<h4>Volume 3, Chapter 7 - Haihime</h4>


    Trantor: Aoi


    Mt. Fuji towered thousands of meters high and was the highest volcano across the entire Heian Empire. On a sunny and cloudless day, it could be seen even from a thousand kilometers away. Its peak was covered in snow all year long, yet its mouth billowed with thick smoke all the same.


    Someone once said that the Heian Empire would perish when Mt. Fuji experiences an explosive eruption. Naturally, even though Mt. Fuji experienced effusive eruptions intermittently, jutting out hellish mes and sulfur, it had never really experienced an explosive eruption in the past hundred thousand years.


    Mt. Fuji was surrounded by the Endless Demon Mountains that ran for thousands of kilometers, and this region was infested with monsters and apparitions. The Hundred Demons rampaged wantonly over here and none from the Heian Empire dared to set foot inside it.


    Any random Great Demon from the Endless Demon Mountains was enough to cause unrest within the Land of East!


    And right now, Minamoto no Shimizu was traversing the perilous pathway towards Mt. Fuji under the escort of the Hannya ninjas.


    Although she was human, Shimizu didn’t fear Mt. Fuji at all and even admired its sinister and majestic beauty.


    The trees of the mountain were pitch-ck in color even at night, with one side covered in a dark moistness that caused shimmering dew to form on the rocks while the other side of the demonic mountain had hot wind blowing in intermittently.


    The path ahead was shrouded in the shade of the trees and ancient moss-covered stonemps illuminated the dark stone pathway with their azure mes.


    A series of about one hundred towering red Torii gates made from ancient wood lined up the pathway and followed the stone steps all the way up.


    For someone as strong as Shimizu, climbing thousands of stone steps wasn’t much of a difficult task. Soon, she reached the top of the steps which led to a secluded old temple.


    She followed behind Yuki as well as the Hannya ninjas and entered inside the old temple, arriving in front of the biggest temple hall with a gate tall enough to let creatures that were several dozen meters tall enter inside.


    A few of the demon ninjas worked together to push the thick doors of the gate open.


    The interior of the temple was dark and spacious with a huge Thousand-Armed Buddha’s bronze statue in the center while thenterns on the wooden pirs illuminated the statues of arhats and monsters that lied to either side of the Buddha statue.


    And underneath the huge Thousand-Armed Buddhaid a scarlet rose-colored nket finished with golden borders.


    A mature semi-naked aquamarine-haired woman with a spacious white kimono patterned with flowers and birds draped over her shoulders sat sideways across the nket, one hand holding the pipe held within her mouth while the other rested against acquered wood pillow.


    The woman’s bangs were messy and hung down like the clouds. The loose kimono was bereft of any folds and was without a sash, barely managing to cover the woman’s slim and sexy body.


    For some reason, this woman seemed to always have an expression that indicated she had just finished with something. Her pretty aquamarine hair possessed a wet and vibrant sheen while her fair countenance possessed a rather mature and womanly charm. She didn’t even arrange the wet hair that stuck to the corner of her lips.


    She had willowy brows and limpid eyes withvender-shadowed eye corners that enhanced her sexiness.


    “Haaaahhh…” The woman opened her glistening pink lips slightly and exhaled a cloud of white smoke, leaning her head sideways. A bewitching smile rose at her lips when she saw Shimizu and Yuki get escorted inside by the Hannya ninjas, and whether it was intentional or otherwise, the look in her eyes seemed the same as a woman lying on bed, beckoning her lover over.


    “You must be the best samurai woman in the Land of East, Miss Shimizu, right?” The woman’s voice seemed to carry a quivering huff, as if she were trying to calm her breathing while doing some unspeakable matter, even though she obviously wasn’t doing anything at all.


    “You are Haihime? The fabled Amanojaku’s woman, the second ruler of Mt. Fuji?” Seeing Haihime flex her buxom bare figure so tantly, a somewhat condescending look appeared on Shimizu’s indifferent face.


    Although it was hard to notice it, Haihime bit her lips bitterly when she heard Shimizu’s words. However, her gaze turned dreamy when she opened her mouth again to exhale a tuft of smoke, “Miss Shimizu, do you really dare to take interest in my personal life? I’m willing to have some fun along with you.”


    Shimizu, however, gazed at the huge Buddha statue and the dozen or so statues around it before stating indifferently, “I’m different from you. I have no interest in those indecent matters that are the zenith for women. What business does the woman of the Hundred Demons’ leader have with a human like me?”


    “Hahaha. Miss Shimizu, I want to apologize for some of the previous misunderstandings between us first. Yuki shouldn’t have ruined your mirror. I shall punish her adequatelyter on,” Saying so, Haihime directed a sharp and bewitching gaze towards Yuki.


    Yuki couldn’t stop shivering all over and her face turned red hot from the nervousness.


    “However, your mirror was just worth some spare change. I shall present you an even more precious treasure in return to settle this matter. How about it?”


    “I don’t need any treasure. As far as I’m concerned, I’m good as long as I have the anima of Hundred Demons,” Shimizu stated after parting her crimson lips slightly, the azurentern lights reflecting within her dark and misty eyes.


    Even Haihime stopped drawing on the pipe and furrowed her brows while leaning her chin down, her forehead flushing slightly.


    “Such impudence! Minamoto no Shimizu, how dare you speak rudely in front of Lady Haihime?” Yuki was a breath away from drawing her katana and the surroundings Hannya ninjas also assumed a battle stance, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.


    The grudge shrouding Shimizu also grew in intensity.


    Haihime revealed a somewhat jubnt expression when she sensed Shimizu’s ck grudge and red at Yuki suddenly, “Yuki Mayumi, know your ce! Miss Shimizu is an honored guest of mine. How dare you raise your voice and quarrel at this ce?!”


    “Eh?” Yuki was taken aback and was unable to respond momentarily.


    “Hmph! Get lost from here!” Haihime ran her gaze across those Hannya ninjas and they withdrew from the huge temple hall in fear one after the other.


    “Close the door and guard it outside!” Haihime ordered.


    Consequently, the Hannya ninjas toiled hard to shut the door close.


    “Itsura, tie this failure of a kunoichi on the punishment rack for me! Block up her mouth as well!” Haihime issued another order then, which eluded Shimizu.


    “Eh?” Yuki’s flushed up instantly and she kneeled down in a flurry, “Lady Haihime, i-it was my fault! I’m willing to ept the punishment, but please don’t administer it in front of an outsider…”


    “Shut up! Miss Shimizu isn’t an outsider,” Haihime got up and almost shed the red cherries underneath the loose kimono in the process.


    A few fox-masked women donned in bikini-style ck bamboo te armor with hourss figures appeared from the back of the hall and grabbed Yuki Mayumi directly without any exnations and then pushed over a wooden rack.


    “No! Lady Haihime, please, don’t do it in front of… mkgh!” A cat-masked woman blocked up Yuki’s mouth with a cloth-like thing.


    As for Haihime, she simply ignored Yuki who was getting bound by the Itsura and continued speaking with Shimizu, “Miss Shimizu. This woman is the sinner who ruined your mirror. I’ll teach her a good lesson today to alleviate your anger.”


    Shimizu looked at Haihime skeptically and stated, “Heh! You really know how to act, Lady Haihime. Wasn’t she just following your orders by acting like that?”


    “That’s not true. Hehehe,” Haihime tied up her kimono casually with just a string as she got upnguidly and the secret zone between her legs almost made intermittent appearances as she walked forward.


    Even Shimizu found the sight unbearable and turned her head aside.


    Haihime was quite tall and almost the same height as Lily. Thus, she was much taller than Shimizu.


    She arrived beside Shimizu and continued, “I’ve always thought highly of you, Miss Shimizu. You have already awakened the Great Demon Bloodline of a de Maiden now, so how could you still associate with those lowly humans? It would be better to join us Hundred Demons, Miss Shimizu. You would then be the woman second to me on this Mt. Fuji.”


    “Heh! Do you want me to fawn on Amanojaku like those lowly prostitutes? Haihime, do you know where we differ from each other? I devour the souls of demons while you just devour the souls of their offspring,” Shimizu’s stated in a gentle and melodious voice, yet her words were vicious and filled with sarcasm.


    Haihime’s expression darkened under the bangs momentarily, but she donned the frivolous and sultry look of a mature woman again when she raised her head, “Oh? It seems you’ve really misunderstood me, Miss Shimizu, and also misunderstood our expectations from you. We obviously didn’t mean that kind of thing. We see you as a great general, Miss Shimizu, and no demon would dare to disrespect you. See, although this Yuki Mayumi is a capable aide of mine, I’m going to punish her hard for disrespecting you. If it were any other demon, I’d have killed it immediately. If you don’t believe me, I can issue an edict right on this spot and disseminate it across the entire Land of Hundred Demons,” Haihime whispered into Shimizu’s ears, yet her enticing breaths failed to move Shimizu.


    “You are contradicting yourself there, Lady Haihime. Since you say I have a legendary Great Demon Bloodline, why would I serve a ***** demoness?” Shimizu mocked her mercilessly like before.


    “Haha. Miss Shimizu. Who said anything about serving? We Hundred Demons only wish to work together with you. Your strength is enough to establish an empire and be its empress, so how could we bind someone like that? You aren’t like that weak and lowly kunoichi now, are you?”


    “Establish an empire?” Shimizu’s dark eyes glimmered momentarily.


    “Miss Shimizu. No one else except the Hundred Demons can help you aplish this matter. You were entrusted with protecting the prospective disciples of East by Kamakura, but they have all died. Even if you return, you’ll just be subjected to punishment and incur the resentment of the feudal lords from all provinces. Isn’t it much better to work together with us instead?”


    “Hahaha. Do all big-breasted women have problems with their intelligence? Maybe they do, except her…” Shimizu chuckled coldly towards Haihime, “A bunch of idiotic and trash disciples could neverpare to the 2nd strongest direct descendant of the Minamoto n whose strength is second to the Furinkazan. How do you think Lord Kamakura, who is known as the most pragmatic man of the East, will handle me?”


    “Heh! So, does this mean you refuse to work with us, Miss Shimizu?” Haihime’s gaze turned sharp and her aura rose in intensity.


    Shimizu, however, showed no fear and stated indifferently, “Madam Haihime. There’s no need to trick me with these childish reasons. If I still felt any attachment to the Land of East, do you believe I would havee to their of the Hundred Demons so simply?”


    “Hahahahahaha!” Haihime broke into an unrestrained bout ofughter and stated smilingly, “So you were testing me until now, Miss Shimizu. You are a really formidable woman! Really, you haven’t disappointed me. Henceforth, you are the woman who ranks second to me in these Endless Demon Mountains, and even I cannot order you. We can only… work together, how does that sound?” Haihime raised Shimizu’s chin and looked at her enticingly while saying this.