Volume 10 - Dream Eater: Chapter 28 Matori Abyss

Lily and her companions made haste to Tenshu Castle, arriving on the third floor where they found soldiers and ninjas, armed with large bows.

Lily! Asuka appeared, donned in striking red ninja garb. Her vest, fas.h.i.+oned in a deep V shape, featured visible chest bindings and was tucked neatly into her belt

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. A two-piece red skirt completed her ensemble.

Only now did Lily notice Asukas remarkable physique, which had previously been concealed by a thigh-length jacket. Compared to Asuka, Lily found her own bust less prominent and her waist not quite as narrow

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.

Princess Asuka, Lily felt a tinge of blush rise to her cheeks upon seeing the princess. Asuka, however, seemed unphased; to her, they were both women, and there was no room for awkwardness.

Himeji is under siege, Asuka declared. Following her to a barricaded window, Lily and the others were met with a vision of haunting flames encircling the mountain on which Himeji rested. The air was thick with malevolent energy.

Immediately, Lilys gaze s.h.i.+fted to the mountain peak opposite the city. Among the crowd of demons, one grotesque figure stood out due to its immense size. This demon resembled a colossal vagabond, sprawled on the ground. Wearing ragged clothes and sporting unkempt hair, he had a strange totemic talisman fastened to his head. Even though his face was obscured, its demonic features were palpable enough.

The aberrant vagabond had an extra set of arms, boasting four arms and two legs in total. He sprawled across the mountain peak like a sinister spider, enveloped by a roiling mist of demonic fog.

Who killed my brother, Kuki? Reveal the murderer! Otherwise, Ill drench this city in a sea of blood! All mortals and male warriors will meet their end, while the female will be hauled off to Yomi! The monstrous vagabonds growl resonated, tinged with an undertone of sorrow.

Lily had once ventured to Yomis surface layer, a place with an environment so harsh that any mortal females captured as slaves would die instantly, rendering the act pointless. Therefore, they targeted only female adepts. As she tuned back into the situation, Lily sensed that the malevolent vagrant emitted the aura of a triple-soul Big Dipperand a particularly potent one at that. Although she had previously faced off against Shuten Doji without fear, she couldnt shake off the concern that her future adversaries might grow increasingly powerful.

Connecting the dots, Lily realized that this demon likely emerged from the same Yomi gate as Kuki. This suggested the alarming possibility that a stronger gate, capable of letting through even triple-soul Big Dippers, had opened. Lily knew she had to take responsibility for killing Kuki, as actions had consequences. She prepared to leap out of the window to face the demon but was halted by Asuka.

Miss Lily, even though youve killed Kuki, you serve Himeji. It would tarnish my name, Asuka s.h.i.+zu, if I failed to act now that the demons are here. Stand back and observe; Ill deal with them, said Asuka.

Your Highness, as the ruler of the city, you dont need to engage personally, Reika interjected.

Silence. Ive made up my mind. These demons have dared to invade; Ill make sure theyll regret it, Asuka insisted, her tone resolute. Lily sensed that, perhaps due to past events, Asuka was eager to reestablish her credibility among the experts.

But your opponent is a formidable triple-soul Big Dipper Archdemon, Lily warned.

Dont fret. I, too, am a triple-soul Big Dipper, and Im confident my abilities surpa.s.s his, replied Asuka, steadfast in her decision. Accepting her resolve, Lily and the other experts chose not to intervene.

Launching herself from the ramparts of Tenshu Castle, Asuka alighted on a rooftop. She folded her arms, her long braids swaying in the wind. Fine, Yomi demons. Youve invaded the realm of the living, and weve slain your brother, Kuki. I am Asuka s.h.i.+zu, the Princess of Asuka Kingdom and the Lord of Himeji. Now identify yourself; I make it a point not to kill the nameless, her voice, tinged with authority and courage, reverberated through the mountain range thanks to her Spirit power.

Introducing herself and inquiring about the demons background werent necessary actions for Asuka when her intent was to vanquish her foes. Nonetheless, she did so to glean insights into the origins of these Yomi demons and gather more information about their realm.

You are Princess Asuka? Hehehe, cackled the demon known as Todo Yansha, hailing from Matori Abyss. You had the audacity to slay my brother. Prepare to be dragged into Yomi and experience living h.e.l.l! The realm of Yomi has countless methods of tormenting women. I wonder how a living woman would fare?

Silence! Youre nothing but a grotesque abomination, Asuka retorted. With a leap, a flaming avian apparition materialized beneath her. It lifted her skyward, its expansive, incandescent wings diving towards Todo Yansha.

A Vermillion Bird! Ayaka exclaimed in astonishment. As I suspected, Princess Asuka is a prodigy in pyromancy. Shes conjured not just any flame, but the illusionary kind, manifesting it into the legendary Vermillion Bird. Though its not as potent as the actual divine creature, it approximates the Immortal Bird stage.

Flames taking the form of the Vermillion Bird could be cla.s.sified into three main stages: Flaming Bird, Immortal Bird, and Vermillion Bird. If Asuka had achieved a true Vermillion Bird manifestation, shed be capable of combating other mythical creatures like the nine-tailed fox.

After all, the Vermillion Bird is a revered ancient divine beast. While Asuka is currently at the triple-soul Big Dipper stage, her flames closely resemble those of an Immortal Bird. Achieving a rebirth through flames to evolve into a true Vermillion Bird is no small feat. Yet, the fact that she can even shape her flames into the likeness of a Vermillion Bird is truly remarkable.

In the domain of fire, no one in the Heian Dynasty surpa.s.ses Princess Asuka, Ayaka sighed, causing Lily to feel a sense of relief.

With a resounding wham, the Immortal Bird and its gigantic wingspan darted toward the opposing mountain peak. Asuka s.h.i.+zu? Youve certainly got skills, Yansha said, his smile a grim curve. Springing into the air, he soared hundreds of meters high, and with a clang, four long scimitars appeared in his hands, each held in a reverse grip and emanating an aura of dread. He resembled a divine mantis, each of his four arms wielding a colossal scythe.

In response, Asuka summoned two golden weapons: a three-foot-long trident and a blade of the same length. Mid-ranked Spirit Artifact, Lily exclaimed, visibly impressed. The Asuka Tribes blacksmithing skills are as remarkable as their reputation suggests.

As Asuka and Yansha collided mid-air, it was as if a t.i.tanic flaming bird was dueling a demonic mantis shrouded in dark flames. In mere moments, fire engulfed the surroundings, transforming the scene into a chaotic spectacle. Princess Asuka is truly formidable, said Lily, concern etched into her voice.

While Asuka was at a physical disadvantage against Yanshas Demon G.o.d Physique, the Immortal Bird beneath her acted as an equalizer. With the bird skillfully using its claws and moving with extraordinary agility, the duel with Yanshas four scimitars was evenly matched. When another wham echoed, Yansha managed to deflect the birds enormous flaming wing, but stray sparks ignited the mountains behind him, incinerating thousands of demons.

Watching the intense battle unfold from within Tenshu Castle, Lily found herself keenly aware of her limitations in flame manipulation; she couldnt even conjure Flame Intent. In the realm of ability mastery, four distinct phases existed: Intent, True Intent, Path, and the almost mythical Heavenly Pathbelieved to lead one straight to ascension if fully harnessed.

Currently, Lilys proficiencies, specifically her Charm and Lunar True Intents, were stuck at the second phase. Despite her progress, the path to reaching the next level seemed increasingly arduous the more skilled she became. However, witnessing a prodigy masterfully control illusory flames served as a valuable experience for her.

While Lilys expertise lay in swordsmans.h.i.+p, making the mastery of flames less critical for her, she understood that individuals like Ayaka, who specialized in spell-casting, would significantly benefit from a well-rounded skill set that spanned multiple elemental abilities.

A sense of concern washed over Lily as she observed the fight. Although Asuka exuded power, she lacked both the physical endurance and the spirit energy to sustain a prolonged battle. As time ticked on, her situation grew increasingly dire. Recognizing her waning spiritual reservoir, Asuka aimed to wrap up the conflict swiftly.

Yet her opponent, Yansha, was not only fearsome but also seasoned, rendering her hurried offensive moves ineffective. Her impulsivity was costing her. Seizing an opening, Asuka commanded her bird to lunge at Yansha, who skillfully dodged the a.s.sault. Taking advantage of the birds diversion, Asuka charged, wielding both her weapons.

This is it! thought Yansha, who then exerted all his strength to parry her weapons with two of his scimitars. In that instant, Asuka found herself vulnerable. The other two scimitars Yansha held lunged toward her.

In a frantic retreat, Asuka instructed her bird to a.s.sail Yanshas back. He seemed to disregard the bird, focusing his attack solely on her. Forced on the defensive, Asuka narrowly parried Yanshas full-force strike. He deftly maneuvered and targeted her waist with his weapons.

d.a.m.n it! Unable to evade, she fortified her defense with spirit power just in time. A sound like the unsheathing of swords echoed as his weapons met her flaming feather s.h.i.+eld. Though these conjured feathers protected her from immediate dismemberment, the impact nonetheless reverberated through her body.

With a cry of pain, Asuka was sent flying backward, cras.h.i.+ng into the roof of Tenshu Castle. Simultaneously, her birds talons found Yanshas back. While their offensive capabilities were somewhat evenly matched, Asukas human form was far less resilient than Yanshas demon physique. His blows not only injured her but also drained her remaining spirit energy. In contrast, Yanshas demonically robust body absorbed the birds strike, rapidly regenerating from the inflicted wound.

References

Robinxen: What is she from taimanin?

Robinxen: ET TU?! AUTHOR?!