Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 14 – Only the Physique

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 14 – Only the Physique

Stealthily advancing toward the source of the scream, concealed by rocks, Lily encountered a dense, blood-laden mist.

The sight before her was startling: the Kunlun tribe woman, previously kicked down, now impaled by a singular golden horn, her blood cascading to the ground.

The assailant was a massive, blue-gray, bloated creature, devoid of eyes and supported by four legs. Without access to spirit power, Lily found it impossible to gauge its strength, necessitating caution.

Furthermore, it was evident that the Kunlun woman had succumbed to her injuries.

A sudden, faint noise above alerted Lily to impending danger. Accompanied by a foul odor and descending pressure, she instinctively rolled away to evade.

A second monster, also bearing a golden horn, lunged where Lily had been moments before, its arrival marked by the sound of its impact with the ground.

Recovering from her evasive maneuver, Lily drew Oborozuki Muramasa. The first golden-horned monster, momentarily diverting its attention from its intended prey, now focused on Lily.

The creature that had targeted Lily measured four to five meters in length, was notably bulky, yet displayed surprising speed.

Charging at Lily, horn leading the assault, she executed a spin jump, unleashing a mid-air slash with Oborozuki Muramasa.

The blade cut through the monster, severing its head with a clean, swift motion, making a faint sound as it sliced through the air.

When Oborozuki Muramasa sliced through the creature, Lily detected neither a soul sea nor a spirit jade within. These monsters, having thrived here across generations, were devoid of spirit energy, relying solely on brute strength.

Unbeknownst to Lily, these golden-horned beasts augmented their strength by consuming the corpses of other formidable entities, growing stronger with each victim.

However, the creature’s apparent weakness was a testament to Lily’s exceptional physical prowess. An average big dipper female adept, lacking spirit energy, treasures, and secret techniques, would find her physical strength scarcely superior to that of her throne realm state.

The other single-horned monster charged at Lily with determination. This time, she confronted it with unyielding confidence. As the monster leapt towards her, its golden horn aimed directly at her, Lily agilely ascended, landing adeptly on its snout before swiftly striking. In an instant, without allowing the beast any opportunity to retaliate, her blade, Oborozuki Muramasa, pierced deeply into the monster’s neck.

Blood gushed forth as the creature lost its equilibrium. As it plummeted towards a colossal boulder, Lily dismounted, evading the imminent collision that resulted in the creature’s demise.

“It’s not that challenging,” Lily remarked. However, before she could fully savor her triumph, four more golden-horned beasts emerged, charging towards her. Undeterred, Lily met them head-on, engaging in fierce combat and vanquishing each adversary with relentless ferocity.

“Huff...huff...” Engaging in combat with multiple adversaries simultaneously, devoid of spirit energy, necessitated evasive maneuvers and seizing opportune moments for attack, depleting significant energy and time. Gasping for breath, Lily surveyed the fallen monsters, a testament to the ordeal’s intensity.

Lily encountered an unfamiliar predicament: the inefficacy of spirit energy. Traditionally, a blade maiden’s paramount advantage lay in the ability to devour souls, replenishing spirit energy during combat. Yet, in this cave, spirit energy was rendered obsolete, nullifying any potential benefits from animas.

Combat in this realm hinged solely on physical prowess. Despite Lily’s robust physique, her stamina and strength were finite. The inability to utilize spirit power or secret techniques, compounded by the oppressive gravity and atmospheric pressure, transformed even a brief five-to-six-minute skirmish into an exhaustingly intense ordeal.

Lily abruptly came to the understanding that in this environment, relying solely on her physical strength, swordsmanship, and agility to engage directly with the endless horde of monsters was not viable. Irrespective of her formidable abilities, the moment her stamina waned, her combat effectiveness would sharply decline.

“I must exercise caution and prevent encirclement,” she realized. The strategies of her past battles could not be applied here; vigilance was paramount. “It may seem merciless, but this is the reality. With casualties already mounting and an endless stream of foes, my priority must be to find a sanctuary for rest. Preserving my stamina is crucial; I mustn’t rush into confrontations,” Lily contemplated in silence.

“Only at the throne stage?” Lily mused, her realization of his realm coming only after her blade had pierced his spirit sea.

Lily was chagrined to have been overpowered by a throne realm adept. Despite her victory, his combination of strength and agility was a potent reminder that underestimating her opponents could lead to defeat.

“To think I was put in jeopardy by someone of the throne realm...”

Lily recognized that the usual rules didn’t apply within the confines of this Empty Spirit Cave, necessitating even greater caution on her part.

Reluctant to search a corpse as unappealing and malodorous as his, especially for someone merely of the throne realm, Lily doubted he possessed anything of value.

Yet, she paused, considering the possibility of him carrying a map of Yomi.

Overcoming her revulsion, Lily proceeded with the search by hand, given the unavailability of spirit power. She unearthed a greasy storage jade, unusable within the cave, cleaned it, and secured it within her mirror space.

“To think he entered this place motivated by lust; he truly was a victim of his own desires.”

Lily set off in search of sustenance. Preferring not to consume meat, she hoped to find some sweet wild fruit instead. However, given the cave’s rocky terrain and the scarcity of shrubs, the prospect of finding fruit seemed bleak.

Was she destined to resort to consuming monster meat?

“Um...ah...no, don’t...”

Ahead, amidst the mist, she detected the peculiar sound of a female voice. Maintaining her vigilance, Lily silently advanced.

“Stop, what are you doing, no, ahh—”

“Ehehe, you refused me above, but down here, the choice isn’t yours!”

Were those two female voices?

Finding the situation increasingly odd, Lily proceeded with caution, using bushes and rocks for cover as she approached the clearing ahead. In the clearing, Lily observed a blade maiden, her dark blue curls tumbling over a leather bodysuit, pinning down a chestnut-haired female adept.

“What?” Startled, Lily turned away, her cheeks flushed and her breathing rapid

1.

Recognizing both as members of the Night Parade, Lily puzzled over their actions in such a setting, with one seemingly complicit and the other evidently coerced.

“Why, in such circumstances, would she engage in this behavior?” Lily wondered, her breath quickening, her eyes gleaming with disbelief and indignation.

Footnotes:

Yuki: Why the heck you so surprised? All your other sisters want to do the same thing to you.