh?” Asura-Onna froze, caught off guard.

“What do you mean? Are you planning to visit our Rakshasa Dojo? You’re the ruler of the Female Queendom, so if you wish to visit, there’s no need to be coy,” Rakshasa-Onna asked in a delicate tone.

“No, I don’t intend to enter the Rakshasa Dojo. I simply plan to wander around the mountains near its outskirts with Yoshiya for a while. I have my reasons. Rest a.s.sured, I won’t interfere with the affairs of your Rakshasa Dojo, so it shouldn’t concern you,” the Queen replied, covering her face as she spoke.

“This…” Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna exchanged glances, casting the Queen puzzled and slightly reproachful looks. What was this woman planning now?