Read Novel Full Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 144 – Dance
Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 144 – Dance
In the suffocating darkness, Ayaka and Kagura pressed onward. At times, the path narrowed so tightly that even sidestepping wasn’t enough for Ayaka to squeeze through. Other stretches offered only a single trail flanked by bottomless cliffs on either side, shrouded in shadows.
With each step, the air grew colder, the chill sinking deeper into their bones.
Suddenly, a mutated leopard leapt down from above—its pitch-black fur bristling with icy crystal hooks. A mindless creature of the abyss, it was a beast born of cold and darkness, beyond reason or negotiation.
Fortunately, it was no more than a quintuple-soul Big Dipper in strength.
Ayaka wasted no time. She began casting incantations and bombarded the beast with a barrage of magical strikes. With a final, sweeping arc of her Naginata, she brought the creature down in a clean kill.
Kagura stood back, quietly observing. There was something striking in Ayaka’s confident movements as she wielded her weapon.
Yet, Ayaka’s style was completely unlike her former master’s. Suzuhiko-hime had been a dancer of spells and sword, her techniques elegant and flowing. Ayaka, in contrast, fought with raw grace and dominating strength—a blade dance both bold and unrestrained.
They resumed their journey, but the chill in the air only deepened with each step.
Ayaka endured the cold with relative ease, but Kagura—still at the Throned Stage—struggled. As Lily’s Shikigami inhabiting a mortal body, Ayaka couldn’t simply return her to a scroll for safety.
Kagura trembled continuously, the frost biting deeper into her with every step.
Concerned, Ayaka finally asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’ll be okay,” Kagura replied, trying to sound steady. “I just didn’t expect it to be this cold. I’ll cast a few warming spells.” Despite her efforts, Kagura’s condition worsened. Frost began to gather in her hair, and her lips turned pale.
Ayaka stopped, crouching beside her. “This won’t do.”
She hesitated. Lily had entrusted Kagura’s care to her—especially because she now dwelled in Nanako’s body. Ayaka couldn’t allow her to freeze; it might prove fatal. Ayaka unbuttoned her outer layer and wrapped her arms around Kagura, pulling her into a firm embrace.
“Huh?” Kagura jolted, overwhelmed by the warmth and unmistakable scent of Ayaka’s body. ‘We’re both women, but… she feels so… different…’
“What are you doing?” Kagura muttered, her face flushing. “Let me go. I know you mean well, but don’t you think this is a little… weird?”
“Miss Kagura, I respect your boundaries. But I can’t risk Nanako’s body being harmed. Lily would be heartbroken,” Ayaka replied gently.
“Ugh… You’re right,” Kagura sighed. “Nanako’s hands are almost frozen solid.”
“Put your hands inside my clothes. Just… don’t touch anywhere inappropriate.”
“Why would I even do that?” Kagura huffed. “I act with principle. Do I look like some brat with no self-control?”
“I’m sorry. Maybe your appearance threw me off. You just seem too young for… well, certain things.”
“Don’t flatter yourself… If Nanako’s hands weren’t on the verge of frostbite, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
“Alright, then. Hurry before it gets worse.”
“Yes,” Kagura murmured and slipped her hands beneath Ayaka’s clothes. Despite her efforts to be careful, her small hands inevitably brushed against warm, soft skin.
Ayaka’s aura shifted subtly—warmth mingling with the awkward tension in the air.
She summoned several paper talismans, which lifted a bamboo pole between them.
Ayaka perched sideways atop the bamboo pole, cradling Kagura in her lap. Kagura tucked her hands beneath Ayaka’s clothes and buried her face into her chest for warmth.
In this way, she was able to withstand the biting cold of the abyss.
Together, the two drifted forward through the winding darkness of the abyssal path. They traveled through the night, the faint toll of the bell echoing at intervals. Guided by its distant chimes, they pressed onward.
Though the temperature had risen slightly, the air remained bitterly cold.
“I’m okay now. You can let me down,” Kagura said.
“Alright.”
“Thank you, really.”
“You’re welcome. We’re all Lily’s sisters, after all—it’s only natural we look out for one another.”
“Sisters? I’m just her Shikigami.”
“Miss Kagura, Lily would be hurt to hear that. And I don’t think that’s how you truly feel—am I wrong?”
In truth, Kagura saw Lily as both her master and a cherished sister—someone she would protect with her life. Her love wasn’t fiery or romantic, but deep and unwavering. Yet lately, their time together had grown sparse. As Lily’s power increased, Kagura felt increasingly irrelevant by her side.
And then there was Nanako, whose love for Lily was open and heartfelt. With both souls sharing one body, things had only grown more complicated.
Their journey continued until they reached a valley nestled deep within the abyssal mountain range. Two flickering stone lanterns lit the entrance to the valley with a dim, spectral glow.
“The bell… it’s much clearer now,” Ayaka murmured, as both she and Kagura felt its resonance shake their very souls.
They cautiously stepped toward the valley’s shadowed threshold.
Suddenly, a powerful Infernal demon dropped down from the cliffside, his form so blended into the rock that he seemed to emerge from the stone itself. Ayaka stiffened. Against a weaker Infernal, she might escape if she risked everything. But if this one was strong… the result would be disastrous.
“It’s just ahead. Hurry and go in,” the demon said with surprising nonchalance. Though his gaze lingered hungrily on Ayaka, he made no move to stop them.
‘Ahead?’ Ayaka frowned inwardly, suspecting he had mistaken them for someone else. She dared not correct him—it might invite trouble.
“You must be here for the dance. Get moving—it’s right through there,” the demon said, still eyeing Ayaka. “Women dressed like you don’t just stumble into this place by chance. To find this spot within the maze of abyssal cliffs… you must know the legend. So what else would you be here for, if not the dance?”
At the time, Ayaka wore a revealing, semi-transparent Celestial Maiden coat—something that clearly didn’t help her current situation.
“Of course I know it,” Ayaka replied carefully. “But I’ve come from far away… are there any other stories tied to this place?”
“You’re a greedy one, woman. There’s only one legend,” the demon said, chuckling darkly. “We of the Boundless Moki Clan are forbidden from touching women who come here to dance. Otherwise, I’d have dragged you off already!”
“If… if not for the legend, do you think we’d have come all this way?” Ayaka replied, sweat beading on her brow.
“Enough talk. Get in. The last woman who failed the dance died decades ago.”
Ayaka now understood this ‘legend’ came with real danger. But they had come too far to retreat—and turning back might provoke the demon into pursuit. More importantly, the bell chimes, echoing with increasing clarity from within, couldn’t be ignored.
Taking Kagura’s hand, Ayaka stepped forward into the valley.
“Wait,” the demon called out. “That’s not your daughter, is it? Only virgins—tall and pretty ones—are allowed to perform.”
“Stop spouting nonsense. She’s my accompanist,” Ayaka replied coldly.
“Oh, that makes sense.” The demon backed off and let them pass.
Ayaka and Kagura proceeded down the rocky path, soon arriving at an underground village nestled in the clefts of the surrounding cliffs.
The village was crowded with burly, grotesque demons of all shapes and sizes.
“Ugh…” Ayaka winced, not from fear of the demons, but from the memories they stirred. Their appearances reminded her too much of the nightmares she’d thought she’d left behind—nightmares in which she danced helplessly for monsters just like these.
The flashback left her feeling exposed, vulnerable. That helplessness haunted her even now.
‘Lily… if not for you, these nightmares would still consume me. I have to seize this opportunity and return to your side, no matter what,’ Ayaka thought
1.
The village wasn’t large. It sat below the jagged mountain paths, dotted with crumbling structures and swarming with wandering demons. At the village center stood a tall, weathered stage—square in shape and clearly ancient.
Ayaka scanned her surroundings, then turned to Kagura. “Come with me.”
“Huh?”
She led Kagura toward a secluded corner of the cliff, where a large boulder shielded them from view.
Ayaka flushed slightly. “Keep watch here for a moment.”
“What are you doing?”
“Stop asking. Just make sure no demons come near.”
“Alright, alright.”
Ayaka disappeared behind the boulder and returned about a minute later.
“Let’s move.”
With only one entrance to the village, escape would be nearly impossible. Still, they had come to uncover the truth behind the bell’s call.
A deep chime rang out.
“The bell!” Ayaka exclaimed.
Both women turned toward the sound and spotted a towering, withered tree not far from the central stage. One of its twisted branches arched toward the platform, from which an old, iron bell dangled.
The bell swayed gently in the air, releasing low, soul-stirring chimes that echoed through the village.
“It’s coming from that bell,” Ayaka murmured. Even from a distance, something about it stirred a sense of familiarity deep within her. “Let’s get a closer look…”
But Kagura stood frozen in place, completely stunned. Suddenly, she bolted down the stone path ahead of Ayaka, rushing straight toward the bell. Alarmed, Ayaka chased after her and quickly pulled her behind a large building.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“There… over there… I have to go see it!” Kagura stammered, her body trembling as she struggled to form coherent words.
“Who goes there?” a demon barked as he approached.
Ayaka didn’t bother hiding. She stepped into view, holding Kagura protectively by the arm.
The demon was momentarily stunned by her beauty. Though Ayaka stood over 190 centimeters tall, the demon towered above her, nearly twice her height—so her stature didn’t seem unusual to him.
“You… Are you here to dance?”
“Yes.”
The demon pointed toward the central stage. “Then hurry up.”
Ayaka held her tongue and led Kagura to the edge of the raised platform.
An emaciated old demon with an oversized head hobbled over on a crooked cane. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen such a lovely dancer. I’m an old soul now… but I do hope you last. Once your dance ends—your nightmare begins.”
Ayaka’s chest tightened with unease.
“You know the rules, don’t you? Anyone who makes it this far must,” the old demon asked, his tone laced with something between amusement and menace.
“Of course,” Ayaka replied with a polite bow. “But this concerns my safety, after all. I’d appreciate it if you could repeat the rules—just to ensure nothing I heard was mistaken
2.”
“The rules are simple,” the old demon said. “Dance on that stage. If you can keep going for seven days and seven nights, the Divine Artifact Bell hanging from that branch will be yours. But if you falter—if a demon seizes the chance to take you—then your fate will be the same as any other woman caught wandering Yomi: nothing but suffering.”
Footnotes:
Robinxen: Sometimes I forget Ayaka is like, an actual adult… she’s almost twice the age of the rest of the cast right?
Robinxen: Clever…