NOVEL NEXT This was a true realm of shadows, hosting its own enigmatic kingdom.
Lily and her companions stepped into the Hell of Torment, a suffocatingly hot and humid expanse resembling a massive cave. The entrance alone spanned several thousand meters in width, hinting at a vast and intricate network stretching far beyond into the depths of this underground world.
Even the most formidable female warriors would find themselves feeling overheated and uneasy here, as if trapped in an endless, sweltering summer.
Yet, this was no mere balmy greenhouse; it was a true hellish landscape. Soft screams echoed through the darkness, adding to the ominous atmosphere.
Navigating through a field of debris, Lily and her group observed a bull demon on a nearby cliff, mercilessly dumping tormented souls into a boiling cauldron. Adjacent to him, numerous individuals were bound by ancient vines, suspended from an unseen structure shrouded in darkness, their cries of agony piercing the heavy air.
"Given that they retain their physical forms, they must be formidable," Seki mused, sighing. "What grievous sins could they have committed to endure such severe punishment?"
Despite her limited knowledge of Yomi, Lily felt a deep sense of dread. Unnoticed by the bull, they proceeded cautiously. Lily trailed behind the group.
Just half an hour prior, tens of thousands of demons had stormed into the Hell of Torment. Unexpectedly, colossal creatures resembling anteaters, as large as mountains and blind with orange inscriptions pulsating on their bodies, emerged and began to indiscriminately devour the invading demons.
With six legs each, these behemoths lashed out their tongues, capturing and consuming Throned Sovereign demons, throwing the demon hordes into immediate disarray. Only Throned Saints and Big Dipper demons managed to escape their grasp.
These were Kulimonra Demons, devoid of intelligence and vision, sensing only Eldritch Energy. As they inhabited a realm devoid of humans or Celestial Maidens, they posed no threat to them and exclusively preyed on demons. Their strength was formidable; triple-soul Big Dippers stood no chance, and even septuple-soul Big Dippers struggled against them. Their defenses were robust, impervious to attacks from any Big Dipper or even large groups of demons. It would require significant effort from an Infernal Stage powerhouse to defeat one.
The appearance of the Kulimonra Demons allowed Lily and her companions to elude their pursuers. Nevertheless, Lily and her group traversed the vast cave with extreme caution, wary of inadvertently provoking a more formidable entity.
As they progressed, Lily caught glimpses of grim scenes in the distant mountain caves below her. There, bull and horse demons were inflicting cruel tortures on the unfortunate souls who stumbled into this realm, presenting a harrowing sight.
Though accustomed to combat and killing, Lily had never resorted to the cruel torture of her foes.
They traversed the Hell of Torment for most of the day. freёweɓnovel.com
"Something has been following us," Chiya announced, stopping abruptly.
Queen Kaguya, sensing malice behind her, swept her sleeves back, casting light that pierced the darkness and revealed the grinning faces of the horse and bull demons. It was the same two demons— the horse and bull on the Infernal Stage— that Chiya had previously defeated!
"Hehehe! We didn't expect to be discovered," the bull chuckled.
"Do you seek death by following us? Do you mistake us for the helpless souls your kind torments here in Hell?" Chiya retorted sharply as she turned to face them.
"They fell here due to heinous sins in the mortal realm; they face their karma. You, however, have violated the laws of Takamagahara. Your deserved punishment is far more severe," the horse declared.
"Your words might frighten mere mortals newly arrived in Yomi! Laws? You've never set foot there; you have no right to cite Takamagahara's rules. Remember, in Takamagahara, might makes right!" Chiya exclaimed as she leapt up, drawing her blade.
"Hehehehe. Wanted by the Celestials, yet so full of arrogant nonsense. Time for punishment," snickered the bull.
From the shadows, a massive blue demon with an elephant's head appeared, floating cross-legged in mid-air. Towering at thirteen meters, he wielded a baton and a scimitar, his long nose swaying slightly.
"I am Aohana the Punisher. You will endure the fullest tortures of Hell before I send what remains to Takamagahara. If you survive, I shall sever your lower bodies to hang in these caverns while your torsos are sent for judgment." Aohana, manifesting a formidable aura, advanced rapidly on Lily and her companions. His prowess on the Infernal Stage clearly surpassed that of the bull and horse demons.
Aohana, resembling a colossal mound of flesh, soared above Lily, his scimitar poised to strike.
"Don't even think about it!" Chiya thrust into the air, unleashing a wave of purple crystal sword energy.
Clang! The clash of their blades echoed loudly, sparks illuminating the darkness. Aohana reeled backward, his weapon fracturing. The punishing sword energy left deep wounds across his vast form.
"So strong!" Lily gasped in astonishment. Even stronger than the duo of Infernal Stage guardians at the Hell's entrance, Aohana had been grievously wounded by a single strike.
That strike had depleted at least one-fifth of his divine power!
"Cough! Cough! So powerful… Nevertheless, you all shall face punishment!" Suddenly, Aohana pointed his baton at Lily, unleashing a golden pulse her way.
Chiya materialized in front of Lily, sweeping her blade through the air to intercept the attack.
The whole cavern shook with the force of their clash.
"Punish them! Punishers of the Hell of Torment, seize these women!"
Powerful presences stirred to life all around them.
Suddenly, a pitch-black giant, devoid of arms and bearing a blank face, erupted from the ground, cracking the floor beneath. Lily and Seki leapt aside swiftly. Meanwhile, the bull and horse demons, wielding their forks, attacked from either side.
"Leave it to me!" Seki, drawing her weapon, charged at the horse demon. Simultaneously, Chiya appeared before the bull demon.
The armless giant twisted, screeching in agony as he lashed out at Lily with a forceful kick.
"Big Dipper?" Sensing the giant's strength nearing a Sextuple-soul Big Dipper, Lily dodged his kick and leapt towards his chest, her Oborozuki Muramasa slicing through the air.
With a swift movement and a scarlet gleam, the keen blade of the Oborozuki Muramasa tore into the giant’s chest. Following up, Lily executed a powerful overhead slash, cleaving the giant in two.
In response, Aohana the Punisher waved his baton, conjuring dozens of giants that swiftly encircled them. The strength of these armless giants varied; the weakest hovered at the Throned Stage, with the strongest peaking at Quintuple-soul Big Dipper.
"Do you really think these creatures can capture us?" Lily speculated that Aohana summoned the giants merely as a distraction.
Lily observed that these giants, either armless with an awkward gait or legless and crawling, lacked her strength but possessed an unsettling presence.
Lily charged at one of the giants, dispatching him swiftly with a single strike. For the giants at the Throned Stage, Lily effortlessly eliminated them with a distant strike of her Hazy Lunar Force.
Clink! Clang! Chiya's ferocious swordplay disarmed Aohana, causing him to drop his sword and baton. Seizing the moment, she delivered a devastating slash across his chest.
Golden blood sprayed like molten gold, dissolving the rocks it touched, yet it couldn't penetrate the spirit energy barrier protecting Chiya.
The attack proved fatal. Aohana, lacking divinity, was no match for Chiya, whose might equaled that of a Supreme God. The strike obliterated his Spirit Sea, ending his life instantly.
Upon his death, the summoned giants crumbled into dust and vanished.
"Huff…" Lily breathed out softly. Aohana had seemed formidable and menacing, yet his prowess paled in comparison to Chiya's.
Realizing their peril, the bull and horse demons had already retreated to a distant boulder field.
Chiya touched down, flicked her blade to clear it of the golden residue, and sheathed it smoothly.
"Why would Aohana the Punisher obstruct us, knowing he couldn't win? Perhaps his endless torture of souls in the Hell of Torment has dulled his caution," Chiya mused darkly.
"Let's proceed," Queen Kaguya stated, having not engaged in the battle.
"Trying to flee?" A robust voice echoed from behind them.
The darkness trembled with a powerful surge, an eldritch wind billowing and fluttering their garments.
A colossal demon monk, spanning several kilometers, scurried towards them on all fours at an alarming speed.
"What?" The Queen furrowed her brow.
In an instant, the massive demon monk loomed before them, his head as large as a hill, with blood cascading from his eyes like waterfalls. Atop his mountainous head stood an imposing figure, his four blood-red eyes piercing through the darkness.
The figure declared, "I've arrived just in time! Your reputation precedes you, Queen of the Female Queendom. It's a privilege to finally meet."
The moment Lily heard his voice, she felt an overwhelming pressure weigh down on her, reminiscent of her encounter with Wakarai. "Could he be a Supreme God?" Lily murmured in astonishment.
"And who might you be?" inquired the Queen.
"I am Lord Umashi, the supreme ruler of Rindo City. Surely you remember me, Your Majesty? We are, after all, old neighbors." His laugh, a deep ‘Hohoho,' echoed ominously.
Queen Kaguya was well-acquainted with Rindo City, a notorious city even within Yomi, known for its rampant violence, unchecked lust, and brutal tyranny.