Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 119 - Moonfrost Floranima (Part 2)

Lily’s gaze gradually grew calm.

Beside Kiyoshi’s corpse stood Amanozako. She collected the rest of Kiyoshi’s treasures, her tengu mask fixed upon Lily with an icy stare, yet she said nothing.

Lily’s own eyes were equally cold.

Holding the peerless divine sword in both hands, she gracefully shifted her footing from side to side before solemnly performing a ceremonial series of swings. Under her breath, she softly recited four ancient Heian Dynasty words of requiem.

In that instant, heaven and earth fell into solemn silence. Amid the endless darkness, only the silver-white blade, the crimson-clad maiden, and an overwhelming atmosphere of grief remained.

Even the million gods and demons were shaken by the sight. For a time, none dared stir. This was a battlefield. It was a funeral rite, one of the simplest kinds. Yet for a man to fall upon the bloodiest battlefield in all Three Realms could not be said to be anything less than the ultimate pride of a warrior.

A thought flashed through Lily’s mind. Cherry blossoms burst into dazzling bloom, her gaze turned distant, and suddenly she brought the divine sword down in a single slash.

An inconceivable power spread outward as a faint ring-shaped lunar current, sweeping across the entirety of the Celestial Demon Assembly. The ceremonial dais, the surrounding platforms, and every structure within the Celestial Demon Assembly grounds collapsed with a deafening roar.

The million gods and demons descended into chaos, fleeing in every direction while howling in panic.

The central platform caved in, leaving behind an enormous crater in the earth. Ashikaga Kiyoshi, together with the ruins of the Celestial Demon Assembly, the place where his life had reached its greatest pinnacle, was buried beneath the ground forever.

Faced with the vast ruins that had sunk into the earth, Lily turned away without the slightest hesitation, never looking back again.

Nanako held the Sakura Parasol above Lily as cherry blossoms drifted from the heavens. She quietly followed behind, while a few wandering petals still settled gently upon Lily’s hair.

The scene left the million gods and demons utterly stunned. Why, standing upon a battlefield amidst the furious roars and threats of countless Demon Gods, could this young maiden remain so utterly composed?

Ordinary Demon Gods no longer dared step forward.

“Kagami Lily! Where do you think you’re going?” Kujaku Myōō was no ordinary Demon God. Even among the Supreme Gods of the Three Realms, he stood at the very peak, only a single level beneath the Boundless Empress of old and Ame-no-Tajikarao. He shouted, “You wished to bury Ashikaga Kiyoshi, and we granted you that opportunity. Now your little performance should be over. It’s time to hand over the Oborozuki soul you stole through despicable means!”

Lily halted and leisurely turned around, yet remained silent.

Nanako shouted, “You Demon Gods boast of being lofty deities above all others, yet the words coming out of your mouths are no different from street thugs and mountain bandits! The moment you see a treasure, you want to steal it. The moment you see a beautiful woman, you want to force yourselves on her. Was your advancement over millions of years nothing but a joke?”

“And what are you?” Kujaku Myōō sneered. “A mere maid dares speak here?” Divine Might erupted from him, its overwhelming pressure crashing toward Nanako. Yet now that she possessed the power of eleven solar corona force, her strength was barely comparable to that of the weakest Supreme God. At the very least, Divine Might alone could no longer shake her.

Nanako cried out, “My lady believed you all still possessed at least a shred of reason, so she didn’t even bother arguing! Are all of you blind? What trick did Sister Lily supposedly use? Don’t you know the answer yourselves? It was the Oborozuki soul that despised your filth and darkness. It chose Sister Lily of its own will! This was destiny. It was the treasure’s own choice!”

“What utter nonsense!” Kujaku Myōō said coldly. “It was clearly demonic sorcery. Do you think the ramblings of a little girl like you can deceive a million Demon Gods?”

“That’s right! Demonic sorcery!”

“Demonic sorcery!”

The million gods and demons all roared in unison.

“Kagami Lily, words are pointless,” Kuroyoku growled. “We Abyssal Demon Gods are rough men. We don’t waste time arguing over reason. Today, if you refuse to hand over the Oborozuki soul, don’t even think about leaving!”

“Don’t think about leaving!” The Supreme Gods and Demon Gods alike circulated their power, prepared to strike at any moment as they completely surrounded Lily and Nanako. “Hurry up and hand over the Oborozuki soul!”

“Kagami Lily, after you’ve surrendered it, kneel and surrender yourself!” Mudobozu barked viciously. “The treasure is one matter, but don’t forget she’s also a wanted criminal on Takamagahara’s bounty list! Why should we show her any courtesy? Hand over the treasure. At the very least, we’ll let you be captured with some dignity!”

“Hand over the treasure!”

“Put down your sword! Kneel and surrender!”

“Kneel and surrender!”

The million Demon Gods erupted once more, endless Divine Might pressing down upon Lily.

“Hehehe… Hahahahaha…” Amid the overwhelming Divine Might, the deafening uproar, and upon the shadowed Celestial Demon Path, a woman’s laughter rang out.

“Kagami Lily, there’s nowhere left for you to run! You w̲h̲o̲r̲e̲ who murdered your own fiancé, what are you laughing at?” Mudobozu shouted furiously.

“Hey, hey! Mudobozu, isn’t that accusation going a little too far?” the Sanzu Demon Queen called out, unable to watch any longer. “Lily never accepted Ashikaga Kiyoshi’s proposal in the first place!”

“What?” Mudobozu roared. “Sanzu, are you planning to stand together with this Takamagahara wanted criminal who’s become the enemy of everyone here?”

Kawara let out a helpless sigh. “Sanzu, let us go. We won’t involve ourselves in this muddy affair. Whether Lily is guilty or whether the million gods are justified, let us simply pretend we saw nothing. We’re old now. We never should have come.”

With that, the Lord of Oblivion and Sanzu Demon Queen addressed Lily, “Miss Kagami, take care of yourself. Farewell.”

Kawara and Sanzu departed with their attendants. A small number from Yomi also left with them. However, their departure hardly affected the morale of the million Demon Gods. Those people had never taken part in pressuring Lily to begin with.

“Good riddance! That’s fewer people to split the treasure with!” Mudobozu spat.

Yet Lily paid no attention whatsoever to the commotion around her. Instead, she remained utterly captivated by the flawlessly pure divine sword. She gazed at her own reflection upon its silver-white blade, then gently swung it through the air from time to time, quietly listening to the wind as it sliced through the heavens.

It was beautiful. Far too beautiful. For a fleeting moment, Lily felt that only a sword like this could truly be the fated lover destined for her. It alone was the peerless weapon upon which she could entrust her entire life.

“K… Kagami Lily! Are you f̲u̲c̲k̲i̲n̲g deaf? Didn’t you hear what we said? Hand over the Oborozuki soul and kneel!”

“B-Boss,” one obese Kegaretsu Clan member drooled, “kneeling isn’t enough. She has to disperse all her divine power and surrender naked. Hehehe…”

“That’s right! If you want us to spare you and treat you kindly after capturing you, sparing you unnecessary suffering, then strip yourself completely and surrender obediently!”

Clink…

As Lily’s blade sliced through the air, a clear, ethereal chime instantly echoed across heaven and earth. It sent a tremor through the souls of the million Demon Gods, causing every one of them to instinctively shudder into stunned silence.

For a brief moment, the dim Celestial Demon Path fell utterly still. Only Lily’s voice remained, as beautiful and as chilling as the song of her blade.

“Hehehe… Hahahahaha…”

Her long hair drifted freely in the wind, her exquisite face as cold as frost. The completely silver-white sword of purest beauty in her hand slowly rose, its edge gliding lightly past her lips while emitting a crisp, piercing hum that seemed to cleave the very air.

“This was the divine sword once wielded by Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. Its name is…” Lily glanced back over her shoulder with a radiant smile. “Moonfrost Floranima.”

The souls of the million Demon Gods quivered. Never in their lives had they witnessed such a perfect union of beauty and blade, of elegance and deadly peril.

“I have no intention of defending myself. Every fragment of the Oborozuki soul is right here.” Lily gently turned her graceful figure, the sword’s edge radiating a soul-stealing icy brilliance. “This blade was born for slaughter. Within the Three Realms, only one person is worthy to possess her. All others who covet her shall become spirits beneath her edge. If you want her… come and take her.”

Her voice was so gentle and enchanting, touched with equal measures of charm and willful pride. Yet it filled the million Demon Gods with fear.

“Kagami Lily! Stop bluffing! It’s only a divine sword. It won’t change anything! Back then, even wielding the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, weren’t you beaten into a miserable state by the Ten Great Supreme Gods of the Abyss? Today, we’ll finally finish the battle that Izanami interrupted all those years ago!”

Kuroyoku’s aura exploded. Transforming into a colossal black phantom overflowing with violent fury, he charged straight toward Lily!

“Nanako, protect yourself.” Lily’s voice remained as gentle as ever. She stepped lightly onto the air, her figure dancing with effortless grace. As the peerless divine sword Moonfrost Floranima met the incoming colossal black fist, she remained completely unhurried, calmly yet decisively swinging a single slash.

Within the night, a thread-like blade of moonlight streaked across the sky! The slash split apart both the gigantic black fist and the very fabric of space itself. The torn rift unleashed torrents of dark void currents that raged wildly through the shattered space!

“What!?” Kuroyoku was stunned. Facing the slash that had severed both space and his fist, he immediately summoned three defensive treasures in succession: a demon-faced great shield, a bronze guardian statue with an indestructible body, and a dazzling divine protective orb.

All three were Kunitsukami Artifacts!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The thread-like moonlit blade cut straight through the demon-faced shield, the bronze guardian statue, and the radiant protective orb one after another. Though the sword light had diminished to only a faint trace, it still struck Kuroyoku.

Splurt!

“Aaargh!” Kuroyoku let out a howl as the already-weakened blade light blasted him backward over ten thousand meters!

A deep slash had nearly severed the wrist of his massive fist, leaving only a thin strip of flesh connecting it. Another grievous wound carved across his chest, splitting open muscle as divine blood poured forth. Even Kuroyoku’s soul broke into a cold sweat!

“What!?” The assembled Demon Gods, even the Supreme Gods, were all struck with shock.

Kujaku Myōō’s pupils contracted sharply. That was Kuroyoku Tateo-no-Kami, an opponent capable of fighting him to a standstill!

“Not only that… Kuroyoku brought out three defensive treasures in succession, and every one of them was a Kunitsukami Artifact! They weren’t especially rare masterpieces, but they were still genuine lower-grade divine artifacts! Yet that single slash cut through all three in one stroke and still wounded his true body! If even the sword light alone is this terrifying… then if the blade itself lands directly… who could possibly block it!?”

Kuroyoku frantically circulated his divine power to heal his wounds. However, injuries inflicted by the Silver Lunar Force were extraordinarily difficult to recover from. Fortunately, his physique was incomparably sturdy, and his dark divine power had reached the pinnacle of a Supreme God. Only then, despite the severe disadvantage in the amount of divine power consumed, was he barely able to regenerate the wounds, and only at an agonizingly slow pace.

Cold sweat drenched his entire body. That single strike had nearly cut the overwhelming strength from his very being.

“H… How is this possible? Everyone says that once the Oborozuki soul is fully restored, it becomes a peerless divine sword. But it shouldn’t be this terrifying! Back when Kagami Lily wielded the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, it never possessed such overwhelming power!” Kuroyoku cried out in disbelief.

Indeed, judging by the sword alone, the power of Moonfrost Floranima in Lily’s hands was on par with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, each excelling in different aspects.

However, Lily herself was now several times stronger than before. Her physical strength had increased tremendously, while her divine power and secret arts had all advanced through the countless battles she had fought. Her comprehension of the Heavenly Path, especially the Heavenly Path of Charm, had reached the absolute limit beneath the level of a Supreme God. Her current strength was no longer comparable to when she had first broken through.

More importantly, every aspect of Moonfrost Floranima, its blade, length, weight, curvature, and even the artistic conception, resentment, and essence contained within it, resonated perfectly with Lily’s body and soul. It was the sword most perfectly suited to her.

This was the awakened divine sword once wielded by Tsukuyomi no Mikoto.

Moonfrost Floranima was the ultimate weapon, the one blade capable of bringing Lunar Blossom, the Lunar Heavenly Path, and the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle to their absolute pinnacle.

Because of this, when Lily wielded Moonfrost Floranima, the power she unleashed under identical conditions vastly surpassed anything she could have achieved with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

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