Volume 10 - Dream Eater: Chapter 41 – Imminent Collapse of the Tenshu Tower

Volume 10 - Dream Eater: Chapter 41 – Imminent Collapse of the Tenshu Tower

“Identify yourself, warrior,” King Akira commanded.

“I am the foremost mercenary under the princess’ command, son of the Myojin Temple’s master, Sonosuke!”

“Sonosuke, I hereby confer upon you the title of statesman. Serve as guardian in my royal presence!”

“I am most grateful, Your Majesty. I, Sonosuke, am here

1. Who dares to challenge?”

“Take down that crazed monk!”

Several heavily-armored ninjas lunged at Sonosuke, unleashing bursts of spirit power. Sonosuke’s spear danced through the air, slender but full of force. A streak of silver flashed, followed by a resounding boom! The impact sent the ninjas flying a hundred meters away, crashing through a row of wooden gates.

Outside, the sky was dark, but an army had already assembled under the command of the Prime Minister, encircling the banquet hall.

“Sonosuke! How dare you threaten His Majesty!” The Prime Minister pointed accusingly.

“What? It’s you who are rebelling!”

A formidable aura emanated from Tsukuba Naoya as he approached Sonosuke. “Your Majesty, fret not; I shall protect you.”

“Tsukuba Naoya! What nonsense do you spout? It’s clear that you and your father wish to rebel!” King Akira thundered. “You have been siphoning off the Asuka Kingdom’s wealth for generations, and now you wish to force me into death? Do you even know the meaning of loyalty or shame, you traitors?”

The Prime Minister bellowed, “Your Majesty, do not be deceived by such malefactors! We act for you, for the country! My son, swiftly subdue that traitor!”

Several streaks of purple-crimson lightning danced around Naoya as he unleashed a powerful slash electrified with terrifying voltage. The speed was staggering; the air itself seemed to vibrate from the electrical force.

Swiftly, Sonosuke raised his spear to block. With a resounding boom, the violent electrical surge shattered numerous lanterns in the hall. Tables and bowls were hurled through the air, and the ground itself cracked open. Despite the hall’s flooring being made from ancient, thousand-year-old wood, it collapsed entirely in places, tilting upwards in others.

The impact drove Sonosuke to his knees, a crater forming beneath him. Tenshu Tower trembled violently as a consequence.

“You’ve improved. You can now block one of my slashes,” Naoya remarked, his blade still enveloped in a shroud of purple lightning.

Blood trickled from Sonosuke’s mouth. “Naoya, exerting this much force—are you not concerned about endangering His Majesty?”

“It’s you who endangers His Majesty by resisting!” Naoya’s arm muscles bulged; his raw, overpowering energy intensified even without movement.

As Naoya’s blade pressed down on Sonosuke’s spear, a powerful shockwave burst from Sonosuke’s position, accompanied by a surge of electrical current. The force of the impact sent a ripple through the hall, sinking the floor and destroying most of the doors and windows. Beams and columns shattered as Tenshu Tower began to teeter on the brink of collapse.

“Uwaaa! What’s happening?” The Heian envoys struggled to maintain their footing on the tilting floor, while the already-kneeling officials descended into chaos. Though they possessed strength, they found themselves overwhelmed and could only stumble or fall.

Sonosuke, meanwhile, was propping himself up with his spear, coughing up blood. His internal organs and meridians had suffered extensive damage from Naoya’s assault. That seemingly gentle push from Lily had been enough to repel Naoya, which left Sonosuke utterly bewildered.

Naoya clenched his teeth, his face etched with seriousness. He couldn’t fathom how that gentle push had sent him reeling.

Lily’s words, however, cast a shroud of confusion over the gathered officials.

“So? Look at their loyalty, risking their lives and reputation for this,” Lily said, pinching the bestowment order between her fingers and holding it up for the king to see. “What do you say, Your Majesty?”

“I am the king of the Asuka Kingdom. Accept a bestowment order from another nation? I’d sooner die...”

“Ah, I see,” Lily interrupted, cutting off the king’s proclamation. She turned toward the gathered officials. “You’ve all heard His Majesty’s decision. Since that’s the case...”

With a swift movement, Lily’s slender fingers ripped the order in two. The sound of tearing echoed throughout the hall.

“WHAT?!”

The room was filled with stunned faces. That woman—what had she just done?

The Prime Minister leapt to his feet, pointing an accusatory finger at Lily. “How dare you tear up something so vital to both my nation and the Heian Dynasty!”

The envoy was equally incensed. “Have you lost your mind? For thousands of years, nobody has dared to shred the Emperor’s edict!”

A cacophony erupted among the other officials.

With a casual flick of her wrist, imbued with spirit power, the torn pieces of the edict in Lily’s hands ignited, disintegrating into ashes before everyone’s eyes.

“Tell me, aren’t you all officials of the Asuka Kingdom?” Lily began, a sly smile adorning her lips as she circled the front of the hall. “Didn’t you hear your king say he wouldn’t accept this order? If so, what purpose does it serve? We’re here for a birthday celebration, aren’t we? Now that the order’s gone, there’s no turning back. Shall we return to our festivities? Perhaps some wine, singing, and dancing to lighten the mood?”

“This is no joke!” The Prime Minister roared. “You think we’re all fools? To simply overlook such a grievous act? Do you realize the gravity of your crime?”

“You’re a dead woman walking!” The envoy howled. “The entire Heian Dynasty will hunt you down

2. You’ll have nowhere to hide!”

Lily thought to herself, ‘As if I’m not already on the Heian Dynasty’s most-wanted list.’ She covered her mouth with the large sleeve of her kimono and looked at the Prime Minister and the assembled officials, feigning distress. “Should I penalize myself with a cup of wine then?”

The room was awash in stunned gasps and incredulous looks. “Hah?!”

Footnotes:

Yuki: I had All Might from MHA in my head when I translated this ahaha...

Robinxen: That’s a moot point, they already are.