Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 237 - Izanami Speaks Reason

Izanami, the Madam of Yomi, had descended to Yomi from Takamagahara countless ages ago.

However, this so-called “ruler of Yomi” was merely a title bestowed by others. Izanami herself never saw it that way. A ruler? In a realm like Yomi, where slaughter, brutality, and survival of the fittest were the norm, what did ruling truly mean? The lands of Yomi were constantly at war, filled with competing factions, and its demons lacked any unified system of governance. They did not farm, did not pay tribute or taxes. What value was there in ruling over such a land?

Yomi was not like the mortal realm. Ruling Yomi was hardly the most profitable path.

To extract what she needed from Yomi, she followed her own ways. Perhaps she preferred another title altogether— The Mastermind.

To her, Yomi was nothing more than a vast game board. The lords, the warlords, the so-called rulers, they were all pieces. And she, perhaps, was the only player seated before the board.

As for what kind of game Izanami was playing, perhaps no one could ever truly see through it.

Izanami swept her gaze across the abyssal gods and demons. “This battle ends here. If anyone still refuses to yield, then let me be your opponent. How about that?”

As she spoke, a blood-red aura surged from her body, overwhelming the skies. It carried within it the will of countless aeons of slaughter, of dominion, the primal force of creation itself. It was like the Earth Mother, vast and inexorable, exuding a power that seemed to trace back to the very origin of the cosmos.

Where that crimson force spread, all laws of power withdrew, divine force withered, and even spiritual energy lost its glow.

Before it, even a million demons were nothing more than hollow husks. Their will to resist evaporated. Who would dare stand against her?

The million-strong host of abyssal demons, including Supreme Gods like Kunhiza and other mighty lords, all dropped to their knees. Even the mighty Kuroyodai had to bow his head.

On Lily’s side, her companions also knelt one after another at the sight. Even Shimizu dared not speak a word in protest.

Only then did Izanami seem satisfied. Her presence softened, and the oppressive pressure of her blood aura lessened. She shook her head and said calmly, “You all… think for a moment about the lands beyond Yomi and the Abyss. Yes, there is ceaseless bloodshed between them, but that conflict is always among the lowest beasts and fiends. As for the true powers at the top, we’ve always left each other alone.”

“Yomi may appear to be a realm soaked in blood, ruled by brute force and chaos, but if you speak of stability at the upper levels, is it not the most enduring realm in all three worlds? Look at the human dynasties, how many have risen and fallen? How many died for nothing? But the sovereigns of Yomi have endured across the ages. Why disturb that balance?”

“Then came the Boundless Imperial Princess, who, in her ignorance, sought to destroy that fragile peace. She was young and headstrong, and I had many matters of my own. I didn’t want conflict with her, so I sent my daughter to marry her, to bring harmony between our two realms. Was that not a good thing?”

“And yet, what did you do? You rejected my goodwill. You tried to seize my daughter and my loyal followers and turn them into your slaves. Are you really trying to spark a cataclysm that will engulf all of Yomi?”

“Think back to a thousand years ago. How many gods died then? Even Supreme Gods perished in that chaos. Who among you could truly protect themselves? Is that what you want?”

“You so-called lords of Yomi… have you grown too complacent in your comfort?”

That final line dropped like thunder, as the blood aura surged once more.

Not one among the demon horde did not tremble with fear.

“Madam… we were only misled by Wakarai. We never meant to oppose you,” said Kuroyoku, voice low and trembling. “Besides, until today, you had not appeared in person. To most of us in the Abyss, you were little more than myth. And had we known your daughter was so powerful, we would never have attacked her, even if you had not come.”

“That’s right!” Kunhiza added. “Who knew her blade was so terrifying? It might have looked like we were the aggressors, but in truth, we paid the higher price. We lost more! And by the time it reached that point, we couldn’t back down! We’d have lost all face among the abyssal gods. We ask the Madam’s forgiveness.”

Izanami extended one pale, slender hand. A long-stemmed pipe appeared between her fingers. She took a calm puff, exhaled a cloud of fragrant smoke, which spread through the abyssal sky. Some lesser demons, unfamiliar with its scent, began to cough.

Izanami sighed lightly. “Well, you’re not entirely wrong. After all, face is everything to you Abyssal Demon Gods. This vast land of Yomi is still a man’s world, ruled by demons like yourselves. Is that not so?”

That question made many demon gods break out in cold sweat.

“Enough, enough. If I truly delighted in war and bloodshed, why would I have gone through all that effort before? Even the demon gods of the Abyss deserve to save face. I will give you an explanation.”

“Madam…” The demon horde collectively held their breath, waiting for her to continue.

Izanami said, “No matter what, you were half right. The Boundless Imperial Princess is indeed gone. However, this young woman, Shimizu, is no imposter.”

“What?” The demon gods stared at Shimizu in confusion.

“She is the true leader of the Dark Celestial Maidens,” the Madam declared.

“What!?” Not only the demon horde but even the Dark Celestial Maidens gathered near Herikaku City were stunned. Shimizu’s earlier claims had seemed uncertain, but now even the Madam had confirmed them!

Izanami continued, “The former Boundless Imperial Princess once dominated the Abyss, and in truth, she was the source of the problem. From this moment on, the Dark Celestial Maidens shall withdraw from the Abyss. The governance of the Boundless Abyss will return to you, the abyssal demon gods.”

The demon gods exchanged uneasy glances. Although none of them were pleased, the Madam’s statement essentially aligned with the agreement previously struck with Shimizu. In other words, the women they had long coveted were beyond reach, and the loss of so many underlings to Lily’s blade was something they would simply have to accept.

But what could they do? Izanami had descended. Laws retreated before her. Who would dare challenge her now?

After a short telepathic consultation among the abyssal overlords, with Kuroyodai at the center, the gathered Supreme Gods lowered their heads in silence.

“Then let it be as the Madam decrees,” said Kuroyodai, his voice echoing across the Abyss. If even he had yielded, none among the horde would dare object.

“We abide by the Madam’s judgment,” the demon horde responded in unison.

At that moment, Lily stepped forward. “Godmother, there is one more matter.”

“Hmm? What is it? Must you bring it up now? Did someone among these abyssal beasts lay a hand on you?” Izanami asked.

“O-of course not,” Lily said, blushing. “Godmother, one of the commanders of the Dark Celestial Maidens, Miss Yanagihada, is still being held by the abyssal lords. She sacrificed herself for our sake. I beg that you allow her to return with us.”

“What? That…” Kunhiza’s expression darkened. He had grown quite fond of Yanagihada. Back during the Imperial Princess’ reign, she had been arrogant and oppressive toward the abyssal horde, and Kunhiza had long looked forward to teaching her a lesson.

Now Lily wanted her back too?

“Lily,” said Izanami with a sigh, “I already cleaned up the mess you made and settled things. Aren’t you getting a little greedy now? Do you really want the world to think my daughter is so thoughtless?”

“B-but… Godmother… Miss Yanagihada willingly sacrificed herself for our sake. I can’t just abandon her.”

“You troublesome girl…” Izanami’s long hair swirled as a wave of frustration passed through her. “Are you trying to make me punish you in front of everyone?”

The demons remained kneeling, their expressions grim. But now, seeing Lily about to be publicly scolded, many of them secretly felt a bit satisfied. If things were ending in a loss, at least they might enjoy the sight of Lily getting chastised by her own.

“I’m tired of hearing Godmother this, Godmother that,” Izanami muttered as she brushed back a strand of hair. “From now on, stop calling me Godmother. Call me Mother. If you do, I’ll consider retrieving her for you.”

“Huh?” The demon horde all gave strange looks.

“What is Madam thinking?”

“We were hoping to see Lily punished, but all it takes is calling her Mother? What does that have to do with us?” the fat demon god grumbled silently but dared not speak.

Lily’s sisters looked on with various expressions, bewildered by the Madam’s condition.

Lily herself hesitated. “Mother” was not something she could call lightly. Izanami was not her biological parent, just her adoptive guardian. It felt deeply embarrassing to call her that in front of everyone.

Still, Lily understood. If the Madam wanted to end this conflict peacefully, she needed to allow the demon gods some dignity. If Lily refused to be accommodating now, she might suffer for it. The Madam was fully capable of delivering public, humiliating punishments, and Lily knew all too well that she had no power to resist them.

If the Madam sided with the demon gods, Lily would be doomed. And besides, this was to save someone.

Besides, Lily had come to this otherworld alone. She had no biological parents. The Madam, though eccentric in her ways, had shown her nothing but great kindness. And now, she had descended in person, was it not just to rescue her from this peril?

To call such a powerful, beautiful, and stern woman “mother”… it was not so unreasonable.

Lily took a deep breath. Her face slightly flushed with embarrassment, she lowered her head and softly said, “Mama…”

“Mmm. That’s more like it. What a well-behaved daughter,” Izanami replied, clearly more pleased now. “If you’re just my goddaughter, then I must treat you and others with reason and fairness. But if you call me ‘Mama,’ then I have the right to dote on you, without needing to be so reasonable.”

“Uh… Madam, what you meant was ‘spoil,’ not ‘play favorites,’ right?” mumbled the fat demon god. Even with his crude nature and limited education, he felt something was off with the Madam’s word choice and blurted it out.

A red whip lashed out in response, striking the fat demon god squarely. He yelped in pain, rolling on the ground, though somehow looking half pleased.

“Hmph.” Izanami took another puff from her pipe, exhaling a ribbon of smoke. “Very well then. Release her. Since my daughter has made her first public request to her mother, I can’t possibly disappoint her. Surely you lot won’t embarrass me now, will you?”

She gave a serene, knowing smile.

“Sigh…” Kunhiza’s serpentine hair drooped, his expression gloomy. Kuroyoku looked equally disgruntled. This frivolous demand, on top of everything else, they could tell that the Madam had never taken them seriously to begin with.

So be it. The major losses had already been suffered. What was one more woman?

“Understood, Madam. We’ll release her,” Kunhiza said, resigned.