Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 8 - Higanbana: Chapter 18 – Battle against the Martial Saint

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, known as the Martial Saint, was one of the two legendary saints revered by many, surpassing the Yamato Eight Legion and standing at the pinnacle of all vagrants. He was the ultimate aspiration of countless swordsmen and vagrants, and his undefeated status for countless years earned him the title of the Martial Saint.

He had the opportunity to ascend to the big dipper realm, but the death of Tamurakonoe had left a deep impact on him. The hatred festered in his heart, becoming an insurmountable obstacle. He was determined to kill Kagami Lily, not only to avenge his son but also to untie the knot in his heart. The idea of a fair duel was a joke to him. In the face of absolute strength, reason was unnecessary. An absolute expert was always right, and there was no need for justification.

Kagami Lily, a samurai from Kanto, had the audacity to kill the only son of the Martial Saint. In his eyes, her victory alone was a crime, regardless of whether it was a fair duel or not. According to him, her crime stemmed from not having a martial saint as her father.

“Die!”

Tamuramaro’s blade crackled like a golden thunderbolt, its power akin to the ferocity of lightning itself. In a blinding flash of gold, the blade descended upon Lily.

Clang—

The clash of metal was so loud that it almost burst the eardrums of all the vagrant swordsmen nearby. The resulting shockwave blew against Ui on the rooftop and Kiuchidera Tesshin on the ground, knocking both off balance! It was hard to imagine, but half a year ago, both of these people were capable of matching Lily in battle. Now, just the clash of blades from a distance would blow the two away, highlighting the immense power and skill that Lily had attained.

“What!??”

Within the tumultuous blend of wind and smoke, Lily’s eyes shone like crystals, and her slender arms held her cursed blade aloft. Her black hair and red kimono fluttered in the wind! That female samurai who the Martial Saint could have crushed with one finger in the past had now matched his blow! She was on equal footing with the swordsmanship master, the Martial Saint Sakanoue no Tamuramaro!

Tamuramaro’s eyes widened in disbelief as he exerted all his strength, but he still couldn’t force Lily’s blade down. His veins and muscles bulged as he struggled against her, muttering incoherently, “This…this is impossible!”

Despite the martial saint attacking with his full power and pressing down with a heavy slash, Lily stood her ground and raised her sword to block. If both sides were equal in strength, Lily would be at a disadvantage, but she did not step back.

Boom! The ground beneath Lily’s feet contorted and the buildings around them sunk as they twisted and deformed, but she didn’t budge an inch

1.

“Impossible! How can a mere female samurai block my blade!” Despite being infuriated, the martial saint did not lose his composure. Swordsmanship and pose were among his top talents, honed over many years of profound training.

In a calm yet powerful motion, he launched a kick towards Lily’s legs. However, Lily was quicker in her reaction and dodged the kick. In the split second when Tamurakonoe’s kick missed, Lily countered with a swift strike of her purple blade.

As the purple blade light clashed with Tamurakonoe’s sword, a deafening clang echoed throughout the battlefield. The impact was so strong that Tamurakonoe was forced to slide backwards, leaving deep furrows in the ground with his feet.

“Agggrrhh——!!” Tamurakonoe grunted in agony as the powerful and relentless purple lunar force kept pushing against his defense, forcing him to retreat backwards for a hundred meters until he was finally able to come to a halt.

The swordsmen of the Maro Dojo were dumbfounded at the sight before them. They had expected the Martial Saint to overpower and defeat the young female samurai with ease, but here she was, holding her own against him and even pushing him back with her powerful strikes.

“How is this possible?” Kiuchidera Tesshin, who had been blown back by the shockwaves, could only watch on in disbelief from behind the wreckage.

The Martial Saint, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, was an expert among throned saints! He was widely recognized as one of the most powerful throned saints, and considered to be at the pinnacle of all saints. It was because of this that he had earned the nickname of the Martial Saint.