NOVEL NEXT Several hundred miles from the Abyss of Parting Sorrow, within the territories of the Female Queendom, a colossal monk, mountainous in stature, approached with a thunderous rumble. Blood streamed from his enormous eyes, his face contorted in agony, resembling a decaying corpse.
Cloaked in tattered robes, the mountainous monk moved forward, his presence emanating Eldritch Energy. Arrayed upon his back were hundreds of formidable demons, led by the imposing Demon God dressed in opulent garments, Lord Umashi.
Lord Umashi leapt from the giant monk’s head to confront a group of beautiful women kneeling before him, among whom was the Chancellor of the Female Queendom.
"My Lord!" The Chancellor bowed deeply. "An unexpected issue has arisen that requires your decision."
"I'm well aware," Lord Umashi responded, his voice booming. "It's common knowledge that the Queen has departed the Female Queendom with her commander and a human of notable beauty, recently celebrated in Yomi. A rarity, they say, seen once in a millennium—her name is Lynne, correct?" He clutched at his vast belly, his arrogance palpable as his sleeves billowed.
"Kagami Lily, my Lord," corrected the Chancellor.
"Ah, indeed. She must be mine," Lord Umashi declared resolutely.
Suddenly, a tremulous yet thunderous voice echoed. "Now that the Queen and her commander are distant from the Female Queendom, we have a prime opportunity to invade!" This voice came from the gargantuan monk himself, a colossus who bore Lord Umashi and his retinue upon his back.
Lord Umashi consulted the Chancellor once more, "Your thoughts?"
"Lord, even in their absence, the Queen and her commander have thoroughly fortified the Female Queendom. Our knowledge of their defenses remains incomplete. Furthermore, any male demons venturing into the Abyss of Parting Sorrow face assaults from numerous vengeful spirits," the Chancellor explained. "The Queen and the commander are the bedrock of the Female Queendom. Without them, the realm might naturally succumb to chaos, eventually falling to us without any conflict. Why expend military resources unnecessarily? However, the final decision rests with you, my Lord."
Lord Umashi nodded approvingly. "Madame Chancellor, your reasoning mirrors my own. Rather than besiege the heavily fortified Female Queendom, bristling with ancient defenses, an ambush during the Queen's journey might be more strategic. Alive, the Queen could always mount a counterattack, even should we take the Queendom. Neutralized, she and Kagami Lily would be ours, simplifying our conquest of the Female Queendom considerably."
"Ahaha! I see! I am ashamed of my folly," declared the giant monk sprawled on the ground.
"Indeed, my lord. Current intelligence confirms that the Queen and her entourage have crossed the Grudgeless Bridge. From their current trajectory, it appears they are headed towards the ancient battlefield," the Chancellor informed.
"Excellent!" he continued. "I've positioned my army here for this reason. The ancient battlefield, rife with Vengeful Spirits and labyrinthine in design, poses extreme dangers, particularly to us apparitions. Its desolate nature deters even the most formidable Yomi powerhouses from venturing there. However, I suspect it will teem with activity soon enough. Hehehehe!"
"My Lord, we must traverse the Hell of Torment to access the ancient battlefield," the Chancellor advised.
"Indeed, the Hell of Torment!" Lord Umashi declared, his four eyes flickering with scorn. "The Queen of the Female Queendom is ranked tenth most wanted in the heavens, the commander thirty-sixth, along with that human woman. Their movements are now known to all major factions in Yomi. They're likely to face ambushes upon entering the Hell of Torment. It will be challenging for them to pass. If we depart now, we might intercept them in the Hell of Hunger! Should that fail, we can confront them on the ancient battlefield!"
"A wise decision, my Lord!"
Lord Umashi's laughter boomed, echoing ominously across the landscape. "Hahahahaha!"
Unbeknownst to them, over 10,000 miles distant, a colossal crane formed from lightning sped towards the Hell of Torment at an alarming velocity.
Astride the crane stood Wakarai, tall and imposing, his eyes crackling with electric fury. Accompanying him were ten formidable beings of diverse origins and formidable presences.
In the courtyard of Rakshasa Dojo, Rakshasa-Onna peered at Lily's unfinished Higanbana flower embroidery, perplexed. "What? Kagami Lily and the Queen of the Female Queendom departed together toward the Hell of Torment? Why was there no word of this departure? Why do we lack prior information?"
Wakaki Michi knelt before her, "This information comes from Captain Renka, though the details remain unclear. Prior to this, Kagami Lily had grown close to the Queen, yet sent no messages. Captain Renka suspects betrayal on Lily’s part."
Rakshasa-Onna squinted thoughtfully. "Not necessarily a betrayal. The Queen wields considerable power and influence. It's plausible that she persuaded Lily to accompany her hastily, leaving no time for communication. But what could compel the Queen to risk a journey to the Hell of Torment? Perhaps it concerns the ancient battlefield?"
Rakshasa-Onna pivoted sharply. "Order Renka to mobilize her forces to the Hell of Torment and rendezvous with me there immediately!"
"Understood!"
Furthermore, numerous factions, including the Queen's adversaries, received the news and began plotting accordingly1. Entities across the expansive regions near Yomi-no-kuni's ancient battlefield and beyond were now actively scheming.
After crossing the Grudgeless Bridge, Lily and her companions boarded the Hachiwan carriage and soared through the expansive skies of Yomi.
Ten days later, the Hachiwan carriage neared the sole access point to the ancient battlefield—the Hell of Torment. Lily devoted her days to refining her Lunar Blossom Path techniques, though a breakthrough still seemed distant.
Simultaneously, the Cloistered Emperor on Tsukushi Island refrained from immediate attack, opting instead to amass his forces and enlist diverse demons. Rumors suggested that among the demons, a young leader, known for his acumen in politics and strategy, assisted the Cloistered Emperor—an ominous development.
The Taira Clan's navy blockaded the waters between Tsukushi Island and Akitsu Continent, deploying ground forces to bolster the Shimadzu Clan. Concurrently, Princess Asuka's reinforcements were on their way.
"Lynne, we are approaching the Hell of Torment," the Queen announced.
As the Hachiwan carriage began its descent, Lily, startled, pulled back the curtains. Massive mountain cliffs obscured the skies, filling her view. These towering walls stretched up to Yomi's roof, 10 kilometers above. Clearly, flying past the Hell of Torment was unfeasible—it appeared as the very edge of Yomi.
Upon landing at the base of these immense cliffs, Lily and her companions stepped off to find a vast fissure under the cliff, from which fierce winds howled.
"This is the entrance to the Hell of Torment," the Queen explained. "We must traverse this pass to reach the outskirts of the ancient battlefield."
"Your Majesty, this chasm spans hundreds of meters. Can't we simply fly over it with the carriage?" Lily inquired.
"We must not provoke the entity that dwells within the Hell of Torment," replied the Queen solemnly.
Understanding dawned on Lily; a foreboding presence lurked within, confirming her suspicions about the perils of the Hell of Torment.
Lily was determined to visit the ancient battlefield where Tsukuyomi had once fought. Undaunted by the dangers, her confidence was bolstered by the presence of Queen Kaguya and her companions, whose capabilities she trusted completely.
Together, they cautiously made their way toward the ominous entrance of the Hell of Torment. As they neared the entrance, navigating past scorching boulders and billowing black smoke, a sudden loud bang echoed through the air.
From the shattered rocks, a divine bull emerged—its body robust and entirely gray, emanating a foul stench. This creature was a muscular humanoid with the head of a bull, complete with the dull eyes of an ordinary ox, which only added to his menacing appearance.
Towering over ten meters tall, the divine bull brandished a fearsome double-headed fork.
"Where did you w?h?o?r?e?s? come from? How dare you trespass into the Hell of Torment?" Without further ado, the divine bull lunged, thrusting his weapon at Lily and her companions.
With a resounding bang, Chiya drew her weapon, conjuring a semi-transparent barrier that intercepted the attack. However, the divine bull's strength was immense; he shattered the barrier with brute force.
From behind, Queen Kaguya wielded her Golden Jade Branch, unleashing a wave of golden light that ensnared his fork like a rope.
"Each hell has its guardians—a bull and a horse. Though this bull lacks divinity, he remains a formidable Infernal Stage demon," the Queen explained.
"You know too much!" the bull exclaimed. Before he could finish, a loud bang resonated as another formidable figure, similar in stature but with the head of a horse, appeared wielding a trident and aimed it towards the Queen.
Queen Kaguya's weapon sparkled with golden light, and a silver rope materialized, binding the trident.
"Such formidable power!" the bull roared in astonishment. "She halted our combined assault with ease!"
"We have journeyed here humbly on foot without causing any disturbance. Why do you obstruct our path?" Queen Kaguya inquired.
"Bother us?" laughed the horse, eyeing the Queen lustfully and baring his large teeth. "Queen Kaguya, Commander Chiya Kasumi, and Mirror Girl Kagami Lily, you are wanted fugitives of Takamagahara. By daring to enter our domain, you've invited capture! Neigh!"
"Moo! Now that you're here, don't even think about escaping. Surrender peacefully, you wanted criminals!" the bull bellowed.
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the air filled with the screeches of countless demons.
Instantly, an endless horde of monsters surged from the wasteland, their bizarre forms sporting exposed fangs and drooling mouths. Brandishing heavy weapons and faction banners, they encircled Lily and her companions with terrifying clamor.