<h4>Volume 10 - Dream Eater: Chapter 53 – World’s best desmith</h4>


    Lily shared with Asuka that she had discovered the ores during an expedition in Tanba, identally stumbling upon an abandoned celestial battle maiden’s mine. Although unfamiliar with the Akitsu Continent, Asuka was aware that Tanbay within Shuten Doji’s domain.


    “Hmm, my Asuka n has never possessed the ore for Oborozuki Tamahagane; it was always delivered to us by celestial battle maidens. The idea that these ores originated from Tanba is a revtion even my ancestors were not privy to,” Asuka noted, visibly intrigued.


    “Sister, will it be a problem that they’re still in ore form?” Lily asked.


    “The secret to smelting this particr ore is known only to my Asuka n. Rest assured, I’ll summon the finest smelters and personally oversee the refining process,” Asuka assured her.


    Reaching for a measuring tape, Asuka instructed, “Lily, please undress; I need to take your measurements.”


    Understanding the gravity of the request, Lilyplied, undressing down to her underwear for the measurements.


    “Eh? Even my bust measurement?” Lily questioned, somewhat surprised.


    “Absolutely. Every part of the body must be ounted for to craft the most suitable de


    ¹,” Asuka exined, mumbling, “Ah, so big…


    ²”


    That night, Asuka studied Lily’s physique meticulously. “It’s astonishing. Every aspect of your body is so…so wless. The corresponding sword must also reach the pinnacle of perfection. This de will be the magnum opus of my lifetime.”


    Asuka then borated on theplex and time-consuming nature of decrafting. Since Lily was concerned about her sisters on Akitsu Shima, Asuka reassured her that she could pick up the deter or have it sent to her.


    When Lily inquired about soul patterns and the incorporation of an anima, Asuka had an unexpected response. She told Lily to paint the back of her hands with her own artistic concept. “I’ll remember this sensation; it’s an expertise that other desmithsck,” she stated. After the de was forged, Asuka would apply this unique soul pattern, making it even more potent than anything Lily could create.


    As for the anima, Asuka was straightforward. Incorporating an ordinary anima would tarnish the de. Instead, Lily should wait for a trulypatible anima to integrate


    ³. “Even without an anima, this de’s power will far surpass any within the Heian Dynasty. I have no doubt,” Asuka affirmed.


    The legend of Oborozuki Muramasa was revered in the Asuka Royal Family for generations, but they hadcked the means to forge it for millennia. Now, with these extraordinary conditions met, Asuka had the confidence to create a perfect replica of that legendary de. Truly, she was the world’s greatest desmith.


    “Madam Yoruko, the wish you spoke of that night can finallye true!” Lily’s voice trembled with emotion as she absorbed Asuka’s words.


    The next day, before the sky lightened, Lily’s group readied themselves for departure. Asuka arrived, apanied by Reika, Kazama, and a few other experts, to see them off.


    “Princess Asuka, this voice transmission orb can’t reach Cherry Blossom Valley at the moment. But if you follow Sister Ayaka’s formation instructions, you’ll be able to contact us even from across the ocean,” Lily exined.


    epting the orb, Asuka softly said, “That’s good to hear. I’ll be able to speak with you often. To say goodbye, truthfully, fills me with reluctance.”


    Partings are inherently bittersweet.


    “Your Highness, if fate allows, please visit us on the Akitsu continent,” Ayaka chimed in.


    “Indeed, I will. Regardless, once this de ispleted, we shall meet again,” Asuka assured Lily.


    Feeling a pang of sadness, Lily nodded gently. “We’ll meet again when Oborozuki Muramasa is finished.”


    “Farewell,” Asuka said softly, her eyes following Lily’s ox cart until it vanished from sight. She vowed to infuse all her thoughts and emotions for Lily into the de. Once it was forged, she knew her life would transform irreversibly. While Lily had saved her kingdom, Asuka nned not to repay her with physical affections, but with her most exquisite craftsmanship.


    She understood that once the de waspleted, her rtionship with Lily would be forever altered. Asuka vowed never to give herself to another for the rest of her life


    ⁴.


    Lily and her group returned to the beach, the very ce where Fuyutsuki had previously left them. Although Fuyutsuki’s nned routes indicated that the ship would pass by between the 28th of every month and the 5th of the next, they were surprised to find the ship already anchored there on the 26th.


    As they neared the ship, the cabins swung open, revealing Nishiya Riku. “Miss Lily, we have been awaiting your return,” he greeted.


    “Brother Riku,” Lily reciprocated. When she inquired why Fuyutsuki had anchored prematurely, Riku revealed the upheavals in the Heian Dynasty had led to a pause in their regrmerce. This had left Fuyutsuki idling at the beach for nearly two weeks. Lily was touched.


    “Lily, I’d like you to meet someone familiar,” Riku hinted.


    “Someone I know?” Lily’s eyes showed curiosity as Riku led her to a bustling wine bar below deck. There, amidst the clinking of sses and boisterous conversation, she recognized a robust samurai in disheveled white clothing. He was guzzling wine and emanated a wild aura.


    “Brother Tenba?” she eximed.


    “Little sister?” Tenba Goro looked up, sizing Lily up before letting out a sigh. “Ah, I’ve heard so many stories about you recently, all quite remarkable. But seeing you today… you’re still beautiful, yet not the little girl I remember.”


    “You’re joking, Brother Tenba; it’s only been half a year,” Lily retorted.


    “Maybe so, but you’ve changed, and it’s a good change; you’ve be much stronger,” Tenba Goro roared withughter. His candid demeanor made it easy for him to ept the young woman who had surpassed him in such a short time.


    Lily responded, “Regardless, you’ll always be my big brother.”


    “Naturally,” he agreed, “I know you have great responsibilities now. Go on, but the next round of drinks is on you!”


    Lily’s eyes twinkled. She poured him another cup, and raised a small one herself—a silent tribute to their shared history.


    Fuyutsuki set sail, crossing the seas in days and eventually reaching the other side. They had returned to the Heian Dynasty. As Lily’s group stood on the deck, they watched the Akitsu coastline approach. A feeling of unease settled in; thend seemed abnormal, imbued with monstrous, iparably dense, and horribly thorny eldritch energy. It was a far cry from thend they had left to visit Iyo Ind just a few months ago. Now, the mountain peaks and coastlines eerily resembled the eldritch forests and mountains of Tanba.


    Heavy ck clouds hung in the distance, obscuring any glimmer of light. Suddenly, a mass of red light surged from the mountains, staining the clouds a blood-crimson hue. “What… what was that light?” Lily queried, leaning against the boat for a better look.


    “It’s a volcano,” Ayaka replied.


    While the continent was known for its many volcanoes, eruptions were an infrequent phenomenon, urring perhaps once in a millennium. Lily had never witnessed one before. Now, as she observed, multiple mountains rose into the sky—evidence ofnd mass movement caused by the Earth’s vtile shifts. Mountain after mountain formed, a testament to the incredible power of nature. It made Lily feel insignificant, even with her formidable power of a quintuple-soul big dipper.


    Fuyutsuki finallynded on the shore. The group descended into an environment pulsing with eldritch energy, where the air carried the stench of sulfur and the ground was nketed in thick, hot ash. asionally, the earth beneath them trembled. The cataclysmic transformations left Lily in awe. “Is this a natural volcanic eruption?” she wondered aloud, but found no answers.


    “Lily, I have a bad feeling. We should head back to Suno and teleport to Cherry Blossom Valley from there,” Ayaka advised.


    “Mm,” Lily nodded in agreement, summoning the Azure Ox Cart.


    The Azure Ox Cart glided effortlessly through the sky, soaring overndscapes that had undergone drastic transformations. The cart had flown past at least ten erupting volcanoes during the journey. Considering that most of the thousands of volcanoes on this continent had never erupted in recorded history, the sight was a grim portent. For the first time, Lily witnessed the violent spewing of volcanoes, as if they were keen on transforming thend into a hellish realm.


    As they journeyed, powerful eldritch auras pervaded the air, primarily originating from the alteredndscapes, simr to the erupting volcanoes. Along the way, they also encountered a gaping ditch—thousands of meters wide and unfathomably deep—filled with moltenva. From a distance, pitch-ck creatures could be seen crawling out of this chasm.


    “Heavens… I remember this used to be a city,” Lily muttered, her voice tinged with sorrow. With a ditch of such magnitude, it was evident that the city had been swallowed whole, and its inhabitants likely obliterated.


    While Lily had always found a way to aid people hunted by demons, she was rendered helpless against this cataclysm. Even experts with the strength of the Big Dipper were powerless in such situations, capable only of protecting themselves. As the cart continued its flight, it became clear that a third of the ces they passed had faced significant disasters. Furthermore, the demons and monsters they encountered were noticeably more powerful and numerous than before.


    Finally, they arrived in Suno. Despite the potent eldritch energies that enveloped its outskirts and a distant volcano, the inner areas remained unscathed. As the ox cart touched down, Kimiko appeared to greet them.


    “Lady Kimiko,” Lily called out, sprinting toward her.


    “Lily, you’ve finally returned,” Kimiko greeted her.


    Casting her eyes toward the distant crimson light that danced between the mountains and the sky, Lily asked, “Lady Kimiko, what is going on


    ⁵?” <h4>Footnotes:</h4>


    Robinxen: Suuuure…


    Robinxen: I knew it.


    Robinxen: Wow the swordes with built in level up potential forter!


    Robinxen: Just what on Earth are you nning to do to this sword?!


    Robinxen: Someone cracked their toe. Hm this joke is probably too obscure…