Demon Sword Maiden

The mirror that couldn’t even show the clear reflection of Shimizu’s countenance and shattered into pieces under Yuki Mayumi’s heavy stomp and reflected Shimizu’s distorted face under the dim sunset glow.

Shimizu’s expression and even her soul froze at this moment.

It shattered?

The mirror of the heaven-chosen mirror girl which held an extraordinary secret and contained a mystic swordplay that was more profound than the Genji Swordstyle, the apex for the samurai in the Land of East, and allowed even a mediocre and frail woman like Shimizu to defeat the other geniuses of the Genji, the mirror entrusted to the most special talent among the mirror girls in ancient times, the mirror coveted by countless dark powers, resulting in the annihilation of the mirror girls in their hunt for it, Shimizu’s precious mirror that had changed her destiny and blessed her with a life of her own.

It was Shimizu’s sole pillar of support and the only thing she truly trusted in the world which isolated and rejected her, bereft of familial love!

Yet, it had shattered just like that.

Shimizu’s eyes saw nothing else but the oddly scattered mirror pieces and her own unsightly face reflected within them.

Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace—these were the last things on Shimizu’s mind right now.

She turned utterly silent in disbelief as the conviction she had built up right from her childhood shattered into pieces.

“Is this reality?”

“Or a dream?”

“Or have I died already and arrived in my personal hell unknowingly, subjected to illusions specially made to punish me?”

Shimizu laid there motionlessly with a lifeless gaze in her eyes, clueless about what to do next.

“Get out of my way!” Lily was finally able to break through the demons’ assault a few seconds ago and was on her way towards her Sister Shimizu. However, her expression also hardened at this moment.

“How is this possible? The extraordinary mirror which looks the same as my ancient mirror got shattered by that demon kunoichi just like that? Although that woman is pretty strong, it should’ve been impossible for her to shatter it. None other than the Gods could shatter such an unfathomable mirror with so much ease. Just why has this happened?” Lily froze in her footsteps momentarily as she was at a complete loss as well.

“Hahahahahaha!” On the other hand, Yuki Mayumi began chucking loudly after seeing the lifeless look in Shimizu’s eyes, “How about it, Miss Shimizu? Do you still think you were someone chosen by the heavens?”

“In fact, I’m also quite surprised. I couldn’t understand why Lady Haihime had pardoned the life of a mirror girl like you until now as it’s the duty of the Hundred Demons to annihilate all the mirror girls.”

“I wondered whether it was because she felt it was a pity for a talented person like you to die or whether there was something special about you that made her reluctant to kill you. However…”

“I understand it now. Hmph! It’s indeed a laughable matter. Hahahaha! The reason why Lady Haihime didn’t allow me to kill you is because there’s simply no need to kill a nobody like you!”

“Your precious and treasured ancient mirror with which you posed as a woman chosen by the heavens is just a fake mirror.”

“Hahahahahaha! Now that I recall the grudge, willpower, and conviction you showed before to face death with equanimity, I really can’t stop myself from laughing! Minamoto no Shimizu. You are neither a genius nor a hero, and just a delusional woman living in her dreams!1”

“What you had was just a fake mirror!”

“You are just one of the many scapegoats in possession of fake mirrors who exist to protect the real mirror girl of the legends!”

Shimizu’s gaze turned into that of an ashen ordinary girl’s gradually. She felt vulnerable, fear and denial filling her senses.

She reached out to caress the shattered mirror with her trembling hands, not even caring about the fact that touching Yuki Mayumi’s boots would’ve been humiliating for her previously…

“No! This is impossible! How could it be fake when it contained an unfathomable swordplay inside it?! My mirror is a relic of ancient times! How could it… shatter so simply?! It’s impossible for it to be frailer than my body… just impossible… This isn’t real! Why are you trying to make a fool out of me, Heavens?!”

Shimizu clutched her Tranquil Bamboo subconsciously and her pupils turned as dark as the gloomy starless night.

A deep grudge sprouted within Shimizu’s feeble and powerless body at this moment…

“What? Sister Shimizu’s mirror was fake? It was one of the countless fake mirrors possessed by the ill-fated mirror girls who exist to protect the real mirror girl?” Lily’s thoughts were an utter mess right now, “What do these words actually mean? Does this mean I am also one of those ill-fated women as well? Where are the real mirror girl and the ancient mirror then? Why were so many fake mirrors created to hide the real one?2”

Shimizu had already lost the will to fight and fell into despair. The blow she had received from this revelation was much more fatal than the injuries she had received until now.

Yuki Mayumi couldn’t help but smirk when she saw Shimizu’s current state, “Hmph! You aren’t worthy of being killed by me anymore. Do any of you like her? If so, take her away,” she stated indifferently.

“How about handing her over to me then, Lady Mimori,” A tall red Hannya masked ninja approached Shimizu and kicked Shimizu who seemed to have turned quiet and kept staring at the broken mirror with a lifeless look in her eyes.

“Suit yourself. Lord Hojo, shall we wrap up this battle too then?” Yuki stopped paying attention to Shimizu and turned around to face Lily.

“Mhm, I meant to do just that! Kagami Lily, do you see how that woman has ended up? Fret not since you’ll end up a hundred times more miserable than her. You can look forward to that,” Dijon approached while taking powerful steps, dragging the broken, heavy tachi behind him.

“How come this woman has turned as silent as a corpse? This is quite boring, but well, she’ll do,” The red Hannya masked ninja stooped down, intending to carry her.

“Stop,” Lily muttered softly.

“Hmm?” The red Hannya masked ninja couldn’t hear it clearly since he was a dozen or so meters away from her, so he turned his head towards her and questioned, “What did you say?”

“I’m telling you to stop! Don’t you dare touch her with your filthy hands!” Lily slashed forward, sending a beam of sword light flying towards that ninja. Although he managed to dodge it quickly, the sword beam killed two of the demon soldiers standing behind him.

Lily then released a series of sword beams continuously, each aimed at the monsters that attempted to approach Shimizu. Even Yuki Mayumi didn’t face those sword beams head-on and dodged it swiftly instead.

Lily sprinted to Shimizu’s side and pointed the tip of her blade towards the monsters, “No one is allowed to take even a step closer to Sister Shimizu again!3”

“Kagami Lily. Have you misunderstood something? It will be you who dies today and not that useless, delusional woman!” Yuki Mayumi stated.

Hojo Dijon stepped forward4 and waved his sword to signal the other monsters to step back, “Kagami Lily. How will I have my vengeance if I allow you to die at the hands of the Hundred Demons?! I shall chop that slender waist of yours into two halves personally today!”

The demons surrounded Lily again while Yuki Mayumi and Hojo Dijon had forced her to an impasse.

She might’ve had a chance to escape if she were to abandon Shimizu and Nanako and blitz through the encirclement of the demons, but she had no intention of showing her back to the enemies in front of her.5