Book 12: Chapter 72: Retreat


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    At this moment, several Infernal Stage beings arrived from a distance. They were subordinates of Wakarai and Umashi, but when they saw the chaotic scene unfolding before them, they hesitated, unwilling toe closer.


    The sight of multiple Supreme Gods igniting their divine power in a fierce battle was terrifying. If they rushed in, it would be suicide, offering nothing to the fight. Even though they served Wakarai and Umashi, these warriors valued their lives too much to die needlessly for their masters.


    Umashi’s aura was so intense that it sent tremors throughout the infernal Yomi. His enormous gauntlets shimmered with a radiant orange-red light as he readied a devastating punch aimed at Asura-Onna.


    A moonlit arrow struck Umashi’s arm. Though his divine power had made him more resilient, rendering the arrow less effective than earlier shots, it hit his joint precisely, disrupting the flow of his gathered energy.


    “Foul creature!” Umashi roared in fury, turning to hurl a devastating punch in Lily’s direction, who was now thousands of meters away.


    But before his punch couldnd, another arrow flew straight toward his eye, forcing him to swing his fist to deflect it.


    Lily had anticipated Umashi’s attack and released the arrow in advance. Although the arrow shattered, the shockwave from his punch hit her previous position, its force still reverberating around her.


    A golden shield, summoned by Kaguya-hime, materialized behind Lily, but even that was no match for the remnants of Umashi’s punch, which shattered the shield.“Lily! How dare you strike from the shadows! I will end your life!” Umashi bellowed, elerating towards her with deadly intent.


    “Umashi! Face me!” Asura-Onna shouted as she ignited her divine power, instantly appearing behind Umashi. She wielded her sword alongside six spectral female figures.


    “This is dangerous!”


    Asura-Onna’s strike, resembling the Six Petals of the Underworld River Flower, was imbued with the ancient and lethal will of the Asura Heavenly Path. Umashi knew better than to underestimate it.


    He responded with both fists, unleashing his full might in an attempt to counter her devastating sword strike.


    Suddenly, golden bamboo leaves filled the air, weaving into streams that merged with the Six Petals of the Underworld River Flower. Red petals streaked with golden threads surged with enhanced power.


    What seemed to be the Six Petals of the Underworld River Flower was, in reality, the ultimate manifestation of the Asura Heavenly Path—The Six des of Death! Empowered by Kaguya-hime’s divine arts, this strike reached the absolute pinnacle of the Asura Heavenly Path’s might.


    While Umashi focused all his strength on the frontal sh, a ten-thousand-meter crescent moon de struck him from behind.


    The surprise strike wounded Umashi mid-attack, causing his blood, a mixture of red and golden hues, to spray into the air.


    The strike from behind disrupted the full force of his punches, weakening their strength by thirty percent before they collided with Asura’s Six Petals of the Underworld River Flower.


    For an instant, the heavens seemed to shatter and the earth cracked. The surrounding space ripped apart, scattering fragments that devoured the crumbling mountains and dispersing clouds.


    Umashi was hurled back like a meteor, blood spraying from his mouth and body like the fiery tail of aet. His anguished roars reverberated across the heavens and earth.


    Asura-Onna hovered mid-air, visibly drained from burning her divine power. That attack had been her ultimate technique, pushed to the peak of the Asura Heavenly Path with Kaguya-hime''s full support. Without the Queen''s aid, she could never have summoned such power—power that even eclipsed her ancient predecessor, Asura-Ou.


    The sheer power of Asura-Onna’s attack had already overwhelmed Umashi. Combined with Lily’s surprise strike from behind, it had disrupted his full-strength punches, leading to a severe setback in the battle.


    As a result of thebined assault, Umashi had lost nearly ten percent of his divine power. Though it might sound insignificant, divine power was no trivial matter. Recovering even that amount would take a century, or an immense number of blood spirit magatamas if expedited.


    Even worse, Lily’s strike left a wound that continued to bleed profusely, demanding all his focus to heal. In a life-or-death sh, such bleeding could be catastrophic.


    After being flung tens of thousands of meters, Umashi managed to stop himself. Bloodied and unwilling to concede, he red at Kaguya-hime, Asura-Onna, and the others in the distance. With his years of experience in Yomi, he realized there was no winning against the Asura and Rakshasa sisters, especially with the Queen—and potentially the madam—supporting them. If he continued, the chances of his own death loomed far greater.


    Though Umashi still lusted after Lily and Kaguya-hime, he wasn’t foolish enough to continue a losing battle just for them.


    Wakarai, having refrained from burning his divine power and locked in an even match with Rakshasa-Onna, saw no advantage in prolonging the fight.


    In a sh of lightning, Wakarai retreated to Umashi’s side.


    “Umashi, those sisters are favored by the madam and have always been untouchable in Yomi. Now, with the Queen backing them, continuing this fight will only end badly for us,” Wakarai muttered, reluctant but knowing he had no choice1.


    “Cursed wretches! I’ll let you live today, but mark my words—one day, I’ll have you all groveling at my feet as ves!” Umashi snarled before flying off.


    Wakarai sneered at Lily. “Kagami Lily, you won’t always have the Queen, Asura-Onna, and Rakshasa-Onna to shield you. The moment you step out alone… heh heh heh! Ha ha ha ha ha!” Heughed maniacally, disappearing in a sh of lightning.


    With their leaders gone, the remaining Infernal Stage beings quietly withdrew, not daring to approach or challenge the Supreme Gods still watching over Lily.


    “Phew…” Lily let out a shaky breath, her sword trembling in her grip. The realization hit her—she had just thrown herself into a battle between Supreme Gods to save the Queen. Fear and adrenaline coursed through her as the gravity of the moment sank in.


    <em>Supreme Gods are truly fearsome. If I ever find myself alone against one, my only option would be to run without hesitation. Facing a Supreme God head-on without thinking of the consequences is nothing short of a death sentence.</em>


    <em>Even with my body''s strength, I can''t burn divine power. If my opponent is someone like Umashi, who also holds back from burning his power, I might survive a couple of exchanges before fleeing. But if they realize my true strength and decide to burn their divine power, escape would be nearly impossible. The consequences of being captured are unthinkable.</em>


    <em>I need to avoid Supreme Gods at all costs in the future</em> Lily resolved quietly.


    Queen Kaguya and Chiya leaned on each other for support, their divine power drained to the point where even staying airborne seemed difficult. If Wakarai had decided to burn his divine power as well, using precious resources in a final bid, it’s doubtful the Queen could’ve kept assisting Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna, and the battle’s oue would have been far more uncertain.


    "Your Majesty!" Lily hurried to their side. "Your Majesty, General Chiya, are you both alright?"


    "Lynne… it’splicated. But at least we survived and weren’t captured, which is a blessing in itself," Queen Kaguya replied, leaning on both Chiya and Lily, visibly exhausted.


    "Oh? Addressing her so warmly as ‘Your Majesty,'' are we, <em>Lynne</em>?" Rakshasa-Onna remarked as she gracefullynded, her long dress billowing. She lingered on the word ‘Lynne,'' her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    Asura-Onna, still hovering in the air, turned her gaze towards Lily. "Kagami Lily, don’t forget the promise you made."


    "Promise?" Queen Kaguya looked curiously between Lily and Asura-Onna. She then stepped forward and bowed deeply to both Asura-Onna and Rakshasa-Onna. "Thank you for rescuing us. Without your help, Chiya and I would have fallen into the hands of those wretched demons. You’ve saved not just us but the entire Female Queendom."


    "Hehehe, Your Majesty, that’s the proper thing to say. But tell me, how do you intend to thank us?" Rakshasa-Onna asked, a mischievous smile ying on her lips.


    "Allow me to return to the Female Queendom with Chiya and Lynne first, and then I’ll prepare a fitting token of gratitude for both of you. A debt of such magnitude can’t be repaid so easily. Please give me time."


    "Let’s set that aside for now. Our involvement wasn’t entirely voluntary," Asura-Onna remarked coolly.


    "Now, now, sister, there’s no need to bring that up. If the Queen wants to show her gratitude, why not ept it gracefully?" Rakshasa-Onna replied, twirling lightly as her dress fluttered elegantly around her.


    At that moment, other members of the Asura and Rakshasa dojos, including Yoshiya, gathered near. Concerned, Yoshiya rushed over to help Chiya.


    “Our actions weren’t driven by a need for your gratitude or affection, Queen Kaguya. But we certainly won’t reject it. However, this is not the time for idle talk. Lily, return with us immediately. As for how the Female Queendom intends to show its thanks, we can settle thatter,” Asura-Onna stated firmly.


    “Go back?” Queen Kaguya, puzzled, looked at Lily. “Lynne, what’s going on?”


    "Hehehe, Your Majesty, surely you know by now that this beloved dancer, Lynne, whom you cherish so much, is actually a spy we sent to gather information on the Female Queendom," Renka teased as she hopped down from a rock and approached.


    “What?!” Yoshiya gasped, looking at Lily in disbelief. “Lynne, you… you’re a spy sent by Rakshasa?”


    "Yoshiya! Watch your words!" Chiya scolded. “No matter where Lynne came from, she saved the Queen, you, and me. Don’t forget that!”


    Apart from Queen Kaguya, Chiya had also learned the truth, having been informed by the Queen herself. While Kaguya-hime had initially kept it hidden from others, there was no need to hide it from Chiya, who would always stand by the Queen’s side. With her steady nature, Chiya could understand and ept theplexities of Lily’s situation.


    Queen Kaguya cast a cold nce at Renka. If not for Renka’s role in helping save them, Kaguya-hime might not have shown such restraint. Knowing full well what Renka was hinting at, the Queen responded icily, “I’ve known from the start. Did you really think you could send such a striking dancer to stay by my side every day without me noticing? Are you underestimating the reach of my intelligencework?”