Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 121 – The Late Lily

Three days had passed by the time Lily finally arrived at the burial site.

To their surprise, the source of the Sanzu River was nothing like they had imagined. Instead of a barren wasteland, they were met with towering mountain forests and crystal-clear springs, painting a landscape both eerie and breathtaking.

Though shrouded in perpetual twilight, it was not a land of bleak despair. Rather, it carried a solemn, timeless beauty—much like the quiet countryside beneath a starlit night in the Heian Dynasty.

Yet, the air here was heavy with a sinister aura. Even those at the Throned Stage or higher would feel its oppressive weight pressing upon their bodies and spirits. But for Lily and Ayaka, the only effect it had was a deepened sense of melancholy—nothing more.

Nestled deep within the shadowed forest stood an ancient temple—the very place the Madam had directed Lily to.

The Inugami came to a halt before the temple’s worn stone path. As Lily and Ayaka stepped down, Lily dismissed the carriage and surveyed their surroundings. Wisps of violet mist coiled through the air, weaving between twisted, withered trees. A few broken stone lanterns stood at odd angles, their flames flickering with ghostly, otherworldly light.

A strange unease settled over Lily. Despite deliberately delaying her arrival, she now found herself hoping the Madam would be even later than she was.

But before she could even gather her thoughts, the Madam’s voice rang out, “Kagami Lily… so you’ve finally arrived.”

Lily stiffened. The Madam’s voice had always been cold, yet today, it felt even more distant. Was she angry?

Ayaka instinctively reached for Lily’s hand. Though tension filled her chest, fear did not.

“Enter.” The Madam beckoned them inside.

Together, Lily and Ayaka stepped into the temple’s dim interior.

Inside, darkness reigned, broken only by scattered embers of demonic fire. At the center of the chamber, the Madam reclined lazily on a wooden chair, draped in flowing crimson robes. A smoking pipe rested in her hand, thin trails of incense curling into the air. There was no one else in sight.

Ayaka had expected the Madam to be imposing, unreadable—but she had not expected this. The woman before her was beautiful, eerily so. And what shocked Ayaka the most was that, despite being her godmother, there was something in her features that resembled Lily. Was it just their shared overwhelming beauty? Or was there something more?

The Madam’s gaze flickered toward Ayaka, a brief but knowing acknowledgment. She seemed to register her presence—the dignified, mature woman clad in the alluring robes of a Celestial Maiden.

Yet, when her gaze returned to Lily, it was distant. Silent.

Sensing the shift in the Madam’s demeanor, Lily lowered herself to her knees. “Godmother, I was late. Please forgive me.”

“Late?” The Madam’s cold eyes bore into Lily.

“With your Inugami, it should have taken less than a day to reach this place from where I left you. And yet, you kept me waiting for five. Were you lost? Did you simply not want to come? Or…” her voice dipped, “have you stopped seeing me as your mother?”

“Of course not!” Lily responded instantly, taken aback by the sharpness in the Madam’s tone. “I met a dear sister from the mortal realm along the way, so I was delayed for a few days. Why would you say that, Godmother?”

“So, you’re saying this is my fault?” The Madam’s voice grew colder, laced with fury. “Do you realize that your mere days of delay could have sparked an all-out war in Yomi? Do you take your role as Yomi’s Princess so lightly? Is this grand plan nothing more than a joke to you?”

A suffocating darkness rippled through the air, pressing down on Lily and Ayaka like a heavy storm.

“Godmother, I do understand what’s at stake,” Lily countered, trying to steady her voice. “But the Boundless Abyss is unimaginably far away. It will take time for them to respond. I took everything into account—I wouldn’t have done anything to jeopardize your plans.”

A flicker of frustration stirred in Lily’s chest. She had come here willingly, despite knowing she could have fled. Yet, instead of acknowledgment, all she received was chastisement. And now, to be reprimanded so harshly—in front of Ayaka—only deepened her sense of humiliation.

The Madam let out a cold, breathy chuckle. “Heh… Perhaps I’ve been too kind to you lately

¹.” Her crimson eyes darkened as she sat up, crossing one leg over the other. “How dare you speak to me like this? It seems I need to remind you who I am—otherwise, will you even respect me as your mother anymore?”

Her gaze bore into Lily, heavy with authority.

The words slipped out before Lily could stop them. “You’re only my godmother, not my mother.” Even as the words left her lips, she knew she shouldn’t have said them. But the weight of her resentment—of being ignored, of being pushed into a fate she never wanted—made it impossible to hold back.

The Madam’s entire body tensed. A tremor ran through her, as if something deep within her had cracked. Her gaze, always so distant, now brimmed with something else—something ancient, sorrowful, endless. A grief so profound it seemed to stretch across time itself.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “What… did you just say?”

Lily realized her mistake instantly. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. Lowering her head, she remained silent—unwilling to take back what she had said.

Ayaka stood beside them, caught in the storm of their emotions. The sudden shift from discussion to confrontation left her unsure of what to do. They may not have been related by blood, but it still felt wrong to interfere.

“You dare to say that again?” This time, the Madam’s voice thundered with fury. The very air around them quaked—Yomi itself seemed to tremble at her rage.

Lily clenched her fists but said nothing. She wouldn’t argue any further—but neither would she apologize. Her resentment, raw and unyielding, refused to let her.

“From the moment you came to me, I have never once punished you. I have treated you with kindness, taught you everything I could… and yet, you refuse to see my good intentions. Instead, you blame me?”

“I didn’t,” Lily muttered, reluctant yet firm.

“That attitude of yours!” The Madam’s voice sharpened. “If I let this continue, your arrogance will only grow. If you dare to speak to me this way, what’s to stop you from defying all of Yomi? No—I must teach you the rules today. You will learn your place!”

“Come here!” The Madam commanded, her voice laced with authority.

“Fine!” Lily snapped, knowing full well that she had no choice but to obey.

What choice did she have? Was the Madam really going to punish her? And in front of Ayaka?

Lily stepped forward, but before she could brace herself, the Madam flicked her sleeve. An invisible force wrapped around her, yanking her forward effortlessly. Lily barely had time to react before a firm grip seized her arm—she couldn’t resist.

“Madam!” At last, Ayaka stepped forward, lowering herself to her knees. She had remained silent for too long. “It’s my fault that Lily was delayed. Please, if punishment must be given, then let it fall on me instead.”

“Sister Ayaka, stay out of this!” Lily’s voice rang with urgency.

The Madam might have been forcing her into marriage, but she had never truly harmed her. Ayaka, however, was different—Lily couldn’t let her get involved. She couldn’t let her suffer because of her.

“You still have the luxury to worry about others?” The Madam’s voice was sharp with disdain. Her grip tightened, twisting Lily’s arm with an effortless flick. A wave of energy surged through Lily’s body, and in an instant, she felt it—her spiritual power, her strength—sealed away, rendering her completely powerless.

Lily barely had time to react before an unseen force pressed her to her knees. The Madam seized her wrists, summoning a crimson ribbon that coiled tightly around them. With a single motion, she flipped up Lily’s skirt, exposing soft, bare skin to the cold air

².

“Godmother—what… what are you doing?” Panic seized Lily. She could not move, could not resist. And worst of all—this was happening in front of Ayaka. Shame burned inside her, but against the Madam’s overwhelming power, she was completely helpless.

Ayaka’s hands clenched into fists. She could feel it—Lily’s spiritual energy was completely gone, sealed away in an instant. The realization sent chills down her spine. The Madam had subdued Lily so effortlessly, handling her like a mere child. There was no resisting this woman’s strength.

Ayaka had no choice. She could not fight. She could only kneel in disgrace, lowering her head. “Madam of Yomi, please… this is my fault. Lily has endured enough—more than you know. Please, don’t do this to her.”

“Shut your mouth!” The Madam’s gaze snapped toward Ayaka, her voice laced with venom. “What does any of this have to do with you? A pathetic, meddling Celestial Maiden from the mortal realm—how dare you beg for her?”

The Madam’s fury did not waver. Ayaka’s pleas were nothing but noise to her. A deep violet energy gathered in her palm, swirling with unfathomable power. She raised her hand—ready to strike.

But before the blow could land, Lily twisted her body, her voice ringing out in defiance. “If you want to punish me, then do it! Beat me, kill me—I don’t care! At least then I won’t have to suffer humiliation in the Boundless Abyss!”

“You insolent brat! Do you think I won’t kill you?”

The Madam’s fury ignited further. Her palm may have appeared soft, delicate—but the energy coursing through it was unrelenting. It struck harder than any divine wood, harder than any weapon forged by mortal hands.

With merciless force, she struck Lily—

A sharp crack echoed through the temple. Then another. And another.

“Madam, stop!” Ayaka couldn’t bear it any longer. She knew she was no match—but that didn’t matter. With a burst of determination, she lunged at the Madam.

“You dare challenge me?!” The Madam’s voice was laced with amusement and scorn. “Kagami Lily, it seems you are blessed with such loyal sisters. First, that fool Yoruko breaks the laws of Hyakki Street for you. And now, this one would die for your sake?”

Scarlet ribbons shot through the air like serpents, coiling around Ayaka with effortless precision. In an instant, she was yanked backward, her body suspended in midair.

“Sister Ayaka!” Lily’s own suffering became meaningless in that moment. She twisted against her restraints, her gaze locked onto Ayaka in desperation.

A surge of Charm energy crackled in the air, condensing into spectral whips that lashed against Ayaka’s body. Her elegant Celestial Maiden robes shredded under the force, strips of fabric fluttering like broken petals.

Yet, she did not cry out. She merely gritted her teeth and bore the pain in silence.

“No—stop! Godmother, don’t! Don’t hurt Sister Ayaka!” Lily’s composure shattered. She could endure humiliation, endure punishment—but she could not endure seeing Ayaka suffer because of her.

She had sworn to protect her sisters. She could not let this continue.

“Just stop! Stop hurting her!” Lily clenched her fists, her voice breaking. “I… I admit my mistake! I’ll apologize!”

The whips halted midair. The Madam turned her attention back to Lily, stepping forward and towering over her. “Is this how you apologize?” Her voice was laced with scorn. “Call me Mom

³.” She raised her hand again, fingers brimming with energy.

Lily’s body tensed. “What…?” The demand struck deeper than any blow. To call her Mom—when she was only her godmother? It was humiliating. But… Her gaze flickered to Ayaka, still bound and wounded. For her sister’s sake… she would do anything.

“…Mom…” The word barely left her lips, choked with shame. Tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself to say it.

“Louder.” The Madam’s voice was merciless

⁴. “Say it properly. Mom, I was wrong. Mom, I won’t do it again!” Her palm descended once more, delivering another punishing strike.

If the Madam had been her real mother, perhaps this punishment would have felt deserved. Perhaps she could have accepted it, admitted her mistakes, even endured it without resentment.

But she wasn’t.

No matter how much the Madam had done for her, no matter how great a benefactor she had been—Lily could not accept this treatment.

But more than her own pride, more than her own humiliation—she would rather keep Ayaka safe.

“Mom… I was wrong…” Lily’s voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of her broken spirit.

For a fleeting moment, she wished the Madam truly was her mother—because maybe then, this pain in her chest wouldn’t feel so unbearable.

Footnotes:

1. Robinxen: I want to know what planet your definition of kind comes from, you’ve known her a few days and all you’ve done is make demands of her, barring one thing that could vaguely be defined as a gift.

2. Robinxen: Ah… of course it would be this…

3. Robinxen: This……… insert various curse words here… she was at least TOLERABLE before but now she’s just the worst in general.

4. Robinxen: Wow she’s blackmailing… I don’t even get the fixation on this. It’s objectively true. Would she rather that Lily goes around swapping parents whenever a more convenient one to adopt her appears?