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Demon Sword Maiden-Chapter 25Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: β That Sad Dusk
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Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 25 β That Sad Dusk
It was indeed Musashibo Benkei! The presence of his vengeful spirit in Ise raised questions about why his corpse still harbored a will. Lily, unaware that Yoshitsune had managed to reunite Benkeiβs spirit with his physical body at Takadachi after the earthβs transformation, approached the situation with a mix of apprehension and respect. Despite her flushed face and unsteady posture, she calmly stepped forward and bowed. βLord Benkei, I have come here as Yoshitsuneβs successor to worship him. Please, let us pass.β
Benkeiβs consciousness, clearer now, recalled Yoshitsuneβs words from Ise. If Yoshitsuneβs spirit hadnβt been trapped in Ise, he might have been inclined to assist this woman, described by Yoshitsune as beautiful, well-educated, and strong. Could this tall, delicate girl in white be his disciple?
Before Benkei could inquire further, Shizuka Gozen gently ushered Lily back, possibly to protect her, and stepped forward. βBenkei, do you remember me?β she asked. Benkeiβs consciousness, clouded by resentment, initially failed to recognize her. But as Shizuka stood before him, memories resurfaced.
As Benkeiβs vengeful spirit emerged from his corpse, his spiritual sense swept through Shizuka, triggering a rush of familiarity. βMadamβ¦β he uttered, his recognition causing the surrounding lands and forests to tremble. βYou are the madamβ¦β
Shizuka, her voice tinged with sadness, addressed Benkei. βItβs been many years, youβve worked hard. I am going to Heian-kyo to defeat our greatest enemy, Minamoto no Yoritomo! But before that, I want to go to Takadachi to visit Yoshitsune.β
Benkei, filled with a newfound fighting spirit, responded with enthusiasm. βReally? This day has finally arrived! I shall aid you in this task!β His voice, echoing his resolve, conveyed his readiness to support Shizuka in her quest to honor Yoshitsune and confront their formidable adversary.
βLord Benkei!β Lily exclaimed, her joy evident. Though Benkei was a vengeful spirit, his formidable power was comparable to Michizaneβs. His assistance promised to significantly bolster their chances of success.
Acknowledging the impracticality of accompanying two women, Benkei expressed his plan to journey to Heian-kyo alone. βThe madam and you are both women; it will not be convenient for me to travel with you. I will go to Heian-kyo first and kill to my heartβs content! When your great army arrives, I will help!β he declared.
As he spoke, a monstrous eldritch cloud materialized around him, lifting him into the sky. He moved towards the southwest with great strides, his figure resembling a corpse transported by the cloud.
βLord Benkeiβ¦β Lily whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of respect and bewilderment as Benkei departed resolutely, leaving her with a myriad of unanswered questions. The group then made their way to the entrance of Takadachi.
The temple, inconspicuous and ordinary from the outside, presented a different scene within its walls. Inside, the temple was in disarray, yet spotlessly clean.
Strikingly, Yoshitsuneβs corpse was absent, with only a short knife lying on the floor. The blade, stained with dried blood, emanated a faint golden light and a clean smell, suggesting that if Yoshitsune had lived, he wouldnβt have been far from the celestial realm. The bloodβs sacred luster, uncorrupted even after years, indicated that Yoshitsune might not have become a celestial, but could be considered a saint.
Shizuka Gozen, upon seeing the knife, kneeled on the ground, picked it up, and hugged it tightly, tears dripping from her eyes. In this moment of deep emotion, Lily and the others silently kneeled down and kowtowed, offering their respect without disturbing Shizukaβs mourning.
Yet, Lily couldnβt help but ponder a critical question: Where was Yoshitsuneβs corpse? The templeβs condition suggested that no enemy had entered, especially since Benkei had been guarding outside. Even Yoritomo, upon confirming Yoshitsuneβs suicide, would not have risked heavy casualties just to invade the temple and desecrate a corpse.
The fact that no one else seemed to have entered the temple since then, coupled with the knifeβs presence, deepened the mystery. Why would someone take the body but leave behind the treasured knife? Yoshitsuneβs death and the circumstances surrounding it were indeed confusing. Lily considered another point: if she could see this discrepancy, then surely Shizuka Gozen, equally smart and wise, and the person who cared the most about Yoshitsune, would also recognize this problem.
Suddenly, a young manβs voice, both bright and melancholic, resonated within the building. βKagami Lilyβ¦ you have finally arrived.β Lily trembled at the sound. Yoshitsuneβs will was present, but curiously, he spoke to her first instead of Shizuka, leaving Lily feeling somewhat ashamed. Despite her uncertainty about Shizukaβs reaction, Lily knew she needed to respond.
Continuing to kneel, she addressed Lord Yoshitsune, βMy side will soon face a decisive battle with Minamoto no Yoritomo. I have come to worship before the battle, hoping Lord Yoshitsune will bless us with victory, to bring justice to the world and avenge the fallen.β But Yoshitsune offered no answer. Lily tentatively mentioned, βMadam Shizuka has come to see youβ¦β, yet still, there was silence, causing Shizuka Gozen to tremble uncontrollably.
Suddenly, an ancient memory invaded Lilyβs mind. Overwhelmed, she cried out, βAhβ¦Aghh!!β and felt the world spin as she fainted into darkness. In this void, a vision unfolded before her eyes: a vast sea of clouds, but these were not the white clouds of a blue sky. Instead, they were dim, dark, and vast, evoking a sense of doomsday.
Lily found her consciousness floating within this sky, amidst these ominous clouds. Then, she heard Yoshitsuneβs voice, ethereal, sad, yet resolute, echoing through the expanse. βTakamagahara is dim, Yomi is in danger, the heavens are in chaos, the sun and moon are dark,β he said. Lily grappled with the meaning of his words; she somewhat understood, yet also didnβt. What could be the true meaning behind these cryptic words?
βKagami Lily, you are the key to everything,β Yoshitsune continued. βYour splendor shines, unmatched. You must see and understand the chaos and the truth. You are the key amidst the changing and chaotic space between the heavens and Yomi.β
βMe?β Lily questioned, floating amidst the dim clouds, her heart quivering. She felt like she was continuously falling, the winds harsh against her ears, her hair wildly flapping about her.
Suddenly, she broke through the clouds, revealing a great sea with dark golden waves shimmering before her. In the distance, the golden light reflected off the colorful clouds that dominated the sky, painting a scene both sad and beautiful, reminiscent of a pre-disaster twilight of the gods. This scene felt eerily familiar to Lily. Was this a return to the moment when the plane crashed, and she arrived in this world?
βSenior Sister!β she called out, searching around, but she was alone in this vast dusky sea. Before she could ponder further, darkness enveloped her world once again.
In the ensuing darkness, Lily gradually felt an icy coldness beneath her. She frowned, slowly awakening and opening her eyes to find herself in the old ruins of a deserted small temple at sunset. Feeling something hard beneath her, she got up and grabbed the item. βMy ancient mirror?β she wondered, realizing this was a memory, a mere spectator to the events of her past.
Her clothes, reminiscent of what her senior sister wore before the accident, were now unbearably wrecked, with only tattered remnants clinging to her. The exposed and torn underwear made her blush despite the situation. Looking up through the roof of the ruined temple, she noticed the sky darkening. freewebno vel.com
A portion of wood, seemingly dislodged from a hole in the roof, crashed down near her. Observing the cracks on the floor, Lily surmised that some force, possibly from the ancient mirror beneath her, had lessened the impact of her fall.
Suddenly, her clothes began to disintegrate, turning into ash and floating away. βWere those clothes returned to where they came from?β she wondered aloud. βThen why am I still here?β
Shivering in the cold, the golden sunset caressed her exposed body, filling her with a sense of shame. Before she could react, the ancient mirror emitted a strange, gentle light that enveloped her, transforming into a beautiful purple kimono decorated with ice blue flowers.
Feeling the mirrorβs extraordinary nature, she tucked it into her sash. She paused upon seeing a dusty red parasol by the door and, for reasons unknown, decided to take it, perhaps as a precaution against rain.
With the parasol in hand, Lily left the temple, passing through a dark grove before arriving at ancient Kamakura, where the streets lay dark under the set sun.
βLily! Lily!β She could hear her sistersβ worried voices calling out to her.
Opening her eyes, Lily found herself back in the sedan, still dressed in white with a ponytail. Confused, she got up. βIβ¦β she began.
βLily, are you really fine?β Ayaka asked, checking her pulse and heart rate again.
βAhβ¦ Iβm fine,β Lily replied, feeling unusually sensitive to even the gentlest touch.
βYou fainted in Takadachi. We brought you down the mountain to the sedan, fearing it might impact you to stay there,β Rei explained.
Lily responded blankly, βNnβ¦β
βAre you really fine?β Rei inquired further.
βNn,β Lily replied with a smile.
βDo you want to return to Takadachi? Is there anything else you need to say there?β Ayaka asked. ππ«π²π²ππ²π―π»π¨ππ²π₯.ππ¨πΊ
Sitting in the corner, Shizuka frowned slightly, seemingly uneasy about any bond between Lily and Yoshitsune that she didnβt know about. Lily, freshly awakened from her dream, was oblivious to Shizukaβs thoughts and simply shook her head. βNo, letβs return to Kiyosu Castle.β