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    “Madam Yoruko!” Lily called out, her voice trembling with emotion. The demons around her recognized Yoruko as one of their own—a fellow Sword Demon andpanion. Several of them exchanged suspicious nces.


    “Fayumi no Yoruko, do you know this woman? If you do, we can spare her,” said a red-haired demon with grayish-green skin, gripping a crude de in his wed hands.


    Yoruko’s gentle yet sorrowful eyes rested on Lily, but she remained motionless. Her expression soon grew vacant, as though she were retreating into herself.


    Then, as if awakening from a trance, she asked, “Who are you?”


    “Huh?” Lily’s body trembled. “Madam Yoruko, it’s me! Lily! Don’t you remember? You taught me swordsmanship, the Heavenly Path. I’m your Lily!”


    “Lily?” Yoruko’s sorrowful eyes glistened with unshed tears. She tilted her head, as though trying to recall something, but eventually shook it. “I’m sorry, miss. I don’t remember. Perhaps you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you1.”


    A mistake? Could there possibly be another person who shared Yoruko’s name, appearance, and unparalleled skill in swordsmanship? No—it was impossible!


    Could it be…Lily’s heart sank as she realized the truth: Madam Yoruko had died after all.


    Powerful beings whomitted great sins were usually condemned to hell, where they endured endless torment. Most retained their memories so they could properly repent.


    Those spared from severe punishment and destined for reincarnation would cross the Bridge of Oblivion, losing all memories of their previous life. It was clear Yoruko hadn’t reincarnated but had instead ended up on Hyakki Street, stripped of her memories.


    “Madam Yoruko, you’re from an illustrious n in Heian-kyo. You were the leader of the Sword Mikos, Fujiwara no Ayaka’s closest friend, and my mentor. Have you forgotten all of this?” Lily’s voice quivered, her eyes brimming with tears.


    Yoruko shook her head slowly, her expression dazed. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. My name is Fayumi no Yoruko, and I’m here to perfect my swordsmanship. Beyond that… I don’t know anything. I’m sorry, miss…”


    “Madam Yoruko!” Lily stood frozen, unsure of what to do or say.


    “So, Fayumi, it seems you don’t know her after all,” the red-haired demon growled, turning his piercing gaze toward Lily. “Woman, the Hundred Sword Demons value only swordsmanship. We have no interest in deceit or lust. You wield a de and dare to wander here after midnight—clearly, you’re strong. Join us. Spar with us under the moonlight. Wouldn’t that be enjoyable?”


    With Madam Yoruko among them, the idea of joining the demons to hone her swordsmanship was tempting. But Lily’s destinyy elsewhere—her path did not allow for such detours.


    “I’m sorry,” Lily said firmly. “I must keep moving forward. I cannot join you.”


    “That’s unfortunate,” the demon growled, his voice turning guttural and menacing. “Swordsmanship is rooted in bloodshed. We avoid unnecessary killing, but you know the rules of Hyakki Street. If you won’t join us, we have no choice but to kill you.”


    What could she do? Every member of the Hundred Sword Demons was a master of the de—a genius or a lunatic in swordsmanship. On Hyakki Street, nothing mattered more than skill with a sword.


    While Lily could manage a few opponents, facing a hundred at once was perilous beyond measure. And with Yoruko among them—her memories lost—how could Lily bring herself to attack her mentor?


    Madam Yoruko had lost all memories of her past life. Being already deceased, another death here would mean total annihtion—no hope for reincarnation.


    The thought of killing her was unbearable; Lily couldn’t even fathom causing her the slightest injury.


    “Can we avoid this? I don’t want to fight you,” Lily pleaded.


    “To us, wielding our swords is our very purpose. Yet, we do not attack those whock the will to fight without cause. Unfortunately, the rules of Hyakki Street are absolute. If you refuse to join us, then this battle cannot be avoided,” said a peculiar samurai with six arms, each carrying three swords sheathed at his sides.


    “Miss…” Though Yoruko didn’t recognize Lily, her eyes were filled with pity, showing her reluctance to strike.


    Now, Lily understood why crossing Hyakki Street was nearly impossible. She didn’t know how much farther she had to go, but it dawned on her that many talented sword maidens likely weren’t trapped here due to ack of strength.


    Lily clenched her teeth, swallowing her pride. With a soft thud, she dropped to her knees, bowing her head as her long hair fell forward.


    “I… I admit defeat. I can’t win against all of you. Please, I beg you, don’t fight me,” Lily said, her voice heavy with humiliation. She had never tasted defeat before2, but in this moment, she had no other choice.


    The demons froze, stunned by her submission.


    “You’re making thisplicated. Our code forbids killing those who surrender, yet thews of Hyakki Street demand the death of any outsider. With these rules in conflict, what are we to do?” the red-haired demon muttered hesitantly.


    “Thews of Hyakki Street must take precedence!” several demons shouted in agreement.


    “Miss,” the red-haired demon said as he stepped forward and drew his de. “We bear you no ill will, but thews of Hyakki Street cannot be defied. Forgive me.”


    He raised his de with precision and resolve, aiming for a swift and painless strike as he brought it down toward Lily’s slender neck. But Lily wouldn’t allow herself to die here. Her eyes sharpened as she prepared to draw her de.


    Before Lily could act, a sh of steel swept over her head.


    Madam Yoruko moved like a phantom, appearing before Lily in an instant. She unsheathed her sword, intercepting the demon’s de.


    “Fayumi? What’s the meaning of this?” the demon eximed in shock.


    “Me?” Yoruko murmured, her tied hair swaying in the wind as confusion flickered across her face. “I don’t know. I just… I can’t let this woman die by your hands. Even though… I don’t know her at all.”


    Despite her words, Yoruko’s body seemed to act of its own ord.


    “Fayumi no Yoruko! Have you lost your mind? You’ve broken the sacredws of Hyakki Street!” The other demons stepped back, stunned.


    “I don’t know… I don’t know why I did that,” Yoruko murmured, staring at the sword in her hand with disbelief.


    Lily rose to her feet, tears streaming down her cheeks. Even after death, with all memories of her past life erased, Madam Yoruko’s body instinctively shielded her. It was a testament to a profound and unyielding obsession!


    “It’s over! Fayumi no Yoruko, your actions are your own! They have nothing to do with us, the Hundred Sword Demons!”


    “You’ll face Yomi’s wrath for this!”


    The demons were visibly angry but retreated, unwilling to strike against Yoruko despite her defiance.


    For a fleeting moment, Lily thought she might take Yoruko and flee while the demons hesitated. But before she could act, the entire length of Hyakki Street began to tremble.


    A dreadful gust of demonic wind surged from the far end of the street, carrying an eerie, bone-chilling whistle.


    Two towering figures emerged, each over ten meters tall. One was entirely white, the other pitch ck, both adorned in Onmyoji attire. Their faces, though well-formed,cked any features. They floated ominously toward them from the far end of the street.


    At the sight of these faceless entities, Lily’s strength drained away, leaving her paralyzed and unable to move.


    It wasn’t just Lily; every demon, including Yoruko, stood frozen in fear.


    The ck and white Onmyoji spirits glided closer to Yoruko, their hollow voices merging into a single rasping tone. “Fayumi no Yoruko, you have vited the rules of Hyakki Street. You will face Yomi’s judgment. Come with us.”


    The spirits flung two heavy chains toward her. One coiled tightly around her neck, while the other shackled her wrists. In a daze, Yoruko silently followed as they dragged her toward the street’s distant end.


    Lily screamed Yoruko’s name over and over in her heart but couldn’t find her voice. She yearned to rush forward and fight the spirits to the death, but her body refused to move. Silent tears streamed down her face as she trembled helplessly3.


    Then, Yoruko turned to look back at Lily. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came. Her expression was one of profound sorrow and unspoken affection, as though something had surfaced in her memory.


    The ck-and-white spirits tugged sharply on the chains, pulling Yoruko away. With a faint, shimmering light, they vanished into the deepening mist at the far end of the street.


    Lily knelt on the ground, utterly powerless. Her long hair fell in disarray around her, and her expression grew nk with despair. “What is this? What kind of path is this supposed to be…?”


    The demons began to move again, their paralysis lifted. One by one, they closed in on Lily, drawing their weapons with grim determination.


    “Woman, you’ve seen it for yourself. This isn’t personal. If we don’t kill you, the curse of Hyakki Street will condemn us all.”


    “You must have realized by now. There’s no other way. ept your fate and die.”


    The demons encircled Lily, their weapons poised to strike. They swung with practiced precision, as if repeating a ritual they had performed countless times before.


    “Why… Why must it be like this?!” Lily’s fury erupted into a piercing cry as she drew the Oborozuki Muramasa with a sh of silver steel.


    Her de met their strikes in a single sweep, parrying multiple weapons at once with a sharp, resonating sh of steel.


    “What is this?”


    “She’s… unbelievably strong!”


    The demons redoubled their efforts, gripping their weapons so tightly that veins bulged along their muscr arms. The pressure mounted, forcing Lily’s slender shoulders to tremble under the strain.


    Lily gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with rage. “Madam Yoruko is already dead! Why must she still endure this torment? To hell with the rules of Hyakki Street!”


    With a fierce surge of strength, Lily pushed back, flinging the attacking weapons aside. The force of her counterattack sent the powerful demons staggering backward.


    Lily leaped into the air, her de arcing downward in a single, devastating strike that felled the red-haired demon leading the charge.


    As shended, Lily nted her foot firmly on the red-haired demon, pinning his wounded body to the ground. Without hesitation, she turned andunched her next attack.


    A nearby demon lunged at Lily from the nk, but before he could strike, her de shed and severed his arm cleanly.


    The pinned demon beneath her tried to lift his weapon, but Lily shifted her stance, firmly stepping on both his arms. With a deft flick of her de, she plunged it downward, piercing his Spirit Sea with deadly precision.


    “You said it yourself—swordsmanship is about killing. If you’re so obsessed with it, then be ready to face its price!” Lily’s crimson eyes glowed with unrelenting killing intent as she spoke.


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