| Author: Carrot Sauce | Original Source: SFACG | Word Count: 3114 characters |
| Translator: LazyButAmbitious | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1951 words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
Lily was stunned by the scene in front of her. It was natural for humans to fight against demons, but this place was a paradise where demons and humans could peacefully coexist under the protection of Lady Kimiko.
Although it was not without conflicts and conspiracies, in general, over the years, demons and humans had adhered to the bottom line. In the night market, one could communicate with each other, buy and sell, and play games. Most of the demons living here were kind demons and the people who traveled here were ordinary merchants.
Now, however, Lily saw a scene that overwhelmed her.
Those noble-born, kind and brave young female warriors were killing these harmless night market demons.
Sparks flew like small swallows and the smell of blood permeated the air. Lily wasn’t sure, in the end, which side should she help?
She couldn’t draw her sword on these female warriors to protect these demons. After all, they were not only compatriots, but most of them were also a part of the sword mikos, jade maidens, or mirror girls. How could Lily draw her sword on them?
However, Lily was even less likely to join them in slaughtering these defenseless small demons.
“Why are you still standing there? There are still many demons in that tavern up ahead. Come with us!” At this time, several sword mikos ran past Lily and stopped, blood dripping from their swords. They were all beautiful and their pure eyes reflected no trace of evil despite doing such cruel things that were no different from those evil demons.
“Is that dog your shikigami? If not, we’re going to kill it!” A small, red-haired female samurai held a bronze hammer and adopted a wary posture against Lily’s demon hound.
Crazy! These women are crazy! Lily thought in her heart.
“Don’t mess with it! That’s my shikigami!” Lily shouted.
The little girl looked resentfully at the demon hound for a while before following the group to kill the demons in the tavern.
“Sister samurai, sister samurai!”
A youthful male voice came from the shadows.
Lily looked back and saw that her raccoon friend, Yuuta, was hiding in a long, narrow alley and waving to her.
Lily took the demon hound and entered the alley. The alley was indeed very narrow, and in some places, Lily had to turn sideways which caused her chest to rub against the wall.
Although Yuuta looked witty and relaxed, Lily noticed that his furry body had several bloody injuries.
“Yuuta! Are you okay?” Lily crouched down and looked at Yuuta worriedly.
Yuuta forced a smile, “I’m fine.”
“Here!” Lily examined Yuuta’s injuries and took out a piece of life-recovery magatama for healing.
“No! Sister samurai, how can you give such an expensive magatama to a small demon like Yuuta?!” Yuuta looked incomparably moved that he refused repeatedly.
“Take it!” Lily ordered.
But Yuuta said, “Sister samurai’s kindness cannot be repaid even if my bones are smashed to pieces, but Yuuta is too weak to use this magatama at all. The majestic life force contained in it would kill me. We raccoons have our own herbs so Sister doesn’t need to worry.”
Only then did Lily take back the magatama, “Yuuta, what’s going on here?”
Yuuta looked sad and frightened, “I don’t know. At night, everyone was playing in the night market as usual, but all of a sudden, several teams of female warriors came out of nowhere. They didn’t look like bad people, but they all shouted strange slogans like crazies. They killed demons when they saw them and sometimes even killed humans who went to stop them. They said they wanted to kill all the demons in the night market and chase out the rumored archdemon in Heian-kyō. Really… These women are like a nightmare.”
“Why is this happening? These are the sword mikos and jade maidens who are usually active in the capital. Why would they suddenly commence a slaughter in the night market?” Lily grabbed the raccoon’s paw and asked.
Yuuta replied, “Even if Sister didn’t come here, I had plans to find you. My clansmen and I, who hid in the shadows or transformed into people, have acquired some news from among these crazy female warriors. It is said they are all following the orders of the new leader of the jade maidens. They are also following the will of the heavenly oracle which desires the eradication of the three archdemons.”
“The new leader of the jade maidens?” Lily naturally knew about the heavenly oracle and didn’t ask more, but this new leader of the jade maidens caused Lily some concern, “Who is she? Why would she give such an order1?”
Yuuta shook his head, “We overheard this from the conversations of the female samurai and female onmyoji who entered into the night market. As for their leader, we don’t know.”
Lily nodded, “It’s okay, I should be able to find more information about this. Yuuta, it’s too dangerous here. You don’t need to collect information here anymore. Come with me; your sister will keep you safe.”
“I can’t, sister samurai. Yuuta’s first mission was to bring this information to Sister, but after that, Yuuta has a second mission which is to bring the information to the survivors here so that they can escape to Kiyoszawa. Also, the Fuyutsuki2 will be coming soon. The Fuyutsuki is currently closed and will be dedicated to saving the demons in the night market. Yuuta must convey this news and assist in rescuing them.” Yuuta said, his eyes full of courage.
“Kiyoszawa? By the way, Lady Kimiko should already know about this a long time ago, right? How will she respond?”
Yuuta shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. The situation is too chaotic. It was the old lady of the night market who asked Yuuta to assist in the rescue, but Yuuta felt that it was better to tell this information to sister samurai first.”
Why didn’t Kimiko take action to protect the night market? Lily didn’t know the answer for now, but the shouts of the female warriors outside and the wailing of the demons continued.
“Yuuta, I’ll go save those demons with you!”
“Eh? Sister samurai, it’s better to let Yuuta do this kind of thing. Sister must have other important tasks, right?”
“No matter what the task is, I can’t watch the creatures of this night market where I used to live killed in this way. Moreover, I don’t want my mirror sisters to have any more irredeemable blood on their hands. I can also ensure your safety and save as many as possible!”
“Sister samurai!”
Lily waved her hand and Kagura also appeared. Kagura exuded an aura in the middle to late stages of Permanence. In addition, her realm of perception was originally very high, causing her whole person to give off a completely different feeling.
“Kagura, you and I will split up. Try to protect the innocent demons in the night market and bring them to the intersection where the Fuyutsuki will soon be moored. Remember, don’t fight with those female warriors!” Lily ordered.
In order to prevent the conflict from expanding, Lily did not release her demon shikigami.
“Hm, I see that Master is really kind-hearted.”
“It’s not about kindness. I can’t just turn a blind eye to such killings!”
Lily took the bulbous raccoon and separated from Kagura.
There is a lot of killing here, but not even a single official or soldier can be seen. Even if officials and soldiers aren’t allowed to enter the night market, such turmoil should have attracted a few, right? It seems that this matter was acquiesced by the imperial court, Lily thought to herself.
Lily expanded her domain and detected a few female samurai not far away who were trying to break into a courtyard. She conjured a storm of cherry blossoms to block those female samurai while she and Yuuta rescued the demons through the back door.
“Run that way! If you can’t, escape from the night market. Wherever you run is safer than staying in the night market!” Yuuta directed them.
Lily urged the cherry blossom storm to harass the female warriors all the way, but she didn’t take the initiative to reveal herself from the shadows. Lily couldn’t fight with the sword mikos, jade maidens, or her fellow mirror girl clan, so she could only passively save some demons.
However, to her dismay, there were not many demons left alive in the night market. Most of them either escaped or were slaughtered.
Up ahead, three little green kappas were hugging their kappa father and crying.
“Daddy—”
The kappas’ father had already been killed. A female samurai with long, dark green hair was holding a sword and facing the three small, crying kappas. Ijuin raised her sword with some hesitation.
Lily hurriedly asked Yuuta and the dozen or so small demons she had rescued to hide behind the house.
“Tch, you’re all monsters3. It’s you monsters who killed my brother! If you are allowed to grow up, you will definitely harm others! Die!”
“Not good!” Lily was about to use her domain to stop her, but found that the female samurai was so strong that the domain alone wouldn’t be able to stop her.
Just at that moment, a blue water dragon suddenly flew over and struck Ijuin’s sword, causing her to stagger and retreat to the side.
A tall, elegant, and handsome man in a white kimono appeared at the intersection, and behind him was a long-haired woman who looked like a human, not a demon, wearing a gorgeous dress.
“Abe no Seimei4!” Ijuin said angrily, “What are you doing? Are you going to stop us from saving the heavenly way?”
“Miss Ijuin, I dare not stop you from speaking out for justice, but your current behavior is more like an ignorant and impulsive child, just slaughtering demons who are powerless to resist. What’s the point?” Seimei said while shaking the fan in his hand. The water dragon returned to his feet and hovered obediently.
“Don’t you dare underestimate me, Seimei! We are not as cowardly and timid as your Bureau of Divination’s officials and soldiers. We attacked the night market first because it was the easiest to exterminate. It was the strategy of Lady Shenzu, do you understand? Soon, we will start a crusade against those demons and evil spirits entrenched in Heian-kyō! Hmph, you and the other cowardly generation just hide away and watch. Don’t get in the way of My Lady!”
“That won’t do. These demons you’re killing are all my shikigami.”
“You are talking nonsense! Do you really think I’m a child?”
“How about I take them as my shikigami now? Or do you want to fight with me?” Seimei’s eyes showed a bit of sternness.
“Hmph! Do as you wish! If you defend the demons, I will report you to the imperial court!” Ijuin didn’t dare to fight Seimei so she gave up killing the little kappas and ran to the other side of the street.
“Miss Kagami, it’s been a long time.” Seimei said without looking, fluttering his fan.
Lily walked out from behind the house, “Seimei, today’s events made me look at you with admiration.”
“Hehe, don’t get me wrong. I just want to take the opportunity to collect more demon shikigami. After all, I have a large courtyard and can afford to hire more servants.” Seimei smiled.
The beautiful and elegant woman who wore a big dress and stood behind Seimei bowed towards Lily, “Nice to meet you, Miss Kagami. I am the Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni5.”
“Hm, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lily nodded politely.
