Demon Sword Maiden-Chapter 125Book 12: : Embroidery Needle

"Dojo Master, you might find this hard to believe, but she is the challenger," the senior demon announced.

"You?" The Dojo Master glanced at Lily, but his interest in her had nothing to do with her swordsmanship.

The aura she emanated marked her as a Big Dipper expert—hardly impressive in Carefree City, where countless female adepts with mediocre talent roamed. Initially, he had planned to reprimand his subordinate for wasting his time on a mere woman.

But then, his gaze lingered.

Lily’s striking beauty, her graceful figure, and the equally stunning woman beside her made him reconsider.

"Don’t forget what you just said," the senior demon reminded, his impatience evident. "If you lose, don’t expect us to show mercy—or respect!"

Lily and Ayaka were now completely encircled by the dojo’s disciples, their eager eyes gleaming as if they were already looking at prey pinned to the chopping block.

"Why waste words?" Lily replied coolly. "Even if I forgot our agreement after losing, would any of you actually show me mercy?"

The demons chuckled darkly. "What do you think?"

"In that case, woman, which generation of disciples will you challenge?" The Dojo Master’s tone carried an unmistakable edge of mockery. "Will it be the junior green-robed disciples? Or do you dare face the elite white-robed disciples?"

Lily’s gaze swept over the gathered disciples. She took a slow, deliberate breath before answering in a casual tone. "In that case… the green-robed disciples."

"Hah! Just as I expected," the Dojo Master sneered. "Still, for a mere woman to challenge even our green-robed disciples, I suppose that level of arrogance is at least… admirable."

"Wait," Lily interrupted. "I’m not finished. The white-robed disciples, too."

"What?" The Dojo Master’s expression flickered with disbelief. "Think carefully, woman. Which generation do you really wish to challenge? If you’re afraid, now’s your chance—kneel and beg for forgiveness. Since you’re young and ignorant, I might consider lessening your punishment."

Neither the Dojo Master nor the senior demon had bothered to ask for Lily’s name. In their eyes, a woman’s value lay in her beauty—her name was irrelevant.

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"Ah…" Lily let out a soft sigh, pressing her fingers lightly against her forehead as if she were dealing with unruly children. Her enchanting eyes glimmered with mockery as she gazed at the surrounding demons.

"Why won’t you understand?" she mused. "I meant all of them—every green-robed disciple, every white-robed elite, every master, senior, and grandmaster." Her gaze locked onto the Dojo Master. "And you as well. Come at me. All at once."

"What?!" Fury erupted like wildfire. The gathered demons howled in rage, their roars shaking the very ground beneath them.

"Also," Lily added lightly, "the female disciples are exempt. I have no intention of harming them."

The Dojo Master stared at Lily as if she had lost her mind. "You… woman… were you violated on your way to Carefree City?" His tone was filled with mockery. "Did something happen to you? Has your brain gone soft?"

"Watch your tongue!" Ayaka’s jacket fluttered as she summoned Izumomaru, her Naginata gleaming with ethereal light. She leveled its deadly edge at the Dojo Master.

"Let it be, Sister Ayaka," Lily said gently, raising a hand to signal her to lower her weapon.

"We are the greatest dojo in Carefree City! We have no time to entertain a lunatic!" the Dojo Master bellowed, his patience snapping. "Seize her!"

The black-bearded demon and another burly green-robed apprentice lunged forward, eager to seize Lily. In the background, the injured female disciple and the other women watched anxiously from behind the throng of demons, their expressions filled with worry.

The two demons barely glanced at Lily’s weapon—their true focus was on her body. It was clear from their lecherous grins that they intended to savor the process of subduing her.

The black-bearded demon reached for Lily’s arm with one hand, while his other hand shamelessly stretched toward her chest.

Lily did not move.

Yet, in an instant, an overwhelming sword intent erupted from her body. Merging her deep comprehension of swordsmanship with her Soul World, she summoned a brilliant arc of cherry-blossom sword energy.

The crescent-shaped sword energy shot forward with a thunderous boom!

The two demons were hurled into the air, crashing violently into the surrounding crowd. When they finally slammed into the ground, their bodies carved a deep trench into the dojo floor—neither of them could rise again.

"What?!" The Dojo Master and his disciples were stunned.

"What… what just happened?" The senior demon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

She had stood still—so how had she attacked? Even the Dojo Master struggled to make sense of what he had just witnessed.

Lily’s swordsmanship had only reached the Second Stage of the Sword Heavenly Path. But her mastery had been forged through endless life-or-death battles in Hyakki Street—something these ordinary demons could never comprehend.

"It’s a defensive artifact!" the Dojo Master suddenly declared, his sharp gaze narrowing. "No wonder she’s so arrogant—she must be relying on some powerful treasure to shield herself!"

"Shameless woman!" a demon spat. "We agreed to a swordsmanship duel, yet you rely on a treasure?"

"Despicable! This is exactly what women do—no sense of honor whatsoever!" another jeered.

The senior and the other demons hurled curses at Lily, though none dared to step forward again. Their fear of her so-called "defensive treasure" was evident in their hesitation.

"Woman!" the Dojo Master roared. "You brought this upon yourself! If you insist on using a treasure of unknown power, I can’t let my disciples risk injury!" He took a step forward, his aura surging. "I will handle you myself! You’ll learn a painful truth today—no treasure, no secret weapon can stand against the might of a true swordsman!"

As he spoke, the Eldritch Energy of a Septuple-Soul Big Dipper erupted from his body. He brandished a heavy, ancient wooden sword—pitch-black and worn with age—yet the aura it released was more oppressive than any blade of steel.

Swordsmanship was categorized into three distinct realms: Sword Intent, Sword Path, and Sword Heavenly Path. The Sword Path itself was further divided into six stages, and reaching the fourth stage was already enough to be considered an esteemed expert—at least, outside of Hyakki Street.

The Dojo Master’s sword energy surged, a force so overwhelming that it sent a wave of awe, envy, and fear rippling through the gathered disciples. Without hesitation, he charged at Lily, his massive wooden sword slicing through the air in a brutal arc aimed directly at her face. He intended to overwhelm her before she could rely on whatever trickery she had used earlier—ending the battle in a single decisive blow.

Lily let out a quiet sigh, her expression carrying a hint of exasperation.

A streak of scarlet light flickered through the air.

The ground trembled as the Dojo Master’s sword struck, embedding itself deep into the floor. Cracks spiderwebbed across the massive stone tiles, fragments of debris scattering. The impact was so intense that several demon disciples lost their footing, stumbling backward. Yet, instead of concern, they gazed at their master with admiration.

But Lily was no longer there.

"Huh?" The Dojo Master’s eyes widened as realization struck. He had missed. "Woman, where are you…?"

"Behind you! She’s behind you!" the senior demon shouted in alarm.

The Dojo Master whirled around, only to find Lily standing there, completely unscathed. Her crimson robes fluttered gently, and her eyes gleamed with amusement as she regarded him with a faint, mocking smirk.

"What kind of trickery is this?!" the Dojo Master roared. His patience had run dry.

With a flick of his wrist, he discarded the wooden sword, and in its place, a long, imposing blade materialized in his grip. The moment it appeared, a heavy, oppressive aura spread through Onidake Dojo, causing the very air to tremble.

"The Onidakemaru! The dojo’s ancestral blade, passed down for millennia!" the senior demon gasped. His eyes burned with envy, admiration, and reverence.

The Dojo Master pivoted sharply, gripping Onidakemaru with both hands before swinging it toward Lily with his full strength. A thunderous wave of sword energy surged forth with the strike.

A deafening clash rang out as their blades met, unleashing a whirlwind of devastating sword energy. The sheer force sent the spectating disciples tumbling backward, while only the masters and Ayaka managed to withstand the impact.

"This is impossible…! She blocked it head-on?" The Dojo Master’s disbelief deepened.

As the residual sword energy dissipated, Lily came into view. In her delicate fingers, she held nothing more than a slender embroidery needle—yet it had effortlessly parried the full-force strike of Onidakemaru.

"What…?"

All around, agonized cries filled the dojo.

The senior demon, who had barely managed to stay upright, suddenly collapsed to his knees, too stunned to comprehend what had just transpired.

The embroidery needle in Lily’s grasp was not an ordinary tool. It was the very same one she had used to weave the Painting of Flowers Beyond the Shore back in Rakshasa Dojo. And yet, this simple needle had just stopped the full-force strike of Onidakemaru, the treasured blade of Onidake Dojo.

In that brief moment of contact, the Dojo Master felt it—an unfathomable, boundless sword intent radiating from Lily’s embroidery needle. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Blood gushed from his palms, wrists, and elbows as deep fractures split through his bones. His arms trembled violently before he collapsed onto his knees, unable to withstand the pain.

"Aaagh!" he howled in agony, his voice raw with despair. "M-my arms! My arms!"

Lily extended her hand, and Onidakemaru trembled before rising into the air, suspended within the grasp of her Domain. "The blade itself is impressive," Lily mused, her tone indifferent. "But its wielder… somewhat lacking."

With a mere thought, Onidakemaru drifted toward Ayaka, settling lightly into her grasp. The blade carried an undeniable weight, a high-grade spirit artifact of considerable power.

"Sister, it’s yours now1," Lily said casually.

"Huh? Well…" Ayaka hesitated briefly but ultimately accepted the weapon without question.

"You wretched woman! How dare you steal our dojo’s ancestral blade? Return it this instant!" The Dojo Master’s arms were still fractured, rendering him powerless. Helpless and furious, he could only sit on the ground, stomping his feet in frustration.

With a flick of her wrist, an embroidery needle shot forward, its edge radiating pure sword intent. It halted just before piercing the center of the Dojo Master’s forehead, the lethal energy pressing against his skin.

"You began this duel with a wooden sword," Lily said, her voice cool yet firm. "But the moment you realized you were losing, you drew a real weapon and tried to kill me." She tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting coldly. "By all rights, I should kill you for that." The embroidery needle hovered, its deadly intent growing stronger. "So tell me… do you value your life or your blade?"

"Woman, you… you dare to threaten my life?" he stammered, sweat forming on his brow. "Fine!" He forced a bitter laugh. "I’ll admit it—you have some dirty tricks up your sleeve. But tell me, do you even know who I am? Do you know the true master of Onidake Dojo?"

"Who?" Lily arched an eyebrow. "How would I know if you don’t tell me?"

"Huhuhu… You’d tremble in fear if I told you!" The Dojo Master sneered, his confidence slowly returning. "I am an elder of the Green-Faced Golden-Horn Clan, one of the highest-ranking demon bloodlines in Carefree City! And as for this dojo… its true owner is none other than my ancestor—the Lord of Carefree City!"

He smirked darkly. "You’ve stirred trouble in the wrong place, woman. Even if you’ve humiliated me here, do you really think you can leave Carefree City alive?" His lips curled in satisfaction.

"The Lord already knows what has happened here. Soon, you’ll experience true despair—the fate of a woman who crosses the wrong people in Carefree City!"

The moment his words fell, the air itself grew heavy. A suffocating force spread across the dojo as an immense, oppressive aura descended upon them.

"The Lord of Carefree City has arrived!" a demon cried out, his voice shrill with excitement.

"He’s here!" The Dojo Master, the senior disciples, and the gathered demons straightened immediately, their morale surging. The Lord of Carefree City—the absolute ruler of this land—had finally arrived.

Eager grins spread across the demons’ faces as they awaited Lily’s impending downfall. She had strutted into their dojo with arrogance—soon, they would witness her being crushed under the weight of the almighty Lord’s power.

A sudden gust tore through the dojo, forcing every door and window wide open. A towering figure stepped inside—a demon with four elongated golden horns, his skin a deep shade of emerald. He strode forward, his luxurious hunting robes flowing behind him, his very presence radiating dominion. His massive frame nearly brushed the ceiling, a living testament to his overwhelming power.

The gathered demons immediately backed away and dropped to their knees in reverence.

"My Lord!" they cried in unison.

The towering demon, his four golden horns gleaming under the torchlight, surveyed the room with piercing eyes that burned like molten gold. A suffocating pressure radiated from him, blanketing the entire dojo in an oppressive force—a reminder that he alone ruled over all of Carefree City.

"Lowly mortal woman," the Lord of Carefree City rumbled, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. "Who are you, and how dare you stir conflict in my domain?" His aura intensified, pressing down upon the dojo like an unshakable mountain, its sheer force meant to break her will.

Yet, Lily stood unmoved—her expression calm, her breathing steady, as if the overwhelming force didn’t even exist. "Me?" she mused, tilting her head slightly. "One of the Hundred Maidens…" For a brief moment, she hesitated, unsure how best to introduce herself2.

"Hahahahaha!" The Lord of Carefree City erupted into laughter, his deep voice reverberating throughout the dojo. "The Hundred Maidens? A woman from the Night Parade of One Hundred Maidens?" His amusement dripped with condescension.

"True, the Hundred Maidens are among the elite—respected even by demons. Compared to other human women, your status is not entirely insignificant." His molten gaze bore into her, his smirk widening.

"But so what?" He spread his arms mockingly. "Did you think that meant anything here? Do you even know who you’re dealing with?" His voice darkened. "Even Captain Renka of your Rakshasa Dojo—a woman far above your rank—is a close associate of mine. And you? You’re nothing but a lowly Maiden, barely above an ordinary Rakshasa disciple."

He stepped forward, the weight of his presence pressing into the air. "And you dare act arrogant before me?"